Page 118 of Hush (Fighting Fate)

Sounds from the kitchen drifted in through the open doorway, and I smiled. Just knowing Noah was right there made me stupid with warm and fuzzy.

Sighing, I let my eyes fall closed and rolled onto my back, pulling the sheet with me. The smell of bacon sharpened my senses, and I heard the clunk of something being put on the bedside table before the mattress dipped and I felt Noah climb over the bed.

“Good morning, gorgeous,” he said in that smoother than melted chocolate voice.

Smiling, I blindly reached out and touched him, but when I felt the soft folds of fabric instead of smooth, warm skin, I scowled and opened my eyes. His legs were straddling mine and he had his hands either side of my shoulders as he loomed over the top of me.

He frowned at me. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re wearing too many items of clothing, that’s what’s wrong.”

He grinned, his eyes twinkling like I’d never seen before. They were beautiful. “I’m taking you out, so you need to eat and get dressed.”

Inhaling slow and deep, I sighed. “Can’t we just stay in bed all day?” I added a little pout just in case that might work.

Noah chuckled and kissed my nose. “No.”

Giving him a little disgruntled huff, I let my hands wander under his shirt, over the hard contours of his back. “Where are we going?”

“I’m taking you to the shooting range.”

My gaze snapped up to meet his. Uh…what? “We’re going to go shoot guns?”

“Mmm hmm,” he said, watching me closely.

I tilted my head to the side a little and gave him a look of uncertainty. “Uh…I know you haven’t done the whole dating thing in a while, but most guys don’t take girls to go shoot things on their first date.”

His grin widened. “When have I ever said I was anything like most guys?”

Sighing, I ran my hands up his chest and around the back of his neck, threading my fingers in his hair. “Okay then. I’m going to go shoot guns. Just let me gather the required amount of enthusiasm…”

He growled playfully. “Don’t make me punish you…”

I rolled my eyes at him. “You know that’s not a threat to me, Noah. In fact, I encourage you to punish me. Right now. I’m dying for you to put those handcuffs of yours into good use.”

Darkness flashed deep in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a hardness I wasn’t expecting. “The only person I want to use them on right now is Aaron.”

Okay, so this conversation wasn’t going in the direction I wanted it to. Obviously Noah had been up stressing over everything while I’d been blissfully asleep.

Resigning myself to the fact that I wasn’t going to be getting any love right now, I pulled him down for a chaste kiss before releasing him and reaching for the bacon.

I smiled as I bit into it and watched as a wave of satisfaction flashed across his face. “Do I want to know why we’re going shooting?” I asked as he climbed off the bed.

His jaw cle

nched and he rubbed his hand over his chin. “I need to know you can protect yourself,” he said, his body language showing just how frustrated he was by the situation.

I didn’t point out the many flaws in his plan. Some of them being the fact that I didn’t own a gun or have a permit to use one. But I wasn’t going to bring that up now. I knew I just needed to let him do what he felt he needed to do.

Munching down the bacon and chasing it with the juice he’d brought me, I quickly jumped in the shower and got myself ready for my gun-toting adventure. I was actually a little surprised by how excited I was at the prospect of firing a gun. Noah was obviously a good shot, so I didn’t think I could find a better person to teach me.

Walking into the range behind Noah, I watched him greet the big guy at the front counter with one of those boys’ club handshakes and a thump on the back.

“Noah! Fuck, man, how long has it been?” The big guy said with a grin.

“A while,” he said. “Been on a job. Just got back.”

The guy nodded before his eyes flashed my way and his eyebrows quirked. “And who have you got there?”

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