*December 31, 2018*

*Luna*

One thing I enjoyed most in my life right now was having this gift of telepathy, this gift of popping by to see Amir doing whatever he was doing. And it was even more intriguing when I popped up at the same moment he was using the restroom. I almost made him shoot his stream to the side of the toilet by scaring him.

Payback.

He frightened me half to death a few nights ago, and now I was granted a turn. I averted my eyes, laughing, and stepped out into the other room, waiting for him. It was almost midnight for him, and New Years Day will ring in soon. Our first New Years to ring in together.

I was dressed in a short black dress and black heels with my hair loose and wavy around my face. He liked it like that. And I made sure I wore the nail polish and lipstick he continued to compliment me on. As I looked around in this unfamiliar room, I traced my fingers over a bookshelf with at least a hundred books in rows. Whoever's home this was, they were tidy, clean, organized, and very much unlike my place.

I stood against a windowsill and waited for him. Then I heard the water running, and I quietly smiled to myself, loving the fact that he washes his hands after using the bathroom. I didn't quite see exactly what he was wearing with his back turned while he was doing his business, but hell, I almost fainted.

When Amir stepped around the corner with his hair styled perfectly and his facial hair trimmed just right, he wore a long-sleeved shirt and black slacks. Damn. That had my stomach doing somersaults inside.

"Hi," he said, coming toward me and scooping me up into his arms. We fit so perfectly together. He glanced down, and his eyes bulged out as he admired my v-neck opening and his necklace dangling in between my breast. I absolutely loved this piece of jewelry. "Wow. Whew. It got hot in here fast."

"It did, huh?" I mumbled near his mouth, smiling so wide. "There are other ways to make it even hotter."

"I like the way you think."

I pulled back and stepped around him, gazing around the room. "Where are you?"

"Oh. I'm at my friend's house. Faris. He and his girlfriend are outside by a campfire with several of our colleagues out there. We're about to shoot some fireworks and tute our horns for another year."

I wrapped my arms around his waist as we stared out into the yard where his friends sat at. Lightly leaving soft kisses along his arm and shoulder, I bit my lip and smile up at him. "I like the way this New Years is the beginning. It's our first, just like Thanksgiving and Christmas. I feel like the luckiest person right now."

Amir spun around and held my waist tight, then cupped my cheeks with his hands. "A happy New Year with two happy souls. What could be better?" Leaning down, he kissed me gently and ushered me back onto his friend's bed, hovering over me.

I forget about the noise coming from outside and the people who could walk in any moment and just concentrate on him. I focused on the warmth he sent to my body, mind, and soul and enjoyed the way he expressed his emotions toward me. He lifted my leg up and moved gently in between my thighs, making me crave his emotional delights.

I wanted to keep going, and I would love to have everything line up just right if we were to be more intimate, but now just didn't seem to be the right time or place.

I was at home alone, but Amir wasn't, and I didn't want to feel like we were rushing into more than what we should. But now he lifted back and started unbuttoning his shirt, slowly bringing it down to the floor. My eyes darted up and down his body, causing me to feel weak inside.

"You. Are. So. Beautiful." He murmured near my ear. His gaze lowered to my lips, slightly parting his. "You know how to make me come alive and enjoy things that life brings my way. Just being this close to you is hypnotizing, and delightful."

I moaned softly, feeling his hand run down my exposed back and lightly caressing my skin.

"Trying to control myself with you isn't easy, Amir. I want to explo-"

Amir didn't hesitate to kiss me again.

This time it was like he was starving for air and needed his oxygen mask. I was the only thing that could provide him exactly what he needed. He was so daring and passionate, he never hesitated to express his feelings toward me.

I felt a shudder roll out from the back of his throat, a half growl, half moan, with tiny shivers of pleasure shooting through him and entering me. There was no way I would stop where this night could lead us. The rush of sensations were now overtaking me.

*Amir*

*January 1, 2019*

In the middle of digging my fingers softly in her delicate hair, I heard the fireworks sounding from outside and my friends cheering loudly. But in the midst of being so passionate with her, I couldn't break away, especially when I felt my own fireworks explode inside my chest the moment I kissed her again.

It was now New Year's Day and spending the night with her was a magical celebration.

She just told me she couldn't control herself around me, and boy do I know how she felt. She sparked me alive, my heart was overflowing with electricity to continue loving her. The sensations that crawled inside my body sent my mind into a state of euphoria.

I was loving everything about her and the man I wanted to be when I was around her.

Luna Carlyle: the woman I'm madly in love with. I couldn't live without this extraordinary person for as long as I live.

I ran my hand down to her hip and the other around the back of her leg, rubbing lightly against her. She moaned again. And she doesn't understand how hot that made me feel, especially right now. When we rolled over a little, I heard a lamp topple over, making the light pop inside the shade. Then somehow, as she laid on top of me, I pressed the button on the remote for the TV to turn on, then off, and then back on.

I pulled myself up on my elbows and grabbed the remote and turned that sucker off. But then she frowned, and I looked up into her eyes.

"What is it, Luna?"

"My favorite movie was on."

"Really... what's that?"

"New Year's Eve. I kind of wanted to watch it with you."

I quietly giggled, and we both laid back on the bed, gazing up at the wall. "Now?" And then I slapped my forehead, thinking that was a stupid thing to say. "I'm sorry. I was thinking about the worse timing for it."

She pouted. "I know. But to be honest..." She lowered her gaze down to the bed and then met my eyes again. "I know I'm feeling lively and passionate with you, but doing more than what we have is a huge step."

I leaned up and kissed her forehead.
"I understand exactly what you mean. We should slow down."

In actuality, we had many years to spend together and do whatever we pleased. I also think that in the middle of our intimate moment together, we were both devouring one another, drowning into each other that it was almost hard to slow down.

We've had this intimacy between us build up for so long, and God was that hard to stop. We both wanted more, and could have done more. But we slowed down for the right reasons.

For a traditional courtship, if she were single and living with her family, I would send her a proposal through her family. Then her family would get in touch with mine and go from there. I wouldn't be this exploratory as I am with Luna, but our romance wasn't traditional, and our fondness of one another would never go away.

*Luna*

Why?

Why did I have to stop something so intimate over a silly idea to watch a movie that I've seen a dozen times? Because Luna Carlyle is a weirdo, my conscience murmured to me.

I mean, one minute Amir and I were all over each other, and the next, we were knocking down furniture and flipping on the TV like we were hormonal kids and ready to have sex. I didn't know what came over me. I wanted to rip my outfit off and have him explore any part of me in any way he wanted. I felt the electricity between us build and build and build so high
that it became higher than
Trump's Wall.

Even though Amir was lying right beside me with his bare chest out in the open, his stomach all dipped and rippled in all the right places, and my dress exposing my cleavage, we have controlled ourselves.

Tangling my feet with his and watching New Year's Eve, we still heard the fireworks going off in the background, and people cheering outside. I enjoyed this New Years, until I messed everything up.

My body was lying in my bed, but our souls stayed connected, unable to part from one another. He reached down to my neck, lowering his finger down my skin, and stopped at the necklace he sent me. I fucking love it. It was the best thing I'd ever gotten aside from giving birth to Sarah. She was at my neighbor's house down the road for a sleepover, and Chase, well, he was still on his rant over the necklace. He believed Mera's son, Raul, gave it to me, only because I'm a nice person and courteous to other business owners on the block. Chase can kiss my ass. He went with his boys for the rest of the day and night instead. So, I decided time with Amir will be well spent.

And it was. It really was.

Now I sound like an older, Rose Dawson, from Titanic in my head. "And it was. It really was."

Wait... Why am I even thinking about all that right now? Because Luna Carlyle needed help. Plain and simple.

I started keeping the necklace in my safe at work. That way I won't hear the big baby crying over a present. Amir distracted my hatred for Chase's actions by humming close to my ear. I think I heard him whisper my name as his arms tighten around me, almost crushing me against his chest.

"So mesmerizing," he mumbled against the tip of my lips. And then he leaned down to kiss me. And my heart now said 'yes,' letting him have his way. His kisses were a mixture of feeling and wanting between his soft moans.

But when I saw Zac Efron's character run to Michelle Pfeiffer in Times Square, I yanked my face up quickly, hitting the bridge of Amir's nose harshly.

Why did Zac Efron have to distract me?

*Amir*

She must love Zac Efron, because all he had to do was kiss the actress, and it turned her on.

I wiggled my nose and held my head up, hoping I wouldn't start bleeding. She looked ashamed and sadden by her sudden burst of enthusiasm from hearing him speak, so I reached over and consoled her.

She felt bad for hitting our faces together, but for Zac, I'll let it slide.

"Luna, I'm okay."

"I'm so sorry that I did that," she pleaded. "I don't know what got into me."

"It's all right. You heard your favorite actor say something, and it made you jump." I loved teasing her.

"He isn't my favorite actor, but he is one of my favorite entertainers."

"Mmm... really." I smiled and felt her hop on top of me, straddling my waist. "Who else do you like?"

"There are a lot of entertainers I enjoy," she said, lowering her lips down to my chin. "And one of them is close by."

Ah. Ah. She was trying to play a cute game with me. "Oh. I guess they are somewhere around here?" She shyly looked away, grinning like crazy.

Her opened cleavage was about to get the best of me. I've got to slow down.

"Hmm. He is."

"And who would that be?"

"I'll give you a hint. He has four letters in his name, and he has a talent that not everyone has the pleasure to listen to."

"Are you talking about me?" She nodded. "Mmm... I'll show something hidden if you'd like."

I rolled her over and kissed her neck and shoulders while I felt her shaking under me.

Despite the small injury, this New Years turned out to be pretty wonderful.

***

A huge reveal is coming up for both Chase AND Amir. Stay tuned. 😳

A huge shout out to all of you who are reading my story. Posting my story on Wattpad has never been about getting famous or many reads or votes and comments, but to share a world that I had written and give readers out there some entertainment. As a writer, that is my sole purpose. And if I do not receive votes or comments on chapters, I am fine with that. All I care about is giving Souls fuel to continue reading and enjoy the story they are diving into. So, thank you, Tethered Family. My sole purpose for this storyline is Unity and bringing diverse individuals together. After seeing how many people are reading my book, my goal has been accomplished. It is a tethered connection. We are linked! 💖