5. Josie

5

JOSIE

" H ands down it's Fruity Pebbles," Wyatt declared. I shook my head in fierce disagreement.

"God, no. It's Cinnamon Toast Crunch."

"How can you say that?" he scoffed.

"Because it's the truth."

He flashed another handsome grin at me. "I think we need to educate you on cereals."

"There's no point when I'm already right," I shrugged playfully.

Wyatt under his breath as he shook his head, but he was smiling. I had to admit it was amusing that I was stuck in an elevator arguing about cereal with a big-time hockey player. We'd had a few food debates while killing time.

Seriously, though. What kind of person picks Fruity Pebbles over Cinnamon Toast Crunch? A crazy person that's who.

This was also the guy who'd already stated that tomatoes were gross but liked spaghetti.

Go figure.

"Think anyone's trying to find us?" I asked after a few minutes. We'd been stuck for three hours now, and still hadn't gotten any response through the elevator's emergency speaker. I'd lost almost all hope of someone rescuing us–I was just trying not to think about it.

"Maybe?" Wyatt answered, but there was no certainty in his tone.

Suddenly, I felt the need to get up and move around, and as I stood, I groaned softly as the muscles in my lower back ached from sitting on the floor for so long. I distracted myself by holding my phone up, willing it to register a connection. Extending my arm as far as I could above my head, I moved towards the corner of the elevator and froze as the reception bars shifted from zero to one.

"I got service!" I yelped, my voice sounding far too loud, but Wyatt didn't seem bothered by it as he gracefully got to his feet to look for himself. "Really?"

I nodded, but the moment I took a step, the bar dropped back to zero. "If I stay right here," I said, moving back a step, watching the service flicker.

"Think you can get a text out?" Wyatt asked.

"Maybe." I raised myself onto my toes hoping it would help but my balance wasn't great after so much sitting.

"Here, let me help." Before I could say anything two strong hands grabbed my waist, hoisting me up. I froze, not expecting Wyatt to lift me in the air. Glancing down I saw the outline of his biceps under his jacket. My heart rate picked up at how easily he lifted me, like I weighed nothing at all.

Heat burned through my cheeks, and as I realized I was hanging there like a puppet, I quickly raised my phone again. I tried to ignore the feeling of Wyatt's big hands wrapped around my waist. At how easily he was holding me up. The guy was a professional athlete, I really shouldn't be surprised.

It took all of my willpower to focus on the phone as I moved my arm, trying to get better reception. As soon as a bar flashed on my phone, I quickly typed out a message, but every time I tried to send it the reception dropped out. I became distracted, worrying that I must be growing heavy in Wyatt's arms, yet he showed no sign of struggle. After several attempts, I finally got the perfect angle and hit send.

"I think it worked!" I gasped, my arm trembling from holding it up for so long. The fact that all I'd had to do was hold up a phone while Wyatt held me up was a little lame. I really need to start going back to the gym.

Wyatt gently lowered me to the floor, and I felt a tug of regret as he removed his hands from my waist. I could feel my back sliding along his chest, and even though he wore a jacket, I swore I could feel his muscles tense against my back. My entire body flushed with the simple movement.

No! Now is not the time to get a crush on a stranger. A famous stranger at that .

I could feel the hesitation swell between us as we stood there, his hands still on my hips and his chest pressed against my back. His breath softly caressed my neck, sending a shiver of pleasure down my spine. Clearing his throat, he stepped back putting distance between us, and all too soon, Wyatt's hands disappeared from my waist. I took a deep breath before I turned to face him, willing the redness to fade from my cheeks.

Silently I prayed the text went through, yet as I watched the screen intently, my phone pinged with the notification: unable to send message.

"Didn't work," I groaned.

Well, there goes that idea.

"It was worth a shot," Wyatt said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We'll try again later."

I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could say anything, my stomach chose that moment to protest loudly. The sound seemed louder in the small elevator. Not eating all day had caught up with me. "Sorry," I mumbled, embarrassed.

"Hold on, I think I have something."

I watched as he reached for his bag. Squatting down he started rifling through it. Inside I could make out some clothes, shoes, tape and what looked like a puck or two. "Here we go," he said as he held up a nutrition bar.

"A nutrition bar? Really?" I scrunched up my nose at it.

"I thought you were hungry," he countered, sending me a pointed look.

"Yeah, but those taste like cardboard." Which they did.

"And?" He waved it in front of my face.

Knowing that I wasn't about to get a big juicy hamburger anytime soon, I let out a dramatic sigh. "Fine, nutrition bar it is," I muttered.

"Don't forget a half-drunk bottle of water." Wyatt pulled it out from his bag.

I looked at it then at him. "How long has that been in there?"

Wyatt inspected the bottle a moment before shrugging.

Great. Judging from the dented look of the bottle it's been in there awhile.

"It's better than nothing. Here." He extended them towards me as his own stomach grumbled.

"What?"

"You have it," he offered. I was flattered that he'd offered me the only food he had, instead of eating it himself.

"No, I can't," I replied and shook my head.

"No? Josie just take it." He tried to put it in my hand, but I moved it away.

"I'll only accept it if you share it with me."

"I'll be fine. You eat it," he said, more insistently.

"Wyatt, you played tonight. You must be starving!" I held up my hand as he tried to argue with me. "We'll split it and the water. Deal?" There was no way I was taking no for an answer. Sure, I'd hardly eaten all day, but that was my own fault. He was the one who'd played a grueling hour of hockey.

We were locked in a stare-off, neither one of us giving in. Wyatt was about to learn firsthand how stubborn I can be. ‘ More stubborn than a mull,' my dad always said. After another minute of intense glaring, he gave up. "Fine, deal," he grumbled.

I grinned in triumph.

"Here." He ripped open the nutrition bar and broke it, handing me one half. Holding it up in the dim lighting, I saw it didn't look so bad after all. Nuts, oats and something else I couldn't really see. "Cheers." Wyatt held out his half and I tapped it with mine.

"Cheers." I was still grinning as I took a small bite, wanting to savor it as much as I could. Who knew how long until we were rescued.

"How is it?" He asked as he took a bite of his own.

"Not bad. Still tastes like cardboard, but like fancy cardboard," I replied, pleased it wasn't as terrible as I'd anticipated.

"Perfect description," Wyatt laughed loudly, and once again, the sound washed over me like a gentle wave that settled deep into my bones.

I could hear that all day and never grow tired of it .

My face flushed with heat at the thought, and I ducked my head. Fortunately, Wyatt seemed oblivious, lowering himself back to the floor. I followed his lead, crossing my legs under me as I nibbled on the bar.

"I mean, it's no hamburger but it will do," I said quickly. He murmured his agreement, and we sat there side by side, eating our nutrition bars.

"Thanks," I said softly as I nudged his leg with my foot.

"Anytime."

"So, let me guess. You're a hockey player by day, but secretly rescue stranded girls in elevators by night?"

"Caught me." Wyatt's lip quirked up. "This is a side gig of mine."

"Like Batman." I tried to keep the smile from my face.

"I mean have you seen Batman and me in the same room together?" He gazed at me; an eyebrow raised. "Bruce Wayne…Wyatt Boone. Same letters."

"Wow!" I gasped dramatically. "The dots are connecting. Although, if you were Batman, you would have yanked those elevator doors open already."

"Maybe I'm saving my strength." We were both trying to keep our expressions serious but were slowly failing.

"Sounds plausible," I nodded. We stared at one another for a minute before the laughter won over.

"Here." Wyatt extended the water bottle towards me as I ate the rest of my bar.

"Thanks." I only took a sip before passing it back, trying to ignore the fact we shared the bottle, our lips touching the same part. I could feel the temperature starting to dip in the elevator. I was thankful I wore jeans and a sweater today. With November just starting we weren't fully into winter yet, so at least we were spared from being stuck in here in the dead of winter.

I found myself inching closer to Wyatt, the cold elevator floor seeping through my jeans. Needing to distract myself a little I turned to him.

"So aside from your Batman secret, and the fact you have horrible taste in food," I paused, allowing myself a moment to look at him and take in his raised eyebrow. "What else does the Wyatt Boone like to do?"

"Saving lives isn't enough?" he said with a dramatic sigh, leaning his head against the wall.

"Nope."

"Honestly, I'm quite boring."

"I highly doubt it," I scoffed. Looking at the man sitting beside me, there was absolutely nothing about him that screamed boring. I mean, the fact he was a professional athlete was far more exciting than anything in my life.

"No, really. If I'm not playing, I'm either at practice, at the gym, or with my family."

"Wow, what a letdown," I teased. "I guess celebrities really are normal just like the rest of us."

"Sorry to disappoint you." Wyatt nudged me with his shoulder, and I felt a flutter in my chest as he flashed me a teasing smile.

"It is disappointing. How am I to survive now?" I tried not to look at him, his smile was doing all sorts of things to me. It was pointless though–I couldn't stop myself. I don't think anyone could resist a smile like Wyatt's.

"What about you?" he asked.

"Me?" I replied before I could stop myself.

Nice work. Like there's anyone else in here Josie.

"Yeah, you know, like do you make a habit of getting stuck in elevators?"

"Oh, totally. This is a weekly occurrence for me."

"Is that so? Am I your favorite knight in shining armor so far?"

"Well…" I rubbed at my chin. "You did give me something to eat so I guess that's a plus."

"And water. Don't forget the water."

"Oh, how could I?" I glanced at the almost empty bottle by my side as he chuckled.

"I haven't seen you around before," Wyatt said softly. "Did you just move into the building?"

"I moved in almost a year ago."

"Really? I'm surprised we haven't run into each other before now." He took the words right out of my mouth. Though the building was 15 stories high, it was still surprising we haven't seen one another at least once.

"If I'd known we shared the same building I could have spent this whole time stalking your apartment," I teased. I hoped he knew I was joking and wouldn't actually stalk him. I wasn't one of those girls.

"Can't say I'd mind if I had a stalker as pretty as you."

"Does that line usually work on women?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

His laughter echoed around us as he slapped the top of his thigh. "That was terrible wasn't it."

"It was right up there with the teen lines I scored this afternoon," I smiled, watching the way Wyatt ducked his head, seemingly embarrassed. "But thank you."

Like I care how cheesy his line was. It's not every day I get a compliment, let alone one from the likes of Wyatt Boone.

Wyatt didn't respond but he turned and looked at me. Really looked at me, his eyes running over my face as though he was trying to memorize it, and there was nothing I could do to stop the heat rising into my cheeks. Or the shiver that ran up my spine as his leg brushed up alongside mine.

"Here," Wyatt said as he reached into his bag and pulled out a long sleeve jersey. "It's slightly dirty," he held it out for me as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "But it's warm."

As I accepted the jersey I was surprised at how thick and soft it felt, and I was eager to put it on. I shuffled over a little so I wouldn't elbow him as I pulled the jersey over my head. It smelled like cologne with a faint hint of sweat, and I loved it. As weird as it sounds, I found when some guys sweated it smelled… weirdly good. Masculine. I pretended to adjust the neckline as I discreetly took another smell.

The sleeves were far longer than my arms, and the bulk of the jersey swam around me, but I didn't care. It was warm.

I can't believe I'm actually wearing Wyatt Boone's jersey.

While I'd pulled on the jersey, Wyatt had shoved his bag across the floor and was shaping it into a pillow as he stretched out across the floor. Glancing at him, my breath caught in my throat as I found him already staring at me. There was a muscle clenching and unclenching in his jaw, and his eyes seemed a shade darker.

"Better?" he asked, his voice sounding deeper and raspier.

"Yeah," I nodded, swallowing thickly. It was taking all of my effort to try and remain cool, calm and collected. I shivered again, but it had nothing to do with feeling cold and everything to do with him.

"Come here. If we stay close, our body heat will help keep us warm." Wyatt raised his arm and nodded for me to lay down beside him.

My hesitation lasted for just a split second before I scooted down beside him.

What the hell. Tonight's weird enough already, might as well go along with it.

"So, body heat, huh?" I teased, hyper aware of his arm gently wrapped around my shoulders. "Hey, my mom raised me to be a gentleman."

My body had a mind of its own as I pressed closer into his side, curling into it. His hand moved slowly down my arm, sending shivers through me again before it came around my waist, resting on the curve of my hip.

I told myself the position we were in wasn't sexual by any means, yet, the feel of his firm, muscular body against mine made me want to curl around him like a cat. I blamed the dirty thoughts suddenly coming to mind on my lack of male attention over the past year.

Stop it, Josie! Now is not the time or the place!

The last thing Wyatt needed was another random girl lusting after him. He'd already mentioned the fangirl's he encountered and I didn't want to be just one more. Yet, as the seconds of silence ticked by, I could feel the exhaustion ebbing from both of us as we laid there in the quiet, and I found it increasingly difficult to keep my imagination in check.

"Tell me about your family," I found myself whispering.

"My family?"

"Yeah. What are they like?" I wasn't usually so inquisitive, especially with someone I'd just met. Maybe it was a combination of exhaustion and being stuck together that made it easier to lower my walls. Though for a moment I panicked, fearing he'd think I was nosy.

Wyatt didn't hesitate as he answered. "Well, my mom is amazing. She's literally the backbone of my family." I could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke. "Mom drove my brothers and I back and forth from school to the rink every single day, and still cooked dinner for us all when we got home. Which was no mean feat with hungry boys. If any of us needed anything she was there. Always." Wyatt's love for his mom was evident in his voice, and I could tell she meant everything to him.

"She sounds amazing."

"She is."

I wasn't sure how that happened, but my head now rested on his chest, my arm draped across his around his taut abdomen.

I can't believe the two of us are lying on the floor of an elevator, wrapped in each other's arms.

"How many brothers do you have?" I asked, trying to distract myself. "Two. Landon is the oldest. He's 28 and loves to parent me and my younger brother. Sometimes he comes off as an asshole, but he means well. He actually runs an ice-skating rink and trains kids and teenagers. Not to mention he also coaches the local little league team."

"So, he plays ice-hockey too?" I asked.

"Yeah, we all do.

"He didn't want to go professional like you?" My mouth ran away from me as the questions poured out, but Wyatt didn't seem to mind.

"Nah, he never had the passion for it that I do, but he still loves it enough to want to coach and teach."

"And your younger brother?"

"Mateo. He turns 18 in a few weeks. That kid," He chuckled, and I could feel the vibration in my ear. "He never sits still. He plays hockey as well as football and he'd play more if he could, but my mom put her foot down at two sports. He's a good kid though."

I loved hearing him talk about his family. It was obvious they were close, really close. In a matter of minutes, I'd learned that Wyatt would move mountains for his family. It just made me respect him even more.

As he continued telling me about his brothers, I felt my eyes grow heavy as the day caught up with me. Wearing his jersey, and wrapped in his arms, I felt so warm and comfortable. Safe. I tried to fight the fatigue, but slowly his voice started fading and I drifted off to sleep.