Lit Up by My Brother’s Best Friend (Lit Creek #1)

Chapter 8

HUNTER

“Hit the lights, Nolan. I’m exhausted.” I slump back on the bed in the firehall, too tired to go home for this nap. We all got called in for a wildfire job that the chief didn’t want getting out of hand, and now pretty much the whole crew is here sleeping it off.

I can’t wait to go see my girl after the shitty morning I had. But I just need two minutes of shut-eye—

“Hunter!” A muffled voice booms.

No one can possibly need me right now. I pull the pillow over my head to block out the bellowing.

“Hunter!” I hear the voice again and it sounds decidedly female.

“Hunter!” Shit. That’s Sierra. What is she doing here? I’m not ready. I had plans. Plans will have to wait. I grab my sweats and throw them on, then yank open the door. She’s standing there with her hands on her grippable hips. That’s what I’m calling them after last night.

“What are you smirking at?” Gruffly, she calls me out and a collective ooooh fills the air from my crew. Damn it.

“You.” I have to answer honestly.

“Why are you laughing at me? Again.”

Oh. She’s pissed.

“You’re in for it now,” Nolan hollers at me .

“Shut it.” That’s the best I’ve got at the moment.

“Take it outside,” Eli groans. “Some of us are trying to sleep.”

“Sleep some other time. This looks like it’s about to be juicy.” I can hear the giddiness in Finn’s voice and don’t have to turn around to know he’s probably rubbing his hands back and forth. Like the tool that he is.

Before I can tell my whole crew to mind their fucking business, Sierra is up in my face.

“You left this morning without saying a word. I want to know why.”

Oh shit. She thinks I skipped out on her.

“It’s not like that.” I rush to say. “I swear. There was a wildfire—”

“Truth,” Finn shouts to back me up. I always knew that guy was a keeper.

“We just got back. I was going to take a quick nap because we’re exhausted—”

“Truth,” Finn shouts again.

“Thanks, man. I’ve got it.” I call back and he chuckles. Idiot.

“Anyway,” I rake my hand through my hair and pull out the note in my pocket that, shit, looks like my dog ate it and spat it out. And I don’t have a dog. “I started to make this.” I shove the crumpled and somehow soggy mess into her fingers.

“What is it?” She eyes it warily, though I’m not sure whether she does that because of the headline or the state of the note. “Never Have I Ever?” she asks dubiously.

“Ya. For us.” Okay. Now that it’s in her hands, I’m second guessing all of it. Maybe it’s too juvenile. “I was going to get you a cinnamon pie and bring it to you—”

Her body crashes into me.

“You like it?”

“I love it. ”

I whisper in her ear, “I love you.”

And a new chorus of hoots and hollers fills the room. They’re all teasing me. He really loves her , in a sing-song voice. That has to be Finn. But it could have been Graham. I can’t tell. And I don’t care because then I hear what she says.

“I love you, too.”

I have to kiss her. I don’t give a shit who’s watching. My head dips and I sweep my mouth over hers. But what I thought was going to be a kiss turns into me devouring her. Apparently I didn’t get enough of her last night. Something tells me that I’ll never get enough of this girl. My sweet cinnamon-loving woman that runs her own shop and takes all kinds of risks in life. I love her so much.

“Okay. But truth here.” She pulls back so we’re staring at each other. “Were you going to bake the cinnamon pie or buy it?”

“I was hoping Georgie would help me make it. They’re pretty quick, right?”

“Mhmmm,” she murmurs while kissing me hungrily.

“Get a room!” Nolan shouts.

We will. We’re going to get a whole house actually. And I can’t wait. But for right now, I’ll let my guys sweat it out for a second while I get my girl.

Because I have to say, while her baking is good, she is definitely the tastiest thing on the menu.