Page 34 of Triggered By Love
“That’s the wrong reason.”
“Doesn’t matter. It’s what I came for.”
“Every time you take a haphazard shot, you’re ingraining bad habits. You’re out of control. It’s dangerous.”
She lowered the gun and put on her hearing protectors partly to muffle out his nagging. “I’m going to shoot, so you can either help me or stay out of the way.”
His body closed in behind her, and he put his hands over hers, adjusting the gun and her grip. His heat enveloped her, and her heart took an erratic leap. She licked her lips and told herself to stay composed. The gun didn’t feel as heavy, and he let her guide it, right at the heart of the target.
This time, she was going to do it right, not squeezing her entire hand and making the shot go wild. She slowly inhaled and concentrated solely on pulling back her trigger finger.
Bam!
She almost jumped at the shot. It sliced cleanly through the target’s heart.
“Try again,” Jason barked, not acknowledging her precise hit.
She let out the breath she was holding and realigned the front and rear sights. Again, she put all her thought into the one finger movement, feeling like the rest of her was detached—only the trigger finger mattered.
Bam!
The shot hit the target, a little wide, but still went through the torso of the target.
She could sense his approval by the slight nod of his jaw against the top of her head, and she readjusted, pointing to different parts of the target until she emptied the clip.
She ejected the clip and placed it on the counter while he triggered the target return.
“Not bad.” He whistled at the holes. “How do you feel?”
“Like I was meditating.” She inhaled slowly. “It’s weird. Different. Calming. I don’t feel irritated right now.”
He still had his arms around her as she lowered the emptied gun. Taking it from her, he placed it on the counter and turned her around so she faced him. Gently, he lowered her ear band and left it hanging around her neck.
“The calmness is what makes you a good shot.” His gaze was so intent on her that she could see the glints of gold within the pools of brown.
The praise felt good, coming from him, and she could feel herself floating closer to him. The scent of gunpowder, the bucking of the pistol, and the raw power of plugging bullets into the target filled her with a heady rush of emotion.
Focused. Intense. He moved like a wildcat stalking his prey. His mouth was hot and hungry, pressing her lips, while his big, wide hands tilted her head back, throwing her off-balance, so that she was teetering on the edge of a cliff.
She stopped herself from thinking. Closed her eyes and kissed him back, tasting passion she didn’t know she possessed. Heat rushed through her body, filling her heart with hot blood and making her purr like a horny alley cat wailing for a mate.
Her tongue swept his mouth, twirling and tangling with his hot thrusts. She wanted to melt then and there, weak at the knees and swept away by this hard, powerful man whose intensity should have scared her. Instead, excitement sizzled through her hot blood, and she pressed her hands over his sinewy shoulders, his hard pecs, and down every ridge of his abs. Her nipples tingled, and she tipped herself on her toes and let her breasts rub up against his torso.
He moaned and moved his hands so fast, from her flaming cheeks down to her butt, cupping her ass and crushing her belly against the large bulge that showed he was very much into her.
Tingles zinged through her, and heat blossomed throughout her body. Her heartbeat rushed and tripped over her pulse. The sharp pops of the nearby gunshots pounded through her, jerking her away from her momentary insanity.
“I can’t.” Her voice squeaked, and she gaped up at the cop’s feral eyes. “It’s too soon.”
“It’s not soon enough.” He clasped the empty gun into her hands, pressing tightly. “You’re going to be a great shot. I know it.”
“Don’t mention it.” She smiled, holding the gun between them. She was glad he changed the subject so smoothly, avoiding embarrassment for what just happened. She’d ruined the moment, but hopefully, she hadn’t ruined the future. “I’m counting on you to show me how.”
Chapter Twelve
Sometimes,having a cop as a stalker had its benefits.
After the gun range, Jason naturally assumed he and Avery would go for a run through Central Park, and she didn’t dissuade him. She wasn’t sure how to process the kiss, and as long as he was around, she didn’t have to think about it.
