“No problem.” He called a goodbye to Ettie, then opened the door, stepping out onto the porch after Alison.
Outside, the rain was coming down in sheets. Though it was nearly Christmas, there hadn’t been much snow. They stood next to each other on the porch, looking out at the weather. “Where are you driving to?” he asked.
“Johnson City,” she said.
“This rain is bad. The road back to town might be washed out. Why don’t I drive ahead of you until you reach the main road? Just to make sure you get out safely.”
“All right,” she said. In truth, she would have preferred that he just invite her back inside to wait until the weather improved. “But what if the road is washed out?”
“Then you won’t be going back to town,” he said with a shrug. He grabbed her elbow and pulled her along. “Let’s go before it gets any worse.”
Alison drew a deep breath and started toward her car at a brisk jog. But she hadn’t got more than twenty yards from Ettie’s cabin when she slipped on a muddy patch and felt her feet go out from under her. Before she could regain her balance, she landed on her backside.
Muddy water seeped into the seat of her jeans as she sat there, pain shooting from her ankle to her knee. “Ow,” she cried, straightening the leg that had twisted beneath her. “Ow, ow.” The strap from her messenger bag twisted around her neck and she pulled it off and clutched it to her chest.
In a heartbeat, he was beside her. “Are you all right?”
“I—I think I twisted my ankle,” she said. She reached out to grab his arm, but her hands were covered with cold mud. “Help me up. I think I can walk.”
“No.” He scooped her into his arms, mud and all. “We’ll go back inside.”
“No!” Alison cried. “I’m fine, really. Just put me down. I’m not going to impose on Ettie, especially not covered in mud.” He continued to hold her in his arms, his mouth just inches from hers, clouds of vapor from their breath mingling in the damp air. “I—I can walk,” she assured him.
“I’m a doctor,” he murmured, his attention focused on her face. “I’ll know if you’re lying.”
“I think I can make it to my car,” she said, waving him off. Wincing, she put weight on her ankle, then gritted her teeth and pushed through the pain. He held on to her arm as they walked to the Subaru. Her ankle throbbed as if it were about to explode and she felt her cheeks warm with humiliation.
But then, Drew gently grabbed her arms and drew her toward him. A moment later, his lips came down on hers, warm and searching for a response. At first, Alison was too surprised to move. But the next instant, she surrendered to the kiss, throwing her arms around his neck and pressing her body against his.
When it was finally over, he stared down at her with a surprised smile. “Follow me,” he said, pulling the car door open for her.
Alison crawled inside and closed the door, then pushed her hair out of her eyes with her muddy hand. Her heart slammed in her chest and she found herself gasping for breath. Had that really happened? Had he just kissed her for no reason at all?
A few moments ago, she’d been ready to walk away from him, but now, she was prepared to stand in the pouring rain for just one more chance to kiss him. The heat from his lips was still fading as Drew’s truck pulled up beside her. He honked the horn and drove ahead, waiting for her to turn around.
“Stop it,” she muttered to herself. So he’d kissed her. It wasn’t as if it had come completely out of the blue. They’d been lusting after each other all afternoon. It was only natural that he’d act on those feelings. And that she’d respond.
But this kiss wasn’t just an ordinary kiss, Alison mused. The moment his lips touched hers, she felt something powerful rush through her body. Need. An aching need that couldn’t be satisfied with only one kiss.
The car skidded and she was yanked out of her thoughts. It was raining so hard that she could barely see the taillights in front of her. She leaned forward and rubbed the fog off the windshield with her sleeve, leaving a streak of mud behind. Cursing softly, she tried to slip out of her jacket, but as she twisted in her seat, she saw the taillights flash in front of her. She slammed on her brakes, and the car skidded to a stop right behind Drew’s truck.
A moment later, she saw him running toward her car. He jumped in the passenger side as she quickly threw her belongings in the backseat. Pushing back the hood on his jacket, he turned to her, little droplets of water clinging to his dark lashes.
“The road is washed out ahead. There’s a big gully cut right across it. You won’t be able to get through with your car.”