Chapter 25
Sam
Monteluce shimmered with candlelight. The top-class restaurant was busy, the soft clinking of crystal and china, and piano music threaded through the air.
The tables were draped in crisp linen, and the quiet hum of conversation enhanced the serene and calming décor.
Sam stood in the foyer, gripping the side of her ankle-length, deep coral, velvet slip dress.
She stared around and chewed on her bottom lip, then stopped remembering how painstaking it had been to get her lipstick on earlier.
The ma?tre d’ smiled at them, his face calm and professional even though his eyebrow had flickered slightly at Sam’s footwear.
She smothered a smile. Maya had given her two options: ballet flats, or knee-high biker boots, which were a lot more elegant on than they’d looked in her suitcase, and the ones that Sam had chosen.
There was no way she was ruining Maya’s hard-earned Chanel flats in the snow.
“Now, listen to me,” Maya said as she gently slapped Sam’s hand away from the lace-edged strap on her dress. “Girl! No fidgeting! Just relax and have a good time. Do you hear me?”
“Yes, boss.” Sam blew a blonde tendril back from her face.
Maya had pulled out all the stops for this evening—her first real date with Finn since they’d more or less told the world that they were a couple.
“Shoulders down, smile on … What if this all goes wrong, Maya? This place is … it’s overwhelming. ”
“Tshh!” Maya rolled her eyes. “It’s filled with people—people who eat, drink, and fart—just like you do. Everyone here is thinking the same thing. Don’t you for one minute think that you’re here to impress anyone, okay?”
“Because you are already impressing them.” Finn’s deep voice made Sam spin around, the skirt of her slip dress billowing slightly, the high slit revealing a little of her thigh. “Wow!” His eyes widened as he gaped at her before closing his mouth. “You look incredible.”
Sam felt her cheeks heat up under his gaze. “I wasn’t sure …”
“I am,” Finn said leaning in to kiss her. “You are astonishing—and the only person I know who can pull off those boots with that dress.”
“It’s snowing out!” Sam playfully slapped his chest. “You don’t look bad yourself.”
Finn grinned and grasped his lapels. His navy-blue blazer caught the light, the rich fabric dark against the crisp white dress shirt beneath it. Sam ran her eyes down his frame as he winked at her. “I do, don’t I?”
“Humble as always,” Maya chimed in. “But you do scrub up well, Bradley.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Finn said, a slight chuckle giving away his nerves. “I knew you were styling Sam—so I had to step up my game. Didn’t want to be upstaged. Thank you, by the way—the suit fits like it was made for me.”
Maya beamed. “My pleasure, now go on, you two, get in there and enjoy your evening and try to forget I’m here. I’ll take just a few shots and be gone.”
“That’s a lie.” Sam rolled her eyes affectionately. “You’ll be at the bar, phone at the ready like a proud stage mom!”
“I have no shame.” Maya was already stepping back, angling her phone. “Now, walk slow—give me that ‘yes, you guessed it—we’re a couple’ vibe.”
Finn offered Sam his arm. “Shall we?”
Sam took his arm, smiling shyly as people looked up and recognized her and Finn as they walked to their window table.
Outside the lights of Livigno twinkled as the snow continued to fall gently.
Inside, candlelight flickered, and the scent of warm bread and roses filled the air.
Sam settled onto the comfortable leather seat.
She tucked one boot-clad leg behind the other, her eyes on Finn as he pulled at his cuffs before sitting down.
“I guess we’re not used to this,” she said softly as someone poured wine for them. “Maya said that she’d sorted our menu, so we don’t even have to think about it. I’ve a feeling she’s ordered anything that might be an aphrodisiac.”
“Not that I need it,” Finn said, his voice husky. “God, Sam, you look good enough to eat.”
“Finn!” Sam gasped. Her cheeks roared with heat, but she smiled. She’d never stop wanting Finn Bradley saying things like that to her.
An antipasto board appeared, followed by a course of ravioli, then steak.
Sam sipped her wine. She barely noticed Maya taking photos, nor the waiter as he’d smoothly placed course after course in front of her.
They hadn’t stopped smiling and talking since they’d sat down.
This was what she’d been missing in every other relationship she’d had.
She leaned forward and laced her fingers through Finn’s, loving how he gently squeezed her hand as she did.
He’d opened his top buttons, and his strong, tanned neck was making her wish they were back in his hotel suite.
The arrival of dessert—three golden bomboloni, piled high and dusted with sugar, with a little pot of warm Nutella on the side—made Sam moan out loud.
“It’s like an Italian Samwich,” Finn said, licking chocolate from his fingers in a way that made Sam smile. “You know who’d destroy this plate in five seconds flat?”
“Leo.” Sam nodded. “And he’d convince us that hazelnuts are a protein post-training fuel.”
Finn burst out laughing. “He’s not wrong, though, is he?”
Sam laughed. “No, he’s not.” She leaned forward. “He texted me on my way over—he’s thinking of going back out there—skiing again.”
Finn stopped laughing, he sat back in his seat, a genuine smile lighting up his face. “Seriously?”
“Yeah,” Sam said, her eyes stinging with tears.
“Then that’s worth celebrating.” Finn raised his glass. “To second chances. To comebacks. And to Leo finding his way back to what he loves.”
Maya’s deep sigh from nearby reminded Sam that she was here, taking shot after shot of her and Finn. She pulled a chair up to their table and tapped her phone.
“Okay, you two lovebirds, I’m out of here.
You two are sickeningly photogenic and I can’t stomach it anymore.
” She grinned and pinched the last piece of bomboloni from Finn’s plate.
“God, this is delicious.” She murmured through sugar-dusted lips.
“Anyway, like I said, I’m gone. If you need me Sam, I’ll be in my hotel room—seeing as you’ve practically moved out—editing and posting these damn beautiful and somehow hot photos of you guys.
“Thanks, Maya,” Sam said. “But what about dinner? You’ve had nothing.”
“No worries, girl.” Maya stood up. She fluttered her eyelashes as a tall, dark, and impossibly handsome man arrived with a small bag.
She laid a hand on the waiter’s arm, “Gio has been taking the best care of me all night, he’s spoiling me—but I’ll make sure to leave him a great review.
” She winked, picked up her bag, and sashayed from the restaurant leaving heads turning as she went.
A rumble of male laughter caught Sam’s attention.
Across the room, at a table opposite theirs, Sam glanced her father.
He was seated with a number of other coaches and looked like he was out of place, for once.
His usual commanding presence seemed awkward, and he wasn’t laughing along with the others at his table as loudly as he used to.
Gritting her jaw, she turned back to Finn, her fingers tightening around her wine glass.
Finn noticed her mood shift. He took a swift look over his shoulder and turned back to Sam, his brow furrowed.
“You okay?”
Sam took a long breath. “Yeah, don’t worry. It’s fine.” She smiled suddenly, remembering the Ohana sticker on her board. “Hey, I meant to thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Finn smiled. “For what?”
“My Ohana sticker.” Sam sipped her wine, her eyes warming as she remembered the small, yet meaningful detail.
Finn’s brow furrowed deeper. “Sam?”
“You fixed it—it was about to come off,” Sam said, a playful smile on her lips. “And I was so worried I’d lose it, because then I would actually lose it. How did you find the time to glue it on? And so smoothly.”
“It wasn’t me.” Finn reached for her hand, his expression softening.
Sam stared at him. “What?”
“I didn’t do it.” Finn nodded toward Jake. “Your dad did.”
Sam blinked. Her heart did a strange flip. Her gaze flew between Finn and her dad across the room. Her dad had glued her sticker? He’d known how much it meant to her? He’d never said anything nice about that sticker—he’d only ever sneered at it, saying it didn’t belong on a snowboard—and now …
“My dad?” she murmured. The sudden warmth she felt made her pulse race. “I don’t know what to say.”
She pushed her chair back. Finn jumping to his feet as she did.
“You want to go?”
She nodded. Her words caught in her throat. All these years she’d thought he didn’t see her.
“Okay, come on.” Finn’s touch on the small of her back propelled her to move. She hurried toward the exit, her ears ringing. Then she stopped. Turning around before she could change her mind, she drew herself up tall and moved elegantly between the tables to where her dad was still sitting.
“Dad,” Sam said quietly. “I’m heading out, but I wanted to stop over and say goodnight.”
Jake swiveled in his chair, surprise sweeping across his face. “Sam!”
Before he could stand up, Sam leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “See ya tomorrow.”
Jake caught her hand as she straightened.
“Tomorrow … yes. See you then.” His voice was gritty.
Sam turned away and swept through the restaurant, tears smarting at the backs of her eyes.
Finn took her hand. His steady, firm grip grounded her, and she breathed out.
It had been a small thing, but significant.
And she knew she’d done the right thing.
Maybe they could try to go forward now, make some sense of their relationship.
Finn held her coat open for her, and Sam felt a quiet sense of closure settle in the air between her and her father.
The evening had been amazing, in so many ways.
“Ready?” Finn said, pulling on his coat.
Sam nodded. “As I’ll ever be.”
“Famous last words,” Finn said holding open the door for her. “Just wait until I get you out of that dress …”
Sam snorted. “What!”
“You’re lucky I’m a gentleman …” Finn said smoothly, trying to keep a straight face as Sam giggled, “… most of the time.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Sam said as she stepped out into the cold night, the snow falling softly around them.
“I see what you did there, Harrington.” Finn shook his head. “Some promises are made to be broken—or revised.”
Sam shivered with anticipation as he pulled her close.
Their noses touched; his breath warmed her skin as he raised her face to his.
His lips were soft, and he tasted like sugar.
She melted against him as he gently ran his hand up her back and into her hair, holding her firmly against him with his other arm.
Drawing away she looked up at him, breathless. “What are you promising now?”
He chuckled as she swayed against him. “Oh, this is not a promise, it’s a fair warning.”