Cara had pried her eyes from the hot maintenance man just long enough to notice my distress. “Jessi, are you all right? You look pale.”
I finally released the breath I’d been holding. “I’m fine. I just need to go outside and get a little fresh air before I go to see Mr. Taylor.”
Barely able to put one foot solidly in front of the other, I shuffled out of the office and headed straight for the elevators. I smacked the down button and then pressed my arm against my stomach to keep from throwing up. The only possible explanation for any of this was that I was losing my damn mind.
The doors popped open and several coworkers stepped out. A few congratulations were tossed my way, but I could barely hear them. Unable to speak coherently, I nodded and smiled and slipped quickly into the elevator. My shaky finger pressed the ground floor button. The doors slid shut, but a large hand stopped them from closing completely.
My eyes stared wide as the doors opened and Grayson, or the ventilation man, or whoever the hell he was, stepped inside. The familiar scent of his soap sent another wave of dizziness through me, and I braced my hand against the wall of the elevator. He walked to the back of the elevator. The doors slid shut.
I swallowed hard, trying frantically to decide if I should face him and ask him what the heck was going on, but I was terrified that he wouldn’t know me. That would only solidify the notion that I was losing it.
“What floor?” I asked so shakily I was sure he didn’t understand the question.
I could sense him nearing me. My heart was close to leaping straight out of my chest. Then his large hand, a hand I knew intimately, pressed against the wall in front of me. “You didn’t say good-bye.” His deep, smooth voice was so familiar a small sob popped from my lips.
It took every ounce of my courage to turn around and face him.
“You left. Your things were gone. You’re the one who didn’t say good-bye.” A rush of relief nearly made me sink to my knees. I hadn’t been imagining anything. I wasn’t completely insane.
“I had to go help my sister. I needed my tools.”
“But your room, the bathroom, it looked as if you’d never even been there.”
“It was my last day working for Coco. I was moving back here to the city to start this job. I’m sure she cleaned it so that it was ready for the next guests.”
The elevator stopped. Grayson dropped his hand. Several people stepped on. We all stood in what I liked to call awkward elevator silence. I was sure everyone could hear the wild beating of my heart.
We reached the ground floor. Without hesitation, Grayson grabbed my hand and led me out of the elevator to the stairwell door. He opened it and we slipped inside where we could be alone. No one ever took the stairs in a high rise.
I faced him. “But you pretended we were strangers just now.” My eyes ached with tears. “I thought I was losing my fucking mind.”
He stepped forward but I backed up, not completely sure any of this was real yet. “Your assistant was standing right there. I didn’t want to get you in trouble. And I figured if I grabbed you and pushed you up against the wall for a kiss like I was wanting to do, then I’d probably lose this job on the first day.” His deep voice thrummed off the stairwell chamber walls.
He reached up and wiped away a tear from my cheek with his callused thumb.
I swallowed to relieve the ache in my throat. “So you’re here? You’re truly flesh and blood? You’re real?”
“I’m the real deal, darlin’, but in case you need some solid proof—” He pulled me into his arms. His mouth covered mine, and I melted against him as he kissed me long and hard.