Текст книги "Tempting Whispers"

Автор книги: T. A. Grey

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Текущая страница: 9 (всего у книги 11 страниц)

She hadn’t realized she’d been aching for him to respond until her phone buzzed with the incoming message. She quickly swiped her finger to unlock the phone and read his message, twice.

I had things to do. I tried to get it done while you were still asleep. Took a lot longer than expected.

Was that supposed to be some kind of vague apology? Well, unless he really said it, she wasn’t buying any of it.

Yeah, and I went out. Oh, well. I’ll be back when I’m done here. She glanced at her drink and new she was done. Any more drinks and she wouldn’t be safe to drive. She’d had just enough to feel loose and good but not dizzy and drunk.

You’re going to come back now or I’m coming to get you. Don’t make me. You won’t like it.

“Whatever,” she muttered and closed the phone, shoving it back in her purse.

She’d go, but not because he told her to. She was going because she couldn’t drink any more. Not because he ordered her to. She slid money across the bar, nodded to the cute bartender, then started through the restaurant. She mentally tried to prepare herself for what was to come. He’d be all mad and demanding; she’d be forced to either cave in or fight back. Well, she had the urge to get into a good ole’ fight with Brayden. It was the least he deserved for the stunt he pulled this morning.

You don’t just leave someone you supposedly care about like that, she thought. She stopped in the restroom to wash her hands. But did he care about her? He’d said he wanted her, but that wasn’t caring. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. She didn’t like how sad her eyes looked. With a weary sigh, she forced a smile, dried her hands on the brown paper towels, then left. She deserved it all. A man who cared and wanted her. She’d had a mate who just ‘wanted’ her for all kinds of things. That didn’t work for her—at all.

A young girl, wearing a black T-shirt with the logo of the restaurant, opened the front door for her as she passed. Vanessa said a thank you, then stopped as she scanned the parking lot for her car. She couldn’t see it from here; two lanes of parked cars blocked her. The lot was lit with the yellow beacons from the street lights. She hated how cowardly it made her, but she clenched her purse hard over her shoulder and kept to the well-lit parts. It meant she had to walk a longer way to get to where she parked, but she made it.

She spotted the black Mercedes squeezed between a dark blue mini-van and a yellow Mustang and sighed. Her flats slapped across the pavement as she rushed to it, keys already in hand. Before she reached the trunk, her phone buzzed. Her gaze shot around the parking lot once more before she dug the phone out of her purse. Her heart started thumping. Another text message. She unlocked her phone and clicked on the messaging box.

Good choice.

She frowned at the message. How did he know? The feeling came quickly, or maybe she’d just become aware of it. She turned around slowly, her gaze leveled on that familiar strong chest, then slowly rose to meet bright gray eyes. Two thoughts instantly floated through her mind. Busted. Dayum!

“You’ve been here the whole time?”

He didn’t say anything, didn’t even nod.

“Guess that’s answer enough,” she muttered.

“I don’t think I made something clear to you,” he said in a low, controlled voice.

Her back snapped to attention, her wide eyes to his. “What?” Instinct warned her to back up, to run to her car and jump in and away from this dangerous man, while her body agreed completely, but for different reasons. Her body wanted him to catch her, punish her in a way that made her blood warm and flow thick like syrup through her body.

He took a step toward her. She took one back. His gaze stayed on hers, unwavering. “You belong to me now. The moment you freely touched me and let me touch you, everything changed.”

Her chest pulled tight and hard. “What do you mean, belong?”

He took another step closer. A breeze blew across them and rippled his shirt across his chest. A chest she knew firsthand was hard and strong with a strength she’d never felt before.

“It means, you’re mine. It means, you don’t leave without telling me you’re going somewhere. It means, you don’t wear,” his eyes slid down her body in a way that made her skin crawl, “clothes like that when I’m not around. You got that?”

She snapped her teeth together. That’s it. She was done. She turned and headed for the driver’s side, but he caught her. He grabbed her hand and tugged her back. His chest curled around her back, his hips pressed against her bottom. A fluttery sigh left her. He felt so good around her, safe and secure.

“I asked you a question.”

She almost laughed. “I know, and you got my answer.”

An arm, corded with muscle wrapped around her waist, pulled her back flush against him. Her breath caught as he lengthened, hardened against her bottom. “That’s not going to work, Vanessa. All it would have taken was a phone call. Did you ever think about that?” he said into her ear. Chills swept from her neck to arms making her shake. She didn’t know if it was the arousal slowly building inside her or the way his breath blew across her ear when he spoke that close.

Did she ever think about picking up the phone and calling him today? “No. No, I didn’t think about that. Even if I’d thought to call you, I wouldn’t have thought you’d pick up to answer me.”

His other arm wrapped around the top of her chest, shoulder to shoulder. For just a second his lips pressed to her neck. She heard him inhale and his eyes fluttered closed. This was the feeling she loved. Being with him, being in his arms, feeling his affection for her, almost as if he did really care about her. Maybe even loved her. Bitterness crept in at the thought. As if he would love her. No one loved her. Not now, not ever.

His arms were turning her to face him, his big hands, so capable and sturdy, tilting her face up. Lips passed across hers in a gentle swipe. “Open your eyes.” She shook her head and squeezed her eyes tighter. The pain in her heart was too much. He’d never love her. Never care about her like she did for him. “Look at me, Vanessa.” The command in his voice sent her eyes flying open. She hadn’t meant to do it, but he’d ordered and she reacted.

“Good, beautiful, good.” His eyes were warm, soft, and electric with intensity. “You call me, I’m there. You text me, I’m there. I answer. I listen. You mean something to me.” He blinked and his eyelids stayed low and soft. “Let me take care of you.”

A hard shiver racked through her. She blinked fast as her emotions created mayhem inside her. Her lips trembled. She reached up and twisted her hands into the shirt around his neck. What the hell, she’d go with honesty. “I want that. I want whatever’s between us not just to be...something physical. I want it all. And with how I already feel about you...” Her heart slammed to a stop in her chest. She squeezed her eyes shut as her hands clenched even harder. She hadn’t meant to say that. Oh, God. Oh, God. Maybe he hadn’t really realized what she’d started to say.

A soft breath blew across her lips, then firm lips covered hers, sweeping away all thoughts until she was engulfed in only beauty and pleasure. He curled her into him as if he couldn’t bear to have space between them. He tasted her, the kiss growing harder, hungrier. She kissed him back with fervent need, trying to express just how much she needed him in that kiss.

The honk of a car pulled them away. He was breathing just as hard as she was; his eyes glittered with something dark and smoldering.

“Get in the car and drive home. I’ll be right behind you.”

“Okay.” She couldn’t move, didn’t even want to leave the warmth of his arms.

He smiled a little, then took the keys, unlocked the door, and put her inside the car. “Drive. Remember, I’ll be right behind you.”

“Okay,” she said again and smiled back at him. She liked his smile. It warmed everything about him, made him look more approachable, which was some feat. She managed to start the car on her own and when he left and disappeared behind the rows of cars, she couldn’t hide her disappointment.

She pulled out of the parking spot and slowly left the lot; she perked up as the black SUV rounded in behind her. The windows were tinted too dark to see inside, but she smiled and waved at him through her rearview mirror.

She drove all the way back to Dmetri’s place with a goofy smile on her face and Brayden’s black SUV trailing her.

Chapter 14

Vanessa hopped out of the car and tossed the keys to the nice valet standing nearby. She glanced down the driveway and saw Brayden’s black SUV coming up behind her. Her stomach rolled with nerves. She pressed a hand to it but it didn’t help. Something big was coming. She could feel it deep inside of her. His car came to a stop behind the Mercedes and as he pulled his lithe, strong body out, she tugged her lip between her teeth. His eyes met hers, still dark and sexy as they’d been before they left the restaurant. But this time something else lingered in his eyes, something breath-catching and incredible. This had to be the something big coming. Because her heart just stuttered and she fell more than a little bit in love.

His eyes never left hers as he handed the keys to the valet, thanked him, and came back to her, stopping right in front of her. She had to tilt her head back to look up at him. She was right. It was like something just clicked into place. His was the face she’d wake up seeing for the rest of her life. The hardened face with the dark stubble around his cheeks and chin, the curling brown hair atop his head, the piercing gray eyes. And the way he was looking at her...made her whole body feel way too warm.

“No one’s ever looked at me like that before.”

His eyebrows arched up.

She froze. She’d just walked into that awkward territory where she spilled some feelings, even minor ones, with someone she’d recently gotten to know. She braced herself. He’d either shut her down now with a harsh retort, or saying something appeasing like ‘that’s nice’. Her face flamed, but thankfully, the moon didn’t give out much light. Maybe he couldn’t see it.

She was saved, or maybe recued would be the better word. Christine threw open the front door and grinned from ear to ear, her clever gaze moving between her and Brayden. “Welcome back. I see you were found.”

Vanessa had to move away from him. Her mind was in turmoil. Had he realized just how much something as simple as the way he looked at her meant to her? She wanted the ground to open up and just sink into it, never to be seen again. Or maybe for aliens to fly by and beam her up into their ship. None of that would happen though, so she threw on a cheerful smile and met Christine at the front door. Christine’s thrilled chitchatting and probing questions about how was her time out was and where she’d gone, gave her time to cool her mind down a bit. She even heard Brayden come inside and close the door behind them without jumping.

“Great; drank a few of those strawberry margaritas. So good!”

Christine’s face pinched. “Ew, no, thanks. Tequila in anything is just gross for me. But give me a sweet wine, now that I can do.”

A deep voice sounded behind Vanessa, sending a wicked thrill down her body. “Excuse us. Vanessa and I have some business to attend to.” Brayden’s hand scooped her arm at the elbow and then he was leading her up the stairs.

Vanessa’s chest moved entirely too fast. She couldn’t let him know how nervous he made her. So she focused and slowed her breathing, in and out. In and out. He took her to the guest bedroom that she’d woken up alone in that morning. The soft click of the door closing felt like she was being locked in a steel vault in a bank...and alone with him.

She thought quickly. Maybe if she excused herself she could hide away in the bathroom for a while. But she never got farther than that. The air stirred behind her, just a small change that fluttered over the bare back of her dress.

“You can’t run from me.”

She shivered; goosebumps formed down her arms. “I wasn’t running.” Be brave, she told herself, and turned around to look at him. She even managed a tumultuous smile and was damn proud of herself for being able to pull it off.

He gave a brief shake of his head. “Yes you were. Tell me why.”

Her smile fell. “I can’t.” How could she talk about feelings when she’d had a hard enough time just saying that no one had ever looked at her like that before...like he cared, like she mattered to him.

“Yes, you can. I know you can. You’re stronger than that. One of the strongest women I’ve ever met.”

She couldn’t stop the laugh that came. “Seriously, now that’s just a straight lie, Brayden.” His arms came around her waist, slowly pulling her into him. She dug her feet in, leaned away to fight it. She didn’t want to be close to him right now, didn’t want him to break down her walls. But her resistance was futile, no match for his strength and she relented until their chests pressed deeply against one another. He touched her hair, threading his fingers through it from scalp to ends. A breathy sigh escaped her. A shudder racked down her spine.

“I don’t lie. Now tell me, Vanessa.”

Her hands flattened over his hard chest, fingers digging in to the solid muscle. “Why?”

His hands paused on her back with her hair still threaded between his fingers. Then his voice came close to her ear, a husky whisper. “Because, it matters to me.”

Oh, she thought breathlessly. Just, oh. It mattered. To him. The temperature in the room surely just skyrocketed, or else why was she suddenly too warm? “I felt like an ass for saying what I did outside.” His hand continued to stroke her hair, the other arm stayed wrapped around her waist arching her into him. The touch made her shoulders slacken, her entire body relax.

“Why?”

She shook her head once. “Oh, come on, don’t make me say it,” she said into his shirt. She kept face as buried in there as she could. Not that it wasn’t nice. He smelled really good.

He sighed and her mouth twitched at the exasperated sound. “Really, Vanessa, I won’t understand how you feel unless you tell me explicitly. I’m not...accustomed to this.”

Neither am I, she wanted to say. “Okay, fine.” She sucked in a deep breath then let it all out. “I confessed something...about how I feel with you and I was afraid you’d shoot me down.” The words were out; no going back now. Still, had she even made any sense? Would he get what she was trying to say? God, she hoped so.

She waited what felt like forever before he replied. And when he did, her heart thumped. “I feel the same.”

“Huh?” She jerked her head up so she could see his eyes.

“It’s true,” he said watching her. “No one’s ever looked at me the way you do, either. As if I’m someone important—to them.”

“Really?” God, was that her tiny voice asking that?

His eyes darkened with something hot, raw, and completely sexual. Her core pulsed, nipples tingled. “I’m telling you now. Nothing could make me let that go. I’d fight for you tooth and nail to keep you, and I plan to.”

Now it was her turn to ask. “Why?”

His hand fell to her waist, curling into to her hips and then he was lifting her, pulling her up. Her arms naturally went around his neck to hang on as she balanced on her toes.

“Because, you’re mine now. I think you were mine the minute you got into my car.”

Then his lips crossed hers and her body melted. That one kiss changed everything. Her lips tingled where they touched. His tongue dipped in and she opened to give him access. Her hands sifted through the soft hair at his head, tugged until he kissed her harder, pressed deeper. He licked inside her mouth and she tasted his, flicking her tongue across the hard points of his fangs and moaning when his body tightened beneath her.

“Taking you now,” he said against her lips. And then he easily lifted the bottom of her dress up, gripped her buttocks and hauled her up into his arms. Her legs went around his waist; her head turned to the side trying to reach all of him. He walked them across the room. She didn’t care where he took her. To the chaise lounge, to the wall, to the floor—it didn’t matter, so long as he took her and made her feel the way only he could.

He lowered her to the bed and she sighed in protest as her mouth lefts his. She fell against the soft cushion, but her body arched up to his, needing him to come back down on her. His eyes leveled on hers, glittering with need. Then he stood back and pulled his shirt over his head. The sight of hard muscles packed and ribbed at his stomach, the tan to his skin, the line of hair down his stomach, made her legs scissor together trying to get some relief. He watched her. She felt like a piece of meat under a predator’s eyes—like she was about to get eaten.

Still, she couldn’t keep her eyes from memorizing every inch of him. When they’d made love on the couch, she hadn’t gotten to feel their naked chests pressed together, hadn’t gotten to see all the muscles she’d felt with her hands. Now she did and her mouth watered.

“Take off your dress.” It was an order given softly, but no less commanding.

Breath hitching in her throat, she grabbed the dress at her thighs and started pulling, her hips lifting and arching as she worked the material up. His eyes flared, his chest expanding hard as he watched her. He liked it and hell if she didn’t like that he did. So she exaggerated the movements, slowed them down. The dress fluttered up around her stomach and she arched her back as she bared her naked breasts. The soft material helped to tease her hard nipples even more, making her sigh as the material passed over them.

He wet his bottom lip but kept watching her as he unbuckled his belt and started on his pants. Finally, she lifted the dress overhead and tossed it aside, completely bare save her small plain panties.

“Beautiful,” he said, eye roaming over her.

She felt beautiful. He could make her feel like that. Like all other women couldn’t compare when he looked at her like that. Finally, he unzipped his pants, toed off his shoes, then slid his pants and black socks off in a smooth move. When he stood tall again, she gasped. She wished she hadn’t, that she could control her purely feminine response, but damn if she could. She’d never seen a man like that. A man with legs wired hard with ropes of muscles, with slender hips and wide shoulders.

She tried not to look, she really did, but her eyes fell to the hard shaft thrusting out from his hips. A flood of moisture spilled between her legs and she squirmed in need, needing him, inside her.

Ah, but it was okay, because he came onto the bed, snagged his fingers around her little panties, then tugged them down and off. No slow moving motions for him. His hands said determination. His fingers slid around her ankles then his hands traveled up her legs. Goosebumps broke out all across her body and somehow made her nipples even harder. Everything ached. Nipples, sex, deep inside her. Even her skin seemed to crave him. Only after he slid his hand over her, did the ache ease. His hands stopped past her knees and then his beautiful eyes met hers. They were pure heat and promise. Then he jerked her legs open, pushing her knees back until she was spread open and bare before him.

Her hands flew down to cover herself as a furious blush burned her face.

“No.” He grabbed her hands, then set them over her breasts. He watched her much smaller hands settle over her breasts, then nodded as if it pleased him. “Keep them there.” His voice had turned huskier, growling.

He settled between her legs. Every muscle in her body pulled tight until she strained beneath. What was he doing? Oh, she had an idea and she felt utterly mortified by it. He couldn’t possibly think about putting his mouth on her there. God, she felt like such a prude, but she couldn’t help it. No one had ever done that...especially not Joseph.

And boy did he seem to have no problem touching her down there. His slid over her, cupping her. This his chin dipped down against her inner thigh making her open even more for him. She couldn’t watch. No way. She slammed her eyes closed and clenched her breasts in a hard grip.

He continued to touch her as if he were petting her. His palm would occasionally press hard against her and sparks exploded inside her, behind her eyelids. Her breath would catch. He tugged on the thatch of hair above her sex, then something very soft pressed over her. Light as feather, but not tickling like a one. She peeled her eyes open for a moment to find him pressing his lips across her.

It started to feel good. Inside, something was growing, building really big.

Then something wet and much firmer darted over her. Fast at first, then slowly, lingering. Her back shot off the bed and her hands flew to his head. She panted, couldn’t catch her breath. Her hands had curled hard into his hair, but she didn’t care. That feeling, oh, that feeling!

His eyes opened to look up at her, his mouth releasing her. Slowly, she uncurled her fingers, then jerked them away as if scalded.

He lifted himself up, something incredibly hot and wicked glazing in her eyes. “You’re going to lie back now. I’m going to make you come with my mouth and then I’m going to fuck you. You got that?” His eyes glanced back between her legs and he groaned as if he couldn’t wait to be back there.

“Are you sure?”

He stared at her until she gave in and lay back on the bed. There was no relaxing. Not at all. Not when she knew he was going to lick her again. It’d felt so strange. Soft and wet against her own soft wetness. It’d also felt strangely good and entirely wicked and naughty. He settled back down between her thighs, but when he touched her again, it was different. Harder. Hungrier. As if, he was trying to prove something to her.

His tongue found that spot, that sensitive bundle of erotic nerves and he played with it. He didn’t stop. He didn’t relent. Once her breath caught and she started to get swept away in the pleasure, he’d change the motion until she was squirming, sweating, panting. Her entire body trembled beneath his tongue and lips. He nuzzled that spot, applying pressure then relaxing it, darting quickly, then slowly twirling around and around. Her head was swimming. He’d completely swept her up into a pool of throbbing pleasure. And when his finger passed over her entrance, she cried out and threaded her hand in his hair, this time not to jerk, but to coax and beg. He passed it over her again and again, sometimes dipping just a little into her wetness.

She couldn’t take it. She needed him inside her. Needed that tongue to keep that same spot and move faster. “Oh God, please!”

He pushed in at her cry. One finger, no two, dove inside, thrusting slowly, like he had all the time in the world. His tongue slowed and she growled. Now she had the pressure inside she needed, but not the other.

“You’re a monster,” she cried, her head turning on the bed.

She heard a chuckle from between her thighs. Before she contemplated his death though, he moved his fingers faster, did that twirly, erotic thing around her clitoris and there it was. Her entire body tightened, pulling taut as a bowstring until her back arched off the bed, and then she snapped. Screams escaped her throat, her body bucked under his mouth, muscles jerking, then she flooded his fingers. He licked her through it until she twitched from the sensitive feeling.

He withdrew his fingers and then he was climbing up her body, her legs having to spread even further to accommodate hips much wider than her own. His lips slid across her, tongue thrusting deep, and she tasted herself and him in that kiss. Then he slid in deep and hard. She gasped into his mouth. It felt different than it had the first time, even better. Her chest pressed against his, her nipples scraping against him, and their tongues winding together in a passionate embrace.

He didn’t stop moving. He took her body hard and unyielding, stirring passion inside her she didn’t know she had left. Her legs twisted until she clenched around him. Her arms winded until she dug her fingers into his back. And still they kissed, and still he moved faster, more forcefully. She titled her hips into it and then he hit something deep and powerful inside her. She moaned wildly, breaking their mouths apart. When she went back to kiss him again, he darted to her neck.

She felt the press of sharp teeth only a moment before he sunk them into her. Her entire body spasmed as engulfing pleasure soared through her, blinding her. She choked on sounds, moans, and gasps. He growled against her, rocking faster, harder in her depths. He drew from her neck in hard pulls, and with each one, she felt her body drawing tight again like a bowstring. She didn’t just snap this time—she flew apart. Her body jerked hard, rocking. She held onto him for dear life as something hot and wet gushed inside of her, spreading from her fingers to her toes. His deep groan vibrated along her neck and deep inside her until he pulled back and took her lips once more, as he pushed deep and held himself there. Wet licks spurted inside her as his muscles flexed and tightened under her touch from the strain.

They stayed together for a while, softly kissing and holding each other. Her heart felt near to bursting in her chest. It took everything in her not to spill the words and ruin everything, but God, she wanted to tell him so badly. Was it love? Maybe; she didn’t know yet. But what she did know, was that for the first time in her life, things were finally looking up, and she didn’t have to go through it alone. She had Brayden.

He rolled off her and pulled her across him. Their bodies cooled and she could feel the essence of their passion between her legs. She smiled a little and ran her hand down his chest, feeling the hard waves of his abs.

“You’re sexy,” she said.

He snorted something like a laugh. “You’re the one who makes me wild.”

“I don’t know. I think you make me pretty wild, too.” In fact, she could think all kinds of naughty things she’d like to do with him...to him. She pressed a kiss to his chest, then put her head back on his shoulder. With his arm wrapped around her, his thumb stroking her arm, she felt the safest she ever had, certainly the most content. “Tell me what happened with the car yesterday. Everything’s so jumbled…I can’t remember much.”

His hand stilled on her arm for a moment, then resumed stroking her. “Just an accident by all accounts. First car got cut off and went swerving right to avoid hitting the asshole who cut him off. That sent him flying onto the shoulder and into us. The car behind him slammed on their breaks, the one behind them did the same, but one of them still hit us.”

Oh. She almost felt like she’d been worried for nothing. After all, she did have a bad guy after her. Since that was taken care of her, body sunk even further onto him. Her eyes closed and didn’t want to open. A big yawn left her. “I’m tired now.”

“Get some rest then, beautiful.”

So she did, falling asleep right there in his arms. And when he woke her some time later and nudged inside her again, she saw stars, whispered his name, and heard hers from him. Afterward, they dressed slowly, casting little smiles at each other from across the room. She liked his smiles. If the stout Brayden Erickson, Justicar to the council, could smile, then everything could be okay. Everything would work out.

Dressed in clean jeans and a T-shirt and him similarly, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him. It was a slow kiss that left her breathless and toes curled into the carpet.

A hard knock sounded from downstairs. And that’s when everything changed. Brayden jerked his head to the side, then sprinted from the room. She was slow to follow, didn’t understand what could make him rush. Then she heard shouts and she stopped at the doorway, her jaw dropping. Brayden’s shouts. Panic set in pumping her heart fast and hard. She ran to the top of the stairs and started down them on fast, light steps.

Men in black wearing swat suits were coming in. Brayden cursed at them, then slammed his fist into a helmet-covered head. The guards turned on him, rifle butts raised and pounded them on his skull. He roared and it took her a few seconds to realize he wasn’t just roaring, he was speaking...to her.

“Get out! Run, Vanessa!”

The guards all seemed to turn and see her at the same time. Two stayed and kept fighting back Brayden, but she watched his movements get weaker, his shouts softer and still two more guards rounded on the stairs coming up toward her with slow, cautious steps.

“Mrs. Harrington, we’re with the Justicar’s office. We’re here to take you home. Everything will be all right now; just come with us,” said the guard on the left. He held out his hand for her to take it and she turned and ran.

The guards cursed, then hard fast steps barreled up the stairs. She flew down the hallway slamming the bedroom door behind her. Her fingers shook as she turned the lock, but the soft sound of it clicking nearly made her sigh with relief. She took off to the bathroom, closing herself inside that one as well. She flipped the lock just as wood splintered from the bedroom. Hard pounding kicks beat at the door and she knew she didn’t have long. She hopped on top of the toilet and pulled at the lock of the window. It was tiny, but she could fit through; she’d make sure of it.

“Fucking move!” she screamed at the stupid thing. It wouldn’t budge. She adjusted her grip as her fingers turned red, the tips burning to move the stupid little switch. And then her heart started racing even harder. With a final bang, she knew they’d broken down the door. Hard steps ran into the room, then banging on the bathroom door began.

“Please come out, Mrs. Harrington. We’re here to help you.”

She pushed as hard as she could, and finally, the switch flipped. She wasted no time in pushing the little window up, but it too had a hard time moving, had probably never actually been opened. It moved up a few inches then stalled. She leaned down and pressed both hands under the window, could even feel the cool air blowing against her fingers, and pushed with everything she had. The window gave with a mighty squeak of metal. She squealed with joy, which was quickly cut short by the booming at the bathroom door. The entire frame shook. The glass of the hand soap and little perfume bottles on the sink shook and jingled with each slam.