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“Great to meet you, Tate,” Moose calls from his chair, holding his beer up and I nod.

“You, too.”

Smith jumps up and gives me a hug that makes Lincoln growl. “Don’t be a stranger, okay?”

“I think that’s enough,” Lincoln snaps, peeling Smith away from me and I grin at the knowing look in his eye.

“Thanks for inviting me,” I say to the whole circle. “It was great meeting all of you.”

We turn to leave and Lincoln slips his hand in mine, lacing our fingers together as we walk toward the car.

“Tate!” someone calls and I glance over my shoulder to see Smith waving to me. “When Kodi fucks up, I’ll be right here waiting, baby.”

I start laughing as Lincoln spins around and flips him off.

“You’re damn lucky I don’t break your neck tonight, Lucas,” he growls and a few of the guys laugh.

“Lucas?” I whisper and Lincoln nods.

“His first name.”

My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion starts playing and I glance back again to see Smith waving his phone over his head with his eyes closed.

“Come back to me, Tate!” he yells and Lincoln sighs as I giggle.

“Jesus, he’s drunk tonight.”

Turning back toward the Camaro, I drop my head back and yell, “Good-bye, Smith!”

“Get down before you fall in the fire, dumbass!” someone else yells and I laugh, feeling more carefree than I have in weeks.

“Did you have fun?” Lincoln asks as he opens my door and I nod, turning to face him with the door between us.

“Yes. This is amazing. Thank you for bringing me.” Leaning up on my tippy toes, I press my lips to his and he groans as his fingers slip into my hair.

“I’ve got to get you home,” he whispers against my lips, urgency in his voice and I nod before slipping into my seat. He closes my door and jogs around the back of the Camaro before getting behind the wheel. As we pull out of the parking lot, I glance in the side mirror and watch the scene behind me. It was exactly what I always imagined having a big family would feel like and it hits me that I don’t want to lose any of this.

We spend the rest of the ride to my house in a comfortable silence with our hands clasped between us and in my mind, I’m imagining an entire life with Lincoln. For the first time, I’m thinking of this as long term because the truth is that I’m completely and totally in love with the man sitting next to me and I’m ready for more. I’m ready for all of it.

When we pull up in front of the house, Lincoln parks the car and instructs me to wait while he jogs to open my door. Hand in hand, we walk up the front walk as butterflies flutter around in my belly. Tonight is the night. I’m done waiting for some sign that this is right because I already know that it is. Lincoln is the one I’ve been waiting for.

When we get to the front porch, I turn to face him and grip his shirt, pulling him to me as I press my lips to his. He lets out a low groan as his arms wrap around my waist, pulling me even closer as I slip my arms behind his neck. Stumbling in the dark, he moves us to the side of the house and my back presses against the doorbell. It rings from the other side of the door and I pull away as I start laughing.

“Sorry,” he murmurs. “Where were we?”

I lean in, letting my lips brush his. “Right about here, I think.”

He kisses me, mutters “Keys,” and kisses me again as I slip them into his hand. As he pulls back to focus on getting the door unlocked, I press my lips against his neck, loving the scratch of stubble on my lips as I breathe in his rugged scent. He groans and flicks his hips against me.

“Fuck, that feels good.”

Smiling, I lick a slow path up the side of his neck before nipping at his ear. “Unlock the door, baby.”

“I’m fucking trying but that is a little distracting.”

I giggle and blow a stream of cold air across his neck. He shudders in my arms with another groan.

“I don’t want to wait anymore, Lincoln. Tonight, I want you to make love to me.”