The Elevator

Summary: Sam and Jules get stuck in Sam's elevator and Jules helps with his anxiety. This is a sneak peek at a new scene from SECRETS: Passion, Deceit, and Revenge, which I translated from Dan/Lexa to Sam/Jules.

Timing: Sam and Jules are secretly dating the first time.

Rating: Very Hot in places but no explicit words

Sam's Apartment Complex – Elevator – 6:50 p.m.

Anxiety grew over the past twenty minutes, though he tried to tamp it down, Sam leaned in the corner of the tiny box which became smaller with each passing minute. A call to the complex office went unanswered since it was after closing time. He left a message on the urgent repair line, but his sense of urgency never matched theirs. Blowing out a breath, he glanced at Jules.

Sitting cross-legged in the opposite corner, finishing one of the gelato's Spike's ma sent with Sam, she peered up at him. "Sit down, relax. Have a snack. I'm sure they will show up any minute now."

"Jules, it's Sunday night. We'll be lucky if anyone comes before tomorrow morning."

"Well, we won't go hungry," Jules quipped. She noted Sam's increased agitation and nothing she did so far helped reduce his uneasiness. At a loss, she finally said, "Why do you dislike elevators?"

"Reminds me of something I'd rather forget."

"Seems to me forgetting isn't working. I'll listen if you want to talk about it … might help."

Talking to Jules often did help him. Willing to give it a shot, he said, "I used to utilize tight spaces to hide all the time, and they never bothered me until after a Humvee I was riding in ran over an IED. The explosion flipped us. I don't recall how many times, but enough to send everything inside flying. I sat in the back, Mason and a man from another unit occupied the front seats.

"We landed upside down in a gully. I escaped with minor cuts. Those up front didn't fare well. The driver died, and Mason sustained shrapnel wounds. Something sliced open his cheek leaving his face an utter bloody mess. When his hand moved toward his heart, I noticed a long piece of metal protruding. He kept trying to pull it out. I did my best to stop him.

"You haven't met him yet, but he makes Wordy look like a dwarf." Sam chuckled. "Not quite, but he has at least six inches in height on Wordy, a broader chest, and a few more pounds of muscle. A real Highland heathen."

"I would like to meet him one day." Jules pulled out a homemade gelato and another plastic spoon, handing both to Sam as he crouched in his corner. She smiled when he accepted, sat, and took a bite. "What happened next?"

"Delirious, in so much pain, Mason didn't realize what he was doing. He fought me when I attempted to prevent him from yanking out the shard." Sam allowed the cold gelato to soothe the fire of a long-ago burning throat.

Jules patiently waited for Sam to continue, noting his eyes had a faraway glaze to them.

"Later, in the hospital, I learned the guys had a hell of a time reaching us because the ditch held more IEDs. Trapped in the Humvee fighting to save Mason's life and being ineffectual, well, something in my brain … weird really, but every time I step into elevators, all those images come back even though there is nothing remotely similar about the interior of a Humvee and this." Sam's hand waved around him.

"What do you mean you learned later? Wouldn't you be aware the whole time?" Jules broke her own rule in asking, but his statement seemed off.

Sam scooped up another spoonful and let the treat melt in his mouth. "It wasn't easy to keep Mason from pulling out the shrapnel. Mason's fists are like sledgehammers. I swear he could knock down a house if he ever tried. As I blacked out, I didn't think I would find Mason alive if I woke up."

"If you woke? Sam, what aren't you saying?"

Soulful blue eyes met caring brown ones. "Mason didn't mean to, but he beat the crap out of me and almost choked me to death. He passed out before he killed me. The occasional raspiness of my voice is a result of a mild fracture of my larynx."

Unable to hide a smile as her mind went elsewhere, Jules said, "I like that quality to your voice, especially when you're moaning my name." Infusing her voice with seductiveness, she abandoned her cup of gelato. "Wanna make new tight spaces memories … hot, sexy ones."

Sam eyed Jules. It had been nine days since they had been alone. Nine long days of being near her, but powerless to do what he wanted. He set down the melting frozen treat as desire built in him. "What do you have in mind?"

Slinky, like a cat stalking its prey, Jules crawled over to Sam. "Whatever you desire." She raked one finger down his cheek, across his torso and ended on his groin, where her hand gently rubbed as her mouth locked on his.

Lava erupted as Sam's left hand pulled his sexy sniper chick to him as his braced hand sought out her breasts. Shirts tugged free of pants, and a front-closing bra popped open, Sam's mouth descended on her creamy breasts, laving them as his left fingers sought her apex below.

Not to be denied Jules' hands undid Sam's jeans button and tugged the zipper down … still pleased he occasionally went commando when not at work. Taking charge, Jules moved his hand from her and lifted his head to face her. "My treat tonight." She kissed his forehead, his nose, his chin, moved down his chest tracing a line with her tongue. The gasp from him was music to her ears as she sucked in his stiff, throbbing member.

Sam dug his heels into the floor as his back pressed into the corner when Jules' hot mouth moved on him, her teeth grazing slightly, adding to the sensation. She worked him to a fever pitch, to the point of almost no return before she stopped and returned her lips to his.

Lost in the moment, he was unsure when her pants came off, only that she straddled him and he became sheathed to the hilt in her warmth. She rode him, taking him almost there, backing him down, and returning him repeatedly to a point he nearly exploded. Her exquisite torture became his whole world. When she allowed him to reach his release, he moaned a raspy, "Juuuules."

Following Sam into the pitch of ecstasy Jules savored the quality of his voice. She let her body collapse on top of Sam's as their heart rates and breaths began to slow. She whispered in his ear, "If you are ever stuck in an elevator again, just think of this."

His apprehension gone, Sam languidly gazed into her brown eyes, enjoying the glitter dancing in them. "You're an exceptional woman."

She kissed him, pleased she helped. "You're not so bad yourself."

.

Hope you enjoyed a sneak peek at one of the new scenes in the upcoming SECRETS: Passion, Deceit, and Revenge. I'm working on chapter 20 right now, and the novel will likely be 90% brand new content (my muse is happy) with lots of LAN, intrigue, and more backstory for Loki, Ray, and others.

To all my wonderful readers who have read GUARDIAN: Mission to Rescue Innocence ... I could use your help. I entered the book in a writing contest where a prize is a publishing/marketing contract for the novel and an offer to translate it into another language. One of the criteria they use in judging the winner is looking at the number and content of the reviews on Amazon. I would greatly appreciate it if you would consider reviewing GUARDIANS on Amazon for me. Thanks in advance to all those who do this.