Kaden follows me through the shops, as if someone is going to jump out and attack me at any moment. Or maybe he just thinks I’m going to bolt when his head is turned. Honestly, I wouldn’t put it past me, that is definitely something I would try - if I thought I had a shot at getting away.
He’s got that bodyguard stare—alert but unreadable, and more than a little annoying. After wasting time at the shops, we hit the gym. I focus on my one long pilates class while Kaden sits on a bench outside the studio. By the time I’m done, he’s still there, arms crossed, frowny face still firmly in place.
Must be exhausting, being that serious all the time. And he must be bored out of his mind following me around as I shop. Hell, I’m bored, and it’s me that’s doing it. But this is the only time I get to leave the house, so I cherish it, no matter what mind-numbing, meaningless task it is.
I stop in front of him and cock an eyebrow. “Are you gonna trail me everywhere I go? The smoothie bar? The bank? The gym?”
This is our first time out of the house together but he has been at my house everyday for a week now. I’m almost sick of the sight of him, if only he weren’t so damn gorgeous.
His lips twitch, barely. “That is my job, Ashleigh.”
“Uh-huh. You ever do anything that isn’t your job?”
“I have my moments.” Immediately, my eyes drop, my cheeks heat, and my mind goes straight to the gutter. The images of him enjoying some seriously spicy moments flood my mind - out of nowhere. If it weren’t so damn hot to picture, I would definitely be laughing.
He pauses, as if he’s weighing every word carefully. “I shoot.”
“Well, yeah, I assumed that. You work for a security company, and you know my father. You can’t kill people with kind words.”
“I-I...” He furrows his brow in frustration as he stumbles over his words. But he needn’t worry because I jump in, “Don’t even bother trying to tell me that you’ve never killed anyone.”
“Ok.”
“So you shoot. What do you shoot? Aside from people.”
“A friend of mine owns a shooting range a few towns over.”
I smirk. “Would you take me there?”
He almost laughs. Almost. “I have a hard time believing that you need any more ammunition than that sharp wit of yours. But yes, we could go to the range.”
“Now?”
“Now?” His eyes flick away, he rakes a hand through his hair as seems to weigh his options. He blows out a big breath before reluctantly agreeing. “Ok, sure.”
He’s my ‘bodyguard’. And he’s just agreed to takemeshooting. I’m sure that wasn’t in his job description and I'm sure as hell that my father would not approve. My mind is filled with evil laughter but I hide my smirk as we turn to leave the mall.
We drive out past the city, I hold my breath until we’re out of city limits. I don’t want to risk him seeing sense and turning around.
He’s quiet, eyes on the road, the whole stoic protector routine. For a minute I get lost, looking at him and taking in his features. His hair is short but as dark as mine is. He’s got a slight tan, I’m lily white. His jaw and cheekbones are hard and defined, in complete contrast to his full, soft looking eye lashes.
I tap my fingers on the window, pulling my eyes back to the road, breaking the silence that we’d been in since getting in the car. “You always this chatty, or am I just special?”
In my peripheral I see him glance my way. “You’re unique, that’s for sure.”
At the range, his friend, Jules, waves us in. A big grin forms on his face when we exit the car, seeing me behind Kaden. If I’m not mistaken, Kaden is going to get an earful later on.
In the field, Kaden is all business. “Safety gear. Always treat the gun as loaded. Don’t point it at anything you don’t intend to shoot. Easy enough?”
I snort. “Relax, RoboCop. I’m not planning a rampage—yet.”
Although little does he know...
He hands me the pistol and watches closely, “Let’s see your form.”
I exaggerate a clumsy grip, shooting him a questioning look. “Like this? Am I doing it right, boss?”
He steps in close, his breath on the back of my neck. Despite my layers and coat, a shiver runs through me. His hands are rough against mine as he adjusts the position of my hands. “Thumb higher. Elbows in.”
