Elevator Ride

Oh, not again! Drew thought as she stepped onto the elevator. For the past four weeks, every time she got on after work, Lance was there too.

He was tall, gorgeous and blue-eyed, with blond hair and a killer smile. Give him a horse and he's the man that dreams are made of, she thought idly. Except he's a rude, ice cold man who only sees women as warm bodies, without brains.

Well, no, thank you! Drew had no interest in men like that.

Drew had known Lance for years; he'd been her brother's best friend since they were fifteen. She'd been only twelve, but even then she had seen how gorgeous he was, and how the other girls drooled over him.

Lance's parents had died in a car crash and he had been sent to his aunt, Mrs Kindley, Drew and James's next door neighbour. Drew had always liked Lance but he had never even acknowledged her. Lance had always looked upon Drew as James's annoying little sister. Except at her sixteenth birthday party.

Six years ago

She wore a beautiful, jade coloured halter dress. It stopped above her knees and showed a little cleavage, it was the most elegant thing she'd ever worn. She was talking with some friends when she felt someone's eyes on her; she looked up and there stood Lance, in a suit, looking like Prince Charming himself.

He came, was her first thought. The next was, why?

However, throughout the party he just talked to Drew's brother and his friends and ignored her. She tried to catch his eye a few times and when their eyes did meet she felt a spark, but he looked away quickly. It upset her. She had hoped he had come for her, but obviously he was only there to keep James company.

What an idiot I am, she thought, disgusted at herself for thinking otherwise.

The music started and Matt, one of James' friends, asked Drew to dance. When it finished, before she could sit down another one of his friends whisked her into another dance. As she laughed through a few more dances, Drew wondered why she got along with all of her brother's friends except Lance. When the music finally ended, she looked around but couldn't see Lance. She felt disappointed.

But why am I disappointed? she wondered as she went out for some fresh air.

She walked to the far side of the yard where a blossom tree shadowed the garden swing that over looked the village. Exhausted, she slumped into the seat. The moon bounced off the emerald bracelet her father had bought her. It had been his way of acknowledging she had grown up.

I wish Lance could see I'm grown up, she thought, unaware that the man she was thinking of was watching her from the shadows.

Lance stared, astonished that this was Drew, James's little sister. The girl in front of him didn't resemble the skinny awkward girl he knew, this girl had long smooth legs, full red lips and the type of body that guys fantasise about. That he was fantasising about. I shouldn't feel this way about her its James's sister.

Drew closed her eyes and sat, listening to the natural sounds of the garden. Peaceful, she thought.

Some time had passed as she was listening and even though she felt the weight of someone sitting next to her she didn't open her eyes. She didn't know how but she knew it was Lance.

She opened her eyes slowly and saw that he was looking at her passionately with those grey stormy eyes. She looked away, lost as to what to do or say.

"I...thought you had gone," Drew finally said, in a small voice.

"I didn't think you would have noticed, the way you were acting with the guys," he snapped. Lance was thinking about the way the other guys had held her and danced with her.

Why should I care? I don't want her, do I? He thought. No! he answered himself angrily. I only came to...damn it, why did I come? James! He said it would be a good night -- that's why.

"I was just dancing with them," Drew said, shocked. How dare he judge me, she thought furiously.

"Yeah, right. Jess had his hand on your ass," Lance said angrily.

"And I moved it," she countered hotly. "I don't even like him that way. I don't know why he did it," she said shuddering and still feeling shocked that he had done it.

"Well, you're asking for it in that dress!" he said, his eyes raking over her from head to toe.

"How dare you! The way you talk, you would think I'm dressing like those girls you date," she snapped and started to rise, her face flushed with anger.

Lance grabbed her wrist to stop her. "Hold on," he said, sitting her down again. "I'm sorry, but you're just a kid. You should know that there are men out there that will take advantage of you. I'm just looking out for you," he said sincerely, feeling like an ass for what he had said.

"Well, don't! In case you didn't notice, I turned sixteen today! Stop treating me like a child!" With that she got up and started walking back to the house. Lance grabbed her wrist again and turned her to face him.

"You don't want me to treat you like a kid? Fine." Lance pulled her to him by the waist and kissed her hard. He was punishing and angry at first, then he became gentle. After a moment, Drew stopped resisting and started returning the kiss shyly. She had never been kissed before, but Lance showed her how. Drew felt Lance's hand on her waist start to travel up. His thumb was lightly stroking the underside of her breast; it made her breast feel heavy and tender.

"Open," he said in a hoarse voice.

She did what he asked and he slowly let his tongue slip in. She started to kiss him back the same way. After awhile, she became less restrained and they both were kissing like they couldn't get enough of each other. Her fingertips started to run up his back and she felt him shudder. His other hand started to travel up her leg and in between her thighs; he pulled back to rain kisses down her neck as his hand went higher.

"Wait," Drew said breathlessly, then again a little more loudly. It got through to Lance and he pulled back to look at her.

Stepping back and letting her go, he turned away, then without another word stalked away out of the garden.

He had been accepted into University for business management, and Drew didn't see him again till the holidays a few years later. Even then they never spoke, and since they had never got on before, no one said anything. After graduating University he found a job with a small business, then left and started his own company. Now he made his success by buying rundown businesses and making them profitable again.

He had bought the company she worked for two months ago. But over the last four weeks, she had been seeing him more and more, ever since the staff party.

He had cornered her outside on the balcony. She had worn a strapless dress in a colour similar to the one from her sixteenth birthday, but longer. She had been watching the sun set when he had come to stand close behind her. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck, making her shiver.

"Drew..." he started, but before he could say anything, a group of people came over and he slinked away.

What was he going to say? Was he going to kiss me again? She wondered, remembering their first kiss.

My imagination is just working overtime, she thought. I'm paranoid. He must've been working late. She mentally kicked herself. Of course it had just been a coincidence; everyone had been so busy with the new account they just landed and she was the new supervisor so... Her thoughts were cut off when the lift screeched sharply to a halt, making her wobble on her heels.

If Lance's hand hadn't shot out and caught her by the waist she would have fallen over. When she looked up into his face, she saw his eyes were dark and full of passion. They were so close she could feel him growing hard against her. His eyes reflected the passion in hers. For a moment, she was back in the garden with his arm around her...then it went black.