* * *
Annie couldn’t move fast enough. They said no goodbyes as they made their way through the crowd and slipped out of the lounge. As the private elevator doors enclosed them, she turned to him, expecting him to devour her the moment they were finally alone.
Instead, Nate stuffed his hands in his pockets, leaning casually against the opposite wall. Despite his relaxed stance, his entire body was tense, his jaw flexed. His gaze penetrated her as it raked from top to bottom, but he didn’t make a move except for a hard swallow that traveled down his throat to the buttoned collar of his tuxedo.
She’d forgotten how controlled he was. His gratification had always come from taking his time and enjoying every delicious second. Annie could never understand it. She was burning up for wanting him. She could feel the warmth between her thighs, the painful hardening of her nipples as her breasts tightened with desire. Her every nerve ached for the touch he denied.
She glanced down at the control panel. They still had fifteen floors to go. She couldn’t wait that long. In one quick motion, Annie smacked the emergency button, bringing the elevator to a shaky, abrupt stop. Nate adjusted his footing but didn’t argue with her.
She looked him straight in the eye as she reached behind her neck and unfastened the halter of her dress. It was the only thing that held the dress on, so with a quick shimmy of her hips, the slinky blue fabric pooled to the floor. She stepped out of it, her eyes never leaving his dark gaze.
“Nate?” Gabe’s voice barked at them from the two-way radio on Nate’s belt.
Nate unclipped the radio, his gaze still fixed on Annie. “Yes?”
“We’ve got a report your elevator has stopped in between the tenth and eleventh floors.”
His lips twisted in amusement as he pressed the button to respond. “That is correct.”
There was a long silence before Gabe spoke again. “Okay, then. Radio if you need assistance.”
“Will do.” Nate turned the radio off and tossed it to the floor with a loud clank.
With the interruption behind them, Annie crossed the floor in two long strides and stopped just short of pressing her rock-hard nipples into his chest. He watched her, one hand still buried in his pocket, the other perched on his hip. She took a ragged breath and stared into the tensed muscles of his neck and jaw as they twitched beneath the skin. She ran her fingertip along the line of this throat, stopping at his collar.
Then she spoke. “Touch me, Nate. Don’t make me wait any longer.”
It was all that needed to be said. Nate’s arms wrapped around her in an instant, pulling the full length of her body against him. His lips dipped down to brush against hers with a featherlight touch that sent a shiver of desire to the base of her spine.
“I want you,” he whispered against her skin.
Annie answered with her lips, standing on her toes to reach up and capture his mouth. The kiss was tender at first, soothing the ache for a moment before the fire raged anew. Her fingers weaved into the blond curls at his neck, tugging him closer, but knowing he could never be close enough.
Nate’s hands slid down her bare back, letting one dip lower to cup one lace-covered cheek. With a gentle squeeze, his hand continued down her silk-covered thigh to behind her knee, hitching her leg up to wrap around his waist.
Annie groaned as the new angle brought his erection into direct contact with her moist, aching sex. The sensation was overwhelming, and she knew it was just the beginning. Her mouth moved hard against his, her hands clawing at his tuxedo coat in a frenzy until he let it slip to the floor.
Her fingers were at his collar, undoing his shirt and thanking the heavens he wasn’t wearing a tie for her to deal with. With his chest bare, she ran her hands over it, marveling at the hardened muscles she remembered. She let them dip lower and lower until the tips slid beneath the waist of his pants. She brushed the skin there, eliciting a groan and a sudden start as Nate grabbed her hand.
In one quick movement, he spun them around as though they were still on the dance floor. Now Annie was the one pinned against the wall, Nate pressing the length of his entire body against her. The brass was cold against her bare back, but she didn’t care. It did little to soothe the fire that ran through her veins.
Nate’s lips traveled from her jawline to her ear before moving slowly down her neck to the hollow of her throat. A tingle of anticipation coursed along her spine, her body shuddering at the searing caress of his mouth on her sensitive skin.
Annie tugged off his shirt and threw it to the floor. She wanted to keep her eyes open, to drink in the breathtaking sight of Nate, but she just couldn’t. His mouth had traveled to the swell of her breasts. As he took one tight peach nipple into his mouth, her head flew back, her eyes closing on their own.