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I noted that for future reference, and then watched as he loaded his gun with practiced ease, pointing it down range the entire time. Once done, he resumed his stance and spoke.
“The gun will have a bit of a kick, so be ready for that. Take a breath, aim, and fire.” He squeezed the trigger and shot a round, the bullet hitting a few inches off the center of the target. Relaxing his stance, he nodded to me.
“Now you try.”
I copied him, followed his instructions with a deep breath, then shot. It didn’t even hit the target and I winced, heat crawling over my cheeks.
He offered an understanding smile. “It’s alright, that’s pretty normal when you’re just starting out. Just before you shot, you closed your eyes, and your hand jumped. It knocked the trajectory off. Try again, but keep your eyes open.”
I hadn’t even realized I’d closed them…
Shaking that to the side, I did as told, and this time, it at least hit the target. It was the outer edge, but progress was progress.
Lowering the gun back to the table, I turned to him and smiled. “I hit it.” Pride flashed in my stomach, and he beamed right back at me.
“Yup, you did! Now we just have to work on your aim and-.”
An unfamiliar voice came from behind us, nearly sending me out of my skin.
“Already making a move on the town newbie? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, you always were the first to drool over a pretty face.”
Oliver stiffened to stone next to me, his smile turning to plastic as something cold lit his eyes. The shift jarred me, but before I could ask if he was alright, the owner of the voice stopped next to us and I took him in.
Nothing about his appearance should have made me wary. Short black hair framed a set of brown eyes that all but drilled through me. His frame wasn’t overly muscled or twiggy, just average.Hewas average. For all intents and purposes, he looked like any other guy, right down to the arrogant twist of his lips, but something about him made my hair stand on end.
Every atom of my body screamed that he was bad news, and when he raked a long, lecherous glance over me–stopping for far longer than appropriate over my chest–I inched closer to Oliver on instinct.
Thankfully Oliver stepped sideways, shielding me from the man’s eyes as his previous smile shifted into a steely scowl.
“I’m only showing her how to shoot. I’ve done that with loads of other people, so your insinuation is wrong.” His jaw all but ground audibly. “And as for the second part, I may be a flirt, but at least I have boundaries. Like not making women uncomfortable by staring like a pervert. Maybe you should take notes.”
The man shrugged, his smile grating against every last one of my nerves as he chuckled. “So protective, and she’s hardly been here a few days. Are you sure you’re not trying to stake a claim?”
Oliver bristled, but before he could defend my honor, I did it myself. Forcing aside the crawling feeling moving over my skin, I sidestepped Oliver and marched up to the man. He blinked, clearly taken aback, only for that smarmy smile to reappear.
Before he could say whatever disgusting pickup line was on the tip of his tongue, I cut him off with a tone like ice. “I’m not athingto claim, and it’s not abnormal for someone to defend a woman who’s being stared at like you were doing to me. I’m highly uncomfortable with it, and he acted as any gentlemen would. I appreciate that. What I don’t appreciate is you trying to turn an innocent lesson into something it isn’t. Now please, if you’re only here to bother us, thenleave.”
I crossed my arms and glared him down, not budging an inch as he leaned back, visibly surprised. He shook it off quickly, his smile sliding into something sharper as his eyes narrowed.
“I was appreciating your chest, take it as a compliment. No need to get so huffy or defensive. As for why I’m here, I came to chat with my oldfriend.” Here he tipped his head toward Oliver, eyes hard like glass. “Diana says hi, by the way. She would have come over too, but when I left she was still a bit…tired from our most recent exploits.”
His voice all but oozed double meaning, and my cheeks heated in response. Really, how crude could he be!? There was no need to say why she wasn’t here…
Oliver stiffened further in the corner of my eyes, a flash of something I couldn’t name growing before a mask crashed down over it. Too late, though, I’d seen it, and confusion burned to life in response.
Did these two have some kind of a history?
Shaking that aside for now, I focused on Oliver as he spoke through gritted teeth. “She was right to stay away, but as you can see, I’m busy, so please come back later.”
The man gave me another long look before shrugging, “Sure thing. I’m not the sort to get in the way of a man and his conquest. The name is Doug.” He said the last bit to me, and I curled my lips in disgust.
“I didn’t ask for a reason.” I snapped.
His smile fell a notch, but before he could do more than take a step forward and scowl, Oliver put himself between us again, eyes set in a hard glare.
“She isn’t interested. Now go back to Diana. We all know how she gets when you flirt around.”
A mountain of subtext lingered under this conversation and after a loaded beat, Doug scoffed. “She doesn’t have a hold over me, and she knows it, but I do have an appointment with Stacy to keep.” He turned, walking away, but even after he’d disappeared completely, the itchy feeling he gave me lingered.
