In My Sights (1 Night Stand Series)

by L. J. Garland

  He grinned down at her. “Just tell me what you need, darlin’, and I’ll give it to you.”

  She inhaled, tried to calm her conflicting feelings. She wanted to it, needed to free herself from that bastard’s grip on her life, but to actually fire the same weapon he’d used on her?

  “Hey, we can start simple.” He rubbed her arms. “Why not just lie on the mat and look through the scope?”

  “Bet you use the same line on all the women you take out to the range. One step at a time, I suppose.” She knelt on the cushy material, and he eased down on one knee next to her.

  “So, just lie on your stomach, put the buttstock against your shoulder, and look through the scope. You should see the target standing near a car.”

  Once she moved into position, she peered through the scope. A bright orange silhouette stood near a banged up Corolla. She shifted the thin crosshairs onto the target. Yeah, if she pulled the trigger, she would hit it. Shit, had it been this easy for the guy who shot her?

  Siobhan raised her gaze to him. “Have you ever killed anyone?”

  His brow furrowing, he looked down toward the target. The muscle in his jaw jumped, and he took a breath. “I’ve done what’s necessary to keep our country safe, our freedoms secure.” Tilting his head, he met her eyes. “But I much prefer saving lives.”

  She nodded. “Okay. What’s the next step?”

  Digging into his pocket, he pulled out two small, plastic containers. He opened one and passed her the contents. “Ear plugs. This puppy’s loud.”

  She pressed the spongy plugs into her ears while he did the same.

  Reaching over, he flipped a switch. “Safety off. If you pull the trigger, the rifle will fire, so keep clear until we’re ready.”

  She clutched the grip, ensuring she didn’t touch the trigger, and set the buttstock back against her shoulder.

  “Okay, now, put your left hand on your chest or opposite shoulder, just make sure you get a good pulse point. With the distance you’re shooting, even the small movement of your heart jolting your body can throw your aim off, making you miss the target. So, the goal is to squeeze the trigger between beats. But be prepared, the rifle will kick. Just physics at work.”

  She did as he’d instructed, her fingers pressing against her skin. Damn, her heart raced faster than a jackhammer. How was she supposed to get the timing right when all the beats rushed together?

  He touched her shoulder and squeezed gently. “Take your time.” He stroked her back. “Hold your breath. Slow your heart rate. I’m right here.”

  Inhaling, she aimed at the orange silhouette, moved her finger to the trigger, and drew strength from the warmth of his touch on her lower back while she waited for her heart to slow.

  Thump, thump, thump…thump…thump—

  She squeezed the trigger.

  The buttstock rammed against her shoulder, and even with earplugs, the rifle emitted a deafening roar. She stared through the scope at the target.

  “Shitfire! You hit it!” He slapped her on the bottom.

  She rolled to her side and grinned up at him. Oh my God, what a sense of power, of control she thought she’d lost forever. She’d fired the rifle and actually hit the target!

  He reached over and flipped on the safety. “Damn impressive shooting, darlin’,” he said and kissed her.

  And kissed her again—but longer. His mouth crushed against hers, sending a hot thrill of desire coursing through her. When his tongue brushed against her lips, seeking entrance, she opened to him willingly. Oh, this man knew how to make her body quiver with desire.

  He laid her back on the shooting mat and continued his delicious assault. While he strove to conquer her mouth, he grabbed the bottom of her T-shirt and tugged it upward. He broke from her long enough to remove the garment then yanked his own over his head.

  “God, you’re beautiful.”

  The heat of his words spiraled through her, and she held her arms out to him. How she could be so in tune with someone she’d only met yesterday, she had no idea. But it seemed as though she’d known him a lifetime.

  Chapter Six

  Bobby’s gaze raked over the woman beneath him. Her long blonde curls spilled over the shooter’s mat, burnished gold in the sun. She licked her lips, leaving them wet and slightly parted, and stared at him with smoky green eyes, dark with desire. Lord have mercy, but she was a sight to behold. Her creamy skin beckoned him, and he leaned forward to place soft kisses in the hollow of her throat, along her collarbone, and down over the swell of her breasts.

  Not enough.

  Releasing the front clasp of her pink silky bra, he traced the length of her arm with his fingertips as he slipped the strap off, freeing her breast. He repeated the procedure with the other strap and slid it out from under her, tossing it aside. Mouth watering, he leaned on one elbow and drew leisurely circles around one delicious mound with his tongue, his focus intensifying as the circles grew smaller, leading to her pink hard bud.

  Siobhan quivered under his touch. “My God, Bobby. What are you doing?”

  “Confirming my target, darlin’. Any shooter worth his salt knows you need to get the objective in sight, and this gorgeous little nipple right here is my bull’s-eye.”

  Without waiting for her response, he zeroed in and latched on, his tongue laving, teeth nipping, lips sucking. The woman was pure sugar and damn addictive.

  Her fingers threaded through his hair and pulled him closer. “Oh, that’s good.” She arched against his mouth. “That’s really good.”

  He stayed with the one breast until her nails sank into his back then moved to the other, giving it equal attention. When a throaty moan escaped her lips, the desire to possess her overwhelmed him. Moving over her, he slid one knee between her legs, urging them farther apart. He fumbled with the button on her shorts. Damn thing wouldn’t budge, and he needed her now.

  She lifted her hips and made quick work of the small plastic fastener. When she shimmied a bit beneath him, her body grazing his while she pushed the fabric down her thighs, he groaned with need. If she had him this worked up just rubbing against him, how would he ever last once he was inside her?

  With a sexy moan, she pressed her mouth to his. Drinking her in, he thrust his tongue through her parted lips and dueled for dominance. With a sexy whimper, she wound her arms around his neck, drawing him closer, her turgid nipples pressing against his chest, driving him mad. She met him with a fervent passion he hadn’t experienced with any other lover, a wild abandon that only got him hotter and harder. Damn, she could kiss.

  Bobby shoved his hand into her silky golden hair—something he’d craved to do from the moment he’d seen her walk into the hotel dining room. He cradled her head, the curls winding around his fingers while he continued to devour her mouth. Everything about her called to him.

  Beneath him, Siobhan shifted so her wet heat burned against his thigh. How she had known that little move would trigger a knife of exquisite pleasure twisting in his gut, he had no clue. Hell, he hadn’t known himself until just that moment.

  Oh, how he wanted to plunge deep inside her. But instead, he tortured himself, skimming his other palm along her body while every nerve within him demanded release. Greedily, he roamed over her delectable dips and curves and bit back a groan each time she tilted her hips against him.

  Leaving her sweet mouth, he peppered kisses along her jaw and down her throat. He skated his palm down her waist, across her thigh, and between her legs until at last his hand came to rest at her core. Dipping his head lower, he took her taut nipple between his teeth at the same moment he thrust his finger up inside her.

  “Bobby, ah God.” She arched upward and dug her nails into his back.

  She was so wet, so hot, and so his. Mine. He needed to have her, ached for her. His body ignited with the craving she burned into him. He thrust a second finger inside her, moving them slowly in and out.

  Rising up, he gazed down at her. Siobhan. A rose-tinted flush duste
d her chest and throat. She’d thrown her head back, eyes closed. Her lips formed an O as he brought her closer to peaking. She was liquid sex in his arms.

  “I want you, baby.”

  “Yes.” She writhed beneath him. “Please don’t stop.”

  Bobby sat up, and though it was a warm summer day, he noticed the loss of her heat against his skin. Grabbing a condom from his back pocket, he made quick work of ridding himself of his jeans and tossed them aside. He ripped the foil package open and smoothed the latex over his erection while she watched. Protection in place, he gazed down at her, and his heart stuttered.

  “You are so damn beautiful.”

  Her flush deepened, and she held her arms out to him. “Now, please, Bobby. I need you inside me now.”

  Lowering himself to her once again, he nudged her legs even farther apart with his own and settled between her thighs. When she bent her knees and lifted her hips, offering herself to him, what little control he’d been holding onto snapped. He drove deep inside her, gritting his teeth and groaning as she tightened around him.

  “Oh, Lord, Siobhan.” Damn, she felt so good.

  He’d meant to go slow, to take his time. But everything about her drove him beyond reason. Hell, the way she looked at him made him hard. How could he have expected to do anything else?

  He moved his hips and plunged into her again. She gasped, clutching his shoulders, her breathy mewling tickling his ear. Oh, God. Those sexy sounds of hers would drive him insane. His rhythm quickened, becoming a pace he wasn’t sure he could sustain. Sweat slickened their bodies, his skin sliding over hers, her pants hot against his neck. Faster and harder, he thrust into her until he couldn’t tell where he ended and she began.

  Wild with need, he captured her sweet lips, tangling his tongue with hers and completing the final connection. Her body became taut, quivered coil-tight. He pumped into her, capturing her scream of release as her insides clamped down on him, spasming, drawing his pleasure out.

  Beautiful, just so beautiful.

  He plunged a final time and caught the end of her climax with his own, letting himself follow her into oblivion. Flashes of light zinged behind his eyelids as he poured himself into her. Hot chills prickled his skin, and he jerked against her, the heady sensation of his release seeming to extend forever.

  Oh, shit.

  He opened his eyes and peered down at her softened features, her heavy-lidded eyes suffused with satisfaction. A smile curved her mouth. He stared, attempting to align his brain into a coherent thought pattern while his body tingled and buzzed with ecstasy.

  Breathing hard, he rolled them to their sides and held on tight, not wanting to let Siobhan go. Ever.

  He noticed the way her body curved along his, fitting snug against him. How her blonde curls caught the light, reflecting hints of copper and gold. Reaching over, he tucked a strand behind her ear, and with a sigh, she rested her head on his arm. Without a doubt, he’d just had an earth-shattering moment.

  His chest tightened. God help him, he wanted to keep her.

  This was no longer a one-night stand. She belonged to him, and he would protect her, keep her close, and pray she wanted more than just mind-blowing sex. That maybe she would want him, too.

  Siobhan lay next to Bobby on the shooter’s mat. Outside. Naked. She fought not to cringe. Good God, what must he think of her? A million thoughts rushed through her mind while she tried to sort out an appropriate response after such an amazing bout of lovemaking.

  Shifting a bit, she peered over her shoulder at him. Sweat drenched his hair and his eyes were drowsy as though he were about to drift off for a nap. “Hey.”

  She gritted her teeth. That’s the best I could come up with, Hey? Good gosh, it’s a wonder he’s not laughing his ass off. Or running. She glanced away. Too bad their relationship consisted of just a one-time thing. She could get used to having him hold her.

  He kept his arm draped over her waist. “You okay?”

  She smiled. “Oh, yeah. You?”

  “I’m good.” Propping up on his elbow, he brushed his lips over hers. “Much as I’d like to stay here all day, we probably should get dressed. Our private range time is almost up, and if a bunch of sweaty guys see you like this….” He slid his hand over her hip, and she relished the intimate sensation. “Well, I’ll have to kill them all. And that’s an awful lot of bodies to bury.” He glanced around, his brow furrowing. “Though I do think there’re plenty of places out here where they’d never be found.”

  “Bobby!” She slapped his arm, and he chuckled. Though she knew he was joking, a part of her suspected some truth lay beneath his words. The fact he’d been trained to kill probably should’ve scared her. It didn’t. Knowing he could protect her made her feel safe.

  He handed her clothes to her then took his jeans and wandered to the edge of the woods—she assumed to dispose of the condom they’d used. She smiled, appreciating his tactfulness. When he returned, she handed him his shirt.

  After gathering the rifle and shooting mat, he took her hand and led her back toward the parking lot. The sun beamed down on them, and a cool breeze kicked up, wafting over her heated skin. She savored the moment. The way his fingers twined with hers. His unhurried stride. The way his baby blues cut toward her every now and again. Would they walk together like side-by-side again? Or did he view their time here as finishing the one-night stand they’d started at the hotel, thus completing his side of the agreement?

  They approached the car, and Bobby rounded to the trunk. As he stored their equipment, Siobhan’s cell phone rang. Opening the passenger door, she grabbed her purse from the floorboard and fished out her cell. The caller ID displayed unknown.

  She tapped the answer button. “Hello?”

  “He brought you to a shooting range?” a metallic voice warbled over the line.

  She frowned, attempting to make sense of the statement.

  Bobby shut the trunk and moved toward her. “Everything okay?”

  The cell line hummed, clicked. “Tsk tsk, Siobhan. You should know by now guns are dangerous. Guns and your associations are what will get you killed.”

  Something wet sprayed against her face and chest, and she jerked as a searing pain sliced along her cheek. Glancing down, she tried to comprehend the dark spatter on her T-shirt. Where had it come from?

  “Oh, shit.”

  At the sound of Bobby’s voice, she looked up. A river of crimson flowed from a hole in his shirt. Her breath jammed in her throat.

  An explosive pop cut the air—a sound that haunted her dreams.

  Chapter Seven

  We survived. Another bone-deep shiver rattled through Siobhan. She stood in Kyle’s kitchen and stared at Bobby, who sat on the couch in the living room with his arm in a sling, surrounded by his teammates.

  His sharp gaze slipped toward her, and she looked away, guilt causing her stomach to clench. Her worst nightmare had almost replayed itself. The familiar terror threatened to claw its way free from her tenuous control, ripping the air from her lungs and shredding her soul. She rubbed her arms. She couldn’t get warm.

  He’s alive. Not like before. Not like with John. Bobby’s still here.

  She’d fallen for the handsome pararescueman, the easy-going guy who’d helped her fire a sniper rifle, giving her power over her life again. The attentive lover who’d lit a sexual fire within her and never pitied her, instead making her feel desirable, beautiful. How could she not fall for him? And oh, God, she had, too. Hard.

  But if I’d stayed in the shadows, kept to my apartment, he wouldn’t have been shot. The bullet went clean through his shoulder. She pressed tentative fingertips to the butterfly bandages on her cheek where the slug had grazed her after passing through Bobby. Sensing his gaze still on her, she risked a glance. He blinked twice, his mouth twitching in a quick, soft smile of understanding. But his eyes spoke volumes, and Siobhan’s heart sang at the devotion she saw there. But if I had locked myself away, let the bastard sniper rul
e my life with fear, I never would’ve met him. I never would’ve fallen in love with Bobby Martin.

  “So, you shoved Siobhan into the car?” Colin leaned forward, his gaze flicking to the bandage on Bobby’s shoulder.

  “Adrenaline. I knew I’d been shot—hell, felt like a fucking RPG slammed into me—”

  “You’re shitting me.” Zeke piped up. “Good thing it wasn’t. A rocket propelled grenade and there’d have been nothing but a ball of fire and your ass sizzling.” He tilted his head. “Might’ve been an improvement.”

  “You think, jerkwad?” Bobby quipped.

  Colin glanced toward Siobhan then back to Bobby. He knew what the lieutenant must be thinking. How had they survived?

  “Anyway,” Bobby said. “The guy had us pinned. Got off three more rounds. Blew out the rear window. Felt one of them slam into the back of the front seat.” He looked toward the woman who’d captured his heart. The woman he’d nearly lost because he’d fucked up and thought they were safe on the gun range. “But then he stopped shooting.”

  Jason, who sat on the coffee table, set his forearms on his thighs and narrowed his eyes. “Why’s that?”

  He looked at the team’s newest member and smirked, though guilt ripped him a new one on the inside. “Law enforcement training. Seems our sniper saw a bunch of Sheriff’s Department cars driving in, thought the cavalry had arrived, and took off.”

  “Damn.” Jason straightened.

  “Damn lucky.” Kyle strode across the living room and tossed a bright red bag to Bobby.

  “Skittles?” He frowned. “You seeing the light, brother, giving up the cream lovers Twinkie cult?”

  “Hell no.” He gestured to Bobby’s injury. “Thought you could plug your hole with some rainbow colored shit. Improve your sorry ass.”

  Taking one end of the package between his teeth and using his good arm, he ripped the bag open and poured a few candies into his mouth. “Or I could just eat them.”