Chapter 1 #2
“I’m good, thanks for asking, now come on … we’re late—the whole team are in there waiting!” Sam said just as a cute brunette with warm brown eyes stuck her head out the restaurant door.
“There you are!” Maya trilled as she took in the pair before her. She paused and stared at them. “That would make the perfect Insta post … Where’s my phone? Hold that pose!”
Sam and Finn didn’t move. When Maya said hold that pose you held that pose until she said otherwise.
Maya took her job as the team’s social media content creator very seriously, and it was clear to everyone that she was extraordinarily talented at her job.
Sam held her breath and hoped her pulse wasn’t visible because being this close to Finn was sending her into cardiac arrest. God, he smelled so goddamn good!
Like snow-dampened cedarwood, warm skin and something spicy, something that was making her heartbeat skip its rhythm.
Clean, masculine and so maddeningly tempting.
She leaned toward him, inhaling hungrily.
“Great! Got it!” Grinning, Maya busily tapped her phone screen. Sam jumped slightly, but Finn didn’t move. He held his pose as Sam tweaked his nose.
“You can move now.” She raised her eyes to his, a laugh catching in her throat.
“I know.” He smiled down at her. His deep blue eyes locked on hers. “But you look so …”
Sam swallowed. “I look so … what?”
He tweaked her nose back and glanced away but still didn’t move. “Like you have some kind of secret you’re keeping from me.”
“Well, maybe I have.” Sam shifted away from him, her mouth dry. “But that’s for me to know and you to find out!”
“Finn!” Maya looked up from her phone and laughed. “You can relax! Now hurry up! Food’s ordered!”
Inside was loud, cozy and crowded. The relaxed décor of the chalet-style bistro along with a fantastic menu made sure that the place was a hit with competitors and spectators of the Games.
It was right next to one of the three official hotels the Olympic Committee had set aside for the athletes and had instantly become the place to go for food and fun.
Sam’s tummy rumbled and she was glad that Maya had had the foresight to book their large group some tables.
Squeezing through the crowd she spotted her brother, Leo, with his arm thrown around her fellow competitor, Becky.
Becky waved at them immediately, a warm smile on her pretty, sun-kissed face.
Leo was, as usual, holding court at the warm pine table.
He looked up and rolled his eyes as Sam and Finn sat down.
“Finally!” he leaned forward and bellowed down the table in Sam’s direction, interrupting Becky as she had started to say hey. “We thought we’d have to send out a search party for you two.”
“No need, we’re here now.” Sam smiled tightly at her brother.
Just because he was six years older than her didn’t mean he knew everything, although he certainly behaved as if he did.
Leo turned back to Becky and the two people opposite him and carried on with his conversation as if he hadn’t been rude to Becky only moments before.
Sam blew out a long slow breath and slowly released her jaw.
Ever since their father had left them in the lurch five years ago, right after the car accident that had paralyzed their mother and ruined Leo’s skiing career, Leo had become a right pain in the ass, dominating the family as if he actually did anything of use at all.
Lately he’d been spending all his time with Becky.
It was great. It meant that Sam and her mother had the house to themselves and didn’t have to listen to his snarky comments about girls’ movies, laundry or who’d take the bin out if it wasn’t for him.
Sam looked away from Leo, trying to keep the anger from bubbling up inside her.
Who the hell did he think took out the garbage when he wasn’t around?
She did—their mother couldn’t. Emptying the garbage was difficult for her in her wheelchair.
She couldn’t lift her arms high enough to get the bag out.
God knew what the hell Becky saw in him.
Finn caught her hand and squeezed it.
“Don’t let him get to you,” he whispered. “You know he’s only trying to rile you.”
“I don’t know why he bothers,” Sam whispered back. “God, I hate him sometimes, I really do. He’s … he’s …”
“He’s your brother,” Finn said. “He’s supposed to be a prick.”
“No,” Sam said. “He’s supposed to protect me, take care of me and love me. Like Maya’s brother does.”
“No one is as nice as Shawn. He’s one of the best.” Finn shrugged. “But I can be your protector …” His voice drifted as a large pizza was set on the table in front of him.
“Hold that thought,” he said. Sam looked at Maya who smiled back at her.
When it came to food Finn was a lost cause.
He had the ravenous appetite of a teenage boy and never seemed to stop eating.
He took a large mouthful of a steaming-hot slice.
A master of the art, he didn’t leave a long string of cheese behind on his chin as Sam always seemed to.
“Oh God,” Finn groaned. “This is good, this is the best—I’ve never had pizza like this before.”
“That’s because you’re in Italy,” Sam said. She swiped at her chin with her napkin.
“Fair point,” Finn said. His eyes followed a dark-haired Italian woman as she weaved her way past their table. “Is there anything the Italians can’t do?”
Sam nudged him with her elbow. “Italians do it better, they say.”
Finn’s eyes were still on the woman. She waved at him and mouthed the word ciao. “Is that a fact?”
“Well, Madonna said it in the Eighties,” Sam said.
“And she wasn’t wrong!” The Italian woman’s dinner partner looked up to see what was going on and locked eyes with Sam.
Sam felt her cheeks redden under his scrutiny.
His full lips twitched. His eyes raked her over once more.
A bubble of anticipation filled Sam’s stomach.
Was he going to wave at her too? Dropping her napkin onto the table, Sam brushed a strand of blonde hair back from her face.
She glanced down and then back up, just as she’d seen the Italian woman do.
As she raised her eyes the bubble in her stomach popped.
The Italian god was no longer looking at her.
He’d actually turned his back to her and was engaged in an animated conversation with Finn’s object of desire.
“Looks like we’ve been weighed,” Finn said paraphrasing one of their favorite watch-together films: A Knight’s Tale.
“Measured …” Maya chimed in.
“And definitely found wanting.” Sam picked up another slice of pizza. “It’s not as if I’m after a relationship—I’d settle for a one night and one night only kinda thing.”
“I’d settle for a half-hour kinda thing,” Finn said. He sighed.
“Oh my God, Finn—are you that desperate?” Sam laughed.
“Ahem, Miss I’m Not Here For Fun I’m Here To Win—did I not just hear you say you’d take a one-night stand?”
“Yeah, but I was only joking!” Sam blushed.
“Has it been that long?” Finn nudged her with a laugh. “Oh my God, has it really been … since …”
“Shhhhh.” Sam glared at him. “You don’t need to announce it to the whole table.”
“Oh, okay,” Finn said. “I was actually trying to announce it to the whole room. Have you considered maybe going on Love Is Blind? Maybe going for someone not based on their looks might be the way to go!”
“Finn!” Sam thumped his shoulder. The idea of appearing on the show that they watched together no matter where they were in the world made her grimace.
Sure, it was fun to watch other couples find love—they never missed their watch parties and loved psychoanalyzing and dissecting the on-screen relationships as they unfolded—but a blind date didn’t appeal to her.
Neither did his comment about choosing someone for their attractiveness first and foremost.
“Sorry!” He rubbed his arm. “Ouch! When did you get so tough?”
Sam leaned her chin on her hand. It was seven months, four days and three hours since she’d last had sex with her ex.
And it had been bloody good. The downside was that it had been breakup sex.
She’d known as soon as it was over that it had been Ethan’s way of getting her out of his system.
She just wished it had been hers. The initial breakup had been easy, really, but the breakup after the breakup sex had been awful.
“I kept thinking he’d change his mind,” Sam said quietly to Finn.
“You’re better off without him.” Finn threw his arm around Sam’s shoulders. “You do know that, don’t you? Look how far you’ve come since he’s been gone.”
“True.” Sam leaned into her friend’s strong shoulder.
“You’re on fire, Sam.” Finn squeezed her gently. “Don’t let him get into your head now—not when a medal is on the line. Remember—this is what we’ve been working for.”
“I won’t, I promise.” Sam looked down at her now cold pizza.
“Maybe we should extend our pact,” Finn said, reminding her of their teenage promise. “We don’t fall for anyone while we’re competing.”
“Huh!” Sam snorted. “Some hope of you managing that!”
“I can do it,” Finn said huffily. “I’m not the slut you think I am!”
Maya looked up from her phone. “Oh yes you are.”
“Maya!” Finn shook his head. “I’m surprised at you!”
“Well, you’re no saint,” Maya said. “You haven’t been in a relationship that’s lasted for more than a month. You lose interest when you’ve got them in the sack.”
“Me? Why I am practically a virgin.” Finn pouted as the table suddenly went quiet. His arm slipped from Sam’s shoulders as the entire table turned to look at him. Peeking down the table, Sam saw a smirk on her brother’s face.
“Guess you’d better stick to the slopes then—it’s the only place you seem to be getting some action.” Leo’s brash voice carried down the table. Finn reddened. Leo flashed a smile, and the conversation level rose. After a moment Finn took a gulp of his beer.
“Never mind him,” Sam said as Finn took another slug of his drink. “You know how he is.”
“I do,” Finn said. “I know he’s your brother, Sam, but sometimes I just wish I could punch his lights out.”
“Well, don’t let me stop you,” Sam said. “Give him a punch for me while you’re at it.”
“Roger that,” Finn said. “I’ll keep that in mind when the chance arises.”
A shriek from the end of the table made them both jump.
“Oh my God! Yes! YES! YESSSSSSS!”
Sam flinched, almost knocking over her beer, as the shrieks got louder.
“Who’s having an orgasm?” Finn asked, turning around. “Lucky bastard.”
Sam groaned as she stared down the table. Typical of her brother. He’d only gone and stolen the evening from the entire team by proposing. There he was, on his knees and grinning like a lunatic as Becky jumped and screamed, a small box clutched tightly in her hand.
“Oh God,” Sam grumbled. “Oh, come on. Is this really happening?”
Finn’s shoulders shook with laughter. “Well, I can’t punch him tonight now.”
“I can’t believe this,” Sam mumbled. “What an idiot.”
“Which one?” Finn laughed.
“Both!” Sam expostulated. “What on earth are they doing? It’s too close to the competition to be distracting Becky like this. She’s only got this chance—this next week and a half. He should have waited until after.”
“Yes, he should,” Finn said as a waiter twisted the cork from a bottle of Prosecco. “Love always gets in the way. He knows that.”
“Honestly, you’d swear he was doing it to sabotage her.
” Sam watched Becky slip a huge diamond ring onto her finger.
The soft lighting made the ring sparkle.
Poor Becky. She’d have to put up with Leo now—forever.
But she looked happy, so happy. Maybe … Sam shook her head.
No, having a relationship while competing at the highest level wasn’t a good idea.
She and Finn had always said so. Urgh, now she’d have to go down and congratulate the happy couple or else Leo would be angry with her.