Karen wouldn't have spotted him if it wasn't for his white shirt that reflected the light of her headlights. He was standing next to the road, waving. She noticed a car in the ditch and realized that there must have been an accident. She hit the breaks and was out of her car before he had even opened his mouth.
"Are you all right?" she asked. "What happened?"
"I'm fine," he said. "I drove off the road when I was trying to avoid hitting a deer that jumped out in front of my car."
"You're bleeding!" said Karen, and pulled out a handkerchief. "Here, press this against your forehead..."
She led him to the car.
"Do you want me to take you to a hospital?" she asked.
"No, I'm fine," he assured her. "I just need to borrow your phone to call for a tow truck."
"You're lucky to be alive!" said Karen.
"And I'm lucky you stopped," he said. "I'm a damsel in distress, and you're my knight in shining armour."
"Don't you mean a knight in a shining Opel?" Karen giggled.
"How romantic!" he smiled dryly.
"Oh, about as romantic as imagining you as a damsel," said Karen, flashing him a naughty smile.
What's the matter with me? she thought to herself. I'm FLIRTING with him! He's a stranger, I don't know first thing about him!
"The name's Stephen, by the way," he said. "Stephen Mitchell."
"Karen Anderson," she replied.
* * * * *
They stopped outside Karen's house, and she showed him up to her flat.
"I like this place," he said. "Nice and spacious."
"Thanks," said Karen, smiling proudly. "The phone's over there. I'll get the first aid kit."
She got the little box out of the bathroom cabinet and returned to the kitchen just as Stephen hung up the phone.
"They'll pick it up first thing tomorrow morning," he said. "Would you mind if I used your phone again to call for a cab?"
"Yes, I would!" said Karen. "Head injuries can be tricky. You may feel OK right now, but you might wake up with a seizure in the middle of the night. I think you better sleep over."
"Well, if you insist..." he said. "Is your couch comfortable?"
"Very comfortable," said Karen. "I've received lots of praise for my comfortable couch."
He smiled at her. It was a nice smile, but at the same time a little wicked. With his blond hair and blue eyes, he looked like a fallen angel. All of a sudden, her knees felt unstable, and she quickly sat down.
"Take a seat," she said, and pulled out the other chair for him. "I want to take a look at that cut in your forehead."
He obediently sat down and allowed her to tend to his injuries. Like he had said, it wasn't as bad as it looked. She washed it and put on a Band-Aid. He closed his eyes.
"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" said Karen.
"No, not at all," he said. "I'm just enjoying your tender care. You've got soft, warm hands."
He took her hands in his and opened his eyes. They weren't just blue, they had a green tint in them, too. Like the sea.
"You're not only beautiful, you're also very kind," he said. "May I thank you?"
"She smiled and closed her eyes. His kiss was light and gentle. She opened her eyes and gave him a dirty smile.
"Surely you can do better than that?" she teased him.
Oh, yes, he could! His next kiss was soft, sensual, and hot. His hands travelled down her neck to her shoulders, pulled her closer, and moved down to the first button in her blouse. They rushed to see who could get the other one's shirt off first, and it was a tie. Karen left her chair and straddled Stephen's lap. While he fumbled with the clasp of her bra, she drew a work of art over his hairy chest, and he moaned when she flicked her tongue over his nipples.
