Lift Me Higher. Kim Shaw

Torie answered.

      “That’s encouraging.” Monte chuckled.

      “Sorry. Here,” Torie said, offering Monte a handful of chewy peppermint Mentos candy.

      Their fingers bumped as Torie placed the candy in his hand. The contact sent a charge through Monte as it had done every time their shoulders or sides had touched over the past couple of hours. He liked being near her, listening to the softness of her voice when she spoke or the sound of her breathing when they were silent.

      They polished off the candies in minutes and their hunger seemed to be cranked up a notch in spite of it.

      “Well, at least we’ll have fresh breath while our bodies dry out.” Torie laughed.

      Her face was turned toward his and he felt a burst of minty air hit his cheek. On impulse, he angled toward her, leaning forward until he was inches away from her. She did not move away, nor did she speak. His stomach muscles contracted and he held his breath. The next move was his, and his heart raced at the thought of kissing that beautiful mouth and having her respond in kind.

      He hesitated, all sorts of thoughts running through his mind. There was always the possibility that his advance would be unwanted. Yet, the urge was too compelling for Monte to back away from it. He brushed his lips lightly across Torie’s mouth and the quivering in his stomach only intensified. He covered her lips and, to his surprise, she parted to receive him, allowing his tongue to melt into the softness of her candy-coated mouth. She leaned her body into his, and he slid his arm around her torso, securing her against him. Monte had not allowed himself to think about how much he missed the feel of a woman in his arms, but suddenly he was overwhelmed with a sense of longing for feminine suppleness. If he had not known it before, this moment confirmed for him the fact that it was a woman’s touch that made him feel most like a man.

      Monte shifted his weight, drawing Torie closer to him. A soft purr escaped from her lips and was lost inside of his mouth. He reached out in the darkness, his hand finding her shoulder. He rubbed through the material of her blouse and wished that he could touch her skin. Instinctively, he knew that it was soft, covering toned limbs. He moved his hand up to her face, running two fingers along the line of her cheekbone. His hand slid to the nape of her neck and caressed silky hair. He gently pushed her head closer to him, wanting to devour her.

      “Mmm,” he breathed, trying to recapture his senses, but failing.

      Monte knew that he was going too far, but it had been so long since he’d felt such an intense arousal and wanting. Torie Turner had captured his attention from the first moment that he inhaled her scent and laid eyes on her. Yet, tonight, trapped for what seemed like an eternity in the oppressive, closed space of an elevator, he’d found himself enraptured by more than her physical beauty. Unable to see more than a faint outline of her, he’d felt his heart stroked by the sound of her melodic voice and his spirit touched by the sincerity of her personality. He’d learned in those hours that Torie’s beauty was far more than skin-deep. Not since his late wife had he clamored like a fiend just to hear every word a woman had to say. He knew that now that he’d been given the opportunity to be an audience to Torie’s thoughts, he would never be the same again.

      Monte struggled with himself, trying to find the strength to disengage from the web he and Torie had spun. His arousal was undeniable, bordering on painful. His fingers, having developed a mind of their own, found the buttons of her blouse and deftly opened first one and then another. The fabric of the lace bra she wore teased his fingers. His tongue probed deeper and hers explored him just as eagerly. When he squeezed the fleshy mound of her left breast, Monte felt as if he’d fallen off a cliff, with no hopes of finding his way back to firm ground. And just when he thought that he would be lost in her sweetness forever, the spell was broken. The lights came on and the elevator jerked a couple of times before resuming its descent as if it had never been stalled.

      “We’re saved,” Torie said breathlessly, her hand automatically moving to her open blouse.

      She looked into Monte’s eyes and smiled. A nervous chuckle from Torie prompted one from Monte, as well.

      “Here, let me help you up,” he said as the elevator neared the lobby level.

      Monte rose and grasped Torie’s hand in his, pulling her to her feet. He held on to her hand for an extended moment, gave it a strong squeeze and released it just as the doors opened. They were greeted by two building security guards.

      “Sir, ma’am, are you okay?”

      “Yes, we’re fine. What happened?” Monte asked, retrieving his rumpled suit jacket from the floor.

      “There was a blackout—most of the city and parts of Westchester were out. We contacted the fire department and let them know that we had an elevator alarm going off, but they said they’d only be able to respond to emergencies.”

      “I guess two people trapped in an elevator, suspended in midair for hours, doesn’t qualify as an emergency, huh?” Torie huffed.

      She snatched her leather jacket from the floor and slipped her arms into it, obviously ticked off.

      “You definitely haven’t been a New Yorker very long!” Monte laughed at her teasingly.

      “I’m sorry, ma’am,” one of the security guards said. “We really wanted to get you guys some help. We kept trying to talk to you over the intercom, but they were out, too. So sorry about this, folks.”

      The guards were clearly upset, feeling a personal failure at not having been able to help them.

      “Hey, guys, we’re out now, and I’d say no worse for the wear,” Monte said, throwing a meaningful glance at Torie, who blushed noticeably. “Thanks for all of your efforts, guys.”

      Monte shook both of the men’s hands. They both smiled, grateful for Monte’s graciousness despite the evening’s distress. Torie thanked them, as well, assuring the men that she did not hold them responsible for the situation.

      “Ms. Turner, can I give you a lift home?” Monte asked.

      The spell that Torie had cast over him had remained intact, even after the power came back on and they’d emerged from their metal nest. Monte looked into Torie’s eyes, hoping to convey to her what he was feeling, even as he struggled with exactly what those feelings were himself. He wanted to spend more time with her. After all they’d divulged to each other, there was still so much he wanted to know about her and so much that he wanted to share. With the taste of her lips still lingering on his own, Monte could not erase the feel of her womanly frame in his arms. He wanted to reclaim those arousing sensations and take them to even greater heights.

      “No, no…I’m sure you want to get home yourself…check on your boys. I’ll just hail a taxi,” Torie said.

      Even as she said no, Torie felt a loud and resounding yes pounding inside her brain. She could feel herself being pulled to Monte, and although what had transpired between them shocked her, she wanted more of it. She had never in her life been so open and unguarded with a man she’d just met, but there was something about Monte that made it difficult to be guarded in his presence. The racing of her heart and the pulsing in the center of her womanhood had yet to taper off, and her head told her that the logical thing to do would be to put some distance between herself and the seductive Monte Lewis before she did something that she would later regret.

      Monte studied her face for a moment, and he thought he could see a flash of conflict reflected in her beautiful eyes. It was enough to place his desire in check.

      “You’re right—I really do need to get on home. Cheryl is probably beside herself with worry. Come on, I’ll hail a cab for you.”

      The pair stood out on the sidewalk in silence, each lost in complicated thoughts. The air was warm for April, yet Torie hugged both arms around her body. When Monte was at last successful in stopping a yellow taxicab for her, she slid quickly into the passenger seat, but turned to face him before the door closed.

      “Thanks for everything tonight, Monte. I don’t know what