Cautiously she opened it and looked up and down the hallway and listened. Hearing nothing she stepped into the dimly lit room and stopped just outside the doorway, noting the beautiful medieval brass sconces adorning the creamy walls between large oak doors. Lush maroon carpet stretched endlessly down the long hallway enticing Jordan to turn the corner and follow it past the endless stretch of doors. Jordan wondered if the rest of the house was like walking into an 1800's castle. "They sure did have class back then." She admitted softly to herself. Taking a deep breath she turned to her left and started down the hall wondering where Andy had gone and if she could make it out of this beautiful eerie house without another confrontation. Lost in a sea of thoughts Jordan let out a shriek as a door on her right flew open sending her sprawling to the carpet. Stunned she sat on the floor for a moment before she realized that Andy was kneeling down in front of her asking her if she were all right. "Of course I'm all right!" she snapped defensively when she felt her pulse quicken from the touch of his hand on her upper arm. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I heard the door open a moment ago and then your voice here in the hallway. Here let me help you up." "I can do it myself Thank you. What are you doing spying on me or something?" Andy looked into her beautiful crystal blue eyes, which now shone with mild irritation and something else he could not quite make out before she shifted them downward as she hauled herself off the floor.
Trying to hide the tremor in her voice Jordan asked quietly for Andy to show her to the door. He politely replied "Follow me." He could not miss the tension and control in her voice. He wondered what had caused her to act so on edge. He pushed the thought quickly aside as he tried to think of a way to see her again. Jordan wondered what was wrong with her; she had never acted so violently to a man's touch before. It must be the trauma of waking up in someone's house when the last thing she remembered was walking down the beach. Andy's soft baritone voice called her back to reality and she realized he was waiting for a reply. "Pardon me?" She asked trying to keep her voice as light as possible. "I merely stated that maybe it would be better if I drive you back to your hotel." Jordan didn't miss the smile in his voice or on his lips as he spoke. Suddenly her thoughts took a turn for the unthinkable as she wondered what they would feel like on her own lips. Andy stopped his decent halfway to the bottom of the stairs and turned around to look at her. He was not surprised to find Jordan's heated stare upon his lips nor did he miss the way she shyly turned her head the other way when she realized he had stopped and turned toward her. "What a view you have from here." she stated hoping that Andy had not caught her looking at him, and ignoring the statement he had made earlier. As Jordan looked over the railing to the long winding staircase she realized her statement could not have been a truer one. Turning once again to look at Andy she saw him studying her and with a raised eyebrow indicating that he was waiting for her to comment on his previous offer. "That's very nice of you but I believe the fresh air would do me some good." He smiled back and leaned a hip on the railing crossing his arms over his muscular chest. "You don't give in very easily do you? Nor do you have any idea where your hotel is located from here." Andy added with a sardonic smile playing at his sensual mouth. "I'm sure I won't have a problem Mr. Nichols, after all this is an island. If all else fails I will simply get a cab or turn around and walk in the other direction. I can't imagine that it could be too far from here as you were on the beach when I supposedly passed out, and you made no mention of having a car with which to carry me to the hospital in yourself." It was Jordan's turn at an amused smile as she watched Andy try and fail at another attempt to make her a helpless heroin in some romance novel. Shocked at her truthful deduction and rationalization of the situation, he gave Jordan a heart-pounding grin that shook her to the core then turned on his heel and descended the rest of the way down.