Sometime overnight, the weight of the falling snow knocked power out to my entire apartment complex, causing me to oversleep. If that had been the worst thing to happen that day, it wouldn’t have been so bad. Unfortunately, the electricity going out was just the beginning.

It was absolutely freezing outside. I didn’t have a clue what the actual temperature was, but it didn’t take a genius to realize that the wind chill was well below zero. If anything, it made me grateful that the heat in my apartment was supplied by gas and not electricity or I may have woken up as a partial popsicle.

Determined not to let the fact that I was running late ruin my day, I got dressed as fast as I could and hightailed it out to my SUV. As soon as I put the key in the ignition, I knew exactly how the day was going to go. The usual dings and buzzing that I usually heard weren’t there that morning. Instead, there was silence.

When I turned the key, nothing happened. Nothing even attempted to happen. The car did not make one single sound. The frigid cold temperatures had managed to drain my battery completely, and there wasn’t a soul in sight that I could ask for a jump.

You’d think that would be bad enough, but not for me. The bad news continued. When the snow plow came through to clear the parking lot, it left a giant mound of snow right behind my vehicle. That meant if that by some miracle, I was actually able to get my SUV started, I’d have to figure out how to get out of my parking spot.

One thing was becoming clear, and that was the fact that there was no possible way I was going to be able to make it into work. Fortunately, I never take off work so I had plenty of personal days I could use so I wouldn’t be missing any money on my paycheck. Of course, that didn’t stop my boss from being pissy and reminding me that calling in wouldn’t look good as far as my fast track program went, but I knew that my record was solid and he’d be able to get along one day without me.

It wasn’t like he was going to be down a cashier. It was one of my office days so I was going to spend it doing paperwork, which I could easily do from home.

With that call out of the way, I didn’t have to worry about my SUV for a little while. Sure, I’d need to get things figured out that day, but at least it gave me a little room to breathe.

One bad thing about keeping to myself is that I don’t have many people I can turn to when I need help with something like vehicle problems. I keep to myself for a reason, though. People have repeatedly broken my trust over and over, so I protect myself by not trusting people very easily. That allows me not to get close to anyone, but it also means not being close enough to most people to be willing to ask them for assistance when it’s needed. There were two people that I knew I could count on, however, and that was Kim and Curtis.

Even though she isn’t blood, Kim is the closest thing I have to family. She certainly treats me a lot better than anyone in my real family ever did. I knew I could count on her anytime I needed her. In return, Kim and Curtis knew they could count on me as well. Once I got back into the house and warmed up for a minute, I called Kim.

“Holy shit, do you have nearly as much snow as we got?” she asked, not bothering to say hello first. “I think the weatherman undershot this by at least 12-inches.”

“Yeah, I got nailed with it. Plus, it’s cold as hell, which is why I hate that I’m calling you guys to see if I can ask a favor.”

“That doesn’t sound good. What’s going on?”

“It’s this stupid vehicle of mine. It won’t start. The battery is completely drained, and everyone else has enough sense to stay inside, so there isn’t anyone outside to ask for a jump. I was wondering if maybe you guys could give me a hand.”

“Of course we will, but it’s gonna be a little bit. Curtis has indoor jobs, and he’s already long gone for the day. We can come by when after he gets home if that’s not too late.”

“No, that’ll be perfect. I’ve already called into work so I’ll be here all day. I’ll even make dinner for you guys.”

Not only did Curtis run his construction company, but he also knew just about everything there was to know about cars. As well as he does with his business, I bet he could make a killing as a mechanic, but he likes what he does. He does love hearing Kim and I telling him how good he is at working on the cars, though. He’s a man, and he loves having that ego of his stroked.

I spent the day in my living room, doing all the administrative tasks I would have done in the tiny back office at work. I’m always telling my boss that he should just let me work at home on office days, but for some reason, he insists that I be there to do the work. I’m sure it was driving him nuts that I wasn’t there.

Even though it was simple work, I was finding it difficult to complete. My mind kept drifting in another direction, which was never usually a problem because once I focus on something, it’s hard to divert my attention. Today, my mind kept thinking about the enormous stranger who was staying in my best friend’s guest room.

I’d never meet anyone like him and especially not someone who made me weak in the knees just by being in the same room. He was the perfect combination of ruggedness and attractiveness. I had no idea when it would happen, but I was already looking forward to running into him again.

Would I run into him next week? Would it happen next month? What if he tagged along with Kim and Curtis to help me with my vehicle? That would be awesome, and it was definitely what I was hoping for,

Even though I knew nothing about him, I had the unshakeable feeling that I needed to see him. I hoped he’d be wearing a form-fitting t-shirt that showed off his muscular body and left next to nothing to the imagination. His arms were so thick and perfect, and all I needed was to feel them wrapped around my body.

These thoughts were pretty alarming to me because I’m not typically someone who has sex on the mind all the time, but I could not prevent myself from wondering if the thickness of his body translated downstairs as well. After all, a man the size of Nick has to be packing some heat, right? I wanted to know what it looked like, what it felt like in my mouth, what it felt like inside of me.

It had been quite a long time since I’d been intimate with someone other than myself. That wasn’t what I missed the most, though. What I really missed was having a man to wrap his strong arms around me and hold me while we both fell asleep. I couldn’t even remember the last time I felt the electricity when someone’s lips kissed mine or when a warm tongue came in contact with my clit.

Shaking my head, I snapped myself out of the fantasy I found myself in, I looked around the room, almost expecting someone to be standing there who knew what I was thinking. Even though the notion was ridiculous, I was still embarrassed enough to make myself blush. I couldn’t believe I was fantasizing about a man I knew nothing about, but there was something there. I just knew it.

There had to be some reason I hadn’t been able to get him out of my head lately. There was no way I could deny the instant attraction that I felt for him and wondered if he’d felt the same way about me.

Oh, what in the hell was I thinking? There was no way he was thinking anything of the sort about me. I know I’m far from ugly, but I’ve been cheated on by everyone I’ve ever been with.

I’ve been emotionally abused in one way or another by most of the men I’ve dated. It’s been enough to give me a complex about myself. I always have a problem with not feeling pretty enough or feeling like I’m not good enough for people. Doubting myself is probably my biggest flaw.

Later that afternoon, I received a text message from Kim.

Hey, we’re about to head your way. You still up for making dinner?

Yeah, I’ll whip something up.

Yay! You have enough for an extra mouth? Nick was wondering if he could come with us.

Sure thing. Hope he likes pasta.

Holy shit! He was actually coming to my apartment. As soon as I read his name, I felt the butterflies developing in my stomach as I jumped up off my couch and ran into the background to check myself in the mirror.

I touched up my makeup and made sure my hair was looking presentable before he came over. I wanted to look as good as I possibly could when he got there, just in case.

Once I was made up enough for my liking, I needed to get out of my sweatpants and old t-shirt. I changed into a pair of jeans that I knew made my ass look fantastic and my favorite gray sweater. I knew they’d be a bit, so I got started on dinner. Knowing that Curtis and Nick had worked all day, I was sure they’d be starving.

I brought a pot of water to a boil and threw in some spaghetti before cutting up some crusty bread that I’d bought at an Italian bakery the day before. I wasn’t a great cook by any means.

The pasta sauce was coming straight from a jar but I did spice it up with some garlic, and a bit of sugar, which I always joked was my secret recipe. After that, I made up a salad and sat out a few dressing options before setting the table for four.

The spaghetti was still cooking on the stove when I heard knocking on my door. I knew I didn’t have to say anything. Kim and I always walked right into each other’s homes and today was no exception.

“Hey girlie,” Kim yelled out as she wiped her snowy shows on the mat in front of my door. “It’s just me. I’ve already put the boys to work trying to get your car out from all that snow.” She laughed as she took off her coat and joined me in the kitchen. “Your boyfriend is out there,” she said with a smile, making some weird up and down thing with her eyebrows.

I didn’t know what to say to her, so I just smiled and nodded back at her, acting like I was concentrating on the noodles that were basically cooking themselves.

She tried everything to get me to talk about him, but I was remaining silent on that subject. Finally, she changed the subject to how cold it was outside as I mixed the sauce with the noodles.

They must have had some kind of radar in their stomachs because as soon as the food was done, the men came in from outside. I watched Nick as he made his way inside my place, his eyes scanning his surroundings.

I wondered what he thought about my little apartment. Did he like it? Did he think it smelled good? Did it look clean? Suddenly, I was paranoid, wondering if I should have given my house a deep clean.

Eventually, his eyes made their way over to me, and I met him with a smile, this time looking him straight in the eye. I liked his eyes.

They were so big. He nodded at me and smiled back. He took off his sock cap, exposing his hair that was disheveled from wearing it. He didn’t look nearly as imposing as he had before. He now resembled a giant teddy bear.

Nick broke my gaze and looked me up and down before bringing his eyes back to mine. Knowing he was checking me out excited me. Hopefully, he was happy with what he’d seen so far. After that, we just kind of looked at each other in silence.

I finally looked away, telling everyone that dinner was ready. I sat down and looked up at Nick, only to find him staring back at me. The butterflies made a comeback in my stomach, fluttering all around. Why was he still looking at me like that? Was there something wrong? What was going on in that mind of his?

“Have a seat big guy,” I said with a giggle, trying to joke away the intense stare he was giving me. He almost looked like he was in a daze. Eventually, he blinked his eyes, smiled and took the seat directly across from me.

“Thank you very much,” he mumbled, looking at the food as he licked his lips. He looked over the offerings at the table, his eyes looking as hungry as he probably was. “Looks like you can cook,” he laughed, smiling at me the entire time.

“Well, I can cook some things really well, but I wouldn’t get too excited. Culinary arts were never my specialty,” I joked. “I wanna thank you guys for coming over to help me with my car. I know the weather sucks out there.”

Curtis started to tell me that the problem with my SUV was that the battery was dead, as if I didn’t already know that. Still, I let him explain it.

I’ve learned that’s one thing guys love to do. As was typical of him, his tale about my car quickly turned into a conversation about their day at the job site and some funny stories about people they worked with.

I wasn’t interested until Curtis started telling me about he and Nick met when they were in foster care and gave me a bit of their history.

Once everyone was done eating, we sat at the table talking and joking with one another. I was feeling a lot more at ease, and I was actually starting to get to know Nick a little better.

Much to my surprise, Nick became much more talkative as we ate, asking me more and more about myself. I was excited that he seemed to be interested in me.

He may have just been being polite since he was at my house but he seemed like he genuinely wanted to know more about me.

I asked Nick some things about him as well, but he wasn’t giving up information very easily. He didn’t seem like he was all that interested in telling me anything about himself. We sat at the table until a little before 10.

“We hate to cut this short, but we’ve got to get home. Got a long day of work tomorrow,” Curtis said.

“Oh okay, well thanks for coming you guys. I really appreciate your help.”

“It’s not a problem. Thanks for dinner.”

“I owe you one,” I said, making sure I was looking Nick in the eye while I said it. “If there’s anything you ever need. You make sure to let me know,” I smiled, letting him know I was being genuine.

I said that to him as a way to gauge his reaction, and he didn’t disappoint. The look on his face was one of excitement and gratefulness. I was sure he was wondering exactly what it was I meant by the comment. His expression brought the butterflies out in my stomach once again.

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind. I’m sure I’ll take you up on that someday soon,” he said, maintaining eye contact the entire time. He didn’t stop looking at me even as he put the sock cap onto his head. Finally, he waved goodbye as he followed Curtis out the door and into the parking lot.

Kim gave me a hug and decided to make fun of me. “Oh, I owe you so much!” she mocked. “Anything you need you big stud.”

“Shhhh, they’re going to hear you,” I said. “Don’t make me feel stupid. That man makes me feel some type of way, and I’m not sure what to do around him.”

“I’m sorry, I was just playing,” she said. “I’ll see you later.”

I watched as the pulled away before cleaning up my kitchen and taking a shower before bed. Once I was all clean, I climbed under my blanket, pulling it up to my chin.

As cold as it was outside, my heater was having a hard time keeping up. Once I was warmed up, I let my hand trail down the thin top I was wearing, pausing to caress my nipples.

They were already hard from being so cold, and my touch gave me goosebumps along my entire body. It would have felt even better if it had been Nick’s hand touching me.

I loved having Nick in my house. I watched him the entire time he was eating, looking away anytime his glance came my way. I didn’t want to seem weird or making it completely obvious that I was watching him.

I did my best to steal an odd glance here and there. While he ate, I could see the muscles under his shirt flexing without him even trying. He had a large neck that I’d love to kiss, running my tongue along to his ear and biting on his earlobe.

Out of everything I liked about him, his hands were my favorite thing about him. I don’t know what it is about guys who have big hands, but they always drive me crazy.

The bigger they are, the better in my opinion. I also liked the d the fact that his hands were calloused and the skin on them was hard and leathery.

They were the hands of a worker, a man who is strong and could probably provide for his family well. I bet he could do other things well with those hands as well, especially those long, thick fingers.

I moved my hands lower down my body, rubbing them along my tummy. I may be a curvy girl, but I’ve always been proud of my flat stomach.

I worked hard to have my body, and I liked the way it felt when I ran my fingers over it. As I imagined Nick’s hands caressing me, I allowed my hand to slip down further, rubbing myself over the top of my panties.

I teased myself, circling my clit with my middle finger. When I felt like I needed more, I pulled my panties down.

I placed my finger just inside my lips, feeling the slick, wet feeling of my pussy. I slid my finger in just enough to get it a little wet before moving it back up to my clit.

The slick lubrication allowed me to circle my clit with no resistance. I shuttered at the feeling as I slipped my finger back inside if my pussy, the feelings of pleasure running through my body.

Closing my eyes, I could imagine Nick lying there beside me, using his hand to pleasure me instead of mine. I could feel his thumb running circles around my clit while his fingers moved in and out of my hole.

I felt my climax coming quickly while I pictured Nick climbing on top of me, plunging his cock into my tight pussy. As I started to climax, I could hear Nick moaning into my ear as he filled me up at the same time.

I arched my back and bit down on my lip as I got myself off. My orgasm had been one of the best I’d had in ages. Easily as good as any orgasm a man had given me.

The thoughts of Nick were really doing something to me. I wondered what a real orgasm with him would feel like.

The orgasm had left me spent so I rolled over onto my side, not even worried about pulling my panties back up. It didn’t take me long to fall asleep and have dream after dream about him.