Page 30 of Crazy About Love (All About Love)

“No need to whisper.”

“Bullshit,” I hiss at her, pulling on the crook of her arm so she gets behind me. “This place has murder written all over it.”

She raises an eyebrow and pulls me in close. “I like you, Alex with ac. So protective.”

“I’d rather be in front than in the back,” I joke.

She laughs and snakes a hand around to tap a nail against my belt buckle. “I will remember that.”

My gut dips, and I try to tell myself it’s in an exciting way. Like hell yeah, sex implications! But when I say, “Damn, I meant I’d rather be in back,” and my voices trembles like it’s in a paint shaker, I think that maybe my gut is dipping in a very different, guilt-ridden way.

Rian giggles against me, and her breath warms my spine through my T-shirt. How is it that we have more chemistry when we’re not looking at each other than when we are?

“So…where are we headed?” I ask, since I’m now the one directing us.

“Up.”

“I forgot my wings tonight.”

I feel her smile against me. “Good thing I didn’t.” She ducks under my arm and nods at a fire escape that looks like a ninety-pound person could make it crumble into a million pieces.

“Uh…okay…”

She laughs. “I appreciate the attempted enthusiasm. But we should probably take the elevator.”

Phew. I’m all for taking risks tonight, but I’d rather not die on that thing. And I’m man enough to admit when I’m scared shitless—heights are not my thing. I know I’m not exactly winning any points tonight in the awesome date department, but screaming when I slip on the top rung of the fire escape ladder will probably kill the night entirely.

Rian sneaks around me, bumping a side door open with her hip. The building wails and moans, making another surge of adrenaline pump through my body. I grab her hand and pull her inside, enjoying the way her giggles sort of sound like hiccups.

It’s dark in here, and musty-smelling, but the moon shines through one of the broken windows and onto a giant wall that’s been tagged so much it’s more spray paint than interior paint.

Rian pushes a button to our right, and the chiming doors open up. The elevator reminds me of one I saw in a Leo DiCaprio movie (all right, it wasTitanic,notThe Departed,and I’m wondering how old this building really is). Rian mashes the button for the roof over and over until the doors close with a loud screech that makes me think maybe we should’ve dared the fire escape.

“Ever done it in an elevator?” she asks, taking me so off guard that I end up snorting so hard I hurt myself.

“Have you?”

“Do you count oral sex?” She leans against the cracked wooden railing nailed against each of the elevator’s four walls. I force my brain to stay in my head.

“I would, yeah.”

A slow, deliberate smile spreads across her face. “Thennot yet.”

She drops her eyes, intentionally eyeing my zipper. My brow furrows and I shift my weight. The unexpected sexual advances keep throwing me off balance. One moment we’re talking casually and perfectly on the surface, and the next she’s indicating an intimate exchange.

“Hmm,” I say, mostly because I haven’t decided on how to proceed with that kind of offer. I don’t know her, and I’m past the days of sleeping around. I want to move on with my heart, not just in bed. Guess I should’ve made that more clear.

The elevator creaks when I take a step toward her. I see her pulse jump in her neck, and I reach out and tuck my fingers between hers. Holding hands always helps for me—it’s the first step of many small ones that lead to something more. Her breath catches, and the seductive glance softens into something much sweeter. For the first time tonight, I can see potential in something new.

“I want to know something real,” I tell her, trying not to sound so damn desperate for a connection between us. I lock eyes with her for a second before I drop my gaze to our hands. “Tell me something real about you.”

Her hand twitches in mine. The air between us goes quiet, so the only sound is the eerie screech and squeal of the old elevator pulling us to the roof. She lets out an amused sigh, and I catch her eyes once again.

“Sex in an elevator is about as real as I get.”

The floor jumps underneath us and the door dings open, saving me from looking too disappointed in her answer.

“Welcome to my world,” Rian says, hopping off the elevator. The entire roof is fenced, minus a small portion next to the wobbly fire escape, and there’s a basketball hoop on the far end.

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