by Mary Abshire
“Using the last two guns, I want you to aim for the heart,” Matt said.
Emily lifted the larger weapon. She hadn’t held one so big in a long time. After removing the safety, she pointed the gun at the target’s heart. She fired and the gun kicked back more than the smaller firearms. She waited several seconds to steady her arms before she shot again. The target had two holes in the heart when she’d finished. The other three shots had been close.
Andrew took his time with the larger gun. He had a good stance, not too stiff and not too relaxed. The kick back made him refocus his aim each time. He managed to hit the heart on his fourth try.
Emily collected the last weapon. It weighed as much as the prior one, but the nozzle was wider. She’d seen one before in a shop and the bullets for it were long. One shot would kill. She aimed the gun at the target and then pulled the trigger. The loud snap intensified the ringing in her ears. She waited almost a minute to steady her arm before she shot again. Each time she’d hit the right breast. She focused on breathing and trying to relax, but sweat dripped from the sides of her face and into her right eye. Taking her time, she fired the remaining rounds. She hit the heart on the last shot.
“I’m not used to firing something like this,” she said as she set the gun on the ground, her arms a little shaky.
“It’s fine. Our goal is to get an idea of your skill level,” Matt said.
She scrubbed her forehead and left her hand above her eyes to shade them. The sun along with the gunshots had started to give her a headache. Andrew held the gun steady. He focused and then fired. The loud pop made her blink. He’d hit one of the man’s breasts. He waited a good minute before pulling the trigger again. His shot went lower. Don approached as Andrew fired the third time. Matt stepped back to talk to Don. While they were chatting, Emily moved closer to Andrew.
“Relax and breathe,” she said.
Sweat trickled down his face. The back of his button-down had a damp spot, which meant the shirt underneath had to be soaked.
The forth shot landed under the target’s neck. Andrew sighed heavily.
She put her hand on his shoulder. “Look at the bright side, it doesn’t matter where you hit the target because the bullet would kill him anyway.”
His lips twitched. He fired his last shot and hit the bottom of the heart. Emily had the urge to cheer for him. He wiped above his brow with his sleeve after he set the gun on the ground.
Matt returned his attention to them while Don trotted toward the practice sheets. “Did you submit your résumé for review?”
“No, we haven’t,” Emily said. “That’s my fault.”
“It’s okay. Can you bring it tomorrow?” Matt asked.
“I’ll work on it,” she said.
“Great. We’ll practice throwing knives after everyone has had a chance to fire the guns. Go ahead and have a seat,” Matt said.
Emily headed back to the group with Andrew beside her. They’d made it through one test and had performed well. They’d hit the marks at least once. Confidence high, she looked forward to the next test. She’d worry about putting together a résumé later.
Chapter Four
Cool air blew inside the Jeep by the time Emily drove away from the main gate. Andrew hurried to remove his long-sleeved shirt. The white one underneath stuck to his body. He’d downed a bottle of water while they’d waited to take turns throwing knives. She’d offered her bottle, but he’d refused, insisting she drink it. All day long in the heat had taken a toll on him. He’d probably lost several pounds. A cold shower would help ease his discomfort.
“Mind if I take off my shirt?” he asked, gripping the bottom edges of his soaked top. He desperately wanted to strip to feel the air conditioning on his skin. Since they were in a car, he couldn’t remove all his clothes, but any would help.
“No, not at all. Do it,” she said, brows drawn together. “Do you want me to stop at the nearest gas station or fast food place to get you a drink?”
“No.” He lifted the shirt over his head. “I need a shower more than anything.”
The air hit his body and he craved more. He adjusted the vents to ensure they were pointed at him. His elevated temperature had his stomach churning and his head aching.
“I have to stop to get bandages for your arm before we go back to the hotel,” she said.
“That’s fine.” Using his t-shirt, he wiped his face.
“I don’t know why we didn’t think of wrapping your arm sooner.”
“Well, this was our first time we’d had to stay outside for several hours. We stumbled across this tryout event.” He leaned back and relaxed as his flesh soaked in the breeze from the air conditioning.
She glanced at him. “Do you feel okay? You look a bit pinked.”
“I’ll be fine. The heat got to me a bit, but I’ll be okay.”
She focused on the road as she sped. “Considering everything, you did really well today for someone who hadn’t shot guns much before or had even thrown knives.”
“I’ve always been competitive.”
“I think we have a good chance of being selected.”
Don had removed all the practice sheets before anyone could look at them, so Andrew had no idea how he compared to the other men. He didn’t have their type of skills or training, but he’d hit all his targets at least once. He hadn’t been too far off the other times. That had to account for something.
“The others probably hit their marks more often than I did,” he said. “Especially that guy with the flag and ghost rider tat on his bicep.”
“He seemed to know a lot about weapons. Did you hear him talking about his time in Iraq to Brad and Trent?”
“No, I was too busy watching you stare at him. I think you might have drooled at one point.”
She jerked her gaze off the road briefly. “I did no such thing. If I was staring it was because I was listening to him talk.”
He chuckled silently to himself. “So you weren’t lusting over his large muscles?”
“No fucking way,” she said with a hint of irritation in her tone. “In case you have forgotten, I’m married.” She lifted her hand with the rings on her finger and waved to him. “And my husband keeps me quite satisfied.”
He couldn’t stop smiling at his fake wife. He enjoyed teasing her and making her laugh. Her quick wits were one of the many qualities he loved about her.
“Your husband is a lucky man,” he said.
“Yeah, well that makes two of us.”
Emily accelerated down from a hill and his stomach flipped. The long country road was full of ups and downs as well as curves. Normally he didn’t mind them, but in his overheated condition the movements were too much.
“I hope we get the positions,” he said. “If we don’t, I’m not sure how we are going to get close to the demon since her security guards have now seen our faces.”
“We’ll figure out. Like you’re always telling me … have faith.”
True. He’d often told her that to stay positive. Given her level of confidence, it seemed to work.
“Matt asked about a résumé,” he said. “Do you really think we need one?”
After talking to Brad and Trent, Andrew suspected the guys who’d shown up today were not the typical nine-to-five business men who worked for big-named companies. While they could work for a security firm, he was willing to wager they worked on a contract basis. If he guessed right, their résumés would show the names of people they’d protected. Andrew wondered how difficult it would be to contact a famous person or a politician for a reference. He imagined Matt or Don would struggle to confirm employment. Emily could make up a phony résumé, but why go to the effort? Why not say their clients had asked for confidentiality?
She drew in a deep breath. “This is an area I’m not familiar with. I would have to contact Troy to get his input.”
Her best friend had put Andrew on his shit list after Andrew made a mistake in New York that landed Emily in jail. S
ince then, Troy had encouraged Emily to work for him instead of sticking with Andrew.
“I was thinking earlier about the résumé issue and I think we should try to get by without creating one,” he said.
Her brows wrinkled. “But Matt or Don will ask for it.”
“We should tell them our clients wish to remain private. We could even say it was in our contract with them.”
“Okay, that might work. But it’s taking a big chance. I’d hate for them to turn us away because we didn’t give them a piece of paper with a bunch of fake employment information.”
“It’s a risk, but a résumé shouldn’t mean anything anyway. They’re testing us on our skills. A résumé is only going to provide a name, dates, and maybe a contact number. It’s not of any value. What we show them during tryouts should matter more.”
Emily glanced at him. “You just don’t want me to call Troy. Admit it.”
“No, I mean…” He couldn’t lie to her. Troy had involved her in dangerous and illegal actions in the past. Andrew preferred she steer clear of men of his caliber to help her chances of getting into heaven. But he also wanted to handle matters on his own, well, the two of them together instead of asking for help. “I don’t think some document with names and dates will be of much use. Why spend time on the matter when they want to see our skills, not read about them? As for Troy, I think we can manage without his help.”
Emily had done all the research on locating the last demon. While it took longer than she had liked to get information, she’d acquired enough about the demon to help understand the demon’s evil ways. She didn’t have the resources Troy had, but she’d managed well. He had faith she could continue without the assistance of her good friend. And they still had one vial of poison left. Andrew had disliked she’d went behind his back to get the toxin, but it had come in handy.
She sighed heavily. “I suppose we can try your way and see what happens. But can we agree that if they tell us they must have it or else, then I contact him for help?”
“Sure, but only if they absolutely need it.”
“Agreed.”
“We can get through this together. I know we can.”
Her lips stretched into a smile. “I think we should practice for tomorrow after we both clean up and relax for a bit.”
“You mean practice those moves we talked about earlier?”
“Yeah, you know, the one where you’re on your knees. Definitely that one.”
His cock stiffened. It didn’t take much for him to get aroused around her. Ever since they’d started sharing the bed, the sofa, the shower, the table, and everything else, he couldn’t get his mind off of her. The heart and body knew what it wanted, and it longed to have her.
Reaching over the seat divider, he grazed his fingers over the exposed area of her thigh. “I’m ready at any time to practice.”
She tightened her grip on the steering wheel as she braked. The vehicle slowed as she flipped on the turn signal. Surprised by the change of events, he withdrew his hand and straightened in his seat. The gas station they were approaching had two cars on the lot, one of which had parked in front of the small convenience store and the other at a pump. She steered the car toward the shop instead of stopping at a pump.
“Why are we here?” he asked.
She cut the engine before she collected her purse from the back seat. “Grab your shirt and follow me.”
He snatched the button-down crumbled on the floor near his leg as she left him in the Jeep. He exited the vehicle bare chested. Rushing to catch up with her, he slid his arms through the long sleeves. She waited for him by the door as he buttoned his shirt.
The cold air from the store graced his heated skin as he entered behind her. She strode to the back of the shop, passing the aisle of snacks and drinks. Andrew had finished his fourth button by the time they reached a small hall with several doors. Next to one of them, a sign read family. Emily twisted the knob and pushed on it.
She looked past him before she grabbed his arm and encouraged him inside. “Come on.”
He followed her inside the small restroom. She promptly shut the door and locked it. The facility was fairly clean with the usual toilet, sink, and paper towel dispenser on one side. A plastic rectangular foldout piece for changing diapers hung from the wall behind the door. Emily set her purse on the part lying flat.
“Come here,” she said.
The two words sparked life into his cock. If his woman commanded him to her, he sure as hell would obey.
“Yes, great wife of mine?” he asked, stepping closer.
She backed up until she met the wall. Her direct gaze and slight curl of her lips encouraged his blood to rush toward his groin.
“I want you,” she said.
Hearing those words in her sexy voice made him harder. He would never tire of listening to her.
He stopped in front of her and put his hands on her hips. Before he could respond, she ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him into a kiss. He gave in to her power, her call for his love. He’d give it to her always without hesitation. Her tongue slid into his mouth and he greedily accepted it. She was better than heaven, tasty, playful, and everything he yearned for. His heart agreed as it rapped faster. He pushed her against the wall to let her feel his excitement. When she rubbed against his hidden erection, he knew she wanted more of him. Of course, he wanted to please her. He slid his hands around to her ass and squeezed it. His woman felt so good in his grasp, her kiss so full of life. He longed to feel more of her.
“I want you inside me,” she said, breathy. “Here. Now.”
He loved how she craved him as much as he hungered for her. He claimed her lips and dove his tongue into her mouth as he moved his hands to the front of her shorts. While he endeavored to remove her shorts, she worked to unfasten his jeans. Their kiss became stronger, urgent, thirsty. Yes, he thirsted for her. She was the only woman who could quench his need. She found his prize and gripped it before he could push her shorts down. Her touch gave him a slight quiver that strengthened his longing. His balls ached. This woman was his and he’d give everything to keep her forever.
She slipped from her shoes as he pushed her shorts and panties down. They fell to the floor and she stepped out of them. Itching to feel her flesh, he placed his hands between her legs. He slid two fingers between her heated folds and found her wet and ready. He’d have to taste her later.
“Tell me again what you want,” he said as he rubbed his fingers over her sensitive core. He felt the vibrations of her heartbeat against his chest.
“I want you inside me. Now,” she said in a more demanding tone.
He withdrew his hand from her slickness and hurried to push his pants down. Desire consumed him. He had to give her what she sought. Failure was not an option. After his clothes fell to his ankles, he wrapped his arms under her derriere and lifted her. Arms wrapped around his neck, she initiated a new kiss and took to sucking on his tongue. His yearning intensified. He had to get closer, had to be inside her. Moisture coated the tip of his cock as it moved toward her entrance. The second he found it, he pushed himself inside her.
Her warm depths accepted and hugged him. With her body locked to his, he began his journey to please her. He had to feel her muscles squeeze him, feel and hear her pleasure. He pumped into her again and again while she murmured softly. He couldn’t get enough of her and sought to go deeper. Her wet walls made it easy for him venture further. And he did with more strength and passion. When she raked her nails over the back of his scalp, his need magnified. He drove into her quicker, burying himself to the hilt. The kiss ended as their breaths became heavy. Her heat made him hotter. Her need made him work harder. His erection was ready to burst. He almost did when her muscles began contracting. Her gasps of joy were sweet sounds to his ears. Her pulsing grasps from her inner depths were one of the best feelings imaginable. Holding his breath, he continued propelling into her. Anticipation reached a high. His release came in a ma
d rush with his seed spilling into her while his cock pulsed vibrantly. Nothing compared to the love he had for her, the love of feeling her flesh, or the love of being buried inside her.
Breathing heavy, he pressed his forehead to hers. Relief spread through him, calming his heart slowly. She gave him small kisses on his cheek, his chin, and then his lips. Her love and affection kept his desire and erection strong.
“Thank you,” she said.
His lips twitched. “I still plan to show you my moves later.”
A grin spread on her face. She smooched him. “Good. I’ll show you mine too.”
His cock spasmed. Her words enlivened his spirit. Later couldn’t come soon enough.
Chapter Five
Emily paused at the gate where Matt stood. Shades hid his eyes and he wore the same white t-shirt and khaki pants as he had the day before. He held a clipboard in his hands. Perspiration dotted his brow. She lowered her tinted window and the heated rays instantly warmed her face.
“Let me guess, Carrie and Spencer Reynolds?” Matt asked.
“Good guess,” she said.
“Easy to remember since you’re the only woman who showed up for the tryouts.” He wrote on his board before he lifted his head. “Go ahead to the gym where we met yesterday. Feel free to use the lockers and change if you need to.”
“Thanks.” Emily pushed the button for the window to rise. “Ready to do this?”
“As ready as I can be.” He stared forward as she accelerated.
“Just remember what we went over last night.” She tried to sound encouraging.
“Which part of last night?” he asked with a crooked smile. “Us in bed or me flat on my back on the floor? I prefer to go with the former.”
They’d spent a few hours practicing a few defensive moves between their rounds of wrestling in bed. She hadn’t gone easy on him, per his request, so she’d knocked him to the ground several times. Needless to say, he moved a little slower this morning.
