Fucking great…..the last thing I needed was that bitch Crysti hanging around me all night with Ellie here. If Jeff thought having some UT bitches here were going to stop the guys from hitting on Ellie and her friends….he was seriously not thinking clearly.

An hour or so later people started showing up. Ellie and her friends had yet to arrive. Jeff had drank two more beers and was now arguing with Brad about which of them could bench press the most. Jack had the music spinning and there were already people dancing inside and out.

Just then I felt all the hair on my arms stand up. She was here. I could just feel it.

I looked over at Jeff who looked towards the front door and got the biggest smile on his face. I followed his eyes and saw Ellie walking up to him. FUCK ME she looked beautiful. She was wearing a short white dress with cowboy boots on and her hair was pulled up into a pony. She had a bit more makeup on today than she did yesterday. As soon as she got to Jeff he picked her up and spun her around. She threw her head back and laughed. I looked behind Jeff and noticed Brad and Josh were standing there with their goddamn mouths hanging open.

Fuckers. I didn’t like how they were looking at Ellie like she was a piece of f**king meat. As Jeff started to talk to Ellie I walked up to where about six or so of our friends were standing.

“Hey Gunner what’s up dude? Check out the fresh meat! Holy f**king shit Jeff’s sister is HOT and her friends are just as f**king hot!” Josh said as he whistled.

“Listen you mother f**kers…I’m giving you this warning once. None of you get any ideas about Ellie’s friends. This warning comes from me and Jeff.”

Josh let out a laugh. “Alright well you didn’t say anything about baby sister so if y’all will excuse me.” Josh said as he started to walk towards Ellie. I stepped in front of him and put my hand on his chest to stop him.

“I don’t think so. Ellie is off limits………..Period. You so much as f**king look at her wrong and I’ll beat your ass you got that?”

“What the f**k Gunner? You calling dibs on the baby sister?” Brad asked as they all started to laugh.

“As a matter of fact I am a**hole. I’m dead f**king serious….do not so much as talk to her wrong.”

Josh and Brad exchanged looks and Brad held up his hands and took a few steps back. I could hear Josh saying something about how this was not f**king fair.

I turned to see Ellie walking up to me. I smiled at her as she walked closer. Her smile grew bigger. God how I had missed her and it had only been a day since I last saw her.

I could see Ari and two other girls start laughing and talking to each other. I wonder if Ellie told them we had kissed. I hope she told them because that meant she was thinking about it. I better make sure I gave her something tonight to keep her thinking about me.

Ellie walked up and stood on her toes and gave me a kiss on the cheek. My heart jumped up into my throat and my dick started to get hard.

“Hey Gunner, how are you doing tonight?” Ellie asked with that beautiful smile of hers.

“I’m doing much better now that you’re here. How was graduation?” I looked over Ellie’s shoulder to see Ari giving me a shit eating grin. Yep….I knew Ellie had told her about the kiss just by the way Ari was looking at me.

“Ari…… how are you? How did your speech turn out?”

“Hey Gunner! Oh yeah…the whole speech thing. It went good after I about pissed my pants from nerves. But I looked out and saw Jeff so I just pictured his ass nak*d and sucking his thumb and strangely enough…… I calmed right down.” Ari said with a shrug and the most serious face I had ever seen. I kind of believed she was telling me the truth. I threw my head backed and laughed. Damn I liked this girl.

“Well shit…I’m going to have to remember that one when I stand in front of a group pitching an idea for a new building Ari.” Ari just gave me a wink.

Ellie introduced me to their two other friends. “Gunner this is Amanda, Amanda this is Gunner.” Ahhh so this was Amanda who lost her virginity at a frat party. It was hard for me to keep a straight face but somehow I managed. She had short brownish red hair right to her shoulders and she was probably dressed the most provocatively in tight jeans and a brown tank top that showed her assets really well.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Amanda.” I said with a smile.

“We have heard so much about you Gunner….seems you made an impression on our Ellie here.”

I laughed as I saw Ellie give Amanda a dirty look.

“Anyway, if you are done Manda, Gunner this is Heather.” Heather was a little shorter than Ellie and Ari, and the only blonde in the group. She had shoulder length hair and blue eyes. She reminded me of Ellie in a way. Her innocence was pouring off of her.

“Heather it is very nice to meet you.”

“The feeling is mutual, thank you for inviting us Gunner.” Innocent and southern charm…these girls were in for a wakeup call tonight.

Both girls were more than pretty and I could already see the vultures swarming. I gave all four of them my lecture about no leaving with anyone, not even a girl. No taking any drinks from anyone other than each other, Jeff or me. I also made sure Amanda and Heather had plans for a ride home. Heather had drawn the smallest straw so she was not drinking tonight.

Jeff had already told Ellie that she and Ari could stay over. Something he was regretting just thirty minutes ago when I mentioned Ari staying over all night. I thought he was going to come undone.

Once I got the girls a beer and Heather a Diet Coke, they all moved out to the back yard and were quickly dancing. I had to smile at Ari….man that girl knew how to get attention. There must have been at least four guys dancing around her. Amanda was holding her own and seemed to have Brad’s full attention. Ellie and Heather were dancing with each other and both seemed oblivious to the guys who were desperately trying to get their attention. I looked over as Jeff walked out the sliding glass door with Rebecca in tow. He scanned the people dancing. He saw Ellie and smiled. Then his smile faded and was replaced by pure anger. I followed to where he was looking.

Ari…..she was dancing with another girl and two guys. Christina Aguilera’s “Your Body” was playing and wow….Ari could sure dance. She saw Jeff and gave him a smile and a wink. I looked at Jeff and he had his hands balled up in fists. FUCK that girl had him under her spell whether he wanted to believe it or not.

Just then Ellie walked up to me and bumped my shoulder.

“You enjoying your first college party?” I asked as I gave her a wink. I looked into those beautiful blue eyes and my heart started to pound. The white lights we had hanging in all the trees were casting sparkles in her eyes and it took my breath away.

“YES! I think Ari is trying to make a statement though!” Ellie said with a nod of her head towards Ari.

“I think you might be right. By the look on Jeff’s face I would say it’s working. Where the hell did she learn to dance like that?”

Ellie laughed. “She’s been taking lessons since she was five years old. She loves to dance.” Ellie said as she looked over to Jeff. I saw her smile fade from her face.

“Who is that with Jefferson and is that the girl from the coffee shop behind her? What was her name…… Crysti?”

Fuck…..

”The girl is Rebecca. She is the cheerleader who Jeff went out with Thursday night. Crysti is another cheerleader and is one of Rebecca’s friends. Jeff invited Rebecca but I’m not sure why because he can’t stand her.”

“Probably to piss off Ari I’m guessing. They had some kind of fight at dinner and Ari won’t tell me what they argued about.”

Ellie stared at them for a good a minute. She turned back to me and smiled but it didn’t touch her eyes. I reached for her hand and brought it up to my mouth and kissed the back of her hand.

“Don’t worry Ellie sweetheart.” I gave her a wink and slowly let her hand go.

“I’m not worried. I’m sure Jefferson knows what he is doing. I just hope he didn’t invite this girl to make Ari jealous. They were both in piss poor moods when they came back in from outside. Ari just told me Jefferson was being a dickwad. That seems to be her favorite word to describe him the last few days!” Ellie said with a small laugh.

I looked back out to the dance floor to see Ari dancing pretty close to Josh. I took a peek at Jeff and he was trying to pay attention to what ever Rebecca was saying to him but he kept looking out on the dance floor at Ari. He looked worried and he should have been. Josh has probably slept with every girl at this party except for Ellie and her friends. The way he was looking at Ari though…I know what that f**ker was thinking.

“Gunner can I use the bathroom in your bedroom? Jefferson said y’all keep your rooms off limits and your bathroom. There was a pretty long line waiting for the bathroom when we walked in.”

“Of course you can sweetheart. Just be sure to lock the bedroom door when you go inside.”

“Will you wait right here until I get back?” Ellie asked as a blush crept up her cheeks.

“I’ll be right here.” I said as I leaned down and kissed her forehead.

Ellie stopped to talk to Jeff for a quick second. I saw Rachael and Crysti staring her up and down.

Bitches.

Jeff walked over to me and slapped me on the back. “So you think my baby sister is having fun at her first college party?”

I looked at Jeff who was clearly getting himself drunk. “Jeff man what’s going on with you tonight….you never get wasted like this. You’re leaving me totally responsible for watching your sister and her friends.”

“It looks like Jeff’s little sister’s friends are taking pretty good care of themselves.” Rebecca said with a laugh. Crysti and some other girl who I’d never seen before started to laugh as they looked out to where everyone was dancing.

Just then Ari started to walk over to where we were standing. She was out of breath from dancing. I reached into the cooler I was standing by and handed her another beer.

“Whew! I have not danced like that in forever! Where is Ellie? She needs to get her ass out there and dance with us.” Ari said as she took a sip of beer.

She looked over at Jeff and then noticed Rebecca hanging onto him. This was not going to turn out good. Ari’s eyes traveled up and down Rebecca and landed at where she had her hand on Jeff’s waist.

“Who is your friend dickwad?” Ari asked Jeff.

“Rebecca, this is Ellie’s best friend….. Squirt. Squirt this is Rebecca…..a friend of mine.” Jeff stressed the word friend and I saw Ari’s whole body just stiffen up. What the f**k was he doing?

“Hello Jeff’s friend Rebecca. The name is Ari, nice to meet you.” Ari said as she reached for Rebecca’s hand to shake it. Rebecca, being the bitch she was, just looked at Ari’s hand and laughed.

Jeff just stood there with a grin on his face. Why in the hell was he letting Rebecca be so rude to Ari, this was not like him at all.

He leaned closer in to Ari like he was going to say something only to her.