Hungry Like the Wolf(38)

“You’re doing better than you think. It’s just that the bullet holes are so small, you can’t see the holes in the target.”

“You can?”

She squinted at the target. God, her face was so cute when she scrunched it up like that.

“Yeah,” he said. “But it’s just because I’ve been doing this for a while. Trust me, you’re putting almost all your shots on the paper.”

She picked up one of the magazines and loaded it, her hands moving more confidently than they had the first time. “Yeah, but I was aiming for the center of the target. What am I doing wrong?”

He watched as she slid the magazine back in the pistol and released the receiver. Damn, she was getting good at that. “Let’s see how you shoot this magazine. Then I’ll give you some ideas on how you can improve.”

Gage took up the guide position behind her that he’d been in before. Mackenzie didn’t complain. Hell, if anything, she pushed her jean-clad ass back a little more than necessary, just so they’d be in close contact. Man, this woman was dangerous. She could turn him to mush with no effort at all. The scary part was that he could actually feel that tingling in his gums that told him his fangs were trying to slip out. Her mind-numbing scent practically had him on the edge of losing control.

Damn, he hadn’t experienced control issues like this since he’d first turned years ago. And if her rapidly beating heart was any indication, this attraction wasn’t all one-sided—she was feeling the same way. He’d thought so last night, but he hadn’t been sure of anything until they’d gotten on the range.

He had to admit, he’d been jealous as hell when Mike told him Mackenzie had brought some guy with her that morning. For some stupid reason, that had pissed him off. He’d been out of his seat and headed for the gate before he even knew what he was doing. The moment he’d laid eyes on Zak, though, his anger had disappeared. In a way only a werewolf could know, Zak had friend written all over him.

That was also when Gage knew Mackenzie Stone had gotten to him.

“Okay,” he said loud enough for her to hear over the sound of the pistol. “Stop for a minute. I know what you’re doing wrong.” He reached around and put his hands under hers, supporting the lightweight weapon. “First of all, you’re not breathing like I told you to. Take a deep breath and let it half out. Pause. Then shoot.”

Mackenzie practiced breathing deep like that a few times, which made for an enjoyable view of her expanding T-shirt. He barely stifled the groan this time. God save him.

“This next part is critical.” He moved his mouth closer to her muff-covered ears so he wouldn’t have to shout. “You’re jerking too hard.”

She turned her head to give him a teasing smile. “Jerking too hard? Is that even possible?”

Okay, maybe picking a word that had such a sexual connotation hadn’t been the best idea. “Oh yeah, it’s possible. And you’re doing it.”

“Huh. So, can you show me the proper way I should be jerking it?”

Gage groaned. Thank God none of the guys were close enough to hear this little exchange. He’d never live it down.

He repositioned her fingers around the grip, then moved her left hand into a better position to support the weapon. “Remember to squeeze it firmly, but not hard. You want your grip to be tight enough that it won’t pop out when it bucks, but not so tight that your fingers get tired.”

“Wouldn’t want my fingers to get tired,” she agreed. “Okay, now what? Just shoot?”

“No, not yet. You’ve got the breathing and the grip down. Now I have to make sure you know how to stroke the trigger.”

That flirty smile of hers was back. “You’re making this up, right?”

“Absolutely not. These are time-honored shooting tips that everyone in SWAT learns.”

“Uh-uh.” She looked down the barrel of the .22 again. “So, are you going to share these tips or do I just have to guess?”

“You can’t rush these things.” He pressed himself more tightly against her and put his mouth close to her ear. He was about to tell her to tighten her grip on the pistol when he felt her bottom moving slightly side to side, like she was shifting her weight from foot to foot. It might have been a completely subconscious effort to get more comfortable, but it sure as hell seemed like she was purposely rubbing her ass against his hard-on.

He immediately went from really frigging hard to painfully stiff in the span of a few heartbeats, which only seemed to encourage Mackenzie more. Damn, it was all he could do to not drop his hands down to her hips and pull her ass tightly against him.