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“It’s fine,” she says, “I’m due for an upgrade soon.”
Then I help her with the crutches.
When I open the elevator door, we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be, only Big Mike is standing at the end of the hall, near the apartment. It’s strange, him being up here. Our apartment is the only one on this floor—the penthouse, because Burke is the kind of guy who can afford the best.
Mike’s wearing a brick red shirt that makes his complexion look even pinker. Mira would have picked out something different for him, too, no doubt. He does a doubletake when we step off the elevator.
“Power was out,” he says, as if that explains anything.
“What are you doing up here?” I ask.
He lifts a squirming little body. The escape artist hamster.
“Got myself a Houdini here. Like you guessed, he’s my little girl’s pet. My ex-wife has primary custody, so I try to keep my daughter happy, you know? What my precious little Pansy wants, she gets. Hey—” He motions to Mira’s leg. “Sorry again about what happened with your ankle. Glad to see it worked out.”
“It didn’t, though,” I say flatly, annoyed by his presence, and not just because I’m still partially hard, my thoughts fixed on the slick, hot feeling of Mira around my fingers, her sweet mouth on mine. It’s his hamster’s fault Mira broke her ankle. “They don’t typically give casts to people who don’t need them. How’d he get through the fire door?”
Escape artist or not, I struggle to believe such a thing is possible. Then again, I saw the little hamster scurry down the side of the stairs, so the laws of physics might have made an exception for him.
“I couldn’t tell you,” Mike says gruffly. “All I know is that I looked all over the building for him, and this is where I found him. Say, can we have you over for dinner some night? An apology for…” He gestures to the pink cast on Mira’s leg.
“No,” I say. Maybe I should have consulted her first, but I can think of few things I’d like less than going over to Big Mike’s to have dinner with him and his rodent friend. There’s something…off about him. Besides, my whole body is pulsing to get into my apartment so I can take care of the need pounding through my veins, and he’s standing in the way of that. Still, I can tell my answer was too blunt, so I add, “No need.”
He clears his throat and rocks a little on his feet, the little hamster squirming in his fist.
“Well, have a blessed day,” Mira says, pushing past him. “And I’d suggest giving the elevator a pass. We just got stuck in it for two hours, so you can understand why we’re not feeling chatty. I’m guessing you didn’t hear me calling for you and Pumpkin?”
He opens his mouth to say something and then shuts it. If I had to guess, she caught him off guard. He strikes me as a man who doesn’t like feeling that way, although I imagine few people would.
“Huh. Pity,” she adds. “We could have used the assist. Well, anyway, we’ll see you around.”
I’m only too happy to go open the door for her. I don’t like this guy, and I’m not too fond of the hamster either, considering all the problems it has caused. Still, it’s strange, going through the usual routine of unlocking the door. Stepping inside. There’s a weird feeling, like maybe none of this happened except in my head, because for anyone outside of that elevator, itdidn’thappen. It’s like Mira and I are once again two housemates who barely know each other. Two people who, on the surface, couldn’t be more different. But in my head, things have changed so utterly it’s a different landscape than it was before. A different movie.
Still. The magic moment may have ended, but the way it made me feel hasn’t. The blood is starting to pound through my veins again—to move south.
“So it’s just over?” she asks as I close the door behind us.
The last thing I see is Big Mike giving a wave with his non-hamster hand.
“I’ll get Burke to call the super,” I say. “Make sure someone takes a look at it, but if I had to guess, it happened because of the electricity going out in the building.”
“I’m never going back on that elevator, Danny. I’ll learn how to go down the stairs with crutches.”
“I’ll carry you,” I say before I can stop myself.
She licks her lips. I’ve been too intense—I can tell before she says a word. That’s something I’ve been accused of before, and it’ll undoubtedly happen again.
“I’ll learn to do it on the crutches,” she insists.
I nod. I don’t deny her. She’s setting boundaries, and it’s her right. But there’s something I need to do before I can think or function or do anything resembling being a person.
“Danny?” she asks as I make straight for my room.
“I’ll be right out.” It comes out too loud, almost strangled, but I don’t apologize. And I don’t turn to look at her. I can’t. Because if I did, I’d have to touch her, to pull her into my arms and ask if I could fuck her and not my hand.
ChapterSeven
Mira
