Free Not Quite Dead (A NightHunter Novel) by Stephanie Rowe Page A

incredibly sexy that I don't want to be just friends with you. I want you to ravage me."
    His eyebrows nearly shot off his forehead. "I'm okay with that—"
    "Of course you would be. You're a guy." She poked him in the chest, pausing for a fraction of a second to marvel at his muscle tone, then glared at him. "But if it was simply hot sex, that would be fine, because empty sex can't hurt me, right?"
    He grinned. "Yeah, so you want to—"
    "However," she snapped, "when you're all nice and understanding, you wake up that side of me that I don't want to hear from. The one that makes me see you as more than a nice set of pecs, the one that reminds me that I'm a woman with emotions and vulnerabilities. So, be the arrogant jerk you were in the jungle, make lewd suggestions that annoy me, and stop being nice. Got it? Don't tempt me into becoming emotionally attached to you!"
    She finished her speech, and then realized she was standing up, still poking his chest, almost shouting at him. He was leaning back in his chair, a small, arrogant grin playing at the corners of his mouth, which made him look even sexier than when he'd been all nurturing and nice. "Oh, come on! Just stop it!"
    "Everything okay, Jordyn?" David's question jerked her attention back to the room, and she looked over her shoulder. The entire bar was watching her, and David was on his way over to them with a baseball bat, eyeing Eric like he was about to use him for batting practice.
    Oh, crud . She hadn't realized how vehement she'd gotten. "Yes, yes, it's fine." She hurriedly moved to put herself between David and Eric, but Eric moved even faster. One second, she was in front of him, and the next second, he was on his feet, shoving her behind him, and using his body to shield her from David.
    "Back off," he said, his voice a quiet menace as David approached.
    David stopped immediately, his fist tight around the bat. "Get away from Jordyn."
    A barroom brawl was not what she wanted right now. "Stop it, both of you!" Jordyn tried to shove Eric aside, but he didn't move. Damn the man for being built like a brick wall, for heaven's sake! "David, I was just venting. Eric's helping me find Tristan Hunter, and he's on my side. Eric, this is David Savoy, my best friend from childhood. He's just looking out for me because you look like a thug and I'm yelling at you. So, both of you, calm down!"
    Again, she tried to get past Eric, and again, he blocked her path with ease as he continued to trade hostile glares with David.
    Then suddenly, David grinned and lowered the bat. "She must think you're okay if she's yelling at you when she's not mad at you."
    Eric's frown dissolved, and he grinned back. "She insults me constantly."
    David nodded knowingly. "Does she tell you to shut up?"
    "All the time. Is that a good thing?"
    "It is when it comes to Jordyn. That's her way of telling you that she thinks you're hilarious, and you make her life better."
    Eric glanced over at her, and his right eyebrow went up. "So, you really are in love with me then? That's why you got all worked up?"
    Her cheeks heated up. "Oh, shut up." The words came out before she could stop them, and both men laughed.
    "Looks like you're all right, man." David held out his hand, and the two men shook hands heartily, instant best friends when they'd been ready to kill each other moments before. She scowled as they exchanged amicable greetings. She didn't understand how men could go from enemies to best buddies instantly. How could they be so sure they could trust each other?
    Sighing, she sat back in her chair, watching David's expression as he talked with Eric, who was grilling him about Tristan. David looked serious and interested, and not at all wary. David, who was so protective of her in high school that he'd beat up more than one of her dates for looking at her the wrong way, clearly sensed no threat from Eric...which made it all the more frustrating because she didn't want to be stupid enough to trust Eric or