Page 44 of Stuck with my Brother's Firefighter Besties

Colt

The smellof bacon and eggs filled the cabin, mixing with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

The crackling of the fire in the hearth was a cozy backdrop, but it didn’t do a damn thing to ease the tension thrumming in my chest.

I leaned back in my chair at the dining table, arms crossed as I watched her.

Lila.

She moved around the kitchen, humming softly under her breath, a smile teasing the corners of her lips as she poured coffee into mugs.

Her hair was loose today, tumbling over her shoulders in soft waves that I wanted to run my fingers through.

She wore one of those oversized sweaters that somehow managed to make her look even sexier, because of the way it hung off one shoulder, hinting at the smooth skin underneath.

And her legs… damn, those legs. She had on tight leggings that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. I caught myself staring, my jaw flexing as I tried to pull my focus elsewhere.

Anywhere else.

But it was impossible. She was the only thing I could see.

Ryan was at the stove, flipping pancakes with that quiet efficiency of his, and he didn’t even look fazed by the way Lila floated around the kitchen like she belonged there. Like she’d always belonged here.

She brought Ryan a cup of coffee first, setting it on the counter with a quiet “thank you” for breakfast, and he shot her one of those small, knowing smiles that made my fists clench under the table.

Then she turned toward me.

Her smile widened, and I swore the air left the room. She walked over, holding a mug out to me, and all I could do was stare up at her like an idiot.

“Morning, Colt,” she said, her voice soft and warm, like she didn’t have a clue what she was doing to me.

“Morning,” I managed to say, though it came out rougher than I intended.

Her fingers brushed against mine as I took the mug from her, and that tiny touch sent a bolt of electricity through my body. My grip tightened on the handle, and I forced myself to look away before I did something stupid.

But it was too late. The image of her was burned into my mind… her flushed cheeks, the way her sweater dipped to one side, the way she licked her lips absentmindedly as she turned back to the counter.

It wasn’t just attraction.

It was more than that. It was need, plain and simple. A raw, burning need that was eating me alive.

“Colt, you okay over there?” Ryan’s voice cut through the haze, his tone even but laced with something I couldn’t quite place.

I glanced at him, saw the faint arch of his brow, the way his eyes flicked between me and Lila like he knew exactly what was going on in my head.

Damn him.

“Fine,” I muttered, taking a long sip of coffee to avoid saying anything else.

But I wasn’t fine. Not even close.

She turned back around, leaning against the counter with her own mug in hand, her eyes sparkling as she laughed at something Ryan said. And that was it. That was the moment I realized I couldn’t take it anymore.

The tension in my chest was at a breaking point, and I was done pretending I didn’t feel the way I felt. I was done pretending I didn’t want her more than I’d ever wanted anything in my life.

I pushed back from the table, the chair scraping against the floor as I stood.

“Colt?” Lila’s voice was curious, her brow furrowing as she watched me approach.

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