Take Me Down (The Knight Brothers 2)

Except he wanted to share parts of himself he’d never given to another woman, which only served to reinforce how deep he was getting with Emily in such a short time.

He drew a deep breath, prepared to discuss the most painful part of his past only to glance over and find her fast asleep. He grinned at the sudden soft snores coming from her side of the car and turned his attention to the road instead.

Three hours later, they arrived at the resort and Parker had to admit it was everything he’d hoped for. The resort looked like a Swiss ski chalet with snowy mountains behind it. Of course, he could also see the runs and the chairlifts behind the lodge near the majestic white-capped mountains, which caused his stomach to cramp. He hadn’t been back on skis since the car accident and losing everything, and despite being at a resort, he had no intention of doing so now.

He parked the car and shut the engine before leaning over and stroking a hand down Emily’s cheek. “Rise and shine, beautiful. The mountains await.”

Long lashes fluttered over her pale skin before she came awake and those beautiful brown eyes focused on him. “Oh my God! I can’t believe I slept for all those hours.” She jerked to a sitting position, staring out the window before looking back at him.

“I can. We didn’t get much sleep last night,” he reminded her, gratified to see the blush on her cheeks when she remembered just how they’d spent that time.

“So what do you think at first glance?” She gestured to the building in front of them.

He let her change the subject, finding her embarrassment cute. “It’s perfect. I love the rustic look. So warm and friendly feeling.”

“I’m so glad. I hoped you’d feel that way. I have a friend I grew up with who is the assistant manager here, which is how I was able to get a room so quickly. They always hold a few over for VIP guests. He did me a favor and is letting us have one. He’s going to meet us tomorrow morning to show you around the resort for your retreat.”

He nodded. “Perfect.”

“Great! Then let’s go check in.”

They ended up in a room that sold Parker on booking this place for Knight Time Technologies even before he viewed the other amenities. There was a European king-sized bed, the wood furniture was hand painted with beautiful touches and coloring, they had a private balcony and a wood-burning fireplace. Plus, he knew from the brochure he’d picked up downstairs that there were other areas to stay in, chalets and expansion residences that didn’t lose the warmth or charm he’d seen so far.

“If I could have conjured the perfect place in my mind, this would have been it,” he said after he’d tipped the bellman and he and Emily were alone in the room.

Her smile was contagious. “I’m so glad. I had a feeling this would be perfect.”

He pulled her toward him, wrapping her in his arms. “You’re perfect.”

“I’m not.”

“You are. At least in my book.” He leaned down and kissed her, not nearly long enough before she started to speak.

“So what do you want to do while we’re here? How about skiing? You can show off for me. I’m barely past the beginning stage but I used to be able to hold my own.”

She continued to expound on her abilities or lack thereof compared to his, unaware she’d hit a very real nerve. One he’d never truly dealt with. He hadn’t had to. Not when he’d had to focus on rehabbing from a serious car accident, grieving Rina, and throwing himself into work for the family company as an escape.

Pulling away, he walked to the window by the balcony he’d been admiring before. He opened the door and stepped outside, not minding the cold, and looked toward the chairlifts and the mountains.

“Parker? What’s wrong?” Emily came up behind him. This time she wrapped her arms around him. “Did I say something that upset you?”

He blew out a sharp breath. “No. Yes. It’s just… I haven’t been back on skis since the car accident.”

“I’m not sure I follow why.”

He felt her warmth against his back and took comfort from her presence. How did he even begin to explain? “I told you about my father not being a good parent. Well, skiing was all I had.”

“You had your siblings, and Rina.”

She knew him well already.

“I did. But I needed the escape from my home life and skiing was it. The fact that I was good at it was a bonus. Soon it took over and consumed me … in the best possible way. I loved it. The rush down the mountain. The wins, the medals, the endorsements. Hell, even the attention. I ate all of it up.”