Page 21 of Make the Play

I drag my lips slowly down the curve of her spine, pressing my forehead between her shoulder blades, just for a breath. I try to pretend I don’t know what’s happening, that I’m not drowning in what this is. What this could be.

She shudders, and I feel it everywhere.

Because we both know the second I pull out, this is over. The spell will break, the moment will end, and we’ll go back to acting like this was nothing.

“Chase,” she murmurs, voice hoarse.

I hum against her skin, but I don’t move. Not yet. Not while she’s still using my first name.

Her fingers trace over my arm again, so light and lazy she doesn’t even realize what she’s doing. Tracing me like a map. Memorizing me.

But then she stills. Catches herself, like she’s just realized she’s doing it.

So, I do what I always do. I ruin it before she can.

“Better than the photo booth?” I murmur against her skin.

She huffs out a laugh, but it’s too breathless and too fucking raw.

“Top three, maybe,” she teases, but her voice wobbles.

“Top three?!” I groan, pulling out of her and rolling onto my back, grinning at the ceiling.

“What, you want me to rank you, Walton?”

Fuck, it's over.

“Fuck yeah, I do.”

She snorts, reaching for the sheet, yanking it up over both of us as if she can make this feel less destructive if she covers it up. “Might need to go again before I make my decision.”

I grin with my teeth, forcing myself to stay loose and cool even though my chest is aching.

One night.

One time.

“You’re not gonna make me leave, are you?” she murmurs.

The thought alone makes my pulse thunder for two reasons.

One, because she thinks I’d treat her like that. And two, because I cannot stand the thought of it. Zoe pulling her dress back on. Walking out the door. Brushing this off and pretending it didn’t just happen.

No. Absolutely fucking not.

“Nah. Too much effort.”

“Wow. Romanced.”

I smirk and roll onto my side, propping my head up on my hand.

“You want me to serenade you, Zo?”

She scrunches her nose. “God, no.”

I chuckle, but then I do something really fucking stupid.

I reach out.

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