Maya looked up from her phone. She caught Finn’s eye and for a moment he thought that she could read his mind. The twinkle in her eye, the smirk she couldn’t suppress, it was all too much. He crossed his arms and waited for Maya’s appraisal. She was scrolling through the photos.
“See?” Maya looked up with a grin. “I knew it’d work—there’s not one bad photo. Not one. This needs to be a carousel. You look strong and fit, the two of you, which obviously you are being fitness freaks, but also …” she paused and clapped “… you both look hot in these—like sizzling, like an erupting volcano, no—more! Like hotter than whatever hot sauce Jennifer Lawrence ate when she kept sayingwhat do you mean?This is going to blow up big time!”
Sam danced on the spot. “Let’s hope it spurs Salvaro into action!”
“Just you wait,” Maya teased. “You guys will be even more famous before the day is out. Another pose before you go—I want to give your fans choices! Finn—pick up that skipping rope thingy and do what you were doing when I came in earlier. Not gonna lie—you looked hot as hell and if I thought it, well, you can be sure everyone else will too.”
“Yes, sir!” Finn picked up the ropes, his head shaking.Skipping rope? How long has it been since Maya was in a gym?He gripped the battle ropes, muscles tight in hisforearms, veins prominent as he began to slam the ropes in rhythmic waves against the padded floor. His T-shirt clung to him, darkening in patches between his shoulder blades as he worked the ropes. He grunted and felt a flash of heat cross his cheeks at the sound. His arms burned but it felt good to be doing something physical. He kept the rhythm steady, his eyes locked on Sam who seemed to be doing her best not to notice his occasional grunt or groan. It all sounded a little too … primal … raw. Sexual.
He felt the muscles burn in his chest, almost as hot as Sam who was nearby on the balance ball, pretending to stretch. Her eyes kept flickering to his, then to his arms, his thighs. It was hard to concentrate on the ropes with her eyes on him like that. Her lips parted and he caught the quick dart of her tongue on her lower lip.Damn.Was she checking him out?Spurred on, he threw the last of his energy into the moment as Maya danced around them.
“That’s it! YES! Sam! That face—hold it! Oh, hell yes—you’re looking at your man like he’s the last protein shake in the universe—nowthisis what I got up early for!”
Sam blinked as Finn gritted his teeth behind a smile. Laughter building up inside him as Sam tried to straighten her face.
“I was not!” Sam cried out, picking up her towel from the floor.
“Yes. You. Were.” Maya was relentless. “The camera saw everything. You looked like you wanted to climb him like a rock wall.”
“Maya!” Sam buried her face into the towel.
“No point in hiding now,” Maya said. She whipped thetowel from Sam. “It’s okay to think your boyfriend’s arms should have their own Insta account.”
“I do not!” Sam burst out laughing, as Finn guffawed and dropped the ropes. He lost it. Laughter burst from him so hard he couldn’t breathe.
“These arms?” he said between chuckles. He flexed dramatically and walked slowly toward Sam. She was grinning so wide now his heart was about to burst with joy. There was nothing better than having her look at him the way she was looking at him—as if she was his—as if this was real. “Their own Insta account?”
Sam’s eyes widened, dancing, as he moved quicker. “Finn! Don’t you da—”
He chuckled again, loving the way her eyes sparkled at him, as if she was full of fire—and daring him to do it. With a playful growl, he swooped in, employing his old ballet school technique to lift her from the floor as if she weighed nothing. God, she felt good in his arms. Soft, warm, and precious. This was everything he’d ever wanted. He spun her around once, his eyes on her as she threw her head back and laughed, her hands on his shoulders, her body pressed against his chest. Sam squealed as he set her down, half laughing, half scolding him as he gently set her on her feet. His hands lingered on her waist as she caught her breath.
“This isgold!” Maya shrieked, practically vibrating with joy. “I think we can call it a done deal—ifsomeonedoesn’t sign you guys up after these, I will quit my job because …” she paused and looked at them, her brown eyes glinting; she held up her phone “… these are unreal. You two are officially illegal levels of adorable.”
“Do you hear that?” Finn said softly to Sam. “We’re adorable.”
“Yes, yes,” Maya interrupted. “I said it first though, and I also said illegal. Now listen—I have to go do a few press interviews, maybe line up a few for you two.”
12
Sam
Spirits lifted, Sam listened happily to Maya’s chatter as they made their way out of the gym. Likes and comments on the Instagram carousel were coming in hard and fast since Maya had posted it only minutes ago. It was as if people were waiting for any news of her and Finn.
Sam sucked on her bottom lip as a teeny bit of guilt made her stomach flutter. She’d purposefully tilted her hips backwards fully knowing that Finn would be uncomfortable, or maybe even turned on, and Maya had fully got his reaction, and now the whole world knew his reaction too. But it was for their cause—they had to get a sponsorship deal, and soon. Finn would understand, wouldn’t he?
“I’m heading this way,” Maya said, pausing as they walked down the main street. “What are you going to do?”
Sam paused outside a store. Throwing a glance in the window she nodded toward the door. “I think I’ll mooch around a few stores, might pick up something to remind me of all of this.”
“Great idea.” Maya had her head back in her phone again. “I’ll see you at lunch.”
Sam watched Maya stroll away. Twisting her lips she turned back to the window and almost laughed when she realized it was the Montalier outlet store. Moving away she strolled down the street, half paying attention to the crowds and stores. A young girl pointed her out to the woman she was with. Sam waved and the young girl jumped up and down while the woman smiled and gratefully mouthedthank you. Sam nodded her head and walked on. It was the first time she’d ever been recognized in the street. It felt good, and weird. For a moment she had an inkling of what Finn felt when people pointed him out on the street. Her heart beat a little faster when she thought of him, and the sense of guilt she’d had earlier grew larger inside her. She shouldn’t have done that, not when she’d told him they needed to concentrate on the Games. Although why exactly it wasn’t fair, she couldn’t quite figure out. Was it unfair to her—or to him? He hadn’t said anything about what he wanted from her. The little voice in her head piped up again with aneither have you. Shoving her hands into her jacket pockets she tried to silence the voice, but it kept making comments on how she’d behaved:you’re sending him mixed signals; you should say how you feel, tell him what’s in your heart. What have you to lose?
She walked faster, as if she could outwalk the voice, but the question kept popping back up. What did she have to lose?Him!She’d lose him if she told him everything that was in her heart. And she’d never do that. It was dangerous. Memories of her mom in the months following the caraccident flooded her mind. The painful therapies, the tests, the final diagnosis that she was paralyzed and needed a chair and assistance. Her mom’s sunniness in spite of her obvious pain. And then Leo’s darkness and how he’d turned in on himself, refusing counselling and blaming himself for everything.
She remembered the day she’d found her mom’s ice skates in the trash—the fact that her mom had preferred throwing out her practically new skates instead of putting them in the charity box hadn’t been lost on Sam. But it had been the distance her dad had put between them all as he struggled to deal with his wife’s and son’s injuries that had hurt them all the most. Then it was the day he’d moved out, without any warning or explanation. He’d just packed his things and rented an apartment near the gym and that was that. He was gone.
All the years of their marriage seemed to have been thrown in the trash, just like her mom’s skates had been. That had been what had broken her mom the most. The way he’d bailed on her when she’d needed him, the way he wouldn’t answer her calls and only came by the house when she was gone to her doctor. It had sent her mom into a deep depression, but it had pulled Leo out of his. His rage had been unbelievable, and he’d had to be held back more than once when he’d met his dad on the street, or at the snow park. He’d finally broken down and seen a therapist. Maybe it was something she needed to do too.
