Page 98 of Play Pretend

Not tonight.

The zipper of my jeans was loud, and she slipped her hand beneath the denim. The thin fabric of my briefs separated our skin as she rubbed her palm over my hard length again. A low groan left me—god, it felt sogood.

But when her fingers wrapped around the elastic waistband, my mind caught up with what was happening. I reluctantly let my hands fall from her body and moved away, my chest heaving. Disappointment flashed across her face. I hated disappointing her. I hated making her feel anything but happy, but I couldn’t do it. Not tonight.

“You’re drunk,” I repeated, rubbing my hand against the back of my neck. “We can’t.”

“I’m telling you I want this.”

“But you might not when you’re sober.” I shook my head. “The first time I fuck you won’t be when you’re drunk. It’ll be when you’ll remember every single thing I do to you the next day.”

A red blush crawled up her chest and settled on her cheeks. She tucked her bottom lip between her teeth, but she didn’t look away. She stared at me, almost like she was trying to convince me to say fuck it.

And if she pushed, I might’ve. I might’ve caved if it were anyone but her.

I cared about Willow more than I was willing to admit. I wanted her to be in my life for—for a long time. Forever, maybe. And just like our first kiss was big, our first time sleeping together would be monumental.

I couldn’t be selfish and ruin it. It had to be special for us because we could never have a do over.

It had to be perfect the first time.

“Not tonight.” I finally said the words out loud. They tasted like ash coming out, but I knew it was for the best.

We stared at each other for another moment. I waited for her to say something else—to argue with me that she wanted it, that she could make her own decisions.

“I understand,” she said quietly. “You’re a good man, Ronan.”

My throat thickened at the words, and I roughly cleared it. “Will you be okay sleeping alone tonight?” I asked.

I didn’t mind if she slept with me again, but I didn’t know how much more strength I had. If she was just a few inches from me all night and kept trying to get me to break, I knew I’d give in.

“I’m okay.” She gave me a half smile, one that didn’t meet her eyes, and my heart dipped.

It was the right decision, but that didn’t mean it was an easy one.

Willow stumbled down the hallway to her bedroom, leaving me standing there staring after her. When she got to her room, she turned and met my gaze. A smile teased the corners of her mouth, and something in her face shifted. It was a look I knew well, one I saw on Trinity’s face before she did something that would wreak havoc.

Mischief. That was what it was.

It burned brightly in Willow’s eyes, in her smile. But before I could say anything, she shut the door. I waited, just listening. A part of me thought I should’ve asked her what that look was about, but maybe I didn’t want to know.

I ran my fingers through my hair as I headed to my bedroom. Undoing my jeans the rest of the way, I kicked my shoes off and put them on the rack in the closet before dropping my jeans in the hamper. My shirt and socks followed, leaving me in just my black briefs.

My cock strained against the fabric, the feeling of Willow’s hand pressing against me the only thing I could think about. I hadn’t had a woman touch me in so fucking long, and it feltgood.

I laid on the bed and mindlessly reached down, my fingers teasing the thick waistband of my briefs. She’d smelled so good tonight, and she’d looked gorgeous. Her tits—my hand slid under the elastic, and my palm glided over the hot, hard flesh.

Her tits had been incredible. So full and supple, begging for my attention. And her skin was sohot. I knew if I touched her pussy, she would’ve been soaking wet. I could’ve easily slid two fingers inside her and watched as she struggled to keep a straight face while people surrounded us.

Would she have liked that? To be fingered and teased in public? I wanted to find out.

A moan filtered through the air, and my eyes shot open. Was that real? Or was it in my head? I strained to listen, and another moan hit me. It was quiet and muffled. barely-there, like it hadn’t really happened.

But I knew it had. It was soft and feminine, anddefinitelyreal.

Slowly, I got to my feet and moved to the wall I shared with the guest room and pressed my ear against it. The wall stifled the sounds she was making, but I could hear them.

Was she…?

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