Page 56 of Snowed In with Four Firemen
“Tanner,” he replies, sitting up quickly, his movements tense.
I frown, propping myself up on one elbow. “Is there a problem?” I hope it has nothing to do with Whit. I made my stance clear to him. I hope the boys got the hint and stayed the hell away from him.
I bite the inside of my cheek as his words come back to haunt me. What am I doing? I had Ben and Tanner but my pulsating core tells me I need more. What’s wrong with me? Am I turning into a nymphomaniac?
“I hope not, but I have to check,” he says, swinging his legs off the bed, already reaching for his clothes. His movements have a strange urgency, like he’s suddenly in a hurry to leave.
I bite my lip, watching him pull on his jeans, and a knot forms in my stomach. Does he regret this? The thought claws at me, but I can’t bring myself to ask.
Ben pulls his shirt over his head, his eyes flicking back to his phone before he glances at me. “You’ll be okay, right?”
I nod. “Yes. Go. I’m fine.”
He leans down, pressing a quick kiss to my forehead before heading to the door, his steps hurried. The moment the door clicks shut, I’m left alone with my thoughts, and they swirl around me like a storm.
Was this just a mistake for him? I pull the sheets up, suddenly feeling cold despite the heat still lingering from what we did. My mind drifts back to Tanner and that moment in the kitchen. What’s happening between me and all of them? How did I get here?
I feel completely untethered and I didn’t even have this feeling when Whit left me.
There’s a knock at the door. My heart skips a beat, and for a moment, I think it’s Ben. Maybe he came back after all. Wrapping the sheet tightly around myself, I head toward the door.
But when I open it, it’s not Ben—it’s Jace, leaning against the door.
“Hey,” he says, his voice low. “Just wanted to check in on you.”
I nod, stepping aside to let him in. My thoughts are spinning.
What does he think of me, standing here wrapped in nothing but a sheet, my hair still messy from...everything?
Jace walks inside, glancing around the room. He doesn’t say anything about the rumpled sheets or the lingering smell of…well, sex. I’m sure he can tell something happened.
“Ben disappeared pretty quick,” he says. “Did he come after you?”
“Yes, he was here…he just left.”
Jace nods. “Okay.”
“Something happened.” I pause, then decide to just say it. “While he was here...something happened.”
I wait for Jace to lash out, for him to get pissed, but the reaction doesn’t come.
Instead, he looks at me, really looks at me, his gaze steady and understanding in a way I wasn’t expecting. “Are you okay?” he asks, his voice gentle.
That question breaks something inside me. The dam I’ve been holding up all day, through everything, finally bursts. Before I can stop myself, I let out a sob, raw and broken, and ran into his arms.
The sheet slips from my grasp, unfurling and falling to the floor, leaving me completely naked against him, but I don’t care. I can’t care.
Jace’s arms close around me, strong and secure, and I press my face into his chest, sobbing like a little girl. His hands rest on my back, soothing, and he doesn’t let go. He doesn’t ask questions or make me feel worse about what I’ve just admitted. He just holds me, and I cling to him, feeling exposed and broken but safe all at the same time.
“It’s okay,” he murmurs, his voice steady and soothing as he strokes my hair. “I’ve got you.”
I don’t know how long we stand there, my naked body pressed against him, my tears soaking into his shirt, but Jace doesn’t move, doesn’t let go.
I finally lift my head from Jace’s chest, my face wet from tears, and our eyes meet.
My heart pounds in my chest, and before I can even think it through, I close the distance between us, pressing my lips against his. The kiss is full of raw desire.
His hands immediately find their way to my hips, gripping them tightly as he pulls me closer, the warmth of his touch sending shivers through my body.
