She stepped out from the patio doors and was almost lifted up by the strong wind. It was blowing so hard it actually took her breath away. She stood there for a few minutes and watched as lightening slashed across the sky.
She loved adverse weather. Her family thought she was crazy because as everyone else was running for cover, she would grab a chair to watch the show. She delighted in the smells, sights, sounds and excitement of a great storm.
After a few minutes, the wind got even stronger and she decided she’d better head in before she looked like she’d taken a ride in a tornado. She stepped back through the doors, unaware Alex had watched both her exit and return.
If she hadn’t come in when she did, he would’ve gone out after her. When she walked through the doors, he had eyes for her alone. She looked more gorgeous than ever before. Some of her hair had escaped the tight confines of her bun and her cheeks were flushed red. She looked as if she’d just crawled out of his bed after a night of lovemaking.
He tried not to think about her or look for her but his gaze kept seeking her out. He rejected several women, who made it more than clear they’d be willing to warm his bed that night. He only wanted one woman to do that and the rest of the women in the room paled in comparison to her.
Jessica made small talk with several people, only half listening, for the next couple of hours. Her head was starting to get fuzzy from the number of drinks she was consuming. She normally only had one or two at most. She didn’t like to alter her reality but tonight was different and she needed some liquid courage to make it through the evening.
Alex seemed to find her no matter where she was and their eyes connected throughout the evening. She noticed many women trying to gain his attention but he brushed them off, one after the other. Finally with about a half hour to go, he took a woman out on the dance floor and then stayed with her. Jessica was surprised by the slight jealousy she felt as the other woman tossed her head back in laughter.
Jessica tried to tell herself it was a good thing. She wasn’t into one night stands and Alex wasn’t the type to enter into a long term commitment. She wasn’t looking for that anyway. Someday she would settle down but it would be a battle to find someone who wanted her and not what her father could give him.
She finally had enough and decided to head for her room. She headed towards the elevators. It was time to sleep the night off and then get out of the hotel and as far from Alex Anderson as she possibly could.
The doors on the elevator were just about to shut. She picked up her pace and called, “please hold the doors.” She was relieved to see a hand stop them from shutting.
“Thank you,” she said a bit breathlessly.
She slipped inside, looking towards the ground so she wouldn’t trip on her long dress. When the doors closed, she finally looked up, noticing who the other occupant was.
She moved away from him quickly, into the furthest corner of the elevator. The ride would only last a moment and then she’d be blessedly alone in her room. He kept his eyes on her, making her start to feel uncomfortably aware they were alone in a very small space.
She stared anywhere she could but at him, knowing that his eyes were still focused on her. She figured she must be a mess; she’d consumed way too much alcohol and the wind had blown her hair loose with several strands refusing to cooperate, repeatedly falling across her face.
Just when she didn’t think the silence could become any more awkward, there was a flickering of the lights, followed by darkness. There was nothing. No music coming through the speakers, no light whatsoever, not even from the buttons.
Jessica could feel her heart pounding so hard she was sure the noise of it hitting her ribs could be heard by Alex.
“Jessica, are you alright?” he asked her. “You aren’t claustrophobic, are you?”
She took a couple of deep breaths before she said, “I’m not afraid of small places but I’m not a huge fan of the dark.” She was trying to stay brave but the seconds were ticking by and the pure blackness felt like it was closing in on her.
She wouldn’t panic. The lights would flash back on at any moment and the elevator would continue going up, getting her out of the blackout. She started counting in her head. She reached twenty when she felt Alex’s hand on her arm.
She jumped at his touch. She was trying so hard not to be frightened but the darkness was all consuming.
“Everything will be okay. This will all be over in a moment. Buildings have contingency plans for when this kind of thing happens,” he tried to reassure her.
“I don’t understand why there isn’t any noise at all,” she said as her voice shook.
“We’re most likely around the fourth floor so there wouldn’t be any noise from the lobby,” he reasoned. “I wonder what happened.”
“I went out earlier in the evening and there was a pretty spectacular storm outside. A power line most likely got knocked over,” she said. Talking to him was making a little of her fear subside and his touch on her arm let her know she wasn’t alone.
“I’m going to feel around for the phone and see if I can get someone on the line. They need to know we’re in here and I can find out what’s happening,” he explained before releasing her arm. She had to fight herself so she wouldn’t reach out and grab him.
She sunk to the floor and hugged her knees to her chest. She was grateful now she’d had a few extra drinks because it was the only thing calming her nerves.
“The phone isn’t picking up.” Alex’s voice startled her. “We’re going to have to wait this out but don’t worry, elevators are extremely secure and it won’t take them long to get us out.”
His voice drew closer and then his foot kicked her in the ribs. She let out a whoosh of breath. “I’m sorry, are you okay?” he dropped to his knees and began running his hands from her legs up to her side. Her lungs exploded in a gasp, as heat pooled in her core.
“I’m fine, really, you barely touched me at all,” she said huskily. He seemed to realize what he was doing because his hands stilled suddenly and then they were gone. She breathed another sigh, not sure if it was relief or disappointment.
Alex could hear the huskiness in her voice and it sent a kick right to his gut. He wanted her badly and now they were alone…in the dark…for who knew how long. If he didn’t keep his distance he wouldn’t be responsible for what happened next.