I hastily snatch my coat off the floor and wrap it over my shoulders as I make my way to the open door, where the scent of chlorine wafts through the air and I observe Kellan’s head drop back against the side of the jacuzzi, his long, cut arms spread wide.
I let out an aggravated sigh. “Spill it, Kellan. I don’t have all night. Just tell me what your terms are.”
He lets out a noisy grunt. “Pfft. You need to relax, Hollis. Get your ass in here and relax with me for once. You know you need it. You’re so stressed and brittle, I think you just might break if you don’t unwind a little. Come on, just get in with me for ten minutes and we can talk.”
God, I hate this. I hate being manipulated by a man to do something. Just like my grandfather is manipulating me to find a husband. It’s that male ego and misogynistic behavior that infuriates me.
On the other hand, Kellan isn’t really like that. He’s a decent man. Nice to everyone. A little cocky, but he has that right based on his worldwide rankings. And he’s absolutely right. I need to unwind, and that water looks heavenly.
I blow out a grating breath and capitulate. “Fine. But only ten minutes.”
I shrug off my dress, throw off my heels and remember I’m not wearing a bra. Shit. Covering my breasts with my palms, I tell him, “Close your eyes. Don’t peek.”
He snorts but complies, I as drop a hand to the edge of the tub and stick my toes in, then dip my legs and slide in the remaining depths until the only thing above the water line is my head.
And he’s so freaking right. This is amazing, and I really do need it.
We’re quiet for a few moments, as we each breathe in the crisp mountain air, the steam rising and swirling around us like a hazy cloud of lust and bad decisions.
Rolling my shoulders to rid myself of the tension that’s been there for weeks that I’ve been avoiding, I dig my fingers into the muscles at my neck.
“Let me massage them for you.”
Kellan scoots over, closing the six feet of distance I’d left between us when I got in, his strong hands clasping around my neck.
I should tell him no. I shouldn’t let him touch me. I shouldn’t be in here with him.
But oh, my God, it feels too good to stop.
As he massages and kneads the tight ropes of tension in my neck, I steer us back to the topic we need to address, now that I’m undressed and relaxed.
“So, spill it. What is it that you need from me before you sign on with my company?”
His thumb digs into a sensitive spot and I yelp from the pressure, his hands stilling on my shoulders. “I’m sorry, are you okay?”
The pain subsides and I nod. “Yes, just sore there.”
He softens the pressure, and the ache turns into a delicious throb. Kind of like what’s going on between my legs. I don’t know what it is about getting a backrub from a man, but they do the trick every single time.
Kellan stills for a moment, in both his hands and his words, and then begins again.
“My P1 Visa expires at the end of this season.”
I turn my head to the side and peer back at him. “Okay, well you can get another one. Every competing athlete on tour or in training for an event can get one.”
“I won’t be competing any longer. This will be my last year. I mentioned that to you up front when you called.”
That’s right. And at the time, it didn’t matter to me about the length of his contract. I only needed to get a number to meet my goal. Sadly, I may have been using Kellan to reach that number.
“Okay. I can still represent you even if you’re not in the states.”
He grunts. “That’s the thing. I don’t want to leave America. I want to remain here to coach.”
I shift to turn, sitting on the edge of the bench to face him now as our knees bump underneath the water. The water licks over my chest and breasts, ripples forming over the surface.
This is news to me. I assumed he’d just move back to Switzerland. Go back to his home. To his family. To start a family. That inkling of an idea sends a stab of pain in my heart for some reason.
Kellan does something for me. I can’t explain it or put a finger on it. All I know is that after the week we spent together in the last Olympics, I walked away with a tiny piece of my heart missing.
