Page 73 of Stuck with my Brother's Firefighter Besties

“May I have this dance, Miss Harper?”

Jaxon’s voice was smooth, but there was something beneath it—an edge that tugged at me. He stood tall behind me, a little too close, his hand hovering over mine.

He looked like he was forcing this, like dancing with me was a chore he couldn’t escape.

I turned, smiling a little, trying to ease the tension that had settled between us for the past few days. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Without waiting for him to respond, I placed my hand in his.

The moment our palms met, I felt the familiar jolt of electricity, a spark that threatened to undo everything I was trying to keep in check.

Jaxon’s hand slid to my back, guiding me gently onto the dance floor. We moved in time with the music, the crowd fading into the background.

“So, how’s the night treating you?” I asked, keeping my voice light, trying to hide how much his touch affected me.

“Fine,” he said. His gaze flickered over my shoulder, not quite meeting my eyes. “You?”

“Same,” I murmured, but it wasn’t true.

Not at all.

There was a long pause, and I could feel the tension in his grip, the way his fingers tightened on my waist, as if he was holding on to something fragile.

Neither of us spoke for a few moments, until he finally muttered, “Nate’s proud of you, you know.”

That struck me. “What do you mean?”

He met my eyes then, briefly. “He’s happy you’re here. You can see it. He’s been worried about you.”

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the conversation settle in between us.

“I know,” I said quietly. “I’m glad he’s happy too.”

Jaxon’s jaw tightened, and his expression shifted slightly, like he was considering something, but whatever it was, he didn’t voice it.

The song ended far too quickly.

As Jaxon released me with a quiet murmur of, “Thanks for the dance,” I felt something bittersweet hanging in the air between us.

I didn’t know if it was his silence or my own confusion that made me feel so unsettled, but I couldn’t shake it.

I hadn’t even gotten a chance to catch my breath before another figure loomed in front of me, this one with an unmistakable grin.

“Lila, I know you didn’t think I’d let you get away with that slow dance without getting my turn,” Colt said with a wink.

He didn’t wait for me to respond before he grabbed my hand, pulling me toward him with a playful grin. His eyes sparkled with mischief, and I couldn’t help but smile back, despite the whirlwind of thoughts in my head.

“What’s that? You think I’m avoiding you?” I teased, a little breathless as I let him pull me to the center of the dance floor.

“I know exactly what you’re doing,” Colt said with a laugh, his hands settling on my hips, his fingers brushing dangerously close to my skin. “Trying to avoid the inevitable.”

I chuckled. “And what’s that?”

He leaned in a little closer, his voice dropping low. “A night of fun with me.”

My heart fluttered, but I reminded myself to take a step back. This was Colt, the guy who flirted with everything that moved. He wasn’t serious. He couldn’t be…right?

Still, his touch was soft, and when we moved together, I couldn’t deny the pull he had over me.

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