by Clara Bayard
Once the elevator started moving I closed my eyes and sighed, relaxing. In under a minute I’d be away from the confusion of sharing space with him. The attraction and irritation were dizzying and I didn’t have time for that. For anything that might keep me from being my best. No matter how much I could still feel the press of his fingers on my skin, the sharp pleasure of his kiss.
Mid reverie, we stopped. I looked up at the display panel, but it was blank. We hadn’t stopped at a floor. Then the lights flickered a few times.
“Oh no.”
Rick glanced at me and then went over to push a button. Nothing happened.
For a second I thought my throat was closing up. I couldn’t breathe. I scraped my hands through my hair a dozen times, trying to calm down, center myself. It was just a blip. We’d be moving any second. I just had to keep it together. Not let him see.
“You okay?”
I shook my head, but didn’t look at him. “Leave me alone.”
He chuckled. “Sweetheart, we’re trapped in an elevator together. That’s not really possible.”
“Shut up!” I said a little too loud. “We’re not trapped. It’s going to move. It has to move.”
I looked at the doors as if they would help with my panic. Then over at Rick, figuring he’d be laughing at me and I could get mad at him to distract myself. But he was just standing there, looking more concerned by the moment. “What? Why are you staring at me?”
“Are you…are you afraid?”
“Obviously, you fucking moron.”
He smiled, but not cruelly. “I forgot. You said in the theater, you don’t like being trapped. Claustrophobia?”
“Just a little. It’s fine most of the time. When it’s okay. When the elevator is working or a door isn’t locked. I just…oh god.” My hands were clammy as I clasped them together in front of me.
“Julia, relax. I’m sure it’ll only be a minute. Look, I’ll find out what’s happening.” He pushed the emergency call thingy and bent down in front of the little speaker. Nothing happened.
“Shit.”
“It’s okay. We just have to wait a minute.”
“What are you, an elevator expert?”
“No. I’m an everything expert.”
I went to snap at him, but looked at his face first. “Another joke? You tell jokes?”
“Doesn’t everyone?”
“Not you. Ask anyone on the planet. You’re a surly bastard who hates everything and everyone except your band.”
He shrugged. “That’s not far off, but I do have a sense of humor, too.” He considered for a moment. “Sometimes.”
I smiled weakly.
The lights in the elevator flickered again, and then went out. Thin emergency lights offered the only illumination. I pressed my back hard against the wall and started shaking.
“Hey! Hey,” Rick said, coming over to stand in front of me. “Look at me. This is fine. No big deal. Do you have your phone?”
I nodded.
“Hand it over. There’s a number on the wall, I’ll call it.”
I reached into my pocket and gave him my phone. I was trying so hard not to freak out. Even if he was capable of acting like something resembling a human being, I didn’t want him to see terror or weakness in me. Because he could use it, and because…I wanted him to think good things about me, not bad. Rick was definitely the kind of guy who wouldn’t be attracted to a scared girl. Which meant I wanted him to be attracted to me. Another thought I didn’t have the energy to deal with at the moment.
He was on the phone for a few minutes. Time I used to settle myself down a little, on all fronts. When he hung up, Rick handed my phone back and smiled.
“See? No big deal. Some bullshit about the power outages. Elevator is stopped for our protection. They’ll fix the juice and have us moving again in like ten minutes.”
“Yeah?”
“Yup.”
“Okay,” I said, looking away from him. “Is it warm in here? I feel warm.”
“Air conditioning is off.”
“Right.” This terse little conversation was making me more nervous, not less. “You know what, let’s just have quiet time, okay?”
“You’re kidding, right?”
I shook my head. “No. Why?”
“You want to just stand here silently for ten minutes?”
“No. I want to be up in my room taking a shower. But if we’re stuck here together, I don’t want to argue the whole time.”
“Why would we?”
“Hello? Where have you been the last few days. You and I can’t go five minutes together without bitching. Well, you bitch. I defend myself.”
“Well,” he said slowly, getting my attention as he stepped in closer. “We did manage to avoid arguing for longer than that, actually.”
“Stop right there. That was a bout of insanity on my part. One I have no plans to repeat. And even if I did, it wouldn’t be here and now.”
His lip curled in a sexy smile. “Why not? You said you don’t want to talk, I’m offering a much better option. Don’t pretend you’re not interested.”
“I’m not.”
Rick put one finger on my shoulder and it took every ounce of strength in me to keep from moaning. “You are. Every inch of you wants me. I can tell.”
“You can’t tell anything,” I said lamely. “Now please go over there and keep away from me.”
He looked intently into my eyes for a long moment and then backed away. “Fine. Tell me why not. Tell me what’s so repulsive about the idea of me kissing you again. Was it my breath?”
I snorted. “No.” I cocked my head to the side and looked at him. “You really don’t know. Jesus, Rick. You’re an asshole. You’ve been rude to me since the second we met. And from what I’ve heard, every girl who comes near your band for more than a day gets treated like total shit. Except for the groupies, of course. I’m not some desperate loser. I don’t need the validation of your dick one minute when you’ll be insulting me the next.”
He barked out a laugh, but then frowned. “I haven’t insulted you or anyone else.”
“Is that right? I bet Becca would tell a different story.”
“I haven’t done anything to that uptight chick.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, fine. Maybe we’ve gotten into it a few times. But she almost ruined everything.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I saw what happened to Dex when he started getting into her. Drinking even more, fucking up worse. And then he was going to quit the tour for her. That’s bullshit. Pussy is great and all, but not worth ruining all of our careers for.”
I nodded. “I get it. You were jealous.”
“What? Of course not.” He crossed his arms and glared. “She’s not bad-looking if you go for the librarian type, but I didn’t want her.”
“Ugh. First of all, that’s not what I meant. You were jealous that she might be more important to Dex than the band. And you had the same problem with Joe’s girl too, I bet.”
“Whatever. You don’t know shit about me, sweetheart.”
“Oh I do now. And hell, I kind of understand. We’re doing what most people wouldn’t dare dream of. It’s so fleeting and we have to fight to keep it. I respect that, really. But it doesn’t mean you need to be a total fucking asshole to everyone.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“You didn’t seem to mind yesterday.”
“This again. Okay, fine. Since we’re being honest here, yeah. You turn me on. And it was fun kissing you, even under the circumstances. But it can’t happen again.”
“Why not, because Becca hates me?”
“No, because I do.”
“You don’t.”
“Well, maybe hate is too strong a word. Rick, when I look at you, god, I just want to do unspeakable things. But when you talk…I kind of want to punch you in the nose. I don’t know if there’s a name for that, but I have it. Bad.”
SEVEN
Rick laughed. It was a full, deep, open sound, and it lit up his face even in the sickly glow of the dim lights. “Fuck, you are an honest one.”
I shrugged. “We’re stuck here, might as well put my cards on the table.”
“Fine. Here are mine. I can’t stop thinking about you, Julia. Can’t stop looking at you. I’m itching to get my hands on you again.”
“Why? Because I’m turning you down? You’re that guy?”
“No. Shit, no. I can’t explain it. You’re not even my type.”
“Of course not. You like tiny little things you can show off to your friends and forget about just as quick.”
“Well, sure. But that’s not what I mean. Hell, I like girls of all shapes and sizes. Hot is hot.”
“Uh-huh.”
“God, what is it with you? Is this about Becca again? Did I call her fat or something? Maybe. I don’t know. But I just say shit. Throw whatever dart is going to hurt the worst.”
“And this is your sales pitch? Not exactly a panty-dropper, pal.”
He shook his head. “You’re never gonna let me get away with anything, are you?”
“Not ever.”
“Well fuck me for being stupid, but that makes me want you even more.”
“You want me to punish you for being such a jerk? Not my kink.”
“No.” His voice lowered and he prowled over to me. “I want you to put your hands on me. I want to feel your legs wrapped around me. I want to pull your hair while I ride you until we both pass out. I want to watch your face when I make you come.”
That little speech was not one I had a witty retort to. I might have, but all the blood was leaving my brain and I swayed on my feet a little. I tried to chalk it up to fear of being trapped, but in truth, I barely remembered we were in an elevator at all.
Rick’s words echoed through my brain and around my body. And the look in his eyes set me on fire.
“I give up,” I said breathlessly. “Let’s do this.”
He grinned. “That’s romantic.”
“Shut up and kiss me, you asshole.”
He did. Crushing his mouth against mine, hard and probing. His tongue drove deep inside and his whole body enveloped me. Rick’s passion was as brash and unapologetic as his personality, but in this case, it worked.
But I didn’t let him just take me. I met him, kiss for kiss and touch for touch. When his teeth caught my tongue I dug my nails into the skin of his neck. When he pressed me hard against the wall of the elevator, I bit down on his lower lip.
It was exactly how I wanted him. Rough and hard. Uninhibited. Raw and delicious. Letting go and taking what I wanted felt amazing. Freeing.
Rick kissed his way down to my neck and buried his face there. Stubble stung my skin as he sucked and licked at the spot he’d marked before. It almost hurt in the most wonderful way.
He straightened up long enough to speak. “I did that?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I’ll give you a hundred more from head to toe.”
I think I actually swooned a little. This was insane. And perfect.
His hand slid down over my breasts and my back arched. He found the zipper and tugged, releasing my round flesh barely contained in a black satin bra.
In the back of my mind I thought about the fact that we were in a public place. The car could start moving again, the doors open to let anyone see us. Let alone the strong likelihood that there was a security camera trained on us.
But when Rick’s fingernail scraped over the pebbled tip of one breast, I resolved to not care one tiny bit. There was no room in my brain for logic or concern. It was flooded with desire and I wanted it. Needed it. Escape. Recklessness.
I moaned and hitched one leg up around his body, pulling him closer. I could feel the length of him, pressing against his jeans, straining the fabric.
Suddenly, I was like a thing possessed. Scratching and clawing, shoving clothes aside to get to his bare skin. The velvet softness with steel core of muscles below. Heavenly.
Rick lifted me up higher against the wall, bracing my legs around his hips. My mouth found his ear and I nipped and then tugged at it. He cupped my breasts, kneading them before slipping one hand down to the seam of my jeans, over my heated core, tight with desire for him.
He paused and looked into my eyes, whether for permission or not, I didn’t care.
To make my intentions clear, I reached down and flicked open the button on my pants before curling my hands over his broad shoulders.
Rick chuckled low and pushed his hand down between my panties and my skin. I shuddered at the first touch as his fingers raked through my damp curls to the center of my body. I was so ready. It took a few tries for him to find the angle he wanted, but each attempt sent his thick fingers across my crease and the tiny bud above, driving me closer and closer to losing control completely.
And then, he managed it. Slid one digit inside me. I let out a sound more like a wail than a moan and my head fell back against the wall. Hanging there, supported by it and his body, all I could do was hold on tight.
He pressed in and then retreated only to start all over again. Teasing and maddening. My core tightened around his finger, my moisture easing the way, drawing him back again and again.
With another finger he circled my clit and I lost it. Screaming and clawing at his arms I exploded. The climax was razor sharp and my eyes squeezed shut as I rode out the peak before collapsing against him, my cheek on his chest, feeling the thundering of his heart.
“We have to get out of here,” Rick muttered.
I smiled, but didn’t raise my head. “Why?”
“Because I need to be inside you and I don’t have a condom.”
The idea, that if he did, he planned to use it right there thrilled me. It was ridiculous and incredibly stupid, but that made it even more erotic.
I licked my dry lips and looked up at him. His fingers were still poised over my entrance, stroking gently. “That is a shame.”
His eyes were hooded with desire. “You would let me, wouldn’t you. Fuck you right here, right now. Against this wall?”
I smiled and shook my head. “No.” I pulled his hand away from me and lowered myself to the floor so I was standing, but still pressed tightly against him. “I wouldn’t let you. I’d make you. And it wouldn’t be against the wall. I’d lay you down on the floor and climb on top.”
He shuddered against me, hips flexing. “Give me your phone,” he said through gritted teeth.
I feigned innocence. “Why?”
“Because if they don’t get us out of here in the next thirty seconds I’m opening those doors with my teeth.”
I gave him the phone and turned away to get my clothes back in order. As my excitement faded a little, doubts crept in. This was a mistake. Again. And worse this time. But, casting a look over at Rick, I knew it didn’t matter. My brain wasn’t in charge when he was close to me. My body craved him. Needed him. And now that I’d had another taste, I wasn’t going to be able to fight it much longer.
Sure, I could have played the game. Kept avoiding him, ignoring the heated looks and sexual charge. But, the truth was, I didn’t want to. I knew I should, but I couldn’t be bothered. This wasn’t going to be some epic love affair.
The whole point of this new phase in my career was living life on my terms. Doing things the way I wanted. And what I wanted more than anything right now was Rick. And I meant to have him, damn the consequences.
Sadly, it took a lot longer than thirty seconds for us to get out of the elevator. I was too busy trying to control my libido to check the time, but it was either ten minutes or a thousand years. Without having to discuss it, Rick and I stayed on opposite sides of the car, keeping as much distance between us as possible. But now that we’d opened the door to desire, there was no way to fully contain it.
The sensation was like nothing I’d felt before. With five feet of space between us it felt like electr
ical current arced between our bodies. The closest I’d ever felt to this was onstage. When the crowd was mine, hanging on every note and I was in the zone, just letting it happen, giving everything I had. Magical.
By the time the elevator lights turned back on and we rode up to my floor, I was gone. On the outside I managed to thank the technician waiting for us there and walk calmly towards my door, but inside I was a tightly coiled spring of need.
Likewise, Rick went with me wordlessly, but I noted he was careful not to touch me until I’d unlocked the door. Then, like a rocket taking off, he pushed me ahead of him into the room so fast he stumbled.
I giggled, high on the weirdness and rush of hormones.
We tumbled into the room together, hurrying to remove clothes and shoes and get to the bed as quickly as possible. Rick turned away as he threw his shirt onto the floor and my mouth watered at the intricate tattoos that covered the wide expanse of his back.
Throwing all caution to the wind I shoved him down onto the bed on his stomach.
He laughed. “What the hell?”
I didn’t say anything, just slid my jeans off and climbed up, straddling his narrow waist. I bent down and kissed along the line of his spine, my fingers dancing over his ink. One day I would ask about each one. The stylized web. The tightly wound knot. The sharp barbed wire.
But with his skin on mine, talk was the last thing I wanted to do.
Sitting back, I traced the lines of muscles up to his shoulders and down his arms.
“That feels great, Julia, but if you let me up I could be a little more involved in this party.”
“If you want something, take it.”
He growled and flipped us both over, managing to catch me at the waist so I didn’t fall to the floor. In a second he was above me, braced on his arms to look into my eyes. “I want everything.”
I smiled and bit down on my lower lip. “So what are you waiting for?”
Rick kissed me hard once and then slid lower, unhooking my bra and freeing my breasts. He held each in one hand and settled in between my spread thighs. He licked each tip slowly, rolling his tongue around the sensitive skin over and over again.
“Hurry,” I hissed.
He chuckled. “Won’t argue with you on that one. Have you got…?”