“Are you comfortable sweetheart, need anything while I’m up?” I looked down at her poor hand. It was still pretty swollen but didn’t look to bad. She was trying to adjust herself on the sofa with all the pillows and the blanket. I let out a small laugh and she looked up at me.

“Glad to know I’m amusing you. I can’t do this with just one hand. ARGH! I feel so useless. Shit!”

She threw her head back against the sofa. Poor thing, I knew she was in pain and was trying to act like she wasn’t.

“Here Ellie sweetheart, let me help you.” I reached over and set the pillow on the end of the sofa. “Here, lie down.”

I picked up her legs and the instant I touched her I felt a jolt of electricity go through my entire body. Good lord I can’t even help her with the simplest of things without getting a reaction out of my betraying body.

“Really I’m okay sitting up Gunner. If I lie down you won’t have anywhere to sit!” She practically jumped away from me.

“Don’t be silly Ellie, lay down. Please.”

I smiled when I saw her relax. She lifted her legs onto the sofa and I adjusted the pillow for her. I took the smaller pillows and put them on the edge of the sofa so she could put her hand up. She took the ice and I saw that she winced when she put it on her hand.

“Do you need more pain medicine?” I asked her as I moved the coffee table over to where she could at least reach over and grab her water if she needed it.

“No, I just took some not too long ago. Gunner really, you don’t have to do all of this. I’ll be fine. Besides the fact that I’m just feeling sleepy I’m okay, really!”

I was now kneeling on the ground in front of the sofa adjusting her blanket.

I looked up at her and was stopped in my tracks. Her beautiful light brown hair was just past her shoulders and had a bit of a wave to it. Not curly but not straight either. Her blue eyes looked like the sky and her smile…… well damn her smile would always be my undoing I decided at that very moment.

I smiled at her and for some reason I reached up and pushed her hair behind her ear. Every time I touched her I felt her heat move through my body. I wanted so badly to reach down and just brush her lips against mine. And then it hit me, I would do anything for her. I would lay down my life for this girl.

“I know you can take care of yourself sweetheart. I just want to help. Now let’s watch this movie shall we?” I said as I stood back up and moved to the other end of the sofa.

I lifted up her legs, sat down and grabbed the last small pillow I purposely kept out to hide my hard on. I placed her legs on the pillow and hit play. It would take several minutes into Cars before my heart rate finally settled back down.

Chapter Seven

Ellie……

The moment he pushed my hair behind my ear I knew I was in trouble.

He was being so thoughtful and kind. For a second I really thought he was going to lean down and kiss me. I almost was willing him to do it in my mind. How silly am I being? I know he is only taking care of me because I am Jefferson’s sister. There is no way a guy like this would EVER be interested in me. Jefferson was dead wrong. I’m so far out of Gunner’s league it was unreal.

Gunner sat on the other end of the sofa and rested my legs on his lap. Well, not really because he put a pillow in-between him and my legs. I must admit I felt a tinge of disappointment when I saw him do that. Ryan never would have sat on the sofa like this. He said he could not take touching me because it only made him want me more. Maybe he just didn’t want to touch me because I was never desirable for him. To be honest, I would have never have been ready to do anything with Ryan. We barley ever kissed and that was all. I guess he felt the same way. He never really wanted me.

You will never be wanted by anyone…………

“Hey, what are you frowning for over there? Do you want me to change the movie, cars not doing it for you sweetheart?” Gunner asked as he started to stroke my legs.

OH. MY. GOD. He really needed to stop doing that. This boy must have magic in his finger tips….holy fuck! There goes that pressure in-between my legs again!

“No, its fine I was just thinking about the whole thing with Ryan today. I’m sorry.” I said as I tried to relax while he was sending jolts of electricity up and down my legs. Gunner’s face immediately fell and he looked like he wanted to hurt someone. He stopped stroking my legs and pushed both his hands through his messy hair. I immediately missed his touch and regretted bringing up Ryan. As I watched him run his hands through his hair I licked my lips. What I wouldn’t do to straddle him right now and run my fingers through that hair. I wonder if it was as soft as it looked.

Oh holy shit! I needed to stop this! I tried to clear my head of my thoughts and looked back up at Gunner who was now looking at me. This was starting to get awkward the way we kept staring at each other.

“Hey, um Gunner can I ask you something?” I said as I sat up a little to get a better look at him. My god he really was breathtaking. He smiled at me.

“Always….”

Yep, I would never forget that smile for as long as I lived. The feelings it sent through my body were like nothing I had ever experienced.

“Why do you keep calling me sweetheart?”

SHIT! As soon as I asked him that his smile faded just a little bit.

“I didn’t realize I was saying it a lot. I’m sorry. If you want me to stop or it bothers you, I’ll try to be more aware of it.” Gunner said as he looked back at the TV.

Oh no….FUCK! I think I just hurt his feelings. FUCK! FUCK! FUCK A DUCK!

“No no please don’t stop. I mean, I like it. I mean, um, well…” Good lord what was I trying to say here?

“It’s just that you called me that the first time you touched me, I mean when you pulled me back away from Jefferson and Ryan. I guess I was just surprised to hear anyone other than Jefferson use an endearing name for me. That’s all.” I said as I laid back down on the pillow. Gesh now I felt like a complete bitch. Here this god of a guy was staying home tonight and waiting on me and I just insulted him. SHIT! I truly sucked at this stuff.

“Ryan never called you sweetheart or anything?” Gunner asked his voice filled with surprise.

“HA! No….about the only thing he ever called me was Ell or Ells. That should have been another sign.” I said the last sentence practically under my breath.

“Well I can tell you this Ellie, if you were my girlfriend I would let you know every day how much you meant to me, through words, and much more.” Gunner said in such a sexy ass voice.

I wanted to say show me this much more and show me now please!

Okay, that just woke up my whole body including my libido. WOW….no one has ever said anything like that to me before. Whoever snags this guy is going to be one hell of a lucky bitch.

“That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. Thank you Gunner, so much. I’m sure you are going to make some girl a very happy woman someday.” I said with as much of a smile as I could muster.

The thought of another girl in his arms drove me almost mad. What was wrong with me? God help me…..I turned my attention back to Cars.

Before I knew it he was stroking my legs again and I feel into a dream. I dreamt I was walking along a riverbank. It was me walking but I was also standing in the back ground watching it all play out. All I could see was my back walking away from me. Then to my side a man came running up and picked me up in his arms and spun me around. He gave me the most loving kiss. He whispered something in my ear and I threw my head back and laughed. He turned and I could now see the front of his body….it was Gunner. He had white linen pants on that were rolled up so the water did not touch them and a grey shirt. He looked like heaven. His smile was that crooked smile that I instantly feel in love with and would do anything to see every day. Just then I turned along with Gunner to start walking back in the direction I was watching my dream…..something was different about me but I could not see what it was. I barely could see my face or my body. Everything got blurry. Gunner dropped my hand and started to walk away from me. Wait! Where was he going?! Why was he leaving? He looked so sad.

I heard someone talking to me. It was my mother..…. Wake up Ellie..….you will never be wanted like this Ellie darlin’…... He does not want you Ellie wake up…...Does not want you……NO! That was not true. I saw the way Gunner looked at me in my dream……he loved me…..he had to love me….

Ellie sweetheart wakeup…….

Chapter Eight

Gunner…..

I woke up with a startle. It took me a second to realize I was still on the sofa. Oh man….my neck was killing me! I must have fallen asleep watching the movie. The movie was over and it was just replaying the main menu over and over again.

Gunner?.......Gunner don’t go!……NO! He does, you are wrong….. you are wrong! Gunnerrrrr!

What the hell?! I looked over and Ellie was dreaming, if you could call it that. She was calling out my name in her dream! Holy shit! She sounded scared to death. I jumped up careful not to knock her off the sofa. I pushed the coffee table a little out of the way and I knelt down next to her and started to stroke her hair……

“Ellie Sweetheart wakeup, Ellie wake up, sweetheart please wake up.”

FUCK! My heart was pounding a mile a minute. What the f**k was she dreaming about and where the f**k was I going?! I would never leave her….ever!

“Ellie Sweetheart wakeup.” Ellie’s eyes opened suddenly and she looked right at me. Next thing I knew she started to cry and sat up and threw herself into my arms. She was crying hysterically and I was really f**king freaked out. I was going to kick my ass if I hurt her in a dream. I couldn’t possible f**k this up in goddamn dream…….could I?

“OH MY GOD! Gunner……” Ellie cried out in-between sobs.

“SHHH Ellie it’s okay, everything is okay, I’m here sweetheart and I’m not going anywhere. I promise.” Just then Ellie pulled back and looked at me. Her eyes were filled with tears and she looked so goddamned confused. She shook her head no for a second and just stared at me.

“No one will ever want me Gunner, or stay with me…...ever.” She whispered.

What the hell? My god, what did her mother do to her?

“Ellie sweetheart that’s just not true.”

I pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. My god she was even beautiful when she was crying. The only thing I wanted to do at that moment was take away her fear and doubts. To show her how much she was wanted. I looked down to her soft tear soaked lips and licked my own lips. I started to lean in to kiss her and I heard the front door lock move. Ellie must have heard it also because she quickly pulled out of my embrace and sat back just staring at me with this lost look on her face.

Jeff walked in and surveyed what he saw.

“What’s going on? Ellie? Are you okay? Did you hurt your hand again?” Jeff said as he looked back and forth between the two of us.

“No….um…no” Ellie struggled to talk and was shaking her head as if trying to erase a memory. She quickly wiped away her tears and looked up at Jeff. He looked back at her and snapped his head over to me.