She sat, but snatched her hand from his and crossed her arms in front of her chest, as if hiding herself from him.
“Kelsey, there’s nothing wrong with what you’re wearing. I think you look beautiful. It doesn’t expose too much, but it shows off your incredible body. It’s sexy.”
He watched as her cheeks took on a rosy glow. “There. That’s what I’m talking about.” He pointed to her flushed face. “That embarrasses you, doesn’t it?”
“I’m just not used to being complimented like that.”
“That’s because you don’t normally dress like that, do you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She stood to take her empty dishes to the kitchen.
“I just want to get to know you and I feel like you’re hiding the real Kelsey. Who is she?” He followed closely behind her, not allowing her to run from the conversation.
She mumbled something, but, with her back to him, he couldn’t make it out.
“What did you say?”
“I said I don’t know!” She tossed the dishes in the sink and turned to face him.
“What do you mean, you don’t know?” She was obviously struggling with her words. “Come here. Let’s talk.”
He took her hand and led her towards the couch. She sat beside him, keeping her eyes on the ground the whole time.
“Talk to me, Bright Eyes, please?” He lifted her chin to look into her eyes.
“I don’t want…”
“You don’t want what?”
“I don’t want to scare you away.”
“Baby, a nuclear bomb couldn’t scare me away from you. Tell me.”
“The truth is I don’t know. I don’t know who I am…who I’m supposed to be.”
“Well, if I asked your brothers or your sister who you were, what would they say?”
She scoffed. “Nothing that was true.”
“What does that mean?”
He watched as she glanced from one spot to the next, a look of contemplation on her face. “You know, all my life, it seems there was someone telling me what to do, what not to do, what to think, what not to think. I thought I got away from it when I moved to Cleveland, but the insecurity followed me there. I used to blame it on my overprotective family, but I realised it was all me. I was in this protective shell and I just didn’t know how to get out of it.”
She released a heavy sigh before continuing. “I wanted to cut loose a little, you know? Take a chance and act spontaneously. I was never one to do that, and I wanted to just let myself go. So I went to that bar last night.”
“And you hit on me,” he said, suddenly feeling confused.
Did I take advantage of someone who was vulnerable? Or, was she using me to escape from a version of herself that she was less than happy with?
“No, that’s not why I approached you. I may’ve gone out looking for excitement, but once I got there, I totally chickened out. I sat at the end of the bar for an hour before you even got there. In fact, I was just about to leave when I saw you walk in. I stayed in the shadows for a long time, just watching. I couldn’t take my eyes off you.” Her shy smile returned.
“It took me a while, but I managed to summon enough courage to talk to you. I’ve been playing pool with my brothers most of my life, so I figured I could challenge you to a game and we could go from there.”
“And after we left the bar?” he asked, wanting to know her motivations.
If she’s with me for the wrong reasons, I can’t continue taking advantage of her insecurity.
“I can’t explain that,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders. “Something just took over and I couldn’t control myself. When I leaned against you on that bike…”
Her sultry tone of voice returned as she began to speak of their romp on his motorcycle. “I can’t say I’m sorry about that.”
He could feel himself begin to harden. It was becoming difficult to focus on her words, but this conversation was far too important to allow it to be overcome with sex.
“So, to answer your question, I don’t really know who I am. I know I’m not the quiet, shy girl who hid in the corner, but…”
“But you’re not the sex kitten you tried to be?”
“Disappointed?”
“Disappointed? Are you kidding, Kelsey?” He intertwined his fingers with hers. “I knew that. I could see the insecurity in your eyes.”
“You could?”
“Well, not right away. If I had, I may not have taken you the way I did out in that forest.”
“That’s exactly why I didn’t want you to know. I knew what I was doing. I may not have done it if I’d thought it through, but that’s exactly what I needed at this point in my life. I’m tired of always weighing the consequences and closing myself off. I’ve never felt this way before, and it was all because I decided to take a chance.”
His heart pounded as he listened to her speak. He had something special with this woman, and although he wasn’t sure he was ready for it, he had no intentions of letting it go. But, apparently, she wasn’t finished with her confessions.
“The birth control pills,” she said, dropping her head. “I take them for medical purposes. Guess they came in handy, huh?”
“Medical purposes? Are you okay?”
“I have a history of cysts. They can be painful, so the pills help to control them. You were right about me. I’ve never brought a strange guy home before, and I have never slept with a guy without being in a relationship. I’m not that kind of girl.”
“Baby, first of all, you are no girl. You are a woman—a very beautiful, sexy woman. The fact that you don’t know that only adds to your appeal. I knew early on that you were more
girl next door
than you wanted me to know.” He lifted her chin with his finger when she attempted to look away. “But I also knew you were an adult and perfectly aware of what you were doing.”
She sat a little straighter and he saw her confidence return. “You wanna know what I think, Kelsey? I don’t think you need to decide between wallflower and sex kitten. I think the real you is somewhere in between. You just need to find her.”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing.”
“Okay. I’ve got an idea. Tell me something you’ve always wanted to do, but have never done.”
“I did it last night.” She smiled widely before nipping her bottom lip between her teeth.
He groaned and gave her a sneer.
Damn, she’s sexy. Control yourself, Jensen.
“Come on, there must be something you’ve always wanted to do.”
“Well, there is one thing… Oh, but I couldn’t.”
“What? Tell me, come on.” He was anxious to see her really cut loose. There was an incredible freedom that came from letting yourself go, and she’d only experienced a small part of it. He wanted to see her come to life.
“Okay, well, when we were growing up, my brothers always loved to play cops and robbers and use weapons—you know, typical boy stuff. But I was always terrified of guns. I swore one of them was going to shoot themselves or each other.”
“They had real guns?”
“No, BB guns.” She giggled. “Now they have real guns, but are trained in how to use them.”
“So you’ve never shot a gun?” he asked, trying to forget that she’d just told him she has two overly protective brothers who own guns.
“No, and I’ve always wondered what it would be like. I could never try it, though. I was always preaching to them the dangers. If they saw me with a gun…”
Nick jumped up off the couch and grabbed his coat from the nearby chair. “Let’s go, baby.”
“What? Where are we going?” She stood from the couch, but made no move towards the door.
“To the gun range. I’m gonna teach you how to shoot.”
“But, I can’t. What if someone sees me?”
“We won’t go to a range in Brookfield. I got a place in mind.” He stepped beside her and pulled her body against his. “We’ll take my bike out there. Go for a ride first. You like riding on my bike, don’t you, baby?”
She smiled as he felt her body relax. “You know I do.”
He leant down and gently brushed his lips against hers. “Good. Now grab your things and let’s go.”
“Why not?” She grabbed a light jacket and headed for the door. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Eight
After a wonderfully long ride, Nick parked his bike near what appeared to be an abandoned drive-in movie theatre. In the middle of the weed-infested parking lot sat a large concrete structure, much newer than any of its surroundings. It was unmarked and blatantly out of place. The only signs of life were a handful of cars parked nearby and the occasional popping sound heard in the distance.
“What is this?” Kelsey asked as she stood from his Harley.
“Gun range. What does it look like?”
She raised her eyebrows, certain he wouldn’t want to know what she really thought. “A gun range, of course. What else would it be?”
He laughed a wonderfully boisterous laugh and slid his leg over the side of his bike. Leaning casually against it, he tugged her hand, pulling her body to rest against his. “My friend turned me on to this place. It’s a little unconventional, but you didn’t want anyone you know to see you. I guarantee they won’t see you here.”
She lost track of his words the minute her body pressed against his. “Sounds perfect,” she whispered. She looked up at him while gently rubbing her hands across the span of his chest.
He stilled her caresses by grabbing her wrists, and gave her a quick peck on the lips before putting some distance between them. “Let’s go inside, baby.”
“Aren’t we missing something, Nick? You don’t have a gun.”
“Follow me, Bright Eyes. I’ve got it all under control.”
She watched him slide a card through a metal slot, immediately unlocking the heavy, steel door. “You have a key?”
“It’s kind of like a membership. Shooting helps me relax, so I visit here often. It’s a hobby of mine.”
She followed closely as he walked down a long hallway and into a room filled with oversized lockers. After hanging their coats on a rack, he approached one of the lockers and began twisting the dial to the combination lock securing it. Once he opened it she stared at the collection of weapons inside, stunned by how many there were. “Are those all yours?”
“Yeah. I told you it was a bit of a hobby.”
“A bit? How many guns do you own?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t really keep count. My buddy has the paperwork for each stowed in the office. I collect them and he keeps me legal.”
“May I?” she asked, pointing to one of the hand guns.
“Go ahead. It’s not loaded.” He made sure the safety was engaged and handed it to her.
Kelsey had never held a gun. She was terrified of them when she was younger, especially when watching her brothers shoot. Her fears of them hurting someone had waned, particularly after their training. Today, they were each required to carry one at all times. In place of fear, she had a curiosity about weapons that had grown through the years, but she could never admit that to them. They’d never let her hear the end of it considering the nagging she’d done as a child.
As she took the gun, barely holding on to the very end of the handle, she was surprised by its weight. “It’s heavy.”
“Here, baby. Hold it like this.” He adjusted her hand higher. “You don’t want to drop it.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you.” His smile put her at ease. “You carry the gun just the way you have it, and I’ll grab some ammunition.”
She had to admit it thrilled her to hold something she’d always considered taboo. She should’ve been frightened, but just like other moments she’d had with him, his demeanour made her feel comfortable. There was nothing to worry about—he’d take care of her.
He grabbed a couple of boxes and secured his locker before leading her farther down the hall. When he handed her a set of headphones, he must have sensed her confusion. “What’s the matter?”
“How am I going to hear you if I’m wearing these?”
“You’ll still be able to hear me. These are hearing protection headphones. They dull loud noises, like the gunshots, but you can still hear voices.”
“Oh. Okay.” She set the gun on the counter and fluffed her hair before sliding the headphones on her ears. “Well? How do I look?”
“You look perfect. I can’t imagine you looking any different.”
He’s so sweet.
“Are we ready?”
“Yeah.” He slid on his headphones. ”Let’s get on with the lesson.”
She followed him through the swinging doors and into a cavernous space. It was mostly quiet, but the occasional bang of a gunshot reminded her where she was. Before them was a long row of stalls, but there was no way to know how many others were there. Judging by the cars outside, it couldn’t have been more than a few.
“Over here,” Nick said, waving her towards him. He set the boxes under the small shelf and turned to her. “We’ll start with the gun, okay? This is a forty-five calibre semi-automatic. That means each time you pull the trigger it will fire. This switch here? That’s the safety. We’ll leave that locked in place until you’re ready to shoot it.”
Kelsey listened to his instructions carefully as he showed her every part of the gun, allowing her to get the feel and familiarity necessary to handle it properly. She was amazed by his knowledge and respect of the weapon, and with the ease of his teaching. Her trepidation dissolved, replaced with an eagerness she hadn’t expected.
If my brothers could see me now.
“Okay, Bright Eyes, the moment of truth. You ready to load it?”
“Bring it on.”
He laughed at her enthusiasm. “You’re like a kid with a new toy at Christmas. Okay. Just like I showed you.” He handed her one of the boxes of ammunition. She carefully loaded the magazine, one bullet at a time, before snapping it firmly into the butt of the pistol.
“Not bad, baby. How does it feel?”
“It’s heavier than I expected.”
“Well, get ready, because it’s gonna get worse,” he chuckled. “Now, when you fire, it’s gonna want to kick back on you, so you have to brace yourself. You’re pretty small, so you’re going to need to use your whole body, okay?”
“How do I do that?”
“Here.” He stood behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist. With his foot between hers, he spread her legs slightly, and helped square her to the target hanging on the other end of the lane. He pressed the button on the side of the stall to bring the target closer. “Now lift your arms up together and hold the gun like I showed you.”