Wanted (43 page)

I threw my head back and laughed.
“That must have been entertaining.”

“Fuck….to say the least
. Dude has it bad for that girl. Jesus, I
never in my
life saw
Josh this interested in a girl and this fucking nervous to actually talk to her.
”

“Yeah he has it pretty bad for her. Stupid fucker
h
as not even talked to her all night. Speaking of stupid fuckers……what are you going to do about Ari?”

Jeff to
ok
a drink of his beer as he lo
ok
ed out towards Ari and Ellie dancing.

“Nothing.”

“What
the fuck do you mean nothing?”

“I mean nothing. I’m not going to do anything. She told me tonight that she never slept with Jason
which was a relief because
I would’
ve hated myself the rest of my life knowing she just slept with him to get back
at me. So, now that I know we’
re alright I’m just going to move on.” Jeff said as he to
ok
another drink of his beer. This time he damn near finished it.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me.” I said as I sho
ok
my head and lo
ok
ed at him. “Jeff, can you not see that she has a thing for you. I mean holy
fuck, that kiss she gave you I’
m pretty damn sure was more than just for show. Why do you insist on pushing her away?”

Jeff stared out at Ari. She lo
ok
ed over once and smiled and Jeff turned away. “I can’t do it Gunner. I cannot risk losing her. If things didn’t turn out she would be gone for good. I don
’t think I could live my life if
she was not in it……even if that just means being friends.”

I pushed my hand through my hair and let out a sigh. Lo
ok
s like their mother not only fucked up Ellie’s thinking of how love is, she fucked up Jeff’s too.

“Jeff, I get that you don’t want to lose her. I mean I
REALLY
get it.” I said as I lo
ok
ed over at Ellie and smiled. “But what are you going to do when she gets tired of waiting for you. When she ends up with someone like Jason Reed? She’ll get married; have kids, live a life that in the long run you will not be a part of. Do you think you can handle that? Are you going to be ready for that when it happens?”

Jeff tipped his head back and finished off his beer. “I don’t know Gunner. I honestly don’t fucking know dude.”

“Well Jeff you better fucking
figure
it out and do it soon. That girl is not going to just sit around and wait for you. If you want her….you better fight for her and let her know how you feel.” I finished off my own beer and got up and walked towards Jack
….I needed to dance with Ellie.

“Hey J
ack,
You got any Vince Gill?” I yelled into his ear over the music.

“You know I do! What are you lo
ok
ing for?”

“I want you to play
“
Whene
ver You Come Around
”
n
ext
okay
?”

Jack gave me that big ole smile of his and nodded
. “You got it dude.”

I walked back over to Jeff. Fuck I was starting to get a little drunk. I sat down and lo
ok
ed at him. I was going to bite the fucking bullet.

“I love her.”

Jeff snapped his head and lo
ok
ed at me.
“Ellie?”

“Of course Ellie
, who the fuck else would I be talking about
!”

Jeff just smiled at me. “When did this come about?”

“
Earlier. It just fucking hit
me like a brick wall.
Scared the
fuck out
of
me and it was a good three or four
minutes before I could even talk or move.” I lo
ok
ed over at Ellie
who
was now just standing in the middle of the dance crowd talking to Heather and Ari. God, there was not a dam
n thing I would not do for her.

“Gunner you know I trust you with my sister, I really do. I love you like a brother and there is nothing on earth I would rather see than my sister happy with you.  Just t
ake care of her dude,
don’t hurt her and please just be patient. She has been through a lot you know? Just….just
don’t
push her into anything to fast
okay
?”

I lo
ok
ed over at Jeff. “I would die first before I l
et anything or anyone hurt her
. I need you to know that Jeff. I really need you to know that I love her and I will prote
ct her with everything I have.”

Jeff got up and slapped my back. “Well fuck dude….that’s all I needed to hear. No wonder
you are getting fucking drunk!”

Just then Jack started to talk.

“Alright y’all I am going to slow it down again with a little Vince Gill.”

I got up and walked towards Ellie who was now heading my way.

“Sweetheart dance with me?”
I asked as I ran my hand down her face.

“Of course I will Gunner.” She smiled at me
and
my knees just about went out from under me.
Would these intense feelings every settle down?

The song started and
I pulled her
as
close to me
as I could. She buried her head in my chest and held me tighter.
We danced slowly to the song as I started to sing the lyrics to her as I held onto her.

I loved this girl and I will spend the rest of my life proving to he
r how much I love and want her.

Ellie lo
ok
ed up at me wit
h tears running down her face and m
y heart just stopped.

“Oh baby please don’t cry, please
,
please don’t cry.” I
said as I wiped away her tears.

“Gunner, I…..I
’
ve n
ever felt like this before…you’
re so amazing
and
the
things you say and do just leave me breathless
. I’m so afraid I am going to wake up and to find out this is all just a dream.”

I smiled down at her and pulled her back into me as
we finished dancing to the song while I sang along with Vince.
“I promise sweetheart, this is not a dream.
”

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

Ellie…..

Everyone was slowing starting to leave Gunner and Jeff’s place around
one
am. Jack had packed up long before and Jeff
erson
just had the s
tereo playing for the last two
hours.

I was a bit shocked at how much Gunner and Jeff
erson
both drank. Ari was well on her way to being drunk. Because I had had a fe
w beers we decided to just spend
the night here. Heather got a ride home with Amanda and Brad. Amanda was only drinking
soda’s
all night since it was Brad’s birthday party and knew he would be drinking.

I started to clean up
when I felt Gunner come up behind me and wr
ap his arms around me waist.

“Sweetheart we have someone come in and clean up. Come sit with me for a little bit.” He said as he leaned in close to my fa
ce. The heat from his mouth
set my whole body on fire.
God the ache between my legs when he was this close t
o me was almost too much to take
.

I turned around and smiled up at him. “
Okay
, inside or out?”

He returned my smile and to
ok
my hand. We walked past Jefferson and Ari who were at the moment complaining about who had to sleep on the sofa….Jefferson or Gunner or Me and Ari.

“Why the hell can’t you just sleep with me in my bed? I promise to keep my hands to myself.” Jefferson said to Ari with a wicked laugh.

“Yeah right
dick
wad
…I may be drunk….but I
ain’t
that drunk. You are on the sofa….I’m taking your bed.” Ari said as she walked past Jefferson and walked to his bedroom.

Gunner and I went outside and sat down next to the coo
lers. He reached in for a beer.

“Umm, Gunner how much more are you going to drink?” I asked as he stopped the bottle before it even hit is lips.

“Why? You afraid I might get to
o
drunk and take advantage of you tonight?” He said with a wink. I instantly felt my face blush. He let out a chuckle and to
ok
a drink of the beer.

“No, I’m not worried about that at all. I don’t really think you are that drunk. Are you?” I asked as I lo
ok
ed down towards the ground.

“Ellie, I just wanted to celebrate tonight that’s all. Come
here and sit on my lap again……”

After all those years of watching my mother drink the last thing I wanted was to worry about Gunner drinking all the time.

“
I know what you’
re thinking Ells an
d no,
I do not drink like this
all the
time
okay
sweetheart? I was just so happy that we are together and well….I just wanted to let my guard down a little tonight. I promise I do not ma
ke a habit of getting drunk.”

Gunner downed his beer.
I could tell he was getting wasted but he lo
ok
ed so damn cute.

“Are you excited about going to the ranch Ellie?” Gunner asked as he moved his hand up and down my back. My god his fingers tips had magic inside them. I could hardly breathe let alone think.

I to
ok
a deep breath and t
ried to clear my head. “YES! I’m very excited. I’
ve always wanted to go to a ranch and see lots of cows and ride a horse. OH please
say
we can ride a horse?!” I said as I bou
nced in Gunner’s lap.

“Fuck Ellie please don’t move like that
okay
?” Gunner adjusted
me on his lap and I of course
felt
the heat rise up in my cheeks.

“Oh…I’m sorry. How many girls have you brought out to meet your grandparents?” I asked as I lo
ok
ed at his eyes slowly st
arted to droop lower and lower.

“What?”

“You know, how many girls have you brought out to the ranch.” Gunner’s head lo
oked like it
was moving in slow motion as he lo
ok
ed at me.

“None….I
’ve
never
brought anyone out to the ranch ‘
cept
for Jeff and Brad and Josh…..never brought no girls there. I was wa
iting for you Ellie.
Only you.”

Oh wow
if that didn’t make my heart start beating faster
. I mean I
kne
w he was drunk but I
also kne
w he meant what he said.

“I want to kiss you Ellie…..but I don’t think I can right now ‘
cause
I might want to do more than kissing.” Gun
ner said now with more of slur.

I had to giggle. “Like what kind of
more?
” I knew I shouldn’
t be going there but……I was.

Gunner gave me the mo
st adorable grin
. Just when I thought his panty melting cro
ok
ed smile did it to me, there was no
thing on his boyish drunk grin.

“Let’s see…for starts. I would want to kiss you in more places than on your
ips
.”

“My
ips
?”

“Your
lllllipppsss
.
L.I.P.S….”

“
Okay
. Where would you move to after you kissed my L.I.P.S?”

“Hmmm, your neck and then down your throat to your chest and after I gave your chest enough attent
ion I would move to your stomach
.”

Holy mother fucking shit…….I never in my life wanted anyone like I wanted Gunner right at this moment. I had to squeeze my legs together to ease the throbbing
ache between them
.
What the hell was going on with me?