But I knew what he was really asking.
Be with me.
In a way beyond how we were together right now. In a way we hadn’t been in years.
Before Lane could retort, the DJ lowered the volume on the music and shouted into the mic. “It’s almost time!”
I twisted my neck to glance at the screen he’d set up behind him, which showed a countdown to midnight.
Less than twenty seconds remained.
I faced Lane again.
He didn’t speak. He merely stared at me, waiting.
The crowd around us launched into the final countdown.
Ten.
Nine.
Eight.
Seven.
I had mere seconds to make up my mind. Lane’s fingers flexed against the upper curve of my ass, like he wanted to pull me closer but refrained, letting me take the lead in this moment.
Six.
Five.
Four.
Three.
He always knew exactly what I needed.
God, I loved him.
Two.
One.
As confetti and cheers exploded, I pressed up onto his toes and kissed him. One of his hands came up to cup the back of my head, threading through my hair, but he didn’t try to deepen the kiss. He allowed me to control the pace and pressure.
Finally, I pulled back.
“Happy birthday, sunny,” Lane murmured against my lips.
I grinned. “Thank you. And I know what I want as my present.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Take me home, Chief.”
twenty-six
. . .
