Free Tempted in the Night by Robin T. Popp

vampire, they'd understand.
    Now, if Brody would just cooperate, she thought, looking at her watch—again.
    "I don't think he's going to show."
    A young man, looking big enough to play on the university football team, sidled up to her, his drunken smile overly friendly.
    "He'll show." She turned back to her drink, but he didn't take the hint.
    "I could keep you company," he suggested, coming to stand by the empty stool beside her.
    "Really, don't feel you must."
    He smiled as he sat down and motioned to the bartender to bring him another drink. Jessica tried to ignore him and glanced around the room, still not seeing Brody. It wasn't that she expected him to attack her right there in the bar, but she was counting on him doing exactly what she was doing—surveying the landscape and locating the next target for attack.
    A hand at her elbow interrupted her thoughts and she turned to face the man beside her, the odor of stale beer hitting her in the face as he leaned close enough to speak to her over the noise. "Say, baby," he drawled, "how 'bout you and me having some fun."
    Fighting off humans was harder than fighting off vampires. It wasn't as easy as pulling out a dagger and sinking it into their chest to be rid of them. That made her current situation a real predicament. Jess wasn't exactly sure how to get herself out of it without hurting someone.
    Mistaking her silence as interest, he shifted his body closer to hers. She was about to use a Judo move to make her intentions clear, when someone grabbed the man's arm and roughly twisted it, causing him to release her and double over the counter in pain. Turning, she saw Detective Boehler , looking like he'd had a rough night, holding on to the young man's arm.
    "You're in my seat," he growled, yanking the man off the stool and shoving him off to the side. "Beat it."
    "Hey, I saw her first," the drunk protested loudly.
    "Don't make me hurt you." John turned his back on the man, effectively dismissing him, and gave Jess his full attention. "What the hell are you doing here?"
    "I
was
enjoying a bit of peace and solitude," she said.
    "Not anymore." He reached out, took the glass from her hand, downed its contents, and set it on the counter.
    Then he took her elbow and pulled her to her feet. "I'm taking you home."
    "Thanks, but I'm not ready to go," she said forcefully, pulling her arm from his grasp with a quick jerk. "Don't let that stop
you
from leaving."
    They were drawing attention from the other patrons, though John didn't seem to care.
    "Does Charles know you're out all alone?"
    "I don't have to account for my whereabouts to anyone," she informed him.
    He shook his head. "Lady, you are one piece of work."
    The football player chose that moment to return. He charged at John, who barely had time to brace himself before being shoved halfway across the room. He quickly regained his footing, though, and grabbing the other man's hand, used his forward momentum to send him toppling into the crowd. The jock, however, recovered more quickly this time, and came back swinging his fist, catching John in the jaw.
    John's head snapped to the side, but he didn't go down. Instead, he stood there, rubbing his jaw until Jess wondered if it was broken. Things were getting out of hand. She was about to get off her stool and go to him when suddenly he exploded into action. It was almost like he'd been waiting for the young man to throw the first punch and now that he had, John was free to retaliate. He threw several fast jabs at his opponent's face and belly, hitting him so hard that Jess worried he might have broken the bones of his hand in addition to whatever damage he'd inflicted on her unwanted admirer.
    She was relieved when the bouncers arrived to break up the fight.
    "Not in the bar," one shouted, grabbing the football player and roughly maneuvering him out the door. "Take it outside."
    John straightened his shirt, grabbed a napkin off the bar to dab at the blood from his split lip and