Page 90 of Captain's Claim

The words that have been sitting on the edge of my tongue, waiting for the right moment ever since I met her.

I brush a thumb over her cheek, holding her close as I murmur, “I love you, Sophia.”

Her breath catches.

Then, she smiles.

"I love you too, Blake."

And just like that, my entire universe shifts.

Because now, there's no going back.

I'm hers.

And I don't even want to fight it anymore.

Chapter Twenty-One

Sophia

Istep into the board room at Icehawk Stadium feeling…good.

Scratch that.

I feel fuckingfantastic.

Since landing back in Iron Ridge last week, work with the Icehawks isn’t just going well - it’s exploding.

My inbox is a battlefield of interview requests, sponsorship deals, and PR opportunities, each one more ridiculous than the last.GQwants to do a feature on Blake. A luxury watch company is practically begging him to wear their brand.

It's got so crazy that some influencer with a million followers slid into my DMs last night just to say:"Sis, you’re living the dream."

And honestly?

Yeah. Yeah, I kind of am.

I stride into the Monday morning meeting with the kind of confidence that only comes from knowing you’re killing it. The kind of confidence that has my heels clicking and my ice coffeebalanced effortlessly in one hand as I slide into my usual seat at the long conference table.

I’ve spent my entire career making calculated moves, planning three steps ahead, ensuring that I was in control of my professional trajectory.

But with Blake?

With Blake, I’m all in. No strategy. No contingency plan. Just pure, lustful chaos wrapped in a six-foot-four hockey captain with a delicious tongue that should be illegal.

I cross my legs as Big Mike leans back with an expectant look. Greg, however, looks downright giddy. He's been like this for weeks, but I thought his childish excitement would have worn off by now.

He leans forward and grabs a huge muffin from the tray of treats laid out in the middle of the meeting table, the same tray that had astounded me on my very first day.

It’s practically tradition now - Greg always gets the biggest muffin.

I cover a snigger as I watch his eyes light up like a five-year-old on Christmas morning, tearing a chunk off the chocolate muffin and popping it into his mouth.

I scan the room, noting how every seat is filled except for one - the same one as always. Blake's chair.

I roll my eyes, but this time, I can't help but smile at the missing hockey star. Jeez, are my professional standards slipping that badly?

“Alright, let’s get started,” Big Mike says, clapping his hands together at the head of the table. “Sophia,Miss-woman-of-the-moment, I believe you have some updates for us?”

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