Lacey shook her head. “Excuse them, they’ve been drinking.”
“Ooh!” Grace pointed at the screen. “The countdown’s starting!”
Ten… nine… eight…
Lacey flipped the phone’s camera so Drew could see what they were watching.
Seven… six… five… four… three…
Janine held her glass in the air. “To the New Year. May it be filled with love and happiness!”
Two… one…
“Happy New Year!” everyone said at the same time. The girls shared a group hug, while Lacey held on to her phone. They tapped their glasses together and then to the screen of Lacey’s phone.
Drew was holding up a glass of his own. “Happy New Year.”
While Janine and Grace sang “Auld Lang Syne,” Lacey went into her bedroom and closed the door. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be. Happy New Year, Lacey. I wish I was there to kiss you.”
“I do too.”
That was exactly what Lacey had been worried about. How many holidays would they miss? Granted, they just saw each other a little over a week ago, but since then, two holidays had passed. And they wouldn’t see each other in January because she’d be busy with work. Even her weekends would be tied up until she locked down Carson Enterprises as a client. And once she did that, Lacey would become partner in her advertising firm, and then she’d really be busy…
“Where did you go?” Drew’s voice pulled Lacey from her spiral of negative thoughts.
“Just thinking. Sorry.” Trying to put a bit more pep to her voice, she asked, “Where are you?”
“I’m at a client’s house. He and his wife had a party tonight. Lots of couples.” Drew’s smile faltered, and Lacey knew how he felt even though Grace and Janine weren’t paired off. “Do you know what I’d do if I were there right now?”
Lacey sat on her bed, propping her back against her tufted headboard. “What?”
“I’d hold your face between my hands and get lost in your blueeyes. Then I’d bring my lips to yours and kiss you the same way you kissed me that first time. It’d be desperate at first… hungry even. Then I’d slow the tempo down and get lost in your taste and the feathery strokes of your tongue. My hands would leave your cheeks and move down your back, pulling your body close to mine until there wasn’t a modicum of space left between us.
“Then I’d take you back to my room and love you until we both were too exhausted to blink. We’d fall asleep, and I’d hold you all night long.” Tears welled in Lacey’s eyes. She’d so desperately wished they were together before the call, and now her desire grew tenfold. “You took my breath away that day and at the same time breathed something into me that I was missing. Despite the reason, it was the best moment of my life.”
Tears were rolling down Lacey’s cheeks. “That’s not fair, Drew Mitchell.” She wiped her fingers under one eye, then the other. “You can’t say things like that and expect me to function correctly. How am I going to sleep tonight?”
“I love you, Lacey. Think of that when you close your eyes, and then dream of me.”
Without a thought she said, “I always do.”
His eyes widened, glistening just as hers were a few seconds ago. “You do?”
She nodded. “You’re a special man, and you mean a lot to me. A man with integrity isn’t easy to come by.”
“I know how hard it is for you to trust someone, Lacey. I promise you, I’ll never do anything to hurt you.”
Lacey smiled. “I know.” Grace called for her, saying they were going to start watching a movie, another one of their New Year’s Eve rituals. “I hate to do this but…”
“Go have fun with the girls. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Okay. Have fun at the party.”
“It won’t be as much fun as if you were here, but I’ll try. Sweet dreams, Lacey.”
Her phone beeped three times, and the screen went black. She brought her phone to her lips and kissed it. “Sweet dreams, Drew.”