Page 23 of Snowed In with Four Firemen
Jace had mentioned bears. He has to be kidding, right?
The snow is so thick now that I can barely see the lodge lights in the distance. I have to stop and wipe the snow from my face every few steps.
“Come on, Emily,” I mutter under my breath. “Where are you?”
Raffle’s barking suddenly rings out from somewhere ahead, loud and insistent. My heart leaps, and I start running toward the sound, my boots crunching through the snow. I hear theothers converging, their flashlights bobbing in the darkness as they sprint toward Raffle’s bark.
Please let her be okay.
As I run through the blizzard, the snowflakes stinging my face, and the wind howling in my ears, I start to recognize the shapes around me. The ski lift towers loom in the darkness, their metal frames stark against the swirling snow.
Fuck. What is she doing all the way up here?
The ski lift station comes into view, a hulking structure partially buried in snow. Its metal cables and seats are coated with a thick layer of snow.
My flashlight sweeps over the scene, catching the faint glimmer of Raffle’s eyes and the outline of the door. The other guys catch up, their faces drawn and tense, their flashlights cutting through the snow.
“Tanner, help me with the door,” I yell out. I don’t have to tell him twice. Tanner nods, rushing ahead.
Tanner and I work together, our combined strength prying at the heavy door. The cold metal protests, but we manage to crack it open just enough to squeeze through.
Inside, the lift station is dimly lit, the only source of light coming from a single flickering bulb overhead. The warmth starkly contrasts the biting cold outside, and it feels like a small, blessed relief.
I spot Emily huddled in a corner, her back against the wall.
She’s shivering uncontrollably, her teeth chattering. Her clothes are damp, and her hair is plastered to her face with snow.
“Emily!” I cry out.
I don’t hesitate—my jacket is off in an instant, and I’m draping it around her shoulders.
She looks up at me, her eyes glossy with tears and her lips trembling. Without a word, she wraps her arms around me, pressing her cold body against mine. My heart races, and a waveof heat spreads through me despite the freezing conditions. Her innocent touch is electrifying, and I can’t ignore the immediate response in my body.
As she clings to me, her breath warm against my chest, I feel an involuntary reaction. It’s not just the physical closeness or the softness of her touch—it’s something more primal. I’m acutely aware of the way her body molds against mine.
Fuck me, I’m hard almost instantly.
I try to focus on keeping her warm, to push aside the unsettling heat pooling in my groin. I shift slightly, trying to regain my composure, but it does little to help.
“Emily, we need to get you back to the lodge,” I manage to say, my voice a little rougher than I intended. I gently pull back, though my hands linger for a moment on her shoulders, trying to steady her.
“Help me,” she whispers.
“I’m right here,” I tell her.
“Promise?” she says feebly. She looks so small, so vulnerable in my arms. Her lips have turned blue, and her skin has a strange pallor to it. My heart squeezes.
“Promise,” I say.
I lift Emily into my arms, trying to ignore the way her body presses against mine. Her cold skin against my chest is both a relief and a curse; it reminds me of why I’m here, but it’s hard to disregard the intense, unwelcome arousal she’s causing.
Jace, Axel and Tanner rush towards me. “Ben, is she okay?” Axel asks.
“Her lips are a tad blue,” I say.
“Why does the cold keep trying to kill me?” she jokes.
“Let me take her,” Jace says, reaching out as if he has some kind of right to her. I feel a flash of anger at him.
