Hell in a Handbasket - The Journey

by Damara Blackthorne

  Oh, crap on a cracker! How could I forget I had given him my panties in the airplane bathroom when he inducted me into the Mile High Club, and he still had them in the front pocket of his jeans? Better yet, how could I forget that I wasn't even wearing any panties at this very moment? This man had gotten my head all jumbled and messed up!

  Before I could say anything about how much I needed to be wearing my panties when I went into my meeting, Ryder placed his hand on the small of my back and all coherent thought was gone.

  "There he is."

  "Who?"

  "My driver." He led me over to where a very large muscular man lingered. He was tall, nearly seven feet and big, close to three-hundred pounds and those muscles? I swear he must work out six hours a day every day! He was wearing a black chauffeur uniform complete with hat and was standing off to the side of the lobby. He was holding a sign that read "MADSEN."

  "Hello George."

  "Mr. Madsen."

  "George, this is Maeve Bendis. She'll be sharing the car ride to the tower."

  I looked at Ryder with complete shock written all over my face. "How do you know where I'm going?"

  "Everything happens for a reason…Intoxicating Maeve." Again, he did a little sing-song with those last two words, just like he did in the last airport lobby where we met. Only this time it didn't make me smile.

  We walked outside, It was a bit cold and without my panties and the fact that my mound was still slick from Ryder's ministrations, I really felt the chill under my skirt. Just outside sat a black limousine. Ryder was still guiding me with his hand placed firmly into my back. He leaned down and whispered, "Get in the car Maeve. Although it's a short ride to the Prudential Tower, I would like to make the ride as memorable as the airplane bathroom." He smirked and resorted back to his waggling eyebrows. I wasn't so sure they were a turn-on anymore. I was really starting to feel scared. It was bad enough that I threw all of my morals out the window and allowed myself to be convinced to have sex with a total stranger a couple of times in some very public places, but now it seemed that although he may have been a stranger to me, I was no stranger to him. Did I just give up my dignity to a stalker? Oh God, I was in big trouble!

  We climbed into the back of the limo. The glass partition that separated us from the driver was already up. I wasn't sure how I felt about it. Maybe if it was down and something bad happened, the driver could help me. But, he seemed too familiar with Ryder. What if the driver was in on this? What if he was going to drive us somewhere secluded and have his way with me too? Ryder made me lose my mind, fighting him was a useless venture. And as big as George was, there was no way I would be able to fight him off. Oh God! What have I gotten myself into?

  Ryder must have noticed that I wasn't my cheerful yet shy self.

  "Maeve, is everything alright?"

  "Um, sure!" It came out of my mouth as a squeaky leak.

  "Maeve? You don't seem alright."

  "Do you know me? How do you know me? How do you know where I'm going? How do you have this power over me that made me throw all of my morals away simply to have sex with you repeatedly in very public places? Are you a stalker? Is the driver in on this? Are you two gonna hurt me? I won't tell a soul, I promise. I just wanna go home." All of that whooshed out of my mouth with such rapid-fire I'm surprised he understood any of it. I was scared nearly to death.

  "Maeve, Sweetie, just relax." His face showed true concern. He reached into his pocket and pulled out my panties. "Here, Maeve, put your panties back on." He looked a bit sad.

  I have no earthly idea what came over me but I refused my panties.

  "No! You answer my questions and then we'll both decide!"

  Hell in a hand basket. His smile warned me every time and yet I kept ignoring the warnings.

  Looking at his hands, he started playing with my panties, running them through his fingers.

  He glanced up and over to meet my face. "I don't know you personally. You said you were an Erotic Romance writer and you were going to a business meeting. It may have been presumptuous of me but I figured there aren't too many options in this town for publishers, especially those who work with that genre. I told you in Tom's office I would never hurt you…not in a million years. I'm not a stalker. I've never been to your house. And I say that because I'm guessing you write from home. The only thing George is in on is driving you to your meeting. And as for telling a soul, I was hoping you would use our previous experiences as fodder for your writing. I guess that makes me a bit of an exhibitionist but not a stalker or rapist."

  "Oh God, I'm so sorry! I-I-I'm just…this is just so…it isn't me and I…I don't know what I was thinking…it's just that you seemed to know so much about me and I don't know anything about you and…and…well…You make me crazy! I've done things with you I've only fantasized about before and now here you are and my fantasies are coming to life and…well…to be honest it kind of scares the hell out of me!" Whoosh…again. I tried to give him an apologetic grin, which earned me his oxygen-stealing smile.

  "Maeve, the car ride is about over and although I didn't get to make it the kind of memorable I was hoping for, I would like to see you after your business meeting and maybe we can get to know each other a whole lot better. Is that okay with you?" Ryder slid his hand into his pocket, returning my panties to their previous entrapment.

  "I think I would like that a lot." I smiled sweetly over at him.

  "Maeve?"

  "Yes, Ryder?"

  "Have you ever done it in an elevator?"

  I looked at him in complete shock…"Ummmm…No!" I practically squealed that last word.

  He smirked. "Would you like to?"

  "I can't do that in front of people!" Shock danced across my face.

  "What if the elevator is empty?" His eyes glittered in mischief.

  "Uh…don't they have cameras in the elevators?"

  "That isn't the same thing as in front of people."

  "Can we keep things a bit more private? Maybe later…much later we can progress to the elevator."

  He rewarded me with that breathtaking smile of his and his green eyes darkened. Man he was gorgeous! What in the hell was wrong with me? OK, so it didn't end when the plane landed and it wasn’t going to end with this car ride. But it obviously couldn’t be a permanent thing…could it? No, I had to get that thought out of my head. Thinking like that is what gets your heart broken. And I was just coming out of my shell, I didn’t need my heart broken then to have me crawl back in.

  "How about this…I'll ride the elevator up with you…but I won't fuck you in the elevator…yet…" Waggling eyebrows…this man was dangerous!

  "Okay. But you promise to behave? Remember I have a very important meeting and I can't be all flustered and wet."

  "I never said I'd behave. But I'll see what I can do about making sure you aren't wet for your meeting…deal?"

  "Deal.”

  The car stopped and George's voice came over the loud speaker. "We're here at the tower, Mr. Madsen."

  "Thank you George."

  A few moments later, the door opened and George was standing there holding it for me. Ryder and I got out and then Ryder leaned into George and softly said, "I'm going to be going inside with Ms. Bendis. Could you take our belongings to the house?"

  "Certainly, Mr. Madsen."

  "Thank you, George."

  Ryder placed his hand back into the small of my back and led me into the building.

  Chapter Five

  Ryder kept his hand on my lower back and walked me through the doors of the tower. We walked into the lobby. It was a huge and cavernous place, with some plants and glass but mostly empty except for the information desk at the far end. The desk was huge and rounded. There was a huge sign over and behind it, which told of what types of businesses were in the building and where they were located. Three people sat behind the desk. A woman with soft brown shoulder length hair, who appeared to be in her early forties looked up at us. She looked as if she was
going to say something then stopped. I thought I saw an almost imperceptible nod before she returned to what she was doing.

  Ryder continued to guide me through the lobby and over to the elevators. My heart was racing and I was having trouble catching my breath. My experiences with Ryder at the airport and on the plane taught me that he was exciting and unpredictable. Not to mention sexy as hell. I was worried because he didn't seem to have any hang-ups about having sex in public. Which frightened me because I did and yet when I was anywhere near him I couldn't deny him anything…so I knew if he wanted to have sex in the elevator then we would be having sex in the elevator.

  Ryder pushed the button to call an elevator car. He started rubbing small circles on the small of my back and I felt my knees start to go soft on me. I heard the ding that said a car was available and my heart rate increased along with my breathing. We stepped aside in case there were people getting off the elevator. The doors opened and people started pouring out. My hands started twitching as I tried to wait patiently.

  Finally, the elevator was empty all but one little old man. "Going up?" he called out.

  Ryder reached inside the doors and hit the close doors button. "We'll catch the next one."

  "Certainly." The little old man grinned.

  "Ryder, I can't be late for this meeting." My voice was shaking as I felt almost every fiber under my skin start to ignite and burn.

  "Trust me. You won't be late." Ryder's voice was soothing and I felt myself relax just a tiny bit.

  The next elevator dinged and the doors opened. It was empty so we entered.

  I glanced up at Ryder. "Remember you said we wouldn't have sex in the elevator."

  "No, what I said was I wouldn't fuck you in the elevator and I won't…this time." His eyes closed to half slits and his lopsided grin was the kind songs are written about.

  I had just started to calm down some when he pushed me gently into the elevator and I gasped. He merely smirked. I felt my heart rate and breathing increase and I felt that panic of not having enough air.

  Ryder pushed the button for the floor I was supposed to have my meeting on. I opened my mouth and started to ask him how he knew which floor I was supposed to be on. Before I could get a sound out, he smiled down at me and said, "Because I know this building and I know which floor the publishing company is on." Waggling eyebrows.

  "Oh…" I sounded as if I had been sucking on a helium balloon.

  Ryder looked up at the ceiling. He looked closer at one particular corner near the doors and escorted me into that corner.

  I inhaled sharply. "Ryder, what are you doing?"

  "Shhhh, Maeve, I'm making up for the car ride."

  "Ryder…"

  "Maeve…" Ryder leaned across the door and pushed a button. Suddenly the elevator stopped. We had gone up about four floors.

  "They'll send someone to get us out."

  "I'm sure they will."

  "You won't have time…plus you promised I wouldn't be wet for my meeting."

  "And I told you I would see what I could do about making sure you weren't wet for that meeting…I just want you wet for this one."

  He pushed me farther into the corner and lifted me up so that part of my butt actually rested on the handrail. Then he dropped to his knees and crawled under my skirt. With his hands he placed my legs over his shoulders and then spread my thighs farther apart. I wheezed and gulped. He began stroking my outer lips and I trembled. I was holding onto the handrail as if my life depended on it. My grasp was so tight, my knuckles were losing color. He inserted one finger into me. I groaned and then lost my air as he rotated his finger. My groan turned into a mewl once my air deserted me.

  "Oh God, you're so wet already." I heard Ryder's voice muffled from under my skirt.

  "Thhaannnhhhh." I tried to answer him and tell him it was his fault but words were no longer at my disposal.

  He inserted a second finger. My eyes slammed shut and I saw the blue screen of death as my brain went completely off line. "Ohhhhhhh." I moaned with such force. I shook my head trying to get my brain functioning again but Ryder started rubbing my clit with his thumb. My body started to violently quake and I just knew I was going to fall off the handrail. I tried to tighten my grip but my hands wouldn't work anymore.

  "Come for me Maeve. I want you to come for me in this very public elevator."

  I heard Ryder's voice from some far off place. It took a moment for his words to sink in and when they did, they tripped a trigger, sending my body convulsing and falling over the edge.

  "That's it baby, come harder."

  "Oooohhhhh." I rasped and felt my juices dripping down my thighs. Then I felt Ryder's mouth and tongue licking them up off my inner thighs. I squealed as he moved to my outer lips. When he entered his tongue into me my world shattered. He began licking me up and down and when he hit my clit, I saw stars and heard a weird crackling noise. Oh God I was having a stroke.

  Then I heard a voice over the intercom. "We received a warning bell. The elevator seems to have stopped between floors. Is everyone okay there?"

  Ryder pulled his head out from underneath my skirt. "We're fine here. I think it may have been just a glitch. Before you call for the Fire Department, let me hit the button and see if we can't get this thing rolling again."

  "Sure buddy if you think it'll work, give it a shot."

  Ryder stood up and pushed a button and sure enough, the elevator lurched and we were moving again.

  The scratchy intercom voice exclaimed, "Well I'll be damned. It worked. Thanks man. That was a real life saving move there."

  "I'm just glad it worked." Ryder grinned up at me as he lifted me off the handrail and adjusted my skirt. "Care for a kiss?"

  "As much as I want to say yes, if I kiss you now I'm only going to get wetter. And I don't think being aroused and smelling of sex is going to be a benefit in my meeting."

  "Oh, you'd be surprised what your sweet musky scent could do for you in any meeting." His eyes were sparkling, his face was glistening from my juices. His mouth was slightly curved at the edges, giving him a devilishly sweet boyish look. He took my panties out of his pocket and wiped his face off with them. I looked at him with horror written all over my face.

  "How are those supposed to protect me now?"

  "Protect you?"

  "Yes, good girls wear them as bit of protection. Helps to hide behind. You know…helps to hold back some of the wetness and aroma…but they're useless for the purpose now." Indignation dripping with every word.

  He chuckled. "Oh Maeve, you do make me smile."

  The elevator dinged and the doors opened. I looked up at Ryder, unsure of what I should do next.

  "Go to your meeting Maeve, I'll be around. We have a lot more writing to do…remember?"

  I could feel a severe blush run up my neck and into my face. Ryder laughed a deep laugh, which got me trembling again. Ryder grinned and pushed me out of the elevator doors. "I'll be waiting Maeve…knock 'em dead!"

  * * * *

  I stumbled down the hallway, looking for the place I was expected to be. I awkwardly made my way into the office. It was a large office, and I got a sense of calm when I walked through the doors. The walls were a soft pale sea-foam green. The carpeting was a deep forest green. It had a bluish color threaded through it, creating an intricate design. The furniture was solid hand-carved mahogany with a deep rich finish. The seats were upholstered in a beautiful burgundy leather. The furniture looked awfully familiar but where had I seen it before? There were live plants everywhere and book shelves lined the walls with books, which I'm guessing were of their most popular published writers.

  There was a very pretty blonde girl sitting behind an overly large desk. There was a plaque on the desk with the name, Taryn Parrish. I'm guessing that was her name. She was young and very pretty. She had long blonde hair which hung past her shoulders in sensual waves. Her hair was so blonde I wondered if it was real or if it came from her hairdresser. She was blessed with t
he biggest blue eyes I had ever seen. They were a startling baby blue. She had a tiny button nose and a full pouty mouth she had painted a soft baby pink. She had large perky breasts, a perky smile, even her attitude was perky, and everything I'm not.

  "May I help you?" Her perky voice chirped at me.

  "Yes, I'm not sure where I should be. I'm Maeve Bendis. I was supposed to be having a meeting today. I hope I'm not too late, my plane was grounded." I was rambling…a bad sign.

  Miss Perky suddenly became Miss Snotty. "Oh yes. We were informed that your plane had been grounded. Your meeting is right through that door." She pointed to a set of frosted double doors behind her. She leaned up and whispered, "You're not the first you know and you won't be the last."

  "Um…ok…thanks…" Wow, I wonder if she has multiple personality disorder.

  I fumbled with my clothes as I made my way to the doors. I glanced back at Miss Perky-Snot. She was glaring at me with her head cocked to one side, her eyes were mere slits and her tongue over her teeth looking as if she could spit nails into my coffin, trapping me in there. She looked me up and down, snorted and then turned back around. Wow! Who pissed in her corn flakes?

  I tentatively opened the frosted glass door on the right. I entered the room and no one was in there. I turned back to Miss Perky-Snot…"Excuse me, there's no one in here."

  "Of course not. You didn't expect them to wait for you all day did you? They do have other work that has to be completed. You are not the center of their universe. I will be paging each person to let them know you are finally waiting for them."

  "Oh, of course, thank you." I felt flustered and I felt a blush begin its expedition up my neck in its migration to consume my face. I turned back around and continued into the room. Huge was an understatement. To the left of the room was a large mahogany table surrounded by plush leather chairs, with seating for twelve. Behind the table filling up one wall was a magnificent window displaying a wondrous view of the city. Off to my right stood a bulky buffet sideboard loaded with food and drinks. I wondered if any had spoiled because I was late. I walked over to investigate and heard a noise behind me. I turned to see Miss Perky-Snot still glaring at me. She was wearing a white silk blouse which barely contained her generous breasts. A black pencil skirt hugged her curvy hips with such force I was sure the thread was some kind of thin metal cable. Her heels were four-inch stilettos. Damn she was hot! Again, everything I’m not.