I looked back just in time to see her standing in the double doorway.
Her hands were latched on the shoulders of the same little girl who’d nearly dropped me to my knees on Wednesday. She seemed unsure, wary to take a step forward because she might just be treading into a field of landmines.
“Juni Bee! My bestest friend in the whole wide world! You came to have a party with us?!” Gage screeched it as he went racing that way.
“Yes!” she squealed. “Miss Tessa said we hads to come because you and your daddy are getting married!”
My chest fucking fisted.
“And look at my pretty party dress! My mommy sewed it up because we gots it at the special store for the seconds and now it fits and now I’m a princess!”
That fist tightened in a death grip.
Had to rip myself from the snare of the sweet little thing.
Only it had me jerking up to meet the ferocity in Salem’s eyes.
Thunderbolt eyes.
They seared through me and sent every sane thought I possessed scattering.
Mindfucked.
She was nothing but hot-as-hell body. Lush curves and tempting shape.
She wore this slinky, cream-colored blouse that had my hands desperate to sink right in. A black, flowy skirt with another pair of those heels, and shit, my heart was doing that stupid, wayward thing.
Emotions ran rampant.
Wild as they tugged and pulled.
Want.
Shame.
Relief.
Regret.
Most foolish one of all?
This feeling that everything that’d gone bad for the last three days had just been made right.
FOURTEEN
SALEM
I froze in the double doorway that led into the private party room.
I should have known better than coming here. I’d rethought it at least fifteen times as I’d gotten ready. I’d finally decided to forget the whole thing since stepping out this way was clearly a horrible idea.
Then I’d received a text from Tessa.
An SOS asking if I could do her a favor and pick up some black ribbon on my way so she could focus on getting set up.
No doubt, that was exactly what this was.
A set up.
Because Tessa shifted to look at me from over her shoulder.
In an instant, I saw the smirk curve her mouth as her attention darted between me and the man who stood stock-still by the table.
A torrent of energy sucked the oxygen from the room and overflowed it with his presence.
Jud stood by the table, blinking like he thought I was a hallucination.
His jaw clenched tight though something soft filtered through his expression. Something that threatened to make my knees go weak.
Curling my hands protectively on Juni’s shoulders, I lifted my chin.
I wanted to refuse any of his attention because he clearly didn’t deserve any of ours.
He’d made me feel safe. Protected.
But the second I’d opened up a fraction, gave him just a little, he’d crushed it under his feet.
I deserved better—Juni deserved better—and maybe being here in Redemption Hills had helped me realize it was okay to dream of something better.
But I was the fool who’d let my mind think that better might be Jud Lawson.
Gage and Juni jumped around at my feet, hugging each other as if they hadn’t seen each other in years when it had just been yesterday morning.
“Come on, you gotta see the cupcakes!” Gage threaded his fingers through Juni’s, and the two of them scampered across the room.
The second Juni was gone, I felt exposed, standing there fidgeting like the outsider I was.
While Jud stared.
Heat blazed and severity throbbed.
I swallowed against the impact of it and forced myself to smile when Tessa moved my way. “Oh, thank god, you’re here! I have no idea what I would have done without that ribbon. My cupcake display is a disaster.”
My eyes narrowed as delight whipped through her features. I handed her the bag with the black fabric ribbon. By the looks of the decorations, she was doing just fine.
“It’s the least I could do.” Sarcasm wound into my voice.
Feigned innocence lined her expression. “Um, I have no idea what you’re implying. You straight-up saved this party. Could you imagine Eden walking in here and there was no matching ribbon on the dessert display?”
“The tragedy.”
Laughing, she wrapped me in a massive hug.
“Seriously, I am so happy you’re here, and you can so be mad at me, but I could tell you were thinking about not coming, and we really can’t have that happen. We’re best friends now, remember?”
My spirit danced and emotion climbed into my throat. Squeezing my eyes closed, I hugged her back.
But I couldn’t escape the heat of the man.
My eyes peeled open to find his gaze slaying me through.
I really hated how good he looked wearing fitted, dark gray dress pants and a light gray button-down, sleeves rolled up his forearms to expose the ink on his flesh.
I hated more how my stomach dipped. The way my thoughts went streaking back to the feel of his hands and mouth on me.
My thighs trembled.
I tore my attention from him when Tessa peeled herself back, and she held onto my upper arms the same way as she’d done when I’d met her. Her gaze swept over me. “Damn girl.”
I reached out and held her the same. “Ha…have you seen you?”
Tessa was wearing this shiny electric blue dress—the same color as her eyes. It was a halter-top, fitted and ruched, and dipped low between her breasts. Her red hair was pressed into giant curls that bounced over her bare shoulders.
She shimmied and winked. “Not too bad for the class nerd, huh?”
“Not bad at all.”
“Okay, I need to finish setting up. The rest of the guests should start arriving soon, and Eden and Trent should be here in fifteen.”
“What can I do?”
“Can you take a peek at the buffet and make sure it looks like they’ve put out everything we need?”
“Sure thing.”
I moved over to the long row of tables where the food was being set out. Chills skated down my spine because with each step, I could feel those eyes hooked on me.
Conflicting and confusing.
I had the urge to peek back. I stopped myself before I slipped into that recklessness.
Jud had already shown his hand, hadn’t he? His knee-jerk reaction had been clear enough. I needed to remember it.
But he never let me go of that connection.
A force came to tower over me from behind. It stole my breath and sent a rash of shivers racing across my flesh.
Citrus and cinnamon and spice.
A warm fall night.
I forced myself to remain turned away because I wasn’t sure I could handle him face-to-face.
“You’re here,” that deep voice rumbled.
I guarded myself against the pull of it, putting up every defense I possessed.
“I was invited.” It came out snippy.
Jud had the audacity to reach out and grip the two outside fingers of my right hand.
Heat zinged up my arm.
“I’m not saying I’m complaining.”
That resolve cracked, but it was fire that came out through the fracture. I whirled on him, and my voice dropped to a hiss. “I don’t think you have the right to say anything, Jud, so why don’t we leave it at that?”
Every rugged, handsome line on his face twisted, and those black eyes flashed.