than once almost knocked them off their feet.
The cold felt like knives slicing through his skin. The snow coated their clothes, making them wet and only adding to their misery.
He turned sharply when he heard her squeal then felt the tug on his hand as she fell to the ground. Immediately he was down on his knee next to her. With one hand on her back, he leaned down next to her ear. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” She nodded her head, her lips quivering and blue from the cold. Her nose was bright red, her cheeks already chapped. They had to find the cave soon or they were both in trouble.
“We’re almost there. Hang onto me.” He put her hand firmly back into his and helped her stand before starting off again.
After what seemed like an eternity, the white in front of him began to grow darker.
Putting his hand out, he touched cold rock and let out a sigh of relief.
The entrance has to be here somewhere .
Moving to the left, he quickly found it and helped Krista inside. She let go of his hand and ran farther into the cave ahead of him. She wrapped her arms around her, shaking from head to toe. “Oh God. I am so cold.” He came up behind her and pushed her toward the hall, heading straight for her quarters. Once in the door he stood her before the fireplace and then headed to the bathroom.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m running you some water. I want you in a warm bath. While you’re doing that I’m going to go fix us something hot to eat.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll be fine. You get in the tub.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Yes, sir, bossy.”
From his position sitting by the tub, he turned to look at her and almost laughed.
She tried to scowl but her quivering lips only made her look comical. The idea of getting into the tub with her flashed through his mind, but he quickly pushed it aside.
Neither one of them had eaten since their brunch earlier and that had been several hours ago. He hadn’t meant to keep her out that long. Reaching down, he swirled his hand through the water, checking the temperature.
“I can run my own water, you know.”
He eyed her over his shoulder. She had come into the bathroom and was leaning her shoulder against the doorjamb.
Lord, she was tempting. Her hair was damp from the snow, her cheeks still kissed pink from the cold, her nose red. Her lips continued to quiver, and he was tempted
beyond reason to cover them with his, to warm them until they stopped and melted against his own. Just thinking about it made him shift uncomfortably before standing.
“By all means.”
He walked over, never taking his eyes off her nervous ones. Reaching out, he tugged at one of the buttons of her shirt. She swatted his hand away and he grinned.
“I guess that means you don’t need any help disrobing, either?”
“Nope.” She frowned and stepped aside, allowing him room to slip through the door.
“Okay, I get the hint.” Before going completely out, he stopped. Putting his hand on the frame, he turned to look at her. “Would you like anything special for dinner?”
“Anything warm is fine.”
“Warm it is.” He winked at her before heading to the replicators.
* * * * *
Krista sank deeper into the tub and let the warm water cover her shoulders. With a sigh, she looked around the unusual bathtub. People of Earth would pay a fortune for this look—the rock walls and floor. It was like sitting in a pool.
Reaching out, she touched the wall with the tip of her finger. A tiny waterfall cascaded along the rock and into the bath water. The trickling sound relaxed her and she leaned her head back, closing her eyes.
She tried not to think about Stefan, but her mind kept recalling the way he looked at her. The concern in his eyes when he thought she had overdone it, the seductive way he gazed at her, making her skin heat up. The way his lips felt on hers… God, just thinking about it sent a shiver of awareness through her body.
Watching the water ripple with her
The cold felt like knives slicing through his skin. The snow coated their clothes, making them wet and only adding to their misery.
He turned sharply when he heard her squeal then felt the tug on his hand as she fell to the ground. Immediately he was down on his knee next to her. With one hand on her back, he leaned down next to her ear. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” She nodded her head, her lips quivering and blue from the cold. Her nose was bright red, her cheeks already chapped. They had to find the cave soon or they were both in trouble.
“We’re almost there. Hang onto me.” He put her hand firmly back into his and helped her stand before starting off again.
After what seemed like an eternity, the white in front of him began to grow darker.
Putting his hand out, he touched cold rock and let out a sigh of relief.
The entrance has to be here somewhere .
Moving to the left, he quickly found it and helped Krista inside. She let go of his hand and ran farther into the cave ahead of him. She wrapped her arms around her, shaking from head to toe. “Oh God. I am so cold.” He came up behind her and pushed her toward the hall, heading straight for her quarters. Once in the door he stood her before the fireplace and then headed to the bathroom.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m running you some water. I want you in a warm bath. While you’re doing that I’m going to go fix us something hot to eat.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll be fine. You get in the tub.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Yes, sir, bossy.”
From his position sitting by the tub, he turned to look at her and almost laughed.
She tried to scowl but her quivering lips only made her look comical. The idea of getting into the tub with her flashed through his mind, but he quickly pushed it aside.
Neither one of them had eaten since their brunch earlier and that had been several hours ago. He hadn’t meant to keep her out that long. Reaching down, he swirled his hand through the water, checking the temperature.
“I can run my own water, you know.”
He eyed her over his shoulder. She had come into the bathroom and was leaning her shoulder against the doorjamb.
Lord, she was tempting. Her hair was damp from the snow, her cheeks still kissed pink from the cold, her nose red. Her lips continued to quiver, and he was tempted
beyond reason to cover them with his, to warm them until they stopped and melted against his own. Just thinking about it made him shift uncomfortably before standing.
“By all means.”
He walked over, never taking his eyes off her nervous ones. Reaching out, he tugged at one of the buttons of her shirt. She swatted his hand away and he grinned.
“I guess that means you don’t need any help disrobing, either?”
“Nope.” She frowned and stepped aside, allowing him room to slip through the door.
“Okay, I get the hint.” Before going completely out, he stopped. Putting his hand on the frame, he turned to look at her. “Would you like anything special for dinner?”
“Anything warm is fine.”
“Warm it is.” He winked at her before heading to the replicators.
* * * * *
Krista sank deeper into the tub and let the warm water cover her shoulders. With a sigh, she looked around the unusual bathtub. People of Earth would pay a fortune for this look—the rock walls and floor. It was like sitting in a pool.
Reaching out, she touched the wall with the tip of her finger. A tiny waterfall cascaded along the rock and into the bath water. The trickling sound relaxed her and she leaned her head back, closing her eyes.
She tried not to think about Stefan, but her mind kept recalling the way he looked at her. The concern in his eyes when he thought she had overdone it, the seductive way he gazed at her, making her skin heat up. The way his lips felt on hers… God, just thinking about it sent a shiver of awareness through her body.
Watching the water ripple with her
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