Page 90 of Snowed In with Four Firemen
As soon as he spots me, he comes bounding over and starts to nuzzle against my legs.
“Raffle, is that Axel I hear?” I say, my heart leaping.
His tail starts to wag more insistently. I take that as a sign and move closer, cautiously stepping toward the door, and when I peek inside, I see them—Axel, Jace, Tanner, and Ben—all there,gearing up. The relief that washes over me is overwhelming, and I feel the tension that’s been building in my chest suddenly break.
“Oh, thank God,” I breathe, stepping into the room. They all turn to look at me, surprised to see me standing there.
“Emily?” Axel says, straightening up from where he’s been lacing up his boots. “What are you doing here?”
“I thought…I thought you’d already left,” I say, my voice shaky with a mixture of relief and panic. “Collie told me you were going to find Whit and Sam, and I thought you were out there in the storm already.”
Axel frowns, exchanging a glance with Jace. “We haven’t left yet. We’re just getting ready.”
I take a deep breath, feeling my heart start to settle back into its normal rhythm. “I was so scared…I thought you were out there, and with the storm…” My voice trails off as I realize how frantic I sound, but I can’t help it. The idea of them being out in the blizzard had nearly sent me into a panic.
Ben steps forward, his expression softening. “We’re not going anywhere without being fully prepped, Emily. Don’t worry. We know what we’re doing.”
“I know, but…” I shake my head, feeling ridiculous for how emotional I’m getting, but I can’t help it. “I just…I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you guys out there.”
Tanner shoots me a reassuring smile. “We’ve dealt with worse storms than this. We’ve got it under control.”
Axel steps closer, his hand brushing my arm gently. “We’ll be fine, Emily. We know what we’re doing. This isn’t our first rodeo.”
I nod, biting my lip, trying to hold back the surge of emotions threatening to spill over. “I know, I know. But I just…I was so worried.”
“We’re not going to rush in. Some people downstairs are still trying to contact them over the radio. And we’ll give it an hour or so and let the storm calm down before we head out,” Axel says.
I nod. “Makes sense.” I suddenly feel ridiculous.
I shut the door behind me, turning to face all four of them—Axel, Jace, Ben, and Tanner. My heart is still racing, the weight of everything pressing down on me like a heavy stone on my chest.
“I don’t feel good about how things ended,” I say, my voice trembling slightly as I speak. I can feel all their eyes on me, the tension between us building again, thick and charged. “About all of this. You guys…this whole situation has me so confused.”
They exchange glances, each one of them stepping closer, concern etched across their faces.
Axel is the first to speak. “Emily, we didn’t mean to hurt you with the pact. We thought we were doing what was best, giving you time and space to make your choice.”
Jace steps in, his brow furrowed. “It’s complicated, Emily. We all feel something for you, and none of us want to push you or make things harder.”
Ben nods, his voice soft. “But we know we didn’t handle things the right way. And I’m sorry for that. We all are.”
I bite my lip, feeling a knot of emotions twist in my chest. “It’s not just that,” I admit, my voice shaking a little. “It’s everything. Whit…Whit’s missing, and I don’t even know what I feel about that. Part of me still cares about him, but he hurt me. And now you guys…I care about you, too, and I don’t know where this is all headed. I’m just…I’m scared, okay? I don’t know what I’m doing.”
There’s a beat of silence, and then all four of them step closer, surrounding me, their presence warm and overwhelming. Axel reaches out, his hand brushing lightly against my arm. “You don’t have to have all the answers right now.”
Jace moves in on my other side, his voice low and soothing. “We’re here. Whatever you’re feeling, whatever you need—we’re here for you.”
The heat between us shifts, becoming something more intense, more charged. My heart pounds in my chest as I feel their eyes on me, the air around us thick with tension. I can feel the pull between us, the magnetic force that’s been simmering under the surface for so long, finally starting to bubble over.
Without thinking, I step closer to Axel, my gaze locking with his. “I don’t know where this is headed,” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper. “But right now…I need you.”
His blue eyes darken, his breath hitching as he looks down at me. “We’re not going anywhere, Emily.”
And then, before I can stop myself, I lean in and press my lips to his. The kiss is immediate, hot and desperate, and the second our mouths meet, it’s like something inside me snaps. Axel responds instantly, his hands moving to my waist, pulling me closer as his lips claim mine with a hunger that makes my head spin.
A shiver runs down my spine, the sensation of being between them sending heat flooding through me.
“Emily…” Axel murmurs, his voice husky as his hands explore my body, his touch gentle but insistent.
