Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 142783 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142783 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Next to her was an older woman, close to her 80s, I would say, her aged face filled with mischief and warmth.
Juni hopped the rest of the way over to her.
“Well, who do we have here?” the woman asked.
“Mimi, this is Uncle Logan’s old favorite friend but not his favorite anymore, and her name is Miss Aster, but she had to come because we likes her so very much and she helped us get the party ready.”
“Huh,” was what the woman said as she eyed me up and down. Then her smile turned sly. “Sure looks like you’re Logan’s favorite friend to me.”
Gretchen smacked her knee. “Oh, Maria, you should see it, this one has that boy wrapped around her little finger. I keep having to tiptoe around the apartment before I come across something I don’t want to see.”
She actually waggled her brows all while tipping half of her margarita out onto her lap. “Ooops.”
She giggled.
“Don’t want to get a look?” Mimi was aghast. “Now that is one hiney I wouldn’t mind getting my peepers on.”
She knocked her shoulder into Gretchen’s, giggling, too.
My lips pressed together.
These two were drunk.
“Well, now there’s our double trouble.” Logan’s voice came over me from behind.
I swore Mimi blushed while a shiver raced down my spine. “There you are, you sly dog.”
Logan chuckled low, then he bent over and kissed her cheek. “Good to see you, Mimi.”
“That’s Maria, to you.” She winked at him as she patted his cheek.
Oh my god.
I felt the giggle threaten at the base of my throat. I tried to cover it with my hand.
Logan peeked back at me. My brows lifted. He grinned.
Mimi’s expression turned soft. “Happy birthday, Logan.”
“Thank you.”
“Oh, I think it’s gonna be good, alright.” Gretchen lifted her margarita. It sloshed over the side and onto her hand.
“Sheesh, for someone who doesn’t like the messes, you sure is makin’ plenty of ’em, Nonie G.” Juni shook her head.
I laughed.
Logan stood, pushing to his full, towering height.
The man took the one step it required to erase the space between us, then he was slipping his arm around my waist, tugging me right to his chest. He leaned down so close I was almost scared and really excited that he was swooping down to kiss me, but he came up short, his breath mine. “Oh, it’s definitely going to be good.”
Stepping back, I tried to straighten myself out. To thwart this new energy that buzzed between us.
Logan introduced me to more guests, always calling me, His Aster.
He leaned down and kissed me on the temple.
I tried to keep it together.
To remember.
But tonight, I couldn’t seem to stop myself from slipping into his fantasy.
From tripping his direction.
Thirty days.
Thirty days.
I tried to chant it.
Claim it.
I needed to remember it because I was setting myself up to get ripped apart.
This was so much more dangerous than any deal I had made that fateful morning when I’d come crawling back to Logan’s office.
This?
This was real.
“Oh my god, you’re here!” A screech came from somewhere within the kitchen as Logan stepped through the archway.
A red head bobbed through the crowd, the woman literally jumping so she could see over the heads. She came winding through, wielding a bottle of champagne.
Logan leaned toward my ear. “You’re in trouble now.”
Oh, I was already there, but I felt it coming like a hurricane when the woman I remembered as a snowflake from the recital was suddenly throwing her arms around me like I was her oldest friend.
She squeezed me and shook me around. “I’m so happy you’re here! I wasn’t sure if you’d be since this guy over here usually has his big head shoved so far up his ass he doesn’t know up from down. I mean, I’ve seen his horrible decisions, but for once, I can see he has his head on straight.”
“Um…” I stammered.
Logan gave her a light punch on the shoulder. “It is my birthday, Tessa. Think you could cut a guy a break?”
“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’ll ouch you.”
“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.”