Energy courses through me, setting my nerves alight and sending my pulse into overdrive. I’m sure the breath I suck in is audible. I freeze, unsure if I should turn and run or get on the elevator die of a heart attack.
He lifts his gaze to mine.
Our eyes lock.
The floor opens up and swallows me.
No, that’s just how it feels. But the sensation of falling is so acute, it leaves me dizzy. I’m so disoriented, I forget to do anything but stand there gaping at him.
The doors slide closed.
At the last moment, Cole reaches through and stops them.
They bounce slowly apart again, and he steps back.
Swallowing hard, my pulse thrumming, I step on the elevator, nod politely at the other passengers, then turn and face the closing doors.
His gaze on my body is a thousand heated needles, piercing me from behind.
One person gets off on the twenty-fifth floor. The other person gets off on the twentieth. Then Cole and I are alone on the elevator, and I’m carefully practicing deep breathing so I don’t pass out from nerves.
I think he’ll let me get off on my floor without saying a word to me, but the moment the doors close behind the last person and the elevator starts to move, he jabs his finger onto the Stop button.
The lift shakes a bit, then settles. I stand staring wide-eyed at the closed doors with Cole behind me and my heart pounding like mad until he says gruffly, “Excellent work this week, Ms. Sanders.”
His voice makes my nipples tingle. The timbre of it, so deep and husky, so beautifully masculine…it makes me remember things I shouldn’t.
Why am I such a fool for this man?
I close my eyes and take another deep breath. “Thank you, Mr. McCord.”
“How’s the 401（k） audit coming?”
I close my eyes and breathe, breathe, breathe. “I should have it completed by tomorrow.”
“Should? Or will?”
He moves closer until I feel his body heat. He lifts a lock of my hair to his nose and inhales. Then he makes a low sound in his chest, the exact sound of pleasure I’ve heard him make when his face is between my legs.
Steady, girl. Steady.
“I…I will.”
“Good. That’s very good, Ms. Sanders. I’m pleased.” He lowers his head and inhales deeply against my neck.
My nipples harden instantly. I swallow the moan of need building in the back of my throat.
His warm breath washing over my skin, he whispers, “I’ve missed you, baby. I’ve missed you so fucking much.”
“Really? Hmm. I must’ve missed all your phone calls. And your emails. And your inter-office memos. No, wait, I did get one of those. It wasn’t exactly filled with longing.”
After a moment, he says, “You’re angry.”
“You’re right. I am. Not only angry, but frustrated and confused too.” I turn around, face him, and push him gently back a foot or two. “Why have you been ignoring me?”
“I could never ignore you.”
“Yet you have been.”
“No. I’ve been obsessing over you. I can’t stop thinking about you. It’s all I do. I’m fucking useless.”
My pulse is jagged. I want him to pull me into his arms and hold me, but that also makes me feel pathetic, so I don’t ask him to. “Have you spied on me over the security cameras?”
“No, but only because I told you I wouldn’t act like a complete animal anymore. I’ve wanted to. I’ve wanted to pay someone on your floor to report all your movements back to me too, but I didn’t do that either.”
Falling into his eyes, I say, “You’ve been behaving yourself.”
“I’m still a wreck.”
“Baby steps.”
We smile at each other.
He says, “I need to tell you something.”
“What?”
“I like you.”
“Is that your idea of a compliment?”
“Yes. Because I don’t like anyone. But I like you very much. Aside from wanting to fuck you silly, I mean. I think you’re smart, witty, and incredibly good at your job.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Have you recently had a fall? Hit your head hard on the ground maybe?”
“No. Why?”
“Just wondering why we’re suddenly getting along so well.”
“We always get along well.”
“Yes, but usually there’s a bed involved.”
“About that…” He studies my mouth for a moment, then lifts his gaze to mine. “I want another sleepover.”