“I need to get –”
“Now, come on, love,” he leans in, whispering against the shell of my ear, “I don’t bite.”
Lie. He bites. He definitely bites.
Swallowing, he ushers me into the elevator and the doors slide closed behind us. Now trapped with him, I press myself as far into the wall as I can get while he watches me on the other side. He clenches his hands into fists as he takes me in, clearly seeing how terrified of him I am.
“Why are you so afraid?” He asks.
I shake my head.
He crosses the space between us, placing his hands on either side of my head, resting the palms against the wall of steel behind me.
His smell stuffs itself up my nose, warm like whiskey and spicy, a tantalizing scent that leaves heat in its wake. His head cocks again, and his mouth tips up as his eyes drop to my lips, “You are so very tempting.” He admits.
I say nothing. I’m not even sure I’m breathing.
He leans in further, his nose pressed against the side of my face and his mouth moves, “I was telling the truth, I don’t bite.” He pauses, and I feel his smile on my skin, “unless, of course, you want me to.”
He pulls away sharply as the doors open and then, without even a glance back to see if I follow, he strides towards the doors where his friend is waiting. He doesn’t look back and I don’t follow.
The ride back up to my floor feels like the longest of my life. My legs shake, and my hands sweat, and my heart pounds.
You are so very tempting.
I shiver and push it away. I’ll never see him again. It’s all fine.
When I make it back to my desk, I throw myself into my chair, cradling my head in my hands, but when I can’t sit still, I grab my things and stand. “I’m going to lunch,” I shout to no one in particular and reach down to get my book.
A small business card falls out, and my mouth drops open at it.
My name has been scribbled in black ink on the left-hand corner, so there’s no mistaking it to be for me.