Page 63 of Dark Secrets

He grinned. “With extra bacon.”

The kid nodded and scurried off, and James pulled her in close for a kiss. “You sure you don’t want something else?”

“Maybe later. As a reward for not killing myself with an axe.”

He chuckled. “I won’t let you kill yourself. Besides, the guy showed us how to duck.”

“A basic but useful skill.” He reached for the axe secured in a holder on the wall and held it out to her. She waved him away. “Oh no. You first. If you live, I’ll try it.”

He stepped up to the line painted on the floor and lifted it over his head, the metal glinting in the light. With one fluid movement, he heaved the axe at the bullseye on the far wall, and the blade lodged into the wood with a thwack.

“Shit, that was satisfying. Okay.” He tugged it free from the wall and brought it back to her. “Your turn.”

She hopped off the stool positioned behind a long, thin table at the back of their lane and took the axe from his hands.

“If I chop off a toe or something, you’re responsible for sewing it back on.”

“Don’t be silly. I’ll take you to see Doc.”

Delaney peeked over her shoulder at him, scrunching her nose at his winning smile before turning her attention back to the weapon in her hands. She tightened her fingers around the base, trying to remember the instructions from their practice session when they first arrived.

Hold it low on the handle with both hands but don’t grip it too tight. She relaxed her fingers, lining up her thumb the way the instructor showed them. Bring both arms back over her head, swing forward, release.

The axe hurtled toward the wall but struck it with the back of the axe and not the blade, falling to the floor with a sad clang. She stuck her lip out in a pout, then tried to suck it in while James immediately went for the axe, grinning at the look on her face.

“Aww, don’t pout, beautiful. You released it too high.”

“I don’t even know what that means!”

He stopped next to her and demonstrated. “Your grip was good. Not too tight. But you let it go up here.” He held it up so the back side of the blade was parallel with the top of his forehead. “You want to release it when it’s here.” He moved it down until he held it straight out in front of his body. “Not too high and not too low.”

He moved behind her, wrapping her fingers around the handle and whispering against her ear. “You’re very cute when you pout.” Planting a quick kiss on her cheek, he stepped back.

She took a deep breath, relaxed her shoulders, swung the axe over her head, and lobbed it at the wall again. This time it bounced off the wall and skidded to a stop about halfway down the lane.

“That was a little too low.” James bent to retrieve the axe.

“It’s like the Goldilocks of axe throwing,” she grumbled.

“Is someone competitive?” James teased.

“No!”

“I wouldn’t have thought so based on our games of pool, but maybe you are. Or maybe it’s because I can’t distract you the same way here that I do at home.”

She felt heat flood her cheeks, and he gave her a wicked grin. “I’mnotcompetitive. I just don’t like to be bad at things.”

“You’re not bad at it,” he insisted, nodding at the waiter when he set their drinks down. “You’re still learning.”

“Uh huh. Your turn.”

He raised the axe. Throwing it again, he hit the bullseye almost dead center.

She huffed out a breath. “Have you done this before?”

“Nope. I guess I have good hand-eye coordination.”

She took a sip of her drink, eyeing the axe when he held it out to her. “Okay. Still learning.”

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