Page 91 of Snowed In with Four Firemen
The room feels like it’s spinning, and my heart pounds in my chest as I stand surrounded by all four of them. It’s overwhelming, but in the best possible way—the kind of intensity that makes your skin tingle and your pulse race. I look around at them—Axel, Tanner, Ben, Jace—and I can’t wrap my head around the fact that I’m. Kissing. Them.
Tanner sinks his fingers into my hair as he kisses me. I feel Ben’s hands on my hips, firm but gentle, his touch different from Tanner’s but no less intense. His lips trail down the side of my neck, slow and deliberate, his breath warm against my skin. I tiltmy head back, giving him more access, and his mouth finds the sensitive spot just below my jaw. And I moan.
This is heaven.
But then Tanner pulls away. I can barely sigh in disappointment when Jace steps in with a low and husky, “My turn.”
His hands cup my face, and the moment his lips meet mine, everything else fades away. It’s soft at first, almost hesitant, but then the kiss deepens, his tongue brushing against mine in a way that makes my whole body ache.
I’m completely surrounded by them, each of them touching me, kissing me, and I can barely think.
Axel’s hands trail down my back, firm and possessive, while Tanner’s fingers grip my waist, pulling me closer. Ben’s mouth continues its slow, deliberate path along my neck, while Jace’s lips devour mine with a hunger that makes me dizzy.
I can feel it in the way their hands roam over me, in the way their lips claim mine, one after the other. It’s intoxicating, the way they all touch me, kiss me, like I belong to each of them.
I know I’ll have to let them go soon, but for just a few moments, I shut off my brain and let them kiss me.
CHAPTER 26
AXEL
I get dressed slowly,pulling on my thermal shirt and jacket.
My mind is already elsewhere—on the mountain, the storm, the trail ahead. The others are moving quietly, their own silent routines as they pull on their gear.
Emily is still on our bed, her hair mussed, her lips bright red. I want to keep kissing her forever. She is watching us with a mix of worry and exhaustion. Her eyes meet mine, and I feel a knot form in my chest. I don’t want to leave her, not after everything that just happened. There’s so much to talk about, so many questions.
She kissed all of us, and now what?
But there’s no other option. We’ve got a job to do, and no matter how much I want to stay, Whit and Sam are still out there.
I step toward her, my boots heavy on the wooden floor, and lean down to kiss her softly, savoring the warmth of her lips for just a second longer than I should. “We’ll be back soon,” I murmur against her mouth, trying to sound confident.
“You better,” she says, squeezing my arm. “It won’t be any more difficult than the time you saved me.”
I don’t disagree with her, although that is far from true. I look into her eyes, and one thing is for sure—I’m in love with her. Maybe I fell in love with her the moment I took her in my arms. How has it been only three days?
“My heroes,” she says as she glances at all of us with what looks like love in her eyes. But no, what am I even thinking? It can’t be love, though, can it? It’s impossible…or is it?
She leans in to kiss me, softly at first before it deepens. The others step forward and she takes turns kissing them all. The goodbye kiss is gentler.
“Are we taking Raffle?” Ben asks.
I shake my head. “He’s not trained for a situation like this. Raffle will stay with Emily.”
Emily is hugging Raffle tightly.
“Take care of her, buddy,” I say.
We make our way down to the lobby, where the other guests are gathered, murmuring amongst themselves. Most of them are huddled by the fire, wrapped in blankets, trying to shake off the chill that still clings to the lodge. The tension in the air is thick—everyone knows how dangerous this is, but no one says anything. A few volunteers step forward, offering to help, but the truth is, this isn’t their job. It’s ours.
Collie approaches us, her face lined with concern. “It’s still rough out there. You sure you’re ready for this?”
I nod, squaring my shoulders. “We’ve got this.”
The storm is quieter now, but the snow still swirls in the air, and the wind cuts like knives. It’s freezing—bone-chilling cold that seeps into your skin the second you step outside. The trail is almost invisible, buried under layers of snow, and the darkness is oppressive. Zero visibility. It’s going to be a hell of a night.
Jace pulls his hat down tighter, squinting into the night. “This is bad, Axel.”
