Part 4 (1/2)
Dane pinned the paper target to a tree approximately ten yards from where Sara stood, waiting. Even though she had to be tired from the full day of gun training yesterday and another half day of knife training this morning, she was still eager to learn to shoot with a bow and arrow that afternoon.
His expectations were high after seeing how well she'd picked up the other skills. She wasn't a marksman with a rifle by any means, but she could shoot well enough. At least she could shoot better than she had before coming to his cabin. And she wasn't as bad as he'd expected with a knife. A proper one, of course, not that toothpick she'd called a knife. If threatened again, she'd have a fighting chance at defending herself.
Dane tucked himself in behind Sara as she adjusted her position in relation to the target. She'd picked up the proper stance quickly, remembering to stand with her feet parallel to the target, her back straight, and her shoulders dropped.
Sara held the frame of the bow in her left hand, gripping it so hard her knuckles looked white. He placed his hand over hers. ”Relax. You really only need to grip it with your palm, thumb, and first finger.”
He showed her with his own hand and then felt her fingers relax beneath his. ”Good,” he said quietly near her ear.
Dane took a second to glance down at her. Teaching her to shoot his guns had been fun yesterday, but this was so much better. Feeling her against his chest and stomach was almost too distracting to teach her how to use the bow. And her scent wafting up every time the breeze blew was intoxicating.
She'd only been in his life a few days, but she was quickly becoming the center of his thoughts. He worried about her going out on her own again. He wanted her to be able to protect herself if the need came up. But more and more, he simply wanted her to stay in his cabin with him.
”What next? This thing is getting heavy already.” Sara looked at him over her shoulder, catching him watching her.
Having her so close, almost intimately close, it was hard not to bend down and brush his lips to hers. But that wasn't what they were there for. Another time, maybe. He only had the rest of the day to teach her to defend herself, because the thought of her off in the woods alone and vulnerable with guys worse than the ones who'd come to his door the other day was terrifying. He couldn't let her leave unprepared.
”If this is heavy, I think you need to do some push-ups, darlin'.” He smiled.
She pushed her hip to the side and tilted her head, att.i.tude at full throttle. ”I think you need to stop calling me darling, since I am not your darling or your anything else.”
”That right? I'll try to remember, darlin'. For now, let's focus on you learning to shoot.”
He set his hands low on her hips and guided them back into place so her posture was correct again. As he did, she brushed against his zipper. The movement caused an unexpected stirring inside him. He tried his best to ignore the sensation and hoped he wouldn't grow any harder. He didn't want her feeling his interest protruding into her back any more than he needed to give into the feeling.
”First rule: you won't shoot straight if you don't stand straight.”
She licked her lips, then adjusted her stance, inadvertently brus.h.i.+ng against him again as she did. Pulling her shoulders back to stand tall in front of him, she raised the front of her bow into position again, her left arm extended out toward the target.
”Second rule: never pull back on the string and let it go without firing an arrow. That's very important. Got it?”
”Got it.”
He pulled an arrow from the quiver and fed it through the arrow rest, then snapped it into place on the string. ”Now,” he began, reaching his arm around her and clipping her trigger to the string loop. ”This clips on here, then you tuck your finger behind the trigger so you don't accidentally fire before you're ready.”
His hand rested on hers as he helped her pull the string back. ”When your fingers brush your cheek and your nose touches the string, you're all set. Now just look through the peep sight and the bow sight and line up the target with the green pin.”
Sara made a few tiny adjustments with her position. ”Okay. Got it.”
”Now put your finger around the trigger, exhale, and shoot.” He stepped back to give her s.p.a.ce. A moment later the arrow zipped through the air and hit the tree a couple of inches above the target.
”That was a terrible shot,” she grumbled, lowering the bow.
”Considering it was your first try and you hit the tree, I'd say it was pretty d.a.m.n good.”
”Really?” she asked, brightening a little.
”Really.” He smiled. ”Try again on your own this time.”
She loaded another arrow, corrected her stance, pulled back, and fired. This time the arrow narrowly missed the target. She learned quickly. He was impressed.
”Better,” he said.
”So,” she said while taking aim at the tree again, ”did you hit the tree your first try shooting too? Or did you take a while to find the tree through the forest?” She smirked over her shoulder at him, a new twinkle in her eye he hadn't seen before, then turned back to the target and let the arrow go. This time it missed the tree altogether.
”No,” he said simply, waiting for her smirk to grow, which it did. ”I hit the target.”
He picked up his own bow and shot three arrows in quick succession, hitting the bull's-eye each time.
”Show off.”
He shrugged. ”Practice. Your turn.”
This time Sara took her time perfecting her stance and her aim. As he waited, his gaze skimmed her body. She looked like a warrior with the bow in her hands. Her chest sank with exhalation, the expression on her face serious as she studied the target through the sight. Flat stomach muscles went taut under her tightly fitted tank.
Sara was nothing short of gorgeous standing there before him.
Her excited yell brought him out of the haze he'd fallen into while watching her. He forced his gaze from her body to the large smile on her lips, then to the target.
”I hit paper!” she cheered.
She had. Her arrow still wasn't touching any of the rings on the target, but she had hit the target paper. Not bad for someone who'd never even held a bow and arrow before.
”Well done,” he said. ”Let me grab our arrows before you try a few more.”
He walked to the target and pulled their arrows out of the bark, separating his into the quiver hanging on his back. Dane twirled her arrows in his fingers, remembering the last time they'd been used. Years ago. He fingered the pink- and-purple fletching, embracing the memories as they flooded back.
Sara took the arrows when he offered them, her fingers tickling his palm as she did.
”So, I never took you for the kind of guy who would have a bright pink bow or pink-and-purple arrows. A bit girly for you, isn't it?”
”It's my sister's bow. This one,” he said, holding up the larger, fancier, camo-colored bow he'd used earlier, ”is mine.”
”Won't your sister mind me messing with her bow? If she's a good shot with this thing, I don't really want to p.i.s.s her off.”
”If she were still alive, I think she'd be p.i.s.sed you were touching her stuff. But since she's been gone five years now, I think you're safe.”
The teasing smile fell from Sara's lips. ”I'm sorry. I wouldn't have joked if I'd known.”
”I know. It's fine.” He came up behind her, placing his hands on her hips to put her into position again. Of course, he knew she didn't really need his help this way again, but he just wanted to be near her. To touch her.
The memories of his sister-the only family he'd had since their parents had died in a car wreck when they were kids-had been a hard reminder of how lonely he'd been the last five years. It was nice to have some company. And he hadn't exactly made himself accessible to the local single girls in town, being that he lived out in the cabin and wasn't overly social.
Seeing Sara try some of the things he enjoyed yesterday and today, having her in his house the last couple of nights-it made him realize what he'd been missing out on all those years. Since his sister had pa.s.sed, he hadn't wanted to be close to anyone, but this situation they found themselves in had thrown Sara and him together. Maybe he was a tiny bit glad that it had.