Page 96 of Trust My Bodyguard

We sink into the sheets, boneless with satisfaction. Brody’s arm keeps me strapped to his chest all night long.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Brody

Cold winds whoosh past my ears as I ski down the slopes. A figure sweeps by, spraying me with snow particles.

“Try to keep up, son,” Cliff throws over his shoulder.

I scoff. He’s only so good because he’s been skiing on these slopes longer than I have. He knows all the tricks to move as fast as he does.

But I have the advantage of raw, youthful power, so I speed up, digging my poles into the snow only long enough to get some leverage, and then I’m off again. Cliff is still ahead of me, but I’m gaining on him.

He turns his head slightly to the left, and seeing me, he picks up speed, too. For someone so old, he’s as strong as a nimblefoal. My pace slows as I marvel at his expert curves and seamless movements.

Then, my eyes fall on the flag that marks the end of the slope. He’s almost there.

If anyone gets wind of this, namely Nick, that Cliff beat me at a race, I won’t hear the end of it.

Gritting my teeth, I race as fast as possible, closing in on him. The tricky bastard does a side swipe that ruins the path and forces me to arch wide.

A hearty laugh leaves me. A fair race cannot be found on these slopes when I’m racing against Cliff or my friends. Always someone pulling something.

He sails over the finish line, raising his poles and spinning around to watch me descend.

“You cheated,” I accuse, slowing down next to him.

“Zane would call it a useful advantage.” Cliff shrugged.

“And then I’d kick Zane in his shins.”

Cliff chuckled. “Yeah, let’s not do anything of that nature.”

“As long as you don’t tell Nick you won.”

“You know what?” Cliff muses. “Don’t step on my toes ever and I won’t tell him.”

I eye him for a moment. The shrewd man. “Deal.”

He laughs. “I’m getting good at this.”

“At being a pest like Ivy? Good for you,” I say dryly.

“Speaking of, where is she?”

I plop onto a bench and kick my ski shoes off. “Still asleep when I left her.” Anyone with eyes, ears, or a working cell can tell what’s happening between Ivy and me. I see no use in keeping it secret.

If I had the option, I’d shout it off the mountains. What I’m shouting, though, I’m not sure. We’ve fucked a few times? Yeah, that’s nothing. Means nothing. People fuck and forget each other’s names the next day. Hell, some people don’t even know the names of the people they fuck.

I blink up at Cliff.

He shrugs. “Where did your mind go?”

“Nowhere.” I nod to the terrain. “The after-holiday crowd is still a bit lively.”

“I’m not a child, Brody.” He sits next to me. “I know a change of topic when I hear one.”

“Change of what topic?”

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