The giant smirk on Laura's face as Ryan and I approached her was, quite frankly, embarrassing. If things worked out the way she wanted them to, she'd never let me hear the end of how she was the reason we were together.

"What are you two up to?" she asked, despite knowing exactly what we were up to.

Ryan went to get his navy pea-coat from the rack of hangers by the front door, while I grabbed my parka from the back of Laura's stool. "I think I've heard enough bad karaoke for the night," I slurred, as I struggled to get my arms into my sleeves.

Laura's eyes grew wide. She hopped from her stool and grabbed my right sleeve to still it for me. "It seems like you had more than enough alcohol too. How'd you get so drunk, so fast?"

"I may have had a few shots of tequila before I came out." I giggled and held up three fingers.

Laura rolled her eyes. "Geez Viv!" She leaned in and whispered, "Do you really want your first time with him to be when you're wrecked?"

Since tequila makes me far less reserved and far more horny, it increased the chances that there would be a first time, period. If I was a little tipsy when it happened, well that was a risk I was willing to take.

I shrugged and tried to whisper back, but my voice came out too loud. "I'm not that bad!"

Ryan returned just at that moment, twining a striped scarf around his neck. "What's not that bad?"

"The weather," Laura said. "This storm looks like it's really picking up. I don't think I'm gonna stay out much longer myself."

Ryan peered at his phone with a frown. "Hmmm. It seems that there's a really long wait for a car on both Uber and Lyft."

Laura took out her phone too. "I'm ordering a car right now then. We can pool."

Pulling my grey beret over my curls, I said, "That's okay. Ryan and I can walk back to my place quicker than waiting for a ride."

I grabbed his hand and then turned to Laura. "I'll text you when I get home. And you do the same."

She raised her eyebrows and then gave me a quick peck on my cheek. "Be careful."

Ryan held the door open for me but spoke to Laura. "I promise I'll make sure she gets home safely."

When I stepped outside I was shocked at how much snow had fallen in the short time I'd been inside the bar. The sidewalk was covered in at least two fresh inches.

The strip of restaurants and bars, normally a hive of activity on a Friday evening, was mostly deserted. One worker pushed a shovel back and forth in front of his storefront. One car crawled slowly down the center of the street, crunching fresh tire tracks in the snow.

Snowflakes whirled in the pools of light from the headlights and street lamps. A gust of wind blew the icy devils down the neck of my coat. I shivered and pulled my hood up. "Wow, it really is coming down now!"

An olive-green skull cap appeared from Ryan's pocket, and covered his glossy brown hair. He popped his collar. "Let's get moving before we're buried." His arm went around my waist and we started down the slick sidewalk.

When we approached the corner, my boot hit a patch of ice hidden beneath the snow. Panic seized me as I slipped. The image of my body splayed inelegantly across the curb flashed through my mind. It would not be sexy for me to be literally fall-down drunk in front of the guy I was trying to seduce. Plus, I didn't think it would be much fun admit to Laura tomorrow that I had been too wasted to seal the deal.

Squealing, I clutched at Ryan's forearms with a vice-like grip. The cords of his muscles clenched and flexed as he caught me and kept me upright. We wound up facing each other, his hands on my elbows.

"Are you okay Vivian?"

I looked up, from my adorable but treadless boots, to Ryan's face. Snowflakes glittered on the tips of his eyelashes, making them even darker and longer. They looked so soft, I wondered what it would feel like to get a butterfly kiss from them. I wanted to know what it would feel like to get a real kiss from him. My heart raced, and it wasn't just because I nearly wiped out.

"I think so."

Slowly, I moved my hands up onto his shoulders, and then gripped his coat collar to tug him towards me. I stood on my tiptoes, closing the gap between his six foot frame and my five foot five inches, and pressed my lips to his.

They were cold, but his tongue was hot when he slipped it into my mouth. His arms twined around my back, hugging me more firmly against him. My hood blocked out everything from my sight but Ryan - warm and solid.

And simple.

Lips pressed to lips, body against body. This felt like the most natural thing in the world to do. It was so easy being there with him, without any complicated history between us. Our kiss was one of possibility - fresh and new. A blank slate, like an untrodden field the morning after a snowfall.

I let out a soft and satisfied hum as the kiss deepened, continuing to build like the storm around us. The wind howled and frigid flakes twined between us. Landing on my cheeks, they melted instantly, thanks to the fire inside of me that Ryan was stoking. Like tears, they slid down my face. I shivered but it wasn't from the storm.

We broke apart, our breath puffing out in little clouds. Ryan smiled at me as he wiped his thumbs across my cheeks. The moment was so still and quiet, and perfect.

Until it wasn't.

Suddenly the ear-piercing tone of an Emergency Alert blasted from both of our pockets, making me jump and my heart beat even harder.

Ryan got his phone out first. "There's a Blizzard Warning in effect from now until eight am. It says to avoid travel and check media."

I had a pretty good idea of how we could spend that time.

"Oh! Well I for one don't plan on going anywhere for at least the next twelve hours." I batted my eyelashes at him, grateful I'd added that second coat of waterproof mascara earlier, and hoping they looked as gorgeous as his did

He put his phone back into his pocket and grabbed my hand. "Let's hurry. I don't want to keep you out too long in this."

We shuffled along as swiftly as my cute, but impractical, boots would allow - which wasn't very quick. My limbs felt heavy and sluggish. Maybe it was the intense cold exacerbating it, but I was definitely feeling the accumulated effect of the alcohol even more now. My fingers, though jammed in my pockets, were numb. I wished I had thought to bring my mittens, but they were still at home in my work tote.

With his long, lean legs, and sturdy ranger boots on, Ryan could have gone much faster without me. But he kept a tortoise-like pace beside me, making sure that I wasn't going to fall and hurt myself.

When we finally arrived at my building, I fumbled the keys with my icicle fingers, but unlocked the vestibule doorway with relative ease. My super had unfurled water-trapper mats in the lobby. Ryan and I were frosted in snow, so we stood there for a moment laughing, stomping, and shaking off as much as we could.

As I watched him take off his cap, unfurl his scarf and unbutton his coat, his cheeks flushed a vivid pink, and I thought about the other layers I wanted to peel from him. I hoped we'd both be rosy with exertion when we drifted off to sleep together later.

Ryan brought his hands up to his mouth to blow on them, as I unzipped my jacket and realized that the burn was beginning to start. Not just the burn from wanting to get Ryan into my bed, but the literal burn of my skin. My cheeks, nose, fingers and toes felt like fire.

The radiators in the building hissed, clicked and popped, fighting against the incessant cold that threatened to crawl through any chinks in the bricks and mortar. My muscles felt the loosening effect of both steam and alcohol. Time seemed to move in slow motion as we climbed the stairs to my apartment. Ryan managed to somehow remain both beside and behind me in the stairwell, with a protective arm across my back and his hand gliding just behind mine on the bannister.

Once at my door, the hallway spun slightly, like riding the tilt-a-whirl at a carnival. Giddy at the thought of the ride I was about to take, yet anxious about the inherent risks involved, my stomach cartwheeled inside my body.

With the world such a jumble of sensation and emotion, I should not have been surprised that my lock decided to give me a hard time again. After my third attempt at jiggling the key, yanking the knob, and shouldering the door, Ryan put his hand atop mine and said, "Let me help."

Then he stepped closer, his frontside pressed flush against my backside, and just like that - click!

The door swung open but we remained spooned together for a moment longer. Finally I found some words. "Thanks. Please, come in."

I walked through the doorway, took off my hat, slid my coat from my shoulders, and flung them on the rack of hooks by the front door.

Ryan shut the door behind him. He stood there silently with his hands in his pockets, squinting in the darkness of my apartment as he looked around.

I took a step closer to him and he turned to look at me. "Do you have a roommate?"

I shook my head no and grabbed the end of his scarf. Slowly, I pulled the scarf off of him and then tossed it over my shoulder toward the hooks. Ryan smirked and his dimple appeared. He put a hand up and twirled a finger into the ends of my curls.

What was he was thinking? What he was waiting for? It didn't matter. I'd make the first move again if that's the game he was playing at.

I pressed my palms to his well-defined pecs. My hands still tingled as they thawed, but the soft texture of his sweater felt surprisingly lush, like cashmere. So decadent as I glided my hands up onto his shoulders, and then pushed his coarse wool jacket off of him. It fell to the ground with a gentle thump.

My turn to smirk. "Well?"

His tongue darted out to wet his lips, and the hand that was playing with my hair, traveled up to my jawline. Still he didn't kiss me. The man must have been an excellent soldier with this much discipline and willpower.

But I couldn't wait anymore. I wanted this and I wanted him to want it too. There was no more patience left for teasing. Once again I stood on tiptoes, and I laced my fingers behind his neck to bring his mouth to mine in a greedy, and slightly angry kiss.

That seemed to be what was needed, because whatever brake Ryan had on, was now off. He met my avidity with equal force. His hands were everywhere. One second they were grabbing the waistband of my jeans, pulling me closer against him. The next they were caressing my breast, rubbing thumbs across my nipples. Then they were on my ass, hoisting me up and around his waist, as he walked us over to my couch.

We broke for air as he turned and sat down with me astride him. Ryan tugged at my shirt and furrowed his brow when it didn't come untucked from my jeans.

"Bodysuit," I explained, while cursing myself silently for choosing to put the blasted thing on earlier.

I started to undo my pants, but Ryan grabbed my hands. "Vivian, I um... I don't think we should do this tonight."

His voice sounded almost wounded. Beneath me I could feel that stopping now would most cause certainly cause him some physical pain.

I looked into his eyes and huffed. "You're not serious. Are you?"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "It's just that..." He opened his eyes and frowned. "You've had a lot to drink tonight and I don't want you to do something that you'll regret in the morning."

"Believe me Ryan..." I gripped his shoulders and leaned my forehead on his. "I will not regret this tomorrow."

Grinding myself against his lap to emphasize my words, I said, "This is me consenting."

Then I placed one hand over his heart. It beat frantically. Ryan swallowed hard.

"I'm sorry Vivian, and I'm sure I'll be the one kicking myself in the morning. But I honestly just wanted to make sure that you got home safely tonight, and I should have never let it get this far."

When he physically removed me from his lap and placed me on the cushion beside him, my stomach dropped.

Ryan pulled his phone from his pocket. "I'm gonna order a car."

"You do that!" Indignant, I bolted upright from the sofa.

The sudden movement made my guts twist, and their contents sloshed around, threatening to find their way out. I pressed my hand to my mouth and mumbled through my fingers, "You can see yourself out."

Then I rushed headlong into my bathroom, to vomit for the second time that day.