CHAPTER 1

Isabella's POV

I was on the ground floor of the King Telecom Center. I was a mess of nerves. My mouth was dry, my skin sweaty. The butterflies in my stomach were so active I thought I might fly away.

Everything about this idea was wrong.

I regretted it as soon as they had called me for an interview. The truth was I applied to the job in a drunken haze with my best friends encouraging me. I had just had a fight with my dad at work, he promised to give me a chance to work at the company but instead he gave the software engineer solutions job to someone else. I have worked all my life to be taken seriously by him. But to him I'm just his little princess and I should just busy my self with shopping and charity organizations.

So I got angry and applied for a job in a rival company, my dad will so not be happy about this and they might not even hire me the moment they figure out I'm a Davis.

But then when I applied, I also omitted my last name using only my grandmother's surname Marino.

Be confident, I told myself for the fiftieth time that morning. My best friends Lydia and Alessia had told me that another hundred and fifty times before that. It was the only way I had a chance of being independent and taken seriously.

By the time the doors of the opened at the floor I was having my interview, I had done a pretty decent job of composing myself. I threw my shoulders back, held my head high, and walked through the glass doors and walked up to the receptionist.

"Good morning, how may I help you?" The receptionist asked.

"My name is Isabella Marino and I'm here for an interview." I say and she checks her computer and nods yes.

"You'll be having an interview with Mr Sinclair, he's already waiting for you in the boardroom." The receptionist says then walks me to the door.

"Thank you." I say before walking in.

Mr Sinclair stood up immediately I walked in. He stepped toward me and held out his hand. "Isabella Marino? I presume. Paul Sinclair."

"Yes, Isabella Marino." I said then I took his hand.

"Good to formally meet you, I have looked at your resume and I have to say I'm impressed, first of your class in MIT with a degree of software engineering and also an MBA." Paul says with a smile.

"Glad to hear it." I say returning his smile, he was still holding my hand.

My stomach began to knot. He was attractive, yes. But I hadn't come here to try to get a job with feminine wiles.

Before I had to decide how to handle his flirtation, Paul abruptly dropped my hand.

"Should we get started?" he asked.

"Yes. Of course."

He waited for me to sit before he unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat down across from me. His gaze settled on me intently.

~~~~~~~~~

The interview was short and actually very professional, he asked a couple of questions about software engineering and also me some solutions about recent problems they had encountered and I answered his questions correctly which made him particularly pleased.

I got the job right there and then, they actually needed someone to start immediately because of the recent problems they have been having and I had already provided solutions so I got hired immediately. I'll be starting on Monday.

I had a smile on my face as I left the office heading to the elevator while I sent my friends a group text telling them I got the job.

And almost immediately my best friend Lydia calls.

"Oh my God Bella, I'm so happy for you." She shouts in my ear.

"I'm so so happy too, we should definitely celebrate." I say and someone groans beside me. Looking up I notice I'm not alone waiting for the elevator, I politely smile to the man who doesn't smile back and I end the call so as not to be rude.

The man stared at me for a long moment, his gaze sweeping up and down, side to side. I felt it the second his eyes rested on my chest, it didn't show any cleavage but I do have nice breasts, normally I will be offended but I find that I liked his gaze today because my nipples tightened and poked against my bra.

I could tell he was assessing me. Not in a sexual way, since his eyes remained expressionless, but he still was looking.

Without glancing back, the elevator opens he stepped into the elevator car. And I step in front of him.

"What are you celebrating?" He asks and I turn to him before I can answer him the elevator slowly ground to a stop.

I glanced up and noticed we haven't reached the lobby, but had stopped on the third floor. I waited for the doors to open to let in a passenger, but nothing happened. I turned glancing at the man behind me.

"Why did we stop?" I asked.

"I have no idea." He moved toward the panel and punched in the lobby button again.

A shrill ringing suddenly blared in the elevator, startling me I almost fall down.

I almost shouted shrieking with fear.

The man studied the panel then jammed his finger against the intercom button. The ringing died immediately, replaced by the sound of static. Then leaned into the speaker.

"Hello, anyone there?"

A moment later, a voice responded.

"Hello, what seems to be the problem?"

"The elevator stopped on the third floor. It might be stuck." He explained.

"All right Sir, just stay put. Let me see what the trouble is."

"Stay put?" I echoed as the static crackled and disappeared. "Where the hell else would we go?" My jacket suddenly felt far too tight, my skin super hot. I'm claustrophobic and this right here is a recipe for a panic attack.

"I'm sure everything is going to be fine." The man says with a shrug but all I felt was panic.

"You okay?" He asks bringing my attention back to him.

My head jerked up. "What? Yeah. Sure. I'm great. I'm wonderful." My eyes looking around the tiny space.

"Why isn't he answering us?" I finally burst out.

"I'm claustrophobic and I already feel a panic attack coming." I add agitated.

Then he came to my side, concern in his eyes. "Hey. Hey." He touched my arm.

"Don't worry, okay? I'm sure they'll have it up and running in a few minutes. Fifteen, max." He adds.

"Fifteen minutes? We can't survive in this teeny little box for that long! What if we run out of air? What if—" My heart starts pounding so fast.

"Okay you need to relax," he says concerned.

"You think I don't know that?" I say almost shouting at him.

"Okay, okay tell me what's your name?" He asks.

"Isabella." I say my breath slowing down.

"Good Isabella you're doing fine, just keep breathing slowly. My name is Carter." He says and I nod okay.

Someone from the intercom speaks. "Sorry it seems we're experiencing some technical difficulties," the man said apologetically.

"The repairman is on his way over to take a look, it'll take about 15 to 30 minutes sorry for the inconvenience." The man added.

I sucked in some oxygen, barely breathing. "Oh my God, oh my God." I say over and over again sitting down on the floor.

"Okay, thanks. Keep us updated please," Carter said into the intercom. And then he was by my side, on his knees beside me. "Isabella. Isabella, look at me."

Miserably, I raised my head, ashamed of the tears threatening to come.

"Just breathe, okay? Breathe with me." Carter says again in a comforting voice.

I opened her mouth, but when I tried to inhale, my throat tightened.

"I can't breathe, I can't." I wheezed. "No. Air."

A pair of strong arms wrapped around me and suddenly I found myself in Carter's lap. His hands cupped my cheeks, his eyes blazing with intensity.

"Isabella, look at me. You're okay. We're okay. We'll get out of here in no time, all right? And there is plenty of air, so try and breathe with me." Carter says comforting me.

I was still barely breathing almost hyperventilating.

"Isabella," he said firmly. "Look at me."

When I didn't lift my head, he did it for me, grasping my chin with both hands and tilting it.

"There's plenty of air, okay?" he said in the same calm, reassuring voice. "We're going to be fine." He added.

"You promise?" I finally murmured.

"I promise."

A flicker of relief filled me. "Do you...would you mind holding me a bit longer?" I asked needing something to hold onto.

"I don't mind." He says his voice in a thick hoarse.

We sit like that for a while.

"Okay, this isn't working," I choked out. "Maybe you can try to distract me? Talk to me about something."

"Please," I added, seeing the obvious reluctance in his eyes.

"Talk about what?" he finally asked, caving in.

"Uhnmm were you checking me out before we got into the elevator?" I blurt out asking.

"Will you be offended if I was?" He asks and I smile and I shake my head no.

"You're beautiful." He says.

"Thank you." I said blushing my lips parted slightly, a flicker of arousal in his eyes, and Carter's hand instantly stilled against my hip.

"So it's the weekend, what do you do during the weekend?" I ask trying to focus myself in a conversation.

"No plans." He says curtly.

"Really?" I ask surprised. "No hot date?" I add asking. He is insanely gorgeous, easily the most gorgeous man I have ever laid eyes on.

"I don't date." He says.

"Why? What do you do then? Don't you get hor__" I start to ask but then keep quiet realizing what I was going to ask. I really have no filter sometimes, I just met the man and I'm about to ask if he gets horny.

"Get what?" He asks with a knowing smile.

"Nothing," I say with a blush.

"C'mon you can do it, say it." He says. And like a fool with no filter I ask. "Don't you get horny?"

"I make plenty of time for sex," he says with a small grin.

I feel his hard-on instantly with full-force, straining against his zipper. My eyes widened slightly. "Oh my," I murmured.

Carter rolled his eyes. "That's what happens when you say the word horny while you're sitting in a man's lap, sweetheart."

"Do you want me to say it again?" I asked mischievously.

"Seeing as we're trapped here in this elevator, I can't really stop you from saying anything, can I?" Carter says and his face changes immediately realizing he just mentioned us trapped.

"How long has it been?" I ask back to panicking again. "Didn't he say 15 to 30 minutes? It feels like ages since—"

"Isabella—"

I shifted in his lap, hand fumbling toward my purse. "Where's my phone? I need to check the time."

"Isabella—"

"Oh God, I can't breathe." I say panicking. "There's no air." I say closing my eyes.

And almost instantly Carter pressed his lips to mine. Only, the second his mouth touched mine, I forgot all about being trapped and not breathing, all I could think about was his lips on mine, kissing me.