His Until Midnight

Tessa clenched her jaw, a burning sensation in her chest. She turned to her friend, whispering so neither Lana nor Ryan could hear her.

“Why doesn’t she just take his head and smash it between the surgically enhanced boobs her ex-boyfriend gave her as a consolation prize? It’d be a lot easier for both of them.”

“Watch it there, girl. You’re beginning to sound an awful lot like a jealous girlfriend.” Gail could barely contain her grin.

“There’s nothing to be jealous of. Ryan and I are just friends. You know that.”

“Best friends,” her friend pointed out, as she studied Ryan flirting with Lana. “But let’s face it. You’re two insanely attractive people. Are you really going to try and convince me that neither of you has ever considered—”

“We haven’t.” Tessa took her shot, missing badly. It was a shot she should’ve hit, even without Ryan’s help. But she was too busy eavesdropping on his conversation with Lana.

“Well, for a person who doesn’t have any romantic interest in her best friend, you seem particularly interested in whether or not he’s flirting with the big-boobed barmaid.” Gail shrugged when Tessa gave her the stink eye. “What? You know it’s true.”

Tessa scowled at her friend’s words and the fact that Roy was taking advantage of her distraction. He easily sank one ball, then another. With no more striped balls left on the table, Roy had a clear shot at the eight ball.

He should be able to make that shot blindfolded.

“Well?” Gail prodded her.

“I’m not jealous of Lana. I just think Ryan could do better. That he should do better than to fall for the calculated ploy of a woman who has dollar signs in her eyes. Probably angling for butt implants this time.”

Gail giggled. “And why would he want a fake ass when he was mere inches from the real deal?” She nodded toward Tessa’s behind, a smirk on her face.

Tessa was fully aware that she’d inherited her generous curves from her mother. She was just as clear about Ryan Bateman’s obliviousness to them. To him, she was simply one of the guys. But then again, the comfy jeans and plaid button-down shirts that filled her closet didn’t do much to highlight her assets.

Hadn’t that been the reason she’d chosen such a utilitarian wardrobe in the first place?

“Dammit!” Roy banged his pool cue on the wooden floor, drawing their attention to him. He’d scratched on the eight ball.

Tessa grinned. “I won.”

“Because I scratched.” Roy’s tone made it clear that he felt winning by default was nothing to be proud of.

“A win’s a win, Jensen.” She wriggled her fingers, her palm open. “Pay up.”

“You won? Way to go, Tess. I told you that you had this game in the bag.” Ryan, suddenly beside her, wrapped a big, muscular arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a half hug.

“Well, at least one of us believed in me.” Tessa counted the four wrinkled five-dollar bills Roy stuffed in her palm begrudgingly.

“Always have, always will.” He beamed at her and took another swig of his beer.

Tessa tried to ignore the warmth in her chest that filtered down her spine and fanned into areas she didn’t want to acknowledge.

Because they were friends. And friends didn’t get all...whatever it was she was feeling...over one another. Not even when they looked and smelled good enough to eat.

Tessa Noble always smelled like citrus and sunshine. Reminded him of warm summer picnics at the lake. Ryan couldn’t peel an orange or slice a lemon without thinking of her and smiling.

There was no reason for his arm to still be wrapped around her shoulder other than the sense of comfort he derived from being this close to her.

“Take your hands off my sister, Bateman.” Tessa’s brother Tripp’s expression was stony as he entered the bar. As if he was about five minutes away from kicking Ryan’s ass.

“Tessa just beat your man, Roy, here.” Ryan didn’t move. Nor did he acknowledge Tripp’s veiled threat.

The three of them had been friends forever, though it was Tessa who was his best friend. According to their parents, their friendship was born the moment they first met. Their bond had only gotten stronger over the years. Still, he’d had to assure Tripp on more than one occasion that his relationship with Tess was purely platonic.

Relationships weren’t his gift. He’d made peace with that, particularly since the dissolution of his engagement to Sabrina Calhoun little more than a year ago. Tripp had made it clear, in a joking-not-joking manner, that despite their longtime friendship, he’d punch his lights out if Ryan ever hurt his sister.

He couldn’t blame the guy. Tess definitely deserved better.

“Way to go, Tess.” A wide grin spread across Tripp’s face. He gave his sister a fist bump, followed by a simulated explosion.

The Nobles’ signature celebratory handshake.

“Thanks, Tripp.” Tessa casually stepped away from him.

Ryan drank his beer, captivated by her delectable scent which still lingered in the air around him.

“You look particularly proud of yourself today, big brother.” Tessa raised an eyebrow, her arms folded.

The move inadvertently framed and lifted Tessa’s rather impressive breasts. Another feature he tried hard, as her best friend, to not notice. But then again, he was a guy, with guy parts and a guy brain.

Ryan quickly shifted his gaze to Tripp’s. “You still pumped about being a bachelor in the Texas Cattleman’s Club charity auction?”

Tripp grinned like a prize hog in the county fair, his light brown eyes—identical to his sister’s—twinkling merrily. “Alexis Slade says I’ll fetch a mint.”

“Hmm...” Ryan grinned. “Tess, what do you think your brother here will command on the auction block?”

“Oh, I’d say four maybe even five...dollars.” Tessa, Ryan, Gail and Roy laughed hysterically, much to Tripp’s chagrin.

Tripp folded his arms over his chest. “I see you all have jokes tonight.”

“You know we’re just kidding.” Ryan, who had called next, picked up a pool cue as Roy gathered the balls and racked them. “After all, I’m the one who suggested you to Alexis.”

“And I may never forgive you for creating this monster.” Tessa scowled at Ryan playfully.

“My bad, I wasn’t thinking.” He chuckled.

“What I want to know is why on earth you didn’t volunteer yourself?” Gail asked. “You’re a moderately good-looking guy, if you like that sort of thing.” She laughed.

She was teasing him, not flirting. Though with Gail it was often hard to tell.

Ryan shrugged. “I’m not interested in parading across the stage for a bunch of desperate women to bid on, like I’m a side of beef.” He glanced apologetically at his friend, Tripp. “No offense, man.”

“None taken.” Tripp grinned proudly, poking a thumb into his chest. “This ‘side of beef’ is chomping at the bit to be taken for a spin by one of the lovely ladies.”

Tessa elbowed Ryan in the gut, and an involuntary “oomph” sound escaped. “Watch it, Bateman. We aren’t desperate. We’re civic-minded women whose only interest is the betterment of our community.”

There was silence for a beat before Tessa and Gail dissolved into laughter.