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“You’re stuck-up.”
“Neanderthal!”
“Spoiled brat!”
“Bastard!”
“Bitch.”
“Arrgg!”
He grinned. “I can do this all day, babe.”
She stomped her foot. “What did I ever do to you? Why are you being such as ass to me?”
“You walked in the room with your nose in the air. Askin’ for help, and the whole time, there you were, lookin’ down at us like the scum you just scrapped off your shoe,” he replied, moving slowly toward her, and she couldn’t help but take a step back.
“I did not,” she insisted, but looked away, pretty sure that was exactly what she had done.
“Right. Come on.”
She looked back at him, but he was already moving away. “What is this place?” she asked, looking around at the mostly dark interior. “Why did we come here?” When he didn’t answer she saw him stepping inside what looked like an old metal freight elevator.
“You comin’, Blondie? Or would you rather stay down here? In the dark. With the rats.” She twisted her head, her eyes searching frantically, practically wanting to jump out of her skin. Rats? She moved quickly toward him, only to find him standing there, one hand on some type of ancient metal lever, waiting and watching her with a grin. He was probably making the whole thing up. Her eyes glanced around again. Was that movement she saw in the corner? Suddenly she felt his hand clamp around her wrist and tug her onto the elevator. She’d barely cleared the entrance before he was slamming closed some type of metal gate, and then the elevator began its ascent, rocking under her feet.
She watched as he leaned back against the interior wall of the elevator, one hand on the lever, the other resting on a bar at his hip, and their eyes met. The elevator shook and rocked. Almost losing her balance in her high-heeled pum
ps, Shannon grabbed the bar and hung on, her eyes lifting to the rough bricks that slid by, visible through the iron bars of the elevator. “Is this thing safe?”
When he didn’t answer, her eyes moved to him. He grinned and shrugged. “Don’t know. I’m no elevator inspector, darlin’.”
The elevator shuddered, the gears squeaking and creaking. “Oh, God,” she murmured. A moment later Crash threw the lever, it jarred to a stop, and Shannon was flung sideways into him. He caught her, his hand landing on the small of her back, clutching her up against him. She felt his hard muscled chest pressed up to the softness of her breasts. He was a tall man, taller than her by a head, even with her four-inch heels. Her eyes skated up him, past his neck, his strong jaw covered with a close cut beard, finally to his eyes. They were a smoky-grey, not really green, not really blue, and up-close they were mesmerizing. And right now they were boring into hers, and she could swear she saw something flare to life in them.
Their eyes held a moment, his fingers tightening on her waist, and then he was setting her away from him, and the spell was broken. He unlatched the gate and shoved it open. She followed him out, only too happy to be off the thing. He threw a switch off to his right, and lights came on, and she took in her surroundings, her mouth falling open. She was staring at what could be as fine an upscale industrial loft as she’d ever seen. Except for the eclectic way it was decorated, that is. The walls were brick, the ceilings were very high – a good thirty feet, with exposed iron beams and skylights staggered between them at intervals. The floor was a polished concrete.
There was a pool table to the left, a light hanging low over it. Beyond that was an open kitchen with a huge island with a higher bar-top on one side and three barstools. The countertops were granite and the appliances stainless-steel. Funky industrial pendant lights hung over the island. Across, off to the right was a large U-shaped sectional sofa, a coffee table and a couple of overstuffed chairs grouped around a thick brightly colored area rug that gave the place some color.
Beyond the kitchen and living area, Shannon could see an area sectioned off by what reminded her of a beaded curtain, but appeared to be hundreds of strands of some type of shiny, silver, metal chain hanging down from a metal rod that was suspended horizontally from the I-beams. Each length of chain was about as big around as a dog leash. Shannon had to admit, it really made for quite an unusual, yet stunning room divider. She’d never seen anything like it. Beyond that, Shannon could just glimpse the most amazing, huge four-poster bed she had ever seen. Its massive carved posts were as big around as dinner plates.
Crash pointed around the place, drawing her attention from the bed. “Kitchen,” he gestured, “living room, bedroom, bathroom beyond there.” He pointed to the other side of the short end of the L-shaped kitchen, across from the bedroom.
“Is that it?” she asked.
“Is it not grand enough for you, Princess?”
“That’s not what I meant.” When he just stared at her, she clarified, “One bed. Is that all you have?”
She watched him grin. “Isn’t one bed generally enough?”
“Not when there are two of us.” Her eyebrows shot up, and her hand went to her hip.
His grin deepened, and she could tell he was enjoying this. “Well, it’s a really big bed, sweetheart.”
“Yes. It’s massive, honey! But I won’t be sharing it with you.”
“In your dreams, Princess.”
“In my…Oh, you’re insufferable!”
