Intended Series Collection: Books 1-6 by Abigail Grant (best summer books .txt) 📗

out with those things. And seeing as you’re the only other one here, it’ll be your eye."

He chuckles lightly at me. "All present eyes will be just fine. I've seen you with some of the heavier weapons and I've noticed you don't seem exactly comfortable. I've been thinking about what you could use for protection while you're still training, and I remembered that I had these in my room."

Gavin pulls out four short and sleek looking knives. They are shaped into an impossibly sharp point for speed and accuracy with no handle on the other end. He grabs the hilt of one of the knives and turns in a blur before flicking the weapon through the air and imbedding it in a target on the far wall.

I spin in my spot and see the blunt end sticking out of the head of a human shaped target. My eyes go wide as I turn back to Gavin. "Wow! That was awesome, but uh...I'm not sure I'm capable of that," I say, feeling very unsure of myself.

Gavin shrugs. "Just try it. Not many people are as good as me so don't worry about trying to measure up to the master." He is trying to goad me so that I will want to challenge him. It's what he does when we are fighting so I won't hesitate when hitting him.

I shake my head at him. "You just think you're so cool, don't you, hot shot?" It is too easy to fall into this rhythm with him.

He grins, flashing his dimple at me. "Well, let's see if you can be cool as well.” He hands me one of the knives and I take it, hoping I'm not about to lose a finger. “It won’t hurt to just try it."

“It could hurt.” I mumble under my breath.

He turns me toward the far wall and the invisible string around my heart does a little tug, wanting me to get closer to him, but I ignore it. I stare down the human target outline, ready for a distraction. I stand up straight and fling the knife with all of my strength toward the target. The small blade flies through the air, making a whooshing sound and impales the floor, maybe two feet in front of the paper man. I slouch over, upset about my failure.

Gavin grunts behind me and I turn to see him rubbing the stubble on his chin. "You know, that actually wasn't too bad for your first try. At least you got it to stick somewhere."

"It looked pretty bad to me. Maybe throwing knives aren't my thing either," I say, ready to give up on weapons altogether.

Gavin shakes his head and takes a step closer, landing just a few inches from me. "If you can just position your body correctly, I promise you will do so much better." He holds his hands out to me. "May I?"

I swallow a lump in my throat and nod my head at him, afraid that my voice will give away just how much I genuinely want him to touch me.

He hands me the third knife and places both of his hands on my bare shoulders, sending me that familiar tingle. He turns me around so that my shoulders are parallel with the wall across the room and then slides his warm hands down my back to my hips. I have to suppress a shiver that wants to escape from the trail of electricity flowing from his fingertips. Firmly, he grips my hips and turns them slightly to the right and then bends down to grab my left leg and points my foot toward the target. He turns my other foot so that it is slightly behind me and pointing off to my right.

Over my shoulder, I see Gavin stand back up. He is standing so close to me that I can feel the heat from his chest against my back. I avoid looking at his face because with him being this close, I could easily lose myself in his eyes and do something stupid. I stare forward at the paper man in front of me and wait for my next instructions.

"Now, hold the knife in your right thumb and index finger with the small groove in the handle." Gavin says near to my ear, blowing my hair slightly with his warm breath. His voice is low and soft. "Bend your knees slightly and keep them loose. Now pull your arm back so the knife is just behind your ear." He takes my wrist and pulls it back for me. "When you throw it, just make sure to keep your eye on the target and not the knife or your hand. Then release the knife right before your arm is completely straight."

Gavin releases me and steps back so I can throw the knife. I feel cool air take his place on my back, but I take a deep breath in and then out at the same time that I fling the knife forward. It whistles through the air and hits the target right below the man's neck, making a loud thunk.

I spin around with a huge smile on my face. "I did it!" I shout, feeling happier than I've felt all week as a girly squeal escapes me.

Gavin sweeps me up in his arms, laughing along with me and spins me around. "Yes, you did! Thrane better watch out," he says, still holding me against him in a tight embrace.

My laughter slowly dies down, but my pulse continues to pick up its pace. Gavin is still smiling as he sets me on my feet, but he doesn't take his arms away from my waist. I am holding onto his hard shoulders, feeling like I might fall down if I let go. With the way he is watching me, I don’t want to let go.

"Thank you, Gavin," I say breathless. "I couldn't have done that without you."

His smile softens and the gold in his eyes darkens to a smoldering flame.