What Goes Up Read online

  What Goes Up

  Title Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  What Goes Up

  Celia Kyle

  Published: 2011

  ISBN: 978-1-936950-44-7

  Published by Summerhouse Publishing. Copyright, Celia Kyle. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.

  Summerhouse Publishing

  http://summerhousepublishing.com

  Email

  [email protected]

  Cover Artist

  Celia Kyle

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  To Mr. Kyle for his unwavering support and for being the best real life hero a woman could ask for.

  Chapter One

  New Disc

  She needed theme music. Something like “Mission Impossible” but with a bit more sex appeal. That thought came to Ashley as she tugged on the belt of her black trench coat for the thousandth time. Nothing she could do about it now, though. Any second, the elevator would begin its nightly climb to the thirtieth floor, bigwig central. It would pick up its lone occupant for the evening and then begin its descent to the first floor. Because what goes up must come down. Of course, on its way down, it would pick up one additional passenger.

  The LCD panel above the elevator doors came to life, slowly rising in number as the metal box made its ascent along the shaft. Her phone buzzed against her hip and she pressed the Talk button on her Bluetooth headset.

  “Hello?” Ashley didn’t know why, but she whispered. It wasn’t like anyone else was in the building this late at night. Well, anyone but her, the man about to enter the elevator, and Marlon.

  “It’s going up.” Marlon, the building security guard, had a penchant for stating the obvious.

  “Yes, I can see that. Is our deal still in place?” She needed to make sure, doubly sure, he’d taken care of everything and wouldn’t allow her to be interrupted. Tonight was too important for the aging man to suddenly gain a conscience or simply forget to turn the elevator alarm off so that it didn’t notify emergency services. She really didn’t want to explain her outfit to some fireman or police officer. Really.

  “Yep, long as you’ve got a place for me come the end of the year.”

  “I do.” The bribe hadn’t been a difficult one to agree to, but she’d make sure he got what he wanted, without fail.

  “Then I don’t believe there will be a problem for you this evening, Miss Ashley.”

  “Excellent. Thank you, Marlon.” She pushed the button again, disconnecting the call. During their brief chat, the elevator had continuously been rising, passing floor after floor.

  The red numbers taunted her as they switched from one number to another. As the elevator rose in its shaft, the bile in her stomach rose toward the back of her throat. Nerves caused the muscles of her abdomen to twitch and her belly to churn. Maybe it had all been a mistake. No. She wouldn’t back out now. Not after all the preparation she’d gone through.

  Enough was enough. Trevor had brought this all on himself, and she wasn’t about to let him get away with what he’d done. She’d tried to be the sweet, submissive girlfriend and where the hell had that gotten her? Thrown to the curb. Now, she’d get her way and there wasn’t anything he could do about it. At least, not while they were in the elevator.

  The red lights showed the number thirty and Ashley’s heart stopped. The elevator would be descending soon. Any second now it would begin its way back to the lobby. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the Down button and waited. Ashley had plotted, planned, followed, and bribed people, okay, a person, for this chance. There was no going back now.

  Ashley pulled at the belt of her jacket, sliding one end through the other as she untied the slipknot. She brushed the belt ends aside and worked at the buttons, sliding them through the holes with increasing speed as the elevator approached her floor.

  She let the coat slip from her shoulders, and the fabric skimmed her arms as it fell toward the floor and pooled at her feet. She hoped Marlon would remember to pick it up during his rounds and keep it safe for her. The red LCD lights continued to count down from thirty.

  Twenty-nine…twenty-eight…twenty-seven… One more floor.

  The soft ding signaling the elevator’s arrival echoed in the tile lined foyer of the twenty-sixth floor, but she ignored the sound. Seconds ticked by as she waited for the elevator to settle and open its doors. Her heart rate increased with each passing moment until she felt her heart would burst from her chest, and she thought it’d simply stop from overexertion before she got a chance to finish what she’d started. Then…then the elevator doors did what she’d been waiting for. They opened.

  Trevor stood in the center of the elevator dressed in his typical business suit with perfectly pressed, exorbitantly expensive shirt and tie. He held his jacket at his side with his fingertips, leaving his upper body clad only in his dress shirt. With his promotion, he’d upgraded to Armani. And true to form, he didn’t carry a briefcase as work was best done in an office and never at home.

  She made a note to tear the thing from his body, popping off each and every twenty-dollar button she could find. Of course, tearing the clothes from his back meant she’d get an eyeful of his body. Not that she was complaining, of course. With lightly tanned skin stretched over each rippling muscle, she’d be the last woman to complain at having to stare at his bare chest and six-pack abs.

  His six pack led to his trim waist and in the front, those lickable lines on his hips. In the back, an ass she couldn’t wait to nibble…and bounce a quarter off of just to see if she could. His legs were long, equally muscled, and also wrapped in Armani. Scissors. She was sure the expensive tailored wool suit would melt away like butter beneath a hot knife with her newly sharpened safety scissors. That thought alone almost made her smile.

  The epitome of a man on the rise stood before her, and her knees shook as the enormity of what she was about to do landed on her shoulders like a grand piano. In fact, if she listened hard enough, she was sure she could hear Jerry Lee Lewis’s “Great Balls of Fire” echoing from the imaginary keys.

  But fear had no place here. Nor did second guesses. She’d started on this path the moment she had promised Marlon a place at her Thanksgiving table later this year along with the rest of her family, and she wasn’t going to back down now. She’d cajoled the old man until he finally agreed to her plan in exchange for spending time with her. Marlon just liked having a friend, and if it got him to do as she asked, she wouldn’t tell him that she’d planned on inviting him anyway. The old man was taking a risk. She couldn’t tuck tail and run now.

  On shaky legs, she strode forward, four-inch stilettos colliding with the marble floor in loud clicks as she approached t
he open doors. Trevor still hadn’t said a word. His eyes had stretched so wide she could clearly see the whites from five feet away, and his mouth hung open as if he were a toddler waiting to be fed. She wasn’t surprised. He was seeing a new side of her now and he seemed at a loss for words. Good. The success of her plan hinged on him staying off-balance.

  Ashley stepped over the threshold and didn’t stop moving forward into the elevator until mere inches separated her from Trevor. His eyes seemed glued to her cleavage and she knew she’d captured his interest. Now, she just needed to capture him.

  The soft whoosh of the doors closing interrupted her thoughts on what was to come and she simply stood there, stock still as she waited for the right moment. After a few seconds, she eased her hand over the buttons on the elevator control panel. From the corner of her eye, she spotted the bright red button she searched for. With the tiniest bit of pressure, she pushed the button and the elevator jolted to a stop, sending her teetering back against the doors. They stared at one another, he in shock and her in expectation.

  What would he do?

  *

  What the fuck was he going to do? Trevor stared at his fucking, walking wet dream and tried to snap back to reality, only to realize this was reality. He was truly stuck in an elevator with his ex-but-he-wished-she-wasn’t girlfriend, Ashley. Not only were they stuck in the small space, but she was dressed in the sexiest outfit he’d ever seen her wear in the years he’d known her or six months they’d dated. Hell, all of his fantasies and their role-playing had never conjured this.

  Ashley’s long blonde curls were pulled into a tight ponytail. Instead of relying on her natural beauty as she usually did, her eyes were accented by a thin line of black eyeliner and her lips… Damn, he loved those lips… Her lips were covered in bright red lipstick. What he wouldn’t give to have them on his cock right now.

  Trevor shook his head. He shouldn’t be thinking anything about Ashley or his cock. He’d broken up with her months ago for both their benefits. What the hell was she doing?

  More importantly, why the hell had she decided to encase her curves in leather, lace, and thigh-high boots? Lord, he really would lose his load in his pants. Damn. He hadn’t done that since his teens.

  Trevor took a closer look at his one-time love and his dick throbbed in his slacks. Her breasts, large and pale, were encased in a black leather corset. Laced tightly around her abdomen, it pushed the luscious mounds high so they almost spilled from the cups. He wanted to bury his face between them, licking one side and then the other before capturing her nipples. And he remembered exactly how much her nipples enjoyed his mouth. A lot. Then he’d toy with the nubs and slip tiny clamps on the hardened bits of flesh, just the way she liked.

  The corset accentuated her waist and the flare of her wide hips. How he loved to pound her from behind, gripping her hips and smacking her ass as he fucked her. His now erect cock jerked at the memory. Lace panties shielded the juncture of her thighs from his view, but he imagined she still kept her lower curls trimmed short. Memories…

  Then her legs, ah, her legs were tied into thigh-high boots with the highest heels he’d ever seen. His Ashley had a great set of legs, too. Curvy and lush, but still toned. When she wrapped them around his waist, he never once thought of her as anything other than strong and fit, regardless of the extra cushion she carried. Without it, she’d be a thin stick, and he loved every single curve she carried. Well, only if every curve she carried wasn’t standing in front of him dressed only in leather, lace, and a smile.

  “What the—”

  She pushed him. Honest to God, he didn’t know how to react and simply backed up as she moved toward him, crowding him into the corner until his back collided with the polished steel wall. If they touched more than they were now with her hand on his chest, he didn’t think he’d be able to control himself. Strike that, he knew he wouldn’t be able to control himself. He still loved the woman with all his heart. He just couldn’t have her.

  “I didn’t ask you a question or give you permission to speak, did I?” She arched her eyebrow and he couldn’t believe how sexy she looked. Instead of answering, he shook his head. She obviously had something to say and he’d let her. As long as she got it said. Because soon, the temptation of her being so close would overwhelm him and he’d start barking out orders. As if he had the right any longer.

  “I’m tired, Trevor. I’m tired of you doing what you think is best without consulting me. You got promoted and you decided it would be in both our interests to sever our ties so other people wouldn’t talk about the boss dating an employee.” She poked him in the chest and he gripped the elevator railings. She didn’t realize it, but she was poking a bear, not a man. “Well, I’ve come to a decision.” She planted her hands on her hips and her breasts jiggled in their leather confines. He ached to pull her into his arms. “You’re mine. Period. None of your bullshit excuses will placate me or make me change my mind. I’ve decided and that’s that.” She nodded her head with a quick jerk of her chin that sent her ponytail swinging behind her. “You belong to me now and I’ll be damned if I let you go.”

  Trevor reached for her, unable to keep his hands to himself any longer, but froze in mid-movement. “I wouldn’t, Trevor. Don’t move a muscle until I give you permission. I’m damn pissed at you and your behavior. This is about you agreeing to my demands, not you making them, bucko.”

  Knowing when to keep his mouth shut and when to speak up was one of the reasons he’d advanced so far at Garrison Corporation. Trevor kept his lips pressed together and hands planted firmly on the rails, waiting for his soon-to-be fiancée’s next move. He’d already decided on their future the moment the elevator doors opened. The second he caught sight of her the feelings he’d buried deep in his heart sprung to the surface. Two months. Two months ago he’d ended their relationship and it had been two months too long.

  A woman who would strip nearly naked to surprise him in an elevator after work and who he happened to love more than life itself was too precious to let slip through his fingers again. Truth of the matter was he’d missed her and he’d been kicking himself ever since he’d ended the relationship. Now, it appeared she was ordering him to give their relationship another chance, whether he deserved it or not, and he wasn’t about to waste the opportunity.

  Ashley closed what little distance remained between them until her breasts brushed his chest, and not for the first time, he wished they were both naked. He wanted nothing more than to feel her smooth skin against his. But she had other plans.

  “I’ve come to a decision, Trevor. You can’t be trusted.” She punctuated her statement with a nod.

  He shook his head. He hadn’t become the Chief Financial Officer of Garrison Corporation without earning someone’s trust along the way. Millions passed through his fingers daily.

  “No, you can’t. You’ve proven your inability to make important personal decisions in the way you ended our relationship, as if it were in both our interests.” She snorted and shook her head. “It wasn’t and you made me realize that in the business world, your decisions are sound and almost always right.” That was more like it. “But in your personal life, you can’t be trusted to make good judgment calls. So I’ve taken the burden from your shoulders. As of this moment, I’m in charge and you’re not going to say a word in protest, are you? You know why? ‘Cause you’re not allowed. So there.”

  She wouldn’t let him get in a word edgewise. Not that he’d disagree with her at this point. They could talk about the balance in their relationship, and his stupidity, once they got out of the elevator.

  “Are you listening to me?”

  He nodded. He wasn’t an idiot. Okay, he was, but not anymore.

  “So you don’t object?”

  He shook his head, afraid to speak. The fear truly kicked in when she smiled with a hint of evil intent and pure pleasure in her eyes. Now he knew for sure he’d do whatever she desired.

  “So drop.” He didn’
t have to be asked twice. Score! The love of his life waltzed back into his world and wanted to give him a blowjob. God surely was looking out for him today. Without hesitation, he began tugging at his belt, anxious to free his cock as it seemed intent on burrowing through the fabric of his slacks. “You have to take off your pants to eat me?”

  Wait. He’d missed something. Something vitally important now that he examined his situation. The previously evil- and pleasure-filled woman before him now appeared…just evil. Evil was not good. Not good at all, considering that now when he tried to put the pieces together all signs pointed to Ashley pulling the Dominatrix card. He swallowed hard, trying to remember what she’d blabbered on about while he’d been staring at her breasts. He really should have paid attention. Really.

  Ashley pushed his hands aside, easing the end of the belt back through his pants loop and righting his clothes. She even went so far as to straighten his tie. “Let me go over it again for those of us in the room who weren’t paying attention the first time around. You”—she poked him in the chest, right in the middle of his favorite Ferragamo tie— “will listen to me.” The bright red fingernail eased from his chest, and she trailed her fingers along the curve of her breasts. He licked his lips and his cock throbbed in his slacks. “You lost the privilege of making decisions for yourself when you ended our relationship without due cause. As punishment, you will not receive sexual fulfillment until or unless I do. And at no point are your hands to be used in any way. After which, we will put this elevator in motion and allow it to venture to the first floor. Then we will go to my home, and we’ll move on from there as long as you’ve behaved yourself until that point. Are we clear?”

  Trevor swallowed past the lump in his throat.