trapped-by-love-a-novelette - Rakhibul hasan (phonics readers txt) 📗

at least Rob never asked me out again. In fact, I haven’t even run into him in the hallway anymore."

"Okay, then, Rob’s out of the picture. Are you involved with anyone else?" he asked. "How could I be involved with anyone? I just spent an hour telling you my life story. When

 

have I had time for romance–hurrying from the hospital to the restaurant? Or maybe between waiting tables and GED classes?"

"Lori, you’re a beautiful woman — inside and out. You’ve worked for Consolidated Electronics for months, plenty of time for romance then," Derek said.

 

"Well, I haven’t been interested in anyone but . . ." Lori caught herself before she said ‘anyone but you.’ "I haven’t been interested in anyone."

"You mean I’ve wasted all this time?" Derek stepped closer and pulled her into a standing position. "All these months I’ve wanted to do this . . . "

Lori forgot elevators and neighbors and everything else as Derek wrapped her in his arms and drew her close. She reached up to meet his kiss. She didn’t have to wonder how his lips would feel any more. They felt warm, and moist, and soft, and loving. Did they really feel loving?

She didn’t have much experience with men, but she’d listened to other women and she’d read books. She knew a man could feel passion without feeling love. Derek had never noticed her before. He probably had a hot date planned tonight and getting stuck in the elevator with her ruined his plans. He’d said she was beautiful. Maybe he was attracted to her because he liked the way she looked and because they were stuck here in this tiny space. How would he feel when, if, they were finally released?

He deepened the kiss and pulled her closer. Her breasts were crushed against his chest and their bodies touched from head to toe. Heat seemed to be radiating from his body. Her insides melted. Could he be feeling anything like she was?

Slowly he ended the kiss, but his lips returned to her again and again for tiny nips and butterfly kisses. He put his hand on the back of her head and drew it down to his chest. He had held her in this position earlier to comfort her. This felt the same, but different — comforting but exciting, secure but dangerous.

Still holding her to him, he stepped back and leaned against the wall. He slid down to the floor and pulled her onto his lap. He kissed her neck and nibbled her earlobe.

 

"Wow," he said. "Wow is right."

 

"Do you know I’ve been crazy about you since the day you first walked into the office?" he asked. "I was ready to throw that Rob guy out my window when he told me you were engaged."

 

Lori laughed at the image of Derek throwing Rob out the window. "I’ve never seen you resort to physical violence. Well, nothing more violent than slamming down the receiver on the phone."

"But you’ve never seen me stake my claim on the woman I love," he said.

"No, I haven’t. As a matter of fact, I don’t recall any broken windows or injured neighbors," she teased. "So I guess there’s been no claim staked."

"The claim is being staked right now." He shifted her position on his outstretched legs and hugged her even tighter. "I controlled myself and didn’t toss that idiot out the window only because I love you so much."

"You love me so much you didn’t stake your claim?" Lori asked in confusion.

"That’s right," he answered. "I knew you wouldn’t be engaged to him unless you really loved him." His eyes seemed to blaze with the intensity of his feelings. "And as much as I want to be with you, I want more for you to be happy."

"You’d have given me up?" she asked.

"I told myself I could, but I don’t think I believed it." He moved her off his lap to the floor

 

beside him and drew her to his side. "I’ve been planning the most important sales campaign of my career. Haven’t you noticed how often we’ve been working late?"

She snuggled against him and answered, "Of course, I’ve noticed. I notice every minute I’m with you. But we’ve been working on the Lawton contract."

"That was a convenient excuse. If it hadn’t been the Lawton contract, I’d have found some other reason to spend time with you." His smile warmed her heart. "I’ve been practicing my ’smooth talking.’ How am I doing?"

"You’re doing wonderful. But I don’t want you to be a smooth talker. I just want you to mean what you’re saying." She took a deep breath before she continued. "Maybe you’re just reacting to the situation of being locked up together in this tiny elevator. You told me one of the reasons you wanted me to be your secretary was that I’d keep my mind on business."

 

Derek framed her face with his hands. "I expected you to tell me you were already engaged. I hoped you’d tell me you’d just ended a relationship and weren’t ready for another one. That would have given me hope that I could win you over."

Lori shook her head. "I can’t believe it. You won me over a long time ago. But no one would have guessed you wanted to."

"Oh, people could guess, all right, but they didn’t have to. Ask Personnel. Ask my boss. Ask any man who’s flirted with you at the office."

"What do any of them have to do with us?"

"I’ve reminded every Romeo who’s tried to get your attention of the company sexual harassment policy. Then I went to Personnel and to my boss three months ago to be sure it wouldn’t be a violation of the policy for me to date you and eventually marry you."

 

Lori’s eyes widened and her mouth opened into a surprised O. "What did they say?" "They said there was no problem as long as we were both interested in a relationship." He

 

looked deeply into her eyes and into her soul. "Do you want a relationship with me, Lori?" "What kind of a relationship are you talking about?"

"The only kind that matters. I want to marry you and show you how much I love you for the rest of our lives."

Lori snuggled against him and wrapped her arms around his chest. "Then, Mr. Anderson, we want the same thing. My dream is to be Mrs. Derek Anderson."

He lifted her onto his outstretched legs again and soon she was lost in his kisses. Neither felt it when the elevator jerked into motion and slowly lowered to the first floor. They drew apart only when they heard laughter and loud voices. They hadn’t even realized the elevator had stopped and the door had opened.

Two men stood in front of them, one in the uniform of a security company and the other in the uniform of the elevator company.

"Well, I guess you’re safe from a lawsuit," the security guard said to the other man. "Doesn’t look to me like these folks went through any trauma."

Derek flashed a smile that warmed Lori from head to toe. He held her close by his side. "Getting trapped in that elevator was the best thing that ever happened to us. Thanks. Now we’re trapped by love, and I can’t think of anything better. We’ll invite you to the wedding, which will be . . . " He turned to Lori. "Please say soon, darling. I’ve waited too long already."

 

"Soon. Very soon." Then she was in his arms again. Those lips she’d dreamed about so often were touching hers, and she was lost in the sensations of love.

 

 

About the Author

 

Lillie Ammann always dreamed of writing "someday." A devastating stroke made her realize she didn’t know how many "somedays" she had. As soon as she was physically able, she started writing. In 1996, she sold her interior landscape company to a large national corporation and started her new career as a freelance writer and editor. She has published three novels—Stroke of Luck, Dream or Destiny, and Fern’s Fancies as well as several how-to ebooks, all available from Smashwords. Lillie lives in San Antonio, Texas. Learn more at www.lillieammann.com.

 

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Publication Date: 06-27-2015

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