The familiar humming sound of the elevator gave me a strange sense of peace. I tapped the panel with my key ring and pressed the button for the 23rd floor. It was almost 11 p.m. and the entire building was very quiet, with only the soft footsteps of people entering or leaving occasionally. Just as the elevator door was about to close, a large hand reached into the elevator, stopping it from moving.

When the door opened and he appeared before me, I was stunned and looked up.

He was tall and had slightly disheveled dark hair. His jawline was well-defined, and only a few hairs gave a hint of softness. His blue shirt was tucked into his pants, and the top buttons were undone, as if he had just emerged from an equally casual activity. I had seen him several times in the building, always on his way to the gym or opening doors for others in the same relaxed and carefree manner.

"Good evening," he said and walked in. His voice was warm and slightly tired, but when he looked at me, there was a different kind of light flashing in his eyes - a kind of calmness that matched mine.

I nodded, smiled politely, and walked to the side. He pressed the button for the 21st floor, leaned against the wall, and put his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

The elevator began to hum again, and there was a silence between us. It wasn't the kind of awkward silence, but rather a powerful stillness, like the space between a flash of lightning and a thunderclap.

Then, the elevator suddenly jerked violently and came to a stop.

The ceiling light flickered for a moment and then went out. We were almost plunged into total darkness, except for the dim emergency light above. He straightened up and muttered a curse under his breath. I reached out to grasp the control panel and pressed the emergency button, but there was no response.

"We're trapped," I said, my voice steadier than I felt.

He nodded and had already taken out his phone. He lifted the screen and let out a low, frustrated groan. "No signal. How about you?"

I checked myself and shook my head. "Nothing."

We both stood there for a moment, realizing the reality before us. My heart was pounding, not entirely out of fear, but because I became even more aware of how close we were in this confined space. The faint scent of his cologne mingled with the residual warmth from the elevator.

"All right," he said, breaking the silence, "I think we need to wait a little longer."

He slid down the wall and sat on the floor, his long legs stretched out in front of him. I hesitated for a moment and then followed suit, sitting down on the other side of the elevator. In the cramped space, our knees almost touched each other.

"What's your name?" he asked, his tone casual, but his gaze remained fixed on me, as if intent on remembering every detail.

"Pauline," I said, "how about you?"

"Luke." This name suits him perfectly - strong, serious, but also carrying a touch of tenderness that catches me off guard.

"It seems we are neighbors," I tried to break the silence. "I've seen you before."

He gave a slight smile at the corner of his mouth. "Yes, I noticed you too."

This confession warmed my heart. It was both unexpected and undeniable. His tone of speech was somewhat peculiar - casual, as if it was no big deal, but the intensity in his eyes betrayed him.

"How long do you think we'll be stuck here?" I asked, trying to shift my attention away from the sudden, silent tension that had emerged between us.

He shrugged his shoulders and leaned his broad chest against the wall. "It might take some time. The maintenance of this building isn't very fast."

I nodded, biting my lip, and the silence lasted for a while. The air grew heavy, and the distance between us became even greater. I could feel his gaze fixed on me, even though I wasn't looking at him.

"You seem very calm," he said after a while. "Not the kind of person who gets flustered easily, are you?"

"It's not like that," I admitted. "I mean, what's the point? Anyway, we're at the end of the road."

He gave a soft chuckle, his voice deep and resonant. "It's rather fair."

There was another moment of silence. I shifted slightly, my knee brushing against his knee. This touch suddenly made me alert. His gaze fell on the spot where our legs met, and when it met mine again, I could clearly feel the warmth between us.

"Can I be honest with you?" he asked, his voice now deeper and more intimate.

I swallowed a mouthful of saliva and my heart began to race. "Of course."

"I've always been curious about you," he said. "Every time I see you, I want to say something to you, but now... " He pointed at the elevator. "I think fate has already arranged things for me."

The sincerity in his words made me hold my breath. There was no pretense, no shyness – just a calm passion that made my whole body tingle.

"I think, as people say, 'fate' operates in a mysterious way," I replied, my voice almost at a whisper.

He leaned slightly forward, moving slowly and cautiously, giving me enough time to step back. But I didn't. I couldn't. There was an inexplicable longing between us. When he reached out to brush a lock of hair behind my ear and gently caressed my cheek with his fingers, I felt as if I was about to burn up completely.

"Tell me to stop," he murmured, his voice hoarse, his hand lingering near my face.

I shook my head, breathing rapidly. "Don't stop."

Then his lips returned to mine. At first, the kiss was slow and slightly tentative, as if testing something. But when I responded by tilting my head and deepening the kiss, he let out a soft moan and pulled me closer, his hands sliding down to my waist.

Luke's lips were warm and firm. The way he kissed me made everything - the cold floor beneath us, the flickering emergency lights, and the fact that we were trapped in the elevator - disappear. Except for his touch, his scent, and the way his confident and caring hands moved, everything else became irrelevant.

When we finally parted ways, our breaths mingling in the confined space, his gaze searched mine. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice hoarse yet gentle.

I nodded and a smile appeared on my lips. "Not bad."

He gave a soft smile and leaned against the wall, pulling me along. I rested my head on his shoulder, feeling a warm current surging through my body. This warmth was not related to the kiss just now, but stemmed from the serene emotions between us.

As time passed minute by minute, eventually, our quiet conversation escalated into a deeper one. This time, the kiss was more passionate, and each of his touches ignited the sparks on my spine. Luke's hand rested on my waist, his fingers caressing my waist, as if trying to steady himself at this moment. My body arched towards him, my hands entwining in his soft waves of hair, pulling him closer. The air in the elevator seemed electrified, filled with heat, and I forgot where we were.

Luke's hand slipped up, supporting the back of my neck. His touch was both firm and filled with reverence. His lips left mine and moved down my jaw, reaching the sensitive area below my ear. I gasped. His teeth lightly touched my skin, followed by the comforting warmth of his tongue. My breathing quickened. His name slipped out of my trembling lips, and he moaned softly in response, his hands moving downward, sliding across my hips and thighs.

"If you want me to stop, just tell me to stop," he said to me again. His voice was hoarse but firm, despite the raw hunger beneath the surface that his eyes revealed.

"I don't want you to stop," I repeated, my words almost drowned out by the beating of my heart. This was exactly what he needed.

Luke's hand gently lifted my skirt and pulled it up. He shifted his position and knelt in front of me, the skirt covering my thighs. Realizing what he was about to do, a wave of heat spread throughout my body.

"Luke - " As his hand grabbed the back of my thigh and urged me to lean against the wall to support myself, my words got stuck in my throat.

"Let me," he said in a low voice, his tone blending authority with pleading, "I want to taste your flavor."

Upon hearing his words and seeing his focused gaze as he lifted his eyes from beneath his eyelashes, I couldn't help shivering. His fingers slowly and deliberately reached down to the bottom of my underwear and smoothly pulled it down. The cool air in the elevator kissed my exposed skin, but compared to the warmth of his breathing as he leaned closer, it was nothing.

His lips first touched the sensitive skin on the inner side of my thigh, then gently opened his mouth and kissed me, causing my knees to tremble involuntarily. He gradually moved upwards, each touch becoming more deliberate and slower, driving me crazy. When his tongue extended to taste me, I had already clung to the wall tightly, my head thrown back, and emitted a soft moan.

"Oh my God, Pauline," he moaned, his voice reverent, as if in worship of me. "You are so perfect."

His tongue moved skillfully and confidently, precisely exploring every inch of my skin, causing me to gasp and tremble uncontrollably. He sometimes caressed teasingly, sometimes firmly and deliberately touched, finding a rhythm that made the pressure in my heart accumulate at an dizzying speed. My hands once again reached into his hair, grasping tightly, striving to remain upright.

"Luke," I whispered, his name flowing out of my lips like a prayer. He responded in a low voice, the vibrations spreading throughout my body, causing my hips to forcefully press against his lips.

He didn't stop. If there was any difference, it was that he exerted even more force, his hands tightly gripping my thighs, firmly holding me in place while pushing me closer and closer to the edge. The elevator, the darkness, the flickering emergency lights - everything vanished, leaving only Luke, and this moment alone.

I felt the pressure building up, and my breathing became rapid and shallow. "I have to..."

"Get started," he whispered to me, his voice deep yet firm. "Let go."

I did it.

The release came like a tide, sweeping over me. I trembled all over and shouted his name loudly. He didn't stop. His tongue continued to assault me until I was trembling all over, unable to breathe, and completely exhausted.

He finally stepped back, his lips glistening. He looked up at me and gave me a satisfied smile. "Your scent is simply wonderful," he said in a deep and raspy voice.

I could only manage to force a faint smile. My legs felt as limp as jelly, sliding down the wall and sitting beside him. He pulled me onto his lap, his arms encircling me. In the dim light of the elevator, we both gasped for breath.

"That is..." I began, struggling to find the right words.

"This is just the beginning," he said, giving me a gentle kiss on the temple. At that moment, the elevator began to hum and the lights above started to flicker.