by Vienna Vixen
There were so many possibilities, and they were mine for the taking. I did experiment a bit here and there with my style and such, but in the end, I drifted back to who I was. Only to realize that I was most comfortable in my own skin.
Sure, I’d gotten my heart broken a fair share, but I still believed that I would find someone worthwhile someday, and in the meantime, there was no harm in having fun!
Getting caught up with someone like Evan sounded like it would be just that in the beginning, but now that I thought about it, it was probably a bad idea.
Despite my initial reservations, I’d probably end up getting attached, and he didn’t strike me as the type to have a steady girlfriend. Not that I wanted to judge or anything, but I had nothing to go on but my instinct.
It usually served me well.
All of these thoughts zigzagged through my mind like a zip line as Evan’s eyes danced across the room till they finally landed on me. My heart did a weird little sputter, as if its engine stalled before it started back up again.
This time though, it zoomed a million miles a minute as if it was trying to catch up with something. The adrenaline steadily pumped through me, making it nearly impossible to sit still.
He gave me a small smile as he shoved his hands in his pockets and ducked his head to avoid attracting attention.
It was pointless really. People would notice him wherever he was, he was huge, and this was coming from someone who was considered fairly tall for her age.
I had to crane my neck up to look at him when he stopped at my desk and waited.
“Hello,” I said, adopting my professional voice.
“Hi,” He said as he tried to flick his hair out of his eyes. A single lock fell onto his face, and it made him look more youthful.
“Would you like to have a seat, Mr. Hawkins?” I gestured to one of the chairs in front of me, but as usual, he declined.
This was our usual dance whenever he came in. He would walk towards me, I’d try not to be surprised even though it got me every time, I would offer him a seat, which he would turn down then we would get down to business.
It was a routine we both knew down to the letter, and we went through the motions pretty well. We had it down to a science really.
“No, thank you,” he responded as he shifted from one foot to the next.
His beard had gotten scruffier since I last saw him, and I saw blond strands in the middle of the red. I pondered what it would feel like against bare skin, given that it looked quite scratchy, but I immediately dismissed the thought.
I was a professional, and I had no business daydreaming about a man who was standing right in front of me. Even if he was the sexiest thing I’d ever laid eyes on.
“How can I help you today?”
“I want to take a few postcard sized pictures,” he responded, automatically.
He always asked for the same thing, and I was curious what he used them for, but it wasn’t my business to ask.
“Alright.” I entered a few things onto the computer, and I could feel how uncomfortable he was, standing there across from me when he felt the eyes of everybody on him including Leanna, who was not making it a secret.
“Follow me.” I stood up, picked up his file and pointed out the general direction of the room which he already knew, but still, it was company policy.
He walked ahead of me, and I took the chance to stop at Leanna’s desk and roll my eyes at her.
“Lea, he’s already uncomfortable, must you make it worse for him?”
“I’m not doing anything. I’m just checking him out,” Leanna said, defensively. “Have fun though, I expect to hear all the sordid details later.”
She gave me a quick wink, and my face flushed, especially when I noticed that Evan paused and was looking for me. He caught me just as I was straightened up, and I gave him a professional smile as I breezed forward.
“My apologies. My colleagues and I were discussing something important,” I explained.
He looked like he didn’t buy it, but he didn’t say anything and simply nodded as he stepped back and allowed me to lead.
I couldn’t figure out if the gesture was because he was a gentleman, or because it gave him an ample view of my behind. Regardless, I tried not to think about it too much since it would all be over soon.
We walked down the hallway quietly, the sounds of our feet echoing as I tried to think of something witty to say. I had nothing though, considering I had no idea what kind of sense of humor he had, or what he was interested in.
More likely, I’d end up sounding like a complete dufus, and I didn’t want that.
I opened the door and gestured for him to go on, but I frowned when the light switch wouldn’t work.
“Is there a problem?” he asked from somewhere next to me.
I nearly jumped at the proximity as the hair on the back of my neck rose.
“No, no problem. I’m not sure what the problem is, but I think maybe the power is out,” I said, shakily as I tried to calm the fear in my stomach.
I knew it was terribly cliché for a woman to be afraid of the dark, but that didn’t make it any less of a fear, and it definitely didn’t make it any less true when it came to me.
“Isn’t the electricity on everywhere else?” he asked, and I could hear the frown in his voice.
My hands groped around for the light switch, and I accidentally connected with solid flesh instead. I froze for an instant as I felt the smooth plans of his chest, and the blood rose from the tips of my toes all the way to the top of my head.
“I’m sorry, I was just looking for the fuse box,” I tried not to stammer, and I tried to control the breathiness my voice, but I was failing miserably on both accounts.
“Wait, let me—”
He cursed as I heard him connect with something solid. The door, most likely by the sounds of it.
“Are you alright?” I called out as I remained rooted to the spot, my eyes blinking rapidly as they tried to adjust to the dark.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just didn’t see the door.”
My hands blindly flailed around until they connected with the solid expanse of the door. “It would appear the electricity is out, maybe just on this side though, but it’s okay, I’ll have us out of here in no time. I just need to call for help.”
Chapter Two
Hastily, I felt around for my phone, and I wiped it out. The bright screen made me wince as I pulled the phone away from my face, and I took my bottom lip between my teeth.
“Err….”
“Let me guess. No signal?” he asked.
“I’m afraid not,” I admitted. “I’m really sorry, Mr. Hawkins. This doesn’t normally happen.”
I was surprised to hear him chuckle, and I wondered what that looked like. “It’s fine. These things happen, and it’s Evan, please.”
“Evan.” The name rolled off my tongue, and I tried not focus too much on how it sounded.
“I hope you don’t give us a bad review for this,” I blurted out, a weak attempt at a joke which I followed up with nervous laughter.
“A bad review for a power outage? Nobody would be in business then.” He sounded amused, but I really couldn’t tell.
I tried to move slightly to my right, but I was afraid I would collide with him, so I took tiny steps and kept my ears perked for the sound of his breathing.
“Don’t worry, I’m on the far end of the room, so you aren’t going to bump into me,” he assured me.
“Oh, well, that’s always good to know.”
“Yes, I figured that particular piece of information might be useful.”
“It is of the utmost importance.”
Crap.
Was I seriously flirting with him?
We were stuck in a room in the back of the company where very few people ventured, especially if it was booked, and the lights were out.
What was wrong with me?
I needed to focus on getting us out, not on how were locked t
ogether in a dark room with no cameras.
Get it together, Lexi, my brain yelled out.
I grit my teeth and turned my back on him. “I don’t think it’ll take long for them to find us, considering our sessions usually don’t last that long, so I guess for now it’s best to stay put.”
“Okay,” he responded.
We lapsed into silence once more and I slid to the floor, careful to keep as much space between us as possible. Soon, beads of sweat began to roll down my face, and I felt the urge to take off my sweater, but I had a light tank top on underneath, and I didn’t want Evan getting the wrong idea.
I heard a slight rustling sound, and I tried keep my heart rate from sparking up. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, sorry. It’s too humid in here, so I was slipping off my sweater,” Evan responded as if this was an everyday occurrence.
“Okay, cool,” I said, weakly.
Okay cool? What the hell was wrong with me?
I sounded like some smitten teenager whose crush just gave her a quick wink in the hallway. What happened to keeping it professional?
Despite my best attempts at keeping my thoughts neutral, I couldn’t help but wonder if he had anything on underneath his sweater. If he didn’t, what did his chest look like?
Was it as smooth and rippled as it felt?
I bet it was.
On the rare occasions when I allowed myself to admire his form, I noticed how muscular he was, his muscles strained against every item of clothing he wore, which only added to his sinful appeal. He was easily the largest man I’d ever encountered, and by far the most confusing.
From what I heard from the locals, he lived at the top of the mountains, away from civilization, and he only ventured out once every few days, mostly to buy supplies.
He kept to himself, and rarely said much, which is why everyone went into a tizzy when he walked into the photography company. What surprised me most that day was that he requested me.
Maybe it was because I was the only one that day who wasn’t ogling him, having been too busy sorting out an issue on my laptop to pay much attention, or perhaps it was because I treated him like a normal person rather than a spectacle.
Whatever the reason, from that day forth, he always sought me out.
I can’t deny that it sent a little thrill of pleasure racing up my spine.
I had no idea what it was about him, but I did want to know more.
I felt my sweater stick to my back as I continued to sweat, probably because of how nervous I was, so I decided to just get it over with. In one fluid movement, I had my sweater off, and I breathed a sigh of relief when my body no longer felt sticky.
“I see you’ve followed my lead,” Evan quipped from somewhere next to me.
I nearly gave a start of surprise which I shouldn’t have considering he was the only other person in the room, but I imagined he was further away.
“It’s too hot in here,” I offered as I brought my knees up to my chest.
“I agree, but it’s good that you have a window up there.” His finger pointed in no particular direction.
“Yes, it’s important to have proper ventilation for the clients in case we have any nervous sweaters,” I responded, automatically.
Shit.
Somebody get a needle and a thread and sew my mouth shut before I say anymore stupid things. It was like verbal diarrhea. I was no longer in control of my words, they just had a mind of their own, and their mission seemed simple.
Embarrass me in front of this gorgeous man.
“Nervous sweaters, eh? That’s nice of you to accommodate them,” he commented casually. I could vaguely make out the outline of his legs as he stretched them out in front of him. Our bodies were pressed side by side now with barely an inch of space between us.
The proximity was doing all kinds of things to my insides, especially as I caught a whiff of his cologne. I couldn’t make out what it was, but it was a slightly spicy scent that brought to mind hot summers laying on the beach with the sun beating down my back.
“We do our best,” I responded, mocking cheerfully.
I gave a quick laugh. “Professionally, or personally?”
“Do you always have to be so diplomatic?”
“Either, both.”
“Professionally, yes. It’s always preferable. On a personal scale, it depends on the person I suppose.”
“On a professional scale, what if you get a client who’s a real ass and insists on doing something that just won’t work?” Evan asked, curiosity lacing his tone.
“Then you find a nice way of calling the client out on their bullshit,” I said, seriously.
The sound of Evan’ deep laughter reverberated throughout the entire room. It was a deep throaty laugh that had a slight rasp to it. It was either because he didn’t use it often enough or because he was a smoker.
“Seriously? That’s pretty clever,” Evan admitted, a note of respect creeping into his voice.
“It keeps us from getting fired,” I offered as I released my knees and stretched my legs out, so that we were sitting in the exact same position. I tried not to think about the fact that if I moved my head slightly to the right, I could place it on his shoulder.
Or the fact that his fingers lay next to mine, the heat from them so close, I could almost feel his skin against mine.
“So, what about you?”
“What about me?”
“How come you always get the same sized pictures?” I prompted.
“Well, I keep them for work purposes mostly, but also because my mom is sentimental,” he admitted, quietly.
“I’m curious now.” I turned my head, so I was looking at him, and even though it was pitch black, I could almost see how bright his green eyes turned. “Your mother makes you send her pictures because she’s sentimental?”
“Yeah, I don’t visit that often, and it’s one of the few ways she can tell that I’m okay.”
“You don’t get any skype up on that mountain?” I asked.
My eyes widen in surprise as I realized that I let slip that I knew where he lived.
“The townspeople gossip,” I admitted as I ducked my head.
“I didn’t peg you for the gossip type.”
“I’m not, but you can’t help what you hear sometimes.”
“Indeed.”
The silence stretched between us, each minute feeling interminably long.
“I think it’s sweet,” I said finally. “That you’re doing that for your mom, not a lot of people would. Also, I’m sorry if I overstepped my bounds or anything.”
“Thank you, and it’s okay.”
I was about to open my mouth to say something, but I shook my head and sighed.
“Do you want to see if maybe you can fit through that window? If we make it work, you can go around to the front and get some help,” he suggested.
I brightened at the idea of getting out, even if it meant not getting to converse with him anymore. It’s not like we could stay locked up here forever though.
“Yeah, let’s try it out.”
We both stood up, and I tried to stand on my tiptoes to reach the window, but I couldn’t. My eyes searched the room for something to use like a chair or something, but nothing would work.
“I’m going to lift you up, and you can try then, okay?” Evan said as he waited for my permission.
My mouth suddenly felt dry. “Okay.”
He placed his hands atop my waist, and gently hoisted me up as if I weighed next to nothing. Sparks of desire danced across my skin, and I tried to ignore the ripple effect that his touch was having on me.
I could feel how smooth his hands were, despite the callouses, but he also kept a tight grip on me which let me know that he had strong, capable hands. His hot breath danced across my neck as I shot up.
I grunted as I grabbed hold of the latch and began to nudge, but to no avail. It was a rusty old window, only meant to let a little bit of air in and nothing more.<
br />
“It’s no use. It’s too old,” I said as I wiped the thin sheen of sweat glistening on my forehead. I made a noise in the back of my throat as I tried using both hands to yank the window open.
Almost there….
My hands slipped, and I nearly screamed as my arms flailed, and I began to topple backwards. I squeezed my eyes shut as I waited for the painful thud that would no doubt ensue, and the pain that would careen up and down my body.
When it never came, my eyes flew open, and I realized that instead of landing on the cold hard ground, I was pressed up against solid flesh.
Evan was underneath me, his chest rising and falling unevenly, and his arms were still wrapped securely around me. I realized that he maneuvered himself, so that he took the brunt of the fall, and I was safe.
“I’m so sorry.” My hands came up to my face as I glanced down at him, hoping he wasn’t seriously injured. “Are you okay?”
He peered up at me, and I could have sworn I saw the faint outline of a smile tugging on the corner of his lips. “I’ve had worse.”
“I’m such a klutz. I really am sorry. I just thought if I pulled hard enough, it would open itself.”
“I can see that,” he responded as I felt his heartbeat beneath my fingertips.
Suddenly, I became aware of the fact that I had one leg on either side, as if I was straddling him, and his hands had settled on my ass.
I wanted to say something, but I was enjoying this position too much, and given that he hadn’t voiced any complaints either, I had to venture a guess and say that he liked it too.
“Is that blood?” I stared at the drops on his shirt as I tried to look around for something to staunch the bleeding.
His grip on me tightened. “Lexi.”
I froze as I heard his name.
“That’s not my blood.”
“What do you mean it’s not your blood?” I asked, confusion lacing my tone. It had to be his, it couldn’t possibly be mine.
“Your hand.” I could hear the frown in his voice. “I think you cut yourself.”
“What?” I stared down at my hand, and it was only then that I felt the hot and sticky liquid, and the metallic taste of blood filled my nostrils.
“Here.” He pushed himself up, so that we were pressed chest to chest, and I heard the sound of fabric being ripped apart. He took my hand in his and expertly bandaged it up.