Snowbody: An Alpha Older Man and BBW Romance (Seasons of Seduction Book 3)

by Adele Niles

  We parked at McAdams’ and went inside. Immediately, the bartender called out to me, gesturing toward a table in the back.

  They may have been starstruck when I first started coming here, but now I was just another regular.

  Maddy and I sat down at the back. One of the waiters brought me my favorite beer and took Maddy’s order. To my surprise, she ordered the same beer.

  “Most girls around here drink wine.” I smiled at her over the edge of my glass.

  “I’m not most girls.”

  She sure wasn’t.

  She took a sip of her beer and looked up at me. “So… I know a little bit about you, but… what got you here?”

  I bit my lower lip. How much could I tell her?

  “Well.” I shrugged. “I started snowboarding at this lodge when I was seven. It’s where I took my first lesson.”

  She smiled. “That’s wonderful.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, it… it’s really important to me. I practiced on the mountains here every year and eventually started getting attention. Competing. And winning.”

  Her eyes were bright as she listened to me talk.

  I wanted to look at her forever.

  I took another sip and kept talking. “I did the Olympics twice. Silver medal, both times. And then… I was at the US Open four years ago and I had a fall. Landed bad on a jump and ruined my knee.”

  Her expression softened. She bit her lower lip, lowering her gaze. “I’m so sorry.”

  I shrugged. “It was the end of competing. But I recovered enough that I can snowboard for fun and teach. So, I didn’t have to give it up completely. And your dad offered me a job when I moved back home and was all recovered. I took it right away.”

  “That’s good.” She smiled. “I’m glad you can still have fun with it. And that it can still be your living.”

  I nodded. “Me, too. I would have missed it too much if I had to give it up.” Snowboarding was what I loved; I wasn’t sure I could have lived if I’d had to give it up completely.

  Maddy nodded. “I understand. I wish I had something I loved so much, you know?”

  “Really? Well, what do you—”

  “Oh, my god, are you Jacob Reed?”

  I turned my head. Four girls stood at the edge of our table, all in jeans and cropped sweaters. I groaned inwardly.

  Across the table, Maddy sank down in her seat, head bowed.

  “Uh… yeah.” I forced a smile. “But I’m kinda eating dinner with my coworker.”

  “Okay, well, can we just bother you for a real quick picture?” The girl at the front of the pack held up her phone.

  I looked to Maddy. “Do you mind?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “No. Uh, go ahead.”

  I smiled weakly at her and slid out of the booth. I posed for a photo with the girls, waiting patiently as they each took turns snapping a selfie with me.

  And, of course, that attracted more attention.

  I gave Maddy another apologetic look.

  She deserved my full attention, not this.

  I stood for a while, letting people come and take photos. Some of them were guests at the lodge; others were locals. Most of them were polite, although there were always guys who wanted to act tough.

  Sometimes, I wished I carried my medals around to show off. Maybe these guys could do better than me now, but they never would have stood a chance when I was at my prime.

  At last, the crowd dispersed. Our waiter brought out the burgers Maddy and I had ordered, along with fresh beers. I slid back into the booth across from her with a sigh.

  “I hate when that happens. I’m sorry.”

  She tilted her head, looking at me curiously. “Really?”

  I nodded. “Yeah. I mean… it just gets old. I don’t mind when people recognize me, say hi or whatever, but I hate the photos and the dickhead guys who want to talk trash.”

  Maddy nodded slowly. “I see. That’s good to know, actually.”

  “Yeah?”

  She smiled. “Yeah. Just… something for me to think about.”

  I smiled at her.

  She was definitely going to be trouble.

  After dinner, we walked outside into a thick snowfall. The roads were quiet already, and I didn’t even need to look to know that going up the mountain was a bad idea.

  “Do we need to get a hotel?” Maddy asked, frowning.

  I shook my head. “Nah. I have an apartment in town for the off season. We can just crash there tonight. You take the bed, and I’ll sleep on the couch.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. I’m sure. No worries.”

  Chapter Four

  Maddy

  We got back in the cold truck. The apartment was only a few blocks from McAdams’, but Jacob were slow getting there. Winter weather was nothing to mess around with, and I was glad he didn’t rush.

  He unlocked the door of his second-floor apartment and let me inside. He flicked on a few light switches.

  The living room was full of memorabilia from his career. His Olympic medals hung in display boxes on the wall; other awards were scattered around the room. There were framed photos of him with other pro athletes, and a few posters that were blown-up magazine covers.

  I felt a little silly for not really knowing who he was until today.

  Jacob moved around the apartment, hanging his winter gear before going into the kitchen. “You want another beer?” he called.

  “That sounds great.” I shed my own coat, hanging it with Jacob’s stuff on a coat rack. While he got our drinks, I moved to the couch, sitting down to look around again.

  He returned with two open bottles, handing me one. I took a sip immediately.

  Jacob wasn’t even trying, and he had me turned on.

  Maybe it was because we were alone in his apartment. Dad and Melody weren’t here to make me feel like a kid. And the way Jacob kept looking at me, looking over my body…

  I was definitely wet, just from being close to him.

  He leaned back on the couch, looking at me. “So… I’m curious. And you can tell me to shut up if you want.”

  “Okay.”

  “Why is Melody such a bitch to you?”

  I laughed, shaking my head. “I don’t know. She wanted to stay an only child?” I paused to sip my beer. “She’s been awful my entire life. Always having to be better than me. And on the rare occasions where I came out on top, she would just… tear it down. Like it meant nothing.”

  Jacob shook his head. “That’s messed up. I’m an only child, but I always wanted a sibling, you know? It’s so wild to me that she would just treat you like that.”

  I laughed softly and nodded. “Right? It was… awful. And now Dad wants me to work with her and… I know it’s going to be my fault when stuff goes wrong.”

  “Hey, I’ll have your back. I won’t let her lie about you and get you in trouble.”

  He sounded so genuine that I was truly shocked.

  “Wow. Um… thank you. Nobody’s ever really, you know… stood up for me before.”

  Jacob shrugged. “It’s just the right thing to do. You don’t deserve to take the fall for her.”

  I felt my face go hot again. I cleared my throat. “Hey, um, we should see if it’s still snowing.”

  “Oh! Yeah, we can do that.” Jacob rose and went to the balcony door. He opened the blinds. Snow was still falling heavily, already six inches deep, at least.

  I went to stand beside him, looking out over the parking lot. It wasn’t a scenic view, but the snow was still pretty.

  I never got tired of watching it fall.

  Jacob put his hand on my back. I swallowed, looking up at him for a moment before taking a long sip of my beer.

  “For what it’s worth…”

  “Yeah?” I bit my lower lip.

  “...I think you’d be the better catch.”

  I blinked, then started to laugh. “Oh. Oh, no. I mean, thank you, but… Like, I know I’m the plain sister. Mel
ody’s so pretty, and she’s smart and ambitious.”

  “Yeah, but… you’ve got a personality.” Jacob looked down at me, smiling. “And I like my women with some curves. Skinny girls don’t do it for me.”

  I felt my face heat up, and I had to pull away. “Please. I’m just… I’m just a snowbody.”

  There was a pause. Had my self-deprecating joke not landed?

  And then Jacob started to laugh.

  I let out a soft sigh of relief.

  “Okay, but for real, Maddy. You’re my type. You’re gorgeous and I love your body.”

  “Yeah, but… Melody…”

  “I don’t care about Melody.” He turned toward me and put his hand on my waist.

  I shivered.

  He pulled back. “Oh, are you cold? Here, let me build a fire.”

  Thank God he’d misread it. I didn’t want him to know how horny I was.

  I watched as he bent down, putting logs in the fireplace. He lit a match and dropped it into the fire, and soon the flame was crackling, warming the living room.

  It was nice.

  Kind of romantic.

  I looked back toward the balcony, sipping my beer. After three, I was a little buzzed, happy. It was nice to watch the snow like this, especially with a guy like Jacob.

  I felt him come up behind me.

  We were so close together.

  Slowly, I turned to face him.

  Chapter Five

  Jacob

  The way Maddy looked up at me was driving me crazy.

  I couldn't stand it. I knew it was wrong, but I wanted her so much.

  I put my hand on her waist again. This time, she didn’t shiver.

  “Maddy,” I murmured.

  “Yeah?”

  I was silent. So was she.

  I leaned down and kissed her.

  She rose on her toes to meet me, both arms sliding around my neck. I held her there, my tongue teasing her lower lip.

  She eased back, looking up at me. Her eyes were hazy but bright.

  “Jacob, can we go to bed?” she asked.

  I smiled and took her hand. “Let’s go.”

  We went back to my bedroom, leaving our beer bottles on the coffee table. In my room, I closed the door and pulled Maddy toward the bed, kissing her again.

  She let out the sweetest moan I’d ever heard.

  I eased her back on to the bed. She looked up at me, smiling. “I can’t believe I’m about to lose my virginity.”

  I stopped.

  Fuck.

  This was the boss’s daughter, and she was a virgin.

  I sighed softly and touched her cheek. “Hey… we’re both kinda drunk. Maybe we should just go to sleep.”

  I moved to lie down beside her.

  She whined. “No, please, I want to!”

  “Maddy. We can’t. Not when we’re drunk.”

  She sighed heavily, rolling over and putting her head on my shoulder. I expected her to start whining, but she was silent.

  In fact… she was snoring.

  Good. I didn’t need to stress over this.

  * * * * *

  Maddy woke with a groan.

  I was already up but hadn’t moved yet. I didn’t want to disturb her, not when I knew she would be hung over.

  She lifted her head, blinking down at me. “Jacob?”

  “Hey, Maddy.” I shifted out from under her. “Let me get you some water and aspirin.”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  I left the room and came back with a glass of cold water and some aspirin. She sat up and took the pills, washing them down.

  She looked at me, then away, lowering her head. “Don’t… tell anyone.”

  “Don’t tell anyone what?”

  She looked at me, and for a second, I thought she might cry.

  “Whoa, whoa. Hey. It’s okay, Maddy. Nothing happened.”

  “Really?”

  “Really. We just went to sleep. Both still fully dressed.” I gestured to myself, still in my clothes from last night. “And nobody needs to know we both crashed in my bed. If anyone asks, I slept on the couch.”

  “Okay.” She nodded. “Thank you.”

  I laughed. “Don’t worry. I know the rules. I, uh. I shouldn’t have even kissed you.”

  Maddy blinked. “What do you mean?”

  “Your dad doesn’t want me messing with you or your sister. Which, I mean, Melody? No issues there.”

  I didn’t finish my thought out loud. Maddy was going to be hard to resist.

  She looked at me for a moment, expression neutral, and nodded. “Well… we should get back to the resort.”

  “Yeah. Let’s head out. We’ll pick up breakfast on the way.”

  We were soon headed up the mountain. They’d already plowed once, but the half-hour drive was now going to take us an hour. I didn’t start lessons until eleven, so I wasn’t too worried about time, but it was still irritating.

  Especially because Maddy wouldn’t talk to me.

  I hated the silence, the tension. She kept her head down, picking at a sausage biscuit and giving me half-hearted responses when I tried to talk to her.

  I was sure I’d hurt her, but what was I supposed to do? Her dad would kill me if he found out.

  Or rather, he’d ruin me.

  He’d been around when I started my career, and… well, maybe we’d been dishonest.

  Maybe I’d taken money I shouldn’t have.

  And if that got out, I’d be ruined. Maybe to the point of having my medals taken away.

  I glanced at Maddy.

  Was she worth that kind of destruction?

  Chapter Six

  Maddy

  I rushed inside as soon as Jacob had parked the truck.

  I needed to be alone for a little bit. I went to my private suite, thankful that Dad had hired movers to unpack before I got there. It was a challenge to find some of my stuff, but it really had saved me a lot of stress.

  I took my time showering, grooming, and changing. When I was dressed, I went to the window, looking outside.

  It was after eleven already. Jacob was definitely on the slopes.

  I stood there for a few minutes. He was standing at the top of the mountain, only a few hundred feet from the doors of the lodge, with a tall, pretty redhead. The girl stood close to him as he talked, showing her a snowboard and probably talking about safety.

  I didn’t like the flicker of jealousy it caused.

  I turned away from the window to go to my office. I could bury myself in work, going over my new marketing plan before I presented it to Melody.

  Not that she’d like it.

  But it was hard to stop thinking about him, about the night we’d had. It had been… well, wonderful. And he’d stopped before things went too far.

  Most men wouldn’t.

  I sighed and got up from my desk, going to the window. It had been a while; his new student was a guy, obviously someone who wanted to pretend he was impressive. I watched as Jacob got him set up and let him go down the bunny slope on his own.

  The guy face-planted into the snow.

  I laughed.

  Watching Jacob reminded me of our talk at the bar last night.

  He hated the attention. He wanted to snowboard, not be a celebrity.

  Maybe we were going about marketing the wrong way.

  Maybe I needed to think about this in a different light. If Jacob wasn’t happy being the star of the resort, then we needed to change things.

  The town was pretty. It could be its own draw. We always had perfect snow for skiing and snowboarding. The views were incredible from the top of the mountain.

  We could make the advertising more about the lodge itself and less about Jacob being here.

  I smiled and went back to my desk. I’d have to delete a lot of what I already had and start over, but I could do it.

  * * * * *

  I spent the rest of the day working hard. My new strategy was good, though, and I was already talking to one
of our graphic designers about potential new logos. I’d found some gorgeous photos of the property, the town, and the mountain online, all meant to highlight what I loved about this place.

  In the entire packet, Jacob’s name wasn’t mentioned once.

  I decided it was time to call it a day when the sun started to go down. I sighed and rose from my desk, stretching. I was hungry.

  It occurred to me then that I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, too caught up in my work to notice the time slipping past.

  Dinner would be ready in the lodge restaurant, so I headed downstairs.

  Jacob was at the bottom of the stairs, talking to one of the guests.

  I bit my lower lip, pausing on the landing. What was I supposed to do? He’d said this morning that he couldn’t be with me.

  But… I wanted him to know how I’d changed the marketing plan.

  I took a deep breath and approached. “Hey, Jacob?”

  “Maddy, hey!” He looked up at me and smiled.

  Heat ran through me.

  Oh, I was in trouble.

  “Hey, um, could we talk for a second?”

  “Of course!” He said goodbye to the man he was talking to. The guy walked off, and Jacob turned to me. “What’s up?”

  “Well, um… I was looking at the marketing today and thinking about what happened in the bar last night.”

  “Yeah?”

  I nodded. “I was thinking we could try and market this place on its own, without using you as a draw? Like, definitely keep you as an employee and snowboard instructor, but… make it less about you and more about the location. How, uh… how do you feel about that?”

  To my surprise, Jacob lit up. “Are you serious? Maddy, that’s—”

  “Jacob!”

  My head snapped up.

  Melody.

  She power-walked toward us, arms open. Immediately, she threw them around Jacob.

  He half-heartedly patted her back.

  She gave me a filthy look over his shoulder.

  Why did she have to treat me like scum all the time?

  I wasn’t hungry anymore.

  I turned and hurried back up the stairs, going toward my room.

  I’d just order room service and spend the rest of the night crying.

  Chapter Seven

  Jacob

  I didn’t see Maddy for a few days.