Oliver pulled up outside the cottage and bundled her inside, flicking on lights as he went and kicking the front door shut behind him.
‘Upstairs, straight away.’ His expression grim, he hurried her up the staircase into a warm, cosy bathroom. ‘Strip.’
Helen stared at him, her teeth chattering. ‘Pardon?’
He sighed and raked a hand through his soaked hair. ‘Sorry—that didn’t come out quite the way I intended it to. You’re soaking wet, sweetheart, and we need to get you warmed up. Get in the shower.’
Helen was shivering so violently she couldn’t make her fingers move. ‘You go downstairs first.’
‘No way. This is no time for modesty.’ Oliver took a step towards her, strong hands reaching forward and stripping off the jacket that the paramedic had lent her. ‘I’m not leaving you until I’m sure you’re OK.’
‘I’m OK,’ Helen protested weakly, wondering if she’d ever feel warm again.
‘You will be once you’re in that shower and I’ve made you a hot drink.’ He dropped the jacket on the bathroom floor and frowned. ‘You’re totally soaked through.’
He removed her suit jacket and then started to un-button her blouse but she covered his hands with hers.
‘Stop it! I can’t undress with you here.’
Oliver muttered something under his breath. ‘I’m a doctor, for goodness’ sake.’
He might be a doctor but he was also a man. Six feet two of broad-shouldered, attractive man. There was no way she could undress in front of him.
‘I’ll be fine,’ she muttered, but he ignored her and unzipped her skirt and removed her blouse in a deft movement.
Left standing only in her underwear, she gave a gasp of embarrassment and protest.
‘Close your eyes!’
‘Oh, for goodness’ sake.’ He glanced at her impatiently. ‘How many naked women do you think I’ve seen in my time?’
‘Millions probably.’ She shivered. ‘But you’ve never seen me.’
Muttering under his breath, he tugged the clip out of her damp hair and pushed her towards the shower. ‘Move.’ His tone was wry. ‘I never seduce frozen women. Believe it or not, I prefer them thawed.’
Left with little choice, she stepped into the shower and closed her eyes with a gasp as the hot water sluiced over her frozen skin, the warmth delicious after the bitter cold of the snow and ice.
‘Oh, that’s bliss.’ She kept her eyes closed as the feeling gradually returned to her toes and her legs and her numb hands.
When she finally opened her eyes and scraped her soaked hair away from her face, the first thing she saw was Oliver standing there, holding a huge fluffy towel.
‘Dry yourself off and then get dressed. I’ve put some clothes on the radiator to warm.’
She switched off the shower and grabbed the towel. ‘What about you? You’re wet, too.’
He gave a wry smile. ‘My jacket was waterproof and I wasn’t virtually barefoot. Let’s sort you out first.’
She wrapped the towel around herself and stepped out of the shower cubicle but the shivering immediately started again.
‘Damn.’ Oliver cursed softly and dragged her against him, rubbing her skin with the towel until she gasped.
Then he reached and grabbed some clothes from the towel rail, thrusting them into her arms. ‘Here we are. Take off your wet underwear and get dressed in these. They’re Bryony’s so they should fit. Wear them until you have a chance to sort your own stuff out. There’s a hair-dryer on the landing. I’ll go and make a hot drink.’
Oliver boiled some milk and reviewed his options.
He’d been expecting to go home after the reception, but he didn’t want to leave Helen in this isolated cottage on her own.
The adrenaline rush of dealing with the emergency may have driven her out of her depressed state, but he had little doubt that the recovery was only temporary and there was no way he was leaving her to fester.