"Why do you that?" Claire asked whilst they were in the elevator.
"Just a habit." Ryan answered. She decided not to press it further although she sensed there was more to that.
Things were still hectic at work. Some people were still giving her the stinky eye even after a month now. She had made progress with the family, well, atleast a few. Rachel and her chatted everyday, she was going to have lunch with grandma the following week. George made amends for his behavior at the party and had since made himself scarce everytime Ryan and her visited the mansion. Then there was Alice and Vanessa. Those two were relentless. She had to admit, she was impressed by their energy to try to get what doesn't want then. In this case, who.
Her mother was also recovering well after the surgery a few weeks ago. She was on her way to see her now. It would be good for her to get out of the house for some fresh air and be away from Ryan, even if it was just for two days. Turns out the universe had other plans instored for her.
***
As the elevator lurched to a sudden stop, Ryan's heart began to race. He was trapped, confined in a small space with no clear escape route. His claustrophobia kicked in, and he felt a wave of panic wash over him. The walls seemed to close in around him, making it hard to breathe. He frantically pressed the emergency button, hoping someone would respond soon, but security would be here in an hour and him and Claire were the last ones leaving the building. The silence was oppressive, and his mind began to spiral with worst-case scenarios.
"Ryan?" Claire's voice came as a whisper to him. "Ryan, what's wrong?"
He touched his chest, his heart beating frantically against his hands. In all the his scenarios, he never imagined he would ever get trapped in an elevator. All the images rushed in all at once. When he had spent five hours locked in a closet, another three hours in a cupboard, the whole day in a locker...
"Ryan?"
He looked at her. Her hand was on his shoulders and there was concern in her eyes. There was something about those eyes just made him want to bare his soul to her, to just be transparent with her.
"I'm claustrophobic", he managed to say. Then everything began spinning. He let out a dry chuckle. Was he gonna faint in front of her? How pathetic.
"If you faint on me, I'll kill you." he hadn't realised he had said that out loud. "And you're not pathetic," she continued, " you're a strong man and we'll get through this." She stood in front of him and put his face between her hands, her forehead resting on his. "Just focus on me."
He put his hands on her waist and pulled her closer to him, glad when she didn't pull away from him. "My brothers used to lock me in closets for hours." He found himself saying. "I would hear Alice talking to them but she never said anything. She blamed my mother of seducing my father and accused her of bewitching him to make him love me more."
God, what was it about this woman?
He heard her sniffling and raised his head to look at her. Was she crying? For him?
"I want to kill them. I really do." she told him against tears.
That is when he realized it. Or maybe perhaps he had felt it sooner but didn't want to admit it.
To admit that he had fallen in love with his pretend wife.
The one who knew how to undo him with just words only. Even his claustrophobia seemed to be cured because she was there.
He had never told anyone about his story and yet he was. He stared into her eyes for pity but there was none; only rage and desire.
"God, I really want to kiss you so bad." he whispered.
"Kiss me then."
***
Claire whimpered the moment Ryan's lips touched hers. This kiss was different from the one they had shared on the dance floor a month ago. This one was filled with passion and lust. She melted against him. This time there was no George to interrupt them. Her soft curves welcomed his harder angles, her feet parting a little as she brushed her legs against his and arched into him. Ryan dropped his hands to her hips and held her close. Sweeping his tongue into her mouth, he dared her to go further. She, of course, took the dare,accepting what he offered and upping the ante by lifting her arms to encircle his neck. Their tongues thrust together, hot and languorous and deep, leaving Claire to wonder if she would ever kiss another man as good as kissing this one. Everything about him was as intoxicating to her as it had been a month ago. Maybe that's what made this kiss different from their first one. Then,there'd been curiosity and wonder, riding on a wave of pure attraction.Now they knew what they could be to each other. Knew the pleasure they were capable of creating together. Claire lifted her leg slightly, twining it around his, and he echoed the tiny groan she made when she arched harder against him. There was no way she couldn't feel his rock-hard erection, any more than he could miss the heat between the thighs that instinctively cradled him.
Claire couldn't think straight. She didn't want to think about anything; but to just focus on this man. The man she had fantasized intensely about for over a month now. He wanted her with every fiber of his being. His desperate touch proclaimed it and her own body was already screaming a silent Yes to every little thing he might ask of her.
When his hands touched her waist and began yanking her shirt up, Claire arched toward him. He only separated from her far enough for his eyes to settle on the see through black bra she was wearing. Her legs quivered as she saw his look of appreciation as he visually devoured her.
"God, you're gorgeous," he muttered. Then he bent to her breast, no warning, no hint, his mouth landing on her nipple and sucking hard over her bra. As if he couldn't help himself, had to quench his ravenous thirst with the taste of her.
"Ryan," she groaned.She sunk her fingers into his hair, pressing him even harder, needing to feel it, deep down. And with every deep pull of his mouth, she did feel it.All the way down to the throbbing center of sensation between her thighs.
He leaned over to give her other breast the same attention. Plumping it with his hand, he rolled her nipple between his fingertips before he blew lightly, then suckled her. Claire cried out at how good it felt. Savoring his attention, she yanked his shirt up and kissed his neck, his tatooed shoulder, raking her nails down his bareback, wondering how he could possibly be this perfect.
He lifted her with his hands on her butt and her legs went around him, making sure his erection was aligned with her wet core. She suddenly wished there were no clothes between them. She wanted to feel him inside of her. She wanted...
A knock on the elevator door had theirs heads jerk towards it. "Mr Gordon? Are you okay, Mr Gordon?"
***
Ryan was still holding Claire and she had his hands encircled on his neck, while Jeremy, his security was on the other side of the door. "Mr Gordon?" Jeremy called again.
"Yes, Jeremy, we're fine." Ryan heard Jeremy shout an okay to his team.
"Okay Mr Gordon. We'll get you out in ten minutes." he let out a deep sigh and rested his head between Claire's delicious breasts. He felt her hands in his hair. He liked it when she did that. He still couldn't believe he had come close to having sex in an elevator.
"Interrupted again, huh?"
She actually laughed at that before nodding. He kissed the space between her breasts and she let out a moan. He finally released her and they began to get dressed.
"Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"Don't bite your lip like that. It makes me crazy." He knew she was looking at him even when his eyes were closed. He felt the elevator begin to move and he held his briefcase infront of his not-so-small bulge in his pants.
Jeremy had began showering him with his apologies as soon as the door opened but he was searching for one person. And she was gone.