Dawn toyed with the rim of her glass as she considered her next move. She could still back away, make some lame excuse, pretend she was too tired or had work early in the morning.
Tonight had already been a complete dud—no different from other nights where she put in the effort, got her hopes up, and was left disappointed. Walking away now would be the smart thing to do.
But a voice inside her told her to stay. Because this wasn’t like other nights. Gunner wasn’t like the other men she’d wasted time on.
There was something about him, something that unsettled her just enough to make her feel alive. Maybe it was the way he watched her, his dark eyes sharp and assessing, like he was peeling back layers she didn’t even realize she had.
Maybe it was the way he moved, easy and confident, like a man who had nothing to prove—because he knew exactly who he was. Or maybe it was the fact that, for the first time in a long time, she wasn’t the one doing all the chasing.
Besides, Dawn could hold her alcohol. And one drink wouldn’t hurt, would it? She lifted her glass to her lips, locking eyes with Gunner as she took a slow sip. His smirk deepened, like he knew exactly what she had just decided.
“Guess you’re staying, then,” he murmured, his voice a deep rumble that sent an unexpected thrill through her.
She set her glass down and met his gaze head-on. “Looks like it.”
Chapter Two
Dawn wrapped her fingersaround a cool glass of whiskey. She had only agreed to one drink, but she found herself savoring it more than she expected.
Maybe it wasn’t just the alcohol. It was the man sitting opposite her, his heavy presence wrapping around her like something solid, something grounding.
Gunner leaned back in his chair, one thickly muscled arm draped casually over the back. He nursed his own drink, but his dark eyes stayed locked on her, smoldering with an intensity that made her insides tighten.
“So, tell me, sweetheart,” he drawled, the deep rumble of his voice making her shiver. “You always pick shitty dates, or was tonight just special?”
She huffed out a laugh, shaking her head. “I swear I don’t make a habit of it.”
He smirked. “Lucky me, then. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have met you.”
Her stomach flipped. The way he looked at her—like she was something worth studying, something worth wanting—was doing things to her she wasn’t prepared for. Dawn could feel her nipples tightening under her thin blouse and wondered if he noticed.
She should have been wary, should have kept her guard up. But somehow, with him, the tension that had been wound tight in her chest all night started to loosen.
“I’m starting to think you might be trouble,” she teased, raising her glass to her lips.
Gunner grinned, slow and dangerous. “Darlin’, I don’t think you’d mind a little trouble.”
