Page 43 of Stuck with my Brother's Firefighter Besties

I closed my eyes again, letting his touch, his presence, overwhelm my senses. The silence was deafening, and yet, in that silence, I could hear my heart beating in my ears.

Everything had led to this moment, everything in me wanting nothing more than to bridge the gap between our bodies.

“Lila...” Ryan murmured my name again, but this time, it was softer, filled with a longing that made my breath catch in my throat. “I don’t want to hold back anymore.”

His voice sent a shiver down my spine, and I opened my eyes just as he did, his gaze locking onto mine with a burning intensity that stole my breath.

There was no hesitation there now, no uncertainty.

It was as if he was giving me a piece of himself, offering me the raw truth in his eyes.

His heart pounded against mine, and it seemed like everything was building, the pressure between us rising to an unbearable intensity.

The space between us was no longer enough to contain it.

And then, in one swift, electrifying motion, Ryan closed the distance, capturing my lips with his.

It started softly, tentative, like we were both testing the waters. But then his hand slid to my face, warm against my cold skin, and the hesitation melted away.

His lips were firm, sure, and a spark shot through me, igniting every nerve in my body.

My hands found his jacket, gripping the fabric like it was the only thing keeping me standing.

The cold air around us vanished as the kiss deepened, replaced by a heat that made my knees weak. Ryan was steady, even in this.

His movements were controlled, measured, but there was something undeniable between us. Something that couldn’t be ignored.

When we finally pulled apart, my breath was ragged, my heart hammering in my chest. I didn’t know what to say. My mind was a tangled mess.

But Ryan didn’t pull away. He just looked at me, his hand still resting on my cheek.

“Lila,” he murmured, his voice rough. “Are you okay?”

I nodded, but I wasn’t sure if I was lying to him or to myself. My thoughts were spinning, emotions all over the place, but in this moment, with him so close, I didn’t want to think.

I didn’t want to analyze or regret. I didn’t want to question. I just wanted to feel.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, though I wasn’t sure for what.

The kiss? The feelings it had stirred? The complications it added to everything that was already so messy?

Ryan shook his head, his hand dropping from my face. “Don’t be.”

His voice was quiet but firm, and there was a sincerity in it that made my chest ache.

But the weight of everything that had just happened pressed down on me, and I stepped back, even though it felt like the hardest thing I’d ever done.

“I should go inside,” I breathed out.

Ryan didn’t stop me. He just nodded, his gaze following me as I turned and walked back into the cabin.

The warmth of the fire wrapped around me as I stepped inside, but it couldn’t chase away the lingering heat from the kiss. My hand drifted up to my lips, still tingling, and my heart was still racing, my mind still whirling.

I didn’t know what had just happened.

But one thing was for sure: I’d just made everything a whole lot more complicated.

CHAPTERTHIRTEEN

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