by Cathryn Fox
Yeah, about as much as Erin hated to see Barbie pinned under the wheel of her sporty pink camper. Just like the one Erin had purchased last week for her niece’s Christmas present. The visual made her grin.
Deanne pursed her mouth, linked her fingers together, and gave Erin a once-over. “Then again, it’s probably not something you have to worry about. It’s not like a playboy like Kale would want anything from you. I’m sure it was a chore for him to slip that garter over your leg.”
“Yes, and I’m sure it was a chore for him to kiss me with such heated passion when he discovered the mistletoe over our heads as well.”
Deanne’s face turned an odd shade of red, like a cross between a beet and a baked ham. She gasped in outrage. Her saccharine-sweet smile slipped from her face.
Pissing match over. Final score, one to nothing for Erin.
Deanne began mumbling something about the bouquet, an unfair toss, Kale, and mistletoe, but Erin tuned her out and let her gaze drift to the candy-apple red truck that had materialized in the lower lot. Maybe it would run Barbie down and put her out of her misery. No, put them both out of their misery, she corrected herself. Although Erin suspected that Barbie’s plastic limbs would simply snap back into place.
The sound of Deanne’s voice pulled her back. “This isn’t over, Erin.”
Using her tongue, Erin made a slow pass over her bottom lip, adding fuel to Deanne’s slow-burning fire. “It’s been nice chatting with you, Deanne, but I have to run. Kale’s probably anxiously waiting for me.”
Deanne snarled. “I’ll be watching you.”
Erin arched one brow and gifted her with an amused look, the juvenile side of her enjoying their push and pull far too much. “Really? Well, I’ll try to make that as pleasurable for you as possible.”
Shelving their conversation in the recesses of her mind, Erin turned her back to Deanne and rushed inside the lab’s main building. She pushed open the heavy glass doors and stepped into the lobby. The warm air chased the chill from her body as she moved farther into the building.
Ribbons of sunlight followed her inside and gleamed on the cracked but freshly polished tiled floor. The building might have been old and run-down, but the janitorial staff kept it impeccably clean. The familiar, almost comforting scent of pine floor cleaner reached her nostrils as she greeted the front security clerk with a cheery Monday morning smile and flashed her identification card.
“Good morning, Mikey. How was your weekend?”
Michael’s green eyes brightened as she stepped up to the counter. He sat up straighter in his seat as Erin leaned forward and signed herself in.
“Hey, Erin. Good morning to you too. You’re looking beautiful as always.”
Erin grinned and playfully batted her lashes. “Mikey, you say that every morning.”
“That’s because you look beautiful every morning.” One dark brow lifted suggestively. “So what do you say, Erin. Will you go out with me this weekend?”
She dipped her head and chuckled, enjoying their usual innocent flirtation and easy banter. “Are you bringing your wife?” she teased, the same way she teased every other morning. Erin knew Mikey loved his wife more than life itself.
He pressed his hand to his chest. “Erin, you’re breaking my heart.”
She grinned and twisted on the ball of her foot. “Have a good one, Mikey.” As she crossed the wide expanse of marble floor, she eyed the stainless steel doors of the elevator.
Meet me in an elevator sometime.
Her footsteps stilled as a fine tingle stirred her most erogenous zone. Good Lord, she needed to pull herself together. She diligently tried to shrug off his sexual invitation as she resumed her pace. Not only was it frowned upon to intimately consort with a colleague, as Deanne had so graciously pointed out, but she would never be able to get any work done as long as she continued to imagine the kinds of private, intimate things he would do behind the closed doors of an elevator.
Private, intimate things he would do to her.
She blew out a shuddery breath and surveyed the lobby. Deanne hurried past her and made her way to the stairwell. God forbid the woman took the elevator and stored a calorie. Of course, the fact that the antique elevator wheezed like a pneumonia patient and made unscheduled stops between floors, leaving its occupants trapped while it recaptured steam, made for another good reason to take the stairs.
Erin glanced around again. No sign of Kale. She released a sigh and ignored the odd wave of disappointment that stirred her blood. Cripes, she wasn’t really considering having sex in an elevator with Kale, was she?
When the steel doors opened, she rushed ahead and stepped inside. Catching sight of her reflection in the floor-to-ceiling mirror, she smoothed her hands over her windblown hair.
Okay, okay, so she couldn’t deny that she’d taken extra care with her appearance that morning as she carefully knotted her hair in a ponytail at the nape of her neck.
The way Kale liked it.
She touched her finger to her lips, and for the umpteenth time since the wedding reception, she relived Kale’s sensuous kiss. Here it was days later, and that kiss was still messing with her mind. No man had ever kissed her like that before.
The truth was, the two men she’d been intimate with had spent more time worrying about their pleasure than hers. Her trips between the sheets were over long before they had even begun, leaving Erin having to take matters into her own hands.
Of course, there was that one time that she thought she’d had an orgasm with her ex-fiancé, but then she quickly realized the flutters in her body were from a bout of indigestion. That’s what she got for eating pepperoni pizza before bed.
Something told her Kale would never leave her unsatisfied and frustrated. Her body fairly vibrated just thinking about how he’d undoubtedly take matters into his hands.
She drew her lip between her teeth and allowed herself another moment to reminisce about Kale’s warm mouth over hers. To think he’d barely gotten started. She could only imagine how wonderful it would have been if he’d had the time to thoroughly explore her mouth…her body. Damn, she could feel herself coming unglued just thinking about it.
She’d spent all of last night agonizing over how to proceed where Kale was involved. There was no denying the physical attraction between them. It was an attraction unlike anything she’d ever felt before. It set her loins on fire and muddled her usually clear thoughts. Kale had certainly made his intentions clear at the reception. All she had to do was gather her courage and play the part of the bad girl.
The woman in her told her to go for it. Have casual sex, enjoy it, and move on. Thanks to her ex-fiancé, she no longer believed in happily-ever-after and wasn’t looking for a relationship.
Kale would be returning to Los Angeles in a little over a month’s time and had made it clear he wanted her only sexually. They had no future. Nor did she want one.
On the other hand, the emotional part of her advised her to be careful, warning her that having sex with him would be a bad idea. Since her breakup with Dwayne she’d taken control of her life, her work, and her emotions. But when she was with Kale, that control seemed to pack up and leave town. The man threatened all her barriers. She wasn’t so certain she could satisfy her sexual desires without the risk of feeling some deeper emotional connection with him.
Erin pressed floor fourteen on the glowing orange number panel and leaned against the wall. Her thoughts drifted. Fourteen floors of wild, hot, untamed sex. Whew. Time to shed her winter coat.
Moments before the doors pinged shut a pair of well-worn sneakers jammed between them, shaking the old elevator and bouncing the doors back open. Those sneakers led to a pair of faded jeans slung low on the hips. The jeans led to a very familiar tight waist, thick chest, and broad shoulders. Erin gulped.
Oh God, it couldn’t be.
Her eyes locked with his.
Kale!
Oh God, it was.
Awareness flared through her
as he stepped inside. His presence swallowed up the small space.
Desire flickered across his face as his gaze fixed on her with intent. His bad-boy grin curled her toes.
“Going down?”
She didn’t miss the double entendre. His words sent a tingle along her nerve endings, sparking a pool of moisture to dampen the silky curls at the apex between her legs.
She took a moment to consider her situation. Here she was alone in an elevator with a gorgeous guy who oozed sexuality and sent waves of passion ripping through her. A guy who’d made it perfectly clear that he liked getting intimate in public places. A guy who wasn’t looking for more than she could give. Her pulse kicked up a notch. A guy who didn’t know she was all talk and no action. She had two choices, really. One, she could slip from the elevator and bolt, or two, she could slip out of her panties and put her money where her mouth was. Her gaze drifted downward to examine the massive bulge in his jeans. Or rather, his cock where her mouth was.
When she looked at it that way, it really narrowed down her choices.
He ran his fingers through his hair, his jaw flexed. He edged toward her. “Well?” he asked in a gentle yet commanding voice. She felt the rush of his warm breath over her cheeks and shivered in delight.
Perhaps she should have casual sex with him. That might help get him out of her system and put her focus back on her career where it belonged, especially if she wanted a shot at advancement. Surely if she tried hard enough she could engage in a frivolous affair and keep her heart out of the arrangement.
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Oh yeah, she was going down all right. Faster than a hockey player without his protective cup.
Lust. Need. And something else. Something intense and urgent whipped through Kale’s blood as he leaned against the mirrored wall and perused the exquisite woman before him.
With her hair tied back, she was dressed in a dark turtleneck sweater that framed her flawless skin and heart-shaped face. A black, knee-length skirt flared around her legs. Her winter coat was draped over her arm. He was absolutely floored by her beauty.
His hungry eyes moved over her lush mouth, sexy curves, and shapely legs. He wondered if she wore thigh-high stockings or pantyhose beneath that silky skirt. He scrubbed his hand over his jaw as his fingers itched with the desire to discover all her sexy little secrets.
He crossed one leg over the other and drove his fists deep into his pockets. As he watched her, heat gravitated south, his thickening cock indicating his needs and desires. He’d made it clear to her at the reception how much he wanted her. Now he was waiting for her to come to him. It was time to let her step into the role she so desperately wanted to experiment with. And when she did, she would see that there was a greater force at work here. This wasn’t just about physical desire.
Still somewhat guarded, Erin took a small, tentative step toward him and opened her mouth to speak. He focused his attention back on her plump lips. Before she had a chance to talk, someone entering the lobby yelled for them to hold the doors.
Kale shifted his stance and poised his hand inches from the glowing “open doors” button. His eyes locked with Erin’s, waiting for her to make the next move.
“What do you think, Erin, should we hold the elevator?” he asked, leaving the ball in her court, giving her the opportunity to play out her part and call the shots.
Something in her expression changed. Her face tightened warily. Her voice wobbled. “What if we get caught?” She tensed and eased backward.
He leaned forward and propped his hand on the mirror behind her, caging her in. “What if we don’t?”
Her dark eyes were full of want as she mulled that over for a second.
He knew she wanted this. Hell, he did too. So much that he felt dizzy. But he also understood her reluctance to get intimate at her workplace. They both had their careers to consider.
“No one will see us, Erin,” he assured her. “With Christmas only five days away, most of the staff has already left for their holidays. We practically have the whole building to ourselves.” He tossed her a wicked grin as his gaze raked over her body. When he reached out and brushed his thumb over her mouth, he watched her unease segue to desire.
Mouth parted slightly, she drew a shaky breath and nodded toward the “close doors” button. Her beautiful brown eyes turned one shade darker as her sensuous lips thinned provocatively.
He had no idea he’d been holding his breath until he let out a rush of air. Kale stepped back, jabbed the “close doors” button, and then let his hand drop to his side. A thrill coiled through him as the heavy steel doors slammed shut, leaving them all alone in the slow, antiquated, dimly lit elevator.
As the elevator began an unhurried ascent, she dropped her coat onto the floor and moved toward him. He didn’t want to wait another second to hold her in his arms. With a predatory advance, he was on her in seconds. His hands touched her all over, stroking, caressing, pulling and pushing, yet he still couldn’t get enough.
She felt so damn incredible in his arms. Like it was where she was always meant to be. Her scent closed over him like heavy fog on a rainy day. His blood pressure soared as his heart beat in a mad rush. Fuck, he wanted her so bad, his body shook. He was shocked by the intensity of his need for her.
Her breathless voice washed across his face as she spoke. “I thought you could show me.”
Sweet Jesus, please let them be on the same wavelength here. His heart thudded with hope. “Show you what?” he asked, brushing his thumb over her pink cheek.
Her long lashes flickered. Turbulent emotions brewed in the depths of her eyes. She thrust her pelvis forward, urging him on. “Show me the kinds of casual things you do behind the closed doors of an elevator.”
He groaned and drew her tighter into the circle of his arms, his hands splaying over the small of her back. Casual. There was that word again.
Even though they’d known each other for only a short while, Kale knew there was more than casual between them. And he had fourteen floors to show her. He stole a glance at the number pad. Make that thirteen.
Thirteen floors.
Although it was not nearly enough time to kiss her, touch her, and leave her wanting more, he’d have to make do.
His fingers tangled through her hair as he angled his head closer. Yanking gently, he forced her chin up and her mouth open. She made a sexy noise, prompting him into action.
He cupped her face, surfed his tongue over her full, fleshy lips, and then drew them in for a more thorough exploration. Fuck, she tasted like she’d been coated in honey and dipped in sugar.
“Mmm…” he moaned and sucked harder, loving the way her mouth moved under his. Her deep purr vibrated through his body. Ah, now he knew. She purred.
The first touch of her mouth and ravenous swipe of her tongue triggered an onslaught of emotions. As his chest tightened, it threw him off balance. Lord, he’d never dealt with these kinds of powerful feelings before.
Twelve floors.
Widening his stance, he captured her thigh between his and squeezed. His cock pulsed inside his tightening jeans. He sank deeper into her mouth and luxuriated in the enticing combination of flavored coffee and minty toothpaste. He felt her body liquefy against his.
“You taste so good, Erin.”
“You too,” she murmured between heated kisses, her eager hands coiling around his neck to pull him in tighter. She raked her fingers through his tousled hair and tugged. His heartbeat grew rapid.
Eleven floors.
“Kale?” she breathed into his mouth. Her heated breath scorched his flesh.
“Yeah?” He inched back to look into her dark eyes. Was she having second thoughts? His gut sank with the possibility.
Lust clouded her gaze. “You don’t have to ask permission.” Her voice thinned to a whisper, her face taking on a sexy, ruddy hue.
He tossed her a perplexed frown and brushed his thumb over her kiss-swollen lips. “Permission for what?”
She lowered her head, her lashes curtaining the emotions brewing in the depths of her expressive eyes. “Permission to touch me. Again. Down there.” She pushed her pelvis against his thigh and gyrated. “Between my legs.”
Sweet fuck. He’d seen the white tunnel and at the end was Erin.
Ten floors.
With renewed urgency, his lips came down harder, faster, taking full possession of her mouth. She matched the intensity of his kiss. His hand left her face and journeyed downward, reveling in the feel of her soft curves. He gripped both her delicate hands in one of his and secured them behind her back. Immobilizing her.
Nine floors.
She twisted and tensed. “What are you doing?” She sounded alarmed.
He knew she didn’t like having her control stripped away, or feeling vulnerable, but he wanted her to let go and trust him. His voice was coaxing. “I want you to let go, Erin. Relax. Show me how much of a bad girl you really are,” he said, urging her to give herself over to him completely.
Eight floors.
She opened her mouth to speak but no words formed as he delved beneath her skirt. He grazed her creamy thighs and was thrilled to discover she was wearing stockings. His fingers climbed higher until he touched her heated core. Dark lashes fluttered as she surrendered to his touch.
Seven floors.
She arched forward, her hips colliding with his throbbing erection. A gasp rolled out of her mouth when he gyrated against her. He groaned and clenched his jaw. Slipping his hand inside her panties, he used his fingers to make a slow pass over her channel, stoking her inner fire. He was damn pleased at how wet she was. Her throaty moan vibrated through his body.
“You’re very wet, Erin.”
Her head lolled to the side, and she rasped her next breath. “I know. You make me this way.”
“Have you been hot and wet for me for days? The same way I’ve been hard for you all week?”
“God, yes,” she cried out.
Six floors.
She spread her legs wider for him, inviting his touch. He dipped his finger deep inside her and growled as her tight sheath closed around him. Light ripples from the depths of her core began kneading his finger. He couldn’t believe how close she was to coming.
