Love Handles (Oakland Hills #1)(61)

Damn, he’s big. She tested his strength by leaning heavily on him, and he didn’t budge. The pain shooting up her heel was better than yesterday morning but still made it hard to walk normally. To her surprise, the two-inch mules her sister had picked out for her relieved some of the pressure. Then she had the dress to go with the shoes, and put the makeup on to go with the dress—

Did he even notice how totally hot she was?

“Something in Ed’s suite?” He bent his knees and took more of her weight on his arm. “Let me guess—an all-you-can-eat donut buffet.”

“You should share these good ideas of yours,” she said. “Don’t be shy.”

They got into the elevator. She pressed the now-accessible button to her grandfather’s floor.

Suddenly she became aware of the location of his hand holding her forearm—right under her left breast. He had to know where his fingers were, yet he wasn’t making any effort to readjust his grip. The elevator door closed and the car rose. She stared straight ahead, not up into the warm brown eyes of her executive vice president who was touching her again.

The old elevator was slow. Her heel throbbed—but not badly enough to stumble sideways as she suddenly did, which forced him to put his arm around her waist and pull her closer.

His body tensed, his hand opening along the curve of her waist, showing her he’d come to the same conclusion. She kept reliving how he had almost kissed her on the front porch of his mother’s house, the way his knee pushed between her legs when he pinned her against the door, and decided that dealing with this issue immediately was of professional value to both of them.

She reached forward and pressed the emergency stop button, freezing them between floors. “Liam—”

And then he was there. Trapping her face with his free hand, he dropped his head and covered her mouth with his, hard and fast. Just as her veins flooded with heat, he broke the kiss and his hold on her and stepped away.

She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. He looked furious, scowling at her and shaking his head like it was her fault.

Scowling back, she moved right up to him until her breasts brushed against his chest, slid her hand around the back of his neck, and pulled him down where she could reach him.

He came to life. His mouth opened over hers in a deep, angry kiss, and she stretched up against him, reveled in the feel of his hands in the valley of her back, the way he held her hips against his while his tongue slipped between her teeth and tangled with hers. His hands couldn’t stay still; they slid up her ribs and up the sides of her breasts and down her spine and under the swell of her ass, all while his mouth devoured her. She forgot about everything but his touch.

He released her again, or maybe she pulled away to breathe. Her back thumped against the wall of the elevator, and they stared at each other, breathing heavily, open-mouthed and shocked.

In a rush, they came together again. After a long, deep kiss, he trailed his lips along her jaw and licked the curve of her ear.

A flare of heat made her gasp. Her knees weakened.

“Bev—”

“Don’t—say it—”

They rotated, and she was the one pinning him against the wall, running her hands up his chest, measuring and savoring the planes of his body. He looked down at her with a stunned, ecstatic expression on his face, letting her break all the rules by herself until it seemed too much for him. He grabbed her around the waist and hauled her up to his mouth.

The elevator bell rang, but Bev tilted her head and sucked Liam’s tongue, making him groan. His hold on her broke. She slid down his body until the tips of her toes hit the floor. When her heels landed a shock of pain shot through her leg, and she gasped into his mouth.

He tore his lips away. “You’re hurt,” he breathed.

She tried to hide it. Pressed herself against him.

But he gripped her shoulders and pushed her an arm’s length away. “Let me see.” He sank down to the floor and took her foot in his hands. His thumb rubbed the sore spot, just under the heel, while his hair brushed the outside of her bare leg. She was tormented with warring pleasures and pain.

Putting her hand on his shoulder for support, she struggled for air, wiggling her foot for his benefit. “I’m fine—just—forgot about it.”

The high-pitched elevator alarm bell seemed to be getting louder. Soon somebody was going to call for help.

And not the help she needed. She released his shoulder and limped over to the elevator controls to release the car.

“Good idea.” Liam stood up. “Don’t want the attention.” He reached out to take her arm again, but she drew back and held up a hand to stop him. He stared at her, chest heaving, then turned away.

They both began straightening their clothes. Bev didn’t know her own thoughts, let alone his. In seconds, the elevator doors opened, and they stood on opposite sides of the car, not looking at each other. His face was flushed, but blank. She had no idea what to do next. What was he thinking? Casual sex had always been a disaster for her, but what else could this be? They were in a f*cking elevator. Literally.

She stepped off the car in a daze, and he followed.

Seeming remarkably calm, he strode down the hall ahead of her. “You were going to show me something?”

She felt flushed. Ashamed of what she’d begun.

She’d known this might happen. He didn’t need to see what she'd done to her grandfather’s suite in person—he’d get the same email as everyone else. She’d just wanted to see his face when he found out she was going to open up an employee gym and lounge for everyone in the building—and had wanted to be alone with him again.