Devin and Carrie were four floors up when their elevator came to an abrupt halt. When it didn't move, Devin hit the emergency button, but nothing happened. He checked the wall panel and found a phone, but the line was dead. "Damn." He needed to meet up with his friend. He and Carrie both tried their cells, but there was no reception.
Carrie's face went white. All her life she had been terrified of small spaces--it was her only fear that she couldn't seem to kick. Still, if she had to be trapped in an elevator, at least it was with the hunkiest guy she'd ever seen. She kept turning her head to stare at the closed doors and eventually focused on Devin. "I've always been a bit claustrophobic," she admitted.
Wow, Devin thought. He had assumed nothing scared Carrie, judging by their earlier confrontation in the hotel room. "We're safe here. Just take a deep breath and settle in." The timing sucked, but being close to Carrie was a distinct turn-on.
"Help's going to come soon, right?" Carrie's voice sounded shaky and nervous. "If I don't get my hotel report in today, my supervisors will be furious."
Since they were stuck with no possible way out, Devin tried to think of something that would take Carrie's mind off the situation. He loved playing poker during downtime and always carried a deck of cards. Maybe a game of Texas hold'em would do the trick. Staring at her soft lips, he felt a stab of sheer lust, then shook his head. He gazed longingly at her sensual mouth and his heart beat faster. He had to stay focused on the case. "Up for some poker?" he said as he pulled out the deck from his back pocket.
"You want to play cards now?" Carrie asked, surprised.
"Sure," he said. "Can you think of a better way to pass the time?"
The two shared a smoldering look, and Devin imagined Carrie's curvy body pressed against his. Carrie's cheeks were suddenly flushed, and Devin wondered if she was thinking the same thing. No, he silently reminded himself. He was here on a mission, not to hit on women--no matter how sexy they were.
Fifteen minutes later, Devin was losing miserably. Carrie had surprised him with her flair for the game. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor, right across from him.
It was getting colder and Carrie shivered. "You're freezing," Devin said. Before he could stop himself, he took a wool scarf out of his pack and slipped it around her neck, struck by the intimacy of that simple notion. When Carrie smiled, he breathed in her bright, floral scent and felt his control waver. It didn't help when she leaned closer and brushed against him. At that moment, he lost all sense of reason. He brought his mouth down against hers and slipped his fingers through her hair. Just when he was ready to go further, reality hit him again and he pulled away.
"We can't be doing this," he explained. "We're both on the job. Besides that we barely know each other. Let's chalk up to stress and a tight situation and leave it at that."
Carrie remembered the assignment she had to finish, but the more time she spent with Devin, the more reckless she felt. "But it looks like we're gonna be here awhile," she said in a low seductive voice. "And we can't play cards forever. We know each other well enough, so why don't u just stop making excuses and distract me?"
When her hand slid down his chest, Devin stopped her and stood up. Carrie followed and stepped near him. Their bodies were thigh to thigh. Devin tried to remember why touching her was forbidden. But it was useless. They were in such tight quarters, he couldn't hold out any longer. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.
Carrie was tired of ignoring her lustful urges. She put her mouth next to Devin's ear and placed her hands on his shoulders. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life," she whispered.
Devin moaned and unbuttoned Carrie's blouse to feel her smooth skin. She sighed when he released the catch of her bra and it fell to the floor. He took off her skirt and one final scrap of lace. He ran his hands along her thighs and against her hips. While caressing her, he lowered his head and rubbed his tongue against each of her nipples, causing Carrie to groan. He then guided her to the floor and she lay beneath him.
In the cramped space, she rested her feet against the wall. Devin's tongue moved against her thighs. He eased her legs apart and drew her against his mouth. She was wet and aching with desire. He teased her with spine-tingling sensual licks in her most sensitive spot until she cried out.
Driven by the passion that consumed her, Carrie took a breath and slid on top of him. She removed his shirt to reveal his muscular abs and enormous biceps. Once she removed his pants, she circled her hands around his rigid member and ran her fingers against her, making him grow even harder.
"Carrie," he whispered. "I can't wait any longer."
"Me neither," she said, ready to take him inside her.
Devin shifted his body so that she was beneath him, then entered her. Carrie stared into his eyes and shivered. Her legs wrapped around his waist as Devin gently rocked her, driving deeper in her. When he filled her completely, she shivered with satisfaction. Each of his thrusts brought both of them closer and closer to the edge of ecstasy. She gasped his name, shuddering as they moved in a blind rhythm, everything but need forgotten. Carrie's back arched. Suddenly, Devin felt her hot, intimate contractions around him and let go as well.
Breathing deeply, Carrie sat up and Devin gave her a long, passionate kiss. Carrie kissed him back and reached for her bra and shirt. "That sure beat another game of poker," she said.
Devin laughed. "You bet it did," he told her. The two stood up and put on their clothes. As soon as they were fully dressed, the cables creaked and the elevator came back to life. Before they got off, Devin looked over at Carrie and they shared a playful glance. At that moment, he knew he wouldn't be able to get this woman out of his mind.
