Page 91 of Gunner

“Nah, let him stay. Going to change the sheets anyway.” He handed me the beer and climbed onto the bed on the other side.

“Are you sure?”

“He hasn’t seen you all day. He’s the only one allowed in bed with you.”

I hugged Zeus and buried my face into his neck, hiding my smile. The beginning of this relationship felt so different.

I felt seen.

“Have you been a good boy?” I scratched Zeus’s ear.

“He gave no trouble at all, and he really hit it off with Chris. They were inseparable today.”

At the sound of Gunner’s voice, Zeus ambled over and placed his head in Gunner’s lap. “Woof.”

“He’s a whore for attention, though.” Gunner took a swig of his bottle and winked at me. “Is that what you’ve been teaching him?”

Once, his words would have made me upset, but they held no malice anymore. Just teasing. I sighed and folded my arms, watching him love on my dog. Zeus lapped up all the attention. Where were my belly rubs?

“I should take him for a walk,” I said.

“Already done.”

Right. He’d mentioned that Chris had taken Zeus on a walk. “I should take him home.”

“Or you can both stay the night.”

Stay the night with Gunner? Wouldn’t that be moving too fast?

“I know the place ain’t much to look at,” he said. “Candace was supposed to clean up, but you ran her off.”

“That’s what she was doing here? She’s your cleaning girl?”

“Not just for me. For a few of the other guys as well.”

“And that’s the outfit she wears to clean?”

“Looking to score with someone. I’d rather see you in a French maid outfit cleaning my room.”

“That’s a little too kinky for me. I don’t think they make heels my size.”

We laughed, the moment between us so mellow I didn’t want to say or do anything to ruin it. Gunner was full of surprises and a decent companion to talk to. So much time had passed since I had this kind of intimacy with anyone.

“Have you ever considered cleaning it yourself?” I asked.

“I don’t like to,” he said with a shrug.

“At least you’re honest.”

“So you might have to pick up after me if we live together.”

My stomach knotted. Too fast. He was going too fast.

“Breathe, Benjamin.” He gave a bark of laughter. “I don’t mean right this minute.”

“The future is too far off to think about.”

“Hmm. When was the last time you got tested?”

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