I closed the remaining distance. “I’m just going to help you. I’m—I won’t look,” I explained, focused pointedly on the wall behind her.
She stiffened in my periphery.
“Is that okay?” I asked.
“Yeah—” She hesitated, then added another, “Yeah. Thanks.”
With jaw clenched and focus narrowed in on her bleeding knee, I knelt before her. I carefully tugged her pants the rest of the way off her hurt leg.
“Whoa.” She steadied herself with a hand on my shoulder as she switched feet to help me help her. I was kneeling between her legs, and it took all my focus not to look up and see what her face was doing at that moment. I especially wouldn’t pay attention to the shape of her calf, her creamy thighs, or the cute arch of her foot as it balanced on me. Kneeling before her like this, caring for her, it was clouding my mind.
I made the mistake of looking up to find her studying me,cheeks slightly pink, breathing shallow, and her brown eyes locked on me in this position of supplication.
I clenched my jaw, promising to punch myself if I got the slightest bit aroused right now.
But the room had grown stiflingly warm. Her skin under mine was soft despite the cold.
She reached down and pushed back a lock of soaked hair that was in my eyes. “You’re all wet too,” she whispered.
Her words seared down my spine, and I stilled my hands. I forced a hard swallow. After a beat, she let out an awkward huff of a laugh. “That sounded?—”
I looked up at her and forced myself to hold her gaze. “Is this going to be another ‘wood’ situation?” I asked lightly despite the heat burning in me, desperate to break the tension.
She bit her bottom lip and shook her head innocently. The dark look in her eyes, though?—
She stepped out of the other side, and I grabbed the pants and the soaking socks, tossing them with a loud splat in the direction of the dryer.
Head tucked, I stood and went behind her. “Arms up.” My voice rolled out deep and demanding.
She did as I instructed.
Slowly and carefully, in case she was hurt anywhere else, I lifted the hem of her shirt over her body. Chilled skin brushed against my knuckles. More goose bumps spread over her neck and shoulders. If I wrapped her in my arms, my hot skin would burn against her cold by contrast. I would warm herup so fast.
I wasn’t sure why I was naked in that fake scenario that flashed through my brain.
I added the shirt to the pile.
“Can you get your, uh?—”
“I can get my bra?—”
We both spoke at the same time, and she laughed awkwardly.
Thank God for small miracles.
Her arms wrapped behind her to undo the heavy snaps, and I spun to look away. I stacked the fresh set of clothes near the fire. I grabbed the wet pile and carried them to the laundry closet, taking my time and focusing on the task of starting the washer. Still without looking in her direction, I made my way to the kitchenette and turned on the electric kettle.
“I’m coming back,” I announced as I made my way to the bedroom/living room area with her hot cup of tea a few minutes later.
“’Kay. I’m dressed.”
Her hair was down, and she’d been running her fingers through it, leaning toward the fire as I stepped into the space. She snapped up, disappearing under her long sleeves.
“Feeling warmer?” I asked.
“Much. Thanks for, uh, helping me get out of those. And forfindingme,” she said, seemingly exacerbated with herself for remembering everything.
The sweater I chose for her was too large, and the elegant slope of her shoulder was on display as she reached for the tea. I wanted to pull it up and insist she move to sit directly in frontof the fire. But the color was high on her cheeks, and she smiled softly at me, just a little dimple showing. I averted my gaze so as not to be drawn in by those dimples when I noticed her breasts were easily defined through the soft fabric of the sweater I chose.
