My knees shake as he keeps fingering me. His thumb softens over my clit, and the featherlight touches send me into overdrive. I wrap my arm around the back of his neck, holding on, so I don’t faceplant.
“And I’m going to make sure that nothing hurts you.” He kisses across my throat. “I’m all yours.”
I groan and nod. “Yes. Fuck!”
He pushes a third finger into me and I come, exploding for him as my legs give out. Gunner catches me, and we sink to the floor of the shower together. I pant as my thighs clench together. Gunner licks his fingers and chuckles. “Feel better?”
“I don’t feel like crying anymore.”
“That’s a good start.” He kisses my cheek. “Do you want me to stay with you tonight?”
“Oh, you’re not already scheduled for something else?”
Gunner turns my chin. There’s not a single trace of teasing on his face. He’s all warm and open despite the hard set of his jaw. He kisses my temple, my forehead, my nose, then my mouth softly.
“I’d reschedule just about anything to make sure you’re okay.”
“Softy.”
He chuckles and kisses me again softly. “Let’s try cleaning up again first, though.”
“I was perfectly clean until you got naughty,” I grumble.
He chuckles and helps me to stand after I slip once. We manage to get out of the shower cleaner than when we started, and then we just lay in bed together. Gunner tells me a bit about his day, bitches about Sasha’s big mouth, then just rubs my back in slow circles, cuddling me close.
I’m not sure what to do with this soft side of him. I’m used to joking around, laughing, things being light and easy. But I like that he’s opening up to me more, too … I just wish I was better at switching to that side of things for his sake.
“I really appreciate you, Gunner,” I whisper.
He kisses the top of my head. “Good. About time you recognize how great I am.”
I laugh and shake my head as I look up at him. “You’re ridiculous.”
“And you love it.”
I blink a few times. I do, actually. I love how silly he can be, the way he can find a pun for any situation, how kinky and naughty he is, and that he’s willing to talk to me like this, talk me through things, be here even when neither of us knows how to deal with things.
Propping myself up on my elbow, I nod. “I do.”
He smiles softly, opens his mouth to say something, and then my stomach growls. We laugh, and Gunner promises to return with food, leaving the unspoken I love you between us. I think that’s the only safe place it can exist right now.