Page 64 of Silver Elite

Kaine wraps both arms around me from behind. I instantly stiffen.

“It’s just a demonstration, Darlington. Relax.”

Easier said than done. My heart beats a little faster at his proximity. Kaine’s hands slide down my arms, guiding them into position. His breath is warm against the back of my neck, sending a shiver dancing along my spine.

“Make sure your dominant hand is high up on the grip.” His hand covers mine, adjusting my positioning. “Like this. Feel that?”

“Yeah,” I manage to say.

His other hand comes around, settling over my left hand. “With your support hand, you want to wrap your fingers around your dominant hand. Keep your thumbs aligned. See?”

I nod, but my mind is more focused on the sensation of his body pressed against mine, his arms enveloping me. It’s…distracting.

“Fix your stance. Wider.”

I play dumb, spreading my feet farther apart. “Like this?”

“Perfect. There you go. Now, finger on the trigger. Focus on your target. And…squeeze.”

I squeeze the trigger, and the recoil pushes me backward into Kaine’s chest. Neither of us pays attention to where my bullet went. I’m far too fascinated by the way his fingertips graze my shoulder.

I twist my head up and find myself peering into a pair ofheavy-lidded green eyes. His heated expression brings a tingle between my legs.

“See? Not so hard,” he whispers, his lips dangerously close to my ear. “You’re a natural.”

“Kaine,” I whisper back.

He licks his lips. “Mmm?”

“Stop fucking flirting with me.” I shove him away, summoning a laugh from him.

“You’re no fun at all, cowgirl,” he accuses, still laughing as he saunters back to his own station.

—

Later, we file into the mess hall for dinner. I sit with Lyddie and Kaine at a table in the corner of the room, and we’re welcomed by two new faces. One is Lash, or the Observer, as Lyddie secretly refers to him, based on his unnerving habit of watching everyone and rarely contributing to conversations. He sits across from me, silent, and I catch him glancing at me several times. When I raise a brow, he shrugs and looks down at his rations. We’re also joined by Betima, who, as it turns out, is hilarious. She spends most of the meal regaling us with stories about the ghastly job assignment she’d received after upper school.

As I eat, I start to notice the whispers.

They’re coming from Kess’s table, which is unusual because those asswits aren’t typically concerned about the volume of their voices. Ivy and Bryce sit with them tonight, once again triggering an alarm inside me.

The whispering continues throughout dinner, and I can’t shake the suspicion it’s about me, even though I don’t appear to be attracting glares or sneers. It’s just a gut feeling. A bad feeling.

I wait to shower closer to lights-out, because most of the other women shower before dinner and this offers me more privacy. Tonight, Lyddie joins me. She steps into the stall next to mine, and we chat over the partition as steam fills the fluorescent-lit room.

“Kaine is so on for you,” she tells me, her eyes dancing.

“I think he’s locked on anything with a pulse.”

“No. He likesyou.I can tell.”

“Maybe.”

She tips her head in challenge, causing water droplets to slide down her delicate throat. “Don’t you dare tell me you don’t like him, too. He’s the best-looking guy in the Program.”

“He’s also the cockiest,” I counter.

“What’s wrong with cocky?” Lyddie shuts off the water and reaches for her towel. “Cocky can be fun.”

---