New Year’s Eve
New Year’s Eve
Amelie
“Happy new year, mother fuckers!” Kalen crows, right into my ear drum, making me wince. Like my head wasn’t already pounding from the obnoxiously loud music in this woke club he insisted we all come to.
“Asshole,” Onyx snaps, spotting my wince and pulling me into the safety of his arms. He’s still fiercely protective of me, even against his own brothers, and I love that time hasn’t changed that about him at all. If anything, he’s worse than ever. I’d never tell him, but I love it.
“Hey, come on,” I chastise him softly. “Let’s start the year as we mean to go on. Maybe not with words of anger?”
“Fine,” he huffs, leaning in to caress the shell of my ear with his lips and causing shivers to dance up and down my spine at the contact. “Fine. I vow to see in the new year exactly how we saw out the old. With me, balls deep in your tight—”
“Resolutions!” Kalen cries, blowing a party horn right in our faces. Onyx’s dark eyes flash with murder and I grab his hand to squeeze it to bring his attention back to me.
“I’m going to hold you to that promise, On,” I whisper, as my core clenches.
It doesn’t matter that less than ten minutes ago he was screwing me in the bathroom of the fancy up-market club, with one dark look from Onyx, I’m raring to go again and more than ready to ditch this party to start our own back home.
Maybe even in the back of the car that’s outside waiting for us. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt since leaving Australia and coming to England it’s that there’s a lot to be said for travelling in limousines when you have four insatiable boyfriends.
“Resolutions?” Sawyer asks with a bemused smile on his face as he sips his beer. “Since when do we do those?”
“Since now!” Kalen exclaims, bouncing on the balls of his feet with way too much energy. He’s spent the night dancing away, and yet he’s still full of beans when all I want is my bed.
“I am not cut out for this all-nighter shit,” I mumble under my breath, making Slate chuckle as he comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. I lean back into his embrace and gaze up at him. “What?”
“It’s literally twelve-o-one. Hardly an all nighter, Amelie.”
“I’m tired. Give me a break, we’ve been working so damn hard.”
“True,” he admits, shooting me a sympathetic smile.
“What are you two whispering about?” Kalen pouts. “Share your resolutions with all of us.”
“Nothing, Kalen. I don’t have a clue what my resolution should be. Any ideas?”
“I think you should let me do that thing again, you know the one with my monster—”
“That was a one time only thing! I’m definitely not going to be repeating that fiasco.”
“Never say never, sis.” He gives me puppy dog eyes but there’s no way in hell they’ll work on me. I shake my head.
“Maybe this year I’ll find a better work-life balance,” I muse.
“Babe, that’s not something you find, you have to create it, make it happen,” Sawyer says gently. Plus, it’s never gonna happen.
“A girl can dream. Alright then, what’s yours?”
“My resolution is to finish redoing the body work on the car.”
“That’s a good one actually. Slate?”
“Someone ask me what mine is,” Kalen complains, but we all ignore him, focusing on Slate.
He shrugs.
“I don’t know. Maybe to actually sign one of those music deals I’ve been looking over. Or start my own label.”
I give him an encouraging smile, wrapping my arms up around his neck and pulling him down to me for a kiss.
“That’s perfect. Do it yourself. How about you, On?”
“Easy. Mine’s to hunt Baxter down and kill him for calling what feels like every time we’ve tried to have sex in the past few months.”
I laugh, even though I know he’s probably deadly serious.
“Is it my turn now?” Kalen asks with another comical pout.
“Yes, Kalen, it’s your turn. What’s your resolution?”
He beams at us. “I want to celebrate a holiday or event, every month of the year!”
There’s a moment of silence and then we all burst out laughing, though I’m the first to stop when I catch his wounded expression.
“What?” he whines.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh. It’s just…do you think that’s…achievable? To do something every month?”
Kalen can’t even remember to take the bins out every week, there’s no way he can commit to twelve months of celebrations. Not a chance.
“Absolutely. Because it’ll give me something to plan and look forward to each month, and because each month will be different, I won’t get bored.”
He might have a point, but it’s one of those I’ll believe it when I see it sort of situations. We’re still so busy with The Order that I don’t quite know how he’ll find the time anyway.
Still, I don’t want to be a bitch and rain on his parade so I gave him an encouraging smile.
“I think that sounds great. What will you do for January?”
His smile falls as a frown forms between his brows. “Doesn’t this count?”
“The party? No, it started last night.”
“Technically, it started last year,” he says with a wink. “Okay…well, what big calendar events are there in January? I kind of got ahead of myself and was getting excited for February and March. St Patrick’s day is going to be epic! I already ordered sexy leprechaun costumes.”
“Well, there’s—”
He cuts me off with a snap of his fingers.
“Australia Day! We can have an Aussie themed party and food and a barbecue, and maybe I’ll hire a bouncy castle for old time’s sake!
And we can finally use that Fairy Bread recipe book you got me for my birthday!
” He’s so excited it pains me to burst his bubble, but he catches my pained expression. “What?”
“Australia day isn’t a massive thing for all Australians, Kalen. Especially indigenous people.”
“Huh?”
“It’s complicated and I’ll explain in more detail another day, but some consider it a day of mourning.”
He frowns. “Well, what can I do instead?”
“What about Chinese new year?” I suggest instead.
“Ooooh! That’s a good one! I love Chinese food. And we could dress up in Saris—”
I shake my head.
“Kimonos?” He pouts.
“Nope.”
“Fine,” he sighs. “Well, we can all wear Hello Kitty or whatever the national dress of China is.”
I giggle at the thought of Onyx and Sawyer wearing anything Hello Kitty and Kalen shoots me a dirty look.
“I’m going to throw an epic party. Leave it all to me. You’ll see. I’m going to make this year one we’ll never forget.”