Make Me Melt(34)

Caroline bit her lip, focusing on his instructions. “Like this?”

“Perfect. Take your other hand and hold it like this.” He adjusted her left hand around the other side of the gun, aligning her thumbs to point downrange. “Your left hand is used to keep the gun steady. Don’t grip the gun with it.”

Caroline hitched in a breath. She was finding it difficult to concentrate when she could feel his hard body pressed up against her. He’d disapprove of her wayward thoughts, so she kept quiet, but she couldn’t keep her imagination from conjuring up images of just what he could be doing while he was standing behind her.

“Now, make sure both your thumbs are clear of the hammer,” he said, indicating the lever above her fingers. “When this thing pops back, it could hurt you if your hands aren’t properly positioned.”

Caroline nodded to let him know she understood.

“It’s important to stand in the proper firing stance,” he said. He stepped briefly away from her to demonstrate the stance. “Like this.”

“Okay, I think I’ve got it,” she replied.

Jason stood behind her again, and when she planted her feet, he used his own foot to widen her stance a bit more. “That’s good,” he said, and then he put one hand on her stomach and the other on her back and eased her forward. “You should be leaning forward just a bit,” he explained. “Like this, knees slightly bent, right arm locked.”

This new position put her butt into direct contact with his hips, although he seemed not to notice. He was so intent on ensuring she had the correct stance. There was definitely something wrong with her, she decided, since all she could seem to think about was sex. She could smell him. His arms were around her, and his breath was warm on her neck.

“You’re doing great,” he said. “Now you’re going to sight the target. The two sights should be level and centered. Focus on the center of the target. Good job. Now insert your finger into the trigger guard. Try to time your firing with your breathing. Take a breath, exhale halfway and then slowly squeeze the trigger.”

Caroline did as he instructed, startled by the first shot and unprepared for the recoil. She staggered a little, but Jason was right there, steadying her.

Yanking off her ear protectors, she whirled around, jubilant. Jason’s eyes widened, and he reached for the weapon, redirecting it away from his midsection and back toward downrange.

“Whoa! Always know where your gun is aimed,” he said, but he grinned at her. “Good job. Let’s clear the rounds and do it again.”

Her hand flew to her mouth as she realized she had swung the gun around and had pointed it directly at him. “Oh, my God,” she breathed in horror. “I’m sorry!”

“Beginner’s mistake.” He shrugged. “My fault. Ready to go again?”

Caroline saw that her hands were shaking, but she nodded and turned determinedly back toward the range, repositioning her earmuffs and goggles before she picked up the gun. But her mind was reeling with the knowledge that she could easily have shot Jason. She adjusted her stance and tried to align her sights, but all she could see was Jason, lying on the ground...bleeding.

Suddenly, his arms were around her, his fingers prying the weapon from hands that visibly shook. He laid the gun down and turned her around to face him. His expression was filled with concern, and he quickly pulled her ear protectors and goggles off.


“Are you okay?” he asked.

She shook her head and swallowed convulsively, unable to dispel the image she’d had of him. “I almost killed you.”

He looked confused, and then understanding dawned. “No, sweetheart, you didn’t. You made a small error, but nothing happened. Look at me...I’m fine.”

Seeing her distress, he laughed softly and pulled her into his arms. “Okay, come here. It’s okay, we don’t have to do this. I’m probably being overprotective anyway. Nothing is going to happen to you, because I’m going to be right here.”

Caroline dragged in a deep breath and pulled free of his embrace. “No, I want to finish. You might not always be here, and I want to be able to take care of myself.”

Slowly, Jason smiled, and she saw the grudging admiration in his eyes. “Okay, good. Let’s continue.”

She put her goggles and ear protectors back on and turned determinedly back to the weapons. This time, she wouldn’t let his proximity distract her. She knew how serious this was, and as she fixed her sights on the distant target, she made herself remember the blood on her father’s front porch. She thought again of how frail and vulnerable he’d looked in the hospital and imagined the target was the shooter, coming back to finish the job. She fired off six shots in quick succession. When she had emptied the chamber, she set the gun down and removed the headpiece.

“Great job,” Jason said. When she turned to look at him, he was grinning broadly. “Let’s take a closer look.”

He pressed a small button on the wall, and they watched as the target slid toward them. Even before it reached the window where they stood, she could see she had hit the center. Jason pulled the paper free from the clips, and they examined it together.

“You got four hits,” he said. “All of them center mass.”

Caroline studied the tiny holes. They were all within the targeted circles. “So I did good?”