“I didn’t mean to imply there was something going on. It’s just that you were bickering with her and it seemed like you were trying to just piss her off on purpose. She is my best friend Jefferson and I’m tired of you always treating her like a spoiled child. She is not a bratty child. She is a grown adult woman and she deserves to be treated better than that. I would expect that from you of all people.”

“Oh, believe me it’s not lost on me how much of an adult Ari is. I’m sorry Ells; I’ll try not to argue with her as much. I need to get ready for my date.” Jefferson said as he turned and walked away. He stopped and turned around and looked in Gunner’s bedroom.

“Where’s Gunner?”

“Oh…I just mentioned I was hungry and he pretty much darted out the door to go get food. He said he would be back in a few minutes.” I said as I sat down on the sofa and turned on the TV.

“DAMN Ellie! You got that boy going every which way but loose!” Jefferson said with a laugh.

“What are you talking about? He said he was hungry too and was going to get some food. Gesh Jefferson, you act like he was jumping off a bridge for me or something.” I said annoyed at where this was going. Jefferson turned back around to come and sit down next to me while he let out a small laugh.

“You really don’t see do you Ells?” Jefferson asked as he bumped into my shoulder.

“See what? What’re you going on about Jefferson?” I was really starting to get annoyed by him.

“Ellie, I’ve known Gunner for three years now. I have never seen him with the same girl more than a few times. He is so focused on football and school he pretty much has never given a girl more than five minutes of his attention. Don’t get me wrong, he likes girls!” Jefferson said with a laugh and a shake of his head.

What the hell did that mean?

Was Gunner a player? Did he sleep around a lot? I mean he sure had the looks to get any girl he wanted. My head was starting to spin again and the thought of Gunner with another girl had me feeling angry inside.

What the hell?

“I can honestly say I have never seen Gunner run and fetch dinner for someone!” Jefferson laughed again. “Ellie honey, I know you just had this whole bullshit thing with Ryan the douche bag this morning and you believe that bullshit mom feed you years ago but, Gunner is attracted to you princess. He is a good guy Ellie but…”

Jefferson cut off what he was saying and he looked down and away from me.

“But WHAT?!” I asked clearly anticipating Jefferson to tell me to stay clear of his best friend.

“Ells I want you to know I would trust my life and yours with Gunner. I trust him but this is you we’re talking about. I just don’t want him to break your heart or hurt you Ellie. I really don’t want you to jump into something you’re not ready for honey. Just promise me you will be careful.” Jefferson said as he took my good hand and brought it up to his mouth and kissed the back of my hand.

I busted out laughing and Jefferson just looked at me.

“What is so funny Ells?”

I just could not stop laughing…..”Oh my gosh! You’re what’s so funny! I mean come on Jefferson! I hardly think that Gunner is interested in me of all people! I’m sure he is only being nice to me because of you!” I said in-between laughs.

Jefferson dropped my hand and stood up. He looked down at me and sighed heavily. “Ellie, you are beautiful, inside and out. You’re very desirable princess and trust me when I say this, Gunner is interested. He’s a great guy, just be careful that’s all I ask. I have to get going or I am going to be late and the wrath of Rebecca will be upon me!”

My heart was pounding and I felt like I was going to be sick. No…I would not let this happen. Gunner was not interested in me! Was he?! If he was it was probably only for sex. No matter if Jefferson was his best friend or not, men were all the same. I was not going to have anything to do with it. I just had to make sure I kept it to the ‘friends’ level with this guy.

I looked over at his picture with Jefferson on the beach and sighed. Jesus, this was going to be hard. The guy was beyond good looking and his body…..I had to squeeze my legs together to ease the throbbing again.

Yep, this was going to be hard. Very, very hard….A second later the front door flew open and Gunner came in holding bags from my favorite sandwich place, Schlotzky’s.

“Hey you! Glad you’re still awake! I remembered Jeff said your favorite sandwich was the Turkey breast on Rye from Schlotsky’s! I hope you’re hungry sweetheart. I got you two!” Gunner said with that crooked smile on his face and those blue eyes sparkling down at me.

I let out a laugh as he sat down and set all the food on the coffee table. He started to take out 4 sandwiches, 5 bags of chips and two drinks. Good lord who was this all for?

“I wasn’t sure what kind of chips you liked so I just grabbed a few of them. You like sweet tea right?” He asked as he started to spread out the fest before us.

“Ummm……WOW Gunner! YES I love sweet tea! I would’ve been happy with just the sandwich thank you! The cracked pepper chips are my favorite though.” I said as I let out another laugh.

How in the world did he think I would eat two sandwiches? “I don’t think I can eat both sandwiches though, I’m sorry.” I said as I looked over at him. He was already taking a bite of his sandwich.

“No problem sweetheart! I’ll eat what you don’t want. We can just throw the chips in the pantry for later!” He said as he unwrapped the other sandwich he had bought for me. I smiled at how much he reminded me of Jefferson. Jefferson could eat a cow I swear.

My god Gunner was so damn cute when he ate. Shit he was just so damn cute period! No, he was beyond cute. He was handsome. I practically could feel the heat coming from his body. I needed to move away a bit before his leg touched mine. If it did I’m pretty sure I would fall apart.

I looked over at him just as he looked over at me.

“You okay sweetheart? Are you not feeling well? You need more medicine?”

I just smiled at him and shook my head no and took a bite of my sandwich. He smiled that big crooked smile and just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, I noticed the goddamn dimple on his cheek.

FUCK ME…..this was going to be very hard.

Chapter Six

Gunner……

Okay, I have seen plenty of girls eat before and I never thought twice about it. But when Ellie ate, my whole world about stopped. Who am I kidding; everything she did made my whole world stop. She ate all of her sandwich and finished off her chips and the brownie I bought her. Thank god she was not one of those girls who would only eat lettuce and snack on carrots. Jeff came out dressed and ready for his date.

“Alright I’m out of here. You sure you are okay with this Ellie?” Jeff asked as he bent down to give her a kiss goodbye.

“Yes! I said I was fine! Have fun tonight!” Ellie called out as Jeff slapped me on the back and made his way out the door.

“Did you get enough to eat Ellie?” I asked her as I cleaned up the mess on the coffee table.

“Oh my gosh YES! I’m SO full and SO tired! Thank you so much Gunner for getting my favorite! I’m surprised you even knew that.” She said as she looked up at me with those beautiful blue eyes that caught my breath every f**king time she looked at me.

“No problem sweetheart. It was my pleasure. I heard Jeff say enough times what he was bringing you for lunch so I put two and two together that this must be your favorite place.

“Do you mind if I watch a movie with you? I mean I’m tired but I don’t think I could fall asleep this early.” Ellie called over her shoulder to me as I brought all the trash out to the kitchen. Holy hell, just her asking to watch a movie with me and BAM…..hard dick! I needed to get it together or it was going to be a long f**king night.

“Of course I don’t mind! On the table next to the sofa are all of our movies if you want to pick one.” I called back out to her. “You want something else to drink?”

“Um…just water please.” She answered me with a smile so sweet my heart about dropped to my stomach. I would give anything to have that smile greet me each and every morning.

“Soooo, you really were planning on just staying home tonight and watching a movie? Seems to me you would have some hot date like Jefferson. A guy as good looking as you surly has a girlfriend.” Ellie rattled off as I walked up to the sofa and set her bottle water down along with another beer for me.

“Yes, I was really planning on watching a movie tonight and no, no hot date or girlfriend.” I said back to her with a laugh. “Jefferson would laugh his ass off if he heard you say he was on a hot date!”

I sat down on the sofa and reached around the back and pulled up a blanket for her.

“Do you want me to get you a pillow?” I asked as she looked through the movies.

“Oh no…I can get it. You don’t have to wait on me Gunner. I’m perfectly fine to get things on my own.”

Good lord I could watch her lips move for hours. I tore my eyes away from her mouth and looked up to see her staring back at me. Yep, this was going to be a long night. We sat there for I don’t know how long just staring at each other before I jumped up and walked into Jeff’s bedroom to grab a pillow and another blanket. I needed to adjust my growing dick as I walked down the hall.

I walked into my bedroom and quickly changed into some sweat pants. If things kept going the way they were my dick was going to be squished in my jeans all night if I didn’t change. On the way back into the living room I stopped in the kitchen to get a bag of ice for Ellie’s hand.

I sat back down on the sofa and handed her the pillow and the other blanket. I also grabbed the small sofa pillows for her to prop her hand up on.

“Thank you Gunner.” She said in the sweetest voice I’ve ever heard. There goes my heart again for like the umpteenth time today.

“Sure, um…got to remember to keep this elevated. You find a movie you liked?” She looked up at me with the most adorable smile. I couldn’t help but smile back at her. The things this girl’s smile did to me and in more than one place.

“YEP! I can’t believe you have this!!! I love this movie.” She said with such child like excitement.

I looked over to the movie she was holding and it was Cars. No f**king way!

“You want to watch Cars?” I said with a laugh.

“Hells yeah! This is like my all time favorite movie!! Ari’s little brother and I watch it all the time. You don’t like Cars? I can’t believe it?! It’s like…the BEST movie EVER! Why do you even have this movie if you don’t like it?” She rattled off so fast I had to laugh at her.

“No! No! Cars is perfect Ellie! It actually is my favorite movie also. I love watching it and I’m not afraid to admit I bought it. I have a secret love of saying Ka-Chow when no one is listening!” I said as I took the movie from her hand.

“Cars it is!”

I walked over and put the movie in the blue ray player. I turned back around and if I was not mistaken, I would say someone was just checking my ass out. I gave her a smile and a wink and watched that beautiful blush take over her cheeks.