Page 35 of Gunner

In that time and place, it was as if everything that was wrong became right with the world. He held her while she cried and saw Skye slip from the room leaving the two of them alone. His guilt at bringing her to this place wrecked him, and he’d do anything to stop her tears.

“Please don’t cry, Cosmo. You’re killing me here.”

His words seemed to have the opposite effect, and she cried harder.

“Do you want me to go?” It would kill him, but if it were what she wanted, he’d leave and hand her over into the arms of her best friend and her husband.

Relief flooded him when she shook her head and sobbed. “No.”

“Tell me what’s wrong and I’ll fix it.” Gunner knew he was making promises he may not be able to keep, but right now, he’d make a bargain with the devil to keep her tears at bay. She mumbled something against his chest, the vibrations making his dick harden and then he felt like an asshole for thinking about sex when she was so upset.

Gunner pulled back, wrapping his hand around her ponytail, and tugging her head back so he could hear her properly and caught sight of the tear stains on her cheeks. “I didn’t hear that, Cosmo. What did you say?”

Her cheeks went pretty pink. “I got my period.”

It took him a second to realise what her words meant, and when they registered, he had the biggest feeling of grief swamp him for what might have been.

Her tears gave him hope. “And this made you cry?”

Lacey swiped at her face, and he gently pushed her fingers aside so he could soak up her tears with his lips. He’d kiss away her tears for a lifetime if things had been different.

“I guess this was my last chance and I know I shouldn’t admit this, especially to you, but I wanted us to have made a baby. That is so fucked up, isn’t it?”

Gunner lifted his head from her cheeks. “No, not at all. I feel sad, too. A child with you would’ve been the best thing to ever happen to me. My son or daughter would’ve been blessed to have you as a mother.”

“I thought you’d be relieved.”

“No, not relieved, Cosmo, but for you, this may be for the best. Now you have a clean slate and can do anything you want to do without me like a noose around your neck.”

“Don’t say that.” She gripped his biceps as her sadness receded, and he saw her fight return.

He loved Lacey in all her different moods but when she got that look in her eye it took everything in him not to lay her on the floor of this public ladies’ room and fuck her silly.

Gunner released her from his hold and stepped back to grab her some tissues, not trusting himself to hold her a second longer without falling to his knees and begging her to forgive him.

“Here.” He handed her the tissues, and she turned to the mirror and gasped at the black smudges of mascara under her eyes.

“Argh, I look like a racoon.”

Gunner’s lips tipped up at the corner. “A beautiful racoon.”

Lacey caught his eyes in the glass. “Is that even a thing?”

Gunner shrugged as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “If it is you got it down.”

He looked at his feet not wanting to leave but not having a reason to stay now she’d got herself under control.

“Gunner?”

His eyes met hers as she turned toward him. “Yes?”

“What did Roz mean about telling me?”

Gunner shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. It won’t change anything.” He couldn’t allow himself to get his hopes up that she might find a way to forgive him.

Lacey stepped forward and brushed his forearm with her fingers, and it sent blood straight to his cock. “Will you tell me anyway? Please?”

He could no more deny her than walk on the moon.