“Nah. We’ve been working on the elevators,” he lied. “It’s been acting wonky all day.”
“Oh,” she said softly, as she lifted her face to his.
“That’s too bad.”
Now was the time, he told himself, and without thinking twice, he simply went for it.
SHE’D DONE IT. She’d stopped the elevator and now she had to follow through. She was trembling, her belly shivering where his hand held her so solidly. And his eyes were the most wonderful color of brown. A rich, dark chocolate that tempted her to dive right in and lap up all the goodness that he alone could give her.
His mouth touched hers, all warm and seductive. He brushed his lips across hers, teased her with his tongue.
“We’re in no danger,” he said, his voice a deep shiver across her skin. “I think I can start it up again,” he continued. And while his mouth continued to tease hers, his hand skated over her belly and tugged at the tie of her top.
She gasped. Her lips felt incredibly sensitive, but nothing could top the knowledge that he was starting to undress her. Was she really going to do this? His kiss deepened, his tongue thrusting into her mouth as she opened to him. And she felt the tie of her sweater pull loose.
She broke the kiss. Not because she wanted it to end, but because she needed air.
He pulled back enough to look into her eyes. She saw his question clear as day. Would she allow him to take it further? Did she want this? Karen’s “just go for it” words echoed in her mind.
Rather than answer, she stayed with the nonsensical chitchat. “I was working late. Big contract just fell through,” she said. Then she gasped as his hand worked between the loose folds of her top to touch her bare skin. His fingers were calloused, the texture as erotic as his slow slide across her belly.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured.
“So am I.” She was still half reclined in his arms, and the position was a bit awkward. So she straightened, and he supported her, taking the opportunity to slide his other hand down from her shoulder to slip underneath the back of her top.
“I could call someone, if you like,” he said, his voice a heated brush against her ear. He was giving her the opportunity to say no, to end things right now. But she didn’t, firmly shaking her head.
“There’s no need to bother anyone else.”
As she moved, his hand on her belly flowed with her, rubbing across her abdomen, making her muscles tremble. And all the while, his other hand continued to whisper up her back to the clasp of her bra. She closed her eyes, her body tightening and her breath shallow.
“I’ll fix the elevator as soon as you want,” he said as he thumbed the catch on her bra. That was his way of telling her they could stop at any time.
“Not yet,” she whispered, stunned by her own audacity. She had just said it. She had just told him that she wanted more from him. And sure enough, he took the invitation, moving both hands around her until he cupped her breasts.
God, yes! His hands were so large, he easily surrounded her, and his callouses provided just the right friction as they slid across her skin. She felt her back arch and her head drop back. His body pressed up against her, his heat warming her back. She leaned into him, letting her head fall onto his shoulder. She wanted to touch him, to feel his muscular strength. Her hands were down by her sides, so she reached behind her to stroke his thighs. God, he felt good. His thighs were corded, powerful with almost no give.
“I’m Sam,” he said, his mouth against her ear.
Finally, she knew his name. “Julie,” she gasped, and the movement thrust her breasts deeper into his palms. He was kneading her flesh, rolling her nipples slowly between his fingers. She moaned softly, the sound rumbling through her body into his. He brushed his jaw across her temple.
“I love the way you smell,” he murmured. Then he shifted and nipped the curve of her ear. She shivered at the touch, surprised by the intensity of her reaction. Sex had never felt this way before, never this thrilling. Even more surprising was the way she reacted when he began to explore. It was as if her body had a whole new set of responses to his touch, and she was learning them at the same time he was.
When he squeezed her breasts, her breath eased and her skin heated. When he rolled her nipples, she moaned low and deep. But when he pinched them, especially when he accompanied that with a nip on her ear, she gasped and thrust backward against him. She didn’t control her reactions, didn’t know what was coming next. She just let herself feel while her body’s hunger grew and grew.
“You are so hot,” he said against her ear. She whimpered in response. One of his hands left her breast to brush down her belly. He paused with his fingers on the catch of her dress pants. “One look, and I can’t think of anything but this. You’ve been driving me insane for two months.”
Her breath shuttered to a stop, her mind making a desperate bid for sanity. He was going to open her pants, he was going to slide his fingers … Before she could finish the thought, he popped the button on her pants and slid down the zipper. She felt the rrrrr of the metal teeth as her trousers fell open and his fingers slid down over her thin panties.
She was so hot there and wet. And she couldn’t think beyond the pressure of his fingers and the desire to finally feel him inside her. This was just like her fantasies. Better even, because the heat between them was so much larger, so much more powerful than even she had dreamed.
Then he did it. He slid over her mons and thrust his finger between her folds. A second later he was pushing ever so slowly inside her. She felt surrounded by him, held in place and caressed in the most intimate ways.
He was supporting most of her weight as her body arched into his caress. He thrust deep, impaling her with precision, before slowly pulling out, the length of his finger rolling over her clit. Her legs trembled and weakened. She had nothing to hold on to. Her hands kept sliding over his thighs, but he was too large for her to grip with any strength. She felt suspended in pleasure, adrift in sensation as he pinched her nipple while thrusting back inside her.
Her muscles gripped him, and her breath came in short gasps. Her body shuddered, her mind too splintered from the sensations to do more than experience. He was toying with her nipple, lengthening, squeezing, even twisting. While below, his tempo began to increase.
Her belly began to tighten, and her heart was pounding in her ears. “Oh! Oh!” She was keening softly, her word more like a high gasp. He played her masterfully, bringing her to the edge then holding her off. God, she was so close! Just a little more, a little more, and yet she wanted it to last forever. And then she couldn’t stop. He thrust into her again and she met him, arching into his hand. And …
Yes!
4
JULIE FLOATED BACK FROM BLISS with a reluctant sigh. Which was rapidly followed by a burning flush of embarrassment. Was she really still standing? And had she really just let Elevator Man—Sam—finger her to orgasm?
His breathing was deep and even against her back. He was supporting her still, one hand on her hip, the other arm wrapped gently around her. God, he was so solid! She got the impression he could hold her like this all night if need be.
“Wow …” she began, unsure what to say. “What a great end to a sucky day.”
She felt his chuckle rumble through her spine. “Building maintenance is a service-oriented field.”
She laughed, really laughed at that. But there was only so much humor she could cling to before she became excruciatingly aware of her