Page 84 of Press Play

He shakes his head, a faint smile on his lips as he brushes a thumb over my cheek. “No. I need to say it. I think I’ve always felt this... pull toward you, but I didn’t know if it was something you wanted. And after yesterday... Wren, I can’t pretend anymore.”

I’m trembling, my mind racing to process his words. “Pretend?” I murmur, a little breathless.

“Pretend that I don’t want more.” He traces my jaw and leans in, his breath mingling with mine.

We pause, his forehead resting against mine, the heat of his skin warming me, and the steady rhythm of his breathingfilling my ears. Every inch of space between us buzzes with anticipation.

And then, gently, as if testing the water, he presses his lips against mine, soft and warm, sparking something deep inside me. I lose myself in the sensation—his hand, firm on my back and pulling me closer, as if he’s afraid I’ll slip away. I kiss him back, curling my hand into his hair, memorizing every second, every taste, as if this moment is ours and ours alone.

I hoped—dreamed—he would feel this way, but the probability seemed so far-fetched. He’s telling me he’s always had a semblance of affection for me, just like I’ve had for him.

My heart is pounding against my ribcage, and my mind is swimming. All this time, we had feelings for one another, and we were too afraid to speak the truth. This can’t be happening. This must be some kind of cruel joke.

“I want this, Wren,” he tells me with such certainty. “I wantus, and I have for far too long. I know I don’t deserve?—”

“You,” I say as I shut my mind off.

He looks at me with a furrowed brow, and I realize I cut in at the wrong time.

“Yesterday, you asked me what I want. My answer is you, Theo. I want you, and I have since high school.”

“You don’t have to lie.”

“You and I both know I’m a horrible liar,” I say. “We felt the same way about one another all this time. It’s time we give ourselves a chance, don’t you think?”

“I do.” He presses his hand against my back and brings me closer. “I really,reallydo.”

Theo hovers his face above mine, he stares into my eyes, searching for something, his hand still on my face. For a split second, it’s like the whole world is suspended in the space between us.

And then, slowly, he leans in and presses his lips to mine, and everything falls perfectly into place.

The ache in my muscles vanishes when he touches me. I lose myself in his scent, passionate kisses, and desperate touches. The warmth of Theo’s body seeps into me as he holds me close, his fingers tracing patterns along my spine.

His fingers skim the base of my spine, and the sensation zips up through my ribs, leaving my skin humming in its wake. The aches and stiffness fade under his touch, as if he’s found a way to heal me without words.

He slips his hand beneath my shirt, and I shiver. “You’re amazing,” he whispers against my ear.

I press a kiss to his neck, tasting the faint hint of his cologne and the salt of his skin. “You make me feel like I don’t have to be strong all the time. I don’t have to pretend,” I murmur, running my hands up his chest.

He leans back to look at me, his eyes soft, tender, filled with a longing that takes my breath away. “You don’t. Not with me,” he says, and his lips find mine again, gentle but hungry, like he’s waited forever to have this moment.

I melt into him, my hands roaming over the muscles of his back, every ridge and curve, every part of him that’s become so familiar yet so new. He shifts, guiding me down onto the bed, and I know—with absolute certainty—that I am exactly where I’m meant to be.

“Don’t stop,” I plead while leaning back into him. “You feel too good.”

He moans when I crash my lips into his, and it fills me with satisfaction.

He moves his hand over my waist and lands on my backside, gripping and squeezing my ass as his tongue meets mine. I groan and work my hands up his shirt, eager to have his bare skin against my palms.

My breath catches as his abs flex beneath my palm, hard muscle shifting under soft skin. He’s immaculate, and I can't get enough—Ineedmore. I can’t stop my hands from discovering his body, just as he gives into his own desire. He lifts the hem of my top and crawls his fingers up my back, stopping where the band of my bra should be—if I were wearing one.

His teeth meet my bottom lip, gently biting and pulling as he presses his fingertips into my back. “Look at you. Were you ready for me?”

“Yes,” I rasp as I wrap my leg around his, allowing me to rub my clit against his thigh. “I need you.”

He releases a deep growl, and my nipples harden. “We don’t have to do anything.”

I press my hand against his erection, and his eyes roll into the back of his head.

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