“Really?” I bite my lip to stop myself from smiling. “No one else?”
“There was one guy who I thought maybe I had a connection with… I haven’t seen him since, though. What about you?” Blake wets his lips nervously.
“Same as you, really.” I trace his collarbone with my fingertip. “Well, not the going back for seconds part. I’ve had a few repeat encounters. But as far as feeling a connection with someone there was one man who made a lasting impression, and I always hoped I’d see him again one day, but I haven’t. I was starting to think I’d never feel drawn to someone like that again, until I met you.”
His cheeks flush the most beautiful shade of pink all over again.
“I’m really glad you’re here,” Blake says as my fingers trail over his skin. “But, I understand if this isn’t what you want. Being with me when I’m not out.”
“Like I said, I’m willing to see where this goes.” I plant a soft kiss on his lips, hoping to reassure him that I’m still in this, even if it has to stay secret for now. “So, we’re going with roommates?”
Blake cracks a relieved smile. “Yeah. When do you move in?”
“Next week? I don’t have much but it’s all in my trailer, which is still parked near our last event in New Mexico. I’ll have to drive there and… Shit.” I flop back on the pillow, overwhelmed with the logistics ofsettling down.
“What?” Blake reaches for my hand.
“I have no idea what to do with my trailer. I’m usually always in it so I don’t have a place to store it. Even if I did, it’s where I keep all my camera equipment, so I don’t want to just leave it anywhere.” There’s also the issue of whether I’ll even need it going forward if Axel retires and we stop traveling the country for events. Not that his retirement automatically triggers mine, but if this new idea he has pans out and I stay here…
“Couldn’t you park it at Axel’s place? He’s got a lot of land, right?” Blake’s question saves me from spiraling too deep in my head.
“That’s a thought. It’d be close enough I could have access to any camera stuff I need but still be out of the way since the property is so big. I could get it and be back within a week.”
Blake gives my hand a squeeze. “I’d offer to help but my new boss is due in at the end of the week, and I assume we’ll jump right into work. I need to be here for that.”
“You definitely shouldn’t miss your new boss. And I’ll probably get back faster if you aren’t slowing me down.”
“How would I slow you down?” Blake’s mouth parts in astonishment, and even though it’s not meant to be sexy it makes my mind wander to where else I’d like to see his mouth.
“By looking so fucking hot I can’t concentrate.” I rub my thumb over his plump lip.
“When you put it that way.” He sucks my thumb between his lips, waking my spent cock, and uses the rest of the night to give me a proper sendoff.
Chapter ten
Kane
Spinning around to get my bearings, I can’t help but notice the three-hundred-sixty-degree view of the mountains in my new hometown. Back in Utah, which has its own fair share of beautiful peaks, the only mountains were to the east. Here, they’re everywhere you look. It’s familiar yet not, which sort of makes me giddy.
When I got the call about a job building a bike resort, I wavered about whether to accept. Not that I was intimidated by the job or the move, I just wasn’t sure anywhere else could compare to Utah. And that was a problem, seeing as how my life there was running on autopilot. Certain aspects of it, anyway.
While I loved my job, my boss, and the mountain itself, I had no life outside that tiny little bubble. That’s partly because I allowed myself to retreat into workaholic mode after my breakup, and partly because I’d always been so passionate about what I did that I didn’t do a great job of making friends, and that was before I used my breakup as an excuse to work more. Staying there wouldn’t have been miserable, but it would’ve been a crutch. So, I decided to challenge myself with a new beginning, and if this view is any indication, my fresh start is going to be epic!
It's not hard to see why Katah Vista works as a ski resort. The rolling hills that spill into the base area are framed by towering peaks, which undoubtedly offer a great selection of green, blue and black runs in the winter. In the late summer, wildflowers dot the landscape with pops of red, yellow, and purple rising up the slope of the hill to break up the lush green grass. I make a note to preserve as much of that natural growth as possible when defining the routes for the bike trails.
Aside from the odd hiker winding their way up the mountain, there’s not much activity here. That’s a stark contrast from what I’m used to. In Utah, the chairs start spinning at nine, and bikers are lined up for close to thirty yards as they wait their turn to load their bikes and ride to the top. There’s a sort of restless tension that ripples through the line as everyone watches the clock, absently bouncing on the balls of their feet or rolling their bike back and forth with nervous excitement. When the mountain opens, the first riders come down the hill with high-fives and fist pumps and whoops of joy as people roll to the back of the line to do it again.
It's strange to see a place capable of that same atmosphere being so quiet, and while I’m committed to building the best park I can, if the goal is to increase summertime revenues, I’ll be able to do that without even trying.
I’m halfway to the administrative offices, daydreaming about what this place could look like next summer, when I spot a guy in a suit making his way toward me. I know without a doubt this is Carter, my new boss, because who besides the owner would wear a suit in a place like this?Good thing I’m not a suit guy or I’d find him seriously distracting. Dark hair, square jaw, broad shoulders—who knew a man could make them look this good?
“Kane.” He extends his hand with a warm smile. “I’m so glad you could make it on such short notice. Did you get settled in okay?”
I nod as his hand closes around mine. “Yes, thank you. And thanks for giving me a room at the resort until I find a place of my own.”
“It’s no trouble. We’re just excited to have you here. Jackson said you were instrumental in building the bike park in Utah, and I know it’s one of the best in the country. We’d love to put something of that caliber here.”
Shielding my eyes, I look up at the mountain. “You’ve certainly got the terrain for it. Have you given any thought to the plans I sent over?” Before accepting the position, I had Carter send over some aerial maps of the terrain, and I roughed out a few options for consideration.
