Chapter Twenty-Six

Bec

“ I ’ll never get all this glitter off my tits,” Dee shouts over the pulsing music. The club set off glitter bombs and confetti with their midnight balloon drop. We’ll get to remember the moment for probably the next week as we pull minuscule glitter remnants from our skin.

“Looks like that guy is willing to help you try,” Abby responds, nodding toward the bar as she sways and dips to the music, her medium brown skin glowing underneath the strobing club lights.

“In his fucking dreams,” Dee mutters, flipping her short hair back as he approaches. “What are you doing here, Dylan?”

“What a happy accident. Here I am thinking the New Year is off to a shitty start, and then I turn around and here you all are,” Dylan says, wrapping an arm around Dee’s shoulder, looking down at her and then each of us, showing off his stunning smile and perfectly messy dirty-blond hair. “I don’t think we’ve met yet.” He extends his free hand to Abby, who introduces herself.

“Dom left you all on your own tonight, huh? Ellie told us they were staying in with Luca for his first New Year,” Carissa says.

“Yeah, Dom may have bailed, but I’m not on my own. ”

“Happy New Year, everyone.” A familiar, deep voice sounds from behind me.

“Hey, Aiden. How’d this one rope you into playing wingman tonight?” Dee asks.

“Didn’t take much. First round was on him, and it beats staying home. Though Hop did try to convince me to stay with him tonight, so I owe him a proper celebration tomorrow.”

“Yes, you fucking do! You take care of that precious baby,” Dee shouts, pointing her finger in his face before she gets distracted by the next song and dances her way to Abby and Carissa.

“Happy New Year, Bec,” Aiden murmurs in my ear, leaning close as his fingers lightly graze the side of my hip. I can feel the heat radiating off him as he stands just a few inches away from my bare back where my gold, shimmery dress drops low. The deep tone of his voice resonates down my spine, sending shivers back up to my neck, and my breath catches in my throat. I turn my head to look over my shoulder at him. It’s unfair how sexy he looks tonight in all black, with his top buttons left open, teasing me with a glimpse of his chest. “You look beautiful. Even more so than last year.”

“A New Year’s Eve joke. You couldn’t help yourself, could you?” I laugh.

“Ah-ah. A New Year’s Day joke. It’s after midnight.”

“Hm…that’s true. Too bad you weren’t around for the countdown. I had to find some random guy to kiss.”

His easy smile disappears, and he straightens, his gaze raking over the dancing crowd. “Who?” The tease in me loves to hear the jealousy coloring his tone.

“Oh my god, relax. I’m kidding.” I turn my head, wrap my hand around the back of his neck, pull him toward me, and get on my toes to speak into his ear over the music. “No one here had a vibrator delivered to my door. That kind of chivalry reserved your rights to my first kiss of the New Year. If you step up your game and give me better than an eight out of ten this time, who knows…maybe it’ll get you my second kiss too.”

Okay, so maybe the last drink or two pushed flirty Bec onto center stage tonight. No turning back now.

The girls are distracted, their focus back on dancing as Dylan heads over to the bar. Aiden tugs my hip to turn me around to face him. Staring up at him, I’m reminded just how tall he is; despite my heels, he still towers over me. He flattens his palm at the base of my spine, setting my bare skin on fire. He slowly leans over and traces my ear with his lips as he asks, “You want to hear my New Year’s resolution?” His low voice causes goose bumps to erupt on my skin. Surrounded by a crowd of dancing bodies, there’s a natural sway as he holds me.

I wrap my arms around his neck, tugging him down farther so I can respond. “A bit cliché, don’t you think?”

“Not with something as important as this. I want to take you on your last first date.” He pulls back and smirks down at me. My heart feels like it’s going to pound out of my chest as I process what he’s saying.

“That confident, huh? This must be some first date.”

“What we do doesn’t matter so much…if you’re there, it’ll be everything I’ve imagined since the moment we met and you sunk your teeth into my skin. What do you say? Next Saturday night, can I take you out?”

I rub my hands down his chest to his waist. Goddamn, is he built of stone? “Somebody’s eager.” I turn away from him and sway my hips to the music with him at my back. I feel his hold on my hips tighten as he stiffens for a moment before he starts to move with me. Emboldened, I reach back and wrap my hand around his neck. I feel him hardening against my ass and my body flushes with heat. The steady beat of the music floods the room, and for a moment I close my eyes and just let this feeling of uninhibited bliss wash over me.

“You’re damn right I’m eager.” He lightly grabs my chin and turns my head to face him again. “I fucked up when we met, Bec.” The seriousness of the look he gives me startles me into stillness. “I let you go without giving you a reason to stay. I don’t plan on doing that again.”

“But you…you could date anyone. You’re successful. You’re sweet. You’re hot.”

“Bec, babe. You’re describing yourself. Don’t you get it yet? If you give me a second chance, I promise I won’t miss this time.”

Who the fuck am I to refuse?

“Saturday.” I nod. A genuine smile lights up his face, and I can’t help but smile back. We dance until the lights come on.