Rush tossed his baseball hat on the floor and ran his hand through his hair. He gently rubbed her shoulder. “How much pain are you in?”
She swallowed hard.
He shook his head. “Jayla, why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I thought I could build up the muscles and still compete. Some people can. I read about it online, and it depends on the tear—where it is, the size, circumstances.”
“Jayla, that’s what these docs do for a living. They can figure all that out.”
She hooked her finger into the waist of his jeans. “Can we talk about it tomorrow? Right now I’ve got advertising contracts and sponsors, and…I’ve got you. Tonight. Now. I just want to enjoy it, because if I have this surgery, that all may go away, and that’s too much for me to think about right now.”
He kissed her forehead. “You know I’m not going anywhere, right? Whether you’re a competitive skier or not makes no difference. I love you for you, Jayla. Whatever needs to be done for your shoulder, or anything else, we’ll get through it together.” He lowered his lips to hers, and relief swept through her.
Her breath caught in her throat. “L-love?”
He gazed into her eyes. “Yes. Love. Without an ounce of doubt, Jayla, I love you.”
“Rush, I…” Don’t cry. Don’t cry. She’d held the words in for so many years that she had trouble setting them free. “I…Oh God, Rush. I love you, too.”
“Even with my past? You aren’t going to regret those words tomorrow?”
She shook her head. “I haven’t regretted saying them in my head forever, so I can’t imagine ever regretting saying them aloud to you.”
He kissed her softly “Why did you decide to tell me about your shoulder now?”
“So that if you wanted to change your mind, you could do it before I knew what it was like to be close to you. To be loved by you.”
“You can’t get rid of me that easily.” Rush helped her off with her coat before removing his own and tossing them both on a chair.
Jayla glanced nervously around his dark, tidy cabin. Canisters of protein powder sat atop the kitchen counter along with a crumpled paper, a handful of change, and a few skiing magazines. She eyed the open bedroom door and her pulse kicked up a notch. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach. She closed her eyes at the feel of Rush’s hands on her bare legs as he slowly unzipped her boots. When he slid the warm leather from her legs, it was the most erotic thing she’d ever felt. His hands traveled up her legs, hesitating at the edge of her skirt. When he touched the bare skin of her hips, Jayla sucked in a breath and opened her eyes.
His eyes went dark. “You weren’t lying about your panties.”
She bit her lower lip and he smiled, then pressed soft kisses along her chin, pulling a sigh of pleasure from her. He kissed her softly as his hands found her waist; then he deepened the kiss. Every stroke of his tongue stole a little more of her breath. He rocked into her, and she clutched at his chest, feeling his muscles jump beneath her fingertips. Lord, did he feel good. When he slid his lips to her neck again, she shivered and snuck her hands beneath his shirt, grasping handfuls of muscle and skin on his strong back, grabbing for any piece of him she could hold on to. His hands roved over her breasts, bringing every nerve to the surface, heightening every sensation.
Her knees weakened, and she couldn’t hold back her desire. “Rush,” she whispered.
She held her breath as he gently removed her sweater without lifting her sore shoulder too high. He tossed it onto the counter and stepped closer. His breath became hers, and the heat of his body enveloped her.
“I dreamed about you in this sexy little camisole,” he whispered against her neck.
She shuddered. “And?”
“And I might not have been sleeping.” He drew her camisole over her head, exposing her bare breasts. “Good Christ, you’re beautiful.”
He lowered his mouth to her breast, hungrily devouring every inch of skin and driving her out of her ever-loving mind. He moved his attention to the other breast, pulling a gasp from her lips. She clawed at his back, craving skin-to-skin contact and spurring him on to lavish her nipple with slow strokes of his hot tongue.
She tugged at his shirt. “Off,” she managed.
He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it away, then took her in another kiss, pinning her against the door. His hard length pressed against her, pulling a moan of need from her lungs. She lifted her knee along his outer leg, and he gripped it with his hand and held on tight, grinding against her.
“Rush,” she said against his lips.
His hand found her center with a moan of his own. He captured her mouth in his again, and his fingers teased her until her body felt ridden with pins and needles. She reached for the button on his jeans and he shook his head.
“Not yet.”
She whimpered a plea, and he slid his fingers inside of her. She sucked in another breath. His thumb moved expertly, caressing the sensitive nub that drove her hands to clutch the waist of his pants as he kissed her harder, thrusting his tongue in rhythm to his fingers. Her thighs tensed, and she gasped for air as he brought her up to the edge and held her there. She could feel the pull of an orgasm, taunting her, driving her up on her toes, pulling whimpers from her mouth to his, until she thought she might go crazy, and finally, he softened the kiss and quickened his tease, sending her over the edge. She drew back from the kiss with the need to breathe, crying out against the explosion of sensations that coursed through her. She felt her muscles pulsating around his fingers. His tongue on her neck, his teeth grazed her skin as she came down from the peak. And he took her in another hard kiss, still holding her leg by his hip, teasing and taunting her again until she was right back at the precipice of another orgasm, begging, pleading for more. He took her over the edge again, and she threw her head back and clawed at his skin.
“Oh God. Oh God.”
Her legs trembled as he lifted her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. She slid down his body until her feet hit the floor. She clung to him, unsure whether her legs still worked. He must have sensed her unsteadiness, because he held her against him with one arm and used the other to unbutton his jeans and step from them. She couldn’t shimmy out of her skirt fast enough. She’d seen Rush in his boxer briefs a million times, but she never could have imagined how his lean, hard frame could arouse her as he stood naked before her. She tried to look away but was held captive by the look of love in his eyes.
He reached for her hand, then for his wallet.
She grabbed his wrist and shook her head. “I’m on the pill.”
He hesitated, and she knew what he was thinking. He’d told her straight up about his past, but he’d never asked about hers.
“Three men, and never without a condom.” She saw the question in the narrowing of his eyes, the parting of his lips.
“Because it’s you, Rush. I want all of you. I’ve always wanted all of you.”
He kissed her then, and they came down on the bed together, his strong body perched above her, the tip of his arousal against her center, and his eyes—those sensuous blue eyes—reached right inside her and touched her soul.
“I love you, Jayla. I think I always have.”
As he slid inside her, she closed her eyes. She’d dreamed of this moment forever, and she never wanted to forget the feel of his chest against hers, the scratch of his stubble as he kissed her, his hard length buried deep and moving inside her like she was all he ever wanted, too.
Chapter Eighteen
RUSH LAY ON his back beside Jayla with one arm arced over his head, his other hand interlaced with hers, and his heart beating faster than during a downhill race. Their naked bodies touched from shoulder to ankle, and he felt full. Satiated. Happy. He never realized that sex could make him feel so fulfilled. Then again, he knew that this wasn’t just sex.
He pushed up on one elbow, and Jayla shifted her eyes away from him. He assumed she was embarrassed and pulled th
e sheet from the bottom of the bed up and covered her.
“Better?”
She closed her eyes, and Rush sank back down to the mattress with a sigh.
“That’s not the reaction I was expecting, but…”
She smiled, opened one eye, then closed it again.
“Not doing much for the old ego here, babe.” Rush had more experience fleeing beds than he did remaining in them, but strangely, the need to flee was coming from her side of the bed. He didn’t quite know how to handle that.
“I’m trying to figure out if I should lie here and fall asleep, get up and eat gummy bears, take a shower, or go to my cabin.” Jayla opened her eyes and finally met his gaze.
“All those things are going through your mind right now? Hm. And my mind is just…blown. I can barely think past, Wow, that was amazing.” He came back up on his elbow and kissed her lips.
“Who knew my alpha badass was such a chick?”
She bit her lower lip and it made him want to climb right back on top of her.
“Like I said, you’re not exactly great for my ego.”
She laughed. “I’m teasing. I’m trying to decide if you want me to go to my cabin or not. Don’t forget, I know you. You’ve already had me in your bed longer than you’re comfortable with.”
It killed him that she’d even think that way, but if she’d been anyone else, she’d have been right. “Yeah, you do know me, but as we’ve already determined, I don’t think either of us knows what to expect from the new and improved boyfriend-worthy man I’ve become.”
She pushed up on her elbow. The room was dark, with just a hint of moonlight peeking in between the curtains. Her hair tumbled over her breasts, and she had that freshly loved look of sleepy contentment in her eyes. His heart squeezed a little.
“So? Go or stay?” she asked.
“Stay. Definitely stay.”
“You do realize that if I come out of your cabin in the same clothes I was wearing last night, people are going to talk.”
“You know they won’t, but if you’re worried, let’s get cleaned up and go to your cabin. They’re used to seeing me come out of your room at all hours of the night.” Rush wondered if she was just nervous, and if she was, he’d do whatever it took to calm her. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “It’s weird, isn’t it? No one has ever questioned us about that, and if it had been anyone else, they would have.”
“We are so thickly seeded in the friend zone that they probably don’t even think that way.”
“Were. We were thickly seeded in the friend zone.” The others might not, but the coach thinks of us in that way.
Jayla wrapped the sheet around herself and walked to the bathroom.
“I’ve seen you naked, you know.”
She glanced over her shoulder with a shy smile and flushed cheeks and pushed the bathroom door partially shut behind her. Rush heard the shower turn on and debated joining her.
He lay back down. He didn’t want to smother her on their first night together.
“You coming or what?” Jayla called from the bathroom.
Oh hell, yes.
Seeing her in his shower, water running over the planes of her lean body, got him hot and bothered again.
She ran her eyes down his body as he stepped in beside her. “If you’re careful with my shoulder, I just might let you show me how great shower sex can be.”
He backed her up against the wet tiles.
“Jayla Stone, I’m gonna love you until you can’t even think about a shower without blushing.”
THIRTY MINUTES LATER, Rush helped Jayla into one of his long-sleeved shirts, which hung to the middle of her thighs. She had no panties from the night before and only a skirt, so she threw on a pair of his sweatpants instead, which hung several inches past her feet and looked like they’d swallowed her.
Rush had the urge to take a picture and Instagram it with the caption, Eat your heart out, America. She’s my sweetheart now. Seeing Jayla in his clothes should have sent his mind right back into the friend zone. Instead, his pulse ratcheted up and heat pulsed through him. He took her in his arms and nuzzled against her neck.
“I want to take you right back to bed.” He pressed his hips against her so she could feel what she was doing to him. He felt her fingers tighten around his waist.
“Then do it,” she said in a breathy whisper.
Chapter Nineteen
SOMETIME DURING THE night, Rush had gone to Jayla’s cabin to retrieve her clothes for the morning, and now, with the sun streaming through the windows, having worked painfully through her shoulder exercises, showered, and dressed, Jayla listened to the sounds of Rush in the other room. His footsteps crossed the bedroom floor. She heard the shifting of skin against denim, the sound of the zipper of his jeans. They were familiar sounds, and yet they were completely new and exciting. She’d known that coming together with Rush would be earth-shattering, but what she hadn’t expected was how quickly her mind would flip from being his friend to being his girlfriend. It not only happened quickly, but easily, as if all her stubbornness and worry had been for naught.
He’d loved and lingered over every inch of her. She felt her cheeks flush, thinking of all the naughty things they’d done as they discovered each other’s pleasures for the first time.
She stood in the kitchen, her heart full of him and a throbbing pain in her shoulder. Totally worth it. She wondered how they’d handle their relationship with their teammates and coach, and the pain in her shoulder made her wonder if they’d even have to worry about it next year. She refused to think about that.
Jayla carried a cup of coffee into the bedroom for Rush.
“Thanks, beautiful.” He kissed her cheek.
Beautiful. Not Jay. Beautiful. She loved that.
“I grabbed a premade protein shake from the convenience store at the resort after the gym so I wouldn’t wake you with the blender. Sorry I kept you up so late, but that’s what you get for being so damn cute.”
“Maybe I’ll borrow your clothes more often. How was the gym? Did you have any energy to work out?”
“You mean while you snored away? I was tired after two hours of sleep, but no biggie.”
She’d slept in instead of going to either the slopes or the gym, and at first she’d felt guilty, but between clinging to Rush last night, teaching during the day, and evening practices, the dull ache in her shoulder had worsened. She’d opted for rest, light shoulder exercises, and recuperation.
He pulled her close and she winced.
He narrowed his eyes. “Where are your pain meds?”
“I’m taking Motrin and Tylenol.”
“That’s insane. You must be in tremendous pain.”
She walked into the living room and sank into the couch. “Oh, please. It’s not anything I can’t deal with.” She would give her eyeteeth to take stronger pain meds, but she knew they would slow her down.
Rush sat on the coffee table across from her and set his coffee cup beside him. He rested his hands on her knees and gave her the serious look she knew so well. The you know I’m right look.
“So, let’s talk about this. No more avoiding it. No more hiding the truth.”
She dropped her eyes. “Truth? My shoulder is going to end my career.” She fought against the tears that came too easily.
He reached for her. “Come here.”
“No.” She pulled away. He searched her eyes and she shifted them away.
“You’re shutting me out of this? Talk to me, Jayla. What’s your plan?”
“I don’t really have one. I want to keep trying to build strength, and after this weekend’s competition, I’ll see the doctor. If it’s definitely a tear, maybe I’ll have the surgery, but I don’t even know if that’s the right thing to do. What if it can heal on its own and surgery just messes it up more?” She pushed to her feet so he wouldn’t see the tears in her eyes.
“Jayla.” His voice was laden with concern. “You know the chances of t
he doctors being that far off.”
She turned with anger in her chest and worry in her belly—and goddamn tears in her eyes. In the next breath, he was on his feet and she was wrapped safely in his arms.
“What if they’re right? They told me last time that another shoulder injury would probably end my career. What if I really can’t compete again?” Her tears soaked into his soft T-shirt. She clutched his chest, and she was sure she’d taken purchase of his chest hair, which had to hurt, but he didn’t shift away. He held her tighter.
“Then you won’t compete.”
Four simple words that cut her to the core. She clenched her eyes shut against the pain of them. It was Rush who pulled her from her hiding place against his chest. She reached for him, and he placed his hands firmly on the sides of her head and made her look up at him, tears and all.
“You are not just a competitive skier. I know you, Jayla. You’re just like me. You’re thinking that your life is over if you can’t compete. And it’s not.”
“You know that’s…not true,” she said through the stupid tears that made her feel weak. “Our whole lives we’ve been scared of this, Rush.” She pushed away from him as her voice escalated. “Remember? Shoot us. That’s what we said we wanted to happen if we couldn’t compete. Because what’s left?”
“What’s left? You. Me. Us. And even if you can’t compete, you’ll probably still be able to ski.”
“You don’t know that. What if they screw up my shoulder so badly that I can’t?”
“What if you damage it so badly that they can’t repair it?”
The challenge in his eyes pissed her off. She turned and walked away.
He was half a step behind her. “You can’t pretend this isn’t happening, and I won’t let you hurt yourself so badly that it can never be fixed.”
She spun around. “You know what? I get to make that decision. Not you. Not the coaches.” She pointed at her chest. “Me, Rush. It’s my body, my decision.”
Slope of Love (Love in Bloom: The Remingtons) Page 13