Back In The Bedroom

“Well, scratch that.”

Was that a smile lurking around his mouth? Because if it was, she was going to slug him. “I’m quite pathetic,” she said. “Just so you know.” And she moved around him toward the elevator, punching the up button with far more force than was strictly necessary.

“Did Eddie call you this morning?”

She waited for the elevator while staring at the closed doors, wondering if she could have possibly made a bigger fool of herself. “Yes.”

“He won’t give me Marge back.”

“I’m sorry.”

She heard his soft oath, then felt his hand on her arm as he tugged her around. “Look, it’s not what you think,” he said.

“Really? And what do I think, Reilly?”

“I don’t know…” He shoved his fingers through his already-standing-straight-up hair. “That I don’t want you here, that I’d rather have Marge.”

“Wow. Did you figure that out all by yourself?” She punched the up button again for good measure.

“Look, I’m trying to apologize for you getting manipulated into this job for another week,” he said. “Eddie has a way of getting what he wants, at any cost.”

“I don’t need an apology from you.” And she was sad to think he thought she did. “I…” Horrified to find her throat tight and her eyes burning, she inhaled slowly, but it didn’t help. Nothing would. “I just…like the work,” she whispered.

Thankfully the elevator opened and, yanking her arm free, she stepped onto it.

Quickly, she punched the fifth floor button, then, because he was still standing there in his work-out clothes staring at her as if she were a mixture of a cross he had to bear and a morsel he’d like to nibble on, she hit the close door button as well.

The doors slowly, way too slowly, started to slide together-

Until he slapped his hand inside. The doors shuddered, then opened again. “Tessa.”

Oh, no. She was done talking. She hit the close door button with renewed vigor, and watched through shimmering vision as it started to close.

“Damn it.” This time he shoved his broad shoulders through the doors and stepped on with her.

Fine. She’d just get off. She punched the open door button.

But he punched the close door button.

The doors closed and she reached for the control panel yet again, but Reilly grabbed her wrist-

Just as the elevator suddenly jerked so forcibly they both stumbled. The doors stayed closed.

The alarm went off.

“Look what you’ve done,” Tessa said, shaking her head. “Now we’re stuck.”

“What I’ve done?” He dropped her wrist and turned to the control panel again. “There must be something-”

The alarm silenced abruptly and then the phone on the panel rang. Reilly answered it and listened for a moment. When he hung up, he looked at her.

“Well?” she demanded. “What did they say?”

“That I shouldn’t ride in elevators with a crazy woman.”

She rolled her eyes.

“They said it’d be just a few minutes.”

She crossed her arms over herself and wished she’d stopped for doughnuts.

“Cold?”

She didn’t answer. She would not be charmed by his concern, because the man didn’t feel concern. He felt nothing. His feigned beta-ness was just that-feigned.

“Tess?” Shocking her, he moved closer, put his big, warm hands on her, and with that sinfully light touch he had, ran them up and down her arms.

“I’m not cold,” she whispered, but in direct opposition to the words stepped just a little closer so that her heels and his athletic shoes were touching. She kept her head down and absorbed his caress.

“I want you here,” he said after a long minute. “I really want you here.”

She lifted her head and stared at him, stared into his direct and beautiful light-blue eyes. “Why didn’t you just say so?”

He let out a long breath. “I didn’t intend to say it now, but you looked so…”

“Pathetic?”

“No.” He kept touching her. “I really do want you here,” he repeated. “I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner, but…”

“But…?”

“But I think I just realized it.”

He’d just realized it. She thought about that and about how she felt. She’d realized from the very start that she was attracted to him, that it was a dangerous sort of an attraction, but an attraction nevertheless.

But she supposed that’s the kind of woman she was-impulsive. She acted first, thought later. Just as she could accept that, she could also accept that he was different. He had a much more methodical, linear way of thinking. It easily could have taken him all week to realize what she’d understood in five seconds that night at Eddie’s.

Certainly standing as close to him as she was, she could feel his “attraction,” but that was a purely physical response. She knew he probably didn’t feel much more than that and, in all likelihood, he might never feel more than that.

Hence the danger.

“So will you stay the week?”

Her heart sighed. “I’ll stay the week.”

“And you won’t get us stuck in an elevator again?”

“If you’ll…”

“What?” he murmured.

Kiss me.

“Tess?”

She gave him a smile through the ache in her heart. “Nothing.” She turned away and studied the control panel. “Think our few minutes are almost up?”

Once again, his hands settled on her hips as he turned her to face him. Slowly he drew her close.

“What are you doing?”

“With you, Tess, I swear I never know.”

She put him off-kilter. Perversely, she was glad and slid her arms around his neck. “Never?”

“Well…” He looked at her mouth.

And because she couldn’t help herself, she closed the gap and put her mouth to his.

A rough groan rumbled from deep in his chest. His hands slid up her arms to cup her head, which he held in place. As if she was going anywhere! As before, the very connection kick-started her pulse. His mouth was warm, firm and didn’t have to work at all to coax hers open. In less than two seconds, they were glued together, bodies straining, hands fighting for purchase. Tessa could hear the little whimpers for more coming from deep in her throat and, if he hadn’t let out a ragged groan and pressed her back against the wall for better leverage, she might have been horrified at herself at how far gone she was, but at least he was just as far gone.

When he finally pulled back, his breathing as ragged as hers, she put a hand to her fluttering belly and cleared her throat. “Was that work-related?”

He frowned and said, “What? No.”

“Just checking.” She tugged his head back to hers. “You see?” she whispered, her mouth a fraction of an inch from his. “It’s not all about work-”

“Tess-”

She kissed him again. And then again, before he took over. He had a thigh insinuated between hers and his hands were busy making her body hum when suddenly the elevator jerked and started moving.