Page 8 of Eternally Yours
“No... NOOO... you live here!?” I say, mouth gaping in shock as my hand falls from his arm to hang loosely at my side.
He looks down at his feet, shaking his head in disbelief at the outcome. “Yup,” he says, popping the ‘P’. “Top floor,” he adds with all the smugness he can muster.
“Of courseyou live in the penthouse,” I emphasize my words with a bit of irritation at his pleased expression.
He skips up the last step and stands beside the elderly man. “Come on, Minnie. Stanley’s not going to hold the door forever.”
“Ugh! Again with the short jokes, really?” I say before climbing the rest of the way, passing by both men with my head held high. Maybe that will give me a few extra inches. If he thinks I’m short now, wait until he sees me without these heels.
I smile at the delightful old man. “Goodnight, Stanley,” I tell him as I enter the building, leaving Silas by the door.
Making my way to the elevator, I press the call button and wait. I can faintly hear Silas wish goodnight to our doorman across the great expanse of the lobby before he sprints in my direction.
By the time he reaches me, the ding of the elevator sounds, indicating its arrival moments before the doors slide open. Ever the gentleman, he outstretches his arm in the direction of the empty elevator cab, motioning me to go first. I step in, him following suit as we stand side by side while the door closes.
He reaches for the car operating panel, preparing to select a number. “What floor?”
I turn my head his way and look at his profile with speculation. “Is this your way of finding out what condo unit I’m staying in?” I ask.
“Yes,” he says, not sparing me a glance. Still, I don’t miss the way the corner of his lips rises into a smile. He tilts his head in my direction and whispers, “Although, if I don’t select a floor, we’ll never start moving.”
“Oh... right, seventeen, please.” My cheeks burn from embarrassment.
The air around us shifts as he takes my hand in his, his thumb rubbing circles against the back of it. The higher we go, the stronger my heart beats in my ears. My breath gets heavier with each floor we pass, the electricity between us crackling louder and louder.
We turn simultaneously, our eyes locking on one another as he searches mine for something, though I’m not quite sure what. Maybe an indication of where I would want this to go.
We’re so close, our chests a hair away from brushing up against each other. I can feel the heat radiating from his body. His manly cologne, a mixture of smoke and spice all in one, intoxicates my nostrils in the very best way.God, I could live off this smell alone. I want to smell it on my sheets late at night.
The elevator chimes as we hit the seventeenth floor, breaking us out of our spell in an instant. He takes a small step back, dropping my hand and clearing his throatbefore speaking. “Lead the way.” And I do as I’m told.
Exiting the cab, we turn right toward two out of the four units on this floor. Once down the hall, a single door sits on either side of the walls. To the right is my sixty-year-old, super inappropriate but lovely neighbor, Ms. Maggie, and to the left is mine and Emma’s sanctuary.
“Here we are,” I say sheepishly, butterflies taking flight in my belly as I stop in front of my door.
I stand straight, hoping my head is just high enough to block the peephole in case Emma happens to be on the other side. Although that wouldn’t really stop her. Knowing her, she would just whip the door open and join the interaction.
“I had a great time tonight,” I tell him sincerely.
“Yeah, me too. Maybe we could... do that again?” he asks in a nervous tone.Why is he nervous?
“I’d love that!” I answer a bit too quickly, putting the thrill lacing my voice in the spotlight.And cue the blushing! Jesus, Cece. Get a grip!
The delight that breaks over his features tells me he liked my response. “Cool! Okay, yeah. Well, then, goodnight!” He rushes out in a hurry.
He then proceeds to bend down and smack his lips against my cheek with such force my face almost hits the door frame from the sudden movement. Silas quickly rights himself, eyes wide as he takes in what he just did.
I raise my hand to the cheek that was just attacked and slightly rub the point of impact, blinking a couple of times to try and make sense of what just happened.
Silas grasps the back of his neck and gazes at me with a distressed look. “Shit! I’m so sorry! Are you okay? I don’t know why I—”
I interrupt his speech by stepping to him and placing my hand over his chest. I rise onto the tips of my toes slowly, his head coming down to mine as my free hand rises to settle along his jaw.
His short stubble prickles my skin as I gently lay a feather-light kiss to his cheek before whispering into his ear, “Goodnight.”
As I drop back down, I notice the dilation of his pupils, black almost fully overtaking green, and can feel the rapid racing of his heart beneath my palm.
I smile and step back, grabbing onto the handle at my back. I open the door, turn, and step inside, shutting it quickly behind me, needing to step away and hide before I do something crazy like invite him in.
