Page 75 of Night Shift

I had also put together a crew to clean up her apartment and salvage whatever they could. Tomorrow, they would bring her things over, but seeing all of it would probably upset her all over again. That, along with what the PI and I suspected, was going to be a lot for her to deal with. Right now, she was in my hands, and I knew exactly how to keep her mind off her situation.

I took her hand and placed a chaste kiss on her palm. Then I stepped back and reached for her bottle of water and handed it to her, gesturing toward the mini charcuterie board. “Now eat. I’ve got plenty of ideas of how I want to take you before the morning’s light.”

As if on cue, Samantha’s stomach growled loudly, and we both laughed.

“Guess I’m hungrier than I thought,” she admitted, blushing a little as she picked up a cracker and topped it with some cheese.

I grabbed a few cheese cubes, popping them into my mouth and scarfing them down. Then I snagged a handful of grapes, enjoying the taste of sweetness as they burst open in my mouth. Cracking open my water bottle, I took a long, refreshing sip before setting it down next to her. Sam was making quick work of her cracker, effortlessly devouring it along with several grapes in just a few bites. Her appetite matched mine, and soon we had devoured almost everything on the board.

“And here I was thinking you had only one kind of appetite,” I said, laughing in a low rumble.

“Well…I can multitask.” She shot me a cheeky grin, picking up another grape and popping it into her mouth. “You know, Atticus, your age really does look good on you. I would’ve never guessed you were knocking on forty if Bethany hadn’t told me. It’s good to know I don’t have to worry about wearing you out.” She reached down to run her hand up my length.

“Keep talking like that and I’ll show you just how much stamina this old man has.”

“You’ve got quite the appetite, don’t you?” After popping several more grapes into her mouth, she bit down, and juice dribbled out of the corner of her mouth. My cock stirred at the sight.

“Careful there. Wouldn’t want to waste any,” I murmured, stepping closer and wiping the juice away with my thumb. Her tongue darted out to lick her lips, and I couldn’t resist leaning in to taste her, our mouths melding together in a heated kiss.

I reached for my bottle again, taking a long, satisfying gulp. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Sam watching me with a mischievous glint sparking in her eyes. I should’ve known better, should’ve anticipated her next move, but I was too caught up in the moment. Just as I was lowering the bottle, she pounced, squeezing it and sending a stream of water over my face and down my chest. I jumped back, sputtering and dripping, while she erupted into peals of laughter.

“Oh, you’re going to regret that,” I said in mock warning. I wiped my face with the back of my hand, water still running down my neck.

My eyes darted to the drawer by my hand, and in a flash, I pulled out a large stainless steel spatula. Holding it up, I smacked it against my palm menacingly. “I think someone’s earned herself a spanking,” I declared, trying to sound stern, but the grin breaking through gave away my true amusement.

Samantha’s laughter only increased, her hands flying up in a defensive gesture as she leaned back. “Oh, you wouldn’t dare!”

Brandishing the spatula, I advanced, a salacious grin on my face. “Wouldn’t I?” I teased, closing the distance between us. She tried to scoot backward on the island, squealing when I caged her between my arms and planted my hips against the edge of the counter between her legs.

The chase was short-lived, her laughter fueling my desire. “You’re a handful, you know that?”

“And you love it,” she said, resting her hands on my waist.

“I do,” I admitted, kissing her forehead. “Your shenanigans trigger both my temper and my thirst.”

With the spatula still in my hand, I traced her round bottom.

Her eyes widened when she realized my intentions. “You wouldn’t—” she began.

“Oh, I would,” I said with a wicked grin, giving the side of her ass a sharp swat.

Her lips turned up in a saucy smile. “I’m not one for good behavior, Doctor Thorin.”

“Do I need to remind you that you’re currently sitting on my kitchen counter and the only thing you’re wearing is my shirt?”

I leaned back and tapped the spatula on her thigh. “Hmm, maybe I should spank you with this for all of your transgressions?” Playfully, I slid it under Sam’s leg. Her gaze followed the spatula as I brought it around to the front and tapped it on her other leg.

A hint of curiosity gleamed in her eyes. “Spank me? No, I don’t think I deserve a spanking,” she replied brazenly.

“But it doesn’t matter what you think now, does it? You threw a fucking party in my house while I was gone. Yeah, I think you’ve earned quite a number of spankings—pretty much any time I want to—for that.”

Samantha lazily arched an eyebrow, clearly not intimidated. “No, I disagree. Your rude list of house rules, which were ridiculous by the way, means you asked—yes, practically forced—me to retaliate.”

“Is that so?” I growled, trying to suppress a grin at her audacity. Looking down, I caught sight of her naked pussy peeking out from beneath my T-shirt and couldn’t resist running the cool edge of the spatula along her exposed skin, making her shiver and giggle.

“Besides, you need to lighten up and have more fun,” she added, pulling the hem of the T-shirt up even further and fully exposing her glistening folds. My resolve crumbled, and I growled again, sliding the edge of the spatula between her legs in quick little flicks, tickling her and making her squirm.

“Okay, okay!” She laughed, trying to catch her breath. “But seriously, that Firebird shouldn’t just sit in your garage growing dust. I loved driving it. You know, it’s got some kick to it.”

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