Page 66 of Ski You Later
A full laugh takes over me and I relish in the smile I get in return. I quickly tell him my side of the story now. Telling him every part of my race run and where it went wrong.
Embarrassment creeps its way into my voice when I get to my fall, but I plow through and describe everything from there.
Roman nods the whole time, analyzing what I’m saying and stares at me intently. I tell him that I’mstill feeling completely fine, and how I think it was the nerves mixed with the lack of sleep and food.
He nods up until my very last word, then leans past me to put another pillow behind me. I lie back after he fluffs them up and I feel like a pampered princess as I recline.
He dusts off his hands as he leans against the wall. “Alright, that was my team captain duties over.” He puts one of his hands over the covers and rests it lightly on my leg. “Now as your boyfriend.”
“Fake boyfriend you mean,” I add in quickly just in case this was some sort of test. Albeit this is one test that I would love nothing more than to fail.
He doesn’t even acknowledge me as he continues. “I was scared shitless there.” He runs his hands through his hair, causing the usual styled back brown strands to stick up in every direction. “You had blood all over your face. Then I couldn’t even feel relieved when I saw it was just a couple of scrapes because you passed out.”
Putting his hands back in his lap, he faces away from me to look at the wall ahead. “I’ve delt with this kind of injury before, when Xander had a bad concussion a couple years ago. He crashed into a tree and was vomiting everywhere. When that happened, I workedfast and efficiently, doing everything I could to ensure he got proper treatment.
“But, when you passed out on me, I was terrified. All the training I’ve been through just left me in an instant. I was fully panicking, and my lack of professionalism could have hurt you. I’m so sorry, Rhodes.”
He faces me now; his smile lines couldn’t be farther away from me as his devastated eyes meet mine. Without even thinking, I reach forward and wrap my arms around his neck. Pulling him close to me and holding him tight. I can feel a piece of my heart wrapping around this boy as I hold him, but I feel it solidify when his arms encircle me, and he grips me back.
He’s exactly the type of guy to do everything in his power but then blame himself for not doing enough. I lock my arms into tight bands around him, and put all my reassurance behind this hold.
It’s moments like this, when I’m surrounded by his embrace, that I hate the word fake.
But, the hug itself is too enjoyable to even dwell on that problem right now. His warm body fits perfectly under mine, and I find myself pressing further into his perfect chest.
It’s only when he relaxes under me, that I think I have proved my point and slowly pull away from him.
Looking at me thoughtfully, the hug seemed to have cleared some guilt on that conscious of his. He starts to rub the back of his neck nervously, and I can’t help but find the actions adorable now. “Well, Langley. I’ll get the ski patrol to come check you out, but you’re going to stay here for the night, no exceptions. Your ass is grass.”
While his words make sense, I also don’t love the idea of him telling me what I can and cannot do. “You can’t just tell me what to do you know? You can advise me, but you can’t order me to stay here tonight,” I say with challenge thick in my tone.
His head tilts, not anger splaying across his face, but it’s an intense emotion as he assesses me from his spot on the bed. I can’t explain the thrill that fills me on having all his attention focused on me like this, but I don’t back down.
The Roman I usually see stays hidden underneath his grumpy exterior. He’s kind, gentle, caring, and very easily rattled.
Whereas the Roman sitting in front of me currently, is the team captain. He’s used to getting his way and doesn’t back down an inch at my words.
“You. Aren’t. Leaving. This. Bed.” He leans in closer after emphasizes each word, and this does nothing but succeed in making me push back more.
“What if I do?”
“You shouldn’t even try.”
“Now I want to try even more.” The lightness of my tone counters his menacing glare and I smile wickedly at him.
A piece of me recognizes that I’m fully flirting now. If I actually had any interest in going out, I would just sit here until he left and then sneak out later.
But, I don’t want to sneak out. I want to spend more time with the man in front of me.
Staring at him now, I realize that I don’t want Roman as my fake-boyfriend, my friend, or my team captain. I just want him to be mine.
His actions have shown me time and time again that he wants to be more than a fake relationship. And as I sit here, safely on my bed after dutifully being taken care of, I can’t help but want the same thing.
He must see this resolution in my thoughts, as his grumpy attitude vanishes before me. His eyes sparkle and he seems to dare me to defy him further. This is something I couldn’t be more excited to listen to.
Fear and excitement course through me and I fill my gaze with challenge. Reaching for the blankets keeping me prisoner, I pull them away, and swing my legs out of the bed.
Roman doesn’t move from the other end, surprising me by doing the opposite of what I thought and reclining on his hands behind him.
