Page 16 of Blazing Hearts

Kara shifted slightly, careful not to disturb the stillness between them. She reached out, brushing a strand of hair from Mallory’s face, her fingers trailing gently across the soft skin of her cheek. The touch was light, almost reverent, but it carried with it the weight of everything unspoken.

Mallory’s dark eyes flickered open at the gentle touch, her gaze meeting Kara’s. There was a vulnerability in those eyes, the kind of raw honesty that made Kara’s chest tighten. For a second, it felt like the world around them disappeared, leaving just the two of them, suspended in time.

“You okay?” Kara asked softly, her voice low and warm, just for Mallory. It was a simple question, but it felt heavy, full of meaning that only the two of them understood.

Mallory gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, her lips curving into a slight smile. “Yeah,” she murmured. “I think I’m just… processing everything.” Her words were soft, uncertain, but there was something in them that made Kara’s heart ache—a quiet acknowledgment of the shift between them, the unspoken change in their dynamic.

Kara nodded, understanding more than Mallory realized. She had been processing everything too—the chemistry, the connection, the way Mallory’s presence had made her feel something she wasn’t sure she could feel again. “I get it,” she said quietly. “It’s a lot.”

Mallory’s eyes flickered with something Kara couldn’t quite name—a mixture of hope and fear, of curiosity and hesitation. “You’re not in a hurry to figure it out, are you?”

Kara smiled softly, shaking her head. “No. I’m not.” She paused, lifting their intertwined hands to her lips, pressing a soft kiss to the back of Mallory’s hand. “I don’t want to rush anything. I want to take it slow, see where this goes.”

Mallory closed her eyes, a soft breath escaping her lips. She didn’t say anything for a long time, but Kara could feel the tension in her body, the way she was trying to process everything in her own way. Eventually, Mallory spoke again, her voice quieter now, but laced with something more certain.

“Neither do I,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I think I’ve been running from this… whatever this is, for a while. But now, I’m not so sure I want to anymore.”

Kara’s chest tightened, but it was a good kind of tightness—the kind that came with the realization that they were both on the same page, even if they weren’t ready to fully admit it yet. She leaned in slightly, pressing a soft kiss to Mallory’s forehead, a tender gesture that felt more intimate than anything they had shared so far. It was a promise without words—a promise that they were both willing to take this one step at a time, and that the past wouldn’t define them.

“I’m glad,” Kara murmured, her lips brushing against Mallory’s skin. “I don’t want to rush you. Just… take your time. We’ll figure this out together.”

The words hung in the air, settling between them like a silent agreement. Kara could feel the weight of the night behind them—the passion, the connection, the moment they had shared—but she also felt the promise of something new, something more. It was the beginning of something neither of them fully understood, but for the first time in a long while, neither of them was afraid of where it might lead.

They lay in silence for a while longer, the comfortable warmth of the room wrapping around them like a blanket. Kara felt Mallory’s breathing slow, her body relaxing against her. She knew that whatever happened next, they had already crossed a threshold—a moment of connection that neither of them could pretend wasn’t real. The night may have been filled with heat and passion, but this moment, the quiet after the storm, was where something truly significant was beginning.

And for the first time in what felt like forever, Kara felt like she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

5

MALLORY

The soft glow of the morning sun filtered through the curtains of Mallory’s apartment, casting a warm, golden hue across the room. The light brushed gently over her face, stirring her from sleep. She blinked a few times, her mind still clouded with the remnants of dreams, the hazy feeling of contentment lingering from the night before. She turned her head slightly, and there she was: Kara. Her body was pressed against Mallory’s, her chest rising and falling with slow, steady breaths. The sheets were tangled around them both, a silent testament to the night they’d shared.

For a moment, Mallory allowed herself to stay still, to soak in the quiet intimacy of the morning. There was something comforting about this—this simple closeness, the way Kara’s warmth seeped into Mallory’s skin. It felt right in ways Mallory hadn’t allowed herself to feel in years.

Her thoughts kept returning to the decision she had made the night before—to stay in the moment with Kara, to let go of the walls she’d so carefully constructed. She had let herself feel it. Feelthem. But now that the morning had come, a familiar unease began to creep in. The fear she had tried to suppress came rushing back with an intensity that made her heart race. This wastoo much, too fast. She didn’t know if she could keep running from her past forever, especially with someone like Kara, whose presence was already making its way under her skin.

Mallory shifted slightly, trying not to disturb Kara as she untangled herself from the sheets. The soft rustle of fabric was the only sound in the quiet room. Kara didn’t stir; her breathing was steady and deep, oblivious to Mallory’s sudden sense of turmoil. Mallory slowly slipped out of bed, her bare feet making contact with the cool hardwood floor.

She padded quietly into the kitchen; her movements mechanical as she prepared coffee. The familiar routine was a comfort, something that helped ground her in the face of the uncertainty swirling in her mind. Mallory poured the coffee, the warm steam rising as she took a sip, trying to steady herself. She wanted to push the feelings away, to lock them in some far-off corner of her mind where she wouldn’t have to deal with them. But she knew that wasn’t possible. Not anymore. Not with Kara.

She walked back into the bedroom, finding Kara still lying in the same position, her long muscular body curled into the sheets. The sight of her made Mallory’s chest tighten. There was no denying the attraction, the desire. But there was also that voice in the back of her head, the one telling her to tread carefully, tonotget too close.

Kara stirred when Mallory entered the room, her eyes blinking open slowly. She smiled sleepily at Mallory, a drowsy, contented smile that made Mallory’s heart beat faster. For a moment, Mallory let herself soften under that smile, the vulnerability in Kara’s gaze tempting her to stay in this moment. But she forced herself to retreat and return to the kitchen.

As Kara stumbled bleary eyed into the kitchen moments later, Mallory pressed a steaming cup of coffee into her hands, chuckling as Kara flopped back down onto the couch. Mallory took a seat at the kitchen bar and waited for Kara to take her first sips of coffee and wake up a bit more.

“You know, for all the time we’ve been talking, I’ve realized I don’t really know a whole lot about you,” Mallory began “Like your family, any siblings?”

“Nah, my parents were one and done. Dad worked a lot too, so it was probably for the best. What about you?”

“I have a brother, we’re not super close though. See him a couple times a year, if that. What about work? You know what I do, but I have no idea what you spend your days doing.”

Kara blinked up at her, seemingly surprised by the question. She sat up slightly, running a hand through her hair, her gaze thoughtful. “Oh,” she said, a little chuckle escaping her lips. “I’m a firefighter. Like my dad before me. I joined up to honor his legacy. Silly reason really, but I fell in love with it, you know?”

Mallory froze, the words hitting her like a punch to the gut. Firefighter. The word echoed in her mind, each syllable sharp and biting. It was like a sudden floodgate opening, and Mallory couldn’t stop the rush of memories that came with it. She thought of Ember—the firehouse, the calls, the fear that gnawed at her every time Ember would walk out the door. She thought of the sleepless nights, the constant ache in her chest, the panic she’d felt in her stomach every time the phone rang late at night.

She felt her breath catch in her throat. Kara’s words had unlocked something inside her that she wasn’t ready to face. She knew exactly what it meant to be with someone who put their life on the line every day. She had lived through it once. She couldn’t do it again.

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