AllFreeNovel
Share Us
1
ISABELLA
I’m waiting for the elevator when he appears next to me. The man who’s been haunting my daydreams for months. Standing so close I could reach out and touch him.
He’s twice my age, and drop dead gorgeous. Silver threads blend into his tousled dark hair. Every time I steal a glance, I find myself entranced by the way maturity graces him.
He’s wearing an impeccably tailored Italian suit that hugs his frame in all the right places.
Our eyes meet as I take another glance. A jolt of electricity arcs between us. It’s as if he sees straight into the depths of my soul, seeing the fantasies I’m trying to hide from him.
The elevator dings, snapping me back to reality. As the doors slide open, I wonder – is today the day I finally pluck up the courage to speak to him?
“Isabella, right?” His voice is deep, a smooth sound that puts me instantly at ease. “After you.”
I step into the elevator, frowning as he joins me. He never joins me. He just stands beside me until I enter the elevator, and then he walks away. What’s different about today?
“How did you know my name?” I ask as the doors close.
His eyebrows quirk upwards as if he’s not used to being questioned. “I know everything that happens in my building.”
“Your building? The Caruso Building belongs to you?”
“Dominic Caruso. A pleasure.” He holds a hand out toward me. His brow furrows as he stares intensely at me. “You’re upset. Who hurt you? Say the name and he’s dead.”
I manage a smile. “Just a rough workshop today. This guy was trying to flirt with me and he got pissy when I turned him down.”
“You want me to kill him for you?”
I laugh but his expression remains deadly serious. “I think we can let him live,” I say. “For now.”
“Let me know if you change your mind. Screenwriters workshop, right?”
“Yeah, I’m writing a play and a bunch of us get together to discuss our work. Screenwriters, playwrights, we even have a couple of novelists.
“Anyway, this new guy joined this week and he kept staring at me. Then he asked for my number and when I said no, he said I shouldn’t turn down dates. Said I couldn’t get offered many weighing as much as I do.”
His face turns dark. “You catch his name?”
There’s a strange grinding sound. The elevator jolts violently, then stops dead. My heart leaps into my throat. “What just happened?”
“We appear to be stuck,” he says, pressing the emergency button. He doesn’t sound surprised. “Isn’t this interesting? No one’s answering. Been disconnected.”
Panic claws at me. “Stuck? As in trapped?”
He moves closer, his voice soothing. “Hey, it’s okay. We’ll be moving soon enough.”
I try to breathe, but the air feels thick. As the minutes tick by, the temperature increases until I’m sweating like mad.
I’m pacing up and down, my breathing becoming labored as Dominic taps something on his cellphone.
He looks up, noticing my discomfort. “You can take a layer or two off. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone what I saw.”
“I’m fine,” I snap. “It’ll be fixed quickly, right?”
“Who knows? I’ve sent a message to my people but there’s no service. See if it gets through.”
“God, I hope it does. I can’t breathe in here. It’s too hot. Are you hot? I’m roasting.”
