New Year’s Eve Kiss
New Year’s Eve is worse than Valentine’s Day Jane mused as she watched the couples on the dance floor. She sighed. Weddings made her feel pathetic. Of course her sister would compound her misery by having a New Year’s Eve wedding.
All she really wanted was a New Year’s Eve kiss but that wasn’t going to happen. Being single sucks.
“Hey mind if I join you?”
Jane bristled at the intrusion. Michael McKenzie was the last man she wanted to share New Year’s with— well that was a bald face lie. She should at least admit the truth to herself even if she wouldn’t dare say it out loud. Mike was the only man she wanted to share anything with. Too bad that wasn’t going to happen.
“Jane?”
She raised her eyes to meet his. Looking at him nearly stole her breath away. Why does it have to feel like being hit by a truck?
“I’m sorry.”
Seems he was always apologizing to her, usually after having sex with her. Maybe one day he’d get it right or just leave her alone. They’d been together three times, it was incredible but always ended with him making her cry. The first time she was only sixteen and he was nineteen and her brothers threatened him but he’d hurt her so badly she’d spent the next few years hiding from herself. Ten years later, things were not any better. He’d once again broken her heart, when after an incredible night together, his girlfriend showed up to surprise him. Boy, what a surprise.
“Would you like to dance?”
She glanced behind her to see if someone else was there.
“Jane?” He touched her and she trembled. He pulled her to her feet and led her out into the middle of the crowd of dancers.
He pulled her close but she resisted. Keeping her body stiff to avoid touching him. She wanted to bury her face against his chest. He held her head in his big hand and pulled her to him. She inhaled the scent of sunshine and man that seemed to be his own signature scent. A sob rose in her throat, she pushed away from him and hurried to the veranda determined not to let anyone see her cry.
He followed her, she’d known he would. She’d hoped the crowd would interfere and allow her to get away. Blind, she stumbled to the parking lot looking for her car. Stupid, you have a room here. She tried to remember which way to go.
“Jane,” he caught up to her, breathless. “Jane?”
“No,” she didn’t mean to shout. Lowering her voice, she whispered, her voice hoarse with emotion. “You can’t do this to me Mike. I can’t be your booty call. I can’t pretend I don’t have feelings for you. Just stay away from me and I’ll be fine.”
Pulling her against him, he groaned into her hair, “I can’t stay away. Jane,” but his words were lost when she pulled him down and kissed him with all the passion she’d been trying so hard to hide. She knew that she’d let him into her room. She’d have one last night but she was determined that this time, she’d be the one to leave. She kissed him as the fire works exploded in the ebony sky, signaling a new year.