ABBY couldn’t stop thinking about how badly their night could have ended had they not been found by Andrew. As she relaxed on the bed, sprained ankle propped on a pillow, her body would tense up and shiver from the images still whirling around in her head. She remembered how, for all the clothes, hats and scarves she wore, blowing snow had managed to find its way up into her nostrils, into her eyes, and had frozen her face, hands, and basically everywhere from head to toe.

She wiped a single tear that fell down one side her face, a reminder of how her eyes watered from the elements. It’s okay now, Abbs.

“Thank God for Andrew,” she whispered.

As she said his name, she recalled his touch. And the way he looked at her. It was mesmerizing. Abby hoped she didn’t also give off a “deer-in-the-headlights” kind of gaze when she looked at him. She shook her head to force him out of her mind.

Knowing it was unlikely she’d fall asleep anytime soon, Abby turned on the bedside lamp and sat up. It was time to make a concerted effort to get out of bed and use the washroom again. She contemplated just waiting until morning, but with all the soup, tea, and water she drank, her bladder was not going to hold. She grabbed the foot of the bed, limping around it to get closer to the bathroom door. It was only a few yards away, so she hopped on her good leg, taking fairly large jumps to get across the room.

Abby laughed when she made it to the bathroom, thinking how silly she must look. When she was finished, she took the same hop-along strides, but as she made it closer to the bed, her foot slipped. It landed half-way on the end of one of her oversized pajama pant legs. As if in slow motion, she felt her body seize up, trying to brace and turn so she wouldn’t hit her bad ankle anywhere near the bed. Her arms stretched out to reach out and grip anything nearby, but all she clasped was the corner of the comforter, which came down with her. It landed softly, while she hit the ground on her hip with a loud thump.

“Shit,” she shouted between clenched teeth, feeling the pain of the impact shoot from her hip. “How am I going to get up now?”

* * *

ANDREW had been tossing and turning in his sprawling bed for the past hour, uncertain how he could be so tired yet unable to sleep. He sat up and took off his t-shirt, leaned up on one hand and punched his pillow in the middle, trying to make himself more comfortable. He lay on his back again and stared up at the ceiling, wishing for sweet slumber to wash over his brain.

As he was about to slam the pillow beside him over his head in frustration, he heard a noise in the guest bedroom. It was loud enough to make him feel concern, given Abby was already injured and in pain. Without skipping a beat, Andrew was out of his room and knocking on his guest’s door.

“Everything okay?” he called out against the closed door.

“Not really,” Abby answered weakly. “Come in.”

Andrew was aghast as he saw Abby on the floor beside the bed. His gut seized as he looked at her, so weak and helpless, and exhausted from pain.

“What happened?” He hurried over and knelt beside her.

“I had to use the ladies’ room again,” Abby explained as he sat her up and looked at her ankle. “I made it there all right, but had a slight hitch on the return trip. Nothing big. Just call it a wardrobe malfunction.”

“Sorry, what?” he asked, confused.

“I tripped on the pant leg,” she explained. “I should have just rolled them up more.”

“Ouch,” he remarked. “I’m sorry. I should have offered you ladies some of my sister’s things instead. They’re in one of the bedrooms upstairs.”

“It’s not your fault, Andrew,” Abby insisted. “Totally my bad.”

“Still, I should have thought about that.” He gently cradled her, picked her up, and carried her around to the other side of the bed.

“Did you hurt the ankle?”

“Thankfully, no more than it already was. I fell at such a bad angle, I just couldn’t get up.”

“Don’t worry. You’re fine now.” He walked around the bed again and picked up the comforter to take to her.

“Thanks again, Andrew,” she whispered nervously. “Gosh, I feel like a disaster zone right now. I swear I’ve never been this accident-prone in my life.”

“I believe you.” Andrew smiled. “Look, just hold on, okay? I’ll be back.”

He hurried out of her room and went to his own, grabbing a clean robe off a hanger inside his walk-in closet. She was in the same spot when he returned.

“I think you should wear this instead of pants.”

As he offered the robe, he noticed her raise an eyebrow at his suggestion.

“Only because it’s not too long to make you trip again,” he hurriedly explained.

She kept looking at him with her eyebrows slightly raised. Surely she didn’t think he was trying to take advantage of her.

“Wait, you…you think…you don’t think that I’m…”

“I understand and it’s fine. I get it, Andrew. I’m a nurse, remember? I know why we have all hospital patients wear gowns. And I agree with you. The robe’s a smarter bet and less of a trip hazard.”

Andrew let out a sigh of relief as she took the robe from his outstretched hand. “Okay, good. Glad you agree.”

“Can you help me stand up so I can get changed?” she asked, stretching one arm out toward him.

“Sure.” He practically jumped to her side and lifted her off the bed.

“And you can turn away now,” she instructed him as she was on her feet.

He smiled as he turned away from her.

“I’d ask you to leave but I’ll probably need you if I can’t get the pants off,” she said with a chuckle.

“Not a problem,” he answered, excited to help.

He kept his eyes trained on the bedroom door, but his mind imagined what she was doing and what she looked like. He tried not to recall the glimpse he had gotten of Abby in just her bra and panties in the living room. It was no use, though.

“You can turn around now,” she called to him. “I’m actually fine. The pants fell right off me, so no need for you to rescue me again.”

“Glad you’re all right,” he smiled and turned to face her.

Andrew knew he needed to leave the room as soon as humanly possible. He was being swept up into a whirlwind of sensations from sheer proximity to Abby. And seeing her in his robe, standing looking helpless, sent his mind to places it should not visit this soon.

“Well, I’d best let you settle back in,” he said, turning to leave. “Have a great…”

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” she called to him.

“I’m not sure…um… What do you mean?” he asked.

“The sash for the robe,” she explained. “It’s over your shoulder. As you’re here anyway, can you walk me back on the other side of the bed? I kind of have a preference for the right side.”

“Oh!” he exclaimed, laughing nervously as he pulled the band from his shoulder and handed it over. “Here you go.”

Andrew swept her up into his arms again, and carried her around to the side. Before he could set her down, he became unavoidably aware of her arms wrapped around his neck. He could feel her breath catch and release on his cheek, and her slight body pressed against his chest—and wearing his robe—was magnetizing. He looked down at her face, and she was staring up at him, eyes filled with what he could only call longing.

Andrew couldn’t resist whatever it was that bubbled to the surface around Abby. Not anymore. He set her down gently in front of him, ensuring her uninjured leg landed first. When he felt her arms rest on his chest, he went with it. Andrew cupped her chin in his palm. He lifted her face and searched her eyes for any sign of the passion he felt coursing in his veins. He needed to be sure she felt the same sparks he did. He was so overcome with his need for her, he was afraid she didn’t feel the same. Afraid it was all one-sided, and way too soon.

Abby looked into his eyes. Her green eyes were darker, the golden flecks sparkling in the dimly lit room, her pupils dilated. He sighed. Oh, thank God! She wrinkled her nose and lifted her chin at the feel of his breath against her skin. He leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose. She began to pull away, but he held her steady. Even if her brain wasn’t ready for the thought of them, her body was. The look in her eye was a dead give-away. He pressed another quick, chaste kiss to her nose.

“Abby, I…” He searched for the right words to express what he was feeling.

“Andrew.” She spoke in a whisper.

He shushed her with a brief shake of his head. He kissed her forehead. Then, the corner of her eyes. He pressed his lips to her temple and nibbled a line to the curve of her ear. Pausing, he debated his next move. He wanted her to melt, not freeze in fear. He pulled away and kissed her opposite cheek. Cheeks were safer than ears. Ears, as he remembered, were especially erogenous for some women. He had no idea if that applied to Abby.

His thumb stroked along her chin and up to trace over her plump lips. Her breath caught, the line of her lips tightening. He could feel her shoulder under his other hand rise and the muscles underneath flex. She was panicking. He still had no idea about her ears, but her lips were obviously very sensitive. The realization both excited and terrified him.

He caressed them again, pressing gently on her bottom lip as he did so. Her gaze dropped to stare at his mouth, her shoulders suddenly dropping, and he seized the moment. She was fighting their attraction, but feeling it just as strongly as he was. He was sure of it. He tipped her head back with his hand. Her eyes widened and flicked back to meet his. He took her mouth quickly, giving himself no more time to think.

He wanted to feel her. Just feel.

His lips met hers and he felt his blood boil. The urge to bend her backward, undress her, and take her here and now was incredibly strong. He groaned. A few deep breaths through his nose and he felt a little more control. Back and forth across her lips. The friction of their thin, nerve-dense flesh against each other sent him reeling, and he dropped his hands to grip her waist—for her steadiness and his security.

Her knees knocked and buckled, bumping into his. Andrew noticed her arms wrapped around his waist and her head tilted back. He couldn’t react fast enough when she let gravity pull them both down onto the bed. Together, they tumbled and landed softly.

“Did I hurt your ankle?” he asked nervously, not sure what had come over Abby to cause her to fall onto the bed, given her injury. But then again, he knew. She couldn’t avoid their heart-stopping, punch-drunk attraction either.

Abby shook her head and tilted her head up to reconnect with his lips. Andrew rested on top of her, lips pressed in the same way his body pressed to her body. His hands came up to tangle in the hair at her temples, holding her in place as his tongue entered her willing mouth. He claimed her mouth in the same way her eyes had claimed him out in the blizzard. His fingers stroked the inner spirals of her ears and he found out exactly how erogenous that zone was. She moaned and bucked beneath him, and her tongue was suddenly warring with his own.

He wrapped his tongue around hers, licking and tasting her special, unique flavor. He sucked her tongue into his mouth and savored every nuance of what made Abby so sweet. She whimpered. He pulled away and kissed her everywhere his lips could access on her. She moved under him, now as hungry as he was.

Andrew chuckled and licked at her lips. She opened her mouth, grinned at him, and lifted her hands to run her fingers through his hair.

“Wow,” he whispered.

“Wow what?” Her grin softened into a warm smile.

“Wow, this has never happened before. I…I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I didn’t mean to…” Andrew stammered, not sure what happened to his ability to speak.

“Whatever it was, it happened to the both of us. Don’t apologize.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to kiss the tip of his nose.

The feeling was insane, crazy, and felt so right. Why had he second-guessed himself about doing this? Why had he held back when she had shown him with her body and her touch that it was mutual? For a fleeting moment, he resolved not to question it, or to think.

He fell on her a second time. This time, he didn’t try to ease her into it, didn’t worry whether or not her brain was in line with her body. He just took from her all the passion she gave him and freely returned it in kind. He kissed and caressed her mouth and explored every inch of what her lips offered.