Corporate Fire: Corporate Romance Book 1 Read Online Free PDF Page B

think she could stand on her own. With a sigh of resignation, she took his hand.
    A pulse of pain beat through her when she put weight on the injured leg, making her hop to her other foot and clutch his arm with both her hands. “Fuck.” She put her head on his shoulder without even thinking about it. The pain was like nothing she'd ever felt.
    He wrapped his other arm around her back and said, “Want me to get the ski patrol?”
    Grace didn't want to answer. His arm comforted and humiliated her all at the same time. Maybe if she stood for a few minutes, the pain would subside enough for her to make it down on her own; it was only a little farther. He lifted his arm from her back, and it felt like he was waving.
    She heard a shooshing behind her. Someone stopped a little below and crunched back up.
    “You guys need some help?”
    Grace looked up and blushed: it was the scruffy ski instructor who'd had sex with his date while she gawked, except he was wearing a red coat with a white cross on the front like he was a medic. A smile grew across his face, and her cheeks burned hotter.
    Royce said, “She hurt her ankle or leg, I think.”
    “Oh bummer. I'll go get the snowmobile and take you to the clinic.”
    Grace found her voice and said, “I don't think I need to go to the clinic. I'm sure I just twisted--” she ended with a cry when she tried to step forward. She was probably cutting off the circulation in Royce's arm by now. When she balanced herself again, she loosened her grip.
    “Looks like a snowmobile,” said Royce.
    “No problem,” said the patrol guy. “I'm happy to help. I'm Eric by the way.” He winked at Grace before turning and skiing down to the lodge.
    “Did you see that?” said Royce. “He winked at you. I could be your boyfriend, and he's flirting with you.”
    “Maybe he saw me slap you last night.”
    “I think he was a little too busy to notice that.”
    “Well, he wasn't too busy to notice me.” Grace wanted to snatch the words back immediately.
    “You're a little kinky, aren't you?” He grinned at her and put his arm around her back again.
    “No, you have me all wrong. I shouldn't have said that. I have rules when it comes to dating.” She tried to shove his arm away, but it made her almost fall.
    He tightened his arm and said, “I didn't mean to upset you. I just saw you watching them last night.”
    “It was hard to look away, okay? I couldn't believe I was the only one noticing or that they would just do that.” She swayed again, and he pulled her right up against him. She should be going nuts with the physical contact, but instead she found it soothing.
    “Do you want to sit down while we wait?” he asked.
    She didn't want to sit in the snow, but it was embarrassing leaning on him. Her body was too pleased with his. “I could sit down, and you could go ski. No sense wasting the rest of the afternoon on me.”
    “And leave you alone with Eric? No way. I figure we'll cross the finish line together, and I can bring you room service tonight.”
    Dinner together in her room was too much. She never let men inside her apartment. She couldn't let him think he was making progress. But instead of shutting him down entirely, she said, “Before you leave?”
    He tilted her face up to his. She had to hop on her good foot to adjust, and her knee buckled when she looked into his eyes—sincere and pleading. He held her up and said, “Your CFO was the one who let you go. I'm just the one who said the words. That company may have been good for you in the past, but you've outgrown them. Let me help you move on. I'm really good at it.”
    “If you're really good at helping people move on, why aren't you a headhunter or a life coach?”
    He scrunched his eyebrows together as if he'd never considered that possibility. Before he answered, someone skied up to them and yelled, “You're fucking kidding me, right?”
    Grace was so surprised by Doug's approach that she dropped Royce's arm and