Page 7 of Gunner (Iron Sentinels MC #3)

G unner had been looking forward to spending another evening with Dawn since the moment he walked out of her apartment the night before. Hell, if he was being honest, he hadn’t wanted to leave in the first place.

He’d spent the whole damn day thinking about her—the way she laughed, the way she looked at him when she let her guard slip, the warmth of her body when she leaned in just a little too close. It had been a long time since a woman had taken up this much space in his head. Maybe no woman ever had.

Even Beast had noticed. During the MC meeting earlier, Gunner had caught him shooting pointed looks his way, clearly unimpressed with how distracted he was. He could practically hear the lecture coming, about priorities, about staying focused, about how the club always came first.

And Gunner got it. The Iron Sentinels had been his life for years.

He’d given them everything—his time, his blood, his loyalty.

He’d ride and die for the club, no question.

But for the first time in a long while, maybe ever, he was paying attention to something else.

Someone else. He wasn’t about to apologize for that.

If Beast had a problem with it, he’d deal with it. But Gunner figured he’d earned the right to have something for himself. To want something for himself. And right now, that something was waiting for him. Or at least, he hoped she was.

He was halfway to her place when his phone buzzed with a message.

Dawn: Hey, can you pick up a few things for dinner? Red bell peppers, a bottle of white wine, and fresh basil. Oh, and if they have fresh Parmesan, grab that too. Thanks!

Gunner smirked at his phone before changing lanes toward the nearest grocery store.

The request wasn’t a hassle—he liked the idea of contributing, of showing up at her door with something she needed.

It made him feel like he was already a part of her life in a way neither of them had fully acknowledged yet.

He parked, made quick work of grabbing the ingredients, and was back on the road within minutes. The moment he stepped into her apartment, the rich aroma of garlic and tomatoes filled his senses.

Dawn was in the kitchen, stirring a pan on the stove, her hair swept up in a loose bun with tendrils escaping around her face. The sight of her, so at home in her space, cooking dinner with a relaxed ease, made something tighten in his chest.

She turned at the sound of the door clicking shut, smiling as she wiped her hands on a dish towel. “You’re a lifesaver. I realized last minute I wanted to make something special.”

Gunner held up the paper bag. “Got everything you asked for, including the fancy Parmesan.”

She peeked inside the bag and grinned. “Perfect. Feel like helping?”

He didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, what do you need me to do?”

Dawn handed him a cutting board and a knife. “Chop the bell peppers. Even pieces, no weird shapes.”

He chuckled. “You saying I look like a guy who butchers vegetables?”

She smirked, nudging him playfully with her hip. “I’m saying I have high standards in the kitchen.”

Working side by side, they moved in sync. Gunner diced the peppers while Dawn sautéed onions and garlic, their conversation easy, natural.

He found he liked watching her in this element—focused, yet relaxed, humming under her breath as she worked. When she reached across him for the wine bottle, her fingers brushed against his forearm, and the brief contact sent a jolt of awareness through him.

When the meal was done, they set the table together, and Gunner poured them each a glass of wine. Sitting across from her, he couldn’t help but think about how good this felt—simple, normal, like they’d been doing it for years.

They ate slowly, conversation drifting to their pasts. Gunner shared stories about the club, about how he got into riding. Dawn talked about growing up in a small town, about her dreams before life got complicated.

At some point, the mood shifted. She toyed with the stem of her wineglass, biting her lip. “I don’t know why I said yes when Jesse asked me out,” she admitted, her voice quiet.

Gunner reached across the table, covering her hand with his. “Whatever the reason was, you don’t have to face him alone. I won’t let him hurt you.”

Dawn’s fingers curled around his, gripping tight. “I don’t want to be afraid of him anymore.”

“You won’t be,” Gunner promised.

Something in her eyes shifted then, as if some invisible wall she’d been holding up finally cracked. The tension that had been simmering between them since the night they met flared into something hotter, more urgent.

They cleaned up in a comfortable silence, but the air between them buzzed with unspoken words, unacknowledged desires. When they were done, Dawn hesitated before turning to him. “Stay?”

Gunner’s chest tightened. He didn’t need to ask what she meant. The look in her eyes told him everything.

He reached for her, his fingers brushing over her cheek, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Are you sure?”

Dawn swallowed, nodding. “I want this. I want you.”

That was all the invitation he needed. He closed the distance between them, capturing her lips in a kiss that was slow and deep, meant to savor. She melted against him, gripping his shoulders as he backed her toward the couch. They tumbled onto it together, limbs tangling, mouths exploring.

His hands slid down her waist, over the curve of her hips, and she gasped against his lips. The sound went straight to his gut. He wanted to take his time, to map every inch of her with his hands, his lips, his tongue.

They took their time exploring, touching, reveling in the heat between them. When they finally stumbled to her bedroom, breathless and hungry for more, they took off their clothes.

“Get on the bed,” Gunner ordered, voice a little rough.

Dawn did as he asked and he couldn’t help but growl at the sight of her gorgeous, nude and all his. He didn’t know where he wanted to put his mouth first, the generous swell of her breasts, her nipples tightening to pebbles, or the tempting valley between her legs.

Dawn beckoned to him with her fingers and just like that, he was crawling on top of her, straddling her. He pelted her with kisses, moving his lips from the side of her neck, sucking on the hollow of her throat.

He paid close attention to her nipples, sucking first on the left, then the right. She cried out above him, begging him for more. Gunner planted more kisses down her ribs, her stomach, on the inside of her thighs.

Dawn spread her legs wider for him, moaning as he licked the folds of her pussy.

Soft like petals, he thought, licking and sucking, swirling his tongue around the sensitive nub between her legs.

Gunner focused on her clit until she cried out and came against his mouth.

He licked her honey up, like a cat with cream.

Then he moved his body up again. Dawn panted beneath him, pupils dilated, mouth a gorgeous cherry pink, which he kissed and plundered again. When he thrust his tongue down her throat, she greedily sucked down hard on it.

“Gunner, fuck me,” she whispered after they parted from the kiss.

“I like when you talk dirty to me,” he teased. He parted from Dawn momentarily to retrieve a condom from the back pocket of his jeans.

“I love that you came ready,” she flirted back.

“Never hurts to be prepared,” Gunner said, grinning. He tore the packaging, slipped the condom on. God knew his cock was already hard and ready for her heat.

Gunner resumed position, hoisting her legs above his shoulders. He leaned in close, pinning her arms above her head. By the heat in her eyes, he could tell she liked that. He spread his fingers over hers and then entered her.

He didn’t push in right away, but slowly and carefully, wanting to make sure she felt every inch of him. Dawn groaned when he finally buried himself to the hilt. “You good?” Gunner asked her.

“Move, Gunner.”

And he did, pumping in and out of her with slow and leisurely strokes, before building up speed. Dawn felt so good around his dick, squeezing and milking every inch of him. Gunner reduced them both to painting and needy animals, and before long their bodies were covered in sweat.

At Gunner’s last thrust, she cried out and arched her back. He knew he found her sweet spot and kept aiming for it, over and over again. Each time he entered her, it felt like a piece of his soul drifted out to touch hers.

His balls drew in tight against his body. So close, he thought, but he wanted to hear her sweet cries of pleasure again first. Gunner made sure with each push, his dick brushed against her clit. Eventually, Dawn came, screaming out his name, the sound like music to his ears.

Gunner entered her a few more times before he hit climax. The pressure building inside him burst open. The room fell away from his line of sight as he emptied his balls. Gunner lingered inside her a few moments, kissing her on the mouth before pulling away.

He rose, headed to the bathroom, disposed of the condom, and grabbed a towel. Gunner returned to Dawn, cleaning both of them up, before sliding next to her in bed.

Gunner lay on his side, draping his arm protectively over Dawn’s waist. Using his fingers, he traced slow, absentminded circles against the warm skin of her stomach. They didn’t speak, didn’t need to. With Dawn, he found a comfortable silence.

Her bare back was pressed against his chest, her body fitting against his like she’d been made for him. He hadn’t felt this settled in a long damn time—maybe ever.

The soft rhythm of her breathing, the way she relaxed in his arms did something to him. He wasn’t used to this. Women were fun, a distraction at best, but this? This was different. He wanted to hold onto it.

Dawn shifted slightly, curling her fingers over his hand where it rested on her stomach. “You’re still awake?” she murmured, her voice thick with exhaustion.

“Yeah,” he rumbled, tightening his grip around her. “Just thinking.”

She gave a lazy chuckle. “Dangerous habit.”

His lips twitched. “Depends on what I’m thinking about.”

She turned her head slightly, glancing at him over her shoulder. The dim light from the bedside lamp cast a warm glow over her face, highlighting the contentment in her soft features. It made something tighten in his chest.

“Regretting dinner?” she teased.

He huffed, amused. “Hell, no. Best meal I’ve had in a long time.”

She smiled sleepily. “Good. You can come over anytime. Especially if we end the night like this.”

Gunner chuckled, pulling her even closer until there wasn’t an inch of space between them. His lips brushed against her shoulder, a slow, deliberate press of warmth.

“Careful what you offer, sweetheart. I might take you up on that every damn night,” Gunner warned.

She sighed, melting further into his hold, and it wasn’t long before her breathing evened out, her body going completely slack in sleep.

Gunner stayed awake, his mind still too wired, too focused on the woman in his arms. He had no business feeling this way so soon, but he did. And he wasn’t the kind of man to ignore his gut.

Dawn was his now, and no one—especially not that rat bastard Jesse—was going to touch what was his. He would protect her, keep her safe. Even if it meant burning the whole damn world down.