Page 40 of Anything To Be With You

Luke looks down at me. "No."

"You sure? I’ve got candy." I shake the bag at him.

Luke glances at the bag, then back at me.

"It’s the good candy too. Not the shit you find in your grandma’s purse," I say, shaking the bag again.

When he says nothing, I open it and dump everything out on the floor like its Halloween night and you’re looking for the good stuff in your kids candy bag.

"I’ve got some Tootsie Rolls, Rockets, Jolly Ranchers, War Heads—don’t touch those," I pick them out of the pile and keep going. “Mini Mars, Snickers and Kit Kat bars, Caramels.” I tilt my head back to look at him. "Pick your poison, but not the War Heads. Those are Mason’s favourite."

Luke looks at me like I have three heads. "No. Thank you."

I shrug. "Suit yourself." I grab five Rockets, Tootsie Rolls and Jolly Ranchers before stuffing everything back in the bag. Archer sits next to me against the wall.

"Why do you have a baggie of candy in your purse?" he asks.

I unwrap a Jolly Rancher and pop it in my mouth. "I’m a mom."

"And?"

"And I need to keep snacks on me. Always. For when Mason gets hungry."

"Isn’t your son seventeen?" he questions.

I nod, crunching down on the cherry candy. "Yes, and he is always hungry. That asshat didn’t get as big as he is by not eating."

I hold out a Tootsie Roll and to my surprise, Luke takes it. Unwrapping the chocolate goodness and popping it in his mouth. Using some serious side eye, I watch him.

His head’s resting against the wall, eyes closed. His jaw, covered in five o’clock shadow, is working on that Tootsie Roll and my mind goes to what that jaw would feel like against the skin of my inner thighs.

Why is it so hot in this elevator suddenly?

I start singing the alphabet in my head, trying to get rid of the picture of Luke between my thighs. When that doesn’t work, I pinch my arm. But all that does is add a red mark. I need to spend more time with my vibrator because stubble on a mans face should not make me all hot and bothered.

I stare over at Luke. His face is tight with stress or annoyance. Or both. It’s hard to tell with him sometimes. Reaching over and lifting his rolled-up sleeve to get a better look at the tattoo. I can see half a moon and what looks like a bird but that’s all before Luke yanks his sleeve back down.

"Daniella," he warns.

I exhale and throw up my hands. "Just trying to lighten the mood in here." I say, laying down on the tile floor and using my purse for a pillow. Maybe if I have a nap, by the time I wake up, we’ll be rescued. Or I won’t wake up at all because the cable snapped and we plummeted to our deaths.

"Why are you laying on the floor?" Luke asks after a moment.

I roll my eyes, lifting my head to look at him. "Because." I snap back.

Luke’s sigh blows stray hairs off his forehead. I smile sweetly at him and drop my head back down.

"Daniella," he calls.

I smack my hands over my face. "I’m freaking out, Archer. I’m freaking out, and I’m trying to take my mind off it." I say from behind my hands.

"Why are you freaking out?"

"I have an irrational fear of getting stuck in an elevator and when I’m being rescued getting sliced in half because they didn’t turn the power off and the elevator moves." I admit, feeling my face burn with mortification.

"That would never happen," Luke states.

"You don’t know that. What if when it starts back up, the cable snaps and we plummet to our deaths." I voice one of my biggest fears.

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