Her smile slipped.
He hadn’t taken the bait. He wasn’t even looking at her. He was staring at the elevator doors with a pinched expression as though he couldn’t wait to be out of a small confined space with
someone so unsavory.
She narrowed her eyes. Fine, then. So he wasn’t a seduction candidate. There’d be plenty of horndogs prowling around the Vegas Strip who would be interested in a little harmless rebound sex.
This guy’s idea of sex was probably the equivalent of a nap. Efficient missionary position. Bra on. Disdain for messy body fluids. Yawn.
He reminded her of Brynn. They had that same uptight Oh crap, I lost a tree trunk up my ass expression. Still, she couldn’t leave him alone. Not completely. The man’s rigid posture and sullen mouth just begged to be provoked. Sophie took a step closer, hiding a smile as he shifted farther away from her.
“Hi there!” she chirped, knowing that her chipper tone would irritate him.
Silence.
She tried again. “Thanks so much for holding the elevator for me. As you can see, these boots here aren’t exactly made for walkin’—”
Sophie’s sentence broke off.
The elevator jolted sharply and everything went pitch-black before lurching downward in a faster-than-normal descent.
Ohmigod ohmigod.
The narrow platform soles of her boots were no match for Armageddon, and Sophie was thrown off-balance.
Directly into the arms of the Gray Suit.
She buried her face against his chest, her nails clutching at his neck like a terrified kitten. Please, God, if you make this death trap stop plummeting I swear I’ll stop pestering this grumpy man.
The elevator shuddered again and then stopped.
She remained attached to the stranger as he seemed the only secure thing in sight. She inhaled the reassuring scent of Rich Man and relished the way his breath ruffled her hair. Vaguely she became aware that her nails were still clenched around the back of his neck, but she couldn’t bring herself to move away from his warmth just yet.
He finally cleared his throat and pushed her upright with a rough grip on her shoulders. She whimpered slightly at the withdrawal of physical support, her mind still blank with terror.
“What the hell?” he muttered.
Sophie leaned her shaking body against the wall of the elevator, wishing the irritable stranger would hold her again. Just until the trembling stopped.
“Are we stuck?” she asked in an unsteady voice.
“Looks that way,” he said gruffly.
He pulled a phone out of his pocket and used its light to illuminate the elevator control panel.
“Shit.”
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“The emergency button isn’t working. Nothing will light up.”
Sophie peered in the direction of the elevator controls. “Are you sure you’re hitting the right button? It should be the red one with the little fireman’s hat.”
He turned away from the control panel to stare at her. “I know what button it is.”
Sophie winced. This could not be happening. She could not be stuck in an elevator while wearing less than she would to the beach.
Cool under pressure wasn’t exactly one of her specialties, but she gave it a shot. Pushing panic aside, she forced herself to think.