Never Look Back (Redemption Hills 3)

“Nope, she’s bustin’ your balls, too.” Juni blazed by as she shouted it.

My hand pressed to my mouth.

Chaos, I tell you.

Logan blinked. “Wow. Some party this is. Even my adorable niece has turned against me. And here I am, the smartest, best looking, richest guy around.”

I cringed at the last.

Tessa cocked her head. “Well, if you actually tacked nice and humble onto that list, you might be worthy of the celebration.”

“Ouch.” Logan touched his chest.

“I’llouchyou.”

“But I just want you to love me.” Logan stuck out his bottom lip.

Amusement pulled through the atmosphere.

Giggling, she sidled up to him and slid her arm around his side, hugging him tight as she looked back at me. “Okay, fine. This one right here is pretty amazing, and he’s smokin’ hot if I don’t say so myself. Like catch the house on fire hot, if you know what I mean.”

She puffed that out of the side of her mouth toward me like it was a secret.

“Now we’re talking.” Logan bobbed his head in encouragement.

“I’ve heard it’s all due to the fact he has a really big…” She paused, her blue eyes wide and emphatic. “Ego. A really big ego.”

She cracked up like it was hysterical.

He kissed the top of her head, though he growled like I couldn’t hear, “Keep it up, Tessa, and I’m putting you in the shower under cold water. I’m trying to impress the prettiest girl here, can’t you see?”

“You wouldn’t dare,” she gasped. “She is really pretty, though. I think we should keep her.”

Rattled, I shifted my feet.

She lifted that bottle. “Champagne?”

“Oh, most definitely,” I said.

She moved in, wrapped her arm around my waist, and led me deeper into the kitchen. “Don’t worry, Aster, we’re going to be the best of friends. I know these things.” She knocked her hip into mine. “Mad love. Mad, mad love. Just wait and see.”

So it turned out Tessa was kind of insane. Crazy and fun and impossible not to like.

Because it was all genuine. The care she showed for everyone around her. Even if she didn’t know someone, she made them feel like she did.

Especially me.

I sipped at my flute of champagne while she danced in the kitchen with Eden in some kind of horrible ballet/break dancing routine to the beat of “SexyBack”.

Nothing like a little JT.

Tessa scattered the crowd crushed in the space and did the worm across the floor.

I didn’t think I’d ever laughed so hard in my life.

Didn’t think I’d ever felt so perfectly right when she popped back up and took my hand and spun me around.

Didn’t think I’d ever felt so free than when she slung her arm around my shoulders like we were a pair, the woman talking to Salem who’d joined us on the other side, Eden in front of us, this whole thing so casual, no pretenses.