Page 7 of Flames of Desire

“You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted you to know.”

I nodded slowly, unsure of what to say. The fire crackled, filling the silence with its warmth. As the storm raged outside, we sat there, the distance between us feeling both vast and insignificant. My thoughts swirled in my head, and I disguised it by taking a sip of my tea.

For the first time, I allowed myself to consider the possibility that maybe, just maybe, there was more to Alex Sinclair than I had ever realized. And as much as it scared me, it also gave me a strange sense of hope.

As the fire crackled and the snow continued to fall outside, I couldn’t help but wonder if being stuck in this cabin with Alex might not be such a bad thing after all.

Chapter four

CHAPTER FOUR - UNSPOKEN DESIRES

Icouldn’t help myself. I kept stealing glances at Lily as she rested on the couch, close enough that I could feel her warmth mingling with the glow from the fireplace. The soft glow of the fire in the fireplace illuminated her in a way that seemed mesmerizing to my eyes.

The flickering light danced on her skin, easily bringing out the delicate curve of her neck and the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. She looked ethereal, almost untouchable, and yet, all I wanted to do was reach out and touch her.

I wasn’t sure why that was, but I don’t think I had ever been drawn to a woman the way I was drawn to Lily at that particular moment. I fought with myself, reminding myself that regardless of anything, she was still Colton’s little sister.

I wasn’t sure how to act in this situation. My initial plan was to warm up to her again, possibly clear her horrible idea of me, and then gift her Richard Ginsberg as the final cherry on top. Being trapped together all alone in this cabin was in no way what I thought would actually happen. It was almost too perfect, like some cruel twist of fate designed to test my willpower.

Suddenly, a window blew open, and her head turned in the direction of the window. The snowy white skin of her neck teased me, and I felt something stir inside of me. A gust of wind blew in, and Lily shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself.

I instantly snapped out of my daze, hurriedly getting up to close the window and locking it in place.

“Thank you,” she mouthed softly, her eyes meeting mine briefly

I smiled at her in acknowledgment. “I better go around checking to make sure all the windows are locked properly,” I said, trying to steady my voice.

She nodded, and I quickly walked out of the living room, afraid of what I would do if I was left for even another second in that room with Lily.

I need to control myself. Quickly. I thought, as I walked through all the rooms and hallways of the cabin.

The cabin was cozy, almost too cozy for my current predicament. The wooden beams overhead gave it a certain rustic charm, and the plush furniture was all done in warm, inviting tones of browns and creams. Soft, thick rugs covered the floors, and there were framed photos of nature scenes on the walls. The huge stone fireplace dominated the living room, its mantel filled with quaint knick-knacks and candles. It was romantic, no doubt about it—everything about this place screamed intimacy. At least to me.

When I was done checking all the windows and was slowly making my way back to the living room, still unsure of what I was going to do, I turned the corner and nearly bumped into Lily. She was carrying a couple of blankets, probably looking to make herself more comfortable. As she stepped to the side, she almost tripped and fell.

Instinctively, I reached out and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her into me to stop her from falling. Her hands clutched my arms for balance, and her body pressed against mine. I could feel the warmth of her through our clothes.

For a moment, we were frozen, inches apart. The scent of her filled my senses—something floral, mixed with a hint of vanilla—and I felt a wave of desire wash over me. Her eyes were wide, and for a moment, we just stood there, our breaths mingling.

“Careful,” I said, my voice coming out rougher than I intended.

“Thanks,” she murmured, looking up at me with her big brown eyes. Her cheeks were flushed, whether from the cold or our closeness, I wasn’t sure.

She didn’t pull away, and neither did I. “Are you okay?” I asked, my hand still resting on her waist.

She nodded, but her eyes never left mine. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the way my heart was pounding loudly in my chest. “Good,” I managed to say, my voice husky.

I let my hands linger on her waist for a second longer, and then I forced myself to let go and step back. The loss of contact felt like a physical ache, but I ignored it.

She took a step back as well, and the spell was broken. She adjusted the blankets in her arms, looking flustered. “I was just going to set these up by the fire. It’s getting colder.”

“Yeah, it is,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “Checked all the windows and we’re good. I’ll help you out.”

She nodded, giving me a small smile before turning to head back. I watched her go, her hips swaying lightly with every step, and I groaned internally, taking a deep breath as I tried to steady my racing heart.

It was safe to say that being around Lily was proving to be more difficult than I had anticipated. I followed her back into the living room. She had already settled back on the couch, tucking her legs beneath her and pulling a blanket over her lap.

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