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But tonight? Tonight, I felt like I finally fit the part of the twenty-three-year-old Marine I was. Like I’d come to a party because I’d wanted to, and not as a favor to a family friend. And even if this didn’t go anywhere when the party ended, I’d beleaving as a man who laughed under the stars with a gorgeous, impressive, and unforgettable girl.
And right when I was about to scold myself for sounding like a country singer again, the telltale sound of the New Year’s Eve countdown began. Suddenly, a new resolution took hold of me, and I only had one thing on my mind.
I straightened from my spot against the railing, taking a deep breath as I faced her. “Are you against makin’ wishes when you blow out your candles, too?”
“Nope.” Her green eyes danced as she stared up at me with a whisper of a smile. “I’d never pass up the opportunity to make a wish. That’s just fun.”
“You’re fun,” I replied, stepping a touch closer. “What about breakin’ wishbones?”
The countdown continued around us as she wrinkled her nose. “I’ve never done it, but I’ve got nothin’ against it.”
“I’ll take that.” Slowly, I took the final step between us.
I ran my hand over her waist, then brought it to rest on her lower back.
But I didn’t pull her in.
Not yet.
My cheek brushed hers as I leaned in, whispering in her ear. “And what about a good ol’ fashioned New Year’s kiss? Too cliche?”
I held my breath as I waited for her reply, leaning back so I could read her response.
Her lips curved into a mischievous smile as she tilted her head, pretending to consider my question. “Hmm, a New Year’s kiss might be cliche,” she drawled, her accent as honey-sweet as I imagined her lips would be. “But sometimes the classics are classic for a reason.”
Her fingers danced along the lapel of my jacket, sending tingles down my spine, and I felt my own lips twitch. “Agreed.”
Shouts of “Happy New Year!” rang out all around us, but we were still frozen in place, staring into each other’s eyes, so close I could feel the rhythm of her breaths against my chest. I didn’t know if I moved first or if she did, but suddenly my own breath caught in my throat as our lips neared?—
Right up until I saw her eyes go wide just as her champagne glass slipped from her hand.
I dipped low on instinct, and before I could even think about how to catch it or where to reach for it, the glass was in my hand.
Saved—except for the two sips at the bottom that’d splattered onto the stone patio.
Red let out a choked laugh, then covered her mouth with her hand as I leaned over to place the glass on a high-top table near the railing.
When I turned and took my time getting back to where we were, she lowered her hand from her mouth. “So, um… I think we were supposed to…”
“Yeah, I think we were,” I replied, tentatively putting my hand on her back once again. This time, Ididpull her closer.
“Did we miss our chance?”
I shrugged, leaning in until our lips were a breath away. “Better late than never, right?”
7/
paisley
I stared at the large middle screen at my console. A flutter of nerves danced in my stomach, and I’d call it first-day jitters at any new job, but this was different. This wasn’t justanyjob. The life-or-death stakes weighed heavily on me, and I also wanted to prove—to myself and to everyone watching—that I could handle whatever this town threw my way.
Adam included.
All of Charlotte Oaks was mapped out before me, and the tiny blue dots on the map marked the current locations of the officers. All of the officers on duty—all eight of them anyway—were busy on separate calls, and a male subject at a truck stop just outside of town was giving the paramedics a hard time.
Not just any paramedics, either. Bailey and Jackson were out there on what was supposed to be a simple call for a man with a bump on his head, and now they needed assistance.
But there was none to give.
