Baby It's Cold Outside

Baby it's cold outside

"Elizabeth... I baked a pie for the nice man who helped me with the car the other day. Would you mind dropping it off for me? He doesn't live that far." Lorraine Reynolds asked her daughter who was currently curled up on the floor in front of the fire place.

"Mom! It's terrible out there and chances are it's going to storm... Can't the pie wait till the snow lets up?"

At this given moment, going out into the festering snow storm was not on Elizabeth's to-do list. Especially since she had been psyching herself up into getting some hot chocolate. Well... It does take a lot of work moving from point a to point b when you're rather comfy.

"Please Elizabeth... It's just right up the road... Take the jeep and you will be fine. Now get dressed and take the pie to the nice man."

Lorraine appeared in the doorway wiping her hands off on her apron as she prepared to annoy her daughter into doing as she told her. "Fine... Fine..." Elizabeth sighed, standing up slowly.

"You'll owe me for this..."She huffed and puffed as she headed up the stairs, not noticing the cheeky smile her mother had on her face.

"Oh I don't think I will..." Lorraine chuckled, heading back into the kitchen to put the pie in a container.

"If she's so grateful, why can't she deliver it herself?" Elizabeth muttered as she stood in her closet, pulling out her clothes. She figured she was going to the house of a strange old man who would probably try and cop feels of her body through her winter gear. Winter break was supposed to be an escape for Elizabeth. Not from school, but from the people at her school. In her twentieth year of life, away at college, Elizabeth had thought she had fallen in love. The boy, although not perfect, was everything she had thought she wanted. And everything she didn't as well. He was a notorious cheater, but apparently everyone except Elizabeth knew this. Her heart was mildly damaged when she thought to surprise him with his Christmas present in advance only to find him pounding away into her roommate. She could remember it as if it were yesterday.

~~Elizabeth walked into Cooper's apartment with great news that her mother was okay with him coming to spend the Christmas break with them. Liz had made the offer since Cooper had no immediate family and she didn't want him to be lonely. He had looked so elated when she suggested it, she knew it would make his day. Only she hadn't expected to find him hunched over her roommate, pounding her into oblivion. She should have seen this coming. What with the way he was getting impatient with her to be "ready" and her roommate's sudden niceties. Sure it hurt to be cheated on, but Elizabeth was stronger than that. "Wow... Guess the rumors were right after all." Elizabeth shook her head in disgust, steeling her heart from the devastated look that swept onto Cooper's face as he disconnected himself from her whore of a roommate.

It was somehow incredibly comforting to watch her soon-to-be ex-roommate scramble for her clothes while Cooper rushed towards her attempting to hide his wilting erection.

"Elizabeth... It's... It's not what you think."

If Elizabeth had been stupid she might have accepted Cooper's apologies, but she was 100% against cheaters. There was no explanation needed and no excuse that could take back what he had done. From the moment she witnessed it, she began closing her heart off from him.

"I don't want to hear it Cooper. As far as I'm concerned we were done the second you even considered doing this..."

She waved her hands at the scenario that was still unfolding as her roommate continued to dress hastily and her ex boyfriend stammered for words.

"Have a Merry Christmas."

She laughed bitterly, shaking her head. As she hurried out of the apartment complex the weight of everything suddenly began to come over her.

"Oh my god... Cooper cheated.. I'm such an idiot. And for that slut?!"

Elizabeth needed to get out of there and now.~~

After that, Elizabeth rushed to her apartment, the one she was paying for by herself. Her stupid roommate lived there for free and was never of any help. She only let her stick around, because living alone in a strange place had scared her. Not anymore. She called the landlord and explained that due to a "family emergency" she was needed back home immediately and that she would like to end her lease. Of course there was a fee, but it was worth it. Now her bimbo ex-roommate had no place to stay.

"Oh well she can stay with Cooper for all I care."

She packed the things she needed as quick as she could, shoved it into her Jeep Wrangler, and drove straight for home.

It didn't feel like all of that had occurred two weeks ago, but it had. Now more than ever, Elizabeth wished her father had been alive. Surely, he would have kicked Cooper's hide from here to the moon and back. Unfortunately, he had died when she was twelve and had needed him the most. The pain never gone, just locked away deep inside of her. She was just a little girl at the time of her father's passing. A little girl who really needed a father to protect her from the pains of first real crushes and threaten every boy who glanced her way with a shot gun. She needed a man who loved her endlessly and would remind her daily that she was beautiful even through all of those awkward teen phases. Liz needed a man who would promise her that someday she would find her prince... She'd just have to go through a lot of frogs to find him. She needed her father. . .

"At least then I wouldn't have to go out into a snowstorm to deliver a dang pie then..." Elizabeth laughed to herself as she tried to ease the ache of the pain due to missing her dad left.

All ready to go, Elizabeth returned downstairs to their kitchen which was her mother's most cherished domain. Her mother was a pastry chef so her kitchen was basically any chef's or baker's wet dream. It was stunning. Even Elizabeth could admit that; although, allowing her into the kitchen to prepare any sort of dish could lead to causalities.

"I'm ready to go... Where's the pie?" Elizabeth asked, smiling at her mom who had various patches of flour covered skin and looked like she was in a baking frenzy.

"It's right here, darling." Lorraine smiled as she handed the pie container to her daughter, being as delicate as she could manage.

"Now drive careful, call me if anything comes up, and please... Be polite." Lorraine stressed the last word as if she was expecting her daughter to be a rude little angel to the oh so generous man who helped her earlier this week.

"Yes, mom. I'll be polite. I promise not to pee in his garden or speak out of term." She sarcastically stated as her mother put a very silly looking hat onto her head.

"Jeesh... Last time I checked I was twenty... Not five." Lorraine rolled her eyes at her daughter's antics.

"I know. I know. Now get your cute twenty year old butt on the road. And remember! Be polite!" She reiterated the fact as she pushed her daughter out the door into the winter chilled air. She shivered as she all but sprinted in the snow to get to the jeep. Elizabeth sighed once she was protected from winter's cold wind by the walls of the jeep. She placed the pie in the passenger seat and smiled when she saw instructions to the man's house attached to top of the container by a sticky note. Only her mom. She pulled the sticky note off and then read it for a couple of moments.

Placing the sticky note on the dashboard in front of her, Elizabeth began her trek to the mysterious man's house. "God please do not let this man be some psycho killer. Qu'est ce-que c'est? Fa fa fa fa fa..." She chuckled, remembering the random lyrics from the song Psycho Killer by the band Talking Heads. About a ten or so minute drive later, Elizabeth arrived at another beautiful cabin located on a ranch. One whose beauty was made even more captivating in the snow.

"My god..." She muttered to herself. "No wonder I've never noticed it before." Instead of having built a fence like any other person, the owner of this estate had an unbelievable fortress of trees that lined the outskirts of the land and the driveway seemed forever long.

After parking the vehicle and grabbing the pie, Elizabeth carefully got out of her lifted Jeep Wrangler. She looked at the distance from her to the door and her prayer began once more. "Lord... Please don't let me slip and break my neck and die... Amen."

The snow fell around her and her usually cinnamon brown skin paled even more due to the bitter cold. By the time she got to the front door steps, Elizabeth was sure she'd caught the death of her and frost bite. Quickly raising her hand, she began to pound on the heavy oak door until she noticed the cleverly hidden doorbell that now mocked her. "Stupid..." She muttered before pressing the blasted button.

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"Who in the world could that be? What idiot would drive out here in a freaking snow storm?" Mathieu Elias Storms asked as he tossed aside his inventory book. He had just settled in to go over the what nots and have nots of his business when the doorbell had rung. He had been otherwise oblivious to the pounding that had been taking place. It really wasn't easy running a business in the middle of the snow storm. He couldn't just go to his restaurant, located all the way in California, to see how things were fairing seeing as how the plane flights were all canceled due to the storm. What had he been thinking to come back here? To freaking Minnesota. He had left for a reason, hadn't he? Oh yeah. A freaking vacation. Somehow his best friend and business partner Ricardo had convinced him to take a break since he obviously needed one after Melissa. Damn woman ripped his heart out of his chest. Sure it was over a year ago, but he had immersed himself in work, and swore off women. Snapping out of his thoughts when the doorbell was rung once more, he swiftly stood.

"Hold your horses!" He shouted as got to his feet and stomped his frustrated way towards the door. He swung the door open only to have the breath steal away from his lungs in that instant. Before him stood the most beautiful angel he had ever seen in his entire life. Marvelous golden skin, beautiful light brown eyes, seemingly dark hair that was covered by the most ridiculous looking hat he'd ever seen, and the rest of her bundled in winter gear.

"Wow..."

Was the only understandable word in his vocabulary at that very moment.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

There Elizabeth stood, shivering in the doorway of a beautiful cabin, in front of the most gorgeous man she had ever met in her entire life.

"He's a god."

Was all she could think in those first few minutes as she shook like crazy due to the ever worsening weather.

He stood easily a foot taller than her own, unimpressive, five foot three frame. He had dark brown hair that almost looked black, crystal green eyes, and a body that made her mouth water. He wore nothing but comfortable looking pajama bottoms and a wife beater. His muscles were begging to be touched and had she not been in her right mind, she might have just dropped the damn pie that got her into this mess, and jumped his delicious looking bones. Shaking her head another gust of wind and snow beat at her back, Elizabeth came to remember why she was standing in this man's doorway.

"Umm.. Hi... I'm Elizabeth Reynolds... I think you may be the man that helped my mother, Lorraine with the car the other day..." Her teeth clicked tremulously against each other as she stood there waiting for the man to say something... Anything... But he stood there as if he wasn't even listening to her. He just stood there, staring.

"Or not..." She continued, nervous in the presence of this extremely handsome creature that could not be human. The man finally seemed to hear her and he chuckled so low she almost didn't hear it.

"Oh... Oh yes.. Sorry about that. I'm just trying to figure out why you're at my door in this kind of weather... Is everything okay with your mother?" He inquired, worriedly. The woman, Lorraine, he had helped had been quite wonderful. She was a breath of fresh air. Reminded him of his mother when she had been alive. It was actually kind of comforting since he really didn't have much of a connection to Minnesota anymore other than this very cabin in which he had grown up in as a boy. He hadn't known many people and Lorraine seemed friendly enough. Now her daughter on the other hand was going to do some seriously bad damage to his heart. He hadn't had a steady heartbeat since he opened the door. She was stunning. Just... Beautiful.

"My mother is perfectly fine, but thank you for asking. She's baking up a feast as we speak, but this is for you." She said as she held forth the pie that her mother had baked for him.

"Oh wow... That's very nice of your mother to think of me." He said taking the pie and looking at her, or more like gawking at her.

"It's a thank you for the h-h-help..." She stuttered, her body shaking violently. She couldn't put up with this cold much longer

. "Darn!" He gasped, realizing he had kept this poor woman in the cold. "Come inside, Elizabeth..." He quickly ushered her inside, feeling like a complete jack ass at that moment.

"Thank you..." She trailed off, realizing she didn't know his name. She stood in the foyer of the beautiful cabin, quickly stripping free her wet outer clothing. Thank goodness for layers and many of them.

"Mathieu... Storms..." He said slowly, mesmerized by the way she took off her outer layer of clothing. He was pretty sure he was salivating as he watched her.

"And no need for thanks... The pleasure was all mine. Here, let's get you warm." In my bed... He thought lustfully. Shoot, Matt... Don't think like that. This girl is out of your league and too young for you. He tried to convince himself, but his nether region thought otherwise. Damn appendage had it's own mind and Mathieu willed it to go down before he embarrassed himself in front of this angel.

Elizabeth graciously accepted the offer to come further inside his home to get warmed up and smiled when she found herself standing in a beautiful living room with the focal point of the room being a massive fire place.

"Ooh!" She squealed delightedly as she practically dive bombed in front of and took a seat. Her long legs folded Indian style and quickly drawing Matt's attention before he caught himself and diverted his attention. Elizabeth had always loved fireplaces and often in the winter season slept in front of them. She had done so ever since she was a small child. Laughing at her adorable reaction, Mathieu followed her, sitting beside her in front of the fireplace.

"So... This pie..." He chuckled as he ducked his head down as if to motion to it in his hands.

"Oh! I'm silly... We should probably put that in the fridge unless you would like to eat some now, of course..." Elizabeth offered, figuring Matt might want to eat now.

"How about we share some of this pie and I'll make us some hot chocolate?" He suggested, reluctantly standing back up on his feet.

"Hot chocolate?! I would love some! Let me help!" The two of them happily went into the kitchen to make the warm drink.

"Where are the mugs?" Elizabeth asked as Matt got the stuff out to make it the old fashioned way.

"Over in that top left cabinet." He pointed to the one furthest from the refrigerator. Elizabeth sauntered over to it and stretched onto her tip toes to reach it.

Mathieu had gotten distracted from his simple task that easily as he watched her. It amazed him how natural it felt to have her around. There was no awkwardness or unwelcome tension. He felt at ease with her and his heart fluttered as he watched the beautiful little angel in his kitchen struggle to get down mugs. He walked over to her and from behind, leaned in, reaching an arm up to grab two mugs from the already open cabinet. He felt Elizabeth stiffen and realized how firmly her backside was pressed against his front. He inhaled deeply as if to will his erection to remain calm, but instead got an intoxicating whiff of her hair and the shampoo she used. Once again, Matt felt as if he was going to start to salivate. He set the mugs down on the counter in front of her, holding her pinned against him and the counter.

"Elizabeth..." He murmured her name, finding her simply irresistible. Nervously, Elizabeth spun in his arms, looking up at him anxiously. "You are so beautiful..." Her breath caught in her lungs as Mathieu had ever so smoothly leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. The sensations began in his heart somewhere deep inside and began to spread throughout his body, consuming him in that instant. It was the most powerful sensation that he'd ever felt affecting his body, soul, and mind. At that very moment, Elizabeth felt it to. For this complete stranger, she felt what she could only describe as love. That kind of love that scares the wits out of people and makes them do goofy things.

When he broke the kiss, Elizabeth helplessly stood there. Her body felt as loose as a noodle and she wondered if she would make a successful step or just sink to the floor. The latter option seemed a lot more realistic at that moment.

"Mathieu... I..." That nervousness flooded her soul again. She couldn't be in a cabin of some strange man, wanting to have him ravage her in his bed. This couldn't be happening. She had just gotten out of a relationship. A tumultuous one at that, but still a relationship. And why the hell was she thinking of starting a relationship with Mathieu. A man she barely knew.

"I should go..." She finally finished, trying to evade his beautiful green eyes. Matt stood there stunned for a moment as the little angel ducked from beneath his arms and rushed towards the foyer.

I don't think so!

He told himself as he quickly followed her. He was not about to let the most amazing woman who had just shared the most mind numbing kiss with him walk out that door. Not if he had his way.

"But Elizabeth... It's cold outside..." Matt said as he made his way to block the door, watching her shuffle into her outer layer again.

"Gosh, she's so cute."

He couldn't help but smile as he watched her.

"I really can't stay, Matt..." Elizabeth was trying to convince him and herself that.

"Yes you can... Why not?" He asked, wanting a good excuse as to why she wanted to leave him. He knew that kiss had scared her. Heck... It had scared him, but he wanted to know if every kiss with her would be like that... If making love to her would be as explosive.

"I've... I've got to go away..." Elizabeth knew she had no excuse as to why she wanted to leave him, it was really rather pointless, but she was going to try. No kiss in all of her young life had ever felt like that. So...

"What in the world..."

worthy.

"Liz... That's not much of a reason..." Before he could go on, she was cutting him off, and slipping her feet into her boots.

"This evening has been... So very nice..." Nice wasn't the word to describe the start of their evening Matt thought to himself with a devilish smirk. He stepped towards her and stopped her from tying her boots by capturing her small hands in his. Elizabeth looked down at his hands, imagining all of the wonderful things he could do with them.

"Your hands... They're just like ice..." He muttered, realizing how thoroughly that weather outside had gotten to her.

"My mother will start to worry..." Elizabeth suggested.

~~Meanwhile, her mother was looking at the clock, and smirking at how well her match making had played out. There was no way those two couldn't fall for each other. She had known the instant she met Mathieu that he was the one for her daughter. She could just feel it and on top of that, upon meeting him, she felt as if her husband had been in her presence... Telling her that this was the one for Elizabeth as well. It was so strange. Besides a mother knows this stuff, Lorraine had figured. ~~