Twenty-Four Hours (Shattered Boundaries Book 1)

by Anthony, Carolyn

  Leading Eve into the lobby with a hand on the side of her ass, Jake stopped in front of the elevator and hit the button.

  Turning towards him, she wrapped her arms tight around his waist and cuddled under his arm. The time lapses. She didn’t do well with time lapses moving from one place to the other—too much time for her to think.

  When the bell rang and the doors opened, he guided her into the small gray-mirrored elevator. Hitting the button to the third floor, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

  “It’s only eleven-thirty,” Eve said as the doors shut behind them. “There’s nobody here.”

  “You complaining?”

  She shrugged. “I’m just saying, it’s Saturday night. Don’t you think it’s odd?”

  “Not really.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I think you’re nervous.”

  She laid her cheek on his chest just as the bright lights in the elevator blinked a few times. Eve’s entire body seized up and he tightened his hold around her shoulders.

  Are you fucking kidding me? Flickering lights in his past experience with elevators—not the best sign.

  The motor shuddered and shut down, coming to an unusually smooth stop. The lights flickered before they completely shut off.

  She dug her fingernails into his back. “Jake!”

  “Give it second. The emergency lights will kick in.” He’d barely gotten the words out when the backup lights glared on, but instantly dimmed.

  “What the hell!” Eve shrieked. Her wide blue eyes sought his.

  Jake gave her a once-over before evaluating the situation. A stopped elevator in his line of work usually meant company—and not the friendly kind—was on the other side of the door or on the roof of the lift. But not here. He’d taken precautions before choosing this hotel—had to. His job demanded he never get complacent no matter where he was. Having Eve with him, he instinctively went into work mode. Listening to the subtle nuances of the elevator, he focused on the sounds outside the compartment. Convinced they were good, he glanced back at Eve. All color had drained from her face and she clutched at his arm with a strength he wasn’t aware she had.

  “What happened?”

  “It stopped, hon.”

  “No shit, Captain Obvious! I’m aware of that.” Eve’s hands flew to her mouth and she closed her eyes.

  Jake pried himself away from her, leaned over and hit the number three on the panel. Nothing. Once he felt at ease they were in fact just stuck, he chuckled. “Wow. I’m gonna let that slide, because you think you’re claustrophobic.”

  “I am claustrophobic!” Both hands moved to her ashen cheeks as she furiously shook her head back and forth. “I’m serious.”

  “I can see you are.” Jake turned away from her to examine the panel and hit the red alarm button.

  Dead. The intercom buzzed, then cut off.

  She grabbed the back of his jacket and leaned around him. “There’s an alarm. Right?”

  “I hit it. The buzzing that cut off—that’s the intercom. They know we’re here. They’re working on it.” Jake hugged her to him, rested his chin on top of her head and studied the panel. He only had his knife on him and though he could get the panel off, the problem was most likely in the main power system, not the car.

  “We need to get out,” Eve insisted. “Now.”

  “It’s all good, hon. It’ll start. Probably just a glitch.”

  Pushing away from him, her shoulders shuddered and she wrapped her arms around her chest. She backed up against the mirror opposite the doors.

  “Just fix it, Jake,” she whispered.

  “What do you want me to do?” Shrugging out of his jacket, he laid it down on the floor and set the bags down on top of it. That drop in her tone, the way she absently scratched at her forearms wasn’t working for him at all. “Come here, Eve.”

  “No,” she uttered, quietly pushing up against the mirrored wall of the car. “I know you can fix it. You’re trained for all kinds of—situations. Fix it.”

  He bit back a grin. “I know you hate elevators.”

  “Clearly you don’t or you’d fix it,” Eve snapped.

  “Baby, trust me when I say they wouldn’t like my way of fixing their toys. Give them five minutes.”

  Leaning down to her line of sight, he tried to determine where she was at, but her eyes were squeezed shut. The angry red scratches on her forearms, however, were visible even in the dimmed lighting of the elevator and definitely had his attention.

  Instantly crowded her, he untangled her arms and tugged her to the center of the elevator. He held her forearms out. Welts had already lifted on her sensitive skin and she’d drawn blood in one spot. Gripping her wrists, he turned her inner forearms up, so she could see them.

  “Eve. What the fuck?”

  “I want out,” she hissed.

  Jake whipped her around to face the smoky mirror, her ass pressed tight up against his front. He ran an arm over her shoulder, his forearm braced tight in between her breasts. Bringing his other hand up, he checked her carotid artery, monitoring her pulse. Her heartbeat had double-timed.

  “Open your eyes.”

  He got no response.

  “Look at me, Eve. Right now.”

  She continued to stare at the ground while shaking uncontrollably.

  He moved the hand at her neck through her hair at the back of her head. Wrapping her dark tresses around his fist, he lifted her head, so she could see their reflection.

  “Focus on me. Look up.”

  Eve’s eyes stayed glued to the floor while her sweaty hands half-heartedly pushed at his arm.

  He dropped his mouth to her ear. “I need you to calm down, sweetheart. Deep breaths.”

  When she still kept shaking, Jake increased the pressure in her hair and yanked her head back to his shoulder.

  Eve tensed at the tight hold, but her eyes finally lifted to his in the mirror.

  With her this close to him, he could feel the violent trembling ease a bit. The more pressure he applied to her hair, the tighter he held her, the more her body relaxed into his.

  There we go.

  Holding her head to the side, he trailed his lips down past her ear to her neck and back again. Distraction. He shoved the hand holding her against him into the front of her dress and under her breast, so he could get a good feel of her heartbeat against his palm.

  “Again. Breathe for me, hon. Deep breaths.”

  She took unsteady deep breaths and leaned back against him, as if needing the comfort of his body around hers.

  He kept his hand over her heart until the beats slowed down and steadied out. When he was sure she’d calmed down enough, he slowly stretched the dress and her bra to the side. Cupping her exposed breast, he rolled the nipple between his thumb and index finger.

  Her lips parted slightly.

  “Good girl. Eyes open.” Jake kissed his way to her neck and then firmly bit down on her shoulder.

  Eve jumped a little, but turned her head to his as she ran her hand up around his head, holding his face to her.

  He let go of her hair and framed her chin, angling her face toward the mirrors.

  “Watch us.”

  When her eyes opened, he squeezed her breast and brushed his thumb over the reddened bud.

  Her mouth dropped open a little more and she inhaled sharply.

  “Shhh,” he soothed. “I got you.”

  Eve’s hands dropped away from her body and she clenched his pants, tugging him closer to her. “Don’t let me go,” she whispered.

  They made a striking couple he thought, watching their reflections in the mirror. His tanned hand against her porcelain skin. Her cheek next to his with her slightly opened mouth—fucking hot. Part of her hair caught in his goatee, but the majority ran down her chest falling near her waist.

&
nbsp; Jake squeezed, rubbed and teased, giving her no time to think. He refused to allow her to retreat to that dark place he always lost her to, and being stuck in a fucking elevator could kick that shit off in a heartbeat. It was a strange place where she separated them, finding some sort of frightening comfort in pushing him away. He got it. While she said she trusted him, he knew deep down she couldn’t—and she would be right.

  He always had to leave, and it affected them both, but in different ways. They would emotionally disconnect, before he even closed the door behind him, whether he admitted it or not. Living without the other demanded they keep emotion on a tight leash in order to deal with the long separations. Locking all that shit down tight was a must if he was going to do his job and be a good father to his girls.

  Moving his other hand lower to her waist, he undid the tie on her dress. When she gasped, he squeezed and held her in place. Reaching down, he parted the dress farther to the sides.

  With her mostly naked body, now fully visible in the mirror…her eyes closed again.

  “No. Open your eyes.” Since he’d thrown those cock-blocking panties out the window on the drive over here, she had nowhere to hide. He ran his hand down over the narrow patch of hair between her legs, over her smooth lips. “Did you know your lips, these lips…” He ran two fingers over her. “…Are the softest skin I’ve ever touched?”

  “Jake…” She moaned.

  He slid his fingers between her folds, along the sides of her clit. “Tell me watching us together, watching what I do to you, doesn’t turn you on?” Eve tried to turn towards him, but he tightened his grip, allowing no movement.

  “Answer me.”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  Moving his lips to her ear, the faint scent of her lotion made his head spin. Pulling his fingers out from between her legs, he held up the glistening digits in front of her.

  “Do you have any idea how hard this makes me, knowing only I can make you this wet?”

  Eve turned her head to the side, burrowing against his bicep. Wetness seeped through his sleeve.

  “Stop, please.”

  “Why? I can’t get enough of you,” he spoke softly to her ear.

  “Because—I’m leaving,” she whispered.

  He barely heard the words spoken so softly. Lifting his head, Jake gripped her chin and turned her face to the mirror in front of them. His eyes met hers in their reflection.

  “Say it out loud, baby.”

  Tears streamed down her face.

  “Because I don’t need another memory of you—of what you do to me, of how much I love you, Jake. That’s why I never watch. It’s too hard for me when you’re gone. And soon, I’m the one who has to leave.”

  “You think your reaction to me is a bad thing?”

  Eve’s eyes flew open. “I’m talking about more than my physical reaction to you!”

  “One subject at a time. First...we still have all night. Second...the way you respond to me isn’t a bad thing.”

  “Right. Only you. Do you see the problem with that, given our situation? My situation particularly.”

  When she leaned back, Jake hugged her to him. Dropping his hand between her legs once again, he intentionally slid two fingers over her clit. He nudged her feet out a little farther. His arm across her torso became her main source of balance.

  “That’s right, Eve. Only me.”

  “We’re a twenty-first century tragedy,” she muttered. Her wet, inky lashes fell against her pale skin.

  “Not tonight,” he said.

  “Temporary. Always temporary. A moment.” Her damp cheek slid against his. “I’m going to be gone for two years. How am I going to get over you?” she softly cried into his ear.

  “You won’t.”

  Eve jerked away and her eyebrows scrunched together. She opened her mouth to say something, but the lights flashed bright again, cutting off her response. Jumping away from him, she quickly scrambled with her bra, wrapped her dress around her and knotted that thing so tight he was shocked she could breathe. Her chest heaved as she pushed and pulled to readjust in record time.

  His eyes stayed locked to her as he reached over and hit the button to the intercom.

  “We good?” Jake spoke into the little panel.

  A loud frantic voice came over the intercom in response. “Yes! Yes, sir. We’ll have you out of there in seconds. We apologize—”

  Jake hit the reply button interrupting him. “Yeah, man. No worries.”

  The elevator jolted slightly and started its descent back to the lobby.

  He picked up the bags and his jacket, then turned back to Eve. “You good?”

  “Yes. We’re moving. So glad.” Combing her fingers through her hair, she tried to smooth it back in place. She frantically glanced around the small space. “Why are we going back down?”

  “Protocol, honey. Maintenance.” Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her to him by the waist and ran his lips over hers. No tongue, just sweeping kisses, their mouths caressing each other.

  The car stopped and before the doors were fully opened, Eve jumped out and ran smack into the elevator mechanic.

  “Oh, my god!” She reached out to steady the man. “I’m so sorry, sir! So sorry!”

  “No apology needed Ma’am, glad we could get you outta there.” The maintenance guy nodded at Jake.

  Jake escorted her down the hall. “Best time I’ve ever had stuck in an elevator.” He felt her eyes on him.

  “You’ve been stuck before?”

  “Hell, yes. But it’s usually with three to seven other guys. I prefer you.”

  “Jeez....” Her hand rose to her throat.

  Chuckling, he moved her hand away from her neck and led her to the small circular staircase.

  “Will you ever not think about me in an elevator after tonight?”

  “Not likely.” Sadness rang loud in her voice.

  They walked up the little circular flight of stairs to the third floor, down the corridor and all the way to the room at end of the row. He had made sure they had a gorgeous view of the ocean from their balcony. The sound of the waves always soothed her.

  Eve took the bags of food and he pulled out their key-card.

  Slipping it in and opening the door, a gust of damp ocean air hit him in the face as he turned on the lights and entered the room first. Eve had left the sliding doors open when she ran back to the room before they left earlier. She had to have air or she felt closed in. The woman had no self-preservation skills. Open doors. He couldn’t even think about her being in New York alone—it made him fucking murderous.

  “Give me a second.”

  Jake walked through their little suite, making sure they were, in fact, alone. A career in Spec Ops, especially one as long and varied as his, came with enemies and it’s not like those fuckers announced their arrival. He waved an arm inside.

  “Get in here. Doors, baby. Damn. Gotta remember the lock.”

  “Did I not?” Walking the short distance to the suite’s kitchen, Eve put the bags on the table and went to wash her hands at the sink.

  Sliding up behind her, he pushed against her back and laced his hands through hers under the warm water. The citrus and lemon-scented soap foamed and glided easily through their intertwined, slippery fingers. He rested his chin on her shoulder.

  “No, you didn’t. Promise me.”

  “I promise.” She took his hands in both of hers, massaging the liquid in between his fingers, over his palms and up to his wrists. Her strong hands stroked and pulled, rubbing away tension he wasn’t aware he carried.

  Had he made the right decision bringing her here? Was this fair to her? To him? To them both, knowing what tonight would mean and what he had to do in the morning?

  He came with a lot of baggage and she was just restarting her life, her caree
r. He couldn’t get in the way of that. Plus, he had responsibilities back home that made his wants and desires obsolete in the present. As much as he wanted her, wanted them, the unselfish move was to let her go, but before he could bring himself to do that he wanted to give them both this one night.

  Jake didn’t move from the sink for a few minutes, letting her play masseuse. He kissed her neck and shut off the faucet with what must be the cleanest hands he’d ever had. Grabbing the towel over the edge of the sink, he dried them both off. Putting his hands on her waist, he turned her toward him.

  “Thank you,” he said and kissed her nose.

  Her eyebrows furrowed as she pulled back. “For what?”

  “Your warmth.”

  Eve reached up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her breasts pressing against his chest.

  “I’m just me.”

  Jake slid her ass along the edge away from the sink. “I know, baby.” He sighed. Moving his hands to her hips, he tightened his grip. “Jump.”

  As he lifted, Eve jumped to sit up on the countertop. Her hands stayed on his shoulders. She laughed nervously.

  “What are you doing? Aren’t you hungry? I know you’re starving by now. God forbid, you get grumpy.”

  “I can wait a little longer.” Jake bent his head to kiss her. Nobody kissed like Eve. When she kissed him, every heated breath, every slide of her tongue was an expression of love and surrender. Leisurely exploring her mouth, he gently pulled her full lower lip between his teeth while he held her gaze. The blue of her eyes deepened the more erotic the kiss became. He cupped her face in his hands.

  “I want you to do something for me.”

  A smile pushed at her lips and her gaze lowered. “I’m afraid to ask.”

  Jake grinned back at her and dropped his hands to her waist, his fingers pulled at those damn dress ties for the final time. She wouldn’t need it anymore. He parted the dress so the ends rested against the soft swells of her breasts. The lace of her bra against the silk material was the only thing keeping her covered. The pieces hung off her body and pooled next to her thighs.