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Hannah: I might be late. I'm not sure if it's rush hour or something, but no elevator is stopping at this floor.
He answered right away.
Chase: Come to the management elevator.
I hesitated. More time alone with him in a confined space?
I was looking for trouble.
But the chances of us being the only ones who would use the management elevator were slim.
I went up one flight of stairs to Chase's floor, then down the corridor toward the elevator. I heard chatter from all the offices and realized Magda was right—they were workaholics. Then again, most of the brokers also stayed until at least six o'clock.
I felt Chase's presence the second I entered the narrow corridor. Somehow I knew he was alone. I sucked in a deep breath when he came into view.
He was wearing the same clothes from earlier today, but somehow, here in the dimly lit corridor, he seemed even sexier. His hair was wilder, probably mussed from running his hand through it. He undid the top button of his shirt before realizing I was nearby.
Do not fixate on that button, Hannah.
I moved closer to him. "Hey," I said.
Why do I sound shy?
"Hey."
The elevator opened immediately. Of course, it was empty. We both stepped inside, and he pressed the button to the garage. Seconds later, I was lost in the scent of his cologne again. It had put a spell on me, and every time I smelled it, I was transported right back to our kiss on the beach. It smelled like the sea, but it was also citrusy.
"Thank you for coming with me tonight," he said.
He'd been surprisingly well behaved today—this entire week, in fact—which was good, but I couldn't help the pang of disappointment in my stomach.
"Of course! What do you know about him?"
"Just what my assistant could find online. He's in his seventies and wants to retire."
"And your parents sold the store to him?”
“No. He bought it from the person my parents sold it to years ago.”
"Does he have any family?"
"She couldn't find anything on him."
I was trying to foresee how the conversation would go, what his soft points might be.
The elevator pinged when we arrived in the garage, and Chase pointed to the doors, "After you."
I took a step toward the doors and then felt him inhale sharply. And I meanfelt, because his nose was level with my head. I risked a glance. He was looking down. Instantly, I realized that from his angle, he could probably look straight into my cleavage.
I hurried outside and smiled to myself.So he's not immune to me after all.
Damn it, why did that make me happy?
I was all over the place. I didn't even know what I wanted. He led me to his car, a dark blue Lexus. I glanced around once we were inside.
"Are you looking for something?" he asked.
"No, I'm just realizing that others can see me getting into your car."