Giving his thanks, he signed it and sent it on its way and opened another regarding a land investment opportunity. This went on for nearly a half hour when a high pitched short scream pierced his thoughts like a dagger. He looked up and through the translucent curtains made out a person in the creek and appeared to be looking down at something. ‘When did Jean get back?’ he asked himself trying to figure out how he didn’t see or hear her come back to the cottage.
Ben quickly put the laptop aside, slipped into his shoes and ran outside to see what was happening. As he got closer, a most exquisite looking dark-red haired woman was bending over in the middle of the creek looking at her right foot.
Hello there! Ben called out not wanting to frighten the woman. He slowed to a careful walk as he stepped into the water so as not to splash her with each step. When she looked up to see who called out, she reached her right hand out to him. He glanced at it then looked to her right foot held by her left hand. He could see a thin red line and some blood.
He reached out with his right hand thinking she was going to fall over but it was toward him, palm down, fingers spread. His fingers slid against hers, fingertip to fingertip. In that instant, he felt a kind of electric shock pass between them. It was a feeling he’d felt only once before in his life. Their eyes met for the first time and time seemed to slow.
Without breaking eye contact with her, the image of this woman was instantly burned into his mind. Every detail of her oval face was in perfect clarity from her dark redish brown hair to those incredibly beautiful green eyes to her red generous lips and every other detail in between. She seemed to glow and for an instant, every sound, every color every movement was vibrant and alive. Then the dream streaked through his memory and the face he saw for only a fraction of a second.
As the realization slammed into him in that instant time returned to normal in a rush. He felt dazed. Still looking at her, she seemed to be also and thought she might be going to faint. Without another moment’s hesitation, he slid to her left side, leaned down and swept her off her feet lifting her into his arms to carry her. She reached instinctively around his neck for support as he carried her to the cottage. He was careful to watch where he was going but was also aware she was staring at him, her gaze never leaving his face.
She didn’t speak a word until he carried her into the living room and gently laid her on the couch. He looked up as she let go of her hold around his neck and he saw her smiling a warm, gentle smile with eyes that sparkled like stars in the night sky. He paused as his brain tried to understand what was happening. Something felt familiar about those eyes but why eluded him. She had on a gentle smile that filled him with a warm feeling inside. He stood up slowly, somewhat embarrassed.
I’m sorry. I couldn’t help staring. I haven’t s… he said cutting himself off before he would say something stupid then started again. “You’re hurt. May I take a look at it?” he said in a soft gentle tone. She nodded as her smile faded to parted lips as she looked down and extended her leg bringing her right foot up for him to see.
Ben knelt, water dripped from both of them onto the floor but he didn’t care. He gingerly removed her flip-flop from her small foot. He gently, almost reverently, held her small foot in both his large hands to examine it. He saw a narrow cut on the inside, just above her arch and made a red line toward the ankle bone. It wasn’t bad but it had bled. He let go of her foot and looked up to her.
It needs to be cleaned. I’ll get something for it. He said. She nodded and crossed her legs keeping her injured foot off the floor. He turned, heading to the bathroom.
The woman watched Ben go. She didn’t look anywhere but the back of his head, hoping he would turn around. If he did, she would see his face and the fluttering in her stomach could start again. She reflected the moment they touched and she’d felt something akin to an electric shock. She had an instant clarity of his face and a dazed feeling a moment later from a memory….no, a realization she’d seen him before.
She felt herself swept up into his arms and she remembered just reaching around his neck to keep from falling. She puzzled at why he would carry her. Did he think she was so injured she couldn’t walk? It stung to be sure but she didn’t have to be carried. The thought almost bred an indignant attitude when he came back out of, what she assumed was the bathroom, and the makings of that attitude vanished like vapor.
Ben went to the woman’s left side as she had now crossed her right leg over her left to keep her foot off the floor. He took one folded towel and dropped it in front of him then knelt on it. He took a second towel and laid it down, reached over and gently lifted her left foot to slip the flip-flop off it. Holding it and the weight of her right leg on top was awkward but he managed to slip the second towel under it and set it carefully down onto the towel. He twisted and retrieved a shoebox and the damp washcloth to his left in easy reach.
Taking the damp cloth, he placed his hand, palm up under her right foot and gently pulled it toward him. His senses were again heightened with the touch and he could barely make out the ghosting of blue veins underneath the woman’s slightly tanned creamy skin. He examined the cut and gently wiped the top of her foot starting at the outside of her ankle.
In small, gentle wiping motions, he cleaned the sand that stuck to her skin. As he did, some of the particles stuck to the cloth and some fell to the towel beneath. He wiped the sole of her foot and she gasped and flinched. Her toes curled under and she drew her foot up slightly. He looked up with a concerned look and saw her smiling with her right hand in a fist pressing to her lips to stifle a laugh. Instead she giggled.
I am sorry Mr… she paused waiting for him to give his name. He detected an accent.
Ben. Benjamin Alexander Logan at your service. He said. He smiled up at her and she smiled back each looking into the others eyes.
I am sorry Mr. Logan. She began again. Her words came with a light Russian accent. “I did not mean to startle you. You discovered I am tickled there.” She smiled warmly. “My name is Alexandra Ivonivan Petrovicha.” [Pronounced: Alex-an-drah, Ivon-i-van, Pe-troe-vika]
Ben smiled at the missed word usage but didn’t correct her. “Ваш английский является достаточно хорошим.” (Your English is quite good.) He said in Russian. Her eyebrows went up and her mouth opened in surprise.
Вы говорите на русском языке? (You know Russian?) she asked.
Лишь немногим. (Only a little.) he replied. She sat back and stared down at him slowly shaking her head from side to side in unabashed astonishment. Ben gave her a half smile and returned his attentions to her injured foot.
The cleaning done, he sprayed an antiseptic over the wound catching the excess that dripped from her foot onto the towel below. Cradling her foot in both hands as if it were made of glass, he gently blew on the wound with a long slow breath to dry the moisture so he could use the liquid band aid. He felt her shiver slightly and looked up to see her eyes closed. He blew on her foot again and turned his head slightly to direct the stream of air along her arch from ball to heel. This got a stronger shiver.
Really more like a shudder. He looked up again and saw goose bumps had appeared all over. Her lips were parted and head tilted back slightly. He did it again. This time purely out of curiosity and watched her shudder slightly again. He was enthralled that she was enraptured with this form of touching. It seemed all too clear to him this was a sensuous woman with an erogenous zone there and this action was quite inappropriate.
The antiseptic was dry now. “Ahem.” He cleared his throat softly and as polite as possible. She flinched and sucked in a breath. He waited until he could see in his peripheral vision that she was looking at him again before he looked up and saw those gorgeous green eyes again.
It will be fine. He said, in English. “All I need to do is apply the liquid band-aid and wait for it to set.”
You have to blow on it to dry, yes? she asked with the slight expression of fear and expectation. Ben nodded then looked beside him to reach for the tube.
He opened it and between thumb and forefinger of his left hand and pinched the wound closed, though it really needn’t be done. He felt compelled to do everything perfect for this woman. Applying the liquid, Ben drew two lines on either side of the cut then down the length of the cut itself. He hoped this would make it flexible enough so it wouldn’t break open later. He paused and looked up at her face. She was sitting back with her jaw muscles taut and eyes closed. He wasn’t sure if she was in pain or steeling herself for a more controlled reaction to his touch on her foot.
He blew on it but did not run the air stream up and down her arch. He blew at the liquid band aid four times slowly. Her little shiver betrayed her sensuous nature. He let go of her beautiful small foot and felt a kind of loss from not touching her as he sat back on his heels kneeling before her. He slid to her right and reached out to lift her left foot still with her right leg crossed over. Gently lifting and straightening her leg, he picked up the damp cloth and wiped her foot in the same gentle, almost reverent manner as he did the right one. He felt compelled to take care of this woman.
Still holding her foot, he folded the towel he had placed under it to make a clean spot for him to set it back down on. He knew she was looking at him and didn’t look up.
Alexandra watched as he cleaned her left foot with the same care and attention as the other. She enjoyed this man’s careful handling of her and the respect he gave. She wished she needed to be tended just to feel his breath on her foot. She had no idea she reacted this way. It was a most delicious feeling that sent shivers through her. She couldn’t help it even when she knew he would do it again for the band aid he blew on.
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