“Ma, it’s time for you to go.” I grab her bowl and that stinking-ass sage stick and shove them in her hands.

“Are you coming to our Labor Day cookout?” she asks Gia.

Gia gives a nervous laugh and says, “Okay.”

“Gunner, make sure you give her my number.”

“Sure,” I answer gently. I grab her arm and usher her to the front door.

Ma stops at the door, holds the bowl with one hand, and taps her index finger on her chin like Alana does when she’s thinking. “You really like Gia?”

“Do we have to talk about my love life?”

She gives me that you-better-answer-me look.

I shrug. “We’re not serious.”

“You should be. You need to marry her.”

I shake my head. Yeah, right. I’ll never get married. No one wants a person who has enough baggage to fill an entire room. Ma kisses me on the cheek and says her goodbye.

I stroll back to the living room, sit next to Gia, and pull her into my lap. I inhale and exhale as I stroke her shoulder.

“I like your mom. She’s nice and quirky.” Gia lays her head on my chest and traces the fine hair sprouting from my hand.

“Are you serious about coming to our family cookout?”

“Y-yeah, of course.” She pauses. “Are you okay with sleeping with only one woman?” she asks out of the blue.

“Yeah, why do you ask?”

“You like to bone different women, and I want to make sure I’m enough.”

“I’m loyal, Gia. We might be casual, but I’m capable of keeping my dick in my pants. I’m not a sex addict.” I lean forward, nipping the shell of her ear. She smiles, but I didn’t miss that she frowned when I called us casual. She might not like that we are, but that’s the only thing I can offer her.

“But I’m not pretty,” she blurts out, and I tilt her chin to look at me and her whiskey eyes meet mine.

“Don’t ever say that shit again. You’re beautiful.” I wish she could see what I see in her. I wish she could see that she’s beautiful on the inside and out. More beautiful than any woman I’ve fucked. “There is no one who measures up to you. I would choose you over anyone.” She smiles at the words. “You want me to show you how beautiful you are?”

She nods and I lay her on the couch and spread her legs, eating her pussy until she can’t take it anymore.

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Gunner

I hate August twenty-eighth.

The day I was born. The day I did something I’m not proud of.

Today is that day.