Just as the elevator came to a complete stop and the doors began to open, everything went black, making Regina gasp. Except for the early and cloudy morning’s dim sunlight that streamed in through the small crevice of the barely opened doors, they stood there in near pitch darkness.

She felt Sergeant Billings move forward and block the only light they had as he tried to push the doors open. “It’s just a power outage,” he explained as he grunted, trying in vain to push the doors open. “It should be temporary.”

Regina knew all about the power outages. They were necessary when working on parts of the construction near or around dangerously high-voltage areas. She also knew they saved the longer power outages for the early morning or late evenings when it was less inconvenient to those working in the buildings.

Of course! This shouldn’t even surprise her sorry ass. It made perfect sense that she’d get stuck in an elevator with of all people him.

Chapter Six

Brandon

Sensing her resentment the moment he walked into the elevator, Brandon had actually been amused by it. Now he wasn’t sure what he was sensing from her. When the lights had gone off, he thought for sure it was alarm. Judging from the tears he’d seen last night, he’d already pegged her as an emotional one. Emotional equaled weak as far as he was concerned, so when he heard her gasp, he’d been sure he’d have his hands full, trying to calm her ass down. Instead, from what little he could make out in the darkened elevator, she was now leaning against the wall, seemingly undaunted.

“It’s Ms. Brady, by the way.”

Brandon looked up in her direction, barely able to make out the silhouette of the business suit that hugged her body. He saw her phone light up as she pulled it out of her purse. The moment the light illuminated her face, his eyes were on her lips. He remembered now even as he’d walked through the first-class cabin where she’d been sitting in her seat already enjoying a Bloody Mary how his eyes had been drawn to those lips then too.

On the plane, he’d watched as her lips wrapped around the celery stick that came in her drink. He hadn’t quite been able to shake the visual almost the whole flight. Just like last night when she’d pressed her lips together because he’d pissed the princess off, she looked like she was pouting, but he could tell her extra full lips just made it appear as if she were. Since he’d first seen her here, she’d worn her hair up in that same twist and wore her glasses. Today was the first time since seeing her at the airport that her hair was down and the glasses were gone.

Before he could respond to her clarification, she was on her phone. “Antonio, I’m stuck in the elevator. Can you please have them turn the power back on so I can get out of here?”

Seeing those lips curve into a smirk should’ve had him fighting his own lips from doing the same. Even when she’d lifted that sweet chin and given him the cold shoulder earlier it had him fighting a smile. Instead her smile irritated him now.

“You did?” she said, her smile going even more playful—brighter. “Oh, wow. All the more reason to get me out of here as soon as possible. Now I really can’t wait to get to my office. Thank you, sweetie.”

Sweetie? Brandon finally pulled his eyes away from her lips, annoyed at himself for getting caught up in them. She was probably used to having guys like Antonio and all the other saps she worked with wrapped around her finger. Years of having Daddy wrapped made for good practice, no doubt. Any guy who’d never been around her type didn’t stand a chance.

He noticed her putting her phone away, and he turned back to her. “Did he say how long it would be?”

“Few minutes,” she said without looking up at him, but he did notice the bright smile had gone flat.

With the sun shining in the crack a little brighter now, he could even see her delicate eyebrow arch significantly as she sipped her coffee, scrolling through her phone, very noticeably avoiding eye contact. This time he did fight the urge to smile. Was the princess still pissed he hadn’t fallen for that smile last night and given into her as she’d likely been certain he would?

The lights went on and the doors opened. Brandon was tempted for a weak moment to tell Ms. Brady to have a good day. Then he thought better of it. She might actually be that full of herself to think the only reason he’d not given into her last night was because he’d assumed she was married. Happy that he caught the almost slip-up, he walked out of the elevator, saying nothing more to her or even looking her way as he began down the hall.

He heard her step out behind him, and if he weren’t mistaken, the tapping of her heels against the floor was a little louder than normal.

“Sergeant Billings?”

Curious and mildly pleased to hear her say his name, he stopped and turned to look at her. Seeing her once again in the light, he ignored the fact that she looked better every goddamned time he saw her. “Yeah?”

She took a few steps toward him. “Aside from the airport in Washington D.C., have we met before?” Her expression was visibly annoyed. “Or do you think you know me from somewhere else?”

Letting out a dry chuckle, Brandon shook his head. He’d hit it right on the nose. She really was struggling to figure out why he hadn’t fallen all over himself to charm her from the moment he first laid eyes on her. Obviously, it’s what she was used to. What a piece of work!

He was grateful for this added confirmation that she was a self-entitled little princess, because he needed it now that his eyes locked onto hers and they were even bigger and darker than he remembered. As she took a few steps closer and he got an even longer look at the fine details of those big brown inquisitive eyes, he had to focus on what he’d just confirmed. He suddenly needed the knowledge that he’d been right about her all along as a safeguard. It helped with the dislike he knew he needed to continue feeling for her. “No, Ms. Brady, fortunately, we’ve never met.”

Her eyebrows spiked. Just like last night when he first ran into her and the hurt in her tearful eyes was so palpable, there was no hiding what she was feeling now. Utter annoyance. This time he pressed his lips together to refrain from smiling. Why the fuck did her annoyance with him amuse him so much?

“What exactly does that mean? Fortunately? You’ve obviously made some kind of assessment about me, yet you know nothing about me.”

“That’s right. I don’t. And I’m sorry that my lack of desire to know more upsets you.”

It pissed him off that even with his years of training in discipline he was incapable of keeping his eyes off those lips, especially when her mouth fell open as it did just then. Glancing back up at her eyes instead, he saw that little eyebrow lift again. “It doesn’t upset me,” she said. “It’s just that. . .” She glanced around flustered. “I’ve just never—”

“I know you’ve never, Ms. Brady.” He walked away, thinking he should be feeling smugger that she may as well have admitted she wasn’t used to men not being interested. Instead, he felt somewhat disappointed he’d been spot on about her.

The sound of her heels clicking once again quickly and with conviction against the floor made him smile. But he wiped the smile the moment she came around him and stood in front of him, forcing him to stop. She stood so close that the subtle scent he’d picked up in the elevator overwhelmed his senses now. Whatever she used to wash those thick tresses was distracting as hell. “You don’t know anything about me, Mr. Billings—”

“Sergeant Billings,” he corrected her immediately rewarded with a very annoyed pucker of her lips.

Refraining from smiling, he considered for a moment that pissing her off might be a new amusing pastime. It’d certainly keep things safe if she disliked him as much as he wanted to dislike her. Unfortunately, it amused him a bit too much, so it was dangerous. He stared at her straight-faced as she took a deep breath.