Page 25 of Unleashing Chaos

I think for a moment. I don’t want it to seem like I’m going out with Cannon because I’m pissed at Jace, because that isn’t the case at all. Cannon is funny, sweet, sexy, and he wants to take me out and show me a good time. Isn’t that what I’m here for?

“Absolutely.”

“I feel like you’ve got a little aggression you need to work off. Dress warm and comfortable and meet me down here in twenty. I’m going to take you somewhere that you can pretend you’re sticking it to Jace Wilder.”

“Now that, I like the sound of.”

Twenty minutes later, we’re in Cannon’s Lexus and he’s driving us to some undisclosed location. I am questioning my choice of clothing when he keeps talking about how cold it is outside.

“Did I dress warmly enough?” I ask, looking down at my black yoga pants, purple puffer jacket, and the white running shoes I’ve finally broken in. “You keep mentioning the cold, and I’m getting paranoid.”

“We are going to be outside, but don’t worry, I’ll make sure you stay warm.”

We drive to the outskirts of the city and Cannon pulls into a dirt parking lot with a wooden sign advertising archery. My insides roll at the thought of me using a new weapon. My father and brothers are versed in all manners of combat, but I never found joy in it like they did. So I was taught the basics of self-defense and left to lounge by the pool or spend time with friends.

Cannon opens the passenger-side door and holds his hand out to me. “You ready to burn some energy by shooting things with arrows?”

I take his hand but hesitate before moving to get out of the car. “I—uh, would you believe me if I told you I’ve never shot a bow and arrow before? I have no idea how to do it.”

“Maybe that’s all part of my devious plan to get close to you.”

I smile as I climb out of the car and let him pull me against his side. I don’t let go of his hand as I say, “Well, please, continue. I’d love to see where this plan takes us.”

I glance at Cannon from the corner of my eye as we walk into the building to rent bows and arrows. He looks good with his gray hoodie and black jacket, but it’s his joggers that send my mind to deep, dark places. They remind me of the joggers that sit low on someone else’s hips.

“Ready?” Cannon asks, snapping me out of my wandering thoughts.

I literally jump and hold out my hand for the weapon. “Yep. Yep. I’m ready. Let’s go pretend the target is Jace’s grumpy face.”

He shakes his head and laughs, leading me to the back of the building where several individual shooting ranges are lined up with targets at each end. We set down our quivers and Cannon walks me through some basics. He’s a great teacher—patient, descriptive, and very hands on when he shows me how to nock an arrow.

“This is going to take some upper body strength, so don’t get too frustrated if you fall short the first few times you shoot,” he says from behind me, helping me aim at the target.

I hold back my grin. Even without regular exercise, I have upper body strength for days compared to a human, but I do have a feeling my aim is going to suck. I let him guide my arm to assist with the aiming. When I let go of the arrow, although it’s nowhere near the target, it hits the board with a loud thump.

I look over my shoulder at him and smile. “What were you saying about falling short?”

He holds his hands up and smiles. “Not a damn thing. You might be a natural at this. Let’s just hope that you’re not begging for your arms to fall off tomorrow.”

I give him a wink and ready the next arrow. He moves behind me again, adjusting my stance. I shiver when his hand grips my hip and turns it a bit. The small liberty he takes sends my insides fluttering. “Just pretend the middle is Jace with that exasperated look on his face when you don’t do something just the way he likes it, and let it fly.”

I snort and say, “All right. I think I can do that.” I draw my elbow back, and when the arrow is ready to fly, I release it, and this time it sails all the way to the board and hits the bottom of the target.

Cannon laughs and wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me against him. “Well, at least you shot him in the balls.”

“So, you think I’m a threat with a bow and arrow?”

“Oh, you’re absolutely a threat. There’s something hot about a woman who can wield a weapon.”

My face lights up at the compliment. When I was younger, my brothers were always faster and stronger. I remember my father patting them on the back when they perfected more complex training moves. It was hard not to feel jealous in those moments. For the first time, I feel like I could receive that same praise from my father.

“I just might start walking around with a quiver and bow. It would be pretty badass.”

Cannon raises an eyebrow and chuckles. “That would be intimidating to future suitors. Which might not be a bad thing for me; I’d have a clear path.”

“You’re the only ‘suitor’ who hasn’t ever stood me up or gone running for the hills. Or wasn’t boring as hell.”

He purses his lips and lifts his fingers to a curl that hangs in front of my eye. Brushing it back he says, “It’s a shame for the other guys. They have no clue that they’re missing out on spending time with an amazing woman. Have I told you how much I like being around you?”

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