Page 87 of Role Play
When her lips part beneath mine, the kiss transforms. What began as tender becomes something far richer. Her hands slide up to my shoulders, then to the nape of my neck, fingers threading through my hair. I taste the chocolate dessert we shared, the wine she barely sipped, and something uniquely Sora that makes my pulse thump like an eight-oh-eight drum.
I kiss her like I mean it—because I do.
Like she matters—because she does.
I kiss her like a man who’s discovering something precious rather than performing a service. And when she makes that small, broken sound in the back of her throat, I know I’ve won this particular battle.
When I pull back, her eyes remain closed, her lips still slightly parted. For several heartbeats, she doesn’t move, as if caught in a spell she can’t quite break.
“Sora,” I whisper.
Her eyes open slowly, dazed and vulnerable in a way that makes my chest tighten. I watch the awareness return, watch her rebuild the walls I just managed to breach.
“Did you feel anything?” I ask, already knowing the answer but needing to hear her admit it.
She swallows hard, then forces a careless smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “Nope,” she lies smoothly. “Completely immune. See? I told you I could compartmentalize.”
It’s such an obvious untruth that I almost laugh. Instead, I sweep my thumb across her lower lip, noting how it flinches at my touch. Her cheeks deepen in a familiar red that gives her away so easily.
“Liar,” I murmur, but there’s no heat in the accusation.
She steps back, creating space between us, her smile fixed in place. “It was a nice kiss. A little sloppy, but don’t worry—we’ll get you there.”
I belt out in laughter as the yacht begins its final turn back toward the marina, the city lights growing clearer as we approach.
“This was so lovely,” Sora says, pairing it with a sigh. “I can’t believe it’s already over.”
“Over?” I wrap my arms around her, pecking her cheek as we look out at the dark water, New York City lights sparkling across the surface. “I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.”
chapter 19
Sora
Who kisses like that on accident?
The thought blazes through my mind like a comet, bright and terrifying and impossible to ignore as I stare into Forrest’s eyes. We’re standing on the upper deck of this ridiculous yacht—this floating palace that puts even my father’s extravagant brownstone to shame—with Manhattan’s skyline glittering behind us like someone scattered diamonds across black velvet.
“I still have a few tricks up my sleeve,” he just said, and the promise in his voice is still making my stomach do flips.
I claimed to be immune to his charm. But standing here in my repaired dress with its new Swarovski crystals catching the first hint of moonlight, with his arms around me, and the lingering taste of chocolate andhimon my lips, I’m losing my grip on reality.
“What surprises?” I ask, forcing my voice to remain steady, unaffected. Like he didn’t just kiss me senseless. Like I didn’t just lie through my teeth about feeling nothing.
His smile is slow, confident, a billionaire’s smile that says he owns the world. But there’s something softer in his eyes,something that makes me wonder which Forrest I’m seeing right now—the escort playing a role, or the man underneath.
“Dance with me,” he says, holding out his hand.
More romantic dancing? What the hell? This reckless fucker is trying to make me fall in love with him.
The string quartet we passed earlier has relocated to the upper deck, settling in a corner with their instruments. At some invisible signal from Forrest, they begin to play.
“Oh,” I breathe as the first notes drift across the deck. “This is…”
“Dido,” he finishes for me. “The pretzel cart. The sidewalk. You remember?”
As if I could forget. The memory of our first dance is etched into my mind like an engraving—the night air, the pretzel vendor’s cheap speakers, Forrest’s arms steady around me as my world spun from those accidental edibles.
The melody of “White Flag” floats around us, carried on the sea breeze. I place my hand in his, letting him draw me close. His palm is warm against the small of my back, and I can feel the strength in his shoulders beneath my fingertips.
