“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.
Tessa was utterly adorable, giggling like a schoolgirl. The sound—rooted in his earliest memories of her—instantly conjured a smile that began deep down in his gut.
He studied her briefly. Her curly, dark brown hair was pulled into a low ponytail and her smooth, golden brown skin practically glowed. She was wearing her typical winter attire: a long-sleeved plaid shirt, jeans which hid her curvy frame rather than highlighting it, and the newest addition to her ever-growing sneaker collection.
“You’re a brave man.” Ryan shifted his attention to Tripp as he leaned down and lined his stick up with the cue ball. He drew it back and forth between his forefinger and thumb. “If these two are any indication—” he nodded toward Tess and Gail “—those women at the auction are gonna eat you alive.”
“One can only hope.” Tripp wriggled his brows and held up his beer, one corner of his mouth curled in a smirk.
Ryan shook his head, then struck the white cue ball hard. He relished the loud cracking sound that indicated a solid break. The cue ball smashed through the triangular formation of colorful balls, and they rolled or spun across the table. A high and a low ball dropped into the pockets.
“Your choice.” Ryan nodded toward Tessa.
“Low.” Hardly a surprise. Tessa always chose low balls whenever she had first choice. She walked around the table, her sneakers squeaking against the floor, as she sized up her first shot.
“You know I’m only teasing you, Tripp. I think it’s pretty brave of you to put yourself out there like that. I’d be mortified by the thought of anyone bidding on me.” She leaned over the table, her sights on the blue two ball before glancing up at her brother momentarily. “In fact, I’m proud of you. The money you’ll help raise for the Pancreatic Cancer Research Foundation will do a world of good.”
She made her shot and sank the ball before lining up for the next one.
“Would you bid on a bachelor?” Ryan leaned against his stick, awaiting his turn.
He realized that Tess was attending the bachelor auction, but the possibility that she’d be bidding on one of them hadn’t occurred to him until just now. And the prospect of his best friend going on a date with some guy whose company she’d paid for didn’t sit well with him.
The protective instinct that had his hackles up was perfectly natural. He, Tripp and Tessa had had each others’