God I never wanted him to stop. The way he made me feel was unbelievable. I felt….cherished. When he finally pulled his lips from mine I slowly opened my eyes to look at him. His beautiful blue eyes were looking down into mine. He slowly let a smile creep across his beautiful face. I couldn’t help but smile back at him.

“Was that better Ms. Johnson?”

I let out a giggle. “Yes…yes it was Mr. Mathews. You have successfully bewitched me.”

Gunner took his index finger and traced my jaw line and then ran it over my lips. My whole body trembled and the ache between my legs grew stronger. All I wanted to do was squeeze my legs together to ease the ache.

“I’m glad to hear I have you bewitched sweetheart. I thought for a moment someone else might be trying to do the same thing.” He said as he tapped my nose with his finger.

He did notice and that was why he brought me in here! I wanted to throw myself into his arms again and beg him to kiss me once more. I wanted to forget all about some guy flirting with me right in front of him. All I wanted to see was Gunner’s beautiful eyes looking into mine.

“You ready for a party?”

“Only if you promise to keep your dance card open for me all night.” I said with a smile.

“Done!” Gunner grabbed my hand and led me to his bedroom door. He spun me around and slammed me back against the door and kissed me deeply again. He pulled his lips from mine and I gasped for air.

“That is so you don’t forget who has you bewitched.” He said with a wink. I stepped away from the door so he could open it. My head was spinning again but this time in a good way. As we walked out from Gunner’s room and through the living room I felt eyes watching us. I looked over to the kitchen and Jon was watching Gunner and I walk by. The way he was smiling felt like he was trying to look into my soul and it sent a shiver down my back. I quickly turned my head and looked up at Gunner who was smiling from ear to ear and leading us outside to the music.

Once we stepped outside the fresh air felt amazing. I looked around and saw Amanda, Ari and Heather all dancing. They all looked happy and that made me smile. Jeff had walked out the back door and pointed at some chairs for Gunner and me to sit at. I still had yet to take a drink of the beer that was in my hand.

“Do you want to go dance with your friends Ellie?” Gunner asked.

“Nope, I just want to sit here with you.” The next thing I did was probably the boldest thing I have ever done in my life. Especially since my brother was sitting right here. Gunner sat down and I sat down on his lap before I chickened out. I think Gunner was just as surprised as my brother. I went to take a swig of my beer and then felt something….oh….oh wow…was I making that happen? I stopped my beer right at my lips as I felt Gunner adjust me in his lap. Jefferson was busy looking at everyone dance so he didn’t notice Gunner lean in and whisper against my ear.

“I’m sorry sweetheart. I was not expecting you to do that and he kind of has a mind of his own.”

I snapped my head and looked at Gunner. Did he just say that to me? He just told me I gave him a hard on? I started to laugh and leaned down and kissed him right on the lips. Jefferson or not….I wanted Gunner to know how I felt about him every second of the day.

“Jesus Christ…can you stop Ellie….I can take you sitting on his lap but not sucking his face at the same damn time!”

CHAPTER THIRTY

Jefferson…….

Holy mother f**king shit. I could not sit here and watch my baby sister suck face with my best friend while she sat on his goddamn lap. Christ a guy can only take so much. I looked back out to the dance floor and scanned for who I was looking for.

Ari…..

She was dancing with Amanda and Heather to Usher’s “Yeah”. Fuck she could move. I wanted to know what she felt like in my arms dancing. They looked like they were heading over to get something to drink. I got up and walked over to Jack and asked him to play a certain song next. He nodded and I went and sat back down. Ari was drinking a beer and some of it ran down her lip onto her chin. Mother f**ker……this girl has been getting my dick hard since I was 16 years old. She looked down at me as she wiped her chin.

“You been drinking long?” I asked as I smiled at her.

“Think you could teach me a better way to do it dickwad?” She said back to me with that damn sexy smile of hers. I didn’t care how many times she called me names….as long as she was talking to me. I lucked out with douche bag Jason Reed out of town. Jack started up Rascal Flatts’ “What Hurts the Most” right then. I jumped up and took the beer out of her hand and handed it to Gunner.

“Dance with me…..please.”

She looked stunned but nodded her head yes. I took her hand and led her out to where a few other people were dancing. I pulled her into my arms and goddamn if she didn’t fit perfect up against my body. I had not held Ari this close to me since she was 11 year old and fell trying to roller blade.

I put my face into her hair and took a deep smell. I had to memorize every detail of how she felt, and how she smelled and looked right at this moment. I felt her relax more and more in my arms. I prayed that she was listening to the song….she wouldn’t ever let me apologize for my behavior and this was the best I could think of last minute. I pulled her closer to me as the words to the song played that I wished so badly I could say to her.

I felt her grip harder onto me and all I wanted to do was kiss her. God I wanted to kiss her so f**king bad…..she smelled like vanilla. Had she always smelled like that? I just held her tight against me while we danced.

The song was going to end soon so I leaned down and whispered in her ear.

“I’m so sorry I hurt you baby. If I could take it all back I would do it in a heartbeat. I never want to hurt you again Arianna…..ever…….It kills me you didn’t get your special moment. I will never forget that I took that away from you. I’m sorry.”

I pulled away and looked down into her face.

Fuck…she was crying…….

“Jefferson I need to tell you something and you are probably going to hate me after I tell you.” She said in between sobs.

“Baby I could never hate you.”

The song ended and we were just standing there. I reached up and tried to wipe away the tears that were falling down her face like rain.

“I….I never slept with Jason. I just told you that because I wanted to hurt you as much as you hurt me. I’m….I’m still a virgin Jeff. The moment I left that message I wanted to call you back but I was so angry still. I’m so sorry. I just wanted to hurt you as much as you hurt me.” Ari spoke so fast I hardly was able to process what the hell she was saying.

Holy mother f**king shit…..I spent almost a damn month punishing myself for something that never happened.

I closed my eyes silently thanking God she didn’t sleep with that a**hole. Then I opened them and saw her staring up at me. I just smiled at her. If she had set out to hut me, she did a good job of it.

“Well squirt, it worked. I um, I need to go check on the food and everything. I’ll talk to you later okay.”

I turned and walked away from the one person I would always love…. but never be able to have.

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

Ari……

The moment Jeff turned and walked away I wanted to go after him. Oh god…I just wanted to shout out MOTHER FUCKER as loud as I could! I didn’t want to draw attention to myself so I just stood there because you know……. standing in the middle of their backyard with tears running down my face was not going to draw any attention.

FUCK ME!

Oh holy hells bells….the way he was holding me so close during that song….I knew the moment he asked me to dance what he was trying to do. It was his way of saying he was sorry.

I’m so sorry I hurt you baby……… Baby I could never hate you……

I have waited eight f**king years for this…….eight years for him to call me something other than squirt, to hold me like he never wanted to let me go. Son of a f**king bitch!

Oh.my.god. I just f**ked up everything……I looked over at Ellie who was now getting off of Gunner’s lap and walking over to me.

“OH MY GOD Ari what did he say to you? I’ll kill him for making you cry again that bastard!” Ellie shouted as she looked back towards the door Jeff just walked through.

I started to laugh. Why I have no idea….I found none of this shit funny. Ellie looked at me confused as hell.

“Ari what the hell is going on?”

“Oh nothing Ells….you know……Jeff just did the most f**king romantic thing anyone has ever done for me…..and I blew it. I f**king blew something I’ve been wanting for so long.” I started to cry again. GODDAMN it….the second time I have been to one of their parties and I am crying! JESUS MARY AND JOSEPH!

“Come on let’s go sit on the front porch…..” Ellie said as she turned to Gunner and pointed to the front of the house. Gunner looked concerned but just nodded his head like he understood.

“He is in the house…I can’t let him see me crying Ells.” I said as I panicked at the idea of seeing Jeff right that second.

“We will walk through the gate okay?” Ellie linked her arm with mine and we walked to the front porch.

After I told her what Jeff said to me and how I told him the truth about Jason, she just sat back in the swing.

“Ari, clearly Jeff has feelings for you sweets. You have to see that right. Why didn’t you go after him?”

“I don’t know why I didn’t Ellie. I mean it’s like he wants to be with me but he doesn’t. I don’t know how else to explain it….I feel like he is attracted to me but he does nothing to act on it. Maybe he just can’t see me as anything more than his little sisters best friend Squirt. He even called me squirt before he turned and walked away. It killed me when he said that it worked……that me trying to hurt him worked.”

“Well of course it worked. You had to know when you told him he would be upset. Give him time Ari. Maybe he just needs time to get use to the idea of you being something other than my best friend. What you need to do is show him that is not all you are. You are more than Arianna…Ellie’s best friend….You are more than just Squirt………You need to make him want you Ari….want you bad! You need to show him how much he wants to be with you!”

Ellie said with a wicked smile on her face. We both started to laugh. Only Ellie could make me feel better when I felt like shit.

“Okay I have other news! So while you were dancing, Gunner asked if we both wanted to go to his grandparent’s ranch next week for a few days. I SO want to go but I need you to go with me. Please say you will go!”

Ellie was so f**king cute when she begged! “Of course I’ll go with you. Is um…..Jeff going?”

Ellie smiled that big ole smile of hers. ”You bet he’s going! Five full days of us in the country with two really good looking guys and the Llano River runs right through it…..I’m thinking Jeff might need to see you in your red bikini! ”