Fearlessly Yours (Best Friends Book Club, #3)

by Jennifer Chipman

I’d tell her I wanted to be together. Whatever that meant. I’d tell her how special she was. That I was a damn fool for her.

Look at you, Hunter.” “Look at me?” Fuck that. “Look at you, gorgeous. Do you not know how fucking beautiful you are? How insane it makes me, that I can’t tell the world that you’re mine?” “I am?” She blinked. “Yours?” She looked at me like she couldn’t possibly believe what I was saying. Like there was no way it could be true. But it was. “Yeah. You fucking have been for a long time, sweetheart.”

“I’ve been reading your books.” “The one on the plane, yeah⁠—” “No.” I shook my head. “I’ve been pilfering your bookshelves for a while now. Any time I’d come over to your place, I’d write down the names of the ones that looked the most worn, or the book you were reading at the time.”

“I’m so fucking obsessed with this,” I said as she moaned from my touch. “R-really?” I hummed against her skin. “I have been ever since I saw you in those damn jeans of yours. Damn, Gabrielle. You’re so fucking stunning, and you don’t even try.”

“You’re doing so good, baby. Taking every inch of me,”

I’d read enough of her smutty little books to have a pretty good idea of what got her off, and if my girl wanted me to talk dirty to her? Of course I would.

“How do I look?” I met his eyes in the mirror. He did a little circular motion, and I spun around for him, the skirts of my dress swishing with me. Hunter came up behind me, wrapping an arm around my waist. “Stunning, as always.”

“Stop it,” I whispered. “Stop being so fucking cute,” he said back. “I don’t think my heart can take it.” “Yeah, well,” I poked at his chest. “You’re going to have to be careful before I steal it from you.” “Maybe you already have,”

“Where all are you going?” Noelle asked me. “Matthew and I leave for Sweden tomorrow.” “Paris, Amsterdam, Germany, Switzerland, and a few days on the French Riviera.” Hunter answered for us, and then kissed my forehead, and everyone froze. “We’re going together.” He squeezed my hand. I looked up at him, and then at Angelina, who didn’t look as shocked as I thought she would. “Surprise?” I said, giving a sheepish grin. Oh, I was in deep shit.

“What was that for?” Gabbi raised an eyebrow as I swiped my tongue over her lips. “A reminder.” “Of what?” “That you’re mine.” I practically growled it. “And I’m yours. So get it through that pretty little head of yours, Elle. You can call me any name you want, because I’m the only one who gets to have you like this, okay?” I bent down, whispering in her ear. “And I’m the only one who gets to fuck your perfect pussy. But if you’ve forgotten… I’ll remind you of that when I fuck you later.”

“And you have no fucking idea how happy I am to have you by my side, Gabrielle.” I meant it. Not just about the trip—in general—in life. I liked having her by my side, always.

“Your favorite color is yellow, but when you wear green, it makes my heart stop. You have a favorite Taylor Swift song for every occasion, but your favorite album is folklore. You love otters, and I think you’ve got a hundred photos saved of them on your phone. Lemon desserts are your favorite, and you could eat pasta every day and never tire of it. I know your coffee order. The way you light up when you talk about books. I know you, Gabrielle. Like I’ve known no one else before.”

“Elle. You have no idea, do you?” I shook my head at him. “The things I’d do for you. Fuck, baby. You deserve the world. I want to give you the world.”

“Hunter?” I said, tipping my head up so I could meet his eyes. “Yes?” “Kiss me, please.” I breathed, and he was all too happy to comply. “Always.”

“Keep reading. I want to get my girl off as she reads her smutty little books.”

“Tell me what’s happening,” he instructed as he moved my panties aside, teasing me with light strokes. I could feel his hardness pressed against my back, which only distracted me more. He expected me to keep reading through this? “S-she’s on her knees,” I stuttered out as he plunged a finger inside me. “And what’s she doing?” Another finger joined the first, rubbing my insides. “Sucking his c-cock.” I moaned as he gave my clit attention with his thumb. “And did that turn you on, Gabrielle?” I shook my head, not knowing where the words were coming from, but deciding I didn’t even care, as long as he kept doing that. “No,” I gasped out as a wave of pleasure rippled through me. “Hmm? So what made you this wet then, my dirty girl?”

“Look at us in the mirror, baby,” Hunter said, guiding my jaw to our reflections. “Look at how good you’re taking me. How I’m fucking you.”

As I climbed off of Hunter, I looked down at my thighs, sticky from our combined releases, and he gave me a wicked grin. “Now I really need to shower,” I groaned. “We have to catch our train in a few hours.” “I can think of another way to clean you up…” He said, pulling his shirt off my body and tugging me onto the bed. “Grab onto the headboard and sit on my face, baby.”

She was the kind of girl who would dance in the rain, one worth running after in the middle of the night, one who deserved her perfect happy ending. The perfect fairytale romance, just like in those books that she was always reading.

greedy for wanting to steal them from her. Really, I was greedy for everything from her—her touches, her smiles, her kisses. All of them—I wanted all of them.

I’d make her see how cared for she was. I’d put her on a fucking pedestal and worship her for the world to see if that was what it took.

“You’re gonna sit there and hold on to me while I make you come with my tongue, sweetheart.” “Oh,” I squeaked as he moved my hands from his neck into his hair, urging me to grip onto the strands before he planted his hands on the backs of my thighs and kneeled down before me. “Hunter⁠—” “Shhh, baby. Don’t interrupt me while I’m having my breakfast.”

“When we get home, you’re throwing away all of your ex’s shirts.” His forehead creased. “Girls or guys, I don’t care. The only clothes you’re wearing are mine.” I fluttered my eyelashes. “Can I wear my own clothes too, possessive boyfriend?” He froze. Shit. I hadn’t meant to call him that out loud. “I mean…” “I like that.” He smoothed a hair over my head. “Being your boyfriend.” “Yeah?” I looked up at him. “But only if I get to call you girlfriend. You forget, I am a very possessive man.” He nipped at my skin.

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, my Elle.”

the only place I’m running is towards you. This is what I want. I want you. I want the girl who cries when she reads a romance novel because she gets so attached to the characters and never wants it to end. The girl who loves dragons, because she likes to dream.” I rubbed over her tattoo. “The girl who kissed me in that garden, because she knew we were worth it. And I know it too, okay? So no matter what happens, I’m here, Gabrielle. With my arms wide open, always for you. Only for you.”

wanted to imprint her on my skin, so she knew how deeply she’d ingrained herself into my heart.

“My little exhibitionist,” I praised. “Such a good girl, sucking on my fingers like they’re my cock.”

Do you ever feel like your heart is so full it’s going to burst?? Benjamin You’re down so bad, bro. Maybe. Sorry I couldn’t keep my promise. Us Sullivan boys aren’t very great at keeping our hands off of bookworms, as it turns out. Enjoy your honeymoon, Ben. You too, Hunt.

“What if we stayed here? Just like this?” I wished we could. I laid in bed, draped on top of him as Hunter drew circles on my shoulder blades. I had been snuggled against him since last night, feeling warm and content. “Gabbi,” he chuckled. “We can’t. I have a job. You have a job.” “I know,” I said, shutting my eyes. How did I explain his arms felt like my home?

Because with Hunter… For the first time in my life, I didn’t want to run. I wanted to submerge myself into his warmth. Absorb every smile he gave me, because they were rare, precious, and just for me.

“And maybe, if you’re good, I’ll let you put sunscreen on me when we get down there.” “Oh, if I’m good?” He asked, giving me a little smirk as he leaned down to my ear. “I think you’re the one that wants to be a good girl, Gabrielle.”

“What?” He asked, giving me a goofy grin. “I’ve always wanted to be kissed in the rain.” “Well, that’s good, baby, because I’m about to do it again.”

“Thank you,” I sighed against his arm as he threaded our hands together. “For what?” I smiled. “Everything.” Because where would I even start?

“I fucking love that I’m the only one who gets to see you like this.” A kiss to my jaw. “I don’t want you to wear these for anyone else ever again.” A nip at the ear. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Gabrielle.” He sucked the skin on my neck into his mouth. “So much that it makes me crazy.”

“I feel like you were made for me,” Hunter said as he joined our hands. “This pussy was made for me.”

“So perfect for me,” he groaned. “God, Elle, if you’re not careful, I swear I’m going to make you mine forever.”

it always going to be like this?” I asked, and he ran his fingers over my ribs, like he could play a melody on them. “Like what?” He murmured. “This good.” I tilted up my chin to look at him. “Mmm. I think so. Because it’s us.” “Yeah?” I snuggled against him further. “Yeah.”

“I’m not going to let you pull away because I care about you. Because I want you. Because you mean more to me than I could ever properly express.” “What are you saying?” “I think I’m falling in love with you, Gabrielle Meyer.”

“They’ve been the best months of my life, baby. I know you think you’re broken, but I’m going to prove to you that you’re not. Okay?”

I loved her, and I loved her, and I couldn’t stop even if I wanted to. She was my everything. My Elle. My little fighter.

I didn’t want anyone else but her. I hadn’t since the first moment I set eyes on her, standing in her sexy little Librarian costume with a stack of books that she’d brought to that Halloween party.

“I need you to wake up so I can tell you how I feel, sweetheart. I need to tell you what an idiot I was for not saying it before. I—I should have told you sooner. Should have said it every day, if you would have let me.” I got choked up, but I kept going anyway. “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’m not going to let you go.”

I thought about those three little words and how I needed to say them to her. How I was going to be fearless like she always was. Fearlessly yours, I thought with a grin as I looked at her. No matter what happened, no matter what obstacles came our way, I was going to fight for her.

“You’re essential. You light up my life like a thousand stars in the Milky Way. A billion. You bring all of that joy and warmth and it’s fucking contagious, sweetheart, how much you make me want to smile just by being around you. When you have a camera in your hands and you focus on getting that perfect shot? You stick your tongue out to the side when you focus… And I can’t take my eyes off of you for one moment. All I know is I can’t let go of you.”

From that very first moment when I listened to your heartbeat, and you accused me of not being an actual doctor.” I smirked. “Even then, I knew.” “What are you saying?” I whispered. Not because I didn’t know… but because I needed to hear it. The words I’d wanted to hear so badly, for so long, but I’d fooled myself into thinking I never would. “I love you, Gabrielle.” “I knew it,” I breathed, and then my lips parted and I couldn’t help the grin that spread over my face. He scowled at me. “Will you shut up and let me kiss you?”

I wouldn’t have stopped kissing him then even if the world was ending. Because his lips were on mine and he tasted like home; like everything was right and was going to be okay, because he loved me, and I loved him, and nothing else mattered.

“Tell Benjamin thank you?” I asked her as she stood up off the hospital bed. “For what?” “For bringing me the one thing I really needed.” She nodded, not saying anything else, and when her hand was on the doorknob, she looked at me. “The two of you are going to make it, you know.” Hunter and I. I nodded, because I was going to hold on tight and never let go.

“I meant it when I told you I loved you. I’m all in, Gabrielle. I want you in every way. If you need time, I get it, but this past month proved to me how much I need you in my life. I can’t go on without you. Not anymore.” I reached up to run my fingers through his hair, pushing it back. His short brown curls fell onto his forehead, the way I loved. “I don’t need time. I want to be with you, too.” “Thank fuck.” He kissed me and then pulled away. “Now let’s go home, sweetheart.”

“What’s that?” I said, gasping as he looked down. “Oh. I—” I traced the ink with my fingertips as he fumbled over his words. “It’s for you,” he finally said. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the little dragon flying through the stars. “I was going to show you last night, at dinner, but…” “Hunter…” I said, voice low, wishing that he was in here with me so I could show him just how much I loved it. “It’s perfect. When did you even have time to do this?” He gave a little mischievous shrug and then kissed my nose. “Some secrets are best kept, my little dragon lover.” “You know, all the best stories have them,” I grinned. Just then, Toothless, apparently tired of being left out, scratched at the bathroom door. “Even ours.”

“It was always you, my little fighter. Sure, you’re a pain in my ass, but you’re my pain in the ass.”