Slope of Love (Love in Bloom: The Remingtons) Read Free Page A

he thought of her and Marcus. He sprang from the bed. That was one bit of trouble he didn’t need to get involved in. He grabbed his parka and headed out the door.
    Kia and Teri were on their way up to the resort. Kia’s thick red hair fell in loose waves past her shoulders, while Teri wore her dark hair up in a ponytail. They made no secret of wanting a piece of Rush—singularly or together—but beyond the fact that Rush wasn’t physically attracted to either of them, he’d never believed in dipping his ski in the team snow.
    Until he realized he was in love with Jayla.
    “Hey, Rush,” they said in unison.
    “Going up to the meeting?” Kia asked as she chewed on a piece of gum like a cow.
    “Looks that way.” He heard yelling coming from one of the cabins.
    “ Ugh! Marcus and Jayla,” Teri said as they all turned in the direction of the shouting.
    He stopped cold. He could count on one hand how many times he’d heard Jayla raise her voice over the past fifteen years, and one of the five times was currently taking place.
    “That guy’s such an ass,” Teri added. “I have no idea why she’s with him.”
    “She won’t be for long. She’s just waiting out the competition. She’s a better person than me. I’d have broken up with him right when I realized he was a jerk. But you know Jayla. Nothing comes between her and winning. Anyway, she’ll break up with him right after the race Saturday. That way she won’t be dealing with a jerk and a breakup.” Kia shook her head.
    “You think?” Rush ran his hand through his hair, trying to ignore the urge to head straight down to Jayla’s cabin and wring Marcus’s neck.
    “I know,” Kia said.
    Good . Maybe that’s what she was doing now. He pulled out his phone and texted Jayla— Need me?— as they headed into the lodge for the meeting with the coach and the Carters.
    The conference room was lined with windows on two sides, with a spectacular view of the slopes. He and the others settled into the fancy leather chairs that surrounded a large glass table. With mahogany trim around the windows and doors and oak floors with mahogany inlaid in diamond design, the room reeked of class.
    Patrick sat down beside him. “Dude, how about those cabins? Pretty nice, huh?” He was tall, muscular, and loved women too much. He was always getting into trouble by sleeping with some local guy’s girlfriend in the towns where they competed. Rush liked him despite his bed hopping ways—maybe even because of it. At least initially, until Rush realized his own views had changed. Patrick was a guy’s guy, a straight shooter, and the first to admit his weakness to women.
    “Awesome,” Rush said.
    “You see the babe at the front desk?” Patrick pulled off his knit cap, and his short black hair stood on end.
    “Didn’t notice.” It was bullshit, but thinking of the receptionist brought his mind back to Jayla and the cry of pain he’d heard in the lobby. Now he wondered where the hell she was. She was usually early for meetings. Not that he should care. She was all wrapped up in Marcus. Let him worry about her. Yeah, like that’s gonna happen . He cared. He cared a whole hell of a lot. If that asshole hurt her…He had no idea how she could or would ever let that happen. She wouldn’t . He took momentary comfort in that fact, reminding himself again that Jayla wasn’t his. He had no business stepping into her relationship. She was a twenty-eight-year-old woman with more balls than most guys he knew. She could handle this.
    Patrick whistled. “Damn. She was stacked.”
    Rush caught sight of Jayla outside the door talking to Marcus in a harsh whisper. When Marcus’s hand reached for her, she flinched and took a step backward.
    Well, fuck me . Rush rose to his feet as Marcus stepped closer to Jayla. In the next breath, Jayla turned, her eyes locked on the floor as she came into the room with Coach Cunningham and Chad, the assistant coach, right behind her. Rush sent