APARTMENT 18B
The effect he had on every cell in my body both unnerved and excited me at the same time. I crossed my arms over my chest and bit my lower lip hard in order to regain some composure. He unraveled every bit of my normal well-maintained control over any situation. I worked as a personal assistant to one of the toughest woman trial attorneys in the Tri-State area, and my ability to function under pressure in the legal world was respected. I shouldn’t be this rattled by a man I just met.
“Here are the young lady’s belongings, sir.” The other man I assumed was the driver handed the mystery stranger my shoe and tote bag.
“Thank you, Colin.”
“Oh, my God. My shoe.” I snatched the mate to the one still on my foot from my blue-eyed hunk. “My beautiful shoe. Five hundred and twenty-five dollars flushed down the toilet. I saved for six months to get these, and they’re ruined.” My eyes filled with tears. I loved them, my first real designer pair.
“It’s just a shoe. You can have them repaired.” His unconcealed amusement at my plight didn’t console me. Not one iota.
I glared at him. “These are Manolo Blahnik’s. They aren’t just a shoe.”
His lips twitched. “And?”
I couldn’t tell if he held back a mischievous grin on purpose or it was pure arrogance because the loss meant nothing to someone like him. “Knowing my luck, they could cost more to fix than what I paid for them.” A tear spilled over the edge and inched down my cheek despite my struggle to keep it concealed. Anger mixed with sadness overwhelmed the self-control I desperately clung to. I hate crying, especially in front of someone I didn’t know. The emotions of falling on a public street, a throbbing ankle, possibly missing out meeting the man of my dreams, and the loss of my shoe compounded to the point I couldn’t take much more.
When his fingertips gently brushed across my cheek, wiping the wet streak from my face, I nearly jumped out of my skin. I took a sharp breath and let it out as I gathered my words. “I have to go. Thanks for helping me.” I reached down and pulled the other shoe off. I couldn’t run away from this gorgeous man on one foot.
He didn’t get the hint to move, so I pressed my palms against his chest. His hard-muscled chest. Big mistake. The hard ridges and contours of this man’s physique tempted my fingers to explore the enticing planes beneath his perfectly pressed shirt. He radiated heat, drawing me closer. Before I realized what I was doing, I pushed lower on his abdomen. Even through his suit, I could feel a six-pack beneath the fabric. I pressed the flat of my palm and slowly I slid my hand down lower until I hit the top of his belt buckle.
I heard the sharp intake of his breath and glanced up to catch those mesmerizing blue eyes blaze with hunger, darkening to a deeper tone. Damn! I was in trouble if I stayed one more second, tangled in his intoxicating web.
My skin buzzed from the magnetic attraction between us, and we weren’t even flesh to flesh. I peeled my gaze from his, my hands didn’t move. Summoning strength was futile, like he had some kind of gravitational influence I couldn’t break free of.
What the heck was wrong with me? Seducing a complete stranger in the backseat of his car? I think the fall knocked all sense out of me.
He winked and gave me a devilish grin with dimples to match. The intenseness of his eyes took my breath. “I think your bag is vibrating.”
“Huh?” I snatched my hands back. Good Lord, of all times for my pocket vibrator to go off. The fall must’ve bumped the switch. I tried to recover from another mortifying moment and make an excuse. “It’s probably my date calling me back. Thanks for your help. I have to try and salvage my lunch, and I can’t do it with you in my way.” Maybe my plea would be enough to shatter his spell over me.
“I insist you let me drive you to the restaurant. You’re not in any condition to walk on that foot.” His eyes softened. Was compassion buried in there?
Oh, he can’t do that—handsome and nice too. I hesitated two seconds too long. Before I could answer and object, he swung my legs around to the interior and slid in beside me. Smooth, without hesitation, he was so close I found myself fighting for the breath he stole moments before.
“Hey, are you always used to getting what you want? I didn’t say yes, you know.”
“Yes, I am, and I insist on driving you.”
The dominant position he took left no wiggle room for me to suggest an alternative response.
“Okay,” I managed to eke out.
“You probably should turn your…toy off before you run down the battery.” He gave me that wickedly sinful grin again. Damn! He knew. My attempt at covering up the noise didn’t work.
I swallowed hard. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said and gave a little hmmph then turned my face from his.
“Suit yourself.” His arrogant tone irritated the last of my patience. Like I wasn’t already humiliated that I tripped and fell, but then the gorgeous man who rescued me stumbled across my little secret pleasure. Damn!
I’m back to thinking he didn’t have a nice bone in his body again. So, okay, I reached my hand into the tote bag and tried to inconspicuously shut the incriminating annoyance off. It would have to be buried in with all my other essential stuff, but at last I finally found the switch. Couldn’t a girl have a secret or two? Thank God he couldn’t know I’d never been able to have a climax without a vibrator to assist in the process. Penetration didn’t work either, so I’d fake it. I kept the electric device for those moments when I needed tension relief during the day. Actually, right then would’ve been one such time, but I wouldn’t go there. This man totally unnerved me, but the thought of what would sex be like with him niggled at my thoughts. Would I need a vibrator with him? I quickly got that image out of my head. I was on my way to meet another man for heaven’s sake. But, still…my fingers tingled from touching his abdomen, and wanted to do it again.
I mentally shook my head to get those thoughts out of my head.
The Maybach inched into the main flow of traffic. I couldn’t believe I let a stranger put me in his car and drive off, but his brand of conveyance doesn’t exactly grow on trees. He sat close enough for the heat of his thigh to warm my exposed leg. I glanced down and to see my skirt had hiked up higher than before. The image of him in front of me a few minutes before made me blush. He’d have been blind not to see everything between my legs. As inconspicuous as possible, I slid my hands down over the skirt and tugged on the hem. I’d gone way beyond embarrassed.
I glanced sideways to see if he noticed my adjustment. He did because he smiled. Then, he outstretched his hand.
“My name is Christopher, by the way.”
I bit my bottom lip. “Oh, hi. I’m Brook. Brooklyn actually, but I prefer Brook.”
I placed my hand in his. Goose bumps instantly blossomed on my arm and spread beyond. He didn’t let go and squeezed my fingers a little, hanging on long enough that I was torn as to whether I wanted to pull my hand free or let him continue holding it forever.
“Here are the young lady’s belongings, sir.” The other man I assumed was the driver handed the mystery stranger my shoe and tote bag.
“Thank you, Colin.”
“Oh, my God. My shoe.” I snatched the mate to the one still on my foot from my blue-eyed hunk. “My beautiful shoe. Five hundred and twenty-five dollars flushed down the toilet. I saved for six months to get these, and they’re ruined.” My eyes filled with tears. I loved them, my first real designer pair.
“It’s just a shoe. You can have them repaired.” His unconcealed amusement at my plight didn’t console me. Not one iota.
I glared at him. “These are Manolo Blahnik’s. They aren’t just a shoe.”
His lips twitched. “And?”
I couldn’t tell if he held back a mischievous grin on purpose or it was pure arrogance because the loss meant nothing to someone like him. “Knowing my luck, they could cost more to fix than what I paid for them.” A tear spilled over the edge and inched down my cheek despite my struggle to keep it concealed. Anger mixed with sadness overwhelmed the self-control I desperately clung to. I hate crying, especially in front of someone I didn’t know. The emotions of falling on a public street, a throbbing ankle, possibly missing out meeting the man of my dreams, and the loss of my shoe compounded to the point I couldn’t take much more.
When his fingertips gently brushed across my cheek, wiping the wet streak from my face, I nearly jumped out of my skin. I took a sharp breath and let it out as I gathered my words. “I have to go. Thanks for helping me.” I reached down and pulled the other shoe off. I couldn’t run away from this gorgeous man on one foot.
He didn’t get the hint to move, so I pressed my palms against his chest. His hard-muscled chest. Big mistake. The hard ridges and contours of this man’s physique tempted my fingers to explore the enticing planes beneath his perfectly pressed shirt. He radiated heat, drawing me closer. Before I realized what I was doing, I pushed lower on his abdomen. Even through his suit, I could feel a six-pack beneath the fabric. I pressed the flat of my palm and slowly I slid my hand down lower until I hit the top of his belt buckle.
I heard the sharp intake of his breath and glanced up to catch those mesmerizing blue eyes blaze with hunger, darkening to a deeper tone. Damn! I was in trouble if I stayed one more second, tangled in his intoxicating web.
My skin buzzed from the magnetic attraction between us, and we weren’t even flesh to flesh. I peeled my gaze from his, my hands didn’t move. Summoning strength was futile, like he had some kind of gravitational influence I couldn’t break free of.
What the heck was wrong with me? Seducing a complete stranger in the backseat of his car? I think the fall knocked all sense out of me.
He winked and gave me a devilish grin with dimples to match. The intenseness of his eyes took my breath. “I think your bag is vibrating.”
“Huh?” I snatched my hands back. Good Lord, of all times for my pocket vibrator to go off. The fall must’ve bumped the switch. I tried to recover from another mortifying moment and make an excuse. “It’s probably my date calling me back. Thanks for your help. I have to try and salvage my lunch, and I can’t do it with you in my way.” Maybe my plea would be enough to shatter his spell over me.
“I insist you let me drive you to the restaurant. You’re not in any condition to walk on that foot.” His eyes softened. Was compassion buried in there?
Oh, he can’t do that—handsome and nice too. I hesitated two seconds too long. Before I could answer and object, he swung my legs around to the interior and slid in beside me. Smooth, without hesitation, he was so close I found myself fighting for the breath he stole moments before.
“Hey, are you always used to getting what you want? I didn’t say yes, you know.”
“Yes, I am, and I insist on driving you.”
The dominant position he took left no wiggle room for me to suggest an alternative response.
“Okay,” I managed to eke out.
“You probably should turn your…toy off before you run down the battery.” He gave me that wickedly sinful grin again. Damn! He knew. My attempt at covering up the noise didn’t work.
I swallowed hard. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said and gave a little hmmph then turned my face from his.
“Suit yourself.” His arrogant tone irritated the last of my patience. Like I wasn’t already humiliated that I tripped and fell, but then the gorgeous man who rescued me stumbled across my little secret pleasure. Damn!
I’m back to thinking he didn’t have a nice bone in his body again. So, okay, I reached my hand into the tote bag and tried to inconspicuously shut the incriminating annoyance off. It would have to be buried in with all my other essential stuff, but at last I finally found the switch. Couldn’t a girl have a secret or two? Thank God he couldn’t know I’d never been able to have a climax without a vibrator to assist in the process. Penetration didn’t work either, so I’d fake it. I kept the electric device for those moments when I needed tension relief during the day. Actually, right then would’ve been one such time, but I wouldn’t go there. This man totally unnerved me, but the thought of what would sex be like with him niggled at my thoughts. Would I need a vibrator with him? I quickly got that image out of my head. I was on my way to meet another man for heaven’s sake. But, still…my fingers tingled from touching his abdomen, and wanted to do it again.
I mentally shook my head to get those thoughts out of my head.
The Maybach inched into the main flow of traffic. I couldn’t believe I let a stranger put me in his car and drive off, but his brand of conveyance doesn’t exactly grow on trees. He sat close enough for the heat of his thigh to warm my exposed leg. I glanced down and to see my skirt had hiked up higher than before. The image of him in front of me a few minutes before made me blush. He’d have been blind not to see everything between my legs. As inconspicuous as possible, I slid my hands down over the skirt and tugged on the hem. I’d gone way beyond embarrassed.
I glanced sideways to see if he noticed my adjustment. He did because he smiled. Then, he outstretched his hand.
“My name is Christopher, by the way.”
I bit my bottom lip. “Oh, hi. I’m Brook. Brooklyn actually, but I prefer Brook.”
I placed my hand in his. Goose bumps instantly blossomed on my arm and spread beyond. He didn’t let go and squeezed my fingers a little, hanging on long enough that I was torn as to whether I wanted to pull my hand free or let him continue holding it forever.
© 2014-2021. All rights reserved and no exceptions. All personal works on this site are the exclusive property of I Heart Book Publishing, LLC. Work may not be transmitted via the internet, nor reproduced in any other way, without prior written consent.
