More Than Protect You (More Than Words #6.5) - Shayla Black Page 0,31

your paper intruder hell.”

She empties the first revolver and does fairly well. She doesn’t hit the person drawn on the target more than once or twice, but if he’d truly been someone invading her place, she would have at least scared the piss out of him. Ditto with the second revolver, though she had more control over that weapon, probably because she’s getting the hang of it.

“How are you feeling now?”

“Still a little jittery.”

“Revved up?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s just a fraction of what you’ll feel in a real-world situation.”

She nods, then loads her first semiautomatic, slamming in the magazine like a pro. “I’ll get this if I practice, right?”

“Absolutely.”

“Good. Then next time someone breaks into my house, maybe I won’t be so terrified because I won’t have to come so damn close to the crazy man as I did when I hit him on the head with a vase.”

“Let’s go again.”

I love the way she’s determined. I’d rather be the one taking care of her, but if she won’t let me, I’ll feel a shit ton better knowing she’s capable. And with her third weapon, she shows me she’s getting more proficient.

“This is the last weapon for you to fire.” I hand her the firearm and explain how it’s different from the last nine millimeter she fired. “The trigger may be a little stiffer, but the barrel is longer, so you’ll have less kickback.”

She wraps her small fingers around it with a frown. “It’s awfully big. And heavy.”

“It’s a double-stack, meaning there are two rows of bullets in the magazine, not just one. You may not need that for home security, but since they had this available as a rental, I wanted you to see the difference. Give it a whirl.” I point out to the fresh target I pinned for her. “Try for head and chest shots.”

I’d be happy if she hit the target anywhere on the body, but this will give her someplace specific to focus.

Amanda nods, then aims and fires. Instantly, I can see she’s adopting all the adjustments I’ve given her since we started—and it’s showing. By the time she empties the magazine, more than one shot has penetrated the paper intruder—one right between the eyes.

“You did fantastic,” I praise.

“That felt surprisingly good. This gun was actually the easiest to use.” She sets it on the counter, then smiles up at me.

She’s pleased with herself, and she should be.

“I thought it might be, despite its size.” I bring the target in and let her examine it, pointing out some of her best shots. “And you’ve never shot before?”

“Never.”

“Honestly, if we keep practicing, I think you’ll get proficient quickly.”

Her lips curl up more, and I realize this is the first time I’ve seen her genuine smile. Not the one she pastes on to be polite. Not the one she gives me when she disagrees but doesn’t want to say so. Not the one she flashes when she’s keeping something secret. Not even the one she sends Oliver that shows how much she loves him. Best of all? This smile is only for me.

“I’m sorry,” I tell her.

She frowns in confusion. “For what? Did I do something wrong?”

“When you look at me like that, I can’t resist you.” I palm her nape and seize her lips, falling into her pillowy softness and losing myself in everything that makes Amanda so lush and female.

She doesn’t hesitate or pull back. Instead, she opens and gives me total dominion over her mouth. It’s heady, and that does something to me because I know she doesn’t trust easily. I pull her closer, deepen the kiss…and wish like hell we were someplace alone.

The guy in the lane next to us, who I’m pretty sure is an off-duty cop, starts firing. Mandy jolts. I pull back with a frustrated groan, which is drowned out by the sounds of more gunfire, and try to hide another erection. Fuck, I’ve been able to control my reactions for years. Around Amanda, I seem to have as much mastery over my body as I did at sixteen.

“We’re done here. Let’s go.”

“Already?”

“We’re out of ammo. Hopefully, we can come back soon.” I load the rentals back in our borrowed case, take her hand, and turn the weapons back in. Then I lead her to the car. “So you liked it?”

“I’m surprised, but yes. It’s a shockingly good stress reliever.”

I laugh. Mandy is full of surprises—and I love that. She’s on the small side and a girly kind of girl. I wasn’t sure