The Assignment

Chapter 12

I nodded again. I could definitely remember that one.

"Third rule," he cleared his throat, pointing at the trigger. "Always keep your finger off the trigger until you decide you're going to shoot. Even if you have it pointed in a seemingly safe direction, a bullet can ricochet and accidentally cause a lot of damage if the gun goes off. Understand?"

"I get it," I said, wondering when the hard part was going to come in.

I was already getting tired of hearing the safety rules, even though I knew I needed to know them.

"And the last rule..."

Oh, great. It's finally the end of the rules.

"Always be aware of what's in your line of fire. Be sure of your target and everything around and behind it," he told me. "If you're out hunting or something, make sure that your bullet isn't going to hit a person, or a house, or anything it's not intended for if it misses or passes through what you're aiming for. I know you're bored to death with this, but I have to make sure you understand proper safety measures before I hand you a gun. Do you understand everything? Any questions?"

Why would I ever go out hunting?

I nodded for what felt like the millionth time. "Yeah, Joey, I get it. It's a pretty simple set of rules to grasp."

And it was. So far, I wasn't confused, and I hadn't fucked anything up yet. That much increased my confidence about the task.

"Okay. Now you're going to learn how to hold it," Joey stepped closer to me. "Eventually you'll learn to shoot with one hand, but when you're starting out, it's best to use both."

He pushed his hair back and I watched intently as he showed me the proper way to hold the pistol, gripping it with his dominant hand and placing his left hand, or as he referred to it, his support hand, on the opposite side of the weapon.

Joey then explained to me how to stand correctly while holding the gun, standing with his feet shoulder-width apart and bending his knees slightly, aiming the pistol down the firing lane.

Even as out of place as I felt, I was actually beginning to enjoy myself. Joey looked beyond attractive standing there, holding the revolver. His jeans were sagging a bit and his hair was messy. He hadn't shaved in a couple days and his stubble had grown out, painting a shadow across his jawline again. He looked sexy as hell and I longed to feel his stubble beneath my fingertips again.

"Jess, are you paying attention?" he asked.

I'd zoned out, thinking about kissing him. I nodded as if I'd heard everything he'd said, embarrassment coursing through me.

"Uh huh," Joey chuckled, obviously not believing that I'd been listening. "Now you get to do it."

"What?" My eyes widened. "Do what?"

I didn't want to hold the gun. What if I dropped it and it went off or something?

"Relax," he shrugged. "It's not loaded. Although-"

"I know. I know. Remember rule number one," I interrupted.

Joey flashed me a lopsided boyish smile and nodded. The voice in my head broke out the pompoms in celebration of me guessing correctly.

Joey stepped behind me, his chest pressing firmly against my back as he helped me to properly hold the gun.

"Make sure it feels right," he told me, his breath teasing my ear and bringing the memories of our fiery night in bed back to my mind. "If it doesn't feel right, you're not holding it right."