The elevator itself was lavish, but Elise barely had time to notice before Rashid hit the button for the thirty-seventh floor, and she felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. Despite being armed with the knowledge that shielding her would put Rashid in closer proximity to her emotions than usual, Elise wasn't able to do anything to disguise her sudden terror from him. But even if he hadn't been in her head to take note of intimate details like her slick palms and pounding heart, she wouldn't have been able to hide her suddenly bloodless face. As it was, she was keenly aware that the instant she saw their destination, he was conscious of all of the above. He turned to her with a tiny smirk. “Is something the matter?” He asked solicitously. Elise swallowed hard. “Nothing,” she snapped, pulling away from his gentlemanly grip and turning to grasp the brass rail that ran along the elevator walls.
