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Theo held up his hands to stem the tide of my rambling.
“Whoa, slow down, Haley. Take a breath.”
I sucked in a long, deep breath and blew it out, my cheeks puffing in the process.
“Come here,” Theo said, patting the mattress.
I slid to the foot of the bed, facing him.
“How would you feel about a little role play?” he asked.
My eyebrows shot up. My mind spun with all the sexy books I’d read that involved role play - delicate lace and leather whips, cheerleader skirts and business suits, some of the filthiest acts followed bygood girlandyou take my cock so well…
Theo couldn’t possibly meanthatkind of role play.
“Like what?” My voice was barely there and sandpaper rough in my throat. I took a desperate sip of my hot chocolate, scalding my tongue in the process.
“I can give you a few pointers so your first kiss is memorable instead of cringe-worthy,” Theo said. “For when you meet the right guy. So you’re prepared.”
I still wasn’t sure about this. Part of me wanted to bail. How could I talk about kissing with Theo Greely, of all people? I was certain he only viewed me like the little sister he never had. On top of that, it would likely only make my crush worse. Much, much worse.
But another part of me wanted to stay. How many times had I dreamed about this moment ever since I was eleven years old? Imagining the day when Theo Greely would finally see me as a woman, a potential lover, instead of his best friend’s pesky little sister.
That’s when my answer slipped out.
“Okay.”
Theo shifted closer by half an inch. My breath caught in my throat and I stared at him with wide eyes, frozen.
“So,” he said, his voice low. He skimmed his fingers down my arm, traced over my knuckles before he took my hand. “You and I…we just went on a date. I walked you home. We’re at the door of your apartment. What happens next?”
I knew what happened next. I’d read the books and watched the rom-coms. But I couldn’t say it. My tongue wouldn’t work and my voice…my voice was nowhere to be found.
Theo had held my hand before, when we were snowboarding. But we were wearing gloves then. This time, his hand was bare and so was mine. It was skin against skin. And I never thought it was possible to be so completely tongue-tied at a simple act like holding hands.
Maybe this was a bad idea after all. Maybe I should have made a run for it while I had the chance.
Maybe there was still time to change my mind and leave now…
“You kiss me good-night,” I whispered.
Theo brought his hand up, brushing his knuckles against my cheek. His hand traveled lower, cradling my chin in his palm as he tipped my head up until our eyes met.
“May I kiss you good-night?” he asked, barely more than a breath in the stillness between us.
It’s just a role,a voice in the back of my mind told me.He’s playing a part, that’s all.
Theo trailed the pad of his thumb over my lower lip. My stomach boiled with butterflies and I felt shaky all over. His gaze locked onto my mouth. For one wild, insane, ludicrous moment…I considered closing my mouth around his thumb with a teasing bite before sucking on it.
Would he truly want to kiss me after that? Would he throw off these roles we played and kiss me because he wanted to?
I hadn’t answered his question. Our role play had come to a standstill, waiting for my response. And yet, Theo leaned in a little closer, his breath hot against my mouth. Another inch and our lips would touch…
“Are you two coming downstairs or not?” Chase called from the bottom of the stairs.
I jerked away, fiddling with my books, stacking them into a neat pile. Theo was on his feet in an instant, clearing his throat.
“I…um…I’d better go.”
