She nodded, but her hands were still shaking. “He’s ... he’s just pissed I told him no.”
Gunner’s jaw tightened. “That guy’s a problem.”
Dawn sighed, running a hand over her face. “Yeah. I know.” Dawn took a breath, then told Gunner he was the guy who stood her up the other day. She also showed him Jesse’s text the night before.
Gunner frowned before reaching out, his fingers brushing her arm gently. “You tell me if he bothers you again.”
His touch was light, barely there, but it sent warmth spreading through her. “I can handle myself,” she said, though it lacked her usual confidence.
“I know you can.” His lips quirked slightly. “Doesn’t mean you have to.”
Something about the way he said it—like he genuinely wanted to look out for her—made her chest tighten. She’d spent so long fending for herself that the idea of someone having her back felt ... foreign. But with Gunner, it didn’t feel suffocating. It felt safe.
“Thanks,” she murmured.
Gunner nodded, then glanced toward the door, his expression darkening again. “I don’t think that was the last of him.”
Dawn shivered despite herself. Deep down, she knew he was right.
****
The steady rumble ofthe Harley matched the tension building in Gunner’s chest. The night air was cool as it whipped past them, but it did nothing to take the edge off the heat that had been crackling between them since he’d picked her up.
Dawn wrapped her arms around his waist, her body pressed to his back, and damn if he didn’t like the way she fit against him.
The town lights faded into the distance as he took them down winding back roads, the kind only bikers and late-night wanderers knew. The sky stretched wide and endless above them, the stars bright pinpricks in the darkness.
He could feel Dawn relax behind him, her grip loosening just a little as she melted into the ride, and that made him grin. After what had happened earlier with Jesse, she needed this. He wasn’t blind—he saw the way she tensed when she spotted the bastard at the diner, the way she held her shoulders stiff when she told him off. She had guts, but she also had fear, and Gunner didn’t like that. No one should be making her feel unsafe. Especially not some lowlife who couldn’t take a damn hint.
When they finally pulled over at a secluded overlook, he cut the engine and placed his boots firmly on the ground. The silence that followed was thick, but peaceful.
Dawn hesitated before getting off the bike, stretching slightly as she pulled off the helmet he’d given her. Her hair tumbled around her shoulders, catching the moonlight in a way that made his chest tighten.
“Damn,” he muttered, mostly to himself.
Dawn turned toward him, curiosity flickering in her eyes. “What?”
He shook his head, kicking the stand down and swinging off the bike. “Nothing.”
She arched a brow, clearly not believing him, but let it go. “I forgot how freeing a ride like that can be,” she admitted, glancing out over the darkened horizon. “It’s like everything just fades away for a little while.”
Gunner nodded, stepping closer. “That’s the whole point. The road don’t ask questions. Don’t expect nothin’ from you. It just is.”
She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself, and he wasn’t sure if it was from the cool night air or something deeper. Without thinking, he shrugged off his leather cut and draped it over her shoulders.
She looked up at him in surprise, her lips parting slightly. “Thanks.”
“Anytime.” His voice was rougher than he intended, but the way she was staring had him on edge. Not a bad kind of edge—the kind that made his blood run hot, that made him want to close the distance between them and find out just how soft those lips of hers really were.
Dawn must’ve felt the shift, because she took a step closer, her hands curling into the lapels of his jacket. “Gunner...”
He didn’t give her a chance to finish whatever thought had been forming. He closed the space between them, his hand coming up to cup her jaw as he tilted her face up to his. Their breaths mingled for a moment, hesitation flickering in her eyes, but when he brushed his thumb over her cheek, she let out a soft exhale and leaned in.
The moment their lips met, something ignited. She tasted like coffee and something sweeter, something uniquely her, and fuck if it didn’t make his head spin. The kiss deepened almost instantly, her fingers gripping at his leather as if he was the only thing keeping her upright.
He backed her up against the bike, one hand sliding down to rest on her waist, holding her steady. Her body pressed against his, and heat shot through him. His fingers flexed against her hip, itching to explore, to feel more, but he kept himself in check. Barely.
Dawn was the one who surprised him, her own hands roaming, tracing the hard lines of his chest through his shirt before slipping beneath the fabric, fingertips ghosting over his skin. He groaned against her lips, deepening the kiss until they were both breathing hard.
