The sound of the elevator caught her attention.Holy shit! She rushed to the end of the hall and saw the number illuminated over the door. It was fixed. Her mind immediately went to Bogs. He and his friends must have talked to the Super. All the tenants had been complaining for months without any action. She smirked. She would have loved to have seen the guys demanding it be fixed. The elevator sounded and she waited for the doors to open. It felt like Christmas morning. She rocked back on her feet.
Thank you, Bogs.
The guy had taken up residency in her head. She just couldnot get him out of her head, no matter how hard she tried. His eyes staring back at her with a glint of amusement and humor, then narrowing into a seductive stare. He was a complete stranger, she had barely spoken ten words to him, and she was officially obsessed. It was absurd, utterly ridiculous. Yet, every night when she closed her eyes, there he was. She drew in a deep breath, if ever there was a man to fantasize about, Bogs was it.
Her smile faltered when the doors opened, leaving her face to face with Vinny.Oh shit. They locked eyes, his brows furrowing at the sight of her. The feeling was mutual, she just hid it better. How could she have been so wrong about him? Did he really think she would be interested in someone twice her age? Her answer was obvious from the death stare he was sending her. She gulped and retreated a step. Taking the stairs wasn’t looking so bad anymore. Definitely safer. She was not about to get into an empty elevator with this man. Her body stiffened, on high alert. If he made one move, she would bolt back to the apartment.
“Are you getting in or not?” he snapped.
She flinched at his harsh tone. She tightened her grip on her bag. No way. She didn’t answer him, which seemed to piss him off even more. His lips frowned down. A small sense of relief rushed through her as the doors began to close. Before they could completely close, a large hand gripped the door and pulled it back open. A gorgeous set of hazel eyes peeked around the edge of the door. She cocked her head and felt her lips curl.
“You coming, sweetheart?”
Oh my God. It was him. Her eyes widened while her stomach did a crazy flip. There he was! She was thinking of him, and now he was in front of her.Strange. She must have looked like a crazy woman to him. She was frozen in her spot staring at him like he was God. At this moment, he did feel like her savior. Saving her from being alone in anelevator with Vinny.
His lips curved into a beautiful smile and he jerked his head. “Come on.”
Immediately, she stepped forward. She was in a trance as she entered, keeping her eyes on Bogs. She walked two steps to the opposite side of where he stood and leaned back against the wall.
It’s not fate, girl, he’s looking for Taylor, remember?Still, the way he looked at her...
His eyes remained on her when he released the door and it started to close. It had been awhile since she had gotten the heart-racing-palm-sweating-stomach-flipping sensation rush from a mere look from a guy. Men looked at her. A lot. She was pretty, not drop dead gorgeous, but men appreciated her beauty.
The elevator shifted and she broke contact with him to gaze down at the floor.Taylor, Taylor, Taylor.He wasn’t just a random guy. He had an agenda which didn’t include her. It was a shame though. Lord, he was hot. She refrained from fanning herself.
The elevator made it to the next floor and the doors opened. Vinny grunted. “At this rate, I’ll never get to work.” He was angry. Now this guy was a douche. Did he really expect, after months of going without the elevator that everyone in the building wouldn’t be eager to use it? She glanced up at his clenched jaw.Jerk.
Three neighbors moved forward including Ms. Duncan in her wheelchair. Poor woman had been home-bound since the elevator stopped working a few months ago. Several times, Kenzie had picked up some groceries for her, and on occasion helped her aide get her down the stairs so she could go to the park.
“Morning, dear.” Ms. Duncan smiled and Kenzie immediately waved.
“Good morning.”
The wheelchair took up a large portion of the elevator.She was tempted to get out and use the stairs. She shifted to the door but stopped when a hand rested on her hip, lightly forcing her back to her spot. She looked up to see Bogs as he turned. He grasped the handles of the chair and angled it into the corner.
Ms. Duncan blushed and smiled up at him. “Thank you, dear.” It was almost comical. At least she knew it wasn’t just her enamored with Bogs. He smiled down at her and Kenzie’s heart pounded in her chest. That smile, that face. She avoided licking her lips but it took effort.
A loud grunt from her left caught her attention. Vinny was glaring with disgust. “Can we go already? Some of us have to work here.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him to shut up. How had she been so wrong about him? She might have said something but Bogs beat her to it. He slowly shifted his head and looked over his shoulder before standing straight to full height. Impressive. He must have been over six feet, making Vinny look small. Or maybe it was the way Vinny slightly cowered.
His side profile was just as good looking at the front. His nose was long and pointed at the end. His brow line was strong but his brows were thick making him appear softer. The indent of his cheekbones gave him a chiseled look. Like a model. His hair was the best, short on the sides, golden strands woven through light brown hair. The top was longer, not really curls, but a wavy mess. His face had a five o’clock shadow. She loved that. She could almost feel the stubble against her jaw.
“Excuse me?”
That was all he said. He was daring Vinny to say it again. Although she didn’t have a desire to see a fight break out in the tiny enclosure, she did enjoy seeing the jerk squirm.
“I just, uh...” Kenzie watched his Adam’s apple bob twice. “I need to get to work.”
Bog’s face hardened before smirking. “Oh, yeah, I get it. Here.” He backed up and Kenzie had no choice but to braceher hands on his waist to keep him from smothering her. Or so she thought until he stopped an inch from her.
He reached over, opened the door, and gestured to Vinny. “Take the stairs, man, it’ll be quicker.” His tone was calm and smooth, as if it were merely a helpful suggestion. It wasn’t.
Kenzie clamped her lips together but couldn’t hold back her smile. A few soft gasps echoed in the elevator. She couldn’t control her giggle from watching Vinny. Shock cast over his face and he flushed. Bogs was basically kicking him out of the elevator.
He rushed out through the doors as two more people made their way inside. She hadn’t realized she was still gripping his waist until he moved. His hands grasped hers and ushered into the corner. She tugged at her hands but he clasped his fingers through hers.He’s holding my hands!Strong, large calloused palms scraped over her hands sending a tremble over her body. What the hell was that about? His thumb drew circles over the back of her hand. She glanced up at the back of his head and blinked. This was crazy. Why on earth was she allowing a total stranger to basically hold her hand? Heat prickled over her chest rising up her neck. Not holding, caressing.
A loud burst of laughter boomed as the doors closed again. Everyone was making comments and commending Bogs for being a gentleman and putting Vinny in his place. Obviously, she wasn’t the only neighbor with distaste for the man. All the while, he stood in front of her stroking a light touch over her hands. It felt intimate, as if they weren’t in a crowded elevator.
