Page 21 of Captain's Claim

Instead, I glance down, dragging my gaze over her curves like a fucking starved man.

Instead, I take a sharp breath, forcing myself back. My nails dig into my palm, my restraint hanging by a damn thread.

"Be there, Sophia. But you can leave your fucking cameras at home."

Then, before she can open her mouth, before I change my mind, I turn and walk away.

Chapter Six

Sophia

Istep onto Main Street, and for a second, I feel like I’ve been dropped into the middle of a holiday postcard.

The entire town square is lit up like something out of a Hallmark movie, with strings of golden fairy lights crisscrossing above me and everything around me covered in a warm, festive glow.

Delicate snowflakes drift down from the darkening slate-gray sky, settling like powdered sugar across the worn cobblestones beneath the clocktower. A gust of wind carries the aroma of chestnuts crackling in their iron pans from the stalls just inside the entrance, while cinnamon-dusted pastries steam on wooden vendor carts.

Kids dart between booths, laughing and tossing snowballs behind their parents backs, their mittens flying off as they pelt each other with no sign of remorse. Couples wander hand-in-hand, wrapped in oversized scarves and puffy coats, sipping from steaming cups of hot chocolate.

It’s perfect.

Tooperfect.

A little too wholesome for a girl who’s spent her entire career in cold, high-rise boardrooms, where the only thing festive about winter is the overpriced champagne at corporate holiday parties.

This? This is over-the-top small-town magic.

And maybe… just maybe… I kind of love it.

“Overwhelmed already?”

I turn to see Natalie Hayes, Icehawks’ lead physical therapist, grinning at me from beneath the hood of her sleek, cream-colored puffer jacket. Her emerald green eyes practically sparkle under the glow of the winter festival lights, and she’s clutching a to-go cup of cider that smells incredible, looking completely in her element.

“Oh my… I’m so glad I ran into you today,” I say, flashing Natalie a grateful smile. “I was fully prepared to wander around this place alone like some lost tourist.”

I tuck my gloved hands deeper into my coat pockets, inhaling the crisp winter air.

She smirks, adjusting her grip on her cup of cider. “Yeah, no offense, but you totallylooklike a lost tourist.”

I huff out a laugh. “Not my fault this town looks like it was built for a Christmas movie."

Natalie looks at the scene in front of us. "It kinda is, isn't it?"

I smile, but the truth is, Ireallyam relieved I ran into her earlier.

It had happened by accident. Natalie and I ran into each other where she was patching up bruises from last night’s game, and she’d casually mentioned she’d be heading to the festival. When she’d invited me along, I hesitated. Small-town events aren’texactlymy scene, but something about her easy, friendly energy had me saying yes before I could overthink it.

“Come on, corporate girl. First rule of the Frost & Fire Festival: You have to get a hot chocolate before anything else.”

We weave through the bustling festival market, dodging bundled-up families and groups of teenagers huddled together under strings of twinkling white lights.

Natalie steers us toward a wooden booth with a hand-painted sign that readsMaggie’s Famous Hot Cocoa, but the line is at least ten people deep.

She sighs dramatically. “Figures. Everyone loses their minds over Maggie's hot chocolate.”

I shove my gloved hands deeper into my pockets. “It better be worth it.”

“Oh, it is. Maggie puts somethingextrain there." Natalie looks me over, a studying gaze. "So, how is everything going? Everyone's been talking about you."

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