Calculated Risk (Blackbridge Security 5)

“What did I miss?”

“He’s showing us how to load that thing with bullets,” I answer, my eyes pointed back in Quinten’s direction.

“I’m going to pass a couple of these around so you can practice.”

“But we don’t have guns right now,” Gayle complains.

Quinten gives her a wary look. “We’re not loading firearms, we’re loading magazines. Loaded guns aren’t allowed out of the firing range.”

“But we are shooting today?”

“Soon,” he says as he begins to drop magazines and a handful of bullets on each table. “Remember, the ammunition points out just like I showed you.”

His eyes find mine when he’s approaches our table, and I have to quickly look away. I don’t know what it is about this man that makes me feel so awkward and weird.

Yeah, okay. I can admit that he’s handsome, even though I denied it the first time I saw him, but lots of men are attractive. I don’t feel my face flush around every good-looking guy I come across, but with him, a simple look in my direction and I can feel the rush of heat on my skin. At first, I chalked it up to my irritation with how he treated me during the first class, but I haven’t been upset about that since he showed such care and patience with me last week when I didn’t want to pick up the gun, and again when he was worried after class that I hadn’t found one I was completely comfortable with.

“Sweet,” Parker says as she reaches for the items he’s put in front of us, and the spell is broken.

I watch my best friend as she follows his instructions.

Of course, I glance back at him just in time to see him walk away. Parker was right, his jeans are absolutely lethal.

Parker clears her throat, and I see her grinning when I look back at her.

“Your turn,” she says as she pops the bullets free. She doesn’t mention catching me looking at the man’s ass, but I know the reprieve won’t last forever. Maybe it’s a good thing she can’t stay for the entire class. It means I won’t be grilled later or forced to go get drinks.

“Sorry I’m late,” comes another male voice from the back of the room.

Every woman, including myself, turns our heads as a handsome man begins to walk toward the front of the classroom.

Chatter begins before the man can make it halfway there.

“Everyone this is my co-instructor Jude—”

“Hey Jude!” Gayle sings and I chuckle at her obvious Beatles reference.

“—Jude Morris,” Quinten says as if he hadn’t been interrupted, but I see a hint of a smile on his face.

Jude gives an awkward wave before shoving his hands into his pockets. The apples of his cheeks begin to turn pink when Quinten claps him on the back.

“He’s got a Dr. Reid vibe going on, doesn’t he?” Parker whispers right in my ear.

“He looks nothing like Matthew Gray Gubler.” I was an avid fan of the television show Criminal Minds, but the break-in at my house managed to make me too afraid to watch it. The plotline became a little too real after experiencing that.

“No, like his demeanor. Anyway, do you think Quinten will help if I act like I don’t understand how to load this thing?” Parker picks up the magazine and turns it over in her hand.

“He passed the needy slash confused girl test last week. Shouldn’t you move on to the next one?”

“I’m thinking a little help would be fun right now.” I shake my head before pulling the magazine from her hand and picking up one of the bullets. “Unless you’re interested in him. Don’t think I didn’t catch the way you were looking at his ass. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen you drooling over a man before.”

“I wasn’t drooling,” I mutter, popping the bullet into place and reaching for the next one.

She doesn’t argue. Quinten moving around the room to help those that are struggling draws all of her attention.

***

“The entire point of taking a shooting class is to shoot the gun,” Parker says as she meets me on the sidewalk outside of the same bar we came to last week.

“And I thought you said you couldn’t stay the whole class. Must not have been very important plans.”

She doesn’t give me any details about what she’s missing out on as she curls her arm around mine.

“And how did I end up getting talked in to coming back here?”

“Everyone is coming,” Parker says as she pulls open the door for us to walk in.

“Everyone?”

“Is that a little hint of hope I hear in your voice, Hayden Prescott? Don’t worry, I invited the guys, so you may have the chance to talk to Dr. Reid tonight.”

“Jude Morris,” I correct, frowning when she winks at me.

She knew I’d fall for that. Damn it.