chapter - 4 stuck in the elevator
919 Words
Ava’s POV
If I ever get out of this elevator, I’m filing a complaint.
Not because I’m stuck.
But because Grayson Hale is in here with me.
And this elevator is way too small for this much attraction.
The jolt happens fast. The elevator shudders, lights flicker, and everything goes still. Everything except my heartbeat, which is suddenly sprinting without permission. Claustrophobia hits like an old memory I never invited back. I press my back against the mirrored wall and grip the railing, trying to breathe through the rising panic. Next to me, Grayson doesn’t even flinch. Of course he doesn’t.
“You okay?” he asks, voice low.
“I’m… fine,” I manage. “Just a minor thing. Very minor. Barely claustrophobic.”
He turns fully toward me. And steps closer.
Too close.
“You’re shaking.”
“No, I’m—”
His hand lifts, hovering near my waist. Not touching, not grabbing, just there. Steady. Warm. Almost like he’s asking silently if he can ground me. My body freezes. Not from fear—just the opposite. His presence feels like it short‑circuits something in me I didn’t know could spark.
“Look at me,” he says quietly.
I do.
Regret it instantly.
His eyes are dark. Focused. On me. Entirely.
“Breathe,” he murmurs. “Slow. Like this.”
He inhales smoothly, like he’s done this a thousand times. I try to match him, but my breath comes out uneven, shaky. His mouth twitches like he notices.
“Better.”
But he doesn’t move his hand. Doesn’t even pretend to create distance. And now that my panic is fading, I’m noticing everything—his scent, subtle and clean; how much taller he is up close; the way his tie lightly brushes my blouse when he leans in a bit more. Then his eyes dip. From my eyes… to my lips… then lower.
He’s looking.
And he’s not hiding it.
“You always stare this much?” I whisper.
He smirks. “Only when I’m trapped.”
My brain short‑circuits.
“I’m not the one panicking,” I mutter.
“I am,” he says, voice threaded with something dangerous. “Just not because of the elevator.”
I forget how to speak.
His hand shifts, fingers brushing lightly along my arm before gliding up to my shoulder. Even through the fabric, the touch leaves a trail of heat. “You smell expensive,” he says.
“It’s a drugstore shampoo,” I reply. “Big on scent, low on budget.”
He smirks again—slow, wicked. “Dangerous combination.”
I laugh nervously. He smiles. And then he leans in again, close enough for his breath to ghost against my skin. His lips hover near my ear, not touching but so close I feel them anyway.
“You’re trouble, Miss Collins.”
Then he steps back.
Cool. Composed. Like he didn’t just melt my entire nervous system.
Ding.
The doors open.
He walks out first, adjusting his tie like nothing happened.
I stay inside, hot, confused, and emotionally deceased.
Later – My Desk
Ethan spins toward me the moment I sit down. “Why do you look like someone whispered stock market secrets straight into your soul?”
I blink. Then exhale. “I think I need another elevator ride.”
He narrows his eyes. “You’re blinking weird.”
“I’m fine.”
“Did he say something to you?”
“No.”
“Did he breathe on your neck?”
I say nothing.
Ethan gasps so loudly I jump. “OH MY GOD, HE DID.”
“Please leave me alone.”
“Was it minty?”
“ETHAN—”
---
Grayson’s POV
She’s pretending nothing happened. Good. So am I.
I shouldn’t have leaned in like that. Shouldn’t have said what I did. Shouldn’t have let myself look at her that way. But now I can’t stop looking.
She’s at her desk, fidgeting with her pen like it personally offended her. Mouth slightly parted, brows pulled together, trying so hard not to think about me that it makes her think about me more. She hasn’t looked at me once.
I hate that I notice that.
---
11:00 a.m. — Finance Briefing
Everyone sits. I walk in, mask on, business mode activated. Ava is at the far end, staring at her notebook with the intensity of someone trying not to exist.
“We’re adjusting the Q3 reports. Deadline’s early,” I announce. “No errors.”
Silence. Then her voice cuts through—calm, casual, borderline dangerous. “Sure. Should we work through lunch or just move into the office permanently?”
A few people snort quietly.
I look at her sharply.
She raises a brow. Daring me.
“Work smarter, not later,” I say, forcing my voice to stay level.
I walk past her, heading to my office.
She looks up.
Our eyes meet.
I hold it. One second. Two.
She swallows.
I turn away before I do something stupid.
Ava’s POV
I collapse into my chair like I just finished an emotional marathon. My phone buzzes instantly.
Lila 🖤: Girl. Did he breathe on you? You look ELEVATED.
Me: Don’t ask.
Lila 🖤: I’m coming at lunch. Wear lipstick. I need to confirm if he stares again.
Me: I hate you.
Lila 🖤: No you don’t. I’m the reason you’re about to live your CEO‑fanfic destiny.
Unfortunately… she’s not wrong.
- Writer
