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Even on the balcony Cinq could hear the ruckus from the party. He knew he should be inside. He was the host after all, but it felt so … fake. The champagne was as warm as the room full of bodies, most of which he barely knew. The cheesy music pulsed against the glass door behind him, and the voices of the crowd. From his vantage point, he could see the countdown timer, which had the people filling the streets screaming even louder. The new year loomed.
Cinq startled when he felt a hand on his back.
“Easy, Boss. Just me,” Shaundi said, slipping her hands around his waist.
He pressed one of his hands over hers, the other gripped the railing.
“What are you doing out here?”
“Cooling off.”
“Something happen?” she asked, leaning her chin against his arm to look up at him.
With a groan, Cinq swung his arm around her and pulled her against his chest. He dropped a kiss on her forehead. “No, I meant literally. Too many people breathing and dancing.”
Shaundi laughed softly. “Well, you could take off that jacket and give it to the woman in the strapless dress.”
With a smirk he started to shrug it off.
“I was kidding,” she retorted.
Cinq draped the jacket over her shoulders. Holding onto the lapels he pulled her closer. “Never kid when chivalry’s involved,” he teased.
“I’ll remember that for next time.”
The chanting surrounded them on all sides, from the room behind him and rising from the street below. “You always say that.”
Shaundi smiled up at him. She pulled out one of those poppers and pulled the string “Happy New Year, Cinq!” she laughed as glitter and thin tissue paper streamers fell over the pair of them.
With a sweet smile on his lips, he pulled a silvery metallic fleck out of her hair, then he tucked his fingers under her chin to lift it. “Happy New Year!” he whispered before he kissed her softly. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Leaving the party.” He pushed her hair off her forehead. “Coming out here. Stealing my coat.”
Shaundi pinched his ribs. “I think you better shut up and kiss me before I go back in there and take your jacket with me.”
Cinq laughed and did just that, smiling against her lips. It was a better New Year’s night than he expected.