Evernight Publishing ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2014 Elizabeth Monvey
ISBN: 978-1-77130-965-3
Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs
Editor: JC Chute
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
CARRIED AWAY
Romance on the Go
Elizabeth Monvey
Copyright © 2014
Chapter One
“You will stop seeing that man immediately,” Jin-Pyoo’s father ordered. The tone in his voice, as well as his rigid stance, brooked no argument.
Jin took a deep breath to calm his anger before he said something he would regret later, but he couldn’t help but argue back. He’d been doing it all his life against his father’s strict Korean heritage.
“His name is Tolliver and he’s my friend,” he said, steady.
“He’s unnatural.”
Jin’s eyes narrowed. “Because?”
His father snorted. “You know why. The rumors are plenty.”
“Rumors? That’s what this conversation is based on?”
His father held up his tablet. Frozen on the screen was a photo of Jin and Tolliver standing together at the charity event from last night. “I’m basing this conversation on this picture!”
He’d slipped into Korean, which happened when he was extremely mad or agitated. Jin suspected it was a mixture of both.
“That was a party given by Tolliver to raise money for battered and abused women. What? I was supposed to ignore my host? Ignore a very important issue in society?”
“You spend too much time with the man!”
“He owns the resort we’re staying at!” Jin yelled back in Korean. He calmed down, took another deep breath to collect himself, and switched back to English. “He’s my friend and I won’t stop seeing him because of rumors.”
“Your sponsor doesn’t approve,” his father said, and Jin knew he was bringing out his last big gun. “They’re threatening to pull their sponsorship, and you do realize what that could mean, don’t you?”
“Over what?” Jin demanded.
“Scandal of impropriety.”
Jin blinked. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Language, Jin-Pyoo,” his father warned. “The rumors are that Tolliver St. James likes men.”
“So what? It’s the twenty-first century, Father. There’s nothing wrong with being gay.”
His father’s face turned so red he looked like a radish with his scrunched up eyes and pursed lips. “You are Korean! Your sponsor is a Korean company. Being gay is not acceptable, and you being near him only hinders your career.”
“I made the Olympic team,” Jin said quietly. “That’s no small feat.”
“And you failed to qualify for your run. You’re running out of time, Jin-Pyoo. PyeongChang will be your last try for an Olympic medal, that is, if you even make the team at age thirty-two.”
Jin sat for a moment, staring at his father. The old man was right, of course. He was twenty-eight years old now and a skier only had a set number of years. There were always newer and faster skiers on the horizon, and his thirty-two year old joints weren’t as flexible as twenty-year-old joints. But on the other hand, experience and determination meant he had a lot going for him as well. His father had given him every opportunity to win an Olympic medal, and so far he’d come up empty-handed. He was a damn good skier, he knew that, but training for the Olympics was rigorous. After the holidays he would begin the circuit with his fellow competitors, leaving large breaks between seeing Tolliver St. James.
What would his father do if he announced that Tolliver was more than just his friend? That he’d been in a secret relationship with the man for two years now, and he knew that Tolliver was it for him: The one. He couldn’t imagine his life without the man. Jin would never say goodbye to the man who made his blood sing and his heart pound. More than sex, though, Tolliver listened to him. Talked to him like his opinions mattered. There was no way Jin could give him up. He wouldn’t. And if that meant lying to and evading his father, then so be it.
“Did my sponsor threaten to pull their backing?” Jin asked calmly.
“They hinted of their dislike at such a scandal.”
Jin took that as a yes. “You can assure them, Father, that Tolliver St. James is my friend and skiing benefactor. He provides me with free slopes, free spas, and free lodging to help my Olympic career. In return my name draws in vacationers to his resort. If that means attending charity events with the man, so be it. It’s a business transaction, and you know all about business, Father.”
His father frowned. “It is the closeness of your friendship that they frown upon.”
“What will it take for them to relax? What do you want me to say, Father? Tell me and I’ll say it.”
His father got a satisfied gleam in his eye and too late, Jin realized the trap he’d fallen into. “We’ll announce your engagement.”
Jin felt all the breath swoosh out of his lungs. “Excuse me?”
“Tonight, at the banquet dinner being hosted by your sponsor, we’ll make the announcement of your engagement. The press coverage will be perfect timing.”
Jin panicked a little. He hadn’t thought his father would take it this far. He couldn’t have a girlfriend. He had a boyfriend. But how in the hell was he supposed to tell his father that?
Shit.
“What have you done, Father?”
“It is time you got married. Focused on your career and the Olympics. A wife will help with that.”
“So you just sold me out? To whom?”
His father straightened his shoulders as a pleased look came over his face. “The daughter of my business partner.”
It took a moment for Jin to remember the girl. “She’s twelve!”
“She’s eighteen,” his father corrected.
“I refuse. I don’t want a wife!”
The rage on his father’s face scared him. All those times when he was beaten for some infraction as a child came roaring back with a painful vengeance, and Jin shrank back.
“No wife, no sponsor,” his father all but hissed at him. Spittle flew from the corner of his mouth like a rabid dog. “Do not disgrace the family name, Jin-Pyoo, or I’ll make you wish you’d never been born.”
His father’s phone rang at that moment and he turned away to answer. While he had the chance, Jin slipped out of his father’s study and hurried out the front door, feeling like he was going to throw up. Luckily, he and his father did not share the same room at Tolliver’s exclusive resort and Jin all but ran to his own room. His brain buzzed with his father’s words. He didn’t know what his father was up to, but he wouldn’t put it past the man to have a contracted fiancée waiting in the wings. What was he going to do?
He pulled out his phone and hit Tolliver’s speed dial number, waiting impatiently for the other man to pick up.
“I was just thinking about you,” Tolliver purred into the phone. “Are you on your way up to my place? I’ve got a hard-on with your name on it.”
“I think I’m engaged,” Jin announced, not bothering to acknowledge the sexual innuendo.
“Excuse me?”
“My sponsor is threatening to pull out.”
It was silent on the other end for a long moment.
“Because of
me?”
Jin didn’t want to answer, but it seemed his silence was answer enough.
“I see,” Tolliver said in a neutral tone. “I hope you told your father you couldn’t possibly marry a woman, because you’re already with a man.”
“I couldn’t tell him, Tol. You don’t understand. He’ll do something.”
“What do you mean, he’ll do something?”
“My father…he could cause a lot of problems with St. James.”
“So, are you breaking up with me?”
“No!” Jin barked. “Are you crazy? But I have to be smart about this. If I don’t have a wife, my sponsor is going to withdraw…and I need them.”
“You don’t need them! You have me.”
“But my career––”
“I can help you with your career, Jin. But you have to trust me.”
“You don’t know him, Tol. He’ll ruin everything. He ruins everything in my life. He can even ruin you.”
Tolliver was silent for a long moment, and Jin’s heart began to beat faster. He could only imagine what was going through his lover’s head.
“You need to trust me, Jin,” Tolliver finally growled. “Damn it, I told you when we first got together that I wouldn’t play games.”
“I know,” Jin said softly.
“You expect me to be okay with this lie? To stay hidden like some dirty little secret?”
“Tolliver––”
“Do what you have to do, Jin.”
And with that, he hung up. Jin was left staring at the phone and felt his heart sink. The worst part was that he couldn’t blame Tolliver for being upset. After all, if the positions were reversed he’d probably be furious at being told he’d have to be replaced with a fiancée. But…it was his father, and a goal he’d spent his whole career trying to achieve. So much pressure.
The Olympics had just ended, and already he was stressed about the next one. He was going to have to work damn hard to keep his body in top shape to make the team, to beat the younger skiers who had better knees and pain-free backs.
The walls began to close in on him and he could feel the anxiety rising. The conversation with his father, combined with Tolliver’s abrupt hang-up, left him feeling edgy. Grabbing his coat, he headed out the door, needing the cold December air to clear his head. He pulled a hat out of his pocket and put it on, pulling it low. Part of him hoped that he’d see Tolliver, but another part of him needed space. Too many emotions were crashing down upon him.
He walked through Vail, not really seeing any of the beautiful holiday decorations. It had been snowing heavily all last night through today and the ski slopes were packed. Skiing was supposed to be fun. The first time he’d put on skis, at the age of eight, he’d loved the feeling of cold air in his lungs and the speed flying down the hills. Over the years, as he’d improved and his talent on the skis had grown, his father had begun to push him toward the Olympics. He’d missed making the team for Torino, and in Vancouver he’d finished in the top ten. After finishing second at the world championship, he’d managed to qualify for the Sochi Olympics, but had not been able to control the jumps and had crashed out of the competition, as many had. Sure, there were men who raced in their thirties, and the oldest Alpine Skier to win Olympic gold had been thirty-four. All he could do was start the circuit again once the holiday ended and see what happened.
But the last two years of sneaking around with Tolliver wasn’t something he wanted for the next four, and yet he couldn’t give him up either. He just didn’t know what to do.
He headed back to the resort, and as he turned a corner into the hotel’s opulent lobby, the huge Christmas tree in the center caught his attention. It was lit up from top to bottom and the shine blazed through the room. Once upon a time, he used to like Christmas. Now he was counting down the days to his first competition, dreading it.
His phone rang and he dug it out of his pocket. Tolliver.
“Hello,” he said softly.
“Where are you?” Tolliver asked.
“Lobby, looking at the tree.”
“Come up.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, Jin. We need to talk.”
The phone clicked off and Jin’s heart suddenly hurt. He had a feeling he knew what Tolliver was going to say and he didn’t want to hear it. Two years ago he’d walked into the lobby of this hotel and was greeted by the owner, Tolliver St. James. The thirty-six year-old resort owner had taken his hand and a million butterflies had erupted in his belly.
“Thank you for choosing St. James as your resort this holiday,” Tolliver had said. “Let me know if there is anything I can help you with.”
He had squeezed his hand in a way to make sure Jin got the underlying meaning.
Tolliver was a big man, with a robust chest, and yet he moved effortlessly, with classic grace. It only took Jin looking into the lustful gleam of Tol’s blue gaze to know he’d found the man for him. And it didn’t take a genius to see the older man had felt the same electric jolt, by the tenting of his slacks.
That first night had been a bit frantic and Tolliver had wanted to be open about their relationship, but Jin had needed to keep things secret. He couldn’t be open with his father. Speculation had abounded of course, especially when Tolliver had shown up during his competitions and then also in Sochi to watch his skiing events. He’d left just as quickly when Jin had failed to qualify in his heats.
As he walked toward the elevators, Jin felt his world breaking apart, although he didn’t blame Tolliver for breaking things off. He’d been very clear about his position on their relationship from the beginning and he’d compromised his beliefs to accommodate Jin’s heritage. But what could he do? Just walk away, from his family, and his dream?
Christ, did he even want to be a skier anymore?
He was so afraid of making the wrong decision, and of regretting something, that he felt frozen inside. He didn’t want to give Tolliver up, but maybe Tol was going to take that decision away from him. Maybe he wouldn’t have anything else but skiing to take up the empty future without Tolliver’s presence.
And how would he feel when Tolliver eventually found someone else?
The elevator opened to the private penthouse floor and Jin felt like he was being delivered a death sentence. He knocked on the door and it opened immediately and before he could say anything Tolliver grabbed his arm and pulled him into the room.
They stared at each other for a long moment and Jin couldn’t help but admire Tol’s suave sophistication. His grey, streaked black hair gave him an iron-tough appearance and his blue eyes were sharp and missed nothing. He was tall, with a massive chest and shoulders that had a fine dusting of hair. Jin knew Tol worked out every morning, as well as skied on the weekends to give his body tone and definition. He was what some people would call a bear man, and Jin never thought he’d be attracted to such bulk, but every time Tol touched him it was like fireworks exploding.
He opened his mouth to say something, anything to erase the distance in Tolliver’s eyes, but just as he opened his mouth, Tol reached out and pulled Jin into his arms. The tension that had been building up inside Jin broke and his arms crept around Tolliver, holding on tightly.
Chapter Two
Tolliver breathed in deep Jin’s unique scent, a mixture of the outdoors and shaving lotion. All he had to do was smell his lover and he was hard, but it had been like that from the start and right now was no different. He made sure to grind his hips into Jin’s to make sure the younger man knew exactly how he was affected by his nearness.
So many emotions had gone through him since their first conversation, when Jin announced he had a fiancée. Part of him hated the fact that he had to keep their relationship secret, like it was some tawdry affair, but the other part of him understood the cultural differences and the fact that for Koreans, being gay was against the rules. Or at least, for Jin’s father it was.
But he was a thirty-nine year old businessman who didn’t want
to be a dirty little secret. He was past the age where all he wanted to do was fuck around. Once he’d met Jin he’d known the man would change his life. For two years, he had loved learning everything there was to know about Kang Jin-Pyoo. He had traveled the world watching him compete. Jin was a talented skier, but he was hampered by the pressure his father put on him. They’d often ski together, and while Tolliver was excellent on the snow, Jin simply outclassed him in speed, style and ability.
“I thought you were going to end us,” Jin whispered.
Tolliver pulled back and looked into Jin’s dark eyes. He might have an inch or two on Jin but they were almost the same height, putting them just about nose to nose. “Jin, I want to be publicly out with you. I’m proud to have you by my side and I’m tired of evading the questions.”
“I know,” Jin murmured sadly. “I just don’t know what to do, Tol. If I get engaged, maybe I can insist on a long engagement. I can say I don’t want to do anything until after the Olympics––”
“No, Jin. I don’t want to lose you, but I can’t be on the sidelines another four years. If you pursue the Olympics, I want to be by your side. It’s that or nothing at all.”
The words came out harsher than he wanted and he hadn’t meant for them to sound so finite. He wished he could retract them, because he’d do anything for Jin. What was waiting four more years in the grand scheme of life? But Tolliver was afraid of what excuse Jin would come up with after that. Would he finally find the courage to stand up to his father?
Or would Jin marry the girl?
The thought of Jin belonging to someone else was a knife in his belly and he flinched at the pain it caused.
“Are you okay?”
“No, Jin, I’m not okay,” he said, irritated. He ran a hand through his perfectly groomed hair and knew it was in disarray now. “Look, I don’t want to be one of those assholes who gives ultimatums, but I find myself here giving you one. I love you, Jin, but I can’t hide who I am anymore.”
Carried Away Page 1