Chapter 17
My chin dimpled as I waited through the humiliation for the elevator to arrive. I just about shattered into a million pieces when it finally pinged open. Tears stung my eyes as I jabbed the lobby button.
As I stared into my own eyes, a bolt of horror hit me. If he called reception, there was every chance Needledick would be waiting for me.
No . . . not me—a blonde-haired bimbo.
I yanked my wig off and shoved the long synthetic locks into my purse.Scrambling at the pinsthat heldmy hair in place, I tousled itoutaround my shoulders.I plucked my contacts from my eyes and, flicked them on top of the wig, and forced the clutch to close.
Using the underside of my hem, I scrubbed my lippy off, grateful my dress was black.Then I licked my thumbsandcareful not to touch my lashes,Idesperately wiped away as much blue eye shadow as I could.The thick mascara would have to stay.
For the first timeever, I was grateful for the slow elevator.
By the time it did a little jig announcing its arrival at the lobby, I was back to Jane.Well,Jane in a stylish dress, classy high heels, and an abundance of mascara.
The door pinged open, and Needledick was right there.His arms were foldedacross his chest, his legs apart, and a deep scowlwas drilledonto his face.
“Oh, hi, John. Are you okay?”
He blinked at me, his jaw ajar. “Did you see a blonde woman?”
“Yeah.” I frowned. “She got out on the first floor.” Holy shit, I’m clever.
His eyes bulged. “Christ!” He jumped into the elevator.
I stepped out. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s that hooker.” He jabbed a button over and over. “I’m going to get her this time.”
“Oh, do you want my help?”
“No. I’ve got this.” As the doors closed, he clenched his jaw and nodded at me.
Ten seconds later, I burst out laughing as I crossed the lobby. But five secondsafter that, the enormity of how closethat was hit me. I stepped outside, crossed the road, and stood on the path, looking out to the ocean.
Jesus.The adrenaline rush of the last ten minutes hit me like a thunderbolt, and before I crumbled to the pavement, I moved over to the bench seat and sat down. The sun was a white fireball hanging high off the ocean, yet it was still cool. A gentle breeze drifted up from the water, cooling the inferno coursing through me.
What had gone wrong? Why didn’t Luca want me? My first rejection was a slap to my face, and it stung like hell. I forced back tears as I tried to focus on thepositive—my close escape.
I needed coffee and food, but most of all, I needed Lolita.
It took all my effort to crawl to the Blue Haven Café. I sat at our usual table out the front, and when Matt arrived with his customary dour look, I ordered a cappuccino in a mug and a slice of chocolate mud cake with ice cream and extra cream. A sugar fix was imperative.
Once I’d sorted out my tumbling emotions, I rang Lolly.
“Hey, babe,” she answered on the first ring.
“Hey.”
“Oh dear. What’s happened?”
I swore the woman was a freak. All I’d said was one word, and she knew I was troubled. I tumbled it all out, not even stopping when my sugar fix arrived.
“Jesus, that was close.”
“I know.”
“Hey, but you didn’t get caught.”
I spooned the rich cake into my mouth, rendering it impossible to answer.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” she blurted out. “Don’t you go stopping your challenge now!”
Sometimes, it felt like Lolita was inside my head because Ihad been thinking thatthis disaster may have been a sign that I should stop. Luca had been so flirtatious. Of all the guys I’d hadso farthis year, he waseasilythe one who’d given all the right signals. I’d thought he was a sure thing. After thirty-three sexual encounters, I still had no understanding of men.
“Jane.” Lolly snapped me back to the conversation.
“I’m here.”
“Tell me what you’re thinking.”
I sighed. “I just don’t get it. Luca was flirting with me last night, and I swear he was so ready to jump into my pants. Yet when I did go to him, he rejected me. It hurt, Lolly. I thought I understood men.”
“Pfft, babe, you’ll never understand men. They’re fucking off the planet when it comes to logic. You know that Mars/Venus thing. Well, it’s more like Mercury/Pluto—that’s how far apart we are whenit comes tounderstanding each other.”
“But how could I have got him so wrong?”
“Who cares? I’m amazed you’ve gone this far without a rejection.”
I gasped. “Really?”
“Shit yeah. It’s a testament to how fucking hot you look.”
I grumbled and ate another bite of cake.
“Now, you listen to me. You’ve had one rejection in thirty-four weeks. What’s that? Like, point-zero-zero-zero-sixty-nine percent?” She laughed. Math was not her strong suit. “That’s nothing,” she continued. “Men and women would never hook up if we gave up after one rejection.Thisshould just make you more determined.”
“Umm, why?”
“To prove to yourself that you’re fucking worthy, of course. That Luca guy was a loser, and he just missed out on the best sex in his life.”
I chuckled.
“That’s better. Now, it’s Friday already. You have three days to find a man with a hard-on who can keep you on track.”
We laughed together. “I’ll see what happens.”
“No, you fucking won’t. You’ll make it happen. Do you hear me?”
“Yes, Mom.”
“Bullshit, I’m not your mom. I’m your mentor, and that’s an order.”
“Okay. Love you.”
“Love yatoo.Mwahhhh.” She hung up the phone, and I forked ahugemouthful ofchocolate cake smothered in whipped cream into my mouth.
Sunday morning came around too quickly, and I was in trouble. If I didn’t find a sexual partner in the next fourteen hours, my year-long challenge was over. I’d tried heaps, but not one man who’d walked through my marble lobby had suited. It was as if all the single men in the world had suddenly gone underground.
The phone rang.“Welcome to the Hot Horizon Hotel, this’sJane, howcan I help you?”
“Jane, it’s John. I’m so sorry, but I’m going to be late. Can you cover for me?”
My already despondent mood dropped even lower. “How much later?”
“I’m not sure, at least three hours, but it could be as late as eleven o’clock. I’m at the hospital with Mom, and they need to run some tests.”
I sighed. “Sure, okay.”
“You’re a lifesaver. I owe you.”
Yes, you do. About a million times over.“Ring me if you’ll be later than that.”
“I will. I’m sorry.” He hung up, and I put the handset down and slumped into the chair.
Great.I checked the clock. It was 6:15 a.m. What was I going to do for the next five hours?I’d already shuffled things around in the stationery cupboard,andI’dcleaned the fridge out last week.Checkout wasn’t until midday on a Sunday, so I didn’t even have that little distraction to look forward to.
I tugged open the top drawer and pulled out the bundle of pens. Half an hour later, I’d tossed out the twentyor sopens that didn’t work and then color-coded the rest into groups that I secured with rubber bands. The job I’d once thought wasinterestinghad become boring as bat-shit.
I laughed, and the sound echoed about the marble expanse. That was the saying Henry had used the day I’d met him. Thinking of Henry reminded me that my job wasn’tboring—not all the time, anyway.It was imperative that I focusedon the positive, or I’d begin to hate my job.
Ateight-fifteen, two incredible positives strolled into the building. I sat up, touched my hair, and wished like hell I’d used some of the boring time at the desk to apply morelippy.I swallowed back my thumping heart as two firemen approached my counter.
“Hello, ma’am. Is John available?”
“Oh, um, no, he isn’t.He’s beendelayed.” There is a heaven, and I live in it! “I’m Jane Nichols, the night manager. Can I help you?” Remove your clothes or something similar?
The taller one ran his hand through his short, dark hair.“We’re here todo a routine check onyour sprinkler system water tank.”
“Oh. It’s on the roof, right? I can show you the way.” I put the ‘back in five minutes’ sign on the counter.
“You here alone, Jane?”
Was that a pick-up line?It sounded like a line. “Yes, always.”
“Roger, how about you stay here and watch the counter for Jane while we go up to the roof?”
“Yep, no probs.”
Roger put his hat on the counter, and the tall fireman turned to me. “Lead the way.”
My heels clicked across the marble tiles in time to my beating heart. I pressed the button and sucked on my bottom lip in an attempt not to drool.
He held his hand toward me. “I’m Nathan Carmichael, by the way.”
When our palms touched, the earth moved.Actually,it was more like a full-blown earthquake.
The doors opened, and we stepped in, turned, and stood side by side, facing the mirrors.Hewasn’t even touching me, yet just being in this tiny space withhimmade the heat ofhisbody feel like a blanket was smothering me with burning desire. The insatiable urge started deep within me and raced through every nerve in my body. Memphis was needy, and I was just about bursting from a lack of control.
Nathan was eight inches taller than me and built like I’d expect afiremanto be built, with broad shoulders and bulging pecs that featured beneath his high-visibility, tight-fitting shirt. His nipples were hard lumps pointing at me like a couple of lethal weapons. The thick red braces holding up his florescent yellow pants brushed right alongside his nipples, and it took all my willpower not to reach over and snap those braces against his chest.
“Have you had a good night?” His voice was deep, throaty. Manly.
Not until now.“It was okay.”
“Do you always work the night shift?”
“Uh-huh.”
His eyes were light brown, like molten honey, and I wondered if he’d like to dribble honey all over me. I smacked that naughty thought aside. Remember, you are Jane. Memphis was clawing to get out, and I was grateful when the doors opened on the ninth floor.
I led the way along the corridor to the emergency exit at the end and opened the door. The glowing exit sign lit up the stairwell, and the closed-in space amplified Nathan’s breathing. The emergency stairs went both up and down from this point, and as I climbed each stair to the rooftop, my heart accelerated. Though, not from exertion.
Using my master access card, I opened the door, and as I squinted against the glare, I stepped out onto the rooftop. I stood aside and watched Nathan stride toward the water tower. His awkward gait was probably the result of his heavy-looking boots. He bent over at the water tower, and I once again thanked the stars for making Needledick late.
I sighed with contentment, but then, realizing how weird it would look with me standing behind him, I strolled to his side. “So, what exactly are you looking for?”
“Just checking that the valves are working. These older units need tobe examinedevery year. Shouldn’t take too long.”
“Take all the time you want.”
He smiled up at me, and my heart skipped a beat. With him down on one knee like that, it was as if he were proposing, and my giddy little brain was screaming hell yes. His long fingers worked quickly, flicking one valve after another, and I wondered what it would be like to have those lovely digits on me. In me.
Damn it, Memphis.
I needed to settle down.Hewas just doinghisjob. Like I was just doing my job.
After ten minutes or so, Nathan stood, towering over me again. “Okay, all done.”
Pity. I could’ve stayed here and watchedhimwork all day.
“Lead the way.”He indicatedfor me tostep in front, and I retraced our steps back to the ninth floor and pressed thebutton for the elevator.
He glanced down at me with his molten eyes, and I wascertainour breathing rose and fell in time. His hard nipples bulged through his red shirt and nudged against his braces. The angel and devil in my brainstruck upa rampant debate over whether or not I should reach out and pinch them.
The doors opened, we stepped in, and once again, we turned to stand side by side, facing the mirror.Heturned to me and looked down. His honey eyes oozed over me with more sexual desire than I’d ever seen.
Calm down, you horny bitch.You are Jane, not Memphis.
Next second, I had my back against the wall, his mouth crushed to mine, and within a heartbeat, he had my pencil skirt up around my waist and his hand in my underpants.
Our breaths mingled together, our tongues lashed each other, and with each bend of my knees, his finger plunged deeper inside me. Together, our moans tumbled from our throats and echoed about the mirrored cube.For the second time that day,I was grateful for the slow elevator.
Our raging passion, however, was anything but slow.
As I groped his chest, feeling every exquisitely carved muscle in his torso, he tore my panties from my body. The sharp ripping sound ricocheted through my lust-fueled body.
Clutching his shoulders, I raised my knee and hooked itupover his thigh. Two of his fingers plunged into me, rubbing over my clit and ramming me with ferocious intent. I gripped his high-visibility braces and cried out as an orgasm tore through me.
It was fast. It was incredible.
It blew my fucking mind.
He must have ESP or something because he suddenly released me, and theping of the elevatorannounced the doors were about to open. He smiled, and, oh my God, it was the most glorious smile ever. I blinked, trying to comprehend what just happened.
“You might want to pick those up.” He lowered his gaze to the floor.
I followed his eyes to my torn, lacy panties. “Shit!” As fast as lightning, I tugged my skirtdownand picked up my underwear.
The elevator opened, and he saluted me. “Thank you, ma’am.”
He strode casually across the lobby, his mate joined him, and they walked out the sliding glass doors. My jaw dropped when the two firemen high-fived each other andcarried on walkingas if everything was normal.
Thank God the lobby was empty because I could barely breathe, let alone walk to the reception desk. I straightened my ponytail, and as I concealed my underwear in my hand and wondered what the fuck just happened, I somehow crossed the marble expanse to my desk and flopped into my chair.
How the hell did Plain Jane get an orgasm in the elevator from a mysterious fireman? That shit just didn’t happen.
So much could have gone wrong. I crumbled into a mess.
That was so stupid. I could havebeen caught.
I have officially lost my fucking mind.