Page 14 of Flames of Desire

I paused, glancing up at Lily. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes wide, and I could see the rise and fall of her chest, her breath coming a little faster. “You know, parts like these usually get to me,” I said, my voice a bit hoarse.

Her eyes met mine, and I saw something raw and real there, something that made my heart race. “Me too,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

I put the book down, the pull between us too strong to resist any longer. “You know, strangely enough, this has been one of the best days I've had in a long time,” I said, my heart pounding in my chest.

She smiled, a slow, sweet curve of her lips that made my breath catch. “Same here, Alex.”

Without thinking, I reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her face. The touch was electric, sending shivers down my spine. “Lily, I—” I started, but the words got tangled up inside me.

Before I could finish, she leaned in, her eyes closing. My heart skipped a beat as our lips inched closer and closer. In my clumsy excitement, I knocked over my mug of cocoa, and the hot liquid spilled onto my lap.

“Ah, damn!” I jumped up, the spell broken by the sudden warmth spreading through my jeans.

Lily sat up quickly, concern flashing in her eyes. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I'm fine,” I said, wincing a bit as I tried to brush off the spill. “Just a little hot, that's all.”

She laughed softly, and the sound was like music to my ears. “Well, I guess that's one way to break the tension.”

I couldn't help but laugh as well, despite the discomfort. “Yeah, not exactly how I pictured this moment going.”

She stood up and grabbed a towel from the kitchen, handing it to me with a grin. “Here, this might help.”

“Thanks,” I said, taking the towel and dabbing at my jeans. “Talk about an interesting turn of events huh?”

“True,” she said, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “But maybe next time, we could avoid hot cocoa.”

“Deal,” I said, feeling a warm flush that had nothing to do with the spilled cocoa.

Chapter seven

CHAPTER SEVEN - SCORCHED HEARTS

Alex glanced at the book on the floor and gestured to it, raising an eyebrow. “Want to keep going, or should we call it a day?”

My stomach chose that moment to grumble, loud enough to be heard over the sound of the storm outside. I laughed, a bit embarrassed. “Honestly, I'm starving. How about we eat instead?”

He chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Good call. I’m no gourmet chef, but I can whip up a mean pasta. Sound good?”

“Perfect,” I replied, smiling. The thought of pasta made my mouth water.

We headed to the kitchen, our footsteps echoing on the hardwood floors. It was the third time we’d ended up here today, but I didn’t mind. There was something comforting about the familiarity of the space.

How about I take the lead this time?” Alex announced, rolling up his sleeves. “And you can be my sous chef.”

“Deal,” I said, tying my hair back. I wasn’t going to argue— watching him cook would definitely be a treat. He moved with confidence, pulling out pots and pans and gathering ingredients. I busied myself washing tomatoes and chopping garlic, doing my work as a sous chef with a smile on my face.

“So,” he said, stirring a pot of boiling water. “What’s it like owning a bookstore?”

“Busy,” I admitted. “But I can’t complain. What about you?”

“Same old,” he replied, tossing a pinch of salt into the pot. “Though I did have an interesting call yesterday. A cat was stuck in a tree. The owner was convinced it was the end of the world.”

I laughed, nearly dropping the knife. “Seriously?”

“Dead serious,” he said, grinning. “You meet all kinds when you’re a firefighter.”

“Guess that keeps things interesting.”

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