Page 157 of When I Was His

He kissed my forehead before giving me a gentle push toward the bathroom.

“It’s very nice out here. Maybe we can go swimming at the pool?” I asked, looking out from our suite’s private terrace.

We had just arrived at Hotel SW Los Angeles. Oliver had booked a large suite with a full bedroom and a private terrace. Below, I could see the large swimming pool, which looked incredibly inviting.

“We’re not here to vacation; we’re here to work,” Oliver reminded me, his tone firm but not unkind.

“We won’t have any leisure time?” I asked, feeling a bit disappointed.

“We might have a little, but I have several meetings scheduled,” he explained.

“Okay. Any chance to learn,” I said, trying to stay positive.

“You’ll learn plenty. I have meetings with a few real estate developers. We might be partnering with them for some projects,” he informed me.

“What kind of projects?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“Upscale residences paired with office buildings. They’ll have plenty of amenities and a large park in the middle,” he said.

“Sounds nice,” I remarked, imagining the plans.

“We’re at the planning stages. On Thursday, I have a meeting in Big Bear about the possible purchase of a ski resort,” Oliver added.

I raised an eyebrow. “Skiing?”

“Have you ever been?” he asked.

I shook my head. “Not my thing. I tried and I sucked,” I admitted.

“I can teach you,” he offered with a smile.

“You never told me you could ski,” I said, surprised.

“I can also snowboard and ice skate,” Oliver revealed casually.

“What else can you do? Do you surf or climb mountains?” I teased.

“I’ve never tried either. I do hike and canoe,” he replied.

“A real outdoorsman,” I remarked, impressed.

“I enjoy outdoor activities,” he said with a shrug.

“Camping?” I asked.

“When I was young. I used to hang out with Wilmer and Dax during vacations. We would hike and camp for several days,” he reminisced.

“Before you owned your empire?” I asked, imagining him in a different life.

“I was building my empire at the time. It was nice to get away for a break,” he said.

“I’m not much for camping. The last time I went, I burned my mouth on a s'more and fell into a pricker bush,” I confessed, laughing at the memory.

“How did you manage that?” Oliver asked, laughing with me.

“Peeing in the dark.”

Oliver raised his eyebrows. “Are you saying a certain part of you got prickers in it?”

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