Page 18 of Fractured

“It’s nice to meet you, Jasper,” I finally reply, holding out my hand in a silent gesture.

A knowing, calculating smirk graces his features as he shakes my hand with a firm grip. “You shouldn’t be handling a gun like that without proper instruction. I’d be happy to walk you through basic gun safety and a few pointers if you’d like.”

Well, at least one of my initial assumptions was true. He’s a misogynist who jumped to the conclusion that I didn’t know what I was doing here. Just because I’m a well dressed woman at a gun range in the middle of the week doesn’t mean I don’t know how to shoot. And I’m willing to bet he never clocked my bodyguard, simply zeroing in on a hot chick holding a gun. Seems he could be knocked down a peg or two.

“Oh, would you mind? That would be great!” I toy with him. He proceeds to walk me through the parts of the gun that I know more intimately than he ever would since I helped design it, then he goes through each safety procedure. Honestly, if a person is too stupid to hold the gun properly and keep it facing away from them, then they deserve the repercussions they get.

“You ready to try shooting at the target?” he asks after he’s gone through every other instructional tidbit he could bestow.

“Actually, would you mind letting me see how it’s done first? I’m a little nervous that I’ll miss the target.” I know I’ve successfully fed his ego when his chest puffs up. Pulling his personal weapon from its holster, he aims for the target. With quick consecutive shots, he hits the mark in a centralized cluster.

“That’s how it’s done, Little Bird. Think you can get one to land on the target?” He hits a button that triggers the target to come sliding toward us. With deft fingers, he clips a new one into place and taps the button again. This time it doesn’t retreat quite as far as it was before. He then steps aside and makes room for me to stand directly in line with the target.

I step into place and hit the trigger to send the target as far back as the field allows. With a glance over my shoulder, I smile at Jasper. “I don’t want any advantages,” I say with innocence.

Give me a halo because I’m an angel. I face forward and hold back my giggle at my own joke. Maybe an angel of death would be more appropriate…

Jasper stands closely behind me, and just for fun to see what he will do, I purposefully hold the gun wrong. Instead of walking me through the correct way of holding the weapon, he runs his hands down my arms, starting at my shoulders until his hands cover my own. Adjusting my hold, he whispers, “Like this, Little Bird.” His breath tickles my ear, before his body presses even closer and his cheek lines up to mine.

His arms are holding me just a little off course, so I adjust my aim and empty my clip into the target. “That was a great first try. We can try again with a few adjustments,” he starts off saying. I’m quick to cut him off.

“But did I actually miss?” I ask him with a little more snootiness in my tone than before. I hit the button to recall the target and it comes sliding back toward us. As it grows closer you can see the holes in the paper where each line came together at a ninety-degree angle. I hit each one with perfect accuracy making it hard to see from so far away initially.

Jasper sucks in a breath through his teeth and steps back, turning me by the hips so he can get a better look at my face. “Oh, you're good,” he praises, studying my face.

“Three time state junior marksman champion,” I respond with a challenging quirk of my eyebrow.

“While you're an exceptional markswoman, that’s not what I was referencing. I was talking about your ability to hide your emotions and thoughts behind your mask. It’s quite refreshing to not know what a woman is thinking. And the way you handle a gun…” He winces and adjusts his crotch, leaving the rest of what he was going to say clear in his actions.

All of a sudden, the misogynistic asshole I thought I was talking to disappears. The cold steel of Jasper’s eyes reflect a hidden respect for me, one he can’t decide if he’s surprised to find or not. “I’m not sorry for your situation,” I tell him with a raised eyebrow.

The sudden laugh he barks out shows how unexpected it was for me to acknowledge his hard cock. Most women aren’t as bold as me to bring attention to it. I lean against the bar height counter blocking off access to the shooting field. Jasper crowds into me, placing his hands on the counter behind me on either side. “Oh, really? Because I feel like you should. In fact, I feel like you should do something to remedy your teasing effects.”

Glancing down again, I admire the size of his ‘situation’. Biting my lip, I stare into his gaze. “Normally I would, but my last couple of experiences haven’t lived up to my expectations, and I’m not in the mood to get myself off after another disappointment.” I don’t need a mirror to know my eyes are flashing with a challenge. I’m not usually so blunt, but something about him brings it out in me.

“Don’t place me in a box with all the sad excuses who like to parade around like they’re alphas, Little Bird,” Jasper grits out with a scowl.

This is now the third time he’s called me little bird, and while I surprisingly don’t hate it, I don’t like it either. “Little Bird?” I question, adding emphasis on the word little. “Are you trying to set my expectations right?” I can’t help but taunt him. Tension has been thick in the air from the first moment I laid eyes on him, and it’s only grown with each second we stand next to each other. I wouldn’t be surprised if a spark lights up the room the next time we touch.

“You know better than that. Not like you hid the fact you checked out the equipment,” he teases, getting as close as possible without actually touching me. His hands reach around me and he attaches a new target, then sends it down the field. He steps back and I can suddenly breathe again with a rush of fresh air. He holds my gaze as he releases the empty magazine on his gun and slides a new one in place. After he racks the slide, he slams his hand against the button sending the target zipping back down the field. “There’s nothing little about what’s in my pants. For starters, you’re over half a foot shorter than me,” he says, straightening his spine so he towers over me even more. He has to be at least six foot two, maybe six foot three.

I bite my lip, tilting my head back to keep eye contact. “Ear protection,” he grunts, giving me only a few seconds to slip them into place before he’s aiming his gun. His gaze holds mine. Their icey blue depths, freezing me in place. His eyes never waiver as he empties his clip and recalls the target. Placing the gun on the counter behind me, he slides my sound-dampening headphones from my head. The confidence and power he exudes lighting up my body in ways I’ve never experienced without touch accompanying it.

“And have you seen the size difference between our guns?” he asks before gripping my hips and spinning me around. While I take in the size difference between our weapons, he recalls the target. I roll my eyes, who cares if his is bigger than mine. The only thing that matters is if you know how to use it.

With a nudge, he redirects my attention to the target. He managed to keep a tight cluster on his shots right in the middle of the silhouette’s forehead. All while keeping his eyes locked on mine. Seems I’m not the only one who likes to show off their skills…

“Oh. I didn’t realize we moved on to the dick measuring portion of today's meet and greet,” I drawl sarcastically, twisting around in his hold once more with a raised eyebrow. “I bring mine with me anywhere I go. It’s the biggest I’ve ever seen,” I say while taking a step forward, pressing my body to his. From this vantage, I can now see Vander past the partition dividing my stall from the one next to us.

I point, drawing Jasper’s attention to Vander for the first time, to the giant watching over us. He has his arms crossed over his puffed-up chest accentuating his arms having heard my comment. A completely unamused expression graces his perfect features. Fuck. Since when do I wax poetic over Vander’s good looks?

Jasper doesn’t seem surprised to see him there. In fact, he turns back around like he can’t be bothered to give him another thought, giving me the impression this isn’t the first time he’s been around a dangerous man breathing down his neck. Could it be that he has a military background somewhere in his past? “If you wanted to measure my dick, Little Bird, all you had to do was ask.” His hips shift, pressing the hard length of himself into my stomach. “Careful though. Once I slide into you, you’ll forget all those who came before me. And from the sound of things, that’s exactly what you need. Don’t you?”

I let out a whimper and nod my head. It feels like he’s pulled me under his spell and I can’t even consider not giving him the answers he wants. “Use your words, Little Bird,” he commands.

I swear to fuck, if he turns out to be another fake alpha then I’ll reconsider shoving my darkness back in the deepest depths of myself and I’ll let her out to cut off his cock. Licking my lips, I relent. “Yes.” The single word comes out more like a purr, my body betraying just how much I want this man to take control of me.

Jasper tightens his hold on my hips and whips me around until my back is pressed against the partition next to us. It gives me an unobstructed view of Vander, who is watching us carefully, waiting to see if I need him to come and intervene. Probably wishing I’d give him the signal to break us up. Smirking, I wrap my arms around Jasper’s neck.

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