Page 5 of Gunner (Iron Sentinels MC #3)

T he lunch rush at the diner had finally settled, leaving Dawn with a moment to breathe. She wiped her hands on her apron and turned toward the counter, ready to grab a much-needed cup of coffee. Just as she reached for the pot, the sound of the bell above the door made her pause.

She didn’t have to look to know who it was. The air seemed to shift, a prickle of unease running down her spine. Jesse.

Dawn turned slowly, schooling her features into a calm mask as he strode toward her. He was dressed sharper than usual, like he was trying to impress. But she knew better than to fall for the act.

“Dawn,” Jesse greeted smoothly, leaning against the counter with a casual confidence that set her teeth on edge. “Been thinking about you.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, resisting the urge to step back. “I told you, Jesse. I’m not interested.”

His smile flickered, but he didn’t drop it entirely. Instead, he leaned in just a fraction. “You were real quick to turn me down the other day. Thought maybe you just needed some time to think it over,” Jesse said.

Dawn forced herself to hold his gaze. “I don’t need time to think. I meant what I said.”

His fingers tapped against the counter, the rhythm slow and deliberate.

“Come on, don’t be a bitch. I’m trying to be nice here.” Jesse lowered his voice, taking on a sharper edge. “It’d be a shame if you kept making things difficult for yourself.”

Fear flickered in her chest, but she tamped it down. She wouldn’t let him see her shaken. “Are you threatening me now?” Dawn demanded, thinking of his text to her the night before.

Jesse chuckled, shaking his head like she was being ridiculous. “Of course not. Just looking out for you. I’d hate to see you make a mistake,” he said.

Before she could respond, the bell above the door jingled again. This time, the air shifted in a completely different way. The tension in her shoulders eased just a little as she recognized the heavy footsteps approaching. Gunner.

He was supposed to meet her for lunch, and his timing couldn’t have been better. His gaze swept the room, instantly locking onto Jesse. Even without knowing the details, Dawn saw the change in Gunner’s posture. His easy confidence turned sharp, shoulders rolling back as if bracing for a fight.

“Everything all right here?” Gunner asked, his deep voice cutting through the thick air between them.

Jesse didn’t move, but Dawn felt the way his body stiffened. “Just having a conversation.”

Gunner’s eyes flicked to Dawn. “That true?”

She swallowed, her pulse hammering. “Jesse was just leaving.”

Jesse let out a low laugh, turning back to Gunner like he was just now seeing him for the first time. “And who the hell are you?”

“Gunner.” He said his name like it was all the introduction necessary. “And I don’t like the way you’re talking to her.”

Jesse smirked, clearly unimpressed. “Oh, yeah? And what exactly are you gonna do about it?”

Gunner didn’t flinch. Instead, he stepped closer, his sheer presence making Jesse shift uneasily. “You’re gonna walk out of here, and you’re not gonna come back. That’s what you’re gonna do.”

Jesse exhaled sharply through his nose, shaking his head like he found the whole thing amusing. “And if I don’t?”

Gunner didn’t say a word. He just stood there, eyes dark and unreadable, his entire body coiled with an unspoken threat. Dawn had never seen someone so still and yet so damn intimidating at the same time. The air felt thick with tension, the kind that could snap at any second.

Jesse licked his lips, gaze bouncing between them before he let out a sharp laugh. “You think you’re some kind of tough guy, huh?”

Gunner finally moved, leaning in just a little. “No. I just don’t tolerate men like you.”

The words were quiet but heavy, weighted with meaning. And for the first time, Dawn saw a flicker of uncertainty in Jesse’s eyes. He wasn’t scared—not yet—but he sure as hell wasn’t as confident as he had been a moment ago.

Jesse straightened, rolling his shoulders as he took a step back. “This ain’t over,” he muttered, but the bravado was slipping.

Gunner tilted his head slightly. “Yeah, it is.”

For a long moment, Jesse just stood there, jaw clenched, before he turned on his heel and walked out of the diner. The second the door shut behind him, Dawn let out a breath.

Gunner turned to her, his expression unreadable. “You okay?”

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.

****

T he steady rumble of the 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.

And then she pulled back.

He stilled, forcing himself to loosen his grip on her. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her lips slightly swollen, her pupils blown wide. But there was something else in her expression—hesitation. Uncertainty.

Shit.

“Too fast?” he rasped, keeping his hands firmly at her waist but making no further moves.

She nodded slightly, looking almost embarrassed. “I just ... I haven’t done this in a while. And you...” She exhaled, running a hand through her hair. “You make me feel things I’m not sure I’m ready for.”

His chest tightened, but he nodded, brushing his thumb over her side in a soothing motion. “I get it. And I ain’t gonna push you, sweetheart.” He met her gaze, making sure she saw the sincerity there. “But don’t mistake me—I want you. Bad.”

A flush crept up her neck, and she bit her lip, glancing away. “I want you too, Gunner.”

His grip on her tightened briefly before he forced himself to step back, putting space between them before he lost all sense of restraint. He ran a hand over his beard, exhaling sharply. “Then we’ll do this right. No rush, no pressure.”

She smiled, small but genuine, and it damn near undid him. “I’d like that.”

He nodded once, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

He climbed back onto the bike and watched as she did the same, this time pressing even closer against him as she wrapped her arms around his waist. He felt her exhale against his back, felt the way her fingers clenched briefly in his shirt, and he smirked.

She might not be ready yet. But she would be. And when she was, he’d be right there, waiting. Because something told him that whatever this was between them, was worth the wait.