Between Limestone Ruins

Chapter Three

Hannah waited for the elevator, silently going over exactly what she needed to say and fighting to keep her breathing even. She gripped the extra-large coffee she had purchased in a drive through on the way over, her 5th in the last 10 hours and maybe the 7th coffee she'd drank in her life. Hannah was starting to hear colours.

Field work was not her area, and she worried her incompetence was as glaringly obvious as if she had spilled coffee on a white blazer. She knew she needed to keep her briefing as factual as possible, while staying away from speculation. Easier said than done.

When the door finally opened she was so unfocused on her surroundings she almost walked straight into the man already on the elevator from the basement parking levels.

"Crap, sorry!" The words spilled out as the man steadied her with a touch of her elbow.

Hannah locked eyes with his stone-cold green eyes of the man that was towering over her. She suddenly found herself lost in the gentle darkness that lurked behind his intense expression. The gentle pressure of his hand felt too hot on her arm and his closeness made Hannah so warm her cheeks began to flush.

She couldn't tell if it was the closeness or the intoxicating smell of him that was making her dizzy. He didn't look like a cologne man though, despite the fashionable three-piece navy suit he wore, so Hannah could only assume the smell of him was just naturally stunning. Wow, she was as much a psych student as she was an idiot.

As quickly as they locked eyes, they broke the connection simultaneously, before Hannah's brain could figure out how the dark intensity this man seemed to exude had taken her breath away.

"You're new," he grunted. Just like that, her fascination over. He dropped his hand and Hannah quickly took her place next to the man, focusing her gaze on her feet. She was trying to collect her thoughts and refocus on the matter at hand. This man was unimportant. The serial killer she knew was out there was important. Had elevator guy spoken to her? Oh crap, she'd better answer.

"Ah, not really. I don't work here, I just have a meeting with Agent Masters," she said with a bit of a laugh, turning to look at him with a signature Hannah smile.

Hannah had a hard time not smiling, and her friends and family often identified her as the smiley girl. She figured she might as well make small talk with the handsome man in the elevator. She didn't work here, and distraction could settle her nerves.

The man's face remained a mask of indifference despite the smile.

"Ah, I see," he responded dryly and then pulled out his phone and effectively ended the conversation.

Hannah spent the rest of the short elevator ride in shocked silence, sneaking peeks at the agent next to her. He was tall, impossibly so. Hannah was 5'5 and chosen to wear heels to give her an edge in the meeting, so this guy had to be 6'7 at least. Built long and lean, like he ran track in college, but well built, filling out the fancy suit he wore in such a perfect way it had to be custom tailored.

His dark wavy hair was styled short, and his green eyes stayed closed off and trained on his phone. Hannah struggled to find the right word to describe the shade of green before realizing she shouldn't care. The man was an ass, he'd made that clear.

He had a jaw bone that could cut glass though, Hannah had to admit. She was pretty sure any woman would sleep with this guy, provided he didn't get the chance to speak and make an ass of himself first.

As the elevator made its slow ascent, Hannah's profiling brain was whirling wondering who this guy was; or at the very least who he thought he was.

When the elevator finally dinged, signalling its arrival on level 18, the man's floor, Hannah made a quick decision.

As he exited she threw on one of her mega-watt smiles and said loudly enough for him to turn and look back at her: "Hannah Morris, by the way. SO nice to meet you."

She waved at him and locked eyes with his, grinning at his gaping mouth, as the doors slid shut.