Page 50 of Press Play

Her posture stiffens, but she doesn’t face me.

“I would be lying, though.”

The air thickens as I wait for a response. She’s so still, not a single muscle twitches.

“Wren—”

“I just need a moment,” she repeats. “I’ll be right back.”

And then she’s gone.

“Fuck,” I groan while raking my fingers across my scalp.

I let the growing sexual tension take over. Too much has been transpiring between us these last few days. I couldn’t resist any longer.

I could have sworn she wanted me to kiss her. Did I misinterpret the signals? Using my fingers, I tally the moments that lead us here. One: the intense eye contact. Two: the small glances. Three: her cheeks have been flushing more often than usual. Four: I walked in on her watching one of my old videos. And five: she kissed me back.

Bringing my fingers to my lips, I replay those few blissful seconds. The idea of having something more with Wren always seemed too far-fetched. Now, it looks more like a possibility, and it brings a smile to my face.

I’ll give her a moment; she can take all the time she needs. I’ll be here when she’s ready.

I always will.

Chapter Twenty

Wren

I puton my sneakers as fast as I can and hurry into the hall without grabbing a jacket. My legs carry me past the elevator toward the stairs. There’s no time to wait; I need to keep moving. The need for fresh air is squeezing my lungs.

I freeze when Robbie steps into the hall from the stairwell.

He greets with a smile as he holds the door open. “Good evening, Ms. Wren.”

My breath saws in and out of me as I glance between him and the stairwell.

“Are you okay?” he asks as I wipe my brow.

Breathe.

“Yeah, I just need some air,” I gasp. “Will you excuse me?”

“Sure—”

I take the stairs as fast as I can. When I stumble outside, a breeze hits me, and I soak it in. I suck in a long inhale and release it slowly, savoring the scent of fresh cut grass and wildflowers. The sun has started to set, casting red and orange hues on the horizon.

Focusing on steadying my racing heart, I take even steps until I find myself at a park. My attention is drawn to couples holding hands and walking their dogs and families with theirchildren. I slow my pace and sit on a stone bench, closing my eyes.

Time seems to slow, but it doesn’t work in my favor.

My lips still tingle from that kiss, and no matter what I do, I can’t calm my pulse. Theo has always been there for me, and while I fought my feelings, things were reliable between us.

It’s all changed now. One kiss, one decision, altered everything.

One orgasm better than anything I could have imagined. I don’t know if I should be elated or mortified that Theo was the first person to make me see stars. Maybe a little bit of both. Sure, coming undone by his hand left me vulnerable and boneless. But that kiss seemed like... so muchmore.

Theo has had his fair share of kissing. Me, on the other hand, I’m no pro. I’ve kissed a few men in my life, but none of them made me feel like I was weightless. It was a sensation I’ve never felt before. As if my whole world revolved around his touch. And damn, do I crave it. One moment was all it took. One kiss, one earth-shattering orgasm, and I’m addicted.

And his face, don’t get me started on how he looked at me. I melt as I recall his expression. His eyes were dark but still somehow glittered like they were dotted with minuscule stars. His cheeks flushed, and his lips. Oh god, his lips. When he leaned in to kiss me again, butterflies swarmed my stomach, and I wanted nothing more than to relinquish myself to him, but I panicked.

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