Page 94 of Play Fake

Page List

Font Size:

“Or what?” I tease.

“Or I’ll…” She pauses, then grins. “I’ll tell Logan you secretly love these parties and think he could go even bigger.”

I laugh. “I hate them. I even called the cops once and turned him in for a noise complaint.”

Her eyes widen and her mouth drops open. “You did not.”

“I absolutely did.” I lean closer to her, my gaze dropping briefly to her mouth again.

Her breath catches, just barely, and her hands tighten against the railing behind her. “You done stalling yet?”

The air between us shifts. “Something real, Harrison,” she whispers. “Unless you’re too scared.”

I take a half-step closer, my voice low. “Scared? Of you?”

She gives a small, breathy laugh. “You tell me.”

The challenge in her eyes, the way she’s not backing down—it’s the final push I need.

“You want real?” I reach up and flip my baseball cap backward, slowly leaning closer to her. “I really,reallywant to kiss you.”

Her sharp inhale tells me that she wants this just as much as I do. That we’re both done ignoring what’s been building between us over the last few weeks. “Then what are you waiting for?”

I don’t wait any longer. I cup her face with my hands, closing the distance between us and gently ghosting my lips over hers.

Pulling back just slightly, I scan her face to make sure that this is okay, making sure to give her an out if she needs one.

“You call that a kiss?” she whispers teasingly, her breath playing across my jaw.

I chuckle deeply before bringing my mouth back to hers.

This time, there’s no hesitation.

The moment our lips meet again, it’s like everything that’s been simmering between us finally ignites. Her hands slide up my chest, fingers curling into the fabric of my T-shirt as if she needs to anchor herself. I tilt my head, deepening the kiss slowly, savoring the way she melts against me.

Her lips are soft and warm, moving in perfect rhythm with mine. It’s not rushed or messy—it’s deliberate. Intense. Like we’re both silently admitting what words haven’t managed to say yet. My thumbs trace gentle circles along her jaw, memorizing the shape of her face. She exhales against my mouth, and that little sound that escapes her undoes me completely.

I angle her closer, my hands sliding to the back of her neck, fingers threading into her hair. She responds instantly, pressing up onto her toes, eliminating every last inch of space between us. The world blurs.

It’s just her.

Her heartbeat thudding against my chest. Her breath mingling with mine. Her lips that taste faintly of mint and something sweet I can’t quite name.

When we finally break apart, we’re both breathing hard, and I bring my forehead to rest against hers.

“Now that,” she whispers, voice trembling with a mix of laughter and something real, “was a kiss.”

My chuckle is low as I grin, brushing my thumb across her swollen bottom lip.

After a few more minutes outside, we head back into the party. For the rest of the night, she stays right by me, my hands around her waist or fingers wrapped around hers.

I’ve never felt super comfortable with PDA, but I couldn’t care less right now. Touching her, feeling her next to me, makes me question why I ever felt that way in the first place.

Yeah.Definitely something real.

32

SOPHIE