Page 30 of Press Play

He keeps me against his chest, and we work on catching our breath. My chest rises and falls against his, and it’s then that I notice I’m wearing a thin white tee and cotton lounge pants.

He inches his hands down my curves, making the air in my throat hitch.

His hands are on my waist, strong yet gentle, and every nerve in my body hums to life.

I shouldn’t be thinking about how close he is or how good it feels to be pressed against him. But I can’t stop. My pulse races, and for a moment, all I can focus on is the way his fingers graze my skin, sending a wave of warmth through me.

This isn’t happening. It can’t be happening.

Theo locks his gaze with mine. My mind goes into overdrive—noting the intensity of his gaze, how his fingers press into my hips. . .

It’s just Theo.

But this isn’t just some playful dance. There’s somethingmorein the air, something that leaves me exposed, vulnerable.

I’m reading too much into this.

He rests his forehead against mine, and his eyes, dark and full of something I can’t quite place, make me question everything.

What is happening? And why does it seem like he’s going to kiss me?

A laugh bubbles up in my throat, but I swallow it down.

There’s no way.Theo’s never looked at me like this before, has he? Or maybe I’ve been too oblivious to notice. But still, it’s Theo. Gorgeous, confident Theo, who could have anyone. Not me—the girl who’s always been too sick, too messy, too... much.

I’m not someone he would want. Not in that way.

We’ve been friends for so long. Surely, he’d have said something by now, right?

My heart slams against my ribs, torn between hope and disbelief.

Freeing my hand, I drop my arms to his chest without breaking eye contact. Music continues to play in the background, but it doesn’t faze me. I can only register two things right now. One: the butterflies that swarm my stomach and flutter straight to my heart. And two: Theo and his damningly gorgeous eyes.

I shouldn’t be reeling about how his hands feel against my hips, gently urging me closer. And I definitely shouldn’t be obeying his silent command.

“Do you know how beautiful you are?” he murmurs.

“Do you know what you’re saying right now?” I whisper back.

“I’m far too aware.”

I gulp past the lump in my throat. When he leans closer, I take in a sharp inhale as goose bumps take over my arms.

“You have no idea. Do you?” he asks.

“I—”

“Theo, what’s the holdup?”

Like nails on a chalkboard, her voice makes me shudder.

We separate in a panic. He drops his hands, and I return to the waffle I left cooking for far too long. Keeping my back toward them, I try to ignore their conversation and focus on the heat in my cheeks, willing it to regulate.

Putting on my brave face, I turn around and offer Amanda a kind smile. “Good morning.”

Damn, she hasn’t aged. Her platinum blonde hair is down to her waist, her eyes are as blue as the sky, and she’s just as fit now as she was when we first met. Her ass is perky, and her chest is full, although part of me wonders if they’re implants because they seem to hold themselves up with no support.

She purses her lips while scanning me with narrowed eyes. “Wren,” she says.

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