Page 91 of She Wolf

But who have I been kidding? Falling in love with him was so easy.

Calling him mine just rolled off my tongue.

Getting my head around us becoming a couple, took mere hours.

Actually, knowing that it’s entirely reciprocated, that’s extraordinary. That’s a bond—a connection that needs to be cherished. Has to be nurtured.

Completely overcome with emotion, the dam bursts, again, and he holds me to him. I never want Gunner to let me go. This may not have been a moment like our first kiss, sexy and romantic. Where the stars had sparkled extra bright, and the nighttime air had whispered softly around us. It was nothing like our first night together either, but this right here, was even more incredible.

I feel a little raw now that I’ve told him about some of my time with Nick, especially when the only person who knows anything is my therapist.

I haven’t told my parents or brothers, or any of the women in my life about any of it, wanting to just let that time go. It’s not that I’ve kept it bottled up or buried it deep, I just worked on it week by week in therapy and chose to make the best of it.

Make the most of escaping. I don’t think other people trapped in volatile relationships are often as lucky.

Gunner pulls back, placing a gentle kiss against my lips, “I’d like to feed you and then I’d like to make love to you, Coralie. Will you let me do that?”

I nod because both of those things sound amazing to me.

Perfect in fact.

He goes about the kitchen searching for the things he needs and then places his phone on the counter. The wireless speaker beeps signaling the phone is pairing and then with a few swipes of his thumb, the telltale sounds of another of his favorite bands fills the space.

As he gets the skillet going, the tiny bit of butter he plopped in starts to sizzle. I watch with rapt attention as his shoulders start to pop and his hips jut, singing along.

He lies a few strips of bacon down in the pan and as the chorus drops, he spins and starts singing to me. Loud. He’s not shy when he’s happy like this.

He moves around the counter, holds out his hand, which I take and starts serenading me while swinging me around the kitchen.

My laugh is light and free as he twirls me around, him in just his shorts, me in my old robe. I don’t think it will be the stuff I told him about my time with Nick that I’ll remember about this morning—it will be the sparkle in Gunner’s eyes, the smile that splits his gorgeous face, and the utter joy I feel in my heart as Gunner sings along to ‘Sugar’ while the sun bakes the kitchen, and the smell of bacon fills the air.

Chapter Twenty-One

Gunner

The girls were adamant we went out tonight. Alone. Without them. It was weird. They kept harping on about us deserving it after all the driving we did and insisted they could hold down the fort—whatever that meant. Even Casey’s dad told us something was brewing and to run.

Adam, Callan, and Knox had only just come up from the beach, clutching their surfboards by the time we were ready to leave, so they said they’d wait for Jase and Scott to arrive, and all walk down together.

It’s just me, Casey, Rex, and Casey’s cousin, Theo, who head to Ripley’s, the bar and grill down the road. It’s got a surf-slash-tiki feel to it. Made entirely out of distressed wood, corrugated metal, and bamboo. It’s like it’s been picked up from a tropical island and dumped right here in North Carolina, except it sits on a dock and not the sand. Serving cold beer, cocktails, and the best barbecue, steak, and seafood from midday onwards, there's no way this will be our only visit.

We come here often when we visit, and we never have to dress up because it’s so low-key.

People stay on the beach or cruise around in their boats, drawing out the long summer days and then spill straight into the bar or onto the terraces. It’s all bare feet and bikini tops, or swim shorts and t-shirts.

Ripley, the owner, always does us a solid and makes the seats to the side of the bar available when he notices us. He says it’s because we’re a bunch of pussies who need babysitting, but really, he likes us to be close so he can bust our balls all night.

His outfit is always the same, board shorts, a red or white tee with the bar logo on it and he’s always genuinely happy to see us, having known the Maddens since they were kids.

“Well, well, look what the tide washed in.” Ripley steps out from the bar with his arms outstretched, welcoming us back.

“How’s it going, old man?” Casey brings him in for a hug and then Theo follows. Ripley shakes Rex’s hand first, asking after Chloe and insisting he bring her down to see him, and then he turns to me with a big smile on his face.

“Nice to see you again, man,” he says.

“You too Rip. Looks like you made it through the storms this year,” I nod to the awning and out onto the dock.

“Yeah, strange that. Had an anonymous sponsor send some dough to upgrade the flood defense systems again. Weird how that happens every couple of years, hey?” He side-eyes Casey, who finds a sign on the wall far more interesting.

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