Page 47 of Flirty Pucking Wolf

DeeDee makes a sad face for the camera. “The first couple we have to say goodbye to is…” I hold my breath, praying Sophie’s dream isn’t over. Randi and I both let out a whoosh and squeeze each other’s hands when our names aren’t called. We step to the center of the floor with the other remaining couple, wishing each other luck. They had a high score from the judges too, so it’s not a slam dunk.

“It’s time to find out who will dance in next week’s finale,” Ian says. “Good luck to both couples.”

My eyes are locked with Sophie’s as she sits clutching Mac’s hand.

“The celebrity safe to dance in next week’s final is…Trevor Carter!”

Randi squeals next to me and wraps me in a hug. Mac and Sophie are hugging, and she’s wiping tears from her eyes.

On autopilot, we hug the departing couple and then back away so they can be the focus of the attention. I go to Sophie and pick her up in a hug. I want to kiss her in the worst way. Or the best way. Hell, I want to kiss Sophie Mackenzie in all the ways.

“We did it, princess,” I say, laughing and spinning her around, mindful that I don’t swing her injured ankle into anything.

“Youdid it, boyo. You and Miranda, thank you so much.”

Randi joins our group hug, and so do Mac and Ian. I’m suddenly the filling of a Mackenzie sandwich, not something I ever expected to be.

A few hours later, the excitement has fizzled into frustration as I try to help Sophie through our hotel. We’re staying overnight in New York before game two of our wild card series tomorrow night. Sophie’s on crutches and refuses to let me carry her everywhere. Stubborn woman. Can’t she see I need to take care of her? I need to make sure she doesn’t injure herself further. And I want to take advantage of every moment I can to hold her in my arms. This time next week, our fling will be over. It’s probably better to end it now before we get too attached and break our hearts. Okay, my heart is going to break, but if I can protect Sophie’s, I will. Who knows? Maybe my worry is for nothing, and she hasn’t changed her mind about wanting anything more than a fling.

Just because I’m dreading this ending doesn’t mean she is. She’s going to be living her dream as a pro on the show. She’s going to have a new partner and work with him as closely as we did. Maybe they’ll have a spark and he’ll be the one she’s meant to be with. She may not even be on the US version of the show. There are versions all over the world. She could end up on the UK show with Ian. Hell, she could end up in Australia or New Zealand. She won’t want to be tied down when all of that’s available to her.

Putting down our dance bags, I grab water bottles from the mini fridge and offer one to Sophie after she’s settled on the sofa.

“You need to elevate your foot, honey. Do you want it on the table or on the sofa?” I bend down to press a quick kiss to her lips. “Lap?” I sit next to her on the sofa, and she rests her bandaged ankle on the throw pillow I place on my lap. “How’s it feeling?”

Sophie wiggles her toes. “Throbby. But I should be okay to dance on Sunday or Monday. I’ve had worse. It’s just damn inconvenient timing. The final is a freestyle dance of our choice. We can do whatever we want. It doesn’t have to be ballroom or Latin. It can be contemporary, tap, ballet.”

“Hmm…” I rest my hands on her uninjured leg. “Do you have any ideas? Do you like dancing contemporary? I’ve had ballet training.”

She cocks her head, making her blonde ponytail swing to the side. It’s irresistible, like golden silk running through my fingers.

“You had ballet training? Really?”

“Yeah, until I was thirteen. That’s when I got more involved with hockey and stopped taking dance lessons with my cousins. I enjoyed it when I got to partner with girls who weren’t my cousins.” I chuckle. “I was bigger and stronger than most boys my age, so I’d often pair the older girls who were more developed than girls my age. Just as well I stopped. Things were getting embarrassing as I hit puberty. Tights don’t hide a damn thing, you know.”

Her tinkling laugh makes my heart happy. “Yeah, with all you’ve been blessed with, there’s no hiding it.”

That earns her a kiss on the tip of her nose. “Thank you for noticing.”

“Well, it’s kinda hard to miss!”

“Kinda hard is always accurate when I’m with you.”

She pouts. “Just kinda? We need to fix that.”

Leaning forward, she lifts her sweater over her head, leaving her in a pale blue lace bra that lovingly cups her breasts.

I reach out to trace a fingertip along the edge of her bra. Goosebumps pebble her skin. Not from a chill, more from the heat between us.

“How do you propose we do that?” I ask. I know what I’d like to do, but she’s the one with the injury we need to be mindful of.

“Hmm…” Sophie cups her chin in a classic thinking pose. “I need to keep my ankle elevated, so if I keep it thrown over your shoulder, that should do the trick. I’ve heard that endorphins are natural painkillers, and orgasms release endorphins. Do you have any aches that need relief?”

It’s my turn to adopt a thinking pose. I tap a fingertip against my lip, scrunch my face a bit, and look toward the ceiling. Sophie’s thinking face is much cuter. Hell, everything about Sophie is cuter.

“I think I have a few. Probably best if we move to the bed, so we have room to relieve them.”

Her grin is mischievous. “I fit on this sofa just fine. What’s the problem?”

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