Dante stepped behind her. He was so close she could feel the heat radiating from his chest. His arms came around hers, guiding her hands into the proper grip.

"Keep both eyes open," he murmured, his breath fanning her ear, sending a jolt of electricity down her spine. "Stance wide. Use your weight to absorb the recoil."

Clara tried to focus on the blank wall they were aiming at, but Dante's proximity was intoxicating. She had spent her life feeling too big, taking up too much space. But wrapped in Dante's arms, she felt perfectly sized. She fit against him flawlessly.

"Squeeze the trigger. Don't pull it," he instructed. "Breathe with me."

They inhaled together. A singular, unified breath.

"I won't let anything happen to you," Dante whispered fiercely, kissing the side of her neck. "But if they get past me, you shoot to kill. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Clara said, her voice steady. She wasn't shrinking anymore.