Page 26 of Captain's Claim

Then Connorwhoops. “Damn, Maddox. She got you good!”

Logan lets out a low whistle. “Gotta admit. Kinda impressed.”

Even Coach Brody, who I heard muttering something about being 'too old for this shit'has paused mid-snowball-launch to smirk in my direction. “Didn’t see that one coming, did you, Cap?”

Sophia straightens, brushing snow off her sleeve. Then she smirks.

Oh,hell no.

I drag my glove down my face, shaking off the cold. My lips curl as I crouch low, scooping up a fresh handful of snow.

“You shouldn’t have done that, sweetheart.”

“Blake—” Her smirk falters. "Blake, no!"

She runs. And I fuckingchase.

Snow explodes at my feet as I take off after Sophia, my boots crunching over the packed ice.

She’s fast, I’ll give her that.

She’s dodging between festival-goers, darting past Logan, who’s already busy pelting Connor in the side of the head, and narrowly avoiding the annual chaotic snowball war happening between the Icehawks and a gang of my sugar-hyped youth program kids.

But me?

I’ve spent my life chasing pucks down the ice. Ms.Corporate Executivedoesn’t stand a chance.

I lunge, grabbing her around the waist just as she whips around to launch another snowball at me.

“Oh my god!”

She shrieks as I spin her in a tight circle, throwing us both into the middle of the madness. Snow bursts around us as a rogue snowball smashes into the ground nearby. The cold stings my face, but I barely feel it because Sophia is in my arms, twisting, flushed, laughing.

And damn if that wonderful fucking laugh doesn’t kick me straight in the chest.

“You absolute menace!” she gasps, breathless, wriggling against me.

I smirk, gripping her tighter. “That’sCaptainMenace to you.”

Thwack.

A snowball whizzespastmy ear, barely missing Sophia’s face.

Pure instinct takes over and I push up off the ice. "Right. Who threw that one?"

A wild echo of laughter echoes around the winter festival and I grab Sophia by the waist, yanking her against me just as another snowball whizzes past her cheek.

She gasps, her fingers clutching my jacket, and I don’t even think before I spin, tucking her against my chest, taking the hit instead.

Hit after hit, I take them all, moving quickly to flip us both to safety behind the rink boards. She lands hard, and I stumble, crash-landing right on top of her like a drunken penguin.

Her breath hitches.

Her hands are caught between us, palms pressed against my chest, fingers digging into my jacket.

Her eyes arewide, lips parted. "You are so annoying. This is ridiculous. Why have you dragged me into this?"

I grin down at her, breath still heaving. "Admit it, you're having fun."

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