Sold at the Ski Resort

by Juliana Conners

  I thought about it. It could work if we did it right.

  “Black and white videos?” I asked. I hadn’t exactly been dressed for work, but if it was at the right angle and not too great quality, then it would work.

  Jacob nodded. “I’ll show you the footage if you like. It’s exactly what we need. I checked.”

  I looked out over the water, thinking about it. It might just work out. It was a golden midway that somehow had come out of nowhere. If Jacob was to say that I was there for business purposes, it would save my own reputation, and if it was proven that he hadn’t attacked Markus, it would save his as well.

  “You know,” I said, “it might work.”

  Jacob grinned at me, and he was handsome. His eyes were a bright blue, his face lit up with that smile. I didn’t get to see that expression very often. He looked so haunted and down so very often.

  “We’ll have to make sure we know exactly what we’re talking about. Which organization were you thinking of?”

  Jacob mentioned the name of an organization I’d heard of before.

  “They’re involved with the homeless, feeding them, distributing clothes, that kind of thing. I think it’s a noble place to start if I’m going to do this right. Might as well choose something I’m passionate about.”

  I smiled. “You’re passionate about the homeless?” I asked.

  Jacob shrugged. “It’s not that I’m passionate about it as much as I often think about everything I have and how many people don’t have a roof over their heads at all. I don’t think it’s fair of me to live a lavish life when people have to sleep on the streets every night.”

  I nodded. I was impressed. Jacob was selfless in a surprising way.

  “All right, I’ll do some research later today and see how you can get involved. If you make a donation of sorts as soon as possible, it will look like we were planning this all along—Friday, in fact—and you did what we’d planned to do.”

  “Right,” Jacob said. “As soon as you find out details and send them to me, I’ll make sure I donate money into their account.”

  “We should follow it up with something like you meeting with them or going on an outreach or something of the like.”

  Jacob nodded. “I can do that. Soup kitchen for a day, that kind of thing?”

  I nodded. It was exactly what Jacob’s image needed. It helped that he cared so much about being involved. It made me feel like we weren’t just trying to clear his name or that the whole thing was two-faced. Jacob really was a good person.

  “I’ll get on it and have something to you before the end of the day. If we can do a press release stating your intentions tomorrow and the charity contacts you to thank you, which they will almost right away, it will look perfect.”

  Jacob nodded, satisfied, and leaned back in his chair. We had come to an agreement, and somehow, it wouldn’t jeopardize either of our careers. I had been ready to let him mention what we’d done on Friday, to tell the world that he’d had sex with me. It was about his career, and I had been ready to sacrifice myself.

  That wasn’t necessary anymore. Jacob had found a way around it, and I was more than grateful. The more I got to know him, the more I liked who he was. I hadn’t ever known him very well. I got to see a side of him I was starting to think no one saw. The world was so quick to believe what they’d said about him in the papers, that he was the kind of man who would hurt someone without thinking about it twice.

  I disagreed. I was starting to see a side of Jacob that was compassionate and caring and quite the opposite of what everyone was saying.

  “I’m relieved we have it taken care of,” Jacob said. “I was worried I would have to say something worse or let the world think I was the kind of person to just fight someone.”

  “I’m relieved, too,” I said.

  Jacob chuckled. “Markus won’t be happy.”

  “What does he want?” I asked. “Why is he doing all of this? He seems to have it in for you, for some reason. Why?”

  Jacob shrugged and shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said. “Brian and Hanson told me that he’d caught wind of possibly being traded himself, and he’s not happy about that, but I don’t know what his problem is with me personally.”

  “Maybe it’s because you got traded in and he’s getting traded out?” I asked.

  Jacob shrugged. “I wish I knew. It would be so much easier to talk it out. But Markus doesn’t seem like the type who would be willing to sit down and talk something out. Ironic as it sounds, he’s the one who would rather fight than have a chat.”

  I chuckled. “Well, at least that’s taken care of now. If he does something else, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

  Jacob nodded. We finished our lunch and ordered the check. I paid for it. When we stood up, Jacob put his hand on my hip. It was a very intimate gesture for a public place, especially when Jacob was famous and everyone watched him.

  “What are you doing after this?” he asked. His voice was low, his blue eyes darker than they’d been a moment before.

  I swallowed hard. My body responded to the way he looked at me, heat flushing through my body. But I couldn’t do this with him, not now.

  “I can’t go home with you, if that’s what you’re getting at,” I said.

  Jacob’s face fell a little.

  “No matter how much I want to,” I added. His eyes flicked back to mine, and his lips curled into a smile. “We’ve been seen in public together. You must accept that the paps might be following you right now because of the accusations. If they see us leaving together …”

  Jacob nodded and sighed. “I know. I hear what you’re saying.” He dropped his hand from my hip. I could still feel the warmth of his skin like a ghost he left behind.

  “We’ve just thought of a way to sort out the mess we’re in. We can’t afford to cause more trouble now before we’ve even cleared it all up.”

  Jacob nodded. His eyes were a piercing blue, boring into my soul. I looked away because my resolve was buckling. I wanted to go home with him. I wanted him to take me away to a private place and have his way with me.

  “I’ll call you later,” I said.

  Jacob nodded. I wanted to kiss him. He cleared his throat as if he felt the same.

  “Talk later,” he said and left the restaurant. I sighed and left, too.

  On the way to the office, I couldn’t get him out of my mind. We’d had sex twice, and both times, it had been fantastic. There was something about Jacob that was different than anyone else I’ve been with before. I haven’t been with a ton of guys, but I’d been with my fair share, and none of them had made me feel the way Jacob did.

  Of course, the fact that he had a hell of a body on him, rippling muscles and confidence to boot, helped so much. He was the hottest guy I’d ever been with. And his money, his mansion, and his fame helped, too. I wasn’t superficial, but it helped that he was easily the best guy all around.

  But that was as far as it went. He was a real treat, but I couldn’t afford to have emotions for him. I wasn’t ready for a relationship of any kind, and I had to be sure that whatever we were doing was strictly business. Or pleasure.

  Jacob was great, but I didn’t have time for a relationship, not with Kyle being the way he was. I had my hands full with a difficult man in my life, and I didn’t need another one. Besides, with Jacob being one of Kyle’s former friends I wasn’t sure if that would go down very well anyway.

  I wasn’t sure why I was thinking about it. I didn’t have feelings for Jacob. He was my client, and we occasionally slept together. That was it. There wasn’t even a question about us being more.

  I just had to keep remembering it.

  Back in the office, I walked to my desk and opened my laptop. I researched charities and found one I knew Jacob would like. I got all the contact details and sent it to him as soon as possible. The sooner we could figure this mess out, the better.

  Besides, Jacob seemed to really care about th
is charity thing, which was refreshing. It was so good to meet a man who knew what he wanted to do and wasn’t ashamed if it wasn’t mainstream. Jacob was the type of guy who looked like he cared only about himself, but I was starting to learn otherwise. The world had the wrong idea about him.

  It only mattered because I was his PR manager. I had to make sure the world saw the man he really was.

  Chapter 21 – Jacob

  On Friday, we played against the Colorado Stallions on their home turf. The stadium was alive with fans, the atmosphere almost electric as I ran out onto the field with the rest of the Florida Sharks. The game was still preseason, but it was getting closer and closer to the real deal, and the fans were acting like it was a league game.

  Brian and Hanson were both pumped for the game. We’d spent time, the three of us, together on the plane here, and I felt a lot more comfortable and part of the team than I had before.

  Sadie, Brian’s fiance , and Lacey, Hanson’s wife, were both at the game, watching their men play, with Hanson and Lacey’s son Liam bouncing around on everyone’s lap as they passed the baby around. The couples atmosphere made me miss Kina. We weren’t dating or anything, but Lacey had been Hanson’s PR manager before they’d started dating, too. And Kina was still someone I cared about, even if we were just sleeping together.

  That’s what I told myself, anyway. It’s not like I could admit to being in love with her, even though part of me really felt that I was.

  The game was great. I was on point, my fitness the best it’d been in a long time, and I felt like I was part of the team. What made it all even better was the fact that Markus wasn’t allowed to play this game. I’d come out with my press release telling the world I had been with Kina that night, and Markus had been pointed out as a liar. Coach Rudi had suspended him for the game as punishment.

  I didn’t feel the punishment was harsh enough. He’d nearly ruined my entire career and Kina’s, but I would take what I can get and enjoy myself while I could.

  It was great being on the field again. I’d been suspended for so long following the assault charge, I’d almost gotten used to a training regimen with no football in it, accepting it as my fate. Having the grass beneath my feet and the crowds roaring in my ears was what I loved about the game. This was home.

  The game went very well. We scored from the start. The team played as a unit, communication was perfect, and it was one of those days where everything just worked. The team got along, and it flowed. I tried not to think that it was because Markus wasn’t here. It wasn’t fair to accuse one person of creating that much friction that it affected our total gameplay, but the coincidence seemed too great.

  We won the game. It felt amazing, and the other team members praised me just as much as they praised each other. For the first time since I’d arrived, I didn’t feel like an outsider or a liability. I felt like a Florida Shark.

  “We have to celebrate,” Brian said in the locker room when we were getting ready to shower.

  “Way ahead of you, bro,” Hanson said. “I already called Edge and made reservations. I knew this one was in the bag.”

  Brian and Hanson high-fived.

  “You’re included,” Brian said, turning to me.

  Hanson nodded. “Yep, I counted you with our party.”

  “Really?”

  I was surprised. The guys were being great about me being a part of the team. I was also staying at the Four Seasons, the five-star hotel where Edge Restaurant was situated, but being included in the reservation as a given was an amazing feeling.

  “Can we count on you?” Brian asked.

  I nodded. The question held so much more.

  “I’m in,” I said. And I was. I was starting to realize these guys had my back, and they could count on me for the same.

  “The reservation is for eight,” Hanson said. “We’ll meet you there. Brian and I are taking our ladies out shopping first.”

  Brian grinned. “New town, new shopping experience.”

  I tried not to pay attention to my jealousy. They were lucky to have women they cared about. And who cared about them. Being with Marisa had made me feel like I was on top of the world, so I knew what it was like to be with someone who made you her whole world.

  Then she’d cheated on me, and because of her, I had an assault charge on my name. That shit wasn’t going to go away, the same as the broken trust and a broken heart doesn’t go away. The pain that had come with being with someone like Marisa was bigger than the bliss had been. It was why I was single right now, but the idea of having someone to spoil, someone who would support me, the relationships Brian and Hanson had, I envied it.

  I thought of Kina. She was the kind of person I could have that with, I was sure. I liked it when she asked about my life, when she cared. She listened when I spoke about my sport, my passion, which was something Marisa had stopped doing toward the end. The signs had been there, and I’d been too stupid to see them.

  But with Kina, it was different. She didn’t even need to care about my life. We had a business relationship. Sort of. She didn’t have to ask about my personal life and get to know me on that level.

  The fact that she did made me feel important. And I liked that. I also liked getting to know her, learning about her life. Knowing someone more than other people did was a privilege, and I felt like she let me into a life not many people saw.

  She wasn’t my girlfriend, I told myself, and she probably wouldn’t ever be. I had to stop thinking about her that way. She was my PR manager, and that was how it should stay. But having someone like her on my arm in a city like this was a fantasy I’d entertained for a while.

  There was nothing wrong with letting the fantasy linger for as long as possible. It didn’t mean I had to give my heart to her. Did it?

  Chapter 22 – Jacob

  I went to the hotel after I got showered and dressed. The hotel was amazing; my room beautiful with light parquet floors, a white bed and full-length windows that looked out over Denver. As a pro player, I was used to money and luxury, but I tried to stay objective, to see the good and the beauty in everything instead of just assuming it was there for the taking.

  When it was time to get ready, I put on a suit. Edge was a classy restaurant, suiting the hotel, and the others would be dressed up, too. The suit was a navy blue, and I had a shirt and tie that matched perfectly. With shiny black shoes, I looked handsome. My body filled out the suit. Being muscled was a perk of being this active in a sport that was so physically taxing.

  It was a pity Kina wasn’t here to see me.

  At the restaurant, Hanson and Brian were waiting for me with the women in their lives. Lacey was fiery with short black hair and a bright green dress. Her eyes were a piercing blue. Sadie had black hair and a red dress that made her look invitingly dangerous, and both women clung to their men’s arms. I greeted them, and we were taken to our seats by the maître ‘d.

  Edge was a chic version of a steakhouse, decorated with wooden accents, a light wood floor and golden lighting set into a modern ceiling. The wooden tables were polished within an inch of their lives and beige leather armchairs completed the picture.

  Delicious smells hung in the air. We moved between the tables and eyes flicked to us. People leaned forward and whispered to each other when they realized who we were. Being famous for the right reasons was just a welcome change.

  The table was set for six. I frowned and looked Hanson. “Why did you make a reservation for six?” I asked. “Who’s the last chair for?”

  “It’s for me,” a voice behind me said and when I turned around, Kina stood in front of me.

  She looked amazing in a figure-hugging white wrap dress, her light blonde curls pinned onto her head. She smiled at me with lips that were a dark wine red. I wanted to pick her up, throw her over my shoulders and go charging to my hotel room to make sweet love to her. But then she would have gotten all dolled up for no reason.

  “You’re here,” I said.

 
; She nodded. I leaned down and hugged her before I pulled her chair out for her and helped her sit down. I sat down next to her.

  I couldn’t believe she was here, looking like a vision. She was dressed to kill, and she looked comfortable in her surroundings. She fit into this world, too. I had thought that from the start. She might have taken me to a very laidback restaurant to talk the first time, but I wanted to make her a part of my world.

  I had to be careful. I was thinking too much like she was mine, and she wasn’t.

  “It’s not every day you see a player being escorted by his PR manager,” Brian joked.

  Kina smiled. “Someone had to keep him out of trouble.”

  We all laughed.

  “I feel you,” Lacey said. “I should have done that with Hanson. It would have saved me a lot of heartache.”

  Hanson looked embarrassed. Kina and Lacey laughed together. They were good friends. It was apparent now. Women had bonds in a different way than men had.

  “What if she’s here to commend me on my good behavior?” I asked.

  Kina smiled at me, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “Your behavior would have to be commendable for that, honey. It’s not.”

  Lacey and Kina laughed together. Sadie was grinning, too. The two men cried out and laughed at me.

  “You two look like such a couple,” Sadie said.

  I froze. Kina looked down at her place.

  “You really do,” Brian agreed with his girlfriend.

  “We’re not, though,” Kina said. Well, wasn’t that a great reminder.

  Brian shrugged. “We’re just saying. We saw how you two lit up when you saw each other. Don’t even try to deny it.”

  I glanced at Kina. She was smiling politely, but she’d switched off. I knew she didn’t want a relationship. It was very clear, now, in case I hadn’t been sure before. But that was okay. I wasn’t sure I would manage in a relationship again, anyway. Sleeping with her was plenty without having to worry about loyalty and fidelity and all that shit.