“Here will work just fine,” Eduardo pointlessly shouted to Felicity, over the deafening howl of the wind.

His face was covered with a scarf, snood and goggles, which made it impossible to see what he was saying. His muffled words were picked up by the wind and carried away, but in that moment it was fear that caused Felicity’s deafness to intensify.

All around her, the world had turned to a blur of fast moving, piercingly cold, needles of snow and ice. The huge Antarctic mountain they had been trekking towards had vanished. She wouldn’t have believed it was possible to get colder, but when the winds suddenly rushed in and picked up the snow like a globe that had been furiously shook, it felt like she might as well not have been wearing the several layers of protective clothing. The cold penetrated right to her core.

Her panic intensified when she lost sight of Eduardo in the wall of white. Her world had been reduced to suffocating levels. She struggled to see her own hand in front of her face. Fear pumped the blood from her heart at an accelerated pace. It pounded in her chest with the distress of being so out of her comfort zone, but just as she thought she might go into cardiac arrest through sheer terror, a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her downwards.

Eduardo guided her to the entrance of the small snow cave. He’d carved it out of a drift from a previous storm, with a saw that he carried in his backpack. He huddled in behind her using his back to protect her from the worst of the wind, but still it managed to whistle in through the entrance of the tiny cave.

“I’ll need you to help me make it bigger,” he mouthed, after pulling his snood away from his face and simultaneously carrying out the action for digging with his other hand.

She was bewildered and unable to take in what was happening. In all her years working as a geologist she’d never actually been in a situation where she genuinely feared for her life. She worked in hot climate deserts and the outback. Her usual concerns were running out of water, or getting heat stroke. She hadn’t been prepared for the prospect of being buried alive, with a man she’d only known a few hours in the freezing depths of Antarctica.

She was spiralling out of control with despair. Anger burned for her ex-husband/boss who had sent her to the most southern reaches of the world. “A cold hearted bitch like you should fit right in at the South Pole,” he’d spat during the venom filled argument they’d shared when he’d told her about the expedition.

Eduardo’s big gloved hands cupped her face around her mask. Even through misted up goggles his eyes locked onto hers, before he pulled her into an embrace. His words broke through the relentless rush of wind and thick layers of fabric, “I’m going to get us through this.”

***

Her body ached. She wasn’t sure if it was from the cold that had seeped through the thick fabric of her clothing right to her bones, or perhaps it was from the effort of creating the snow cave with Eduardo. Not that she could take any credit; if it had been down to her she’d still be wandering around in the blizzard, or frozen to death.

He’d masterfully guided her in creating the cave. Explaining what she needed to do, while he used his little saw to make the space less claustrophobic. By the time he’d finished the cave was t shaped, with two snow shelves for them to lie on, either side of a gully. Her job had been to smooth off the ceiling of the cave to prevent drips showering them overnight. He pushed his ski pole through the roof of the cave creating a small little air vent, “Carbon-dioxide can build up quickly, especially now I‘ve sealed us in and made the door. The gully should capture the cold air and keep the shelves a bit warmer.”

He’d already got a candle out his bag and lit it. “We’ll be able to see with the candle, but it’s also a good indication on how much oxygen is left in the cave. We’ve got enough food and water to keep us going a few days, but hopefully the storm will pass overnight and the rest of the team will be able to send the chopper out to collect us.”

It was completely surreal for her to be cocooned in the tiny cave, which was cast with the gentle flickering glow from the candle. Her eyes grew heavy, but she fought to keep them open.

“You should try and get some sleep. It’s going to be a long night. I’ll stay awake and make sure the air vent doesn’t close up with snow.”

“Thank you, but I don’t honestly think I’ll be able to sleep,” she said through chattering teeth.

“If you’re cold you should stand up and move about a little.”

“It’s okay,” she lied. Her body shivered.

“If you won’t do that, then come to my side of the cave.”

There was no intention in his request other than to keep her safe, but he realised what it might’ve sounded like. “I promise it’s not only because you’re a beautiful woman that I want to share body heat with you. I had to get pretty close to Andrew last time I got stuck out here.”

Andrew was one of the senior members of the expedition, not only in authority, but also a lot older than the rest of the group. Standing at over 6ft, with a large greying beard, he seemed like he’d be better suited at the North Pole than the South. Felicity couldn’t imagine Eduardo cuddle up to him in a snow cave.

If she hadn’t have been so desperate to feel any sort of heat she might have stayed on her side, but the idea of warming up was easily overpowering her prudish tendencies. She moved to his side and spooned next to him. Her back nestled tightly against his chest and his arm protectively wrapped around her waist.

“How long was you trapped with Andrew?”

“That was a practically bad one. We ended up having to sit out the worst storm to hit this area in decades and we were stranded for five days. Don’t worry though, that doesn’t happen very often and I’m sure this storm will pass quickly. Anyway, that’s enough about that. Tell me about your expedition before this one.”

She sighed and closed her eyes. Memories of the beautiful contrasting landscapes from her previous travels took hold. “The Gobi desert. Have you been?”

“No, no I haven’t. Tell me about it.”

“Oh, it’s just an amazing place. The variety of environments in such close proximity is incredible. Mountains, sand dunes, grasslands, bustling cities and sacred temples, it’s just so diverse. We made camp at the edge of one of the dunes, with local Nomads as our guides. I loved sitting out in the evening, watching the sun go down, shimmering across the scorched sands, making it look even more like a glowing orange sea. The temperature was just as varied. We had to cope with baking heat during the day, down to freezing drops when the sun went down. That’s why I liked early evening the best. There’s something so cleansing about feeling the cooling air refresh your sun baked skin.”

He let her talk and just listened to her warming words of adventures in hotter climates, until her words turned to whispers and she fell gently sleep.

She woke with a start, not remembering where she was, but it didn’t take long for the glacial cold to remind her of the severe, wintery, tomb she’d found herself stranded in. She had another problem, the tight pressure in her bladder indicated she was going to need to relieve herself.

She rolled over on the solid ice bed onto her back and looked up at the glistening domed ceiling of their little cave. There was no way she was going to be able to wait. She turned to Eduardo, “Erm, I have a bit of a problem.”

“What’s that?”

“I need to…”

“Oh! Okay, well the storm is still too strong for you to go outside,” he said, instantly understanding the problem she was talking about. “I have an empty water bottle. I’m afraid you’re going to have to go in that. I’ll turn away and won’t look.”

Felicity was used to having to go in the strangest of places, but she’d always managed to find some degree of privacy. She knew there was no way she could maintain her dignity in the situation she was in. Things may have gone a lot better if she’d just stripped off her layers and bared all, but instead she took the option to try and pull her trousers out the way.

With one hand holding the bottle and the other tugging at the tight material of her clothing, there were no hands left to balance. Her footing slipped on the perilous floor of the cave and her instinct to reach out and grab something was unstoppable, as was the flow that had already begun.

“Fuck!!”

The obscenity echoed around the walls and Eduardo turned to see what was going on. What he saw was Felicity in the heap on the floor, trousers around her knees in a puddle of her own piss. She was so embarrassed, but he soon put her at ease with the big smile. “There are better ways to warm up than covering yourself in urine you know.”

He helped her to her feet. “Are you okay? You didn’t hurt yourself when you slipped?”

“Not physically.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. What happens in the cave stays in the cave. Okay?”

She smiled and was thankful to him for making her feel so comfortable. She suddenly felt so grateful to him for getting her through a situation that would have made her lose her mind on her own.

His spirit was so free from worry and his positive light was rubbing off on her. A small part of her was still terrified that she was going to die out there, but he was keeping that from taking over.

“Did you get your clothes wet?” he asked, snapping her out of her thankful thoughts.

“I think the outer suit is okay, but I got my thermal layer for sure.”

“You’re going to have to take it off. I know it probably feels warm now, but if we leave that layer wet it will be trapped and could cause your core temperature to drop.” He started undressing himself. “I’ll give you my thermals. I’ve got more meat on me, so should be able to maintain my temperature better without any.”

His words were a bit lost on her. Felicity’s amazed eyes took in the sight of Eduardo stripping from his clothes in front of her. The mass of thick protective fabric had disguised his athletic, well-toned frame and the hours of trekking, climbing and exploring to find different geological samples had obviously kept him in fine shape.

Her cheeks flushed with heat, but this time it was through arousal and not embarrassment. He grinned knowingly when he caught her admiring looks. “Your turn.”

There was a new tension in the cave and the sound of her zip being lowered seemed to loudly fill the space. She could have asked him to look away, as she slowly stripped out of her clothes, but she didn’t want him to. She wanted him to watch her.

Her temperature rise contradicted the removal of material. Her body flushed with a new desire and for the first time in years her most intimates parts tingled into life. Both just stood stripped down to their underwear, appreciating the mutual attraction in the strangest of situations.

Her mind was both shocked and delighted at the rush of images of him lunging forward and pulling her into a kiss. Their eyes were locked and she was sure he could read right into her thoughts, but he broke the spell by handing her his thermals. “You need to put this on before you lose too much heat.”

She dressed in silence, but secretly delighted at feeling his warmth that still remained on the clothes. Her arousal spiked when she was overcome by his scent, which filled her nostrils. If she had been on her own she knew she would’ve pulled the fabric to her nose and taken a deep sniff to get as much of the intoxicating smell as she could.

After she’d dressed he got them something to eat and they talked about their jobs. They shared many tales of adventure and enjoyed conversing about similar pleasure and displeasures of their chosen lifestyle. She found out that he was single, having not found someone who understood the need for him to be away for long periods of time. She told of her finding love with her mentor, the joys of married life to begin with and how it had quickly soured, until it reached its bitter and toxic end. She found herself opening up and admitting things to him that she hadn’t allowed herself to accept before. Perhaps it was being so isolated with him that made the words flow out. Even though they talked with absolute ease, the atmosphere that had been sparked at seeing each other in next to nothing had not completely gone.

She found herself watching his mouth closely when he spoke, fixating on his lips and losing some of his words to the powerful images of him kissing her. She was thrilled when her body shuddered with her lustful thoughts, but he mistook it for her being cold and suggested they cuddle up together again.

She lay frozen like the ice around. Her mind may have been playing tricks on her, but she was sure his hand rested a lot lower on her stomach than it had before. With the cold air she could see the short, sharp breaths she was taking.

Her mind played out visions of him slipping off his glove, so he could slide his hand beneath the waistband of her trousers. She wanted it to happen, but the longer she lay on her side and his hand didn’t move, the longer her hip had been pressed against the hard, cold surface beneath. She had to make a move.

She turned to face him. It only took a millisecond of eye contact for the temperature to rise within them both. In the enclosed, freezing cave, away from the rest of the world, other people, and beyond the fear for their lives, desire took hold. Not a single word was uttered or even needed; they both saw what each other wanted.

He kissed her. It was a kiss that instantly melted away the frigorific surroundings and took her to a place she’d long since forgotten existed. His lips were warm and soft against hers, but the pressure and intensity was powerful and strong. She moaned into the kiss when his tongue slipped and danced with hers.

Amongst kissing her with an outright passion, he must have slipped off his glove. He slid his hand down the front of her trousers, bringing her imaginations to life. There may still have been a layer or two between his touch, but the sensation increased and drove her wild.

He pulled back from the kiss and looked down at her dazed and aroused expression. A grin broke out across his young, handsome face. “One advantage to you wearing my thermals…” She felt him tug and could envision the poppers of his thermals giving way. “Men’s thermals have easy access.”

Her amused giggles turned to moans of delight when his fingers found their way through the opening and across her desire soaked, cotton panties. His gloves may have kept his fingers warmer than had he not been wearing them, but they were still a lot colder than the heat that emanated from her aqueous hole.

Undulating hips pushed his digits harder against her nether lips, forcing the fabric of her panties between her folds. Extreme arousal caused blood to fill her little pearl, pushing it from beneath its hood, ready to take whatever manipulation came its way.

Her sharp intake of breath, which followed his fingers slipping beneath the fabric, was partly down to the jolts of pleasure that washed over her, but also the shock of feeling his cold skin against hers. She removed her own gloves and took delight in lacing her fingers through his hair when they kissed again.

The creamy juice that trickled out of her silky igloo only helped his gratifying digits slide into her pussy with greater ease. The hot, tight walls of her welcoming sex enveloped his fingers. Her body danced and squirmed with the satisfying feeling of him being inside her. She ground and worked, bouncing herself up and down, increasing in pace as her need to cum built.

As he plunged back and forth, her hands grappled with the cold ice bed beneath her. Moans filled the tiny cave and threatened to reach heights to set off an avalanche. As far from civilisation as possible, all social notions of right and wrong were banished. She wasn’t worried that she’d only just met him and he was practically a stranger. She didn’t care about the fact that they could potentially die out in the frozen desert.

She was too consumed with the intense building of her orgasm. He wielded her body to the peak of pleasure. He was making her the definition of her name and when the first burst of her cataclysmic crescendo hit she was overcome with gratitude and contentment. Her nails dug deep into the ice, anchoring her when she was spiralling out of control with ecstasy.

Joyous tears that would have previously threatened to turn to ice in the cold air ran freely down her hot flushed cheeks. Her body warmed liked the embers of a fire after a blazing inferno. He kissed her with less force, but with just as much feeling. In the face of such adversity they managed to share an incredibly special moment. He may not have known it, but he’d saved her in more ways than one in that cave.

With the candlelight flickering a gentle dance across the white walls, he held her tightly in his arms. With everything that had happened her exhausted body gave up the fight and she drifted back off to sleep.

***

When she woke next, the sound of the wind had gone. Instead it had been replaced with the sleeping breaths of Eduardo, but there was another sound she couldn’t quite place. As the sleep receded further she winced. Her body ached from the cold. All the heat from her pre-slumber actives had gone.

Suddenly, she jumped up, nearly hitting her head on the low ceiling of the cave. “Helicopter!” She shook Eduardo from his sleep. “There’s a helicopter.”

He woke quickly and went to the door of the cave. He broke through the large blocks of snow. The sun streamed in and blinded them. As they stepped out of their cave they both shielded their eyes, as the light bounced off the blanket of snow that surrounded them. In the sunlight everything glistened like a million diamonds covered the ground. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.

Eduardo let off a flare for the helicopter to locate them. She pulled him into another kiss. “When we get back to base, I hope you allow me to return the favour? I was hoping that not everything that happened in the cave has to stay in the cave? I’m sure we can have so much more fun in a room with heating.”

He held her tight when the blades of the chopper caused a downdraft, which made the freshly fallen snow, swirl around them. His long, passionate kiss, as the helicopter lifted them off the niveous landscape below gave her the answer.

She’d experienced a miscellany of emotions on her expedition, but she never would have imagined arousal would’ve been one of them.