Chapter 24 · Elevator

"Say it again." Nico's palm hit the panel behind my head, not the button, just the metal, and the doors slid shut on the wet street I'd just said it in.

"Say what." My back found the mirrored wall. Cold through the jacket. His.

"What you said in the rain." He wasn't smiling. Twelve years on me and he still looked like he could break a man's wrist without changing his breathing. "Say it in here where there's no thunder to blame it on."

"I was wet and pissed off. People say things."

"You said I wanted you." He stepped in. Not close enough to touch, close enough that I felt the heat coming off him like a held door. "Past tense. Cute. You want to try it again, present tense, or you want me to hold the elevator until you do."

My stomach dropped and the car hadn't even moved.

"You can't hold an elevator, Nico, there's a whole building that needs it."

"Watch me." He hit the stop switch without looking away from me. The car shuddered, then hung there, humming, going nowhere. "Now we've got time.