Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 100716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
The elevator attendant is far from subtle about our working relationship when I’m guided into the elevator he’s manning. The corners of his lips tuck at one side as he drinks in the positioning of Ark’s hand on my lower back and the shallowness of my breaths.
His smug expression switches to shock when within a second of announcing our floor, Ark demands his exit. “I can take it from here.”
“Sir,” the attendant gasps in shock.
“Now!” Ark snaps, his voice echoing against the brushed steel walls and mirrored back of the elevator.
After glaring at me as if I yelled at him, the attendant mutters, “Yes, sir. Right away.”
As he darts out of the elevator, a shudder I can’t suppress rolls down my spine.
Ark seems oblivious.
Or so it seems.
A moment after removing his hand from my back, he walks to the far back corner of the elevator.
It isn’t the largest elevator I’ve been in, but the distance between us is enough for me to feel comfortable riding in a confined space with a man I’ve only recently met.
We only have one floor to travel, but it feels like a dozen. Seconds stretch into minutes, giving Ark plenty of time to interrogate me.
“Do confined spaces scare you? Or is it not knowing the closest exit?”
I’m taken aback that he’s paid enough attention in the short time we’ve interacted to notice my neuroses, but I try to act nonchalant. “Whatever do you m-mean?”
When his huff rustles my hair, I stare at the panel, silently urging it to hurry to our floor.
My prayers are answered, but even with my mind telling me I am safe, my heart races when the doors open onto an unfamiliar area. I don’t own a vehicle, so I’ve never been in the underground parking lot of this building.
This is as scary as it gets for me.
With fear my highest emotion, I blurt out, “The entrance being blocked is m-my main trigger, but I also like to know w-where they are.”
I crank my neck back to face Ark when he says, “They?”
“Th-the exits.”
An unrecognizable glint flares through his eyes before he dips his chin. “Noted,” he says briskly while gesturing for me to exit the elevator first.
I do, albeit hesitantly.
After catching up with me, he guides me toward a sedan similar to the one Val entered. “There are multiple entry and exit points in the underground garage. I will have someone from my security team mark them on a map for you this evening.”
I lose the chance to announce I won’t need them after tonight when he opens the back door of a vehicle parked too close to a concrete barrier for us to enter at opposite sides.
“I’ll enter first and then scoot to the opposite side. That way, if you need to exit at any stage, you can do so safely without stepping into oncoming traffic.”
He misses my surprised gasp that he cares about my safety when he slips into the sedan, startling a middle-aged man behind the steering wheel. The man is reading a newspaper and enjoying a late-afternoon snack. Crumbs are scattered throughout his beard, and a twinkle in his eyes reveals he is enjoying his pre-dinner treat.
“Arkadiy.” He swallows his shock and a mouthful of the sugary goodness coating his lips before continuing. “I didn’t know you were going out again this evening.” Crumbs fall onto his lap as he dusts off his business shirt and tie. “Excuse the mess. I’ll clean it up right away.”
“It’s fine, Darius,” Ark says, sliding across the expensive leather back seat. When Darius’s steely stare slows his entrance, he adds, “But perhaps you can raise the partition so the crumbs remain in your half of the cab.”
“Certainly, sir. Thank you.”
Ark dips his chin for a brief moment in response to Darius’s silent plea for forgiveness before turning his eyes to me. “The child locks are off. You can leave at any time.”
He gestures to the mechanism in the car door, proving the honesty of his words, before he extends his hand to me.
I smile in appreciation before accepting his offer. The car isn’t too low to the ground, but maintaining my modesty will be difficult since the split in my skirt is now three times longer than before my fall.
Stitches pop as I step into the car, but with most of the damage already done, further tearing is minimal as I settle into the seat next to Ark.
My eyes lift from the illuminated LED lighting trim on the door when Ark asks, “Address?”
“Um…” I fumble through my purse to find the card the bowling alley owner gave me last month when I booked Tillie’s party, then hand it to Ark. “He-here. Please.” Realizing how rude I sound, I quickly add, “Or anywhere close to there. You-you don’t need to take me the whole way. I’m sure you’re busy.”