Page 68 of Snowed In with Four Firemen
For now, I’m exactly where I want to be.
CHAPTER 20
TANNER
I’m leaningagainst the reception counter, trying to figure out the logistics for moving some of the decorations we salvaged from storage earlier when the door opens, and I glance up. Emily steps inside, cheeks flushed, a wild look in her eyes like she’s been through something…intense.
And she’s not alone.
Axel’s right behind her, his jaw set, shoulders tight. He looks around quickly like he’s making sure no one’s watching before his gaze shifts to me. For a split second, something flickers in his eyes—something dark and guarded—but then it’s gone, replaced by that usual blank stare he wears like armor.
“What’s up, big guy?” I call out casually, but he just keeps walking, his back tense, disappearing down the hallway without a word.
Okay. That’s weird.
I blink, my gaze flicking back to Emily. “Umm…everything okay?”
“Yep,” she says.
“What were you doing out there for so long?” I ask. To my surprise, her blush deepens. It’s no secret that Axel wants her. He made that clear at the bar, and so did I. But the question is—do I have to fight for Emily now? Because I don’t want to go against my friends.
“Axel. He…um, needed some help,” she says, still not meeting my gaze.
My eyes narrow. Needed help? With what? He doesn’t look like he needed any help. In fact, he looked like…My gaze drifts to Emily again, taking in her rumpled clothes, the way her hair’s just a little messy. She’s glowing—there’s no other way to describe it. A rosy flush across her cheeks, a softness in her eyes.
Damn. Did something happen? But just last night she was with Ben…So does that mean? I don’t even want to finish the thought, but it turns me on in a way I didn’t think was possible.
“Oh my God, I totally forgot to check on the cake yesterday,” she says, squeezing my bicep. I get the feeling she’s trying to change the topic, but I don’t particularly care when she’s touching me.
I chuckle. “Don’t worry, I took everything out of the oven and covered it. It should be undisturbed in there.”
She visibly relaxes. “Oh my God, you’re a lifesaver.”
“I know,” I say.
“We should probably finish frosting the cake, right?” she says. “The wedding has only been pushed back a day or two, so we need to get it done.”
“Sure,” I say lightly, letting it go—for now. “Let’s go finish that masterpiece, shall we?”
She visibly relaxes, flashing me a relieved smile. “Great! Let’s do that.”
The cake is right where I left it last night. I help Emily take it out of the refrigerator and take it over to the counter.
I pull back, watching her for a few moments, but her delectable ass is too fricking distracting. She’s just in a loose t-shirt and sweatpants, but it doesn’t matter. I’m already rock hard for her, more so by the thought of what had happenedoutside. Strangely, I’m not jealous. But I want her to know that I’m better, and she has to choose me.
“Hmm.” I let my hands rest lightly on her hips, feeling the way she tenses beneath my touch. The feel of her soft curves under my hands, the warmth of her body so close to mine…it’s intoxicating.
“What’s wrong?” she asks, her voice trembling slightly as she tries to keep working, her hands shaking as she dips the spatula into the big mixer.
“Nothing,” I murmur, leaning in, letting my lips brush lightly against the curve of her neck. “Just…thinking.”
“About what?” she whispers, her breath catching as I nuzzle her skin, trailing soft kisses along her throat.
“About what you’re hiding,” I murmur, letting my teeth graze her earlobe. “About what happened out there with Axel.”
She stiffens, her hands freezing on the bowl. “I’m not hiding anything,” she says, but the words are too soft, too shaky.
“Liar,” I whisper, my hands sliding up from her hips, over her stomach, until I’m cupping her breasts through her shirt. I feel her suck in a sharp breath, her whole body going rigid as I squeeze gently, my thumbs brushing over her nipples. “What’s got you so worked up, hmm? Did he touch you, Emily?”
