“What did you just say?”
“Nothing, just telling my inner demons to shut up.” Finn scrunched up his face. “I’d managed to forget I’d dated Harper and, well, the memory wasn’t great.”
“Oh, Finn. I’m sorry.” Sam slipped her arm through his. “Here I am ranting away when all this time she’s been here and you … are you doing all right?”
His jeans tightened and he tried to clear his mind as she squeezed his arm. Damn, what if she realized he had a massive hard-on right now? How the hell could he explainthat? Her hands were cold, and she pressed against him, her breasts soft and warm on his arm. Harper was a distant memory when Sam was around.
“It’s freezing,” he said as she shivered against him. “I’ll, eh, let me, um, I’ll get our jackets.”
“Jackets?” Sam frowned. “Don’t you think we should go back in?”
“Do you?” He turned the question back around.Please let her say no.
Sam peered around him into the bistro. Finn turned too. The whole place was alive and loud. The team were gathered around their table still cheering Leo and Becky’s engagement while Maya took photo after photo. Harper and her team were there too, scooched up at the table as if they were all best friends. That’s what free Prosecco and dessert did to people—it brought them together when they’d normally not be seen dead together in the same room. Sharing Sam with the whole team and with Harper wasn’t appealing to him.
“Urgh,” Sam said. “It looks … uncomfortable.”
“It does,” Finn breathed out. Although Leo and Becky looked very happy. They were both beaming into each other’s faces as if nothing else existed. It was weird to see Leo so relaxed and smiling. Finn watched with a strange feeling as Leo leaned back in his chair and pulled Becky into the crook of his arm, kissing the top of her head as she blushed and snuggled closer into him.It wasn’t jealousy, was it? No, it couldn’t be.He wasn’t into Becky at all, never had been. Leo and Becky just seemed so … He struggled to find the words to describe what he was looking at. Sam nudged him.
“They seem so settled, don’t they? In a good way, I mean. Like calm, relaxed … like they know they’re doing the right thing.” She sounded wistful.
“Settled.” Finn tried the word. Trust Sam to be able to say exactly what he was thinking. “Yeah, they do look settled.” While he himself felt … unsettled.
“I really don’t want to go back in. Not after the Valestré news,” Sam said. “Hey, I know it’s late, and I should be in bed, really, but I need to clear my mind for tomorrow, get my head in the game. I think I’ll take a walk. Oh, Maya mentioned that there’s a food market nearby—do you fancy coming with me? See if they can top theSamwich?”
“I do.” Finn’s stomach flipped as he spoke.I do… wedding vow words … He slipped away from her. “I’ll get our jackets. Be back in a second.”
He was back in less than a minute with the jackets in his grasp.
“I googled the market,” Sam said. She zipped up her jacket. “I think it’s this way. Did you think to grab my hat?”
“In your pocket.” Finn pulled his own hat down around his ears, an old battered luminous orange beanie.
“You brought that old thing to the Olympics!” She beamed at him, making his heart swell. He’d worn that beanie to all of her competitions since they’d gotten serious about their sports when they were teens. He’d chosen the color because she could spot him in the crowd from the top of the slope, no matter where they were. He was glad he hadn’t forgotten to bring it to her most important moment ever. This weather was perfect, and if he wasn’t wrong, there was more snow on the way. The air had that metallic smellthat always brought snow and it had gotten even colder. Looking up he saw that the stars were now hidden behind a thick blanket of clouds.
Sam’s teeth were chattering as she tugged her hat down over her hair. Her fingers were tinged pink from the cold. Finn slipped his gloves from his pocket and handed them to her.
“Put those on, you look like you’re about to lose a finger,” he instructed as she smiled up at him right as the snow began to fall.
“My hero.” Sam smiled up at him. “What about you—aren’t you cold?”
“Nah, I’m good.” Finn shivered as they made their way along the street. A good brisk walk would warm them both up and hopefully get the blood circulating around his body and not stuck in his cock. He picked up the pace with Sam easily keeping up with him. This was more like it, just him and Sam in the snow, having fun, relaxed and enjoying each other’s company. Nothing and no one between them. The snow squeaked under his boots and Sam giggled.
“I love that sound,” she said as they rounded a corner. “I don’t think I’ll ever hate it.”
“Never.”
“Do you think we’ll be able for all of this when we’re old and creaky?” She gestured around her as they walked. Couples and families were out enjoying the festive atmosphere.
“Walk, you mean?” Finn laughed.
“Hahah, very funny.” Sam giggled. “Compete. Or even just get out here—or anywhere.”
“I don’t know,” Finn said. “I suppose that depends on how good life is to you.”
“Humph.” Sam squinted up at him. She seemed thoughtful. “How good life is to you. What does that mean?”
“I think what I mean is that we don’t know where life will take us, I suppose.”
