Fantasy for Hire - Erika Wilde Page 0,24
nervous, he acknowledged that, but she was giving off the wrong kind of vibes if she expected everyone to believe they had something going on. He wasn’t sure what to do about her remoteness, but his mind mulled over various ideas.
They followed the signs for Sharper Image’s party through the lush, expensively decorated lobby to a glass-enclosed elevator that shot straight up to the thirty-second floor and overlooked the bay. Stepping into the lift behind Teddy, Austin pressed the only button available that would take them to the tower’s ballroom.
The elevator, dimly lit inside to make it easier to look outside, slowly made its ascent, giving the occupants plenty of time to admire their surroundings. The evening sun had set almost an hour ago, but nightfall allowed them to appreciate the expanse of water beyond, and the twinkle of lights from the boats coasting along the ocean. A quarter of the way up, they had a breathtaking panorama of the Bay area.
The atmosphere was romantic, made more so by the intimate four-by-four cubicle that confined them. Teddy didn’t seem to notice, or appreciate, the ambience. She stood at the brass bar lining the thick glass enclosure, her gaze lost on something off in the distance.
“Nice view,” Austin commented, in an attempt to strike up a conversation. Standing behind her, the view was fantastic—she had a nice ass that deserved a lingering glance.
“Hmm,” was Teddy’s noncommittal response.
He rubbed a finger along his jaw and tried again. “It sure is an awfully long ride up. The possibilities of what a couple could do with all this time is endless.” He didn’t disguise the sexy innuendo in his voice.
“Hmm.” His suggestive comment didn’t faze her.
Frustration nipped at him. If he couldn’t even shock her into acknowledging him, then they were in for a disaster of an evening.
Finally, the right idea came to him, the shock value of which would either set her off, or wind her down. He was hoping for the latter result.
Reaching back to the button panel, he pressed the red one marked Stop. The elevator came to a slow, whirring halt somewhere between the lobby and the thirty-second floor.
She spun around, panic etching her features. “Oh my God! We’re stuck!”
A lazy, unrepentant grin kicked up the corner of his mouth. “I deliberately stopped the elevator.”
Her jaw dropped. “You what?”
He knew she’d heard him, so he didn’t bother wasting precious time by repeating himself. Instead, he closed the distance between them and braced his hands on the brass railing on either side of her hips, trapping her between the cool glass and his solid body.
A small, stunned gasp escaped her lips, and her body immediately grew rigid. “What are you doing?” she demanded.
His grin widened at her haughty tone, but it certainly didn’t deter him. Moving closer, he pressed his thighs against hers, and pushed a knee between her legs to keep her in place. “You know, if you don’t relax and shake off that tension that has been building since we left your place, we’re never going to convince your boss that we’re lovers.”
Teddy dampened her bottom lip with her tongue, then released a long breath. “You’re right,” she admitted, and clearly expected him to release her.
Not totally convinced of her acquiescence, which he suspected was an act for his benefit, he kept her pinned right where he had her. The shock value was about to increase. “What do you think, Teddy, should we start the party off with a bang and give your co-workers something to talk about?”
Even in the dim light illuminating the interior of the elevator, he could see the suspicion in her gaze. “What do you mean?”
He caressed the back of his hand down her soft cheek, strummed his fingers along her neck, watching as her deep brown eyes darkened with the first stirrings of desire. “How about a quickie at eighteen floors up overlooking the bay?”
She gasped in wide-eyed astonishment, then a burst of laughter bubbled up from her chest. “You’re outrageous!”
He chuckled along with her. “You have to admit that the thought is thrilling…maybe just a little bit.”
She glanced down at their position, and he wondered if she realized what a perfect support that brass bar behind her would be. It would be just a matter of lifting her dress, removing her panties, unzipping his pants and letting her sit on that sturdy bar with her back braced against the window as he slid inside her and she wrapped her legs around his hips…
He