Page 22 of Night Shift

I fixed him with a glare that could pierce steel. “It’s Doctor Thorin to you.”

“Ohhh…a doctor! I guess fancy pants was spot on. Good for you, Sam!”

Instead of responding, I took Sam’s hand and grabbed her bag. Alex’s laughter followed us all the way down the stairs and to the car.

Still scowling at Alex, I opened the passenger-side door for her.

“Thank you, Atti. I guess I was wrong the other day when I accused you of forgetting the manners they taught you in doctor’s school.”

I gave her ass a hard smack, and she let out a small gasp just before she slid into the passenger seat. Leaning in close to her ear, I growled, “I’m not always a gentleman.”

After tossing Sam’s bag in the trunk along with the supplies I’d packed, I cast one last glance at Alex, offering him a smile that quickly turned into a raised middle finger. Alex reciprocated with one of his own, as well as a loud laugh.

And with that, I slid into my seat, and we were finally en route, leaving the unruliness of her apartment complex behind us.

“So, where are we going anyway?” Sam asked.

“First, we’re gonna check out Swan Creek Trail here in Tacoma, and then we’ll head south to Tanwax Lake. There’s a cabin my brothers and I like to use when we want to escape the city. It isn’t anything fancy, but it’s away from, well, everything.”

Sam had a beaming smile on her face as she settled back into the soft leather seat. Today was an unusually warm day for mid-October, and she’d chosen to wear cut-off jean shorts, a light-green cardigan over a white tank top, and a pair of slip-on sneakers with a hole in one toe. I wondered if she’d ever owned a pair of hiking boots. Not that it mattered today. The trails were well-worn and not too challenging.

“Are we going to go for a swim in the lake?” Sam asked. “I didn’t bring a swimsuit with me.”

I glanced sideways at her, a playful grin tugging at my lips. “You know, even though this lake usually stays warm because it’s small, I think swimming right now would be pretty cold. Do you think you’re going to need to cool down from something?” I paused, raising one eyebrow, then dropped my voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “If you’re interested in something on the more heated side, we do have a hot tub at the cabin. But there’s just one rule I have for it—no swimsuits allowed.” The words rolled off my tongue with a light chuckle. I’d said it more to gauge her reaction than anything else.

Her face turned beet-red. “Dr. Thorin, is this your usual tactic? Luring women to a cabin in the woods?”

“Atticus. We’re not at work,” I corrected gently as I thought about what she’d asked. Her question, so direct and unfiltered, had caught me slightly off guard. I turned to look at her, deciding honesty was the best approach. “This hike, the cabin…isn’t my usual modus operandi for…adventures with women.” My gaze hardened. “Usually, I don’t invest much emotional equity into female counterparts. The women I see understand that I don’t do relationships and that when we’re together, it’s for our mutual gratification.”

Sam scrutinized me for a long time before she responded.

“So you’re a ‘wham, bam, thank you ma’am, now get the fuck out’ kind of guy?”

I choked and then laughed, but I heard the bottom line in her question and wanted to reassure her this was different.

“Sammich, is that what you think this is?”

“Atti, at this point, I’m just along for the ride, no pun intended…or maybe pun intended. I mean, I am in your car with you, so…”

Swan Creek Park wasn’t far from her apartment, so before we could continue the conversation, we’d arrived. I shifted the car into park and turned toward her. “Let’s go for a walk.”

I popped the trunk, and Sam and I got out and started unloading the things we would need. I always came prepared. Granted, I normally went hiking on my own, but today I’d made sure to bring enough hydration for the both of us.

“This hike is approximately four miles round trip and should take us a couple of hours to complete, including time to stop and explore some areas of interest. However, if you need to take a break at any point, just let me know.”

Sam glanced over at me, her lips curving into a devilish smile, which meant only one thing: some smart-ass comment would follow. She didn’t disappoint.

“Listen, old man, I’m worried that the Alzheimer’s might be kicking in, ’cause maybe you forget that I’m young and full of stamina,” she quipped, putting a stamp on her sass with a wink.

I couldn’t resist reminding her, “This old man has done a good job of taking care of himself and is in prime condition.”

Before closing the trunk of the car, I stripped off my sweatshirt, pulling it up and over my head and deliberately exposing my well-defined abs. Sam’s gaze was drawn to the bare skin, and her eyes traced the contours of my torso with undisguised interest.

“Someone’s in shape and has a tan,” she said, eating her words with a deep gulp.

“What was that? I didn’t hear you. I guess my hearing must be going with my old age as well.” I said, as I pulled on a T-shirt and shut the trunk.

She laughed and turned toward the trailhead.

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