Chapter 4
Archer
“What? How can that be? Don’t you have a key?”
“Yes! I mean no, it uses the code from this side!” she fumbles the keys in her hands.
My stomach drops. I should be stunned at the idea that we are potentially locked in a room down here but I’m more concerned at how upset she is. I want to comfort her, remedy this for her.
“Well can you try the key?”
“There’s no slot from this side,” her pitch raises in angst.
“Is it the wrong code?” I take a deep breath insuring I stay calm for her.
“I’m trying,” I see her fingers typing the code multiple times and each time she yanks the door after but nothing happens, “It’s not working! I don’t know why!”
“Here let me try,” I move closer to her and place my hand lightly over hers.
She jerks hers away and calls out the number. I type it in three times but to no avail.
“Oh God this can’t be happening,” I hear her heals clack the concrete a few times as she backs away and pants heavily.
At the rate I hear her breathing, I’m afraid she might faint, so I turn around to follow her. My hands reach out to her but she’s already flush against the book shelf and sliding down to the ground. I’m kind of surprised that she’s coming this unhinged. I haven’t seen this much emotion out of this woman in all the months I’ve been watching her.
She pulls her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and a little more of the back of her thighs become visible. From this angle, if I really wanted to, I could probably see down to her panties, but I shake it off and try to remain a gentleman.
“I can’t believe I let this happen,” she whimpers, her head to her chest now. “I knew I shouldn’t have done this, here head raises and tears are slowly streaming down her face now, “Now I’m stuck in a room with a man I don’t even know,” her blue diamonds look up at me, “I mean I don’t even know your name,” her voice cracks.
“Archer, my name is Archer,” my gut wrenches at the sight of her agony and I pull my phone out in another attempt to remedy this for her.
This is so not the first impression I wanted to give her.
I look at the screen and see that I have no service. I hold the phone in the air and walk it around the room hoping for a change…but there’s none.
“Phone,” I hold my hand out to her.
“What?”
“May I see your phone? I need to see if you have service. I have none.”
She pushes her legs down and pulls her phone out of her waist band, exposing just a bit of skin on her stomach and it makes my jaw clench.
Fuck, I need to concentrate on getting us out of her not her perfect body.
She hands it to me and when I take it from her my skin grazes hers. Dear God my knees have just literally gone weak. A rush of emotions floods through my body and I realize my gaze is lingering just a little too long at her.
I swallow hard and clear my throat, turning to walk the room with her phone as well. No signal.
I hand it back to her, “I’m sorry. No service.”
“I can’t believe this,” she shakes her head.
I situate my feet beside her and lower myself. It feels good to be so close to her…even though I know she’s not as happy about it.
I hear her sniffle, “excuse me,” her cheeks flush even more. She’s embarrassed.
I yank a handkerchief out of my pocket and hand it to her.