Our breathing was ragged as I backed up to the bed, collapsing until she lay against my chest.
“We. Really. Have. To. Go,” she said, every word between a breath.
“I had more fun when you were coming,” I teased.
She smacked my chest. “Get up and let me show you how much I love you.”
That was an offer I couldn’t refuse, and within twenty minutes we’d dressed and headed out the door. I paid the pizza guy on our way out, and she fed me bites of a slice as we headed toward the airport, my hangries long forgotten.
“There’s not another flight out today,” I told her.
“Trust me,” she said sweetly, using my words against me. As we got closer, she changed her orders. “Turn here.”
“This is the private airport,” I said.
“Yep,” she answered.
I followed her directions until we pulled onto the landing strip. “Is that…?”
“My dad,” she answered.
Fuck. My. Life.
I parked the car where she directed and pulled both of our bags from the trunk. “Mr. Dawson,” I said as we approached him.
He’d ditched the stiff suit in favor of jeans and a Patagonia vest.
“Mr. Rhodes. My daughter tells me I’ve misjudged you.”
I wrapped my arm around Rachel, who tucked into my side like she’d always been there. “In some ways, sir. In others, I was exactly what you thought.”
He nodded. “That’s fair. She tells me that you need to get to Aspen, and I happen to be headed to the X Games for the company. Want a lift?”
I stood dumbstruck for a second until Rachel poked me in the ribs. “What do you say? Want to take your curse for a little spin in Aspen?” she asked, wiggling her eyebrows.
I shook my head and kissed her, uncaring that her dad watched us. I was never going to hide my love for this woman again. Ever.
“No. But I sure as hell want to take my lucky charm.”
She grinned, and I lost my heart all over again when her nose crinkled. “Then I guess we’d better get going. You’ve got medals to win.”
I agreed with her, but only so she’d get her butt on the plane.
I’d always felt like there were two sides of me when it came to this sport, and I still couldn’t figure out how I’d found a woman who could love both.
As Nova, I’d win those medals, hit the ridgelines, smile for the cameras, and win the glory. I was unstoppable with her next to me.
But as Landon, I knew the truth: medals were nice, but I’d already won something so much more precious than gold—Rachel’s love.