Page 39 of Night Shift

Marissa laughed, taking his hand. “Lead the way, fireman.” They both headed toward the dance floor.

Jack, who seemed a bit more hesitant but also intrigued, nudged me. “You dance, Sam?” he asked, giving me a half-smile.

I shrugged, smiling back. “I can hold my own. You coming?”

Together, we joined the others. The music was some upbeat, old-school disco tune. The atmosphere was electric, filled with the buzz of laughter and the rhythm of the music.

Bethany, ever the social butterfly, was soon chatting up a storm with a group of people we didn’t know. Her laughter was boisterous, drawing us all into the conversation.

“You’re from the hospital, right?” one of the guys in the group, who introduced himself as Mike, asked. “I’ve heard crazy stories about emergency room nights there.”

“Oh, you have no idea—especially during full moons,” Bethany replied with a wink. “But what happens in the ED stays in the ED, right Sam?”

“Exactly, patient confidentiality and all that.”

As the night wore on, we danced, laughed, and mingled with different people. I stayed on the sober side, enjoying the company and the music. The energy on the dance floor was contagious, and soon I was letting loose, feeling free and happy.

At one point, a tall, charming guy approached me.

“Hey, I couldn’t help but notice your dance moves,” he said, smiling. “I’m Derek.”

There was something about him that caught my attention. Tall and undeniably handsome, he had an attractive confidence. On his face was a great lopsided grin, and I found myself smiling back almost instantly.

“Hey, I’m Sam,” I said, still moving to the rhythm of the music. He joined in, and we danced together, everything around us fading into the background.

Derek leaned in closer, a playful glint in his eyes. He gently ran his fingers through a lock of my hair that was lying on my chest, moving it over my shoulder and stroking my collarbone with his thumb. “You know,” he said, his voice low and slightly teasing, “your hair really is something else. It’s like flames in this dim light.”

He paused, lifting his gaze to mine, and my stomach fluttered. “And those eyes, damn, they’re like the clearest blue sky,” he said, placing his hands on my hips and pulling me closer.

With a soft smile, he nuzzled my nose with his, moving to whisper in my ear. “But these freckles,” he said, his voice dropping to a growl, “they’re absolutely enchanting.” With that, he eased away, planted a gentle kiss on my cheek, and chuckled.

Heat rushed down my spine, and my pulse quickened. His flirty remark, coupled with the kiss, sent a cascade of tingles across my skin.

“Thank you,” I said. A laugh bubbled up, surprising me, and I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear in a futile attempt to hide my embarrassment. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

He laughed, and we continued dancing, eventually drifting toward the bar. “Can I buy you a drink?” he asked.

“Sure,” I agreed, deciding to go for something non-alcoholic, since I was the designated driver tonight.

While we were sipping our drinks, the DJ switched to a slower song. Derek held out his hand. “Care for a slow dance?”

I nodded. This time, we ended up in a more intimate position on the dance floor, with my hands wrapped around his neck and his hands hovering over my lower back, the edges of his fingertips grazing my bottom. Derek was a wonderful dancer, his movements smooth and in perfect sync with mine. We swayed to the music for several blissful minutes. The chemistry between us was undeniable.

Toward the end of the song, Derek leaned in and kissed me. It was a passionate kiss, one that caught me off guard but wasn’t unwelcome. Just as our lips parted, I heard a familiar voice.

“Get it, girl!” Bethany cheered from a short distance away, winking at me and giving me a playful grin.

I laughed, a little embarrassed but also enjoying the moment. Derek smiled, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

When the bar announced last call a few minutes later, he gently pulled me away from the dance floor. “Sam, would you like to go to dinner sometime?”

I hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “That sounds nice.”

He took my phone and, with a sly grin, typed in his information.

Before leaving, he kissed me one last time—a sweet and lingering kiss. It was nice, really nice, but when he walked away, my mind drifted back to Atticus. Derek was charming and handsome, but Atticus’s kisses had been something else, something I wasn’t sure could be matched.

I drove everyone home, replaying the night in my mind. Derek was great, but Atticus was in a class of his own.

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