Free Jake's Law: A Zombie Novel by James Gurley

would be interesting to find out.
    To his delight, when he reached the house, he found her already naked and waiting in his bed. He felt a surge of relief that she had made the first move. He wasted no time removing his own clothes, flinging them across the room. She reached for him eagerly, and his body responded. His mouth found hers, and then moved down her body, pausing briefly at her breasts. Her soft moans and quiet whispers urging him on only intensified his lust. When she flipped him over onto his back and straddled him, he didn’t complain. He soon learned that he had been right about her yoga.
    Afterwards, she snuggled against his side. He was angry at himself for giving in so easily, but satisfied enough to know not to mention it to her. Somewhere along the way, he had made his decision. He wanted her to remain with him. He needed her to stay. If she had manipulated him, it wouldn’t be the first time a woman had used sex to get her way, nor the first time a man had given in for the sake of sex. She got a safe haven. He got companionship. He considered it an even trade.
    As if reading his thoughts, she said, “You can still send me away if you want. I’ll understand. I won’t complain. I needed this as much as you did. It’s been too long.”
    “We’ll see how things go. If you get fed up with me, let me know.”
    He felt her head nod against his side. Then she fell asleep. Thinking that she probably needed the sleep, he eased out of bed so as not to wake her. He strode naked to the balcony. The sun was hot on his skin, but years of outdoor living had tanned and toughened it to a thick hide. Not thick enough that a red-headed slip of a girl couldn’t crawl beneath it , he mused. He glanced back at her sleeping on the bed and experienced a déjà vu of other girlfriends lying there. They hadn’t meant much to him, just temporary companionship. Breaking ties with them had been easier than it should have been, and once gone, he had quickly forgotten them. Why then did this girl affect him so strongly? Because she might be one of the last women on Earth? He thought it must be more than that.
    A thought, dark and morbid, came to him. He tried to dismiss it, but it lingered like the aftereffects of a bad dream. Maybe I just want someone to bury my body and grieve over me when I die.
    * * * *
    June 10, 2016  Split Rock Canyon –
    Jessica got the chance to prove her value to him the next morning. A single zombie, its clothing torn and tattered, and with strips of dead flesh hanging from its arms, waited for them outside the wall. He could have shot it easily from the balcony, but he needed to find out if Jessica was capable of facing a zombie and dispatching it. The creature was already dying, barely shambling along. All skin and bones, the creature’s backbone was almost visible through its stomach. It posed no serious threat unless she strayed too close. It was the perfect opportunity to test her mettle.
    “You kill it,” he said , as she stood beside him staring down at it.
    She gazed at him in horror. “Me? I’ve never shot a zombie.”
    “It’s time to learn. Use the rifle.”
    She looked at the creature and shook her head. “It’s too far away.”
    “We’ll get closer.”
    She shook her head more emphatically. “No.”
    “If you can’t shoot a zombie, you’re no good to me.” He kept the tone of his voice even, but she understood the veiled threat – shoot it or leave.
    She licked her lips and glanced nervously between the zombie and Ja ke. “What if I miss?”
    “I’ll be there.”
    She nodded, but didn’t look as certain as she pretended. “Okay.”
    He handed her the Browning and picked up the Versa Max 12-gauge. She walked down the path slowly, glancing at him questioningly when he opened the gate and motioned her through. The zombie tottered toward them, its mouth moving as if trying to speak. The only sound that came from its throat was a muted mewling.
    “Notice how thin and