Page 181 of Gunner

“You want to swap stories about the guys we’ve fucked?”

I pulled back and scowled. “Fuck no. As far as my mind goes, I’m your first. Doesn’t matter anyway, as long as there’s no oneelse. Ever. When I’m dead, you’re still to beat your cock to the memory of mine. No one else, or I’ll haunt you.”

“You’re fucking crazy.” He smiled. “But I’m crazy about you. You’re nothing like I expected.”

“Neither are you. To think I wanted to kill you all those years ago. Thank fuck Mason didn’t let me.”

Ben brushed a lock of hair behind my ear. “He did something good after all. He brought us together.”

I cocked my head. “Well, what do you know? He really did. How do you feel about that?”

He shrugged, placing his chin on my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around his back as he melted into me. “The only thing I care about is that we’re together now. How we got here—it doesn’t matter. I don’t know what I would have done without you these past few days, Gunner.”

“Truth is you’d be fine, Ben.”

And I believed he would have been, but he’d chosen to have me in his life, knowing full well the kind of man I was. He hadn’t been afraid to own our relationship, even losing his job in the process. He’d lied and protected me.

“Marry me,” I whispered.

Ben jerked his head back, his eyes widened in disbelief, his mouth hanging slightly open. I held my breath, my heart pounding with anticipation. I hadn’t meant to ask him, but now that the question was out there, I didn’t want to take it back.

I wanted it. I wanted Benjamin Witter to be mine in every way. Even in the eyes of the law.

“Marry you?” Ben whispered. “I thought you said—”

“I know what I said before, and I’m asking now. I’m not talking a huge wedding. Just us. Hell, we can go to Vegas and do it. Not tell anyone until the deed is done, or if you want a fancy wedding, I can do that too. Just don’t expect me to wear a tux. I have to wear my cut and—”

“Yes!”

I sucked in a deep breath. I was a nervous wreck. “What?”

“I said yes. Let’s do it. We go to the courthouse and take only a couple of people as witnesses.”

“You mean it? It’s not too soon?”

“Life’s too short. I’d rather not waste it pretending that either of us is going anywhere.”

“Right. Okay. We’re getting married.” It was my turn to stare at him in shock.

“Gunner, you’re not regretting asking, are you?”

“No. Fuck no. I just can’t believe you agreed. I don’t even have a ring.”

“It’s not the ring that matters, but we’ll pick up a set on the way to the courthouse.”

“Who will we ask to be our witnesses?” I asked. “They provide them at the courthouse, don’t they?”

“Yeah, but that’s a bit impersonal, don’t you think? We can ask Bay and Gerald.”

“Yeah. Okay, that’s what we’ll do, then.”

We were both in a daze as we stared at each other. The weight of the impromptu decision hung in the air and, with it, the flash of doubt about the suddenness of it. Maybe he was agreeing because of the recent events. What if he regretted it?

But Ben smiled, and I saw the certainty on his face. The doubt fled, and I squeezed his hand, returning his smile. I couldn’t promise him a carefree life someone like him deserved. I couldn’t promise him I wouldn’t leave clothes lying around on the floor and dirty dishes in the sink. I couldn’t promise him he wouldn’t trip over my boots on his way to the bathroom at night. But I could promise him my protection. I could promise to always choose him.

EPILOGUE

BEN

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