“Right. Fucking. Now,” he says, pushing me toward the living room. “I’m tired of waiting.” His hands dive under my T-shirt. They’re freezing from his walk over here, but they feel good on my heated flesh. “Tired of having to keep my hands to myself when we’re around the others.” He runs them up my chest, pinching my nipples between his fingers, as he continues driving me toward the couch. “Tired of pretending you’re just my coach, the same as Fuller and Montoya.” He spins me around and pushes me so hard I land on the leather couch on my knees, my hands gripping the back.
Vox is reaching around me, unbuttoning my pants when there’s a knock at the door.
“You havegotto be shitting me,” I grumble, letting my head fall forward. “Maybe they’ll go away.”
No luck. A few seconds later, a louder, harder knock comes.
Righting my pants, I point down the hallway. “Bedroom’s the only door on the right. Wait for me in there,” I tell Vox.
“Make it quick,” he grumbles, adjusting his stiff erection as he goes.
I swipe my bourbon from the counter on my way to the door just to give my nervous hands something to do. There’s no peephole and no fancy glass panels on the sides, so the only way to find out who’s on the other side is to open the damn thing.
My heart drops out of my ass.
“Grey!” I shriek. Quickly trying to recover, I add, “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Sorry for the late hour and unannounced visit, Connor. I saw the lights on. Do you have time for a quick chat?”
Not even a littleis what I want to say, but in reality, I’m totally disheveled, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, holding a glass of liquor. I’ve succeeded in making it clear that I don’t have plans to go out tonight.
“Uh, yeah, sure. Come on in. Can I get you something to drink?” I offer, wondering if he can smell Vox like I can.
“No, no, I won’t stay long. Just wanted your thoughts on where our star stands.”
I mull it over to give him an honest answer, knowing the boarder in question can hear every word I say. “As long as he keeps his focus, he’ll be unbeatable.”
“Could he beat you?” Grey asks.
I think about the day we raced before the team made it back from break and smirk, knowing Vox is still listening. “I let him have it.” I swear I hear Vox snort before I add, “but it wasclose. No one’s beaten my downhill racing time since I set the record, so if he can ridemethat hard, he doesn’t have anything to worry about.”
Grey nods. “Glad to hear it. His focus is what I’m concerned about. Word is his old man is sniffing around, trying to gain access.”
“His dad?” I ask, totally caught off guard. “He hasn’t spoken to either of his parents inyears. Why would his dad choose to show up now?” I ask angrily. Grey arches a brow at me, likewhy do you know that? Or maybe it’s awhy are you suddenly so upset?
“I don’t know,” he answers evenly. “Best guess is the prize purse for this event is the highest Vox will have ever won. I’ve asked that security be on the lookout for him,andI’ve placed Vox’s condo under surveillance until we’re certain his dad’s gone.”
“Have you talked to Vox about this? And keeping tabs on his condo and where he’s going all the time is a huge invasion of privacy, Grey. He’s an athlete, and an adult, not a prisoner.”
Not to mention, with security milling around, Vox and I will have even less time to ourselves, and I’m not so sure I can survive that.
“He’s the prize of this team. I’ve invested a lot in him over the years. The kid’s the whole package. He’s a phenomenal boarder, and he’s got one helluva face on him, too. He’s a marketing wet dream.”No shit,I think to myself, growing madder with every word that leaves Grey’s mouth. “But I don’t want him distracted before the Games. I promise to tell him everything once the Winter Classic is over. Right now, it’s a safety issue, right?”
Eyeing him skeptically, I reply with more bite than I probably should. “Youwilltell him once the event is over. If you don’t, I’ll do it for you.”
“Watch it, Lang. You’re here as a consolation prize for Vox. He can’t afford to split his focus, and his attention needs to be on his events and reaching that podium.”
A thought occurs to me, and it spills from my lips. “Have you been putting this much pressure on your other riders?” I ask.
Grey gives me a condescending look. “You and I both know this competition belongs to Vox. He’s the only one we have who can win.”
“Then why force him onto a team that can’t help him carry the burden?”
“Look, this is projected to be the most-watched winter sporting event of the year. Scouts from the Olympic committee will be present, and this is a chance to give five other incredible athletes a shot at greatness,” he says, not answering my question.
“Yeah!” I yell. “They get their chance by riding Vox’s coattails, but counting on him to win for all of them isn’t fair. You want to use him to propel the team forward, but he never wanted to beona team in the first place. Not to mention, you have him locked into a contract that says he can’t accept sponsorships from anyone else. You’ve trapped him, making him totally dependent on you.”
Grey jerks his head back and crosses his arms over his chest. The guy is massive.
