Page 27 of Privileged (Adrenalin)

We walk for a few minutes before I find the words I’m looking for, though to his credit Sloan doesn’t press me to answer before I’m ready.

“It gave me a sense of freedom. My parents aren’t bad people, but they are difficult. They have high expectations, and I always felt pressured to please them. Speeding down the mountain, especially when they couldn’t keep up, let me forget all that and just be a kid, even if itwas only for a few minutes at a time. I chased that feeling as long as I could.”

“Were they proud of what you accomplished as a skier?”

“I think so. But they would’ve preferred I leave it behind after my injury instead of diving deeper by buying a resort.”

“They still support you though, right? You said there’s a timetable to make it work, but they gave you until then.”

“Always the optimist, aren’t you?” I cut him a sideways glance with a warm smile. He returns it before ducking his head.

“I suppose you’re right.” I shift my gaze forward before I lead us into a tree. “They aren’t making it easy on me, but they didn’t object outright. That’s something. So—” I steal a quick glance at him “—why physical therapy?”

“My sister, Ally. She’s several years older and was sort of my hero as a kid. She raced for a while, and even though she was never considered the one to beat, she held her own in every competition.” Sloan smiles wistfully as he thinks of his sister. “Ally’s very determined.”

“Anyhow,” he continues, “She got injured, and I got dragged along to all her rehab appointments. I saw what recovery was like. She’d be visibly struggling after the exercises, but her therapist was always so positive and determined. I think that somehow made healing go faster. As a kid that seemed like magic. A way to help people overcome obstacles. I guess it stuck.”

“You do seem to have a magic touch.” I give his hand a playful squeeze.

“Are you making lewd jokes?” Taken separately, the words seem defensive, but there’s an almost naughty quality to his voice that hints at playfulness.

Chancing a peek in his direction, I catch him licking his bottom lip. It sends a wave of lust through my core so powerful I’m helpless to ignore it.I stop and turn so fast he can’t avoid walking into my chest, trapping him against my body with an arm around his waist.

“I am. But I’m also giving you a compliment. You’re very good at what you do, and the ski team would be lucky to have you.” I brush my lips over his, unable to wait a second longer without touching them. “Do you want me to talk to the coach?”

Sloan pulls back so quickly I find myself kissing the air.

“No!” It’s a cross between a shout and a whisper. “I am not the kind of person who sleeps his way to the top.”

The outburst takes me completely off guard, and I hold up my hands in surrender, hoping that calms him down. “I wasn’t suggesting you are.”

“Why make the offer then?” His green eyes darken a shade as he crosses his arms in front of him.

“Because I believe you’d be great at it, and I’m happy to help you reach that goal.”

Those eyes flare with ire. “I don’t want help.”

“There’s nothing wrong with accepting some, if it helps you reach your goals. I did.”

“And a whole town thinks you’re playing at being Mr. Big Shot CEO because of it.” Sloan’s venomous glare quickly softens as he realizes what he said, eyes falling shut with a heavy exhale. “I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry.”

“You did mean it, and it’s okay.” I drop my hands to my sides and turn to look at the valley beneath us, a blanket of green beneath uncharacteristically gray skies. “I’m used to people assuming things are handed to me. Lots of times they are. Skiing is the only thing that wasn’t, which is maybe why I want to work in the industry. I don’t know,” I sigh heavily, the burdens of the resort, my family, the entitled handout like the one I just offered to bestow on Sloan convergingaround me and making me feel weighted to the ground, as if even this, the one thing I thought might bring me freedom, is really just a prison of my own choosing.

I feel rather than see Sloan step to me and place a soft hand on my arm, an apology of sorts, so I continue. “I’ve never known anything different, so accepting help, and the bias that comes with it, are normal for me. I respect that they aren’t normal for you, and that you want to do things on your own. I never meant to imply you couldn’t reach your goals without my interference.”

He slides his hand down my arm and links our fingers together, leaning his head against my shoulder. “I appreciate the offer. Truly. And if I’m honest, it’s something that crossed my mind before…,” he trails off. “But I think it’s more acceptable for a father to help his son than for a man to help the guy he’s sleeping with.”

I let go of his hand to wrap my arm around him, pulling him to my side. “You’re right. I should have thought of that before saying anything.”

“It means a lot that you did. Just knowing you think I’m capable is a huge boost.”

“You’re more than capable. In fact…” Cupping his chin in my hand, I guide his lips to mine, seeking the sweet friction I’ve been thinking about since that first kiss barely twenty-four hours ago. We’re a hairsbreadth apart when a clap of thunder echoes around us, giving us only a few seconds to register that we’re about to get soaked. I grab Sloan’s hand and make a break for the truck, getting only a few steps before the downpour engulfs us.

So much for those “late afternoon” showers.

We’re sopping wet and shivering by the time we get into the cab, and I turn the heat on full blast to take the edge off before I attempt to drive. But it’s not the air steaming from the vent thatwarms me, it’s the man sitting next to me, emerald eyes greedily drinking me in from under the heavy locks of wet hair.

My cock stirs to life as I pull him to me and crush my mouth to his.

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