As the door closed and the elevator started its long descent to the ground level, Mr. Alexander sighed and leaned against the wall.
“Tough day at the office?” I asked.
His lips twitched up again. “Long. And it’s not done.” He straightened and brought his hands to his tie. “I hate night meetings.”
“I know. This was the only time Danica Lane could do it.”
He continued to fuss with his tie. “Your outline about this pitch to Ms. Lane is good.”
“Thank you. I think she’ll be a good spokeswoman.” Not that JoXander needed a top model to endorse and promote its line. The company had cosmetic counters in all the major department stores. Believing that woman watched the Super Bowl along with men, it was one of the first female-oriented product companies to pay the exorbitant price for a Super Bowl ad. It paid off as sales for cosmetics jumped. An unseen benefit was how many men bought our products that Valentine’s Day, the week after the Super Bowl. It showed how smart Mr. Alexander’s wife was not just about skin care and cosmetics, but in marketing, as the Super Bowl ad was one of the many things on a list of goals she had for the company. Exporting to France, a place famous for fashion and beauty, was another of her ideas.
“She received sample products to test?” He made a face and loosened his tie to knot it all over again.
“Yes, sir.” I watched as he worked to get his tie straight. “Can I help you?” I stepped to him.
“You might as well. I can’t seem to get the damn thing right.”
I pushed his hands aside and reached up taking the long part of the tie in one hand and the shorter bit underneath in the other. Standing this close, I could smell his cologne and feel the heat of his body. If I was a woman prone to swooning, I’d be on the floor of the elevator.
“I’m going to call the wholesaler we’ve lined up for the French deal tomorrow at eight in the morning his time to work out when we can schedule a conference call,” I said to him to distract myself from the headiness of being so close to him. Of nearly touching him. Otherwise, I might do something crazy like nuzzle his neck. Or run my hands over his chest to see if it’s as hard and sculpted as it is in my erotic dreams of him.
He looked down at me. “What time is that here?”
“Two.” I pushed the knot toward his neck.
“Two?”
“Yes, sir.” I adjusted the knot, centering it over the top button of his shirt.
“In the morning?” His surprised tone made me look up at him.
“Yes.”
He stared at me, entrapping me in his dark eyes. All the air whooshed out of my lungs. It felt like he was looking at me, not just looking, but really seeing me. The hair on my arms stood up as electricity sparkled around me. Warmth spread through me, making my body feel all ooey and gooey on the inside.
He swallowed and he put his hand over mine still on his tie. His touch sent entirely new sensations coursing through my body, toward my center. I let out a small gasp, as need and yearning mixed. I was begining to see what all the hubbub about sex was about. If this is what attraction felt like, the real deal had to be mind blowing.
The elevator jerked to a stop, forcing me forward into him, into his warm, firm body, and yes his chest was hard.
I gasped and he let out a groan, or maybe it was just the roar of blood in my ears as my body made contact with his. His hands went to my waist, holding me to him for a moment. I took in the chiseled jaw with a day’s growth of stubble. His full lips that I’d pay any price to kiss. His dark gray eyes, that appeared even darker. I wondered how long we could stay like this before I did something stupid like undo his tie and run my tongue over the sexy curve of his neck.
The door whooshed open and with it, the moment vanished.
He stepped back and cleared his throat. “Make sure you document that time, Ms. Hanson. No one works for free.”
“Yes, sir.”
He stepped out of the elevator, leaving me breathless, and wanting him more than ever.
Blake
What the hell just happened? I felt like an asshole as I bolted from the elevator, abandoning Bella there. But Jesus Christ, I had a hard-on from my assistant adjusting my tie. Up close, I’d seen just how brilliantly blue her eyes were and the soft perfection of her skin. Her scent was a mixture vanilla and exotic flowers.
I rushed out of the building to my waiting car where my driver held the door for me as I slipped inside.