A hot winter night (closed for SecretEpiphany)

[Baelnorn]

http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/3262/080708brandon03.th.jpg
Name: Alexander Morgan
Age: 25
Occupation: Programmer

It was already past midnight and Alex still had 20 kilometers to go until he finally got home. He was on his way back from a business meeting - oh man, how much he hated such stuff, especially when it lasted so long into the night - and he slowly began to wonder if it hadn't been an utterly stupid idea to actually try to get home in this weather. The radio had mentioned some snow fall along his route but nobody told him that apparently some snow storm from Alaska was taking his holidays out here. Of course he was used to some serious snow but this weather was unlike anything he had ever seen before. He could barely see anything more than thirty feet in front of him and the windshield wipers of his dark blue 2007's Prius could barely keep up with the amount of snow hitting the glass and melting on it. The car slowly crawled over the thick snow blanket covering the street and Alex was very careful to not go too fast - he had already almost gone off the road two times. "Oh man, at this speed it will take me another two hours before I finally..."

But before he could finish the sentence he noticed some strange sounds from the motor compartment and a warning light in the dashboard flare up in an evil red glow. "Oh no, not now. Come on, you can't be..." and a moment later the engine simply went out cold with one final maliciously grinding sound. "...serious." Alex let out a deep sigh and steered the car slightly off the road before leaning his head against the steering wheel and letting out a loud sigh. "FUCK!" He desperately tried to restart the engine for several minutes but it wouldn't do anything but produce some not very healthy sounding noises. Finally he gave up. A quick look at the display in his car told him that it was half past twelve and the temperature outside was around -10°C. Alex decided to let the heating run on battery for now but he knew that it would eventually fail, too. And then he was stuck out here in the middle of nowhere in a heavy snow storm. With the temperatures outside and no heating it was only a matter of time until he would freeze to death in his car.

"Ok Alex, stay calm. Think! There must be a way out of this mess." He reached for his cell phone and let out a frustrated groan when he read the display: "NO SIGNAL". "Perfect, really perfect. Great, I can already imagine the news in a few days... 'B.Sc. freezing to death in his car'. Wonderful, and that's what I've studied for - to die out here in the middle of nowhe..." But then he had an idea, a glimmer of hope flaring up in his mind. It was then that he remembered that perhaps he wasn't all alone out here. "Wait wait wait, didn't I pass a house a few minutes ago? Yes, there was something that looked like a yard and some illumination. There must be someone living here. I could walk back and get help there!" Of course, getting there in the first place would be the difficult part. But anything was better than just sitting in his car and waiting for the inevitable. Alex grabbed his coat and his notebook bag and opened the door. He was immediately hit by the freezing cold and the chill wind biting into his skin. Quickly he put on the coat and slung the bag over his shoulder before locking the car and starting to walk back to where he remembered seeing the lights.

Alex was walking for what seemed an eternity (but only was quarter an hour) before he could see the faint glow of two lamps piercing the dark of the night. The few hundred meters he had walked through the snow were the most horrible experience he had ever had in his life. He felt the cold mercilessly creeping into his clothes and even while he kept his arms wrapped around his chest in a desperate attempt to preserve at least a little warmth he was already cold. His nose was running and his hair was covered in snow and half frozen. The icy wind was raging around him, robbing him of what little warmth he had left. His teeth were chattering like crazy when he finally reached the house. With chattering teeth he mumbled to himself "p..p..please be h..h..home, p..p..please be h..h..home" and rang the doorbell again and again with his numb fingers. "DING DONG... DING DONG... DING DONG..."

 

[SecretEpiphany]

http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab308/SecretEpiphany/CarlyHolman.jpg

Name: Carly Holman
Age: 23
Occupation: Elementary School Teacher

Jeeze, it was cold. Her heat had been running non-stop, but she couldn’t shake the chill. She hadn’t built a fire in the living room fireplace because she didn’t like leaving it unattended while she was at work. She saved fire building for the weekends, and usually the central heat was enough through the week. Earlier in the evening, she’d fully expected to have school tomorrow.

The drifts of snow now accumulating in her yard had pretty much nixed that though. She grinned and did a little dance back to her bedroom. She’d stayed up late grading papers, but now she’d get a surprise day off to laze around the house and snuggle up in front of the fire that she intended to build in the morning.

She had on flannel polka dot pjs and socks, but she put on an additional pair of socks before diving under the covers to try and get warm. This was a three blanket night.

She was dreaming about school. A fire drill. The bell just kept sounding, but the kids wouldn’t line up. They were going crazy, screaming and running and she couldn’t get them to calm down and the bell was getting louder…

She sat up with a start. The bell. The door bell. At this time of night? She glanced at her digital alarm clock. 12:20am. And good grief, it was even colder in here than when she’d gone to bed.

The door bell kept ringing. Hesitantly, she crawled out from under the covers and grabbed the baseball bat she kept propped in the corner by her bedroom door. She lived alone and in an isolated area. Nighttime visitors set her on edge. She crept down the hall to the front door and tried to peer out the peep hole to see who it was, but it was too dark.

She flipped on the front porch light and looked again. A man. A man covered in ice and snow. He only had on a light coat. No hat or hood, no gloves. He was obviously shaking. She grabbed the doorknob and started to fling the door open when she heard her father’s voice in her head, the speech he'd given when he'd helped her move back in the fall.

“I don’t like the idea of you living out here alone. Who’s going to protect you if some stranger shows up on your doorstep? And I know you, Carly Holman. You take in every stray that comes within a hundred feet of you. You’d open the door to a murderer or a rapist without thinking twice about it. Don’t be stupid.”

Too bad no stray dogs had wandered by since she’d lived here. Then she’d have at least a little protection. But all she had was a timid cat that cowered in the garage and would barely let her pet it. Crap. The garage had to be freezing by now. She needed to check on that cat.

But first she had to deal with the man.

Instead of flinging the door open, she left the chain on and cracked it. “Yes?” she said, staring at the violently shaking man. Seriously, what could he do to her in this condition? She was going to have to let him in…

 

[Baelnorn]

Despite being an atheist he let out a whispered "Thank god, someone's home!" when he saw the lights going on. He was shaking violently by now and his lips had grown an unhealthy light blue color. The door opened slowly and a young woman looked through the gap. He could hear a bit uncertainty and doubt in her voice when she asked "Yes?". Alex looked at her, trying to put a smile on his cold lips. "I'm s..s..sorry to disturb you at t..t..this time, but my car broke down not f..f..far from here. Can I c..c..come in please and warm up a b..b..bit?"

Even worse than the cold wind was that the snow was melting on his clothes. By now his black jeans, dark gray coat and white shirt were soaked through and the cold water was going to be his death if he couldn't warm up soon enough. "P..p..please?" he basically begged her as she seemed to hesitate for a second. Every second out in the cold making it more difficult for him to speak as the freezing air was eating away his body warmth. Warmth. The warmth escaping through the opened door was teasing him. He felt the warm air on his face and let out a soft groan - it was like hanging a water bottle in front of someone dehydrating.

He knew that he looked like a mess and silently hoped that she wouldn't send him away. He knew that he wouldn't survive the night if she did. He rubbed his chest with his arms trying to warm up still looking at her. Then he realized that he hadn't introduced himself. "S..s..sorry. My name's Alex..x..xander Morgan. I live twenty k..k..kilometers from here and work for Helios S..S..Software Inc." He fumbled around with his hip pocket, trying to get his wallet out and show her his ID, but his fingers were so numb he couldn't do it. "My ID is in my w..w..wallet if you want to c..c..check it..."

Alex didn't know how long he could keep it up. He quickly felt the heat and strength draining away from his arms and legs. And he was cold. So cold. If had any tactile feeling left in his hands he guessed he could kill for a hot shower and a warm tea. But right now his only goal was to get out of the cold wind. Again he looked at the young woman, pleading with her and waiting for her decision.

 

[SecretEpiphany]

Carly slammed the door and released the chain. Then she flung it open and yanked him inside before he fell over on her porch. She was pretty strong, but dragging him in as dead weight wasn’t a workout she wanted. Getting him warm was her new mission, and she was pretty single-minded when she had a clear goal in mind.

She slipped into take-charge school teacher mode and handled him like he was one of her third graders.

“Come on,” she said, grabbing his frigid hand and leading him down the hall to her only, tiny bathroom. She leaned him against the wall in the hall. “Get out of those clothes while I turn on the space heater in here and start some hot water. You can thaw while I put your clothes in the dryer.”

She cranked up the heater and turned on the water in the shower. Then she stacked a pile of clean, fluffy towels on the counter before backing out of the tiny room. “Okay, all ready,” she said, turning to him. “Time to warm you up.”

 

[Baelnorn]

When she closed the door to release the chain his heart stopped for a moment. He couldn't have ever imagine that a human being could be so cruel as to send him away in his condition. But he let out a sigh of relieve when she opened the door again and pulled him in. "T..t..thank you. Thank you." He felt the warmth of the air and especially the warmth of her smooth hand as she led him around inside her house. He followed her as fast as he could manage and left a nice trail of icy water behind him on the floor. Finally they arrived in the bathroom and he looked at her a bit confused when she told him "Get out of those clothes..." It took him a moment to realize that she was right, he really did need to get out of the wet stuff he was wearing or he would never get warm.

The chill of the snow storm was still clinging to his shaking body when he started to undress. His fingers weren't quite as responsive as he wished them to be, so it took quite a few awkward moments for him to even get out of his coat and slip off his shoes. Slowly he began to remove his other clothes while the young woman started the shower. Finally he managed to peel off his shirt, jeans and socks and stood there just wearing his shorts. By the time he was almost done undressing - he still wouldn't get completely naked in front of her - she already waited at the door. "Okay, all ready, time to warm you up."

Alex already felt the hot steam rise in the small room. He turned towards her and nodded, shyly smiling. "Thank you so much." He waited until she had closed the door before removing the last piece of clothing and carefully stepping into the shower. He groaned as the hot water met his cool skin and just stood there for several moments with closed eyes, letting the heat of the water running across his body sink in. His breath got more regular and the chill grasp of the snow storm on his chest seemed to melt away. Also, after a few minutes under the hot water the feeling returned to his fingers and he could start to wash himself. He turned off the water and reached for the nearby bottle, putting some of the shower gel in his hands and started soaping his head, arms, torso and legs. Soon a sheet of bubbles and white foam covered his body and he had to admit that the gel had a very nice smell (although he probably would never have used that brand on his own). After having washed every inch of his body he turned on the water again and rinsed off the foam.

After having finished his shower Alex turned off the water and grabbed one of the towels she had placed in the bathroom just before she left. He started to towel himself off and also quickly dried his hair - one of the advantages of always wearing a short hair cut. When he was done he felt as if he had been reborn. He turned around and quickly flushed away the remaining soap bubbles in the shower, not wanting to leave a mess behind in the house of his savior. Then he realized that he didn't have anything to wear, and after a few moments of hesitation he grabbed a fresh towel and slung it around his waist, tying it in a knot on his side. He grabbed his wet clothes and the used towel and opened the bathroom door, taking a careful step out of the room. Not seeing her around he softly called out to her. "Hello, Miss? I've finished my shower. Where do you want me to put my clothes and the towel?"

 

[SecretEpiphany]

Carly glanced at him, realized he’d stripped down to his boxers, and quickly looked away again. It was what she’d told him to do, but still… She hadn’t quite been prepared for all that skin. She nudged him toward the bathroom doorway, scooped up his icy, dripping clothes, and hurried down the hall to the laundry room. She didn’t think the coat would do well in the dryer, so she hung in on a rack. Everything else, she tossed in and let whirl.

She didn’t have anything to give him to wear while his clothes dried. Well, wait… She had a few packages of men’s socks that she’d bought for a craft project for her students. They were in a storage container in her garage. And she had to check on that cat anyway…

The garage was freezing. Beyond freezing. She was shaking so hard it felt like her bones were rattling by the time she found the package of socks. And her voice shook too. “Here, kitty, kitty,” she called. “Come in where it’s warm. I’ll leave you alone and give you a nice warm bed in the laundry room.”

It didn’t come out. She poured a little dry food in the cat’s bowl, hoping it would come out at the sound. It did. The black and white furball crept out from behind a box of old rags. She backed into the house, keeping the food bowl close to the ground, but leading the cat into the laundry room. Then she quickly closed the door behind it.

“Now, isn’t that better?” she asked, setting the bowl down so the cat could eat. “You can stay in here until it’s warmer.” She pulled a plastic dishpan out of a cabinet and dumped the odds and ends she had stored in it on top of the washing machine. Then she filled it with the kitty litter she kept in case she had to use it for traction under her tires in bad weather. The cat would probably need it before the weather let up enough for her to drive anywhere anyway. She gave the cat a little more food and filled a water bowl. Then she went to check on Alex.

"Hello, Miss? I've finished my shower. Where do you want me to put my clothes and the towel?" he called.

“It’s Carly, and just give them to me and—” She stopped mid-sentence and just stared. He was only wearing a towel. And Alexander Morgan was a very sexy man. Lean, with clearly defined muscles. He had strong arms and a chiseled face. She’d always been a sucker for great arms on a guy… And it had been quite a while since she’d had any guys in her life. Not since she’d moved out here, actually.

She swallowed hard and forced her gaze from his naked torso to his face. “I, ummm… I should… Socks,” she finally spit out, thrusting the package at him. “I’m sorry. I don’t have any other clothes that will fit you. I’ve got plenty of blankets though. You can wrap up in those. It’s way too cold in here for you to ummm…,” she waved her hand at him. “To wear just a towel.” Her face was flaming, if it got any hotter, she’d internally combust right here on the spot.

And suddenly she was painfully aware of how she must look to him. He’d awakened her in the middle of the night. She hadn’t brushed her hair. She didn’t have on a stitch of makeup. She was wearing her pajamas. She was practically drooling over him in her hallway and to him, she had to look like an idiot.

She tried to smile at him but was pretty sure it looked fake. “I’ll just ummm…” She took his towel and boxers. “Throw these in the dryer with the rest of your clothes and get you those blankets.”

 

[Baelnorn]

He heard her voice before she returned back to him. "It's Carly, and just give them to me and-" But when she turned around the corner and saw him she just stopped and stared at him. Alex could feel his cheeks starting to blush furiously as Carly's eyes moved over his skin. He couldn't quite tell what was going on but he did realize that he was making her nervous. Hell, he was a complete stranger who had woken her up in the middle of the night and was now standing in her hallway, naked with nothing but a towel to hide his private parts. He guessed that he would be nervous, too, if he was her. Finally she said "I, ummm... I should... Socks," and pushed a package into his hands. Alex smiled at her and whispered a "Thank you... Carly" in response. It was an awkward situation for both because she was so cute and he didn't really know what to say, either. But he could tell that she was very beautiful, even (perhaps especially?) with her wild hair and wearing no makeup.

When she mentioned blankets he nodded. "That would be great, thanks. I'm so sorry to cause you so much trouble so late at night." His face was still blushing and now his eyes were wandering over her form. She had a wonderful face and a great smile and he could tell that she had curves in all the right spots because her pyjamas didn't really hide her form from his gaze. He couldn't help but let his eyes linger on her breasts and hips for a second, before shaking his head and forcing himself to look at her face. He chastised himself for even having such thoughts - after all she had saved his life and he should pay her more respect. But she was just so cute and beautiful that he had trouble thinking straight when she looked at him. As she took the wet towel and boxers from his hands their fingers touched for a second and Alex blushed even more. "Is... is there anything I can help you with? I mean... getting the blankets... or something?"

Just after he had spoken the words he would have slapped himself left and right. That "or something?" sounded so cheesy and probably made him look like a pervert who could only think about sex. He wasn't like that but she couldn't know. He bit his lower lip while looking at her and he wouldn't have wondered if she had actually given him a slap to the face. He was lucky if he could sleep on the couch or something like that, he would never dare to make a move on her. Other guys would probably have tried anyway but Alex was way too shy around women to make such a bold move. He only hoped that once he was wrapped up and covered in the blankets the situation would relax a bit. "Ummm... I hope you don't mind me using a little of your shower gel?" He didn't know what else to say and just needed to do something to break the silence. He wasn't very good at smalltalk and talking about her shower gel was the first thing that came to his mind. There were several other thoughts following but he quickly shook them off (thinking about them both being under the shower together really wouldn't help him right now).

 

[SecretEpiphany]

He offered to help her with the blankets and she shook her head. This was just…strange. He was a complete stranger, yet he was nearly naked in her hallway. When she’d let him in, she’d been a little worried about her safety, but he seemed nice. He certainly looked nice… better than nice.

"Ummm... I hope you don't mind me using a little of your shower gel?"

“Of course not,” she smiled at him and nervously touched her hair. “Ummm… Just go on in the living room and I’ll bring the blankets in there. I need to get a fire going in the fireplace. The central heat just isn’t going to cut it in a snowstorm.”

She went to her bedroom and gathered up a stack of blankets. Then she paused in front of the mirror and brushed her hair. While she was there, she put on a little powder and lip gloss too. She considered changing her clothes, but her thick flannel pjs were warm and modest, so she decided not to. He was probably getting cold again in there anyway.

“Here you go,” she said with a smile as she stepped through the doorway into the living room with the blankets. But before he could even reply, the whole house went dark and silent. Power outage.

 

[Baelnorn]

Alex smiled at her and nodded. "Ok, but if I can help you with anything just let me know. I'm just getting a bad conscience letting you do all the work." He held the package of socks in his hands and nervously turned it around before he smiled at her again and turned around, walking into the living room. Once there he took a deep breath and whispered to himself. "Damn Alex, get your act together!" and quickly pulled out a pair of socks and put them on. After that he took a look around the room. He had already noticed the large fireplace in the wall and guessed that once the fire was going it would get nice and warm in here. He walked around the room a bit, looking the deco on the table and shelves. The room indeed looked very nice, and there were lots of books and only few DVDs around. He also found a few photos, showing Carly with what he guessed was her family. But there was no sign of a boyfriend or significant other.

He jumped when he heard her "Here you go", feeling like a little boy being caught spying on someone. He turned around and looked at her as she carried a pile of blankets in her arms. His cheeks were turning a bright red again. He noticed that she looked a bit different. Her hair was brushed and she obviously had put on a little lip gloss and powder. She looked so beautiful that he was speechless before suddenly the lights went out. Alex stood there for a second in the dark before asking, "Uhhh... you didn't plan that, did you?" Carefully he tried to walk over to where he heard her move, using his hands to feel for any furniture in his way. But despite his caution he stubbed his toes on the couch and hit the table with his knee, coughing out an "Ouch!" each time. From what he remembered about the room he guessed that they were close to the fireplace. "Do you need any help with the fire?" he asked, still slowly moving towards her.

 

[SecretEpiphany]

"Uhhh... you didn't plan that, did you?" Alex asked.

“No,” she said. “But I guess I should have seen it coming. It’s not just snow out there. It’s ice too. Oh! Be careful!”

He was trying to move towards her and bumping into things along the way. She didn’t want him to hurt himself.

"Do you need any help with the fire?" He asked from much closer to her.

“Yes, in the dark I probably will. Where are you?” She reached out and found him in front of her. She sucked in a sharp breath when her hand made contact with the warm skin of his shoulder. “Oh, ummm… There you are…” It had been a long time since she’d touched a man, since she’d had sex. Teaching took a lot of her time, and she worried about her reputation in the community, not wanting to do anything that might start rumors about her. She was young and had only had her teaching license for two years. The media ran stories almost weekly about teacher misconduct, and she worked hard to avoid even the slightest appearance of impropriety. But she was lonely. She missed the comfort of having a boyfriend to confide in. She missed sex.

She felt her way to his chest, lightly tracing the lines of muscle until her palm grazed a nipple.

She jerked her hand back. What was she doing? Feeling him up in the dark? He was going to get the wrong impression about her… She didn’t sleep around with stangers. She giggled nervously, feeling stupid and embarrassed for touching him inappropriately.

“Ummm… Here.” She pushed the stack of blankets into his arms. “I have some flashlights… I’ll just have to find them. I really wasn’t prepared for this.”

 

[Baelnorn]

"Where are you?" Alex used her voice to guess her position and carefully moved towards her. "I'm over here. Wait, I'll get over to you." He really didn't want to bump into anything else but the couch and the table so he move very slowly and carefully. The whole room was pitch black and the only noise was their breathing and the sound of their movements. He slowly made it around the couch and moved towards her position. Then suddenly he felt her touch his shoulder and draw in a breath as she did. "Oh, ummm... There you are..." He moved his hands out and reached for her shoulders, gently holding her. "Yeah, guess I found you, too." he said, smiling and shuddering a little under her touch. But then he let out a small gasp. She wasn't only holding him. She was running her hand slowly over his skin, moving her fingers from his shoulder over his chest.

He felt her soft fingers slowly move from his shoulder over his collar bone to his chest, tracing his muscles. It felt really nice, but what was she up to? He didn't say anything but let her continue with it. Was she checking him out, feeling him up? He had noticed the looks she had been giving him when he got out of the shower earlier, but to him she didn't look like the kind of girl interested in one night stands. But what did he know about women? Most of his attempts at dating stayed just that - attempts. Perhaps it was his humor that put most women off - computer scientists were a pretty weird bunch of people, after all. So he just stood there, his breath getting a bit faster as she kept touching him. Slowly she moved her fingers over his skin, finally touching his nipple. It was then that she suddenly moved her hand away from him.

Following her example, Alex let go of her shoulders, too. There was an awkward moment of silence, with them both just standing close to each other and saying nothing. Finally Carly broke the silence, "Ummm... Here." and pushed a heavy stack of something into his arms that felt like it was the blankets she had mentioned earlier. She mentioned getting some flashlights. "Ok, but be careful. I guess I'm not much of a help with finding them, so I'll just sit down on the couch. Are you ok with that? I don't want to be standing in the way." He held the blankets against his chest. While waiting for her answer he tried to remember which way he had moved after stubbing his toe on the couch so that he would at least be stumbling into the right direction.

 

[SecretEpiphany]

Part of her wanted to just get out of the room. She was so embarrassed. And more than a little turned on. She found him incredibly attractive, and just touching him and feeling his light grasp on her shoulders had sent tingles rippling through her. But she didn’t want him to hurt himself either, and he’d already run into several pieces of furniture.

“If you’ll give me your hand, I’ll walk you back over to the couch so you won’t crash into the table again.”

He was going to have to reach for her this time. She wanted to touch him again, but she was determined to keep her hands to herself. She'd just hold his hand for a minute...

 

[Baelnorn]

Alex smiled as he heard her talk. He laughed a bit shyly. "Yes, that would be very nice of you. Thank you, again. I guess I would just stub my toes countless times while trying to find my way back to the couch." Carefully he reached out for her, feeling for her shoulder. Once he found her, he ran his hand down her arm and finally to her hand. He held her hand in his, feeling the smooth skin of her palm and fingers. "Ok, I'm ready to go," he said, softly squeezing her hand. The situation was so completely unreal for him. Here he was, standing basically naked in this woman's living room and holding her hand, waiting for her to lead him to the couch. And boy, he was getting nervous. Very nervous.

They were standing so close that he could feel the warmth of her body on his naked skin and clearly smell her scent. And she smelled good. He felt himself getting warmer and his heart beat going faster. And the longer they were touching the more nervous he was getting. He knew that at this rate it wouldn't long for his cock to start stirring and he needed to distract himself. The next best thing that came to his mind were the stupid blankets he had tucked under his left arm. "Oh... ummm... what do you want me to do with these blankets? Should I... I mean... just wrap one around me? Or did you want me to do something else? I mean with the blankets?" He silently cursed himself when he realized what he just said. He wouldn't have been too surprised if sooner or later stuff like that would get him a solid slap or even a knee to the groin. He imagined his lack of experience was absolutely showing just right now.

 

[SecretEpiphany]

She shivered as he ran his hand down her arm then laced his fingers with hers and squeezed.

"Ok, I'm ready to go," he said.

She moved a little closer to him, close enough to feel the heat radiating off his body. She wanted to touch him again, to run her hands over more smooth skin, but she resisted.

"Oh... ummm... what do you want me to do with these blankets? Should I... I mean... just wrap one around me? Or did you want me to do something else? I mean with the blankets?"

“Just bring them. You can use them to stay warm on the couch while I find a light and gather up what I need to start a fire. Just stay right behind me.” She started moving, leading him around the table and across the rug to the couch. Guiding their laced hands to the cushion, she let him feel around until he got oriented and sat down. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

She stubbed her own toes several times, and she nearly crashed to the floor when she tripped over the baseball bat she’d carelessly left in the front hallway after letting him in. There was a flashlight in a cabinet in the laundry room and there was one in the bedroom beside the bed. The laundry room was closer so she headed there.

When she found and opened the door, she heard a howling meow and felt the sting of sharp claws dig into her foot through her double socks.

“Damn it!” she yelled as the kitten took off to places unknown in her dark house. She’d forgotten about it. It had shown up a couple of weeks ago and while it had seemed thankful for the sanctuary of the garage, it hadn’t been quick to bond with her. She hoped it didn’t claw all her furniture to bits… Or make messes in the other parts of the house. She’d planned to keep it closed up in the laundry room with food, water, and a litter box until it was warm enough for it to go back to the garage.

The light was in the cabinet above the washing machine. She slowly moved forward into the room and stepped on something small, hard, and sharp. She let out a yelp, took another step and landed on something round that rolled. Her feet flew out from under her and she cried out as she came down on the cold floor hard and with a loud thump.

 

[Baelnorn]

Alex nodded and carefully followed her as she led him to the couch and guided his hand to the furniture to let him know where it is. He regretted that he had to let go of her hand and let out a soft sigh when she broke contact. Then he heard her turn around and move away. "I'll be back in a minute," she told him and he replied with "Ok, just be careful Carly." Then she slowly moved out of the room and he began to feel up one of the blankets - after all, he was still only wearing the towel he had picked up after his shower earlier. He stood up, removed the towel and unfolded a blanket. Then he wrapped the blanket around his waist, giving himself a little more modesty and safety than a simple towel. He tied a solid knot to keep the blanket in place and felt much better now, sitting on the couch and waiting for her to get back to him. The blanket actually felt very nice on his skin, so soft and warm. He only hoped that there wouldn't be much movement involved because it actually felt a bit too nice on his cock.

The minutes seemed to pass by without anything happening when suddenly the silence was broken by the angry howl of a cat and Carly letting out a yell. "Damn it!" Alex froze for a second but then jumped up. "Carly, are you ok? What happened? Can I help y..." but before he finished the sentence he heard her let out a yelp and the sound of her falling down. Damn, she had tripped over something in the dark. "Carly! Carly?" As fast as he possibly could he shuffled out of the living room and into the direction the screams and thump came from - of course not without stubbing his toes several times and hitting his legs twice on some piece of furniture. He got a bit more confident once he was in the hallway and moved a bit quicker. But then something which felt very much like one of the straps of his notebook bag caught his ankle and brought him down to his knees with a loud thump, too. He could barely put up his arms to catch his fall in time. "Fuck!"

But then Alex suddenly had an idea. Of course, his notebook! Its battery was still left with enough charge for like 10 minutes or so. He called himself an idiot that he had not thought about it earlier and quickly pulled out his computer and booted it up. "Hold on, just a second!" he called out to Carly. After a few seconds the eerie pale glow of his notebook's display filled the hallway and he saw that it was really his bag that had brought him down. He also noticed a baseball bat laying across the hall close to him (man, if he had stepped on that one...) and put it next to the wall. He put the notebook on maximum brightness and saw the battery warning flash up on the screen - three minutes left. After moving everything out of the way he quickly freed his foot from the strap, got up and walked towards the room where he thought Carly was in. "Carly? Where are you? Talk to me, please!"

 

[SecretEpiphany]

Damn that had hurt. Carly just laid sprawled on the floor for a few minutes before moving at all. Then she heard Alex calling out to her and bumping his way through the dark house towards her. Apparently he was having a hard time of it because she kept hearing curses along the way. She understood completely.

“I’m okay,” she said. But she could hear him still coming anyway.

"Hold on, just a second!" he called.

Was that a light? A pale bluish glow seemed to be coming towards her.

"Carly? Where are you? Talk to me, please!"

“I’m right here,” she answered him. “I’m fine, really. I just fell down.” She struggled to sit up and groaned. “Ohhh… That stupid cat. I poured out a container of junk on top of the washer because I was trying to make it a litter box, and it must have jumped up there and knocked the stuff all over the room. I slipped on something.” She wiggled everything—arms, legs, hands, feet—“Ouch!” Sharp pain radiated up from her ankle.

Then Alex was kneeling beside her, using the glow of his battery powered laptop as a light.

 

[Baelnorn]

Alex heard her voice again. "I'm okay," although he wasn't completely convinced of her words. He moved closer and finally found her laying on the floor in her laundry room. "I'm right here." He put the laptop down in the hallway, positioning it so that it would illuminate both the hall and the laundry room (and and quickly went over to her. "Are you ok? Wait, let me help you..." he moved closer to her and knelt down next to her. "I'm fine, really. I just fell down." "Are you sure?" He couldn't help but smile when she complained about her cat. "Oh my... I know why I don't have any pets." He offered her his hands and helped her trying to stand up but when she moved her foot he heard her cry out. "Ouch!"

He wanted to say something but his computer interrupted him and started beeping in the background. "Damn, we gotta hurry. The battery of the laptop is almost empty. Do you have a flashlight in here?" He followed her finger as she pointed to a cabinet. He quickly jumped up and opened it, searching for the flashlight before the laptop went out. Finally he found it and pulled it out, switching it on immediately. He turned back to Carly when it hit him that he'd need like three arms to carry her and the flashlight. "Ummm... I'm sorry, but I don't think I can hold both you and the flashlight. So..." He looked at her. From the way she was rubbing her ankle he could tell that it really hurt. He has had his share of sprained ankles in the past and knew how hard it could be walking like that. He was about to ask what they'd do now when the obvious hit him. He'd need to carry her. "Ok, how about I carry you and you hold the flashlight? Yes, that should work, don't you think?" He looked at her with concern in his eyes, worried about her ankle. The last thing they needed right now were some broken bones or something like that. He only hoped that she wasn't hurt much, that it wasn't anything serious.

He moved back to her again and knelt down besides her, handing her the flashlight. In the background his laptop was beeping furiously every few seconds now, protesting against the dwindling battery and finally it went dark a few seconds later. "Oh well, at least we have a flashlight now." he smiled at her. He licked his lips and carefully moved his arms under her legs and around her back. He could clearly feel the warmth of her body and gently started to pull her up against his chest. "Wrap your free arm around my neck. That will keep you steady." After making sure that she was holding on to him he stood up and started to walk out of the room, slowly and very carefully. Luckily he had moved most of the stuff in the hallway out of the way because he realized couldn't see the floor right in front of him. However, he could clearly see the curves of her breasts through her pyjamas, making him swallow. He felt her curves as she hugged him, holding on tightly to him. His breath started to go faster and he did feel a known stirring in his groin, making him swallow hard again. Taking care that he wouldn't hit her against a wall or some piece of furniture he slowly moved back to the living room, carrying her in his arms.

 

[SecretEpiphany]

She should just shake it off and get up. She was no wimp, but her ankle really did hurt. Alex was being so sweet, getting the flashlight and acting all concerned about her, but he was a guest in her house. She should be taking care of things.

“How about I carry you and you hold the flashlight? Yes, that should work, don't you think?" he said.

He was going to carry her? Surely that wasn’t necessary. It was just a twisted ankle, a sprain at most… But then he was pulling her into his arms, and it felt too good for her to protest.

"Wrap your free arm around my neck. That will keep you steady."

His skin was warm and smooth and he smelled like her shower gel but with a manly twist. She couldn’t help herself, she snuggled closer to him and clung to his neck. There was something comforting in being taken care of. Alex made her feel safe and…turned on.

She tucked her head into the curve of his neck, lightly nuzzling against him. Her lips touched his skin. Not a kiss exactly, she didn’t move her mouth—just pressed against him. Her blood thundered in her veins as she breathed him in. She didn’t usually get this turned on this fast. Past boyfriends had complained about what an ordeal it was to work her up to a sexy mood, but right now—when a sexy mood was completely uncalled for and unreasonable—arousal wasn’t a problem at all.

She wanted to taste him, to lick his skin, but she had enough self control not to. They reached the living room and the couch way too quickly for her liking.

“Thank you,” she whispered in his ear as he lowered her onto the cushions. “I’m sorry you had to do that. I really will be fine—a couple Advil or something should fix me right up.”

He pulled away from her and she immediately missed his warmth. “It’s getting cold in here, and I’m sure you’re even colder than me.” She seized the opportunity to touch him again and grabbed one of his hands, bringing it to her mouth and blowing warm air into his palm. Then she rubbed his hand between both of hers as if she were trying to warm him up. Truth be told, his hand wasn’t that cold, but she didn’t want to let go of him.

When she did finally release him, she said, “We should do something about that fire. There’s wood already in the fireplace and a few extra logs stacked at the end of the hearth. The rest of the wood is outside on the back deck. Do you think you can get it going? If not, if you’ll just help me over there, I can start it.”

 

[Baelnorn]

Alex let out a soft sigh as he felt Carly snuggle up against him. Damn, she felt so good in his arms. Her form as warm and soft and he gasped when he felt her lips. She wasn't kissing him, merely pressing her lips against his naked skin, but that simple touch sent a lightning bolt down his spine. His thoughts were racing. Did she... would she...? He didn't know what to think. For the moment he only concentrated on carrying her to the couch. They were halfway there when it happened. He had hoped that it wouldn't happen that soon, but he couldn't help it. He was slowly getting hard. If he couldn't put her down quickly he would be sporting a full blown hardon when they reached the couch.

But... did he really want to put her down? To stop touching her? He wasn't Casanova, but he could still tell that she liked it how he carried her. The way she was holding on to him, how she pressed herself against him. With each step, with each breath of her scent his erection grew a bit bigger and he was half hard when he finally put her down gently onto the couch. He felt her warm breath on his neck as she whispered her thanks. He smiled at her. "You're welcome." "I'm sorry you had to do that. I really will be fine..." he just sat there next to her, listening. "No, no need to be sorry. Accidents happen. I'm just glad that it's nothing serious." And then the awkward silence struck again. They were just sitting on the couch close to each other, neither saying something.

Then Alex realized that he was still leaning in close to her, his body pressed against hers. A single thought flared up in his mind - personal space - and he carefully pulled away from her and stood up. Perhaps he had read her behavior the wrong way and he was annoying her. He wanted to apologize when she reached out and grabbed on of his hands, pulling it close to her face and letting him feel her warm breath on his skin. He drew in a sharp breath and stared at her, his semi-erection jumping under his blanket. He shivered a little when she started rubbing his hand between hers. Her fingers felt so soft and nice and warm. When she finally released his hand he was looking a bit disappointed, but tried to hide it.

She mentioned getting a fire started. Although it was still quite warm in the living room, it surely would get much colder rather soon with the central heating being out. He nodded and reached for the flashlight. "Well, I can try and then come back crying and complaining about the stupid wood if it doesn't work, ok? It's been quite a while since my boy scout days." He smiled at her, just looking at her beautiful face for a moment and then walked over towards the fireplace. He had to search a moment for the tinder and the lighter but then he got to work. He placed a heap of tinder under the logs already in the hearth and arranged some smaller twigs around it. Then he set the tinder on fire and blew carefully onto the flame, fanning it up. Soon the twigs were also burning and a few minutes later the larger logs were starting to catch fire. He got up and turned towards her, waving the flashlight around and pointing at the growing fire in the hearth. "Yay!"

 

[SecretEpiphany]

In the glow of the flashlight, she watched his silhouette move as he worked to start the fire. It took him a while, but once he had it, he got as excited as a little boy, waving his arms and almost jumping up and down.

She laughed as he walked over to the sofa and sat down on the end opposite her. “Good job. Once a boy scout, always a boy scout, hunh?” She rubbed the side of his leg with her foot as she teased him. He moved his leg. He was so far away, like he was trying to put distance between them. She bit her lip in disappointment. She’d tried to give him some signs that she was interested, tried to flirt a little by ‘warming up his hand’ earlier, but he didn’t seem to feel the same way. And she'd never been good at flirting anyway. Mentally, she talked herself out of scooting down the couch and not leaving him a choice except to sit beside her. She wouldn’t push it, didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.

He was a boy scout—physically strong, mentally awake, morally straight. Helping others at all times and all that creed stuff. Alex seemed like one of the good ones, but if he wasn’t interested in her as more than a new-found friend to weather this particular snow and ice storm with, then that was okay. Really disappointing, but okay.

Carefully, she stood in front of the couch, putting a little weight on her ankle. She drew in a sharp breath but tried again. It would hurt, but she thought it would hold her. She really wanted some ibuprofen or something. “While the fire builds up, I think I’m going to borrow that flashlight and test out this ankle by going to get some Advil. Do you want anything? Snacks? I’ve got drinks—all cold, obviously. Water, soda, juice? Something stronger? I think I have some tequila and rum. There might be a bottle of bourbon or a red wine in the cabinet…” She took a tentative step or two until she was right in front of him at the end of the couch. This was so embarrassing… She wasn’t sure she could walk all the way to the kitchen now. Her ankle was weaker than she'd thought. “Actually, ummm… You may have to help me after all… I’m sorry. I hate being so helpless.”

 

[Baelnorn]

Alex grinned as he heard her laugh and sat down on the couch, a bit away from her just in case he really had misread her earlier behavior. He smiled at her compliment. "I guess some things are really like riding a bike - you never forget them." But when she reached out with her foot and started rubbing the side of his leg he swallowed. She really was flirting with him. The touch of her lips, the rubbing of his hand between hers and now her foot stroking his leg. These couldn't be all coincidences. He looked at her and felt his cheeks blushing again. He really wasn't used to such intense flirting and didn't really know what to say or how to react. He was too embarrassed and confused and moved his leg a bit around, but more to hide his growing hardon from tenting up the blanket than to get out of her reach.

He looked at her surprised and with concern when she stood up, obviously testing her ankle. He listened to her question. "I'm not that much of an alcohol drinker, sorry. But I guess some juice and soda are fine." When she made her first steps he saw how much it hurt her and that her steps weren't very stable. He stood up and put his hands on her shoulders. "Wait, if you need something just tell me what you need and where I can find it. Please, sit down and let me help you." He held her a bit closer than he at first wanted, their bodies almost touching again but he wasn't complaining. "Don't apologize, it's ok. And I really don't want to see you stumble while you're carrying a glass bottle or something like that. Please?" To emphasize his concern he put a soft pressure on her shoulders to convince her to sit down.

After she had sat down again he grabbed the flashlight and headed off to the kitchen. He had to look around for a bit before he found the drinks. It didn't take him long to find the glasses and he got himself a bottle of soda and juice, as well as what she had asked him to bring for her. He put everything on a tray and walked back to the living room, putting the tray down on the table and preparing their drinks. He smiled at her and could see her watching him in the flickering orange glow of the fire that started to fill the room. He handed her the glass and sat down next to her, taking a sip on his drink. Alex switched off the flashlight, not wanting to waste its batteries now that the fire was providing almost enough light. Smiling at her he said, "See, that wasn't too bad, was it?"

After another moment of silence, with only the crackling of the fire in the background, he turned to her and moved a bit closer. He bit his lower lip as he looked at her. "Ummm... did I ever properly thank you for... you know... saving my life? I mean, if it wasn't for you I would already be dead by now. But you took me in and warmed me up. Thank you." He noticed how she was looking at him. How she was touching his hand. How she moved moved a bit closer. Finally he took all his courage, slowly leaned in and put a soft kiss on her cheek. He was blushing furiously as he did so and just hoped he wasn't ruining anything with it. She was a wonderful woman. Cute smile, smart, beautiful and incredibly sexy. "Thank you so much, Carly". After the kiss he pulled back and nervously took another sip on his drink. His lips were burning with the touch of her soft skin and he really needed to cool them off. But then he realized what he had just done and started to get even more nervous. "I'm sorry... I didn't want to... I mean..."

 

[SecretEpiphany]

"See, that wasn't too bad, was it?" he asked.

She shook her head, but she still felt like a fool. A helpless fool. He probably thought she was pathetic for flirting with him the way she had, and now she was just plain embarrassed and feeling rejected. His kindness just made her feel worse. Plus her ankle hurt. She shifted on the couch and turned to him in surprise as he moved closer to her.

"Ummm... did I ever properly thank you for... you know... saving my life? I mean, if it wasn't for you I would already be dead by now. But you took me in and warmed me up. Thank you."

He kept leaning closer. And she thought she might be leaning too. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe he was interested and was just really shy or something. Then he kissed her—on the cheek. It was sweet. And the electric jolt she felt when when his lips touched her skin seemed way out of proportion to such a chaste gesture. But she was turned on by it anyway. She breathed deeply, drinking in the smell of him and the soft scratch of his beard stubble against her jaw. She wanted more...to be in his arms, to have a real kiss...

But then he pulled away and started fidgeting and apologizing. With a sigh, she reached out and laid her hand on the back of his neck, pulling him toward her, close enough that she could see his face and meet his gaze in the dancing firelight.

“Don’t apologize unless you really didn’t want to kiss me,” she whispered, letting her fingers play in the soft, short dark hair at the nape of his neck. “Because I liked it. I think I like you Alex Morgan. I know I’m attracted to you.”

She slid her hand around the side of his neck, then higher, until her palm cradled his cheek and her thumb traced his lower lip. She licked her lips and leaned in until her mouth was nearly on his, then paused and said, “And I should give you a thank you kiss for helping me when I hurt my ankle.”

 

[Baelnorn]

Alex was quite surprised when she reached out with her hand and pulled his head close again. He could feel her warm breath on his cheeks as she whispered to him. He was already quite aroused and the way she was teasing his neck was pushing him over the edge and made him completely hard. He was embarrassed by the lack of self control and how easily he was getting hard for her. He gulped. He really didn't want her to think that he was just after some sex. But the clearly visible tent in his lap was just too obvious. But then he heard her say that she liked his kiss. He stared at her. She told him she liked him and that she was attracted to him. He nervously licked his lips. "Really? I... I mean... thank you." He was blushing from her words and his arousal.

When she moved her hand from his neck to his cheek and traced his lips with her thumb he gasped. It felt so good. His own hands were moving to her wrists to keep her hands on him. He saw her licking her lips and leaning in and he knew what would happen. It was inevitable and he didn't want to stop it. He smiled and nodded at her words, "You're welcome," and then he closed his eyes and moved his head a little forward until finally their lips met. Alex let out a soft moan when his lips touched against hers. Her lips felt so soft and warm. He moved his hands to her shoulders, holding her steady. But it was like a flood he couldn't control and soon his kiss was getting more passionate. He didn't stop kissing her - even if he wanted to he just couldn't. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a close embrace.

His lips were moving on hers and soon he started to tease her lips with his tongue, demanding entrance into her warm mouth. His cocked jumped when she finally parted her lips and let him in. He played with her tongue, teasing it, sucking on it softly, circling it with his own tongue. Oh god her kiss felt so good! He let out another moan into her mouth. While they were kissing he released her from his embrace and moved his hands up and down her back. He felt the gentle curves of her waist and hips and even gave her cute butt a quick squeeze. He was out of control. Somewhere deep in his conscious a tiny voice was screaming that he shouldn't behave like that, that it was all happening too fast. But he couldn't hear the voice. The only thing he could hear was his hammering heart beat as he kept kissing her.

 

[SecretEpiphany]

He seemed so surprised when she told him she liked him, like he couldn’t believe it. He was an attractive guy who was obviously a sweetheart. She had a hard time believing he was this awkward with women. They probably threw themselves at him all the time. She had, and that was not typical behavior for her.

When he wrapped his hand around her wrist, she thought he was going to push her away, and for just a moment she felt sheer humiliation. But he didn’t push her away. If anything, he pressed her hand closer to his skin.

And then his mouth met hers. She squeezed her eyes shut and leaned into the kiss, moving her lips against his, sucking lightly. He tasted sweet, like the juice he drank a few minutes before and she wanted more. Tentatively, she licked at his bottom lip with her tongue.

Alex moaned and pulled her tight against him, no longer the shy, reserved guy who didn’t seem to pick up on her flirting. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed against his mouth. She loved this feeling of being wanted by a man—the moment when he took control and went after what he wanted. Her fingers tangled in his hair when he delved inside her mouth and began to slide his tongue against hers.

Hot need uncoiled low in her tummy and her heart started to thud. This was crazy. She didn’t know this guy—he was a total stranger who had shown up on her doorstep, but she didn’t care. The hormones sizzling through her body and making her scalp prickle as he moaned in her mouth smothered the nagging voice of reason in the back of her mind.

She’d taken a teaching job here—in a new town where she knew no one. She’d rented this house in an isolated area. She worked with a bunch of older women who were mostly bitter about their jobs and desperate for retirement. She had little in common with them and therefore, spent most of her time either alone or with twenty-five third graders. She was lonely. She missed having a boyfriend. She missed kissing like this. She missed sex…

And Alex was making her want sex. He moaned again and slid his hands down her back. She shivered as he lightly grazed the sides of her breasts with his thumbs. Then his hands slid lower—underneath her to cup her butt. It felt so good. The only way it could feel better was if his hands were on her bare skin.

With effort, she pulled her mouth from his. She didn’t stop kissing him though. She pressed light wet kisses all along his jaw to his ear. “This feels so good, Alex,” she whispered. Then she traced the outer shell of his ear with the tip of her tongue. “I love the way your hands feel on me.”

Wanting to return the feeling, she caressed his chest, lightly running her fingernails down the midline of his body until her wrist bumped into the tent his erection had made in the blanket. She froze for a second—her hand in midair and her tongue against his ear. Sanity was screaming at her. He was a stranger. He could be married, have a girlfriend, be an ax murderer…

He shifted his position against her.

 

[Baelnorn]

Alex gasped for air when she broke the kiss. His heart and thoughts were racing. "This feels so good, Alex," she whispered to him and he groaned as she teased his ear with her tongue. "Yes, it does Carly." He kept caressing her hips, running his hands slowly over the fabric of her pyjamas. When she confessed, "I love the way your hands feel on me," he smiled at her and bit his lower lip. "You do? I... I mean I'm glad you do." He felt her shiver and moan under his touch, pressing herself closely against him. His cock was rock hard by now and desperately pushing against the blanket. He let out a soft sigh when he felt her run her soft fingers over his bare chest. She teased his skin with her fingernails, lightly scratching while letting her hand wander down over his chest to his belly. And then he felt her freeze as she bumped into his hard-on. He looked at her and nervously bit his lower lip. He thought himself an idiot and that he had ruined the evening now. "I... I'm sorry. Please... I'm not just out for... sex. Please don't think that of me." He shifted his position slightly so that he was sitting sideways to her, his cock no longer right in between them. "If you want to... you know... go on kissing I'm all up for it. But we don't have to... well... sleep with each other."

He was so terribly nervous that he was basically just babbling nonsense at her. He was so horribly inexperienced with women that any dates always took a turn for the worse. He just wasn't the outgoing type of guy who would go into a bar and hook up with a random girl just for sex. He had never had any one night stands and his last girl friend had dumped him over two years ago. When she left she had made it perfectly clear that she thought him just being a geeky nerd who could laugh about stupid stuff like "select * from USERS where clue > 0" or "Schroedinger's cat is dead". And now he was here, sitting on a couch with a beautiful and sexy woman, making out like teenagers and him sporting a massive tent between his legs. Oh, he really wouldn't mind spending the night in Carly's arms. She was so incredibly hot. She looked and acted so innocent, but he knew that she was like a volcano just waiting to explode. He only hoped that he wouldn't get burned once she went off.

He moved his hands to her head and gently turned it so that he could look into her eyes. He took in a deep breath before meeting her gaze. "Look, I know that it's happening way too fast. I... we barely know each other. I really don't want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. If you want to stop I can understand that." He saw that she was about to say something but placed his fingers on her lips, "Please, let me finish first." He smiled at her slowly taking his fingers back. "I want you to know that I'm not some guy who just wants to f... sleep with you and then disappears the next morning. I've never been like that. I'm sorry that I didn't have more self-control," he looked down at the tent in the blanket, "but I'm just nervous. I mean, you are a very... beautiful and sexy girl, and I haven't had a girlfriend for over two years. I'm really sorry and didn't want to embarrass you. If you want to go on, I'm up for it, but I want you to know that it's up to you if anything more happens tonight." After his little speech he put his hands in his lap, his eyes moving between the floor and Carly. His was still breathing fast and his cock even now stubbornly refused to shrink back.