Free Dangerously Hers by A.M. Griffin Page A

one was happy that Saia was promised to Ranuit Pi, especially Taio. Jess had minimal dealings with Taio but she was very certain she didn’t ever want to get on his bad side.
    She scanned around for JB, finally finding him across the room. Soon he would leave and she would be left here all alone. She had prepared for this, right? But her stomach knotted and flipped just the same.
    Rasha leaned over to her. He smelled of outdoors and male. She almost shuddered. “You don’t like the food?”
    She cleared her throat. “It’s fine.” She nodded toward JB. “I was worried about JB eating down there with strangers. I should probably sit with him and keep him company.”
    Rasha glanced at JB. “I don’t have many dealings with human males but he appears to be enjoying himself.”
    And he did, the bastard. JB laughed and gave each female surrounding him his best dimpled smile. Even from across the room she could see his eyes sparkling with amusement.
    I’m going to fucking kill him. He’s trying to get laid while I’m stuck with a pheromone-firing alien.
    “The two of you seem to be very close.”
    Jess nodded and glared at JB. As her friend, shouldn’t he be more concerned about the dangerous giant flanking her side than the women tripping over his dick?
    “Any relation?” Rasha asked.
    Jess tore her attention away from JB to find Rasha watching her intently. “What? Huh?” She shook her head and grabbed her eating utensil. “No. I’m an only child.” She and JB weren’t related but he was the closest thing she’d ever had to a big brother.
    “As I.”
    She turned away from him and took a bite of her food. She forced herself to swallow the meat that formed a lump in her throat.
    A serving female refilled his drink. He stopped staring to take a deep, satisfied swig.
    She peered at the green liquid in his mug. “What’s that?”
    “It’s santorilin brew.”
    Jess raised her arm, signaling for the serving female. Yep, it’s going to be that kind of night.
    Rasha held up his mug and chuckled. “This is not for females. This is a warrior’s drink.”
    “I want what he has,” Jess said to the female as she approached.
    Instead of filling her cup, the beautiful Sonian glanced from Jess to Rasha.
    Jess held out her cup. “Listen, I’ve been drinking homemade brew for years now. I can handle this.”
    Rasha leaned back in his chair and laced his hands behind his head. “As she wishes.”
    Jess waited patiently for her cup to fill then smiled triumphantly and took a long swig. It didn’t burn as it traveled down her throat but it was potent just the same.
    She smacked her lips and set her mug on the table, where it hit a little harder than she had planned. Rasha watched her in amusement.
    She peered at him. “Stop.”
    “Stop what?”
    She turned away. “Watching me.”
    He hesitated before answering. “You’ll have to forgive me. You are unique. The females on Sonis do not drink the warriors’ brew.”
    Stop overreacting. Heat crept across her cheeks. “I’m not trying to stand out.”
    He tilted his chin. “You already do. Your clothes are different and now the brew.” He winked. “But I like it.”
    “You’re doing it again.”
    “What? Making you uncomfortable?”
    She nodded.
    “I understand. You’re uncomfortable because I’m a gigantor.”
    “I shouldn’t have called you that, sorry. I confess. When I said it before, I did mean it to be offensive.”
    “Don’t be, I am gigantic.” He paused before a sexy grin spread across his face. “ All of me.”
    She rolled her eyes. “You’re hopeless. Consider the apology rescinded.”
    His laugh was so loud and infectious she found herself responding with a chuckle.
    She relaxed into her chair, feeling the chemicals of the brew working over her muscles with an easy caress.
    It could have been the brew talking. Or maybe it was all the adrenaline from the day finally leaving her body. It could have been her new boss. Hell, did it really