Page 13 of Some Like It Hot

“What’s the distance?” Wyatt asks me.

“Within protocol.” If the car was more than thirty-six inches from the floor, we’d need to call in a safety crew and our battalion chief to assist. “Ladder.”

The woman has rushed to the front of the elevator and is raising her arms up like I’m just supposed to haul her out of the elevator by her armpits. Which I could, but it’s much safer to use a ladder.

“Ma’am, I need you to step back so I can put a ladder down for you.”

“Ma’am? For fuck’s safe, I’m twenty-eight! Don’t ma’am me until I’m at least forty.”

Sexy and sassy. I find that hot as hell. Too bad she has a boyfriend.

“Sorry. Miss. Can you step back for me, please?”

“Just please get me out of here.” She does obey though, taking two steps backwards.

“Elise, give him room.” The guy gently takes her elbow and tries to tug her further away.

She gives a huff of impatience.

I let the ladder down. Already anticipating she’s going to just leap onto it, I caution her. “Let me secure it. I’ll give you the go-ahead when it’s safe.”

“Thank you,” she says. “You’re a lifesaver. Literally.” She smiles up at me.

Yep, dimples. Very nice.

Damn, if I don’t feel like puffing my chest out just a little at that. As I check to make sure the ladder is stable, I comment, “Looks like the emergency lights and the fan didn’t go on. Hope it wasn’t too hot in there.”

She shoots a bemused look at her boyfriend. “It was actually very hot.”

“I can imagine,” I say, casually.

But something about my tone gives me away. The guy gives me a sharp glare.

I ignore it. “Okay, miss, you can climb up. Just slow and steady, no running.”

She grips the ladder and puts her heels on the first rung. She teeters a little, and I have a hell of a view of her bouncing breasts before she recovers. I wasn’t trying to look, but my angle and those breasts? It was unavoidable.

“Don’t forget your purse.”

“Oh, crap, Blake, my purse. Can you grab it?” she pleads, glancing back over her shoulder. The movement makes her lose her balance. “Ah!” she squeaks.

I’m in a squat and I reach out with both hands and press them firmly on her forearms to secure her against the ladder and prevent backward motion.

Her boyfriend has his palms square on her ass and they remain there the entire time she ascends the ladder. I would say he is concerned for her safety, but I also get the sense he’s staking his claim.

I get the message loud and clear. I don’t hit on other guy’s girlfriends. That’s not my style. Plenty of people in the single pool to play with.

She’s eye level with me now and I release her arms and shift back to give her room. I use a professional tone. “You’re doing great. Just a few more steps.” I make a point not to look at her chest, even though her dress seems to have stayed down around the fourth step while she kept climbing.

“Damn it.” She lets go with one hand to tug her dress up.

I reach back out in alarm.

She’s doing a one-armed flapping thing while saying, “Oh, shit, oh, shit, oh shit!”

But her boyfriend pushes her forward again.

One of her breasts has popped out of her dress. Not all of it. But like eighty percent of it. I definitely see areola. Clearing my throat, I decide to keep my eyes on hers and get her on the hotel floor before I tell her or she’ll just let go of the ladder again.

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