Page 65 of Stars and Scars

The glass bottle vanishes with an almost metallic ping. I’d expected it to shatter. Then I look a little closer and see glittering crystal shards catching the sun’s rays on the stone.

“I hit it?”

“You sure as fuck did. Great job.”

I decimate the other targets, one by one. I don’t miss any more shots, which seems to really please Grayson.

“You’ve got the eye. I can’t believe it, but it’s true. You’ve got the eye.”

“What is the eye?”

He chuckles.

“It’s more or less a legend. Some people are just naturally more adept than others when it comes to shooting. Superstition makes some folks refer to it as the Eye, the touch, or something silly like that.”

“Hey, it doesn’t have to be silly. Maybe I’m the chosen one?”

It takes him a second to get that I’m joking. Gray laughs and then goes to find more junk for me to shoot at.

We practice for a couple of hours. My finger starts getting tired after a while, which amuses Gray. So while my poor digit recovers, I take the camera off the tripod and film him shooting instead.

Needless to say, he’s better at it than I am. No need to take a deep breath or even to do more than cursory aiming. I don’t mind, though. It makes for some great footage.

We talk, laugh, and flirt the whole time. The hours just fly by when I’m with Gray. Which makes me wonder if what we have is more than just a physical thing.

Is there a chance that we might make it work in the long term? Like a real relationship, a real couple?

I gaze long and hard at Gray. The golden sunlight picks up highlights in his hair I hadn’t noticed before. He has some golds and reds in there along with the dark ones. His sleek but muscled physique ripples beneath the thin fabric of his T-shirt. Gray turns a smile my way. His eyes light up when he looks at me, so much that it makes my heart skip a beat or two.

I don't know if we can make this thing work for the long run, but I sure would like to find out.

18

GRAYSON

I’ve been laughing so much, my cheeks hurt and my ribs ache. I can't remember the last time I had this much fun. Being with Charlotte is easy.

Too easy.

My smile fades as I head inside the cabin for more ammunition. I stop in front of the mirror and stare at my reflection.

“What are you doing, Grayson? You never did anything this stupid in the CIA. Just because some woman…”

I have to stop there, and let out a helpless laugh. Obviously, Charlotte is not just some woman. She’s the most extraordinary woman I’ve ever known.

I want to berate myself for falling for Charlotte. But I just can’t. She’s wonderful.

Which opens up a whole new can of worms. Because if I admit how far Charlotte has her hooks dug into me, I have to reckon with the fact her life is in danger.

“You couldn’t protect your own sister,” I mutter to the man in the mirror. “What if I can’t protect Charlotte, either?”

The man in the mirror has no answer for me. Fucking prick.

I venture back outside, forgetting to grab the ammo. It turns out I didn’t need to bother. Charlotte sits on a tree stump, one knee drawn up to provide a base for her phone. Her lips pull back in a slight smile as she scrolls with an expert flick of her index finger. The sun shines on her bronzed skin, the wind catches her magnificent midnight mane, and it takes my breath away.

I wander over to her. She glances up and smiles.

“What are you up to?” I ask.

---