Writing prompt: The hero and heroine work late and end up locked in the building alone.
“Yvette, how much more do you have to do on that finance report?” Ray Maxwell asked, glancing up briefly from his computer.
Yvette was busy clicking away on the laptop as she sat on the couch in his office. It was yet another late night for her and her partner and secret crush.
“I just sent them,” she said, standing and stretching her arms high above her head, back arching, causing the hem of her dress to rise and give a tantalizing glimpse of her toned, caramel thighs.
Ray’s grunt snapped her attention to him, flushing and hastily tugging the hem of her dress down when she noticed the direction of his stare.
“Everything ok?” she asked, walking over to his desk to perch on the corner.
He rubbed his hand down his face and nodded. His pecan brown skin looked dull and redness surrounded his haze eyes. The clock at the bottom corner of his computer read eleven thirty.
She’d met Ray when they were both at Cornell University. She was pursuing her Master’s degree in finance and he was getting his Master’s in business. They’d become friends and after graduation had moved to opposite sides of the country, she in Washington and him in New York, yet their friendship remained intact. Now, they were business partners in an investment firm.
They’d been in business for five years, and during that time her eyes had finally been opened. Ray was beyond fine. He was Idris, Boris, LL, and Michael B Jordan all rolled into one, fine. He had smooth brown skin that flowed over his muscular frame, hazel eyes that changed from brown to a deep green depending on his mood, and a deep Barry White voice that she heard in her dreams at night.
She remembered the first time they’d seen each other when she moved to the East Coast. Her flight had arrived at seven in the evening, and he hadn’t been able to pick her up because he was meeting with a potential client. She was staying with him until she could find her own apartment, so she’d caught a cab to his condo, where he’d left her name with the concierge.
After unpacking her bags in the spare bedroom, she’d taken a shower to relax. When she walked out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, she’d bumped into him, causing her towel to fall to the ground. Ray had quickly wrapped his arms around her to keep her from falling, but due to their height, his hands had landed on her bottom. That quick touch had spread fire through her veins, surprising and arousing her. Ever since, she’d worked hard to keep her attraction to him at bay. He’d apologized, but for the next few weeks their friendship had been strained.
“Earth to ‘Vette. You ok?” Ray asked, standing and putting his hands on her shoulders.
She shook her head. “Yeah, I’m good, just tired. It’s been a long day.”
He peered at her some more, then nodded. “Yeah, we’ve been here too long. Let’s call it a night.”
They both moved, he to shut down his computer, and her to shut down the laptop and return it to her desk in her office across from his. Once they were done, he met her in the hallway, and they headed to the elevator. Their business was on the twentieth floor of the building.
“This is the latest I’ve ever stayed at work,” she said idly as the numbers from the elevator lit with each floor they descended.
“Yeah, and hopefully this is the last time we have to stay this late. I don’t like the idea of you traveling in a cab this late at night by yourself.”
She shrugged off his worry. “I’ll be fine, I’m a big girl,” she said.
“Nah, why don’t you come stay at my condo?” he asked, looking into her eyes.
Butterflies erupted in her stomach as he stared at her. Thoughts of the last time she stayed with him uppermost in her mind, specifically her first night in his home.
“I’m fine, Ray,” she said huskily.
He reached out a hand and ran it down her cheek. “That you are ‘Vette, that you are,” he murmured, stepping closer.
Yvette’s eyes widened slightly. “Ray?”
“Yvette,” he replied.
She cleared her throat as his hand cupped her jaw. “What are you doing?”
“If you have to ask, then I must be doing it wrong,” he said, bending down until his lips were an inch from hers.
“Umm..yeah..uh…” she said incoherently.
Ding!
The elevator doors slid open, yet neither of them moved. Ray’s eyes had darkened to a deep mossy green and his thumb caressing her cheek was driving her crazy.
Was Ray interested in her? Sure, she’d caught him looking at her over the years, and there was that night last year when they’d gotten drunk from celebrating landing a huge client. They’d cuddled and made out at his home, only stopping when his phone rang. They’d both blamed the alcohol for their actions and had never spoken of it again.
When the elevator doors started to close, the spell was broken. They walked off and towards the glass doors of the building. Before they reached the door, he stopped them, and turned her to face him.
“Come home with me,” he said, pulling her into his embrace.
She searched his eyes, seeing her own desire reflected back at her. How in the hell had she missed his attraction to her?
She gave him the only answer she wanted to give, “Yes, I’ll come home with you.”
A sinfully wicked smile covered his handsome face. “I’ve been waiting for what seems like forever for this moment.”
“Why didn’t you say something before?” she asked, moving closer to him.
“You were always skittish whenever I got too close. Remember the night you moved into my place? I wanted to devour you right there on the spot, but you snatched up your towel and ran as if the devil himself were on your heels. Then that night last year when we made out. I was in Heaven, but again when reality came knocking, you left. I figured you weren’t interested…but tonight. Tonight, you looked at me, and I finally saw what I’d hoped to see years ago, desire,” he said, walking to the door and pushing.
Nothing happened.
“The hell?” he murmured, pushing against the door, but it didn’t budge.
“What’s going on?” she asked him.
“The door is locked,” he said, looking around. The security station was empty, in fact now that she was looking, it was eerily quiet in the entrance with only a few lights on.
“Oh no,” she said, whirling around to look at the big clock on the back wall. It was a quarter past twelve. Their building locked down at midnight and wouldn’t open again until five in the morning.
“Shit, I’m sorry,” Ray said, running a hand over his face.
She sighed. “Maybe this is fate’s way of saying we shouldn’t take our relationship further,” she said.
Ray’s head snapped up. “Nah, I haven’t waited this long to finally have you, only to be blocked by a locked door.”
He grabbed her hand and tugged her back towards the elevator.
“What are you doing?” she asked as the boarded the car.
“Going back to the office. Have you forgotten that you converted the room that connected to my office into a bedroom for those nights that I stayed at the office over night?” he asked, wrapping her in his embrace.
Yvette smiled; she had forgotten. “Best decision I ever made,” she purred, sliding her hands up his chest to wrap around his neck.
“Yes indeed,” he said, lowering his mouth to kiss her.
What are your thoughts about Ray and Yvette? Have you ever acted on a crush that you had on someone or is it unrequited love? Could you work for someone or be business partners with someone you had feelings for? Drop down in the comments and let me know.
Go visit the other GAP Authors' blogs to see their take on this writing prompt!
Delaney Diamond www.delaneydiamond.com
S. Taylor www.staylorromance.com
Tiye Love www.tiyelovebooks.com
JL Campbell www.joylcampbell.com
Delaney Diamond www.delaneydiamond.com
S. Taylor www.staylorromance.com
Tiye Love www.tiyelovebooks.com
JL Campbell www.joylcampbell.com
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