I slipped out of the hospital and into my car after my shift. Feeling pretty good about my accomplishment, I relaxed on the drive home. Pulling my car into the underground parking lot when I got to my apartment building. I parked in my spot, grabbed my things, and locked my car. Using the stairs to get to my floor was faster. Loud voices chatted in my hallway, and I ignored it. I was on a mission. I just wanted to have a shower and nap. 

Walking up to my door. A problem was standing there, looking sharp in his suit, his hair slicked back, talking with my neighbour.

“You kept me waiting long enough, Samuel.”

“Just how did you get here before me, and how do you know where I live?” I hissed. 

Unlocking the door to my apartment, I went inside and he stood there. 

“If you’re going to stand out in the hall all night, be my guest. But don’t do it right there.” 

He came inside, removing my keys from the lock and closing the door. He flipped the latch on the door and hummed. “I had a gut feeling you were going to skip dinner. Figured I might as well meet you here.”

“How nice, but I’m not interested in dinner. I’m interested in a shower and a long nap.” I muttered, setting my coat on the hook and taking my keys from Reid. I dropped them on the kitchen counter and stretched my arm up over my head. 

“Sorry, my place isn’t as large as yours, and not as quiet either,” I said, before frowning. 

“Large isn’t always better. I have a condo far closer to the hospital that I normally stay in. It’s a two-minute walk away.”

“Why have a condo when you have a house?” I asked, confused. 

“My family is too close sometimes. I like my privacy too,” he said, taking off his suit jacket and slinging it over the back of one chair at the kitchen island. The tie that he was wearing earlier was already gone, and the top two buttons of his dress shirt were undone. 

“Reid, I meant it when I said that us sleeping together would be a onetime thing.” I said, firmly. 

“Did I mention us sleeping together again now?” he said, smirking. “Besides, I still have the bruises you left on my shoulder when you dug your fingertips into my skin, begging me to fuck you deeper and faster.” 

“I did no such thing.” 

Warmth hit my cheeks, and I knew I was flushed from his comment. It was the truth; I had said that, but I didn’t want him to repeat it back to me. Not when I was trying to tell him I wasn’t interested in any more sex with him. But just who was I trying to convince of that, him or me?

“I don’t know why you have to lie to yourself about enjoying it, Samuel. You liked it, and your pheromones right now are telling me you want more. So why lie about it?”

“Listen Reid, I didn’t go to your house to help you in that way. I was just going to make sure you were fine and leave. That was it. Then we just happened to have sex—---”

“For three days straight.”

“You were in a rut.”

“You made a deal to stay with me, and you didn’t push me away. You could have at any point pushed me away, Samuel.”

“I’m going to shower. Stay or go, I don’t care.” I yelled, feeling attacked suddenly.

“Don’t walk away from me while we are talking.” He said calmly. 

“I’ll do what the hell I want!” I yelled, turning and getting in his face. “You are not the boss—--”

He pressed his lips to mine. His tongue slipped into my mouth, and his stupid pheromone coated my tongue. He ended the kiss and stopped me when I tried to kiss him again. 

“I’m not in a rut this time. Are you sure you want to have sex?”

“Shut up and touch me, or get the fuck out of my apartment.” I hissed. 

He pressed his lips to mine, and gave me another kiss, but when I tried to undo his shirt buttons, he moved my hands. “I came for dinner, Samuel. Not sex.”

“Then why the hell did you kiss me?”

“I wanted to taste the deep coffee of your pheromone.” Reid said and went and grabbed his jacket. 

“Why the fuck are you playing with me?” I yelled at him again. Feeling really irritated with him. 

“Go shower and get dressed. We are going for dinner like I said, my treat.” Reid said, checking his watch. 

“The only place I’m going is jail when I assault you.” I huffed, dragging my hand through my hair. 

“Go shower, Samuel.”

“I’m fucking going!” I yelled. Stomping to the bathroom, I yanked my scrubs off and stepped into the shower and turned it on. The cold water blasted me and I grunted, waiting for the hot now to take the chill away. 

I grabbed the cloth, wet it and poured the body wash on it before I angrily scrubbed my skin. I rinsed off and washed my hair, before just standing under the spray, looking over the marks I could see on my skin. I looked at the lighter of the bites on my hip and then at my inner thigh. 

Turning off the shower, I stepped out, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around my hips. “Reid, what the hell do you want me to wear?” 

“Clothing preferably,” he said, coming down the hall and shutting my bedroom door, but not leaving from outside in the hall. 

“Fine. I’ll find something both comfortable and a little nicer.” I said, and dropped the towel, aware that he was hanging out just outside my closed bedroom door still. Grabbing boxers out of my drawer, I pulled them up my legs. Sitting on the bed, I grabbed the towel and gave my hair a quick dry before flinging it into the hamper. 

“Why did you close the door? You’ve already seen me naked, Reid.”

“True. But I told you this is about dinner, not sex.”

Grabbing a pair of black slim fit jeans, I pulled them on and a black t-shirt. Finding the nice soft wool sweater I had in soft grey, I pulled it on. Opening the bedroom door, I went back to the bathroom and grabbed my antiperspirant and applied some. 

“Is this acceptable?”

“Absolutely. The dress code is quite relaxed.”

“Glad to hear that.”

I grabbed socks and slipped them on, Reid holding me up so I didn’t fall as I tried to put them on while walking. I grabbed my coat, wallet and phone, before slipping my nicer pair of black running shoes on. 

“I parked my car in the visitor parking lot,” he said. 

“Alright.” 

I locked my door, and we went down the stairs to the visitor parking lot. He led me to a really nice black car and opened my door with the key in his hand. He closed the door once I got inside. His choice of air freshener for his car made me unhappy. It was new, and the package was tucked into the console. Fucking coffee. 

“I know people like certain scents. Is yours coffee?” I asked. 

He looked confused before checking the air freshener. “I never noticed the scent. I didn’t pick it. Oak would have.”

I nodded and remembered Oak saying something about my pheromone and the scent. In terms of pheromone scents, I got lucky. Mine was fairly pleasant. Much like my father and my brother. 

I buckled my seatbelt and watched to make sure he did the same thing. He checked to make sure I had my seatbelt on before he started the car, and left. In the small space, his pheromone easily overtook the cheap air freshener. 

“I can open the window if my pheromones are too much,” he said, keeping his eyes on the road. 

“It’s fine. You dosed me pretty good when you were in your rut. This isn’t even a dot on the scale now.” I said and looked out the window. He pulled into a parking lot a few minutes later, the silence in the car ending. 

“The owner of this place is a close friend of my parents. The food and atmosphere is light and relaxing,” Reid said, and turned off the car after he parked. “I hope you’re alright with pizza. He makes other things, but pizza is the best hands down.”

He opened his door, and I got mine before he could, and we headed inside. He was right about the atmosphere. The place was open and welcoming the minute you walked inside. It smelled heavenly, too. 

Reid took us to a spot closer to the back of the restaurant, and a waiter came with a single menu and she set it down in front of me. “When you are ready to order, let me know.”

“How come she didn’t give you a menu? Do you know what you want? Do you come here often?”

“I know what I’m getting. I get the same thing every time, and she knows that. I come here once or twice a week. Order anything you like, Samuel.”

When she came back, I ordered a personal pizza, and a lava cake for dessert. Reid also ordered a personal pizza, with a side of fries and gravy. We made small talk until the food came. He shared his fries with me, and we got talking about random things, from hobbies to things we wanted to do in the future. 

I shared my dessert with him when it came. When we finished, he paid, and I left a tip on the table. He brought me home, and dropped me off at the front of the building, telling me to have a good night, and to sleep well. 

Oddly enough, the night went ok, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.