by Adele Niles
It was disappointing, more than anything. I’d wanted to tell her how much I liked her idea of taking me out of the marketing. I wanted to know what else she had in mind.
I just wanted to spend time with her.
She was smart and fun, and I liked being around her.
But if she was avoiding me on purpose, I didn’t want to overstep and scare her off.
My chance came one day when I had a gap between lessons. I took the time to catch up on some little repairs around the lodge. While my main job was teaching snowboarding, I did a little repair work from time to time. It put a little extra money in my pocket and kept us from having to call repairmen for something I could fix with a hammer and some nails.
But then I saw her.
And she was with another man.
Unexpected jealousy flared up inside me. Why was she talking to another man? Why had she been avoiding me so long?
I put down my work bag and crossed the grounds, approaching her. She was deep in conversation, chatting animatedly and pointing toward some different spots outside the lodge.
“Maddy!” I called. “Hey, you got a sec?”
She turned, looking at me with wide eyes.
The guy she was with turned toward me, too. “Holy shit, are you Jacob Reed?” He laughed, shaking his head. “I knew you worked up here, but I never thought I’d get a chance to meet you!”
Maddy’s cheeks went red. “Jacob, this is Andrew Lowe from Channel 2 News. He’s up here to film a spot about the resort.”
I glanced warily at Andrew, then looked back at Maddy. “Oh, okay. Cool. Uh… should I…?”
I hoped she wouldn’t make me do anything.
To my relief, Maddy shook her head. “Nope. I got this one. Like I said, we’re refocusing the marketing.” She smiled. “Can you give me a few minutes, and then we’ll talk?”
I nodded. “Yeah. That sounds good. I’ll, uh. I’ll wait over there.” I pointed to a spot that was far enough away to keep me out of the frame, but close enough that I could hear what she said.
“Sounds good! Andrew, I think we’re ready?” She smiled.
I stood back to watch.
To my surprise, Maddy was a natural in front of the camera. She spoke about the resort with a lot of obvious love, sharing a few of her own memories as she spoke about the views, the opportunity for winter sports, and the updates to the lodge that had been done over the off season.
She didn’t mention me at all.
I needed to thank her for it.
And I wanted to kiss her again.
Maybe she was worth it. Maybe I just needed to get over my fear of her dad and pursue what I wanted, not what somebody else told me to want.
I hung back until the camera was off and being packed away.
Maddy turned to me and smiled shyly. “How did I do?”
“You were great.” I assured her. “Really passionate and informative.”
“Good! That’s what I was hoping for.” She laughed almost nervously. “Um… you said you needed to talk to me?”
“Yeah, uh… You know that cabin out back? Well, that’s where I stay. Can you meet me out there tonight? Around, I dunno, nine?”
Maddy blinked but nodded. “Of course, yeah. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good. Just… y’know. Trying to stay away from your sister this time.”
Maddy laughed. “I get it. Okay. Yeah, I’ll be there. Nine o’clock, the cabin out back.”
“Cool.” I smiled. “Well. I’m gonna get back to work, but… see you then?”
“See you then, Jacob!”
* * * * *
At nine o’clock, I was in the cabin. I’d built a fire and put some cold beers on the coffee table, already opened.
It worked better here than in my apartment in town. The cabin felt more isolated, and the fire really made the single room glow.
And there wasn’t a bunch of sports memorabilia on the walls.
A soft knock on the door caught my attention, and I went to open it.
Maddy stood on the other side, bundled up against the cold. She held a takeout box from the lodge restaurant in her hands. “Hey! I brought some cake they had for dessert.”
I laughed softly and took the box from her, putting it on the coffee table then turned back and pulled her into my arms.
“Jacob?”
I leaned in and kissed her.
She tensed in my arms, then relaxed again. She eased back. “Jacob, I—”
“I don’t care about your dad’s rules.” I kissed her forehead. “I want you. I want this.”
She swallowed. “Really?”
“Yes.”
She nodded. “I’m in.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
I smiled and pulled her toward the couch.
She took off her coat, scarf, and gloves, tossing them to the floor. The cabin was plenty warm from the fire. After a minute, she took off her sweater as well, sitting next to me in jeans and a thermal undershirt.
I put my hands on her thighs.
She bit her lower lip.
“We don’t have to go all the way. Just as far as you want.”
She nodded. “Okay. Yeah. That sounds good.” Then she leaned in to kiss me.
My cock was hard before I even pulled her into my lap. She came willingly, straddling my legs and pulling back from the kiss to tug her shirt off. It landed with her coat across the room. I pulled mine off at the same time, throwing it over the back of the couch.
Maddy let me undo her jeans. She rose from the couch, wiggling them down her hips.
Her bra and panties matched—baby blue trimmed with white lace.
She looked gorgeous.
“Bed?” I asked her.
She nodded, smiling and rounding the couch to go back to the bed.
I followed, and she lay down, stretching out on top of my blankets.
“Are you coming?” she asked.
“God, I hope so.” I grinned and climbed into bed beside her.
Chapter Eight
Maddy
I couldn’t believe how fast I was moving.
This wasn’t normal for me. I’d always been cautious, more concerned about school and work than boys.
But Jacob was different.
He was gorgeous, and surprisingly sweet.
And he had no interest in Melody.
It was shocking, how many men I’d crushed on who had seen Melody and fallen for her instead.
Jacob wasn’t like that. He only wanted me. And he was willing to sacrifice so much to have me.
I wrapped my arms around him as he settled in the bed beside me. He leaned in close, kissing me again.
I couldn’t get enough.
His tongue pressed into my mouth and I opened a little wider, letting it in. He made a small sound of appreciation, one hand moving to my bra.
He cupped my breast in his hand, squeezing gently.
I shivered under him.
He lifted his head, looking at me. “Do you… want to go all the way tonight?”
Slowly, I nodded. “Yes.”
Jacob smiled. He kissed me, then got out of bed and went across the room. I watched him as he dug in a dresser drawer, returning with something in his hand.
Right. A condom.
I blushed, watching him as he undid his jeans and pushed them down.
I didn’t realize he was taking off his underwear, too, until his cock popped out of his jeans.
I gasped.
He chuckled. “Never seen one before?”
Slowly, I shook my head.
He moved closer. I reached out, running my fingers over his erection.
It felt good. Warm, and softer than I would have guessed.
I wanted it inside me.
I let him go and shifted, taking off my bra first, then my panties. I tossed them to the floor and leaned back.
He crawled between my legs, rolling the condom on.
I didn’t need an
y warm-up. Just being around him had me ready to go.
He looked up at me, eyebrows raised. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
“Okay.”
Slowly, he pushed inside me.
For just a second, it hurt.
And then it was incredible, indescribable. I gasped, reaching up for Jacob.
He took my hands, guiding them to his shoulders.
And then he thrust into me, drawing a moan out of me.
I held him tight, my hips rocking just a little as he moved against me. My body felt like it was on fire with pleasure, and I kept repeating his name.
“Please,” I begged, “more?”
He chuckled and leaned down to kiss me. His hips moved faster, thrusting deep into me.
My toes curled, pressing against the backs of his thighs.
How was I so close already? It didn’t seem fair at all.
He could tell, I guessed, from the way he kissed me deeper and moved faster. I closed my eyes, moaning against his mouth.
His hips stuttered, then slammed against mine.
Something inside me, the pressure that had been building, released. My whole body tightened, and I pulled Jacob deeper into me, shaking beneath him.
I heard him breathing harshly against my ear, felt his arms wrap around me.
And before I could say anything, I was asleep.
* * * * *
The sun wasn’t up yet when I woke.
I looked at Jacob, sound asleep beside me.
He’d treated me right. We’d have to do this again soon.
I leaned to kiss his cheek before slipping out of bed. I got dressed as quietly as possible and let myself out of his cabin. I wanted a bath, and I still had a lot of work to do on the marketing packet.
I sighed as I stepped out into the cold. A light snow was falling, and the sky was starting to lighten.
I really loved it here.
As I walked back toward the lodge, I heard footsteps. I turned, blinking in the dark. “Hello?” I called out. Had Jacob followed me?
“Maddy?”
No, it was my dad.
I smiled faintly. “Dad, hi. What, uh… what are you doing up?”
“Going to get breakfast and some coffee. I need to get to the airport soon.” He looked me up and down. I was glad I was bundled up, but even so, I was worried he could tell I’d been… up to something. “What are you doing up? You haven’t gotten into a cabin yet.”
I blushed. “I just… woke up early and decided to take a little walk.”
“Hmm.” He nodded but didn’t ask any more questions. After a beat, Dad continued, “I’ve been meaning to find time to catch up with you, but I’ve been so busy this week.”
“I understand, Dad. It happens. We’ll chat when you get back.”
He nodded and gestured toward the lodge. “If you have a minute now, actually?”
“Sure, yeah. We can talk.” I smiled and followed him inside.
We took a seat at the restaurant. Already, the morning cooks were here, working hard to make a breakfast spread for our guests. One of them brought us two mugs and a full pot of coffee as soon as we sat down, promising that cheese omelets and bacon would be up shortly.
My stomach rumbled.
Jacob and I had never eaten the cake.
Dad looked at me, his expression stern. It was an expression I knew well—he was disappointed in me for something and was about to lay it all out.
At least Melody wasn’t here.
“Maddy, I’m very unhappy with the marketing stuff you emailed me last night.”
I frowned. “Okay, um… what’s wrong with it?”
“You’re not utilizing Jacob to his full potential. He’s the big draw for our resort. If you take him out of the marketing, we have nothing. I know you want to romanticize this place, but people want celebrity encounters. Not nice views.”
I frowned. “Okay, but… I talked to Jacob about it, and he doesn’t like being the face of the resort.”
“I really don’t care if he likes it. It’s what he was hired to do.”
I looked down at my coffee cup. “Okay, but… what if we just try it this way for a season, see if it works for us? If it doesn’t, we’ll talk to him about how we can balance it out. Use him to attract people without making him the sole focus of our ads?”
“No. I want Jacob Reed front and center. I want his face in every picture and his name dropped on every spot.”
I was a little shocked by how aggressive my dad was being about this. It wasn’t like him at all.
I bit my lower lip. “I… okay. Okay. Um. I’ll… work on it, then.”
He huffed in response. “I’ll talk to him myself. Get this straightened out. Do it right this time, Maddy. Understood?”
I nodded and rose from the table. “Um… would you mind asking the cook to send my breakfast to my office? I better get to work.”
“Sure. I’ll see you in a few days. I expect a new marketing packet when I’m back.”
“Of course, Dad.”
I went upstairs, managing to hold back tears until I was alone in my office.
There had to be something else going on. Dad was always stern with us but never controlling. And the way he treated Jacob was just… wrong.
I had to figure out what it was. The last thing I wanted was to put Jacob in a place he didn’t want to be.
Chapter Nine
Jacob
Why was my phone ringing so early?
I opened my eyes and rolled over, grabbing it from the nightstand.
Maddy was gone.
I blinked at the screen, hoping to find her name there.
No. Mark.
Shit.
I answered the call. “Hello?”
“Care to tell me why Maddy was walking back from your cabin at six AM?”
Shit.
“She came to talk to me about some marketing stuff and fell asleep. Nothing happened, Mr. Sutton. Promise. I left her on the couch and slept in my bed.”
He grunted. It sounded like he didn’t believe me. “I just had a talk with her. Why are you telling her you don’t like being the face of the resort?”
Dammit, I was screwed.
“I… well, I don’t. It’s… it’s not what I thought I was signing on for. I just want to teach lessons. Not advertise.”
“Look. I don’t give a shit if you like it or not, Jacob. Don’t forget who owes who in this situation, got it?”
I shut my eyes. “Look, you’ve made your money back. Multiple times over. I don’t understand why we can’t just let the past go, Mark.”
“Because I made you. I was the first person to invest in you and until I feel I’ve made back what I should, you’re mine. Do you understand that?”
“You don’t own me, Mark. I work for you. Big difference.”
“Shut up. You do what I say, when I say it. You get your ass out there today, shake hands, pose for pictures, whatever it takes to make people happy, so they post good shit on Facebook. Do you understand?”
“What if I say no?” I rubbed my forehead. It was too early for this kind of conversation.
“Then I tell everyone about what happened. How you took money you shouldn’t have. See how the Olympic committee likes knowing that one of their medalists took money from an unapproved source.”
I shut my eyes. “You know… you’ve got a lot more to lose here than I do. If people really want to come here for me, shouldn’t you treat me better?”
There was a long pause. Mark made a sound almost like a snarl. “Get on the mountain or kiss your reputation goodbye.”
The line went dead.
I tossed my phone on the bed and leaned back, closing my eyes.
This couldn’t keep happening.
I had to get out from under Mark’s thumb.
Maybe it was time to spill my secret, too.
Chapter Ten
Maddy
I knew from the knock on my door that it was Melody. It was
sharp, and loud, and incredibly irritating.
“Come in!” I called.
Melody stuck her head in, looking around. She frowned. “I don’t know why I’m asking you, but… you haven’t seen Jacob around, have you?”
I looked up from my laptop, blinking. “Jacob? No, I haven’t seen him all day. I’ve been working.”
Shit, did she know, too?
She huffed. “Well, if you see him, tell him he’s in deep shit. He’s missed every lesson today. I’ve had to issue a ton of refunds.”
I blinked and stood up. “Shouldn’t we be concerned about the fact that he’s missing, not the refunds?”
Melody shrugged.
God, she was the worst.
I sighed. “I’ll look for him.”
“Fine. But seriously, if you find him, he’s in trouble.”
“I got it, Melody. Thank you.”
She shut the door. I bundled up and headed outside, carrying my phone with me.
Jacob’s cabin was locked, the windows dark. I knocked on the door a few times but got no response.
The slopes were all busy, but he wasn’t there.
Other people were, though. A girl approached me, frowning. “Hey, you work here, right?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Maddy Sutton. What can I do for you?”
“Well… I was supposed to have a snowboard lesson with Jacob Reed? The Olympic medalist? And everybody is saying that he’s not showing up. And I just wanna know if I can get my money back?”
I smiled. “Yeah, go inside and ask for Melody Sutton. She’ll make sure it’s taken off your bill.”
“Great. Thanks.” But the girl sounded miserable.
I understood.
I walked around the lodge a few times, checking the maintenance shed, the cabins, the lesser-known slopes. I asked around the kitchens and even talked to a few of the cleaning ladies.
Nobody had seen Jacob.
I finally grabbed my phone from my pocket.
No missed calls.
I dialed his number and held the phone to my ear, listening to it ring.
“Hey, this is Jacob, leave me a message…”
I hung up without leaving a recording.
Dammit, Jacob.
He didn’t turn up that day, or the next. I tried to talk Melody into calling the police, but she refused. She didn’t want a scene, didn’t want cop cars up here.
