Page 83 of Playing Pretend

He releases my chin to gently stroke loose strands of hair from my face. “I could watch you orgasm every day for the rest of my life.”

I suck in a breath as the last fading flutters of climax keep me speechless.

“I could spend my days exposing you to the most wicked sex acts and die a happy man.”

“Stop.” I can’t listen to his act anymore. And even if he’s being truthful, he’s taking this too far.

We’refriends. The benefits and games can’t extend beyond tonight. Not when he prefers to play the field. I won’t risk what we have for cheap thrills.

I want love. Commitment. Devotion.

Rome has never possessed those attributes. Not once. Not ever.

“Please turn off the device.” I remove my hands from his neck and drag my arms to my chest, cradling them like a barrier between us while I struggle to regain my equilibrium.

He does as requested, then returns to holding me in both arms as the world comes back into view—the couples dancing around us at a far faster beat, my colleagues chatting at nearby tables, the DJ with his headphones and flashing lights.

Regret seeps into my heart, filtering through my veins.

I said I could handle this.

I knew the aftermath would be brutal, and now it’s time to face it.

Pete and his wife dance a few feet away, their smiles cast in our direction.

“You two look so great together.” My boss’s wife raises her voice over the music. “You’re the perfect couple.”

Pain mingles with my remorse.

“Thank you.” I choke on the words.

I can’t stand here and pretend I don’t feel things for Rome far beyond friendship.

He has always been my tether. My true north. Now I’m a spinning compass. My axis wobbles with no grounding.

I inch away, unable to look him in the eye. “I need to freshen up.”

He nods. “I’ll walk you to the bathroom.”

“No.” I place a hand on his chest. “I need to go back to the suite.” I have to shower, clear my head, figure out a plan, and I need to do it alone.

Things have changed.

We’re something different now.

I’msomething different. Something that messes with the foundation of what I’ve relied on all my life.

He steps closer, reclaiming the space between us, his hands possessively tight on my hips as his mouth leans toward my ear. “The night isn’t over. I have until ten-thirty. So do what you need to do in the bathroom, then return to me.”

My throat tightens with panic. “I need a shower.”

“If you go back to the room, Piper, I’ll be claiming the kiss I’m owed in private.” He pulls back, his eyes meeting mine with an animalistic intensity that is on a whole new level. A level I’m not sure I can survive. “And it’ll be my mouth between your thighs. Do you understand me?”

CHAPTER16

Rome

Her lips part.Her eyes widen.

---