Liam

I was running late.

I felt for my phone in my pocket, but I didn’t find it there. It hit me—I left it in the car.

Fuck it. I was already here, anyway.

I immediately stopped when I saw a familiar figure run up to the lobby in a hurry, carrying a box in one hand.

Bree Carmichael.

She was running fast.

…And she didn’t notice where she was going. She crashed straight into me.

The impact knocked my breath out, but I caught her, my arms steadying her.

“Sorry!”

Her blue eyes went round as she looked up at me in surprise, her cheeks tinged a shade of pink, her lips parting.

Lips I wanted to taste. “Can’t say I’ve ever had a woman knock my breath out, Bree.”

People went to her bakery because of her. Her smile was warm when you came in. Her cakes were also fucking amazing. A lot of desserts were all about looking impressive with fancy decorations and sheer size, but ended up disappointing.

Hers had the perfect sweetness to match the outside. It made me wonder at the kind of person she was underneath all the layers.

I flashed her a smile, which she returned, but fainter.

She wore a strapless cream-colored dress, revealing long legs that stretched on. My gaze lingered there for a bit before it was drawn back to her face.

The elevator made a sound. It broke the bubble of the moment.

I stepped in, raising a brow as she continued to stand outside, like a deer caught in the headlights.

“Coming in?”

She blinked, before nodding her head once. As if reluctant, she walked in slowly, moving to the other end. I got the distinct impression she wanted to be anywhere but here as her body pressed firmly on the opposite side.

She looked like she wanted to say something, but her lips remained pressed together.

Odd.

I decided to approach the topic carefully, before we reached our floors and she’d get a chance to bolt, like I suspected she would. “I haven’t seen much of you in Stardust lately.”

She looked up at me, as if startled that I’d talked to her.

Why would she be surprised?

Before she got to reply, there was a strange, almost grinding noise, until the elevator stopped. The lights flickered once. Twice.

Like something out of a horror movie.

There was nothing but the sound of our breaths filling the small space.

Well, fuck.

We were stuck.

* * *

Bree

I ran for the elevator when I realized I was running late. I’d been searching for my car keys earlier, and it made me lose precious time.

I was careful not to rattle the cake I was carrying.

In my hurry, I wasn’t looking at what was in front of me…or in my case, who.

A whoosh of breath escaped me as I hit a solid wall of muscle.

Strong arms went around me, warm and steadying.

“Sorry!” I cried.

“Can’t say I’ve ever had a woman knock my breath out, Bree.”

I knew that voice.

There was a teasing edge to it.

I looked up and was met with warm, familiar gray eyes.

Why was he here?

Liam gave me a look that was nearly enough to melt me. He remembered my name.

My face heated.

Rona often told me I was transparent, like an open book. My skin flushed easily.

The elevator made a sound before its doors slid open and he stepped inside, looking at me questioningly. “Coming in?”

I stepped in the elevator reluctantly, unable to look straight at him. To my surprise, he turned to me and said, “I haven’t seen much of you in Stardust lately.”

He’d noticed.

It threw me off, knocking my world off-balance.

I tried to keep my distance when he was around, keeping myself busy. It was working. Or I thought it was, until today.

A frown settled between his brows as I scrambled for a reply.

Without warning, the elevator jerked to a halt.

The lights flickered briefly. My stomach lurched as I realized what was happening.

We were suspended. In a box.

And he was right next to me.

What if the cable things snapped?

I squeezed my eyes shut. This couldn’t be real. This was a dream.

I pinched my cheeks. “Ow.”

When my eyes opened, I found him looking at me in mild amusement. I tore my gaze away, pressing the buttons. None of them worked, much to my frustration.

I beat on the elevator’s doors, asking for help. No response.

I went back to my side of the elevator and watched him press the help button twice.

Still, there was no response.

He sighed before he went back to his side of the elevator, leaning back.

He seemed to notice my unease. “Relax,” he said easily, his smooth voice calm and composed. “I’m sure help will arrive soon.”

How can he relax at this point? And how soon was “soon”?

“Do you have your phone?” he asked me.

I slipped it out of my pocket. I pressed the home button once to wake the screen. Nothing happened. I pressed the power button, but I got the same response.

Dread settled in my gut.

“Uh… My battery’s dead. How about yours?”

“Left it in the car.”

* * *

We both sat at opposite ends of the elevator.

I put my head between my knees, breathing in and out slowly.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yes,” I replied, my response coming out a little too quickly.

Silence on his end.

When I lifted my head up to press my cheek on my folded arm, I found his gaze on me, curious. Something swam in those depths—I didn’t want to read too much in it. I tore my eyes away from him. I busied my hands and checked my cake to see if it was still fine. A bit of icing stuck to the side, but it was still largely intact. I put it at an angle so it moved to the middle.

“Going to Sherr’s party?” he asked.

“Yeah. I was supposed to come with my sister, but she got sick.”

He grinned, and his eyes crinkled at the corners. “Shame. I heard there was going to be cake.”

It made me smile. “It’s nothing huge, but it’s something.” My smile faded a little at the thought of our predicament. “Now we’ll be stuck here, and I won’t get to give it to her.”

“It’s more than something. I bet there won’t be anything left later.”

I snorted. “You’re just saying that because you’re a regular.”

“Nope.” There was a pause before he added, “Bree, we’re going to be fine.”

“I know that.”

“Your hands are shaking,” he pointed out.

He was right. I rubbed them against each other, trying to instill some warmth. I dropped them both flat on the ground, leaning my head back on the wall, closing my eyes.

I could relax…maybe. If I didn’t look at him. If I imagined I was somewhere else, not in a metal box with a cable that could snap off any minute.

I felt him move closer. I tried to ignore it, focusing on not freaking out.

It proved impossible when I felt his fingers brushing mine, before his hand enveloped mine completely.

My eyes snapped open.

“Better?” he asked. He leaned back on the same wall now, his head turned towards me, his eyes making my heart race. His shoulder bumped against mine.

Better? He was making it worse.

Before today, we hardly spoke to each other. Now he was right next to me, and he acted like this was no big deal. I shifted away a little. “Umm. I don’t think so.”

“No reason to be afraid.”

I wasn’t talking about being stuck inside an elevator, but I didn’t correct him.

“Look at it this way,” he began. “What’s the worst that can happen?”

How? Just how was he so carefree? “Do you really want me to answer that question?”

My response had him laughing. His eyes glinted mischievously. “So if we die…”

“Oh God. Don’t say that.”

“Kidding.” I caught a flash of teeth before he asked, “So, what made you decide to start Sprinkles and Stardust?”

The question came so out of left-field that for a second, I wasn’t able to answer.

“When I was younger, I wanted to become a scientist,” I began. “It wasn’t until high school that I made cupcakes when I got stressed. Then suddenly everyone wanted me to make something for them. They’re similar, in a way. There’s a joy in discovering new things. It makes me happy. It makes people happy. It only makes sense I earn money doing it.”

“It’s been going really well the short time it’s been open. Abe’s will have some competition.”

“I’m not really aiming to compete. I offer something different.”

I realized I’d only been talking about myself. I nudged his shoulder. “What about you? Why make furniture?”

“Because I’m pretty fucking good at it. Or so I’ve been told.”

“Hmm. Really not bragging,” I observed, teasing.

“Nope.” He smiled, a twinkle in his eyes. “Tell you what. Let’s make a deal. You give me a discount, I’ll give you one too when you decide to buy a new piece for your fancy porch.”

My brows went together. “I can’t accept that.” I knew how much a single chair of his cost. The intricacy and the detail in them was exquisite. “It costs too much.”

“Oh, but it all adds up. I go to Stardust all the time.”

I took a moment to think about that, and did the math quickly in my head. “You have a point,” I amended. “That’s a generous offer. I hope I won’t be taking advantage of it if I accept.”

“Nah.”

I realized that I was no longer so panicked. The nerves had faded some. He’d been talking to me to take my mind off our current situation.

“This was your plan, wasn’t it?” I leveled him a gaze.

“Is it working?”

I sighed. He was ridiculous, and in some strange way, it was endearing. “It has been,” I acknowledged reluctantly.

“It’s been around, what? Five, ten minutes? We haven’t dropped down yet. Rest your fears.”

“Yet,” I emphasized.

He chuckled.

I huffed out a breath. “Does nothing rattle you?”

My question seemed to sober him. And as he said the words, his eyes were on me, intense and determined. “A few things do, Bree.”

I could drown in his eyes. I had to be careful not to sink into them.

A few things do, he’d said.

The woman at the bakery. She probably did get under his skin.

I’d forgotten all about the fact that he had someone else.

“Bree,” he said my name, his voice low and rough. “Why haven’t I seen you in Stardust lately?”

This was a stupid crush I had no business having. I forced myself to look at him, even though doing it felt like pins were stabbing at my heart.

I shrugged. “Just been busy.”

He moved so I was trapped underneath him, between his arms. I gasped in surprise.

Then, his eyes narrowing, he dropped the question. “Have you been avoiding me?”

The question startled me.

Almost reflexively, I replied, “No.”

I so was. But it had been more out of self-preservation than anything else.

“I do something wrong?” he continued to ask.

“No,” I replied again, my voice softer. It wasn’t his fault that he already had someone. And she looked pretty special to him, too.

Of all the people in Fortuity, I had to be stuck with him right now. Someone I couldn’t have.

“I have,” he murmured faintly. “Don’t know what I did, but I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t do anything,” I said quickly.

Hadn’t he heard everything I’d just said?

I tried to move away, but he remained on his spot.

I pushed my hair away from my face angrily. “Liam. Can you please move?”

His eyes warmed, as if something was greatly amusing.

Just what was so funny?

“You got icing over here,” he finally said, pointing at the corner of my mouth. I swiped it with my hand, but he only grinned. He lifted his hand up, about to remove it, when he stopped, his hand suspended in the air.

My eyes widened as I watched him, somehow unable to move. He dropped his hand immediately, his eyes darkening.

“Liam, what—”

He moved down closer, until I could feel his warm breath caress my cheek. His lips touched the corner of my mouth, and he licked it.

In my shock, I wasn’t able to move.

The elevator started to move, and we were frozen in surprise. He moved back slightly and we looked around us, at the ceiling, hoping that cable still held.

Please don’t let us fall.

The elevator jerked to an abrupt stop again. His hands went to my back, as if to make sure I was okay. My heart pounded in my chest. It sounded loud to my own ears. I wondered if he could hear it.

Without warning, the doors slid open.

People were standing outside—their expressions of curiosity and impatience turned to ones of shock.

…And all their eyes were on us.