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She heard hihter He sounded frustrated Too bad for him--she was at her wit’s end herself But she needed to talk, so she asked, "Think the buses are still outside?"

"I don’t know, and I don’t care"

Jeez Could he be any ruder? "Aren’t you supposed to be good with custo on that front"

He seeht want to work on your people skills I’"

"I’ll keep that in mind," the dry voice said

She yawned Now that the initial terror had worn off, she was busy being annoyed at hi hu sleepy "I think we’re stuck here"

"Theoretically"

"I assume the buses left by now"

"You also assuuess you have special transportation to take you away before the hurricane gets here?"

Silence for a h-class ain Do you think your helicopter is still there?"

A long pause Then he grudgingly ad worse"

"You ht have to ride the bus with us plebes, then" She lay down on the floor, using her purse as a pillow "‘As the builders say, the larger stones do not lie ithout the lesser’"

"More philosophy?"

"Just a little so to think about," she said tartly

"Indeed," he said slowly, and she noticed he had let off on the infernal buzzer Maybe he was giving up She sure was After afor you?"

Her sigh in response seemed overloud in the darkness "I don’t know I cahty I don’t know if she’ll realize I’ot on another bus" Brontë hated to think about it, but if it ca behind to e? She knehich one Sharon would pick "I like to think that so’s been completely evacuated before they all run off to the mainland"

"Mmm" His tone was noncommittal As if he wasn’t sure that was the case at all but wanted to humor her

Yeah, she wasn’t sure about that either But it sounded good, so she adjusted her purse and rested her cheek on it, waiting for rescue

Bront&eu The silence was deafening, the blackness al in its depth

Still no power Still in the elevator She rubbed at her eyes and sat up, wincing "Hello?"

"Still here" The man trapped with her sounded "

"Ihave I been out?"

"About six hours"

Six hours? Dear God Panicfor us?"

"My guess is no"

She sucked in a deep breath, willing herself not to panic Stuck in an elevator on an evacuated island Stuck It felt oppressively hot in the elevator now, as the power had been out for several hours and the tropical hu its toll "How could they leave us behind?"

"Again, just a guess, but I would say that in the chaos of the evacuation, someone dropped the ball" His tone was analytical Bored

Was he still pissed at her, or pissed at their situation? It didn’tanywhere anyti at how stiff her body felt, and how sticky with sweat Ugh She was thirsty as hell, too, and there was no relief from the heat The jeans and T-shirt she’d put on for the evacuation felt stifling She kicked off her sandals and then glanced over to his corner of the elevator, not that she could see anything If she undressed, would he notice? Would he erous? He didn’t seem like the type to leap over here and rape her, and she was miserable in the heat

After a an to slowly shi at the loud noise her zipper ?"

Naturally he’d caught that s undressed It’s hot in here Just stay over on your side of the elevator, and I won’t bother you"

She heard the rustle of clothing from his side of the elevator as well "Good idea"

"Was that a co?" she teased

"Not yet" His terseness threatened to shut down the conversation

"‘Forgivein yourself’"

"Are you going to sit here and quote Plato all afternoon?" He sounded almost amused

"That was Ausonius, actually And yes My philosophy degree has to be of sohed with pleasure when the air hit her flushed skin Clad in nothing but her bra and panties, she immediately felt cooler, much to her relief, and she folded her discarded clothes and tucked theet down to your boxers, you know," she told him "I can’t see you, and it feels much better"

"I don’t think so"

"Briefs, then?" she couldn’t resist asking "You struck me as a boxer man"

Actually, he hadn’t struck her as lione out But she liked teasing hihtly less suffocating

"Why are you asking about ?" His tone was stiff, unpleasant