"Take your time on break, hun!" Gale called from her office as Lily grabbed her bag. She had a few granola bars in the purse that would hold her over while on her abnormally long break she had scheduled.

Liliana shot her a confused albeit grateful look as she went towards the front to grab a drink. She'd just gotten a text from Rowan's daycare that another kid had pulled her hair and Rowan had apparently smacked the shit out of the other toddler in retaliation. Luckily there wasn't any punishment they wanted to give her, but it was enough to stress Lily out.

But that stress was the last thing on her mind when as soon as she walked behind the counter, Gunner walked through the door, seemingly in a rush.

He carried something, but she didn't get a good look at it. It'd been a few days since she saw him and Lily was praying that he wasn't upset with her. She thought that he might be avoiding the diner since he hadn't been there, but seeing him then her heart leapt into her throat. Her wide eyes met his own, her stomach turning nervously.

"Hi," he made a beeline for her as she noticed his flushed face and his tousled hair. He looked a little crazy.

"H-Hi," she wrung her hands as she peered up at him.

"Don't- Don't take this in a weird way but you're on break, right?" Gunner asked in a single breath. Liliana's brow rose, nodding slowly as she checked the time to see it'd just started.

"Okay- well- to be honest I knew that. I asked Gale. You can say no if you think this is weird as fuck. B-But I brought ya lunch, figured maybe I could sit with ya... Or you can just have the lunch I guess." Gunner rubbed the back of his neck as he lifted the basket up to show her sheepishly.

Liliana's jaw had fallen open, slowly she nodded at him. Her entire body warmed at the gesture. Her stomach growled eagerly, and she couldn't stop the tentative smile.

Gunner looked surprised for a moment that she agreed. On his way to the diner he had doubted every decision he'd made up to this point. A single conversation with his little sister—who was happy in a long term relationship with her own kids—was filled with thousands of things he could do to catch Liliana's attention.

The biker president figured bringing her food couldn't steer him wrong. And thankfully, he was right.

"Really?" His voice cracked embarrassingly as he looked down at the pretty woman in front of him. Quickly, he cleared his throat.

Liliana laughed softly, nodding reassuringly. "Yeah, I'd like some company anyway. We can sit in the back." She nodded behind her. With zero complaints in sight, he followed behind her quickly.

Lily watched him set the basket down on the small table; she herself pushed their chairs next to each other.

"I didn't really know what ya like... I brought sandwiches and fruit. I can't really cook for shit, so I just bought some stuff. And... And desserts and stuff," Gunner trailed off as he saw she was looking through the things he picked with a smile.

"This is really sweet, Gunner," Liliana murmured softly as she sat down. Her wide eyes met him, nodding for him to sit beside her. She grabbed a sandwich from the array of food and some of the fruit. She picked up some of the pineapple slices.

"So I guess you do like me, huh?"

Gunner chuckled as he leant back in his chair, "Yeah I do fuckin' like ya."

Lily looked at him sneakily from the side, pursing her lips in thought. The biker sighed as he turned his body towards her. He couldn't help but give her all of his attention.

He braced his arm on the back of her chair.

"Just gimme a chance to get to know ya, sweetheart," Gunner rumbled quietly.

Finally, she turned her head. Their faces were closer than she anticipated, mere inches away from one another because of how close their chairs were. Her face felt hot, but he didn't get flustered like she thought he would. His eyes were laser focused on her; his pupils dilated as he admired her features. Her breath hitched under the intensity, watching his gaze fall to her plush pout.

"You can tell me to fuck off if you want. But I haven't ever done this for anybody before... And this doesn't even count as our first date."

"Gunner, I really don't think I'm your speed. I mean... I'm a homebody, I keep to myself, I-I take it seriously when I'm dating somebody."

"I can be serious..." His green eyes flickered over her face, "Ya heard about me then, huh?"

Liliana bit into her fruit. "I've heard some things..." Her voice sounded like it was trying to be humorous, but it only revealed her nervousness.

He winced. "Anything good?"

"Well, everyone is terrified of you, I've noticed. And you certainly have a way with women from what the girls at the diner talk about. That's two... real stellar observations. All the good things I've found out myself."

He carried a gun around and she knew he ran things in town. Simultaneously, the other waitresses and customers even talked about his notorious flings. He wasn't one to be 'held down' by any woman.

Gunner racked his brain. How could he prove to her that he was a safe option—that he would never let anything happen to her. Even if he wasn't smitten with her. He 'hadn't even looked at another woman in weeks' kind of liked her. He couldn't just flat out say that.

"I just like talkin' to ya, is it too cheesy to tell ya that you make me nervous?" he admitted softly. Liliana's eyes widened a bit, her face swarming with warmth as she tapped her fingers nervously. The truth was that she was barely holding onto her resolve. Gunner was enigmatic, he always captured her attention. And that had to be worth something.

"You make me nervous too," she murmured as she looked down at where their thighs grazed each other.

"No... really?" he asked dramatically, looking suspicious.

"Really," she laughed softly as she nodded. He leaned forward a little eagerly, his gaze flickering down to her mouth momentarily before going back to her pretty brown eyes. "Is it because of the biker thing or something else?" he asked huskily.

Liliana pursed her lips sheepishly, swaying forward as she grabbed a strawberry.

"A little bit of both. Y'know maybe it's the height?"

"Just the height?"

Her eyes scanned over his face, her mouth quirking up shyly. "It might be a few other things. I can't put my finger on it yet."

Gunner snorted. "You'll have to let me know when you figure it out."

"Will do." Lily nodded. "Are you having the time of your life now that you've got me sitting here?" She had hummed it with obvious sarcasm as she popped some pineapple in her mouth. She ate happily, swaying in her seat. Gunner almost swooned as he watched. Little did she know this was currently the highlight of his day.

"I am, actually. How do you like it here so far? Where'd you move from?"

Lily tilted her head as she thought it over, how did she like it here?

"I like the diner so far. My house is what I love the most. It's more space than the apartment I was in. Everyone has been friendly for the most part... The school system is good from what I heard."

Gunner's brow ticked. "The school system? Ya gonna head back to grade school for fun?"

Lily sucked in a breath, her stream of thoughts coming to a screeching halt. This was the perfect segue into telling Gunner about her daughter. There wouldn't be a more opportune time than now. In fact, she wanted to tell him about Rowan. Her little girl was her pride and joy. She could scream it until the end of time proudly. But should she tell Gunner?

She sucked on her inner cheek... Realistically it wasn't the brightest to tell a random biker who carried a gun that she had a daughter. Guilt struck her since Gunner had been nothing but kind to her.

But she wasn't dating Gunner. Telling him and creating this fantasy in her mind would only make things more complicated.

If she decided to tell him, it'd be at whatever time was best for her and Rowan.

"I-I mean just the fact that it's a good town. Education is... really important to me..." she trailed off awkwardly, wincing inwardly.

Gunner's brow cocked at her behavior, but he didn't pry as she continued on.

"I moved from about an hour and a half out of town, actually. I was just looking for a change. My parents are retired and traveling like crazy. There wasn't anything keeping me there."

The blonde biker nodded, taking in the information. "Good for them, that's the dream, right?"

"That's your dream? Traveling around and never staying in one place?" She looked surprised.

"Nah, it's not my dream. But it's the one we're all sold right? That's what we're supposed to want to do."

Liliana's brows rose up in surprise, nodding slowly in agreement. "Yeah, I guess you're right. What's the typical dream of a biker president? Going out in a blaze of glory?" She was teasing as she giggled at her own joke.

He watched her, his eyes softening as he held the back of her chair and gave her his full attention. For a moment, he did look away to grab a water bottle and twisted off the cap for her. Liliana wasn't sure how many sweet gestures she could handle in a single day.

"A blaze of glory sounds nice in theory," Gunner smirked as he watched her turn back towards him. His thighs spread to make room for her legs, they slotted right between his own as he continued.

"But I got too much to live for for that shit to be my dream. I've got my sister, my nieces, and the club would be lost without me. Let's be real. 'Sides I have a few things I'm looking forward to."

"Oh yeah?" Lily leaned back against his arm, without thinking she traced her nimble fingers over one of his tattoos. This one was the Mayhem Motorcycle club's symbol on his forearm. Gunner watched her, feeling heat spread through him at her touch.

"Yeah," he muttered with a labored breath. He felt like he could explode right this second.

Lily had to look away from his intensity, wondering how anyone could go from a nervous wreck to nerves of steel. He had to be crazy. Maybe even delusional, yet here she was fully into it.

"You said you have nieces?" she croaked as tension sparked and crackled between the two of them. Gunner's face lit up at the mention of them.

"Well, one of them isn't born yet. And that one we're not sure if it's a girl, but I'm positive. I've got a 200 hundred dollar bet on it against my sister."

Both of them chuckled. The apples of Liliana's cheek rounded cutely, and her eyes scrunched up at the corners at the same time. Gunner gently pushed a stray curl out of her face, admiring the glow of her rich brown skin.

"You look pretty today," Gunner couldn't help but tell her. Even though his bravado seemed to have faded since his face grew hot, his blood rushed up his neck. Even his ears grew pink.

Looking even more bashful, Lily's head dropped and instead she focused on his tattoo. Her mouth opened to thank him, but the door to the break room opened. It was like cold water was splashed over the two of them.

Liliana saw another waitress, Christine, had walked in and halted at the sight of Gunner in the employees only room.

"U-Uh oh shit.. Sorry guys I didn't," the young woman rushed out nervously. Her eyes darted back to Gunner and then to Lily in worry. Obviously, she was a little frightened of the biker.

"No, no Chris it's okay!" Lily rushed her words to comfort the teenager. "My break is definitely over now anyway. We'll clean up, okay?" Christine's blonde hair bounced around her head as she nodded quickly and stepped out.

Lily and Gunner both glanced at each other, bursting into quiet laughter. "I should get back to work. I really appreciate this, Gun."

They both packed up the food. As they made their way out, Lily quickly and impulsively gripped his shirt.

He glanced down at her, his breath caught in his throat when she peered up at him with her doe eyes. He nearly keeled over when she reached up to press a soft kiss to his cheek.

"I really, really do," she reassured him quietly before she made her way back to the kitchen with a single lingering look.

As soon as she was out of sight, Gunner pumped his fist in front of him in triumph.

"Fuck yes," he whispered as he made his way out to his bike. Lily was the only thing on his mind as he drove to take care of more business.