“Well, because I want to be the person who gives you all of your firsts. I want to experience them with you so I can see that beautiful smile of yours light up every time you do something new. I want to make all of your dreams come true. ”
“Oh…. ”
WOW…. I was not expecting that at all. Maybe Gunner was different and he might just be interested in more than what I was giving him credit for. Then again……. maybe he was just interested in a friendship like how Jefferson was with Ari. He would never want it to go past friendship.
The thought of Gunner and I never becoming closer than friends almost had me feeling sick again and ready to cry.
As Gunner pulled into the parking lot of Zilker Park my heart started to beat faster than ever. Was I more nervous about the canoe ride or about talking to him about my mother? It was clear he was not going to bring it up until I was ready to talk about it. I needed to do this. I HAD to do this.
“Gosh Gunner I never even asked if you had plans today. I’m so sorry. I feel like shit now just assuming you would be able to spend the day with me. ” I said as I realized Gunner might have actually had things to do today.
Gunner let out a laugh that moved through my body and sent chills up and down my back. “Sweetheart I would much rather spend the day with you than run around and do errands. I just need to swing by James Avery to pick something up and that’s it. I’m yours for the whole day!”
He looked at me and gave me a wink. Yep…my knees just felt weak as I tried to walk down to where they rented out the canoes. Oh shit…. with how my stomach was feeling why the hell did I pick this? It just popped into my head…. canoes. Jesus…. watch me hurl right onto him. Good going Ellie…. . picking a damn canoe ride. ARGH!
As Gunner was renting the canoe and getting our life jackets my mind kept thinking to what he said a few minutes ago. He needed to stop by James Avery? I wonder who he was buying jewelry for. He said he didn’t have a girlfriend. Maybe it was his mother’s birthday coming up or his grandmothers. It was driving me crazy! Why was it driving me crazy? It really was none of my business but it was still driving me insane wondering who the hell he would be buying jewelry for.
Just then I felt his hands on my shoulder and he leaned down and whispered in my ear. “Are you ready to go on your first canoe ride Ells?”
Yep…. I knew it the moment I leaned back and felt his strong chest against my back I was so fucked. I didn’t even care how this might look to him. The feel of his hot breath on my face and the touch of his hands on my body…. I needed to lean against him before my knees gave out. He turned me around and lifted my face up towards his. He smiled, leaned down and kissed……….
My forehead?! What the hell?! SHIT! Why didn’t he kiss me? I wanted him to kiss me so badly and earlier he tried to kiss me but I stopped him. What changed?
Maybe it was what my mother said. Now I really felt sick as he was walking me over and helping me climb into the canoe.
Holy fuck don’t let me puke dear Lord…. . just please don’t let me puke.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
GUNNER…….
German Shepards, Labs, Poodles, Rottweilers, German Short Haired Pointers……. . good God I was trying to name off every breed of dog I knew. The moment she leaned into me and I felt her body up against mine my dick instantly came to attention. I had to turn her around to face me before she felt me jabbing her in the back with my hard on.
I swear to God my dick was so hard and there was not much more room in my pants to accommodate my growing problem. As Ellie was getting settled I tried my best to adjust myself while thinking of other dogs. SHIT I wanted to kiss her so fucking bad. It was getting harder and harder to resist her.
After I got in and sat down the look on her face made my hard on go down in a matter of seconds.
“Ellie…what is it? Are you feeling sick? Do you not want to do this?”Her face was turning green right before my eyes. Maybe there was a reason she never went out on a canoe before.
“I’m okay…just give me a few minutes here to get use to this. Just…. go slow, really really slow. AND don’t rock the boat!” Ellie practically shouted at me. I had to laugh at her, she was so damn cute!
After about ten minutes of slowly rowing out we finally make it onto Town Lake. I could see Ellie start to relax as she sat back and lifted her face to the sun. Damn she looked so beautiful. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket but decided to let it go to voicemail. I had sent Jeff a quick text to let him know where we were right before I rented the canoe.
Another few minutes passed before Ellie started to talk. She never moved her head and just continued to keep her eyes closed as she soaked in the warm June Texas sun.
“Please just let me get this all out before you try to interrupt me or anything okay?” Ellie said with a slight crack in her voice.
“Okay. ”
“First, I just wanted to say thank you again for everything you’ve done for me the last two days. I know we just met but I feel……well I feel like I can really count on you. Thank you so much for being such a good friend. ” Ellie said as she finally looked at me.
Ouch…there went that friends comment again. Could she really not see how much I wanted to be more than friends? Fuck…what more did I need to do?
KISS HER……. .
She started to sit up straighter and I could see her starting to tense up again. She was looking everywhere but at me. I stopped rowing and just let the canoe drift in the current. I wanted to study her. I wanted to remember this moment for the rest of my life. The way her beautiful blue eyes stood out and the way her light brown hair was starting to fall down from her pony tail and blow in the wind. The way she smiled at me. Her smile…. . I loved the way her smile made me feel. I wanted to wake up every fucking morning to that smile. I wanted to prove to her that her mother was wrong so damn wrong.
Ellie was nothing like her mother. She was smart, innocent, caring, beautiful……. all the things her mother never could be. I was going to kiss her before this day was over. Yep, fuck the dogs. I was going to prove to Ellie I wanted to be more than just her goddamn friend.