The range backed up to a huge mound of dirt that served to contain any stray bullets. The place was deserted, though she heard one of their lions roar in the distance. The area was clean of debris, and she didn’t even see any shell casings. Targets at various heights were situated on the far side by the berm. Several trees had targets as well, and the bark was missing in places where someone had missed. Paradise suspected she’d add her own dings to the terrain.
A tremor moved in her belly, and she pressed her palm there. “I’m not sure I’m ready for this. I’m not afraid of the gun, but I don’t think I could aim it at a person.”
He turned from rummaging in the storage compartment. “You’re smart, Paradise. I think you’ll know when someone is trying to kill you. Your lesson today will mostly be about gun safety.” He held out ear protection. “These amplify noises like voices while muffling the gunshots. I think you’ll like them. Let me grab the safety glasses too.” He reached back into the box.
She drew a breath and put on the ear protection and slipped on the glasses. He was right—this was self-protection. So many crazy things were happening right now, and she had to be prepared.
“I really like this little SIG. It’s got a manual safety.” He showed her. “You operate it with your thumb.” He demonstrated, then had her try. “Good job.”
His biceps flexed as he moved, and her gaze lingered on the muscles of his chest beneath his tee. He was handsome, tanned, strong—and hers. How was she so blessed to have won the love of a man like Blake? The amazing bit was that his character was even more compelling than his good looks. He loved fiercely and forever, and she didn’t ever want to take that for granted.
He grew still and a smile lifted his lips. “You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?” He set the SIG onto a metal table and stepped closer.
“Sure I did.”
“What did I say about loading and unloading the ammo?”
She cast back for some snippet of his instruction and came up blank when his eucalyptus scent wafted her way. The smile vanished, and his blue eyes grew intense as he gazed into her face. Her mouth dried at his smoldering expression. He steppedcloser, and her lids fluttered shut as she tipped her head up. His lips came down on hers, and she sank into his embrace.
His passion matched hers until he stepped back with regret on his face. “I don’t remember anything I was going to tell you.”
“I don’t remember anything you said,” she admitted. Her fingertips touched her lips. “And it’s all your fault.”
He barked out a laugh. “What’s a man to do when you look at him with those amber eyes that say ‘kiss me’?”
“My eyes don’t talk,” she said primly.
“They telegraph every single thought in your beautiful head.” He raked his fingers through the long strands of her ponytail and took it out of its band so her hair was spread out on her shoulders. “I don’t think I want to shoot. I’d rather sit in the Gator and kiss you.” He nuzzled his face in her hair. “You smell like sunshine, and I can’t think when you’re around.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist. “You are way too distracting. You know your mom will ask how the lesson went.”
“We’ll tell her it went great,” he murmured against her neck. His lips trailed along her shoulder and back to her neck.
A delicious cascade of goose bumps shivered down her back and arms, and her knees went weak. His lips found hers again, and she didn’t even remember where she was until he sighed and stepped back.
“You’re right, and we need to make sure you’re equipped to deal with an attacker. I can’t be with you every second, and you need to be able to protect yourself.” He reached for the gun again. “The nice thing about this gun is you can load it and unload it with the safety on. We don’t need you accidentally shooting yourself.”
She pushed away her regret and gathered her scattered thoughts. “Or someone else.”
“That too.” He nodded.
She paid attention as he took her through all the safety precautions and practiced flipping the safety on and off so she recognized the click it made. He had her load and unload the magazine in the gun before he let her shoot it. The trigger had just the right amount of pull, and she was instantly in love with the little gun when she hit the target every time.
She loved it almost as much as she loved Blake. Almost.
Paradise’s car smelled fresh thanks to Blake’s thoughtfulness in cleaning out the dung left on her seat. He’d detailed the car completely, and it felt like a new vehicle. With Blake’s good-night kiss still on her lips, she got in and started her Kia. The gold-and-orange sunset had come and gone, leaving darkness to shroud the tupelo and oak trees.
Though the drive to Nova Cambridge was short, she hated to leave with the two kittens still in her care. Jenna had caved to the boys’ pleas the minute Blake had taken Paradise out to the shooting range, which had surprised no one. Kittens were hard for anyone to resist, least of all an animal lover like Jenna. Paradise smiled, remembering how the boys had carted the furballs off to sleep with them. Levi had claimed the black-and-white female, dubbing her Selah, while Isaac wanted the gray one, also a female, and named her Bailey.
She started the car and drove away. The silence after the welcome chaos at Jenna’s house felt oppressive, so as soon as she crossed over the bridge, she flipped on the sound system. The strains of “The Phantom of the Opera” blared from her speakers. Her pulse went into overdrive, and she slammed on her brakes as a reflex.
Pulse pounding and chest heaving, she pulled to the side of the road and fumbled with the controls. Instead of the radio being set to a radio station, she found a USB drive streaming the movie soundtrack into her speakers. She threw open her door to leap out.
Scents blew in her face: dew, grass, and wildflowers, and she heard a boat puttering past the bridge. An owl hooted from the woods on her right, and the wind fluttered the leaves. Normal sounds that should have soothed her but didn’t. She peered through the window into the back illuminated by the interior lights. No one was lurking inside the car, just kittens sleeping in their carrier. Just to be sure, she checked the trunk and found it empty as well.
Someone had done this while it was parked at The Sanctuary.
The tightness in her chest eased, so she got back in the car and locked the doors behind her. Glancing in her rearview mirror, she realized she was closer to her apartment than to The Sanctuary. The boys would be in bed now, and if she returned, she’d disrupt the whole household. There was no physical danger to her. It was a prank designed to scare her, and to her shame, it had succeeded.
