Abbie teasingly punched his arm. Gideon laughed.
What are they talking about?
They had an easy way about them. No tension or friction or argument simmering beneath the surface.
Was that the kind of girl Gideon wanted?
Is that who he ends up with?
Something twinged in her chest as Abbie slid her hand into the crook of Gideon’s elbow, pulling him closer, biting her lip as she stared at him through her eyelashes—all tricks Rune herself had used to seduce men.
Rune pulled the trigger without looking where she was aiming.
BANG!
Gideon grabbed Abbie, pulling her out of the line of fire and into his chest.
Whoops.
Rune lowered the gun. Gideon glared straight at her.
“Sorry!” she yelled. “I’m so sorry!”
“I warned you,” he said loudly to Abbie, leaving her behind as he stalked toward Rune. He was a dark force, like a thunderstorm spreading across the deck.
Rune took a step back.
He grabbed the rifle. No longer having the higher ground, she let him take it.
“I could kill that prince for giving you a weapon without teaching you how to use it.”
What?
Instead of storming off and taking the rifle with him, he took Rune’s arm. “Come here,” he said, positioning her in front of him.
“Wh-what are you doing?” she whispered as his hand dropped to her waist, pulling her against him.
His breath warmed her neck. “Teaching you how to handle a gun.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she said, feeling hot despite the cold air.
“For the safety of everyone on deck, I do.” He placed her hand on the barrel. “You want to grip the stock firmly. Likethis.” He squeezed lightly to demonstrate. “Next, you want to steady the butt against your shoulder.” He drew the gun back until it pressed securely against her shoulder, between her arm and collarbone.
“Now, put your finger on the trigger.” He guided her hand so the end of her gloved finger—right in the center of her fingertip and the first joint—rested on the trigger.
“Keep your elbows down and in.” His lips brushed her ear. “And try to relax.”
Relax.Yes, easily done when he waseverywhere. Forcing her to remember how big and warm and strong he was. How was she supposed to relax when his arm coiled around her waist and the heat of his chest seeped into her back?
Her heart started to pound. She closed her left eye, trying to focus.
“Don’tclose your eyes,” he said. “Pay attention to your breathing instead.” He pressed his free hand high on her torso, just below her breasts. “Breathe from here. You want to inhale, and only when you exhale do you squeeze the trigger.”
Her body was on fire in all the places he was touching her.
“That’s… a lot of things to remember.”
“You don’t have to get it right the first time.”
