Page 20 of Suddenly Desired (APEX Billionaires’ Club #2)

ELLIE

The lift doors slid shut, and Ellie was suddenly hyperaware of how small the space felt. The hum of the machinery and the faint click of the floor numbers were the only sounds, but the tension between her and Blake filled the silence like a living thing.

He stood beside her, hands in his pockets, his jaw tight and his gaze fixed on the metallic doors. The faint reflection of his face in the elevator’s sheen revealed just how hard he was trying to hold it together.

Ellie wanted to say something, to comfort him, but the words wouldn’t come. She shifted her weight, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. His face was pale, his shoulders taut beneath the fabric of his polo shirt. He looked like he was carrying the weight of the world — and maybe he was.

“Blake,” she said softly, unsure of what else to do.

He turned his head, his eyes locking on to hers. The intensity of his gaze hit her like a lightning bolt — deep, blue, and full of emotion. There was anger there, frustration, but beneath it all was something raw and unguarded that made her pulse stutter.

“You don’t have to—” she began, but her words were cut off as Blake took a step towards her, closing the small distance between them.

Without hesitation, he reached up, his hand cradling the side of her face, his thumb brushing lightly against her cheek. Ellie’s breath caught in her throat, her heart rate leaping as he leaned in.

His eyes, dark and smouldering, flicked to her lips before meeting hers again. His voice was low and sent a thrill cascading through her body to the electric spot between her legs.

“Ellie,” he growled softly, his fingers tightening slightly against her skin. “Tell me if this is okay . . . if I can kiss you.”

Her throat constricted, the words catching before they could form. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t think past the way his hand felt on her, the way his gaze seared into her. All she could do was nod, a small, shaky movement that sent a silent yes between them.

And then his lips were on hers.

The kiss started slow, but within seconds it had deepened, Blake’s lips claiming hers with a hunger that stole her breath. His hand found her waist, pulling her against him. She could feel the tension in his body, his arousal pressed firmly against her stomach.

Blake broke the kiss only long enough to reach behind him and slam the emergency stop button. The lift lurched to a halt with a sharp jolt, the overhead light flickering as the machinery groaned into silence.

And when he turned back to Ellie, everything had shifted.

He was done holding back. His hands were on her in seconds, skimming her hips and sliding beneath the hem of her dress to grip the bare skin on her thighs.

Ellie gasped as he lifted her effortlessly, pressing her back against the cool metal wall.

Her legs wrapped around his waist instinctively, the friction between her legs drawing a moan from deep within her throat.

Blake’s mouth moved to her neck. Kissing, sucking, biting marks she knew she’d feel later. His hands squeezed her thighs as he ground against her, and she could feel exactly how big and hard he was through his jeans.

“I’ve been trying,” he growled against her skin, “to take this slow, but when you look at me like that — like you want me . . . Fuck, Ellie.”

Her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer. “Don’t stop,” she breathed, her voice thick.

“I wasn’t planning to.”

He kissed her again, bruising her lips with his own, his fingers sliding up the undersides of her thighs. He hooked beneath the edge of her underwear, slipping inside, and the low sound he made when he felt her wetness made her tremble.

“Fuck, Ellie,” he murmured. “You’re so—”

Suddenly a harsh crackle filled the air as the emergency intercom sprang to life.

“Hello?” A voice called. “Is everything okay in there? We’ve received notice that the emergency stop has been activated. Please advise which emergency service you need.”

Ellie froze. Blake dropped his head to her shoulder and let out a strangled laugh.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He cleared his throat and gently lowered Ellie to the ground, adjusting her dress as she went. He pressed a thumb a little too hard into the intercom button. “Uh, yeah, just a technical issue.”

“Copy that,” the voice crackled back. “I’ll get someone to reset the system. Shouldn’t be long at all. Sit tight.”

The line clicked off and silence fell over the lift again.

Ellie looked up at Blake, wide-eyed and aching from where he’d touched her.

Neither of them spoke and when the lift jolted back to life moments later, she almost reached out to hit the stop button again so they could finish what they’d started.

But then the lift doors dinged open and the concierge stared at them with wide eyes. Ellie’s cheeks flushed, but Blake only chuckled softly, running a hand through his hair. “Well,” he said, his voice a little rough. “That’s one way to kill the mood.”

Ellie couldn’t help but laugh, the sound bubbling up and breaking the last of the tension between them.

“Yeah,” she said, breathlessly. “Definitely effective.”

Blake caught her hand as they stepped out of the lift, his grip firm and reassuring. She felt the warmth of his touch radiate up her arm and tickle the skin on her neck.

As they walked through the lobby, Ellie couldn’t help but glance up at him. His posture was straighter now, his expression lighter, but there was still a fire in his eyes when he looked at her.

The doorman held open the door for them and they stepped out of the cool interior into the heat of the day. The car was waiting for them, its engine purring, but Blake halted before he reached it. He looked like he was wrestling with something inside his head.

“I didn’t plan that,” he said quickly, the words spilling out. “It just . . .”

Blake’s gaze snapped to hers, sharp and focused, and the rest of his sentence evaporated.

“Don’t,” she told him, expecting the worst. “Don’t apologise.”

He closed his eyes, taking a breath. Ellie studied his lips, wanting nothing more than to kiss him again.

She forced the thought away. It felt as if her heart was running away with her, and if she didn’t try to stop it now then it was going to carry her right over the edge of a cliff.

If there was one thing Ellie Mae Woodward was good at, it was getting her heart broken.

“I want you, Ellie,” he said, his tone ragged, almost like he was forcing the words through a knot in his throat. “That kiss . . .” His jaw clenched, and his grip strengthened slightly. “Never mind the lift, I’d stop the damn world to touch you like that again.”

For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her again. She wanted him to, so badly it was almost painful, but then his expression shifted — became cautious, guarded.

He sighed, and she could hear the ‘but’ before he said it. She braced herself.

“But I can’t right now,” he said, quietly. “As much as I want to. As much as I want you , I’m a mess, and you deserve more than that. You deserve more than someone whose life is currently a train wreck.”

He shook his head as if he couldn’t believe he was saying it.

Ellie swallowed, her throat dry. “Blake, you don’t—”

“I do,” he cut her off. “I don’t want to drag you into this storm. I need to figure it out on my own. And I need to go after Michelle — that’s not going to be pretty.”

There was a finality in his voice that made her stomach drop. He was putting up a wall, a solid one, but she could still see the cracks.

“It’s not about you,” he said softly, his thumb brushing her knuckles.

“You’ve been . . . incredible. Since the moment we met.

I don’t know who sent you, but if I let myself fall into this right now, I don’t know how I’d ever pull myself back out, and you deserve someone who can show up for you completely. ”

Ellie felt her heart sink, but she refused to let him see it. She’d already given away too much. She nodded, forcing herself to keep her voice steady. “I get it. You need space.”

Blake’s hand lifted to her face, his fingers grazing her cheek, and she leaned into the touch despite herself. For a second, everything else fell away — the noise of the city, the heat of the sun, the ache of what he’d just said. It was just him and her, suspended in a fragile, fleeting moment.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

She shook her head, her lips curving into the faintest smile. “Don’t be.”

She placed her hand on his for a moment, holding it tight to her cheek, then she stepped away.

He turned to the car, Alfie rolling down the window as Blake gave the driver his instructions. Then he faced Ellie again. “Alfie will take you home.” His tone was firm, leaving no room for argument. “I’ll find another way back.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Ellie protested. “I’m not kicking you out of your own car.”

“You’re not kicking me out,” Blake said with a ghost of a smirk. “I’m offering.”

Before she could argue further, he stepped away, nodding at Alfie, who tipped his cap in response. Blake’s gaze lingered on her for a heartbeat longer than it should have, his eyes dark and unreadable. Then, without another word, he turned and walked down the street.

Ellie watched him go, her chest tightening with every step he took.

She told herself to look away, to let him go, but her eyes refused to obey.

Even as the distance between them grew, even as he disappeared into the crowd, she stood there, rooted to the spot, her heart racing like she’d just run a marathon.

She finally forced herself to turn away, her hands trembling slightly as she shut the car door. Alfie glanced at her in the rearview mirror but said nothing, pulling smoothly away into the traffic.