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“Ten!”

“Yeah,” Lake answered absently. “I forgot what the time was, and I haven’t found anyone.”

“Found anyone for what?”

“Eight!”

“Midnight.” He made it sound like Grady should know what he was talking about, but Grady had no fucking clue.

“Why do you need someone for midnight?” Grady asked. What the fuck was Lake talking about now?

“Six!”

Lake bit his lip and returned to stand in front of Grady. He had a speculative look in his pretty eyes that Grady wasn’t sure he liked. Nothing good ever came from a look like that.

“Four!”

“It’s tradition,” Lake said. “You have to participate.”

“Participate in what?” Grady asked. He’d participated more than enough just by being there. Had there been some kind of fine print he’d missed on the invitation? No one had told him he’d have todoanything. He hadn’t even planned to shout “hooray” when the new year showed its face. He came, he saw, and now he just wanted to go home.

“Two!”

“Ah, fuck it,” Lake said with a shrug.

Grady didn’t get a chance to ask what the fuckthatmeant before Lake was fisting his collar and yanking him down into an open-mouthed kiss. The momentary shock was enough for Lake to flick his tongue across Grady’s, sending a spark of electricity running through him. Wrapping an arm around Lake’s waist and playing with his tongue was pure instinct. Lake moaned, and then hands were running through Grady’s hair. Grady grabbed the bottom of Lake’s shirt in his hand, twisting it as he thoroughly mapped out Lake’s mouth.Damn, he felt good. Solid muscle and just the right height that Grady didn’t have to bend too far.

“Happy New Year!”

That should have been the end of the kiss. Grady had worked out why Lake had initiated it, what he’d needed to “find someone” for. Grady hadn’t volunteered, but he couldn’t say he was upset about it. Except now it was over, Grady couldn’t seem to make himself let go. Lake seemed to have the same problem if the way he was clinging to Grady’s hair was any indication.

When Lake did eventually pull away, his pupils were dilated, his lips swollen and slick with their combined spit. He looked thoroughly debauched, and it made Grady thicken in his pants. Lake was a good-looking guy already but like this? He was stunning, like he’d beenmadejust to be wrecked so beautifully.

“Well…” Lake cleared his throat, stepping away. His eyes were still locked on Grady’s. “That was better than I was expecting.”

What? Grady frowned. “I shudder to think.” He didn’t want to know. He didn’t want to— “What were you expecting?”

Lake shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets as he gave a lopsided grin. “Dunno. Never thought about it.” He pulled one hand back out and slapped Grady on the chest. “I like your tongue; you know what to do with it.”

Grady had no idea how to respond to that, so he didn’t, because what the hell was he supposed to say? Thanks? So do you, for a straight guy? He didn’t have to, anyway, since Lake continued without his input.

“Great way to start the year!” Lake winked as he stepped backwards, turning as he went. “Better go find my boys. See you ‘round!”

Grady hoped not. Though watching him walk away was a nice experience because fuckinghell, he wasn’t sure he would ever see a rounder ass than that for the rest of his life. What a waste.

LakeMcKennahummedtohimself as he swung his key ring around one finger and let himself out of his best friends’ house. Zach and Felix always threw a great New Year’s Eve party, and normally he would spend the night passed out somewhere, uncomfortable after drinking more than his weight.

This year he hadn’t had a drop of alcohol. It was Zach and Felix’s first yearwithhis brother, Avery, and he wanted to give them some privacy to do whatever couples did to bring in the new year—he definitely wasn’t going to think too hard about that one.

He stopped short on the front steps as he spied someone standing at the end of the driveway. He recognised the broad shoulders stretching that light-blue button-down shirt: Grady Donehue, the detective he’d kissed at midnight. Another guy wouldn’t have been Lake’s first choice, because it did nothing for him personally, but kissing someone during the countdown was arule.Lake couldn’t have his whole year start off by breaking a cardinal rule like that.

He’d somehow hit the jackpot for a New Year’s Eve kiss anyway, guy or not, becausedamndid Grady know how to kiss. It might not have gotten Lake’s motor going, so to speak, but he’d enjoyed it for what it had been. Anyone who got to kiss that mouth was a lucky guy.

“Hey,” Lake said, approaching the big guy. “What are you doing?” He was sure he’d seen him leave at least fifteen, maybe even twenty minutes ago. Why was he just standing outside?

Grady held up the phone in his hand, a scowl darkening his face. “Twenty-minute wait for an Uber that just got extended by another ten minutes.”

“Damn,” Lake whistled lowly. He’d never waited more than ten or fifteen minutes. “They must be busy tonight.”