"You can open your eyes now," I say quietly and wait excitedly for Zach's reaction.

"Holy shit!" Zach gasps and eyes me from toe to head. His gaze lingers on my cleavage for a moment before his eyes wander up to my face again. "Baby, you look...wow."

I slowly step closer with a wide smile on my face.

"So, you like it?" I ask and stop in front of him.

Zach grabs my hand and lets me spin around. "I love it!" he states and wraps his arm around my waist.

By choosing this outfit, I really had to get out of my comfort zone. I'm wearing a silk, light-blue mini dress which is forbiddingly short. It barely covers my ass and ends midway down my thighs, but I somehow liked it when Hailey forced me to try it on. It has thin shoulder straps which cross over down the back and leave most of it bare, so I can't even wear a bra beneath it. The generous neckline leaves little room for imagination, just as the rest of the dress. It's quite skintight from the waist upward but falls down loose over my butt.

"God," Zach mutters and starts kissing my neck. "Do we have to attend that party tonight?"

I tilt my head and rake my fingers through Zach's damp hair.

"I didn't buy that dress for staying in the hotel room the whole night," I state lowly and bite back a soft moan as Zach grazes my neck with his teeth. "Get dressed now, you horny boy!" I lightly push him away and give him a wink.

Zach growls unwillingly but lets go of me and walks over to the walk-in closet. On the way, he casually drops his towel, causing my eyes to land on his sexy ass. I chuckle as he shoots me a smug smile over his shoulder before he vanishes in the walk-in closet.

I use the time Zach gets dressed to apply some mascara and a light pink lipstick. My hair has its natural waves which I'd like to keep tonight, so I simply brush through it with my fingers. A look into the mirror makes me giggle. I look so different with that sexy and very short dress, but it's New Year's Eve and sometimes you just have to come out of your comfort zone a bit.

A few minutes later, Zach steps into the room again, wearing a navy-blue tuxedo. My eyes widen as I take in the sight of the breathtakingly beautiful man approaching me.

"What's that?" I breathe as he stops in front of me with a charming smile on his full lips.

"That's a tuxedo, my dear," he states with a wink and adjusts his black bow tie.

"Yea, I see that. I just thought you'd wear your usual suit. The one you're always wearing when you visit the casino," I state after clearing my throat.

"Well, I thought spending New Year's Eve on a fancy party with my stunning girlfriend would be a great opportunity to buy a new one." Zach shrugs and places a soft kiss on my blushed cheeks.

"It suits you," I remark and graze my fingers over the black satin collar of his tuxedo which makes a great contrast.

God, this man will be the center of attraction tonight. The navy-blue slacks perfectly hug his hips and let suspect what's beneath it while a black satin side-strap, which goes down his pants, emphasizes his long legs.

I beam up into his hazel eyes and push back his wavy hair.

"Wait. Where's your nose ring?" I ask as I notice his piercing is gone.

"Oh... well, I thought it would ruin the overall picture. Tonight, I'll be your classy man!" Zach explains with a wink and then asks softly, "Ready to end this year?"

I nod and slip into my navy-blue block heels, closing the thin ankle strap.

When we arrive on the top floor where the party takes place, I gasp as I take in the location. The first thing I spot is the giant window front which encircles the whole room, providing full sight over the city of Vancouver. In the middle of the room, I spot a huge dance floor which is surrounded by white, golden, and black balloons. The decoration is quite simple but still fancy and beautiful. God, I'm so excited for this evening. I can't hide the huge grin on my face as my mood is already so high. The song which is playing at the moment makes it even better.

Lean On by Major Lazer

"I haven't heard this song for ages!" I state and start swaying my hips as I look around, searching for my friends.

"Seems like you're much more relaxed now, huh?" Zach states with a grin. I nod and link arms with him.

I spot Hailey, Ben, and Abbey standing next to a white bar table. Of course, they chose the one closest to the generous buffet. I would've chosen the same one, to be honest.

With a giggle, I pull Zach towards the others. Abbey and Hailey gasp in sync as we approach them.

"Oh my god! You two look like you jumped right out of an advertisement," Hailey remarks with wide eyes, staring at Zach and me.

Zach chuckles deeply and gives me a playful wink.

"Hell, yes. Liv, I've never seen you in such a hot dress before," Abbey chimes in and shakes her head, so her ginger curls are bouncing around her face.

"Oh, come on, look at yourself. You look at least as hot in those dresses," I counter, and point at their outfits. Hailey's velvet mini dress in light pink shows even more cleavage than mine. It has a slit on the side which reveals nearly her full, toned leg. Abbey's skintight emerald green dress, however, is more decent. It ends right beneath her knees, and it's strapless, showing her feminine shoulders.

Hailey giggles and gives me a brief hug.

"But honestly, honey. Your man looks fucking hot in that tux!" she whispers close to my ear, so that only I can hear her.

I give her a knowing smirk. Yes, I know too well how sexy Zach looks tonight. I already spotted a few ladies shooting flirting glances at him, but he didn't even seem to notice. When I look at Ben, I'm sure he already earned a few of those glances too, wearing that simple light grey suit which perfectly flatters his ripped body. His white dress shirt is unbuttoned at the top and reveals a tiny bit of his muscly chest. With his dark blonde hair, he and Hailey make a perfect couple.

Hailey clears her throat and shoots me a playfully warning glance when I face her. I chuckle and intertwine Zach's and my hand. Satisfied, Hailey draws her full attention to her own boyfriend again and beams up at him. Even though she's wearing killer heels, he's still a lot bigger than Hailey. I think in fact he's even taller than Zach.

"Where are Sadie and Nora?" I ask and look around, searching for the rest of our friends.

"I am here!"

I turn around and gasp as my gaze falls on Nora.

"Damn, Nora. You look breathtakingly stunning!" I state with wide eyes. Nora in a dress is quite a rare sight, but she's definitely got the body to wear it.

She's wearing a black, sleeveless, high-neck dress which is so skintight, it shows every curve of Nora's feminine body. On one side, the asymmetrical dress goes nearly down to her ankle while the other leg is barely covered.

"Fuck, someone's going to be laid tonight!" Hailey squeaks and jokingly kisses Nora's hand.

"I mean, you never know, right? I already spot quite a few hotties in here," Nora states with a mischievous grin on her red lips.

I chuckle and then look behind Nora. "Nora, where's Sadie?"

"Oh, she had an important call to do and told me she would join us afterwards," Nora explains with a broad smile, showing her white teeth.

"Alright then!" Abbey raises her voice. "Let's grab some food. I'm starving!"

"Shouldn't we wait for Sadie first?" Zach objects, earning an appreciative smile as I was about to say the same.

"Oh, Sadie wanted me to tell you that we shouldn't wait for her. This call might take a bit longer, I guess," Nora calls out to us over her shoulder. She already grabbed a plate and starts to load it.

I frown and step beside her.

"Are you sure everything is okay with her?" I ask with concern in my voice.

"Of course. It's probably only her forgetful grandma," Nora reassures me. I'm not entirely convinced, but nod. I decide to wait a little longer and if Sadie doesn't appear soon, I'll go and check on her.

Half an hour later, we're all stuffed, Sadie's still not here, and I'm starting to be seriously worried.

"I'm going to look after Sadie," I inform the others.

"No, you stay here and dance with your man. I'm going!" Abbey objects and gives Zach a meaningful wink before rushing towards the elevator. I am not even able to argue against her.

Zach tilts his head and shoots me an understanding glance.

"You're worried about Sadie, right?"

"Yea. She was so excited about this party, so that call must've been very important." I sigh and then add, "I just hope nothing bad happened!"

Zach wraps his arm around me, and I lean against his shoulder, feeling my body relax in an instant. His presence alone is giving me so much comfort.

After a few minutes, I feel my phone vibrating in my little navy-blue side purse. A text from Abbey.

*Sadie and I won't return tonight. Have fun, love!*

I frown and quickly type an answer.

*What happened? Shall I come down?*

Abbey's reply comes within seconds.

*No. Sadie wants to be alone. I'll stay with her. It's okay. You enjoy the night with the others, my heart!*

"What's wrong, Liv?" Zach asks when he notices my worried expression.

"Sadie and Abbey won't return tonight. Sadie want's to be alone. I don't know what happened though," I retort with a shrug.

I quickly type an answer for Abbey and tell her to hug Sadie for me before I put away my phone again.

After telling Nora, Hailey, and Ben about Abbey's texts, I suggest we catch some drinks from the bar to clear our heads.

"I really hope Sadie's alright!" Nora states as soon as we stand by the bar with several drinks in front of us.

"Yea, me too." I nod and take a big gulp of my gin tonic. "But according to Abbey, she wants to be alone right now."

"Well. Then let's try to enjoy the evening. We'll find out tomorrow what happened!" Hailey suggests and raises her sex on the beach in the air.

We all agree and clink our glasses. It's only 9pm and I'm not ready to end the evening yet. Of course, I'm worried about Sadie, but knowing that Abbey is with her, I can enjoy the night without feeling guilty. Abbey will take good care of her.

Wannabe by the Spice Girls comes up and Nora, Hailey, and I squeak with equal excitement and jump in the air.

"Ladies. The dance floor is calling us!" Hailey takes the drinks out of my and Nora's hand and puts them away to pull us on the huge dance floor.

The next two hours, we spend with dancing freely to the music. From time to time, we join Ben and Zach at the bar for a shot, but never for too long as one song seems to better than the other tonight and we just can't stop dancing. The guys don't bother much as they get along very well too, being deep in conversations all the time.

It's around 11pm when Zach wraps his arms around me from behind as we return to the bar again.

"Livie baby," he mutters close to my ear to drown out the loud music.

"Mmh?" I hum and take a sip of my drink. I'm feeling slightly dizzy already, but not really drunk.

"I don't think I can let you conquer that dance floor alone again," Zach states in a deep voice and raises his eyebrows as I tilt my head to face him.

"Why?"

"You're earning loads of very dirty glances, baby, and I think I suffered long enough now."

I chuckle as I notice he's standing behind me to shield my backside from the glances of the other guys in this room.

"You suffered, huh? From what?" I counter and turn around, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"From watching other guys getting fucking hard by ogling you and that sexy dress of yours." Zach dips his head down until our noses are nearly touching.

"So, you weren't ogling me and that sexy dress?" I pout and lick my lips. They taste minty and sweet from the mojito I just had.

"Oh, trust me, I did!" Zach's dark eyes wander down to my lips and he tightens his grip around my waist. "Kiss me!" he breathes hoarsely.

I smile and place my palms on his cheeks to fill the little gap between us. Zach's lips are cool from his iced whiskey and press gently against mine. Our kiss stays soft and tender for a while and we enjoy just us in that room full of partying people. I don't know when, but somehow our kiss gets more passionate and our hands start roaming over each other's bodies, eager to explore. Eager to feel every inch of the other, and ready to take things further.

"Guys get a room!" Hailey calls out with a giggle, and I pull away. Breathlessly and unbearably hot.

Zach gives Hailey a smug grin and grabs his whiskey. I guess he needs to cool himself down as well.

"You know it's nearly midnight. People already start gathering outside on the rooftop!" Hailey slightly stumbles and grabs Ben's arm for support. She is most likely the first who's drunk on a party. Has always been and will always be.

"Wait, nearly midnight? Seriously? Where did the past hour go?" I say with a surprised face.

"Well, you two were quite occupied." Nora approaches us with a dark haired, handsome guy in tow.

I give her an appreciative nod and she bites her lips and raises one eyebrow. Well, she's definitely not sleeping alone tonight. I think a little fun is exactly what Nora needs at the moment. After all the bullshit Jackson has put her through, she deserves to have a carefree time for once.

"Guys it's only five minutes until midnight. Let's head outside!" Hailey shouts over the loud music and pulls Ben towards the rooftop terrace.

We line up right in front of the glassy railing. Ben and Zach as well as Nora's latest conquest have their arms wrapped around us girls as we're waiting for the final countdown.

"I'm glad I came along," Zach remarks close to my ear. "I enjoyed the evening with you and your friends!"

I tilt my head and look at him with a wide smile.

"I'm happy too to have you here!" I retort and give him a quick peck before I add, "But don't think this evening is over already!"

"I can't wait to have you all to myself!" he mutters, and I can feel an excitement creeping into my body at his promising words. We get interrupted by the people around us who start counting down the last seconds until midnight. Until the year 2020 is officially over.

"10...9...8...7..." we all join in.

I love this feeling when everyone is so excited about the last few moments of the year. Everyone is counting down the seconds until they can kiss their partner or hug their mom or friends. In my case I can't wait to kiss Zach into the new year.

"6...5...4..." Zach interrupts me by placing his hands on my cheeks and dipping his head down to press his warm lips on mine.

I smile against his mouth. He's obviously as eager for our New Year's kiss as I am.

"3...2...1..." Loud cheering paired with hooting and whistling fills the air around us as soon as the countdown ended.

I hardly notice anything of this since Zach's kissing me with so much tenderness and fondness that it simply takes my breath away. It's a kiss full of affection, adoration, and thankfulness, and I sense a single tear leaving the corner of my eye at the intensity of this moment.

When we pull away both our eyes are glassy and our cheeks rosy.

"Happy new year, my beautiful girl!" Zach gives me a warm smile and strokes my cheeks with his thumbs.

"Happy new ear," I croak out.

Zach has robbed all my senses with his piercing eyes which spread an incredible tenderness at the same time. He places another soft, lingering kiss on my lips and then points towards the sky.

"Look!"

I turn around and lean against Zach's warm chest as we watch the firework together. It's colorful and breathtakingly beautiful. Soon enough, I start shivering as my dress barely covers my body.

"Take this," Zach says and the next moment his tuxedo jacket is wrapped around my shoulders.

I turn back my head and give him a thankful smile.

"Thanks. Watch out, you're becoming a real gentleman!"

"Only for you!" he chuckles.

We stay like this until the firework stops and then turn to wish our friends a happy new year too. Well, those who are still left.

"Where's Nora?" I ask after hugging Ben and Hailey.

"She already left!" Hailey giggles and presses her palm against her mouth.

"Oh... So, it's only just midnight and we're the last ones left?" I joke and shake my head, laughing at Hailey's childish giggle.

She and Ben return to the bar inside and leave us on our own on the rooftop terrace where slow music is playing now.

I turn back to Zach.

"Dance with me!" I state, pulling him closer.

"Nothing better than that!" Zach retorts and places his hands on my hips.

My head rests on his firm chest and I have my eyes closed. The feeling of having him so close stirs the butterflies in my belly and warms my heart. We dance closely for a few songs without talking. Just enjoying the silence which surrounds us since most people are already back inside again.

"Hey, I really don't want to disturb you, but I wanted to wish you a good night."

Zach and I look at Ben who just approached us.

"I need to put Hailey to bed. She just tried to climb onto the bar for a little dance. I think she had enough for tonight," he explains with a chuckle

"Okay. Take good care of her," I giggle and give him a quick hug.

"I will," Ben retorts and holds out his hand for Zach. "Good night, buddy."

We look after him until he gets lost in the crowd.

As soon as we're alone again, Zach gives me a warm smile and tucks a lose strand of my hair behind my ear. He thoughtfully eyes me for a moment.

"You wanna relocate this to our room?" he then asks with sparkling eyes.

"I'd love to!" I reply with a broad smirk.

With only eyes for each other and hand in hand, we walk into the elevator where Zach presses the button for the 7th floor.

*****

Alright, that was a loong chapter. I hope it wasn't too lengthy, but I felt like every part was necessary for their New Year's Eve.✨
What do you think?

Things will get a bit steamy again next chapter. Enjoy! 🦋

Please don't forget to vote and comment.🙏🏽

Katie🤍