352 Too Long

[Reader Advisory: It could get hot.]

It was already nine in the evening when Katherine and Damien reached the parking lot where he parked his car. The two casually exchanged personal questions about each other, seemingly interested in wanting to know more than what they had known months ago.

Because of her memory loss, she couldn't share a lot about her with him back then and it was sad. However, she found herself enjoying the time that she opened up to him, telling him stories about her childhood life. And in return, Damien also shared some of his but he preferred listening to her babble more.

By the time that they arrived at Golden Phoenix Residences, Katherine was still full of energy. The two entered the lobby together, earning glances here and there. There were a couple of employees who were about to bow and greet Damien but he was quick to subtly shake his head and dismiss them. 

He didn't know why he still hadn't told Katherine that he occupied the top floor. He should have. It was the right thing to do. But the longer he kept it from her, the more difficult it was to just admit the truth. And by now, it was just too damn awkward to suddenly blurt it. 

Approaching the elevators, a staff member bowed her head and said, "Good evening, Chairman Park, Miss Young, our sincerest apologies but the penthouse elevators are currently unavailable. They're undergoing maintenance."

Katherine didn't think much of it when the staff greeted them. She was already used to people knowing Damien Park everywhere he goes. 

"Both of them? It's half past nine in the evening. Why is the maintenance done at this hour?" he asked, a little irritation hinted in his tone. For privacy, the penthouse suites have two elevators and the other cars only reach a certain level.

"I'm really sorry Chairman Park. This was scheduled later at midnight but—"

"It's okay," Katherine interjected. "How do we get to my floor?"

The staff looked between Katherine and Damien and hesitantly opened her mouth. Her penthouse? Was there something going on between the two? In the news article regarding Katherine's identity, it was only briefly mentioned that she used to work in Crown Resort Group. But Katherine's question just now made her think that there was more to them other than just being an employer and a former employee. Otherwise, why did she say "we" and "her floor"?

Seeing the staff's curious gaze, Damien raised a brow at her as though he was challenging her to question something personal. If she dares to.

Realizing what she had done, the staff quickly looked down and gestured towards the common elevators. "In the meantime, you can ride in these express cars. Unfortunately, the highest floor they could go up to is the 59th floor and stairs should be taken from there to your floor. You can access the staircase using your keycard."

The tall, disappointed man shook his head. He understood the need for maintenance but according to the schedule that he was informed yesterday about, it should have been done at midnight. He was fine taking the stairs from the 59th floor but he was concerned about Katherine as she already complained about her aching feet earlier.

Left with no choice, they used the common elevator. There were three people apart from them who entered the car. From the lobby, there was an express zone all the way up to the residential floors from 40th to 59th except for the 53rd floor where the bar and restaurant were located.

Katherine and Damien stayed at the back of the car side by side. One of the three pressed the button for the 42nd floor and when the door closed, the car zoomed through the express zone. The movement caused Katherine to slightly sway to the side and Damien steadied her by holding her by the waist. She leaned into him, seeking for more warmth, tempted because of the way his arm protectively held her.

When the three got off the car, the couple thought they were going to speed through the last floor only to find it stopping at the 43rd floor to pick up more passengers. There were six of them who got in—four men and two women—crowding the space.

One of the women went to stand in front of Damien. Not liking the proximity between him and the stranger, he pulled Katherine in front of him. She was startled at first but understood his reasons, so she did her part and 'shielded' him from the woman. She was happy to do so, of course.

There were two more passengers joining them on the 45th floor, causing everyone to shift. Katherine was forced to step back, bumping her bottom to Damien's front. His hand automatically held her in place, not allowing her to move anymore.

Katherine's heart started to race, noticing his growing erection that's pressing against her hip. She heard him suck in air. It was subtle and only she could hear, and the chatter inside the car drowned it out.

She stiffened when she felt his hot breath fanning against her ear, begging for her not to move—or was it the opposite?

Placing her hand on top of his that was resting on her waist, he tightened his grip, his fingers digging into her causing her to clench her jaw. This was bad. Dangerous even.

What was she supposed to do? How could she help him? Should she lean away or should she press herself against him some more? Both of which seemed so cruel.

Damien tried so hard to keep it together. But with Katherine in front of him–his hard-on pushing against his jeans, the smell of her shampoo, the softness of her skin, and just her mere presence was driving him crazy.

Shifting her a little, his stiffness strained against the small of her back. And instead of moving her away, he pulled her hips to him, the friction making him even harder than he already was. Damn this elevator.

He wasn't the only one having difficulties as Katherine was already getting hotter by the minute. But with a car full of strangers, she could only stay still.

The elevator stopped at the 53rd floor and thank heavens everyone else got off, leaving the two inside. The door hadn't fully closed yet when Damien spun her around and immediately captured her lips. His patience had already thinned and he couldn't wait to devour her. And it was the stupid elevator's fault.

Katherine was taken by surprise but she didn't have it in her to push him away. She was mildly conscious about the CCTV camera inside the elevator but at this point, it was the least of her worries when she kissed him back.

They arrived on the 59th floor in several seconds and they staggered their way out of the elevator without breaking their kiss. The stairwell was just a few meters from the elevator and Damien reluctantly pulled away to open the door. Through his hazy eyes, he was about to take out the keycard to his penthouse when Katherine swiftly took out hers and slammed it on the device.

As soon as the door opened, he grabbed her hand and they jogged their way to the 61st floor. Panting, he pushed her against the wall next to the door and smashed his lips down to hers. His kisses were hot and wild and needy and she matched it with the same urgency while grinding herself to him, her hips bucking to him. He groaned in response and moved his mouth to trail kisses down her neck.

It had been so long. Too long. And they just couldn't help themselves. He was scared that if he didn't stop himself, he'd have to take her right here... against the wall.