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Betty took a step toward the car, but her ankle twisted and she lost her balance.
Before she could hit the cold, unforgiving ground, two strong arms came around her, holding her gently. She looked up into Axel’s startling blue eyes. She’d thought they were darker, but up close she could see how deep a blue they were.
And her heart skipped a beat. It was as if those eyes had pierced her very soul. It was unsettling how much the intensity of his gaze affected her.
“I told you those were ridiculous boots. I knew that you were going to slip,” he grumbled as he set her upright.
“I didn’t see the ice,” she said, but she still clung to him.
“Well, you’re going to kill yourself walking around in those.”
Before she had a chance to respond or react Axel bent over and scooped her up, depositing her over his shoulder, as if he were carrying her from a fire. Upside down she had a good view of his butt. Which wasn’t a bad thing, just unexpected for a first meeting. Especially in light of the fact that she was going to be working with him at the hospital. It wasn’t the best first impression, but it also wasn’t the worst.
“Excuse me!” she hollered, but didn’t bother struggling because that would just make things worse.
“What?” he asked, moving toward the SUV, his hand firmly planted on her backside.
“Put me down!” she said.
“I will. Once you’re out of harm’s way.” He stated a matter of fact.
“Look, you great big Viking...you can’t treat me like this.”
He moved her and then set her down in the front seat of his SUV. There was a condescending, smug smile playing on his face.
“Treat you like what? I got you to the vehicle safely. This way you won’t be laid up with a broken ankle during your first month of work in Reykjavik. My father would not be happy if I let harm come to you.” He motioned for her to slide her legs into the foot well so he could shut the door.
Fuming, Betty begrudgingly did as he asked, her eyes tracking him as he climbed into the driver’s side and buckled in. He glanced at her.
“You should buckle up.”
“Do you always manhandle people like that?” she muttered as she reached for her seat belt.
“Only people who don’t know how to appropriately dress in icy weather and may be susceptible to a nasty fall.”
Betty’s anger melted away and she tried to fight the amused smile that was threatening to erupt on her face.
“I have better boots, but they’re in my luggage.”
“I do hope so. If not, there is a store not far from your rental where you can purchase a good sturdy pair. You’re not far from the hospital, but as that part of town is close to the sea, it can get dangerously icy at times,” Axel stated calmly as he drove away from the airport and headed toward the city.
“How do you know where I’m staying?” she asked.
“My father helped you find it. And as I said, he gave me the task of making sure that you are settled. He’s quite overloaded with some work at the hospital, so I’ve been the one dealing with it all.”
The last few words were said cautiously and she could see his jaw clench under the stress. She almost wondered if Dr. Sturlusson Sr. was sick rather than overworked and if Axel was hiding it. She knew that look well. She knew the pain and the pressure one carried when a parent was dying. Her mother died when she was young and it had just been her and her father for so long. Then he got sick and it was just her caring for him while trying to do her first year as a resident.
“I’m sorry to hear that your father is ill,” she said gently.
“Who said he was ill?”
“Your expression. Your tone of voice. I thought—”
“He’s a busy man,” Axel snapped.
“Okay.”
“He doesn’t have time for much,” Axel muttered darkly. He didn’t elaborate. He just kept his eyes on the road, his jaw clenched and those blue eyes dark and serious.
