Page 73 of Captain's Claim

I shrug. "I've got a game tomorrow. Save the whiskey for the flight home."

Sophia picks up her drink and smiles, those hazel eyes fixed on me as she takes a slow sip. Her head tilts, and I basically see the boredom starting to take hold.

"So, if I beat you at something, do I get a dish named after me?"

I can't help the laugh that escapes. "You really think you can beat me at something?"

Her lips curve into that dangerous smile that's been driving me crazy since she first walked into my rink. She reaches into her designer bag and pulls out a worn deck of cards.

"Lucky for you, we're about to find out. I brought my travel deck."

The cards look well-loved, edges softened from countless games. Something about that detail - our polished marketing executive carrying around a beat-up deck of cards - catches me off guard. Just when I think I have her figured out, she throws me another curveball.

I watch Sophia shuffle the cards.

"So… what's your game, sweetheart?"

"Poker." She deals with a flourish then takes a sip of her drink. "What do you say… Loser has to carry the winner's bags for the rest of the trip?"

I lean back, stretching my arm across the back of her seat, my fingers ever so gently grazing her shoulder. Just a light touch. Barely noticeable.

Except she notices.

I see it in the way she breathes just a little deeper, the way her tongue swipes over her bottom lip again.

"Sweetheart, I can barely let you carry your own coffee, let alone my bags."

Her eyes narrow, and that competitive fire I’ve come to love ignites behind those hazel eyes. "Big talk for a man who's about to get wiped off the table."

I drop my voice low, just for her ears. "Baby… Come on… Wipe me off later. Not now."

She chokes on her margarita, sputtering as she tries to recover.

As we play, I can't help but notice Coach Brody with Natalie. He keeps finding excuses to touch her shoulder or lean in close to whisper something that makes her giggle. Their heads bend together over shared jokes I can't hear.

Sophia snaps her fingers in front of my face. "Yoohoo!" She catches my smirk and follows my eyes to her friend and my coach. "Eyes on your own game, mister. I mean, your own cards. Though from the way you're playing, you might want to stick to hockey."

"Just giving you false confidence, sweetheart."

"Oh really?" Sophia catches her lower lip between her teeth, trying to hide her smile as she lays down a straight flush. Again. "Then explain how I just won myfifthhand in a row? Read 'em and weep, Captain."

I lean in close, close enough to catch the citrus scent of her shampoo. "You know what they say about beginner's luck..."

"Beginner?" I watch as she lifts that eyebrow in a way that somehow manages to be both judgy and sexy as hell. "I'll have you know I paid for an entire semester of college playing poker."

"Now that's a story I need to hear."

"Win a hand first," she teases, already shuffling the deck with practiced ease. "Then maybe I'll tell you all about my misspent youth."

But we're both suddenly distracted by Natalie and Coach Brody rising from their seats. They walk toward the back of the plane together, and Sophia nudges me with her elbow.

"So... you think those two are secretly banging?"

I snort, gathering up the cards. "If they aren't, they're about five seconds away from it."

"My money's on them hooking up before we land in Chicago." Sophia shuffles again, her fingers dancing over the cards.

"Well, I'm not about to bet against a woman who apparently funded her higher education through an underground poker empire. Though I've gotta say, the image of you running a college cartel while wearing designer heels? That's doing things to me, sweetheart."

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