car and rattling Becca unnecessarily.
Turning to face her, he offered his hand. “I’m getting you out of here.”
“I…can’t,” she stammered, backpedaling. “What if the elevator drops, like in that movie, and I get chopped in half?” Her eyes darted to the opening between the elevator and the fourth floor. “I reallydon’t want to get chopped in half.”
He suppressed a smile. She’d been watching too much TV. Not that he’d done a lot of elevator rescues, but hers wasn’t an uncommon fear. “Look at me, Becca.” For once, she did as he asked without arguing. Her eyes locked on his and understanding passed between them. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her—not today, not ever. “This elevator isn’t going anywhere,which is why we need to get you out.”
“Okay.” She licked her bottom lip, looking helpless and scared. It was completely at odds with the woman he’d come to know. His gut twisted, and he ached to take her in his arms. “Just…I want you to know I’m sorry. About the radio thing. It was stupid and immature and, well, mean. I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted. Now let’s get you out of here.” Hegrabbed her hand and slipped an arm around her waist, steering her toward the opening. Although he wasn’t a fan of his new nickname, he sure as hell didn’t have any hard feelings. She’d been angry and hurt and she had every right to feel that way. Besides, this wasn’t the time to talk about it. Not when she was scared shitless. “I’m going to boost you up, and Anderson is going to take your handand pull you out. Got it?”
She drew a shaky breath and nodded. “Fine. But you better keep your hands off my ass if you know what’s good for you.”
Jax laughed and linked his fingers, creating a step to boost her up to the fourth floor. She placed her left foot in his hands and gripped his shoulders, her nails digging in. When he looked up at her, those dark eyes were swimming with fear.
“You’ve got this,” he promised. She squeezed his shoulder, nodded, and pulled herself up, placing her other foot on the step he’d created. Rising to his full height, he pushed her up and through the opening, keeping his hands off her ass. “You’re doing great, Becca. Almost there.”
Anderson pulled her over the edge, and she quickly yanked her feet to safety.
Jax grabbed her shoppingbags and passed them to Anderson. Then he jumped up and grabbed the edge of the floor, hoisting himself up. He swung a leg up, and using the leverage, heaved himself clear. Becca sat across the hall with her back to the wall, breathing hard.
“Thank you,” she said, clasping her hands between her knees to still their shaking.
“You’re welcome. And much as I enjoy the damsel-in-distressroutine,” he said, settling into the spot beside her, shoulder to shoulder, “I’m going to let you in on a little secret, shortie. A six pack and a hot pie work just as well if you want to woo a firefighter.”
Chapter Eleven
Becca eyed the massive box sticking out of her trunk and sighed. The damn thing was a tighter fit than the L train at rush hour. So much for doing it on her own. She couldn’t even get the stupid thing out of the car by herself.
Now what?
She’d just have to call Christopher. He could help her carry it up, too, since the elevator was still out of service.Not that she was in any great hurry to use it again, but it still chafed a little. Wracking her brain for something she could use to guilt him into helping her, she pulled out her phone and dialed.
“Yo,” he answered, a man of few words. How he managed to capture the interest of so many women remained one of the borough’s greatest mysteries.
“Hey, Christopher,” she said, deciding toplay it straight. “Can you get mom to cover the bar for twenty minutes and come help me move a table?”
“It’s a little busy right now.” He covered the phone and yelled something across the bar before asking her, “Can it
Turning to face her, he offered his hand. “I’m getting you out of here.”
“I…can’t,” she stammered, backpedaling. “What if the elevator drops, like in that movie, and I get chopped in half?” Her eyes darted to the opening between the elevator and the fourth floor. “I reallydon’t want to get chopped in half.”
He suppressed a smile. She’d been watching too much TV. Not that he’d done a lot of elevator rescues, but hers wasn’t an uncommon fear. “Look at me, Becca.” For once, she did as he asked without arguing. Her eyes locked on his and understanding passed between them. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her—not today, not ever. “This elevator isn’t going anywhere,which is why we need to get you out.”
“Okay.” She licked her bottom lip, looking helpless and scared. It was completely at odds with the woman he’d come to know. His gut twisted, and he ached to take her in his arms. “Just…I want you to know I’m sorry. About the radio thing. It was stupid and immature and, well, mean. I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted. Now let’s get you out of here.” Hegrabbed her hand and slipped an arm around her waist, steering her toward the opening. Although he wasn’t a fan of his new nickname, he sure as hell didn’t have any hard feelings. She’d been angry and hurt and she had every right to feel that way. Besides, this wasn’t the time to talk about it. Not when she was scared shitless. “I’m going to boost you up, and Anderson is going to take your handand pull you out. Got it?”
She drew a shaky breath and nodded. “Fine. But you better keep your hands off my ass if you know what’s good for you.”
Jax laughed and linked his fingers, creating a step to boost her up to the fourth floor. She placed her left foot in his hands and gripped his shoulders, her nails digging in. When he looked up at her, those dark eyes were swimming with fear.
“You’ve got this,” he promised. She squeezed his shoulder, nodded, and pulled herself up, placing her other foot on the step he’d created. Rising to his full height, he pushed her up and through the opening, keeping his hands off her ass. “You’re doing great, Becca. Almost there.”
Anderson pulled her over the edge, and she quickly yanked her feet to safety.
Jax grabbed her shoppingbags and passed them to Anderson. Then he jumped up and grabbed the edge of the floor, hoisting himself up. He swung a leg up, and using the leverage, heaved himself clear. Becca sat across the hall with her back to the wall, breathing hard.
“Thank you,” she said, clasping her hands between her knees to still their shaking.
“You’re welcome. And much as I enjoy the damsel-in-distressroutine,” he said, settling into the spot beside her, shoulder to shoulder, “I’m going to let you in on a little secret, shortie. A six pack and a hot pie work just as well if you want to woo a firefighter.”
Chapter Eleven
Becca eyed the massive box sticking out of her trunk and sighed. The damn thing was a tighter fit than the L train at rush hour. So much for doing it on her own. She couldn’t even get the stupid thing out of the car by herself.
Now what?
She’d just have to call Christopher. He could help her carry it up, too, since the elevator was still out of service.Not that she was in any great hurry to use it again, but it still chafed a little. Wracking her brain for something she could use to guilt him into helping her, she pulled out her phone and dialed.
“Yo,” he answered, a man of few words. How he managed to capture the interest of so many women remained one of the borough’s greatest mysteries.
“Hey, Christopher,” she said, deciding toplay it straight. “Can you get mom to cover the bar for twenty minutes and come help me move a table?”
“It’s a little busy right now.” He covered the phone and yelled something across the bar before asking her, “Can it
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