She walked to the door and turned the open sign over before returning to the counter. Gunner had taken out the food from the brown paper bag: two large salads with a generous serving of roast beef.He remembered that I like roast beef, she thought, picking up her fork.
She ate a little bit of her salad and sipped her coffee. Gunner seemed famished and finished his food in the span of a few minutes. A week had passed since Gunner asked her out on a coffee date. Seven days since she told him she wasn’t ready to date.
Spending more time with him made her change her mind. Gunner had proven to be a good friend. He was there when she needed him and always provided a listening ear when she wanted to vent.
Paige wished she could be content being his friend, but a part of her started wondering if they could truly be more. Being with him had always felt like an adventure.
Gunner possessed a streak of wildness. She felt brave around him, and the sex? He made her feel so alive. Paige bet Gunner had learned a trick or two since the early days they’d dated.
“I’ve bought some sleeping pills, but I can’t bring myself to take them. It seems wrong, and it makes me feel weak, needing to rely on pills to sleep.”
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting a good night’s sleep,” Gunner said. “If you want, I can stay over sometimes. Keep you company. Who knows, maybe I’ll ward off your nightmares.”
Paige sucked in a breath. She hadn’t been sure how to tell Gunner she wanted more, but he beat her to the punch. His sharp gray eyes looked right at her, and he didn’t bother hiding the hunger there.
Tangling with Gunner was like tangling with a dangerous wolf. Paige knew she should be careful. This was Gunner, after all. Being his girl felt like being consumed like fire. Paige could end up getting burned, and this time, she wouldn’t be able to brush the dirt off her knees and get up again.
“Come over after work. I’ll make us dinner. I’ll text you the address to my apartment,” she said unthinkingly.
Gunner gave her a slow, lazy smile. “That’s not necessary. I know where you live.”
“You do?” she asked, her heart racing a little faster.
“I trailed you at a distance the past three nights. The neighborhood you live in isn’t safe.”
Gunner had always been possessive. Should she get mad at him for only caring about her well-being? She didn’t refute his statement.
Paige knew what kind of neighborhood she lived in, but she couldn’t afford an apartment in the safer parts of town. Still, Gunner always seemed to know every little thing about her. Should that concern her?
“Paige, I need to confirm that you’re asking me out on a dinner date,” Gunner told her. That made her relax.
“I’m ready to take this to the next level,” she answered. “Part of me is saying it’s too soon, but I don’t want to regret missing out on what could be. You understand?”
“I understand very well.” He leaned over the counter, then tipped her chin using two fingers. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for this moment?”
“This moment?” she asked, feeling stupid.
His face was so close. She was a little annoyed the counter stood between them, but that was all right. Gunner leaned in close and brushed his lips over her.
The kiss started slow. He explored her mouth at first, taking his time. God. She’d forgotten how good he was at this. She clutched the lapels of his cut and kissed him back fiercely. She wanted, no, needed Gunner to know she was no longer the apprehensive and unsure girl he’d known.
Paige had been a virgin when she met him. Gunner had taught her everything she needed to know about love and sex. She was no longer a passive participant waiting on him to do the next move. When he thrust his tongue down her throat, she sucked hard on it.
Gunner groaned when he parted from the kiss. “You’re worth the wait,” he said, peeling himself away from the counter. “I’ll see you tonight.”
Long after he left, Paige’s heart continued to hammer. Fifteen minutes later, Agatha returned from her lunch break. Her boss turned over the store sign, then regarded her.
“Anything happen while I was gone?” Agatha asked, nearing her. The old woman looked concerned.
“Gunner kissed me,” she whispered.
Agatha gave her a huge smile. “Good for you. It’s about time that boy made his move.”
“About time?” she repeated.
Agatha nodded. “Even the blind can see he’s taken with you. When you’re around, you’re the only woman he sees.”
“I only hope I made the rightdecision, finally letting him in,” Paige whispered.
