by Dee J. Adams
“Not the kind of sauna I’ve ever looked forward to.”
“I never could understand a person’s need to sit in a box and sweat. If I’m going to sweat, it should be on a tropical beach with a beautiful ocean on a picture-perfect day.”
Bill grunted his agreement. His mouth dried out thinking about her lying on the beach in a skimpy swimsuit.
He wanted to take his mind off the stinging pain in his leg. “How about some water or a soda? I’ve got the fridge back here. We just need to dig it out of the dirt.”
Elena perked up at the mention of liquid. Like him, she probably felt as if every speck of moisture in her body had dried up. “We can use my purse to dump the sand out the window,” she said, reaching for the large Coach bag on the back seat.
“Good idea.” Bill adjusted to give her room next to him and felt the immediate burn up his leg. He took a steadying breath to fight the pain. Luckily, Elena didn’t notice.
She checked to make sure the bag was empty then opened it wide as Bill scooped armfuls of dirt inside. It took twenty full bags to make a dent in the mound, but they finally reached the mini fridge.
Bill pulled out a water bottle for each of them. “Let’s be on the safe side and drink sparingly. We might be here for a while. We have no idea how long a rescue operation will take or if anyone is even looking for us.”
“My phone!” Elena blurted. “I forgot about my phone!” She crawled over to the seat again and snatched her phone from the bottom of the pile and punched a button. “Crap. No bars.”
Bill scratched the back of his neck. His whole body felt itchy from the dirt bath. “Maybe the cell tower came down. Wouldn’t surprise me since the freeway collapsed.” He bent his head and shook out some excess dirt. Didn’t help.
Elena wiped a hand through her hair and it fell back in messy, sexy layers. “I guess.” She opened her water and took a few sips before closing it up again. “You okay?” she glanced at his leg.
“Yeah. Just feeling grubby. I’ll be spending significant time under hot water when I get out of here.” They were definitely getting out of here. He had no plans to die under a collapsed freeway and making one of his favorite limos a coffin. Glancing at Elena, he pictured her with him in steamy shower. He’d run his hands along her soapy smooth skin, trap her against the tile and… He blinked to clear the picture, because now was not the time to get a woody.
“Well, it’s not a shower,” she said, searching through the pile of stuff on the seat she’d dumped from her bag. “But it’s the best I can do. Here.”
He took the small square packet she offered and squinted at the label. “Moist towelettes.” He hefted it in his hand. “A brand new pack.” Then he leveled her with dead serious eyes. “I think I love you.”
She laughed and scooted back to his side. “Don’t hog ’em all. I need a couple.”
“We’ll use these as sparingly as the drinks and food, I promise.” Bill opened the packet and proceeded to clean up. He took off his jacket and unbuttoned and untucked his white shirt to shake out some of the dirt. It took four wipes to feel relatively better. He would’ve used more, but they had to conserve where they could. He didn’t bother tucking the shirt back in, but he buttoned a couple of buttons.
Elena used two for herself. At least they smelled better than dirt now.
No sooner did they finish the cleanup, than the ground rumbled. Elena scooted closer as a few more cement chunks bounced on the roof. Bill wrapped his arm around her shoulder, determined to protect her. Tense, they sat silently, waiting for it to get worse, or for it to end.
When everything stilled, Elena breathed out a heavy sigh. “I didn’t really have this in my schedule today.” She wadded up all the dirty towelettes and Bill unwrapped his arm from around her shoulder. She stuck the trash in a Ziploc baggie stashed in the outside pocket of her bag.
“I doubt anyone did,” Bill replied, opening his water bottle for a sip. “What was your destination before this?” he asked.
“I was going to New York for the premiere of Julie’s new movie. Troy had an emergency and can’t be there, so she asked me to come.”
“You’re a good mom.” Another thing that Bill liked about her. She’d kept a close eye on her daughter and hadn’t let Julie get caught up in any substance abuse. Julie was one of the few actresses to make the transition from child actor in television to a very lucrative movie career as an adult. “You did a great job with Julie.”
She nodded and smiled. “I’m very proud of her. She’s negotiated her career and a life very well. It’s not always an easy thing to do in this town.”
Raising a happy and successful child was hard in any town, but Hollywood was probably one of the toughest. He knew the hurdles and the dangers that lurked in seemingly innocent places. But he definitely caught a note of sadness in her tone. “So why aren’t you more happy about it?”
Her eyes widened. “Oh no! I’m thrilled. I only want the best for her.” She paused and took another sip of water. “I just think it’s time that I bow out and let her decide what she does.”
“Hasn’t she always done that since she’s been an adult?”
“To a point, yes, but I’ve probably guided most of it. Maybe without her being so aware that I was doing it.”
The car was slowly heating up and Bill wiped his arm across his forehead as he lifted one arched eyebrow. “Let me get this right, you manipulated your daughter into thinking she was making her own career choices when you were really doing it?”
Elena tipped her head to the side and took a moment to reply. “I didn’t say that.”
He squashed the grin, loving this new side of her. “I know. I just did. Am I right?”
She took off her cream colored sweater and Bill got a glimpse of her smooth shoulders since the dress had spaghetti straps. It didn’t take much to imagine sliding those straps down her arms and revealing—
“Bill, honestly, I thought you were smarter than that. Why on earth would I give you information you could blackmail me with later?”
He met her gaze, nearly lost the train of conversation, then slapped a hand over his heart. “Elena, you crush me. Blackmail? Do you think for one second I’d even think about blackmailing you?”
She rolled her eyes and it was so damn cute he wanted to swallow her whole. “The guilt trip won’t work on me, Bill. I’ve been around too long to fall for it. Let’s just say the less you know about the way I’ve run my daughter’s career, the better off you are.”
She sounded like a mob boss and he hid another smile. “Answer me this. Whose idea was it for her to star in Payback?” That movie had earned Julie her third Oscar win in two years. A record in Hollywood.
“I found the script and passed it on to her, but she decides what roles to play.”
Bill caught her subtle meaning. “Out of the pile of scripts you send her.”
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “Yesss.” She drew out the word and Bill flashed a grin at her tone. It was hard not to have fun with her. Her facial expressions reminded him of Julie.
“So, you’re good at your job of managing your daughter’s career. Why is that such a secret or bad thing?”
“I didn’t say it was. All I’m saying is that maybe I’m getting too old to read all these scripts and maybe my take on what’s the next big thing might be way off.”
“You were dead on with Payback,” Bill reminded her.
“It was lucky the script landed on my desk is all. That was good timing since Julie had a chance to read it so quickly.” It got quiet again and Bill watched Elena, amused at the way she downplayed her role in her daughter’s success. Elena set her bottle on the seat and moved toward the door. “I’m going to call out and see if anyone can hear me. That’s what I was doing before the last aftershock. Who knows if anyone even realizes we’re buried here?” She seemed a little jittery, but he couldn’t blame her.
“Everyone behind us on the road knows we’re here. The southbound lanes were
empty because of the roadblock at the freeway entrance.”
“I guess it’s lucky more cars weren’t trapped.” She stopped in mid-move and sat back down again, her face even more ashen than before. “What if…”
“What if what?” he asked softly. He’d never seen her look so unsure. She was always the in-charge woman-with-the-answer for as long as he’d known her.
Her blue-eyed gaze met his. “What if this was the big one? What if the city is so broken apart that there aren’t enough resources to help us?”
He’d wondered that same thing when she’d been out of the limo, looking for help. Depending on the size of the quake, it was a real concern. They had no idea what the rest of the city looked like. There could be fires, landslides or even a tsunami depending on the epicenter.
She still watched him, her scrutiny intense. He didn’t want to be a pessimist.
“We have enough party food, water and soda to last about a week, maybe a little longer, if we’re really careful. I don’t think we’ll be here that long. I think people buried under overpasses are going to get high priority.”
“What if it brought down apartment buildings like the Northridge earthquake?”
He didn’t really have an answer. “We know it was strong enough to collapse this freeway, so anything’s possible. But either way, I think all the buried people get first priority,” Bill said, hoping he wasn’t too far off the mark.
Elena turned back for the door and clicked on her penlight. “Hey, look. That last shake jimmied the door open a little more.”
Bill moved forward and practically yanked Elena out of the way, ignoring the instant stab of pain in his leg. He ignored the softness of her skin against his palm too.
“Hey, what are you doing?” she said, her tone all business. That steely look in her eyes promised a fight.
“I’m going to see what else shook loose.” Damn if he planned to let a little injury get in the way of scouting the scene. “You can stay here this time.”
“No way. You’re still bleeding. I’ll go.” She made a move to get past him, but he didn’t budge.
“The only reason I let you go before was because I couldn’t fit through the door and you could. If there’s room, then I’m going and you’re staying.” He started out and she grabbed onto his arm.
“Hold on. I’m the client and I call the shots. You’re hurt, you stay. I’m healthy, I go.”
Bill faced her in the cramped space. “Let’s get something straight, Elena. My limo. My rules. Yes, you’re my client, which means you’re in my hands until the job is done. That means I call the shots.”
“Wrong.” She didn’t blink an eye. “I hired you, which means I decide what we do, plus I’m older than you so I’m in charge.” God, she was a pain in the ass. A gorgeous pain in the ass.
Bill leaned in close and got a good whiff of the perfume that made his dick harder than stone. “I don’t give a shit if you’re the two-thousand-year-old man, you’re under my protection until we get out of here. Deal with it.”
“Deal with this…” She got up even closer to his face until they were only inches apart. “I’m the one—”
Bill kissed her. She was too close not to. And it was a good way to shut her up. He meant to be fast. In and out…just a quick buss to stop her flow, but when he pulled away and looked into her surprised eyes and when the hard pounding of his heart drowned out the sane voice that usually prevailed in his head, he went in for another. This one was softer. Longer. Sweeter. He didn’t take it nearly as far as he wanted to because that might’ve blown any chance he had with her. So against every screaming cell begging for more, Bill kept it clean. It didn’t stop him from a little nibble and a bit of suction, but he managed to keep his tongue in his mouth instead of driving it into hers. Her soft lips begged to be explored, tasted. The tension in her body eased a fraction.
This time when he pulled away, they were both breathing hard. Good thing they didn’t have a limited amount of oxygen, because they would’ve sucked it up fast otherwise.
“What…what was that?” The softness in her voice matched the confusion in her question. Even in the dimness, he caught the hot spark of desire in her eyes, the hard thrumming of her pulse in her neck.
A handful of responses waited on the tip of his tongue, but he went with the honest one. “That is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.”
The surprise on her face was priceless and she blinked at his words. “But… I… What…?”
He’d never seen her eyes wider. “You’re adorable when you’re speechless.” He gave her another quick kiss then eased out the door. “We’ll talk about it when I get back.”
“Oh no you don’t!” She grabbed his hand and pulled him back. “I don’t know about any of the other women in your life, but a kiss or two isn’t going to make my brain mush. Look, either we both go, or neither one of us goes. Your choice.”
Damn. The woman was ninety percent pit bull. “Fine. We both go, but I’m going on record that I don’t like it. Follow me.”
“Like I have a choice,” she grumbled behind him and despite the seriousness of the situation, Bill smiled.
Elena followed Bill out of the car, still breathless and a little shell-shocked. He’d kissed her. Kissed her! Had his lack of oxygen while he was buried contributed to a major lapse in judgment? Or his vision? Didn’t he realize who he was kissing? Not that she was a dog or anything, but he had to know she was significantly older than him.
Not to mention what he’d said, “…something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.” Talk about trying to wrap her brain around something. This was a tough one. He liked her? For real? He was young and gorgeous and he’d wanted to kiss her?
She would’ve obsessed over it more if she’d had the time, but as it was, they were both standing in the dim space next to the limo trying to figure out what was what around them. The destruction was massive, with huge chunks of concrete smashed into the Hummer next to them and the slab behind them. Piles of rubble covered every surface. People on the outside probably assumed everyone inside was dead.
“Anybody here? Can you hear me?” Elena called.
No one answered and they couldn’t see, much less reach, any of the surrounding vehicles to check for survivors.
“Hello?” Bill called louder, his booming voice seemed to fall flat in the cramped space. “Anyone out there?”
Deafening silence answered them both. The air was thick with heat and the musty smell of polluted air.
“Looks like the top came down more,” Elena realized aloud as she looked up. The concrete was only about seven feet overhead. Most of it rested on the truck in front of them and the Hummer next to them. Still, everything was flattened.
“Guess it was a good thing I was boxed in by a couple of big trucks.”
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Elena said, shining her light around the space and watching the dust particles dance in the air. “Look at the Buick you rammed. I hope the driver got out okay.”
“Bet I scared the shit out of him,” Bill mused dryly, wiping the side of his face with his arm. Poor guy was sweating like he’d climbed a mountain.
Come to think of it, so was she. She shifted as a trickle of sweat slid between her breasts. “You scared it out of me, that’s for sure.”
“Sorry about that.” He hobbled over to the rear of the limo and tried to dislodge some cement. Not possible.
“C’mon, there’s nothing out here,” Elena told him. “Let’s get back in the car. I feel a little safer in there.” And she felt much too safe in the circle of his arms. God, when had she regressed to seventh grade? When had having a man’s arm around her shoulder made her feel more protected?
Never.
“Give me another minute,” Bill grunted. He actually rolled a large piece of rubble away, but a second later another bigger section fell in its place and he hopped out of its path.
“Bill!” Elena nearly had a coronary. “This whole thing
could collapse any second.” She ran forward and yanked him back just as more pieces rained down on them. She dragged him to the car as the cement settled.
“Get in,” he said. “I’ll be one more minute. Here, let me see your penlight. Please,” he added when she glared at him. “I’ll go fast.”
She handed over her light if only to get him back into the limo sooner. Bill went the other direction as she slid into the car. Then she remembered… “Be careful!” she called out the door. “That’s where—”
“Holy shit,” he hissed.
“…the dead guy is,” she finished quietly to the empty car. Sounded as if he’d forgotten that detail. “Tried to warn you,” she yelled in his direction. So now what did they do? She was stuck with him for who knows how long. And they’d kissed. How was she supposed to pretend like that never happened? He’d lit her up faster than a Fourth of July sparkler. What if he tried to kiss her again? Or worse, what if he didn’t?
Bill eased back into the car. He grimaced when he put too much weight on his bad leg. “You’re right. That was petty gruesome. Remind me never to doubt you.”
Elena lifted an eyebrow as she helped him in. His bicep was granite hard and she itched to feel the skin beneath his shirt. “I’ll refrain from the ‘I told you so.’”
His smile brightened the dark interior. “Thanks. I appreciate it.” He was so delicious when he smiled like that. Did he have any clue just how gorgeous he was or did all his gray hair make him feel old?
Since Bill needed to keep his leg straight, they settled on the limo floor and used the seat as a backrest. The new silence didn’t last long.
“First order of business is make this place livable. We have no clue how long we might be here, so we need to clean house. Where’s that bag of yours? We can dump the dirt out that side,” he said, gesturing to the right, “so we can still exit this side.” After thumbing to the left, he tipped his chin toward the pile of dirt. “You want to hold and I’ll scoop or I’ll hold and you scoop?”
He was acting like that kiss never happened. Like he hadn’t blown her socks off and made her skin pebble. Of course, the other option was to talk about it and she wasn’t ready for that. He’d probably been trying to shut her up. Well, mission accomplished.
