“Hey, you didn’t tell Rebecca to bring Crysti, did you?” I asked, reaching down and picking up the two empty beer bottles.
“I told her I didn’t care who she brought along and that Ellie wanted to see what a college party was like.”
My eyes rolled, and I silently cursed. The last thing I needed was Crysti hanging all around me tonight with Ellie here. If Jeff thought some UT bitches were going to stop guys from hitting on Ellie and her friends, he was seriously not thinking clearly.
This was going to be an interesting night.
A small crowd of people had already showed up. I was a nervous fucking wreck waiting on Ellie to get here. A part of me couldn’t wait to see her, and the other part dreaded all these assholes eyeing her.
Jeff had downed a few more beers and was arguing with Brad about who could bench-press the most weight.
The hairs on my arms stood up, and I knew she was here. Jeff looked toward the door and smiled. My gaze followed his, and I watched as Ellie walked up to her brother.
She looked beautiful, dressed in a short white dress with cowboy boots. Her hair was pulled back into a sexy ponytail. She probably thought it made her look innocent, but to me, it made me desire her that much more. The need to claim her was growing more intense.
Jeff picked her up and spun her around. Yep. He was halfway to drunk. He said something to her, and she laughed. Brad and Josh stood there with their damn mouths hanging open as they ogled my girl.
Fuckers.
This shit was getting nipped in the bud and now. I made my way over to them.
“Check out the fresh meat. Holy shit, Jeff’s sister is hot, and her friends are just as hot,” Josh said.
I pointed to them. It was Josh, Brad, and four other football players. “Listen here, 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 laughed. “All right! But you didn’t say anything about his sister, so if y’all will excuse me . . .” Josh said as he started toward Ellie.
I stepped in front of him and put my hand on his chest.
“Yeah, I don’t think so. Ellie is off-limits. Period. You so much as fucking look at her wrong, and I’ll beat your ass, Hayes.”
Josh stared at me like I’d lost my damn mind. I’d never claimed a woman before, and I was sure this was throwing him for a loop.
“What the hell, Gunner? You calling dibs on the sister?” Brad asked while they all chuckled.
“As a matter of fact, yes, I am. I’m dead serious; do not so much as talk to her wrong.”
Josh and Brad exchanged looks before Brad held up his hands. Josh mumbled something under his breath, but I ignored him.
When I turned, Ellie was making her way over to me. As she drew closer, I smiled. Her grin turned into a full-blown knock me on my ass smile. From the corner of my eye, I saw Ari and two other girls start to laugh, and I couldn’t help but wonder if Ellie had told them we had kissed. A part of me hoped so; that meant she had been thinking about me like I had been her.
She stopped in front of me and reached up on her toes and kissed me on the cheek. My heart jumped into my throat, and my dick instantly went hard. From a kiss on a cheek.
Holy. Shit.
“Hi, Gunner, how are you tonight?”
“I’m doing much better now that you’re here. How was graduation?”
“It was great. Ari gave a wonderful speech.”
Speaking of Ari, she was giving me a shit-eating grin as she made her way over to me. There was no doubt in my mind Ellie had tol
d her about the kiss.
“Ari, how are you? How’d the speech go?”
“Hey, Gunner. The speech, it went pretty good. I about pissed in my pants from being nervous. Then I looked out and saw Jeff, so I pictured his ass naked and him sucking his thumb, and strangely enough, I calmed right down,” Ari said with a shrug and the most serious face I’d ever seen. I actually believed she was telling the truth.