What the hell was she doing? As many times as she told herself that meeting Finn today was a bad idea, she was still lacing up her hiking boots. She hadn’t confirmed that she would meet him, but she hadn’t said no, either. Spending time outside of the office would lead to more kissing, and that was exactly what she shouldn’t be doing.
They’d almost been caught kissing earlier this week during his appointment. Her face must’ve resembled a beet when Dr. Anders had knocked and then poked her head in to see how everything was going. Sophia had to get her priorities straight and stop kissing him, but he was so damn kissable. And the way her heart raced around him, he just made her so freaking happy.
So here she was, getting ready to bump into him at Marin Headlands. Although, was it really bumping into him if he’d programmed his number into her phone and told her he’d wait for her text and would be on the trails around 10:00 a.m.?
He’d said that it was out of the office rehab and as his PTA, she should join him. That it was his first hike since before his injury, and she could help guide him to avoid injury doing something he loved. As excuses go, it was pretty lame. But she still headed to her car, made the drive over multiple bridges, and found herself in Marin just before 10:00 a.m. She was a glutton like that.
She stared at her steering wheel, debating her stupidity at spending more time with him outside of the office. She hadn’t even told Claire about her morning plans. Claire would’ve been way too encouraging. Then Claire would’ve wanted all the details leading up to today’s hike, and Sophia hadn’t mentioned all of the kissing they’d done during his appointments.
A sharp rap against her window startled her, and she let out an undignified screech. She turned to find Finn’s grinning face in the window, Bash’s nose pressed next to him, his tongue lolling out. Bash’s, not Finn’s.
She took in a deep breath, pointlessly trying to calm her nerves, before she stepped out of the car.
“Wasn’t sure if you’d make it. You didn’t text me,” he said, then leaned down to brush a kiss across her lips. “Hi.”
“Hi.” Damn, her voice was breathy. “And don’t kiss me.”
“We’re out of the office.”
“Doesn’t matter.” She foolishly stood her ground, knowing that she’d be kissing him later if he offered. Stupid wayward willpower.
She tried not to take him in, but hell, he was gorgeous. His hair was pulled back in a low half bun, the strands resting against his nape. She didn’t want to take his hair down. Nope. Definitely not. She refused to remember how soft it was, or their ridiculous conversation about conditioner a few weeks ago. His blue shirt matched his eyes perfectly, and she wondered if he’d done that on purpose. It hinted at his amazing chest, without clinging. She never understood men who wore super tight shirts. Stitching and seams could only hold up to so much tension before they burst like the Hulk.
She continued her perusal down to his tan hiking pants. They fit him like a well-loved glove. Cupping his ass and stretching across his thighs. Damn lucky pants.
“Are you done?” he asked, and her head shot up, her cheeks burning as he grinned at her.
“What?”
“Don’t what me. You were totally checking me out. Not that I mind, of course,” he replied. She tried to scoff, but it came out as an awkward squawk-slash-snort laugh, and her cheeks flamed brighter.
She ignored his smirk and crouched down to pet Bash, focusing on his soft fur, and not his owner’s thighs, which were in her direct line of sight at this level. She swore she hadn’t squatted down to get a closer look. She just wanted to pet the dog. She loved dogs. Bash was cute. She bit back her groan at the excuses that raced through her brain. She should’ve stayed home.
At that moment, Bash decided to fully greet her. He jumped up on his back legs, his paws on her outstretched arm, and licked her face. She lost her balance and started to fall back, until strong arms pulled her to stand, and didn’t leave her waist.
The air whooshed out of her as she tried to still her racing heart, and ignore the warm chest behind her.
He leaned down, his scruff rasping against her cheek. She should not feel his touch down to her toes.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his breath setting every nerve on fire.
“Yes,” she said, pulling from his hold, and taking in a deep breath, before reaching out to ruffle Bash’s ears. Focusing on the dog helped her calm the emotions that coursed through her regarding his owner. And the fact that she wanted nothing more than to spin around and plant a kiss on him. Maybe climb up those impressive thighs she’d been admiring.
She really should’ve stayed home.
“That’s just his way of saying hello when he’s really excited. We’re working on it, but can you blame him?”
“If you aren’t going to behave, I’m leaving,” she said, trying to sound annoyed, but her heart was fluttering in her chest again.
“Nope. We will be good, right Bash?” He shot his dog a stern look. Did he have to be so damn cute? It was a playful side she was just starting to see. One that she hadn’t noticed when he was on the ice or during any behind-the-scenes episodes. He was lighter.
“Shall we go?” he asked, grabbing Bash’s leash, and nodding toward the trail.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” she said, slipping on her small pack and locking her car.
“It’s not going to be awful, I promise. Probably should’ve asked if you enjoyed hiking, but you showed up, so I have to assume you don’t hate it.” He grinned at her, his eyes glittering in the sunlight.
She huffed out a laugh. “I like hiking. I should get out here more often.”
“Bash and I hike all the time. Well, before this happened,” he said, lifting his healing leg. “Being out of commission all summer has been brutal. Yes, I know you already know that because I can’t stop talking about it, but it’s more than just skating. I missed being out here. Hobbling along easy trails served no purpose, so I’ve stayed away. And poor Bash has had to stick to the dog park all summer. No adventures for us. Sorry buddy,” he said, crouching down to rub his hand over Bash’s ears. Bash looked up, tongue out, and stared at Finn with pure joy.
I know the feeling, pup.
She shook her head. “And no crazy adventures today.”
“I know. Slow and easy. This trail isn’t too bad, and it’s one of the few he’s allowed on. They keep cutting back the trails I’m allowed to take him on. It’s frustrating as hell,” he said.
“Even on a leash?”
“Yeah. I think they’re set to cut down even more in the next year. We have to explore everything we can, right?” he said, grinning down at Bash.
That was hotter than it should be.
“What kind of hiking adventures have you taken with him? Do I even want to know?”
Finn laughed. “Nothing crazy. I like pushing myself, but I’m not an idiot. I don’t go on overly strenuous hikes just to prove I can do them. That’s not fun for me, and I won’t risk Bash getting injured. Mostly local hikes, and we do a lot of exploring when I’m home for the summer in Calgary.”
“Are you going to fit in a trip before the season starts? I think you mentioned that.”
“I hope so. I need to deal with some family stuff at home, so I’m planning to get up there for a few days within the next month.”
“Oh. I hope everything is okay. Molly and your sister are okay?”
“Yeah, they’re fine. It’s the rest of them. Family issues can drive you crazy.”
“You don’t have to explain that to me, but if you want to, I’ll listen.” Between all the stolen kisses and her trying to resist said kisses—even the ones she started—they’d built a friendship, and she wanted to know everything she could about him. More than any details she’d found online.
He didn’t want to talk to Sophia about his parents. Grace had called him yesterday. His father was still hanging around, and she hated that Molly was getting attached to a grandfather who would just up and leave at any moment. Finn was hoping that time would hurry the hell up. He’d looked at his schedule, and he had some time before training camp started, so he’d told Grace he would fly up in three weeks. She’d told him to stay put, that everything would work itself out, but that only made him want to jump on a plane now. And then the guilt took over. Next week he was back on the ice. He’d waited months to get to this point, and part of him wanted to focus solely on that. To ignore what was happening in Calgary and hope his father just walked away like he always did.
But he knew that wasn’t happening, especially if his father didn’t get what he wanted. Finn just had to find the courage to tell his mom what he’d done and hope like hell that she finally kicked Jack to the curb.
“Are you okay?” Sophia asked, bringing him out of his musings. She linked her fingers through his, and his heart stalled. “Really, if you want to talk about them—”
“No. It’s fine,” he said, but he didn’t let go of her hand. It fit in his perfectly and he wanted her—more than he should. He just hadn’t gotten laid in a while. That had to be all it was.
“Okay,” she said, dropping his hand and starting up the trail.
He grabbed her fingers and gave them a squeeze. “Sorry. They make me a little tense. No talking about parents today. Bash is getting antsy, so let’s get this hike started.” He coaxed a smile out of her, and then a small gasp when he ran his thumb over her palm.
“Let’s go, then,” she said, a small hitch in her voice. She headed down the trail, and he tried not to swallow his tongue. Her ass looked amazing in her hiking pants. He wanted to trace every curve of her body with his fingers, with his mouth. It would happen one day, hopefully not too far in the future. Today was the first step in getting her to go out with him, even if he had promised not to ravish her in the woods.
“It’s so beautiful here,” she said, her gaze darting around the trail. “Do you come here often?” She paused, and then laughed. “That was not a line.”
“No, I get it. You’re trying to come on to me,” he teased.
“Be serious. No, I’m not.”
“Why not? I thought I was your favorite hockey player.”
“Ugh. Could you stop bringing that up? I swear I’m going out and buying a Baz jersey tomorrow. Think he’d sign it for me?” she asked, turning to bat her lashes at him when he growled in annoyance.
“Not happening.”
“Why not? He’s fun to watch. Not grumpy like you. And why are you so grumpy? You aren’t like that when I’m around you, but every time I’ve seen you in interviews or on the show, you look like you can’t wait to escape the cameras.”
“I’m not a fan of them. I mean, it’s part of the job, and luckily, I rarely get asked to do post-game interviews. I just want to play hockey and live my life. Not everybody likes being on camera.”
“I bet. It has to be surreal. You get to live out your dream. Most of us are jealous.”
“But you love working with Dr. Anders. I can tell.”
“Can you? Yeah, it’s a great job, and I’m glad I finally got to pursue it. I guess, I’m lucky, too.”
“It couldn’t have taken you a long time to figure out what you wanted to do. You’re like, twenty-four, right?”
“Yes, but I wasted a few years after high school before I went back to get my associates degree and certification as a PTA.”
He didn’t miss her quick frown before she masked it with a smile.
“How’s the ankle?”
“Why did you want to become a PT in the first place?” he asked at the same time.
Her soft laugh rolled over him. “Actually, it was because of an injury. I used to play soccer as a kid. I was actually pretty good, and I loved playing, but I hurt my knee, tore my ACL.”
He flinched. “Ouch.”
“Yeah, I had surgery and went through PT. The rehab was painful, but they got me back on the field. Soccer wasn’t going to be my future, but even with the pain, I loved working with the PT. They cared about getting me back to doing what I loved. And now I get to do that for my patients. It’s very rewarding.”
“Well, I’m glad that soccer didn’t work out because I definitely needed your gentle, but stern guidance to get me back to where I need to be,” he said, wrapping his arm around her.
“We aren’t there yet.”
“Yes, but my ankle feels great, and it will be even better when I’m back in my skates next week. I have a lot of conditioning to make up to get back into playing form by next month,” he said.
“Remember, don’t push yourself too hard.” She paused, shaking her head, and then gave him another smile. “Yes, I do know who I’m talking to. But, you still have to watch it. If you strain yourself, you could delay being game ready.”
“I know.”
“Just be smart about it. It’s not like I’ll be there to tell you to slow down.”
“You could come to practice,” he said. The image of her cheering from the sidelines excited him.
“I’ll definitely be at the games, but there’s no reason for me to show up at your practice. It’s not like Dr. Anders shows up to watch you guys.”
She was still putting him solely in the patient role, but she definitely wanted more. She didn’t kiss him like he was just a patient. Not that he went around kissing doctors. That would be weird.
The irony was not lost on him, but he kept the comment to himself. She wouldn’t appreciate that observation.
“Just a suggestion.”
“Come on, trouble,” she said, walking ahead of him, and Bash bounded after her.
“You talking about me or the dog?” he called out, grinning at her back.
She shook her head. Her laugh rolled softly over him. Hell, he needed to kiss her again.
“It’s so beautiful out here,” she said, an hour later, as they paused along the rugged terrain, staring across the Bay.
“And quiet,” he said, pausing to give Bash some water.
They’d hiked down to the beach to let Bash run around, before walking up one of the coastal trails, away from most of the scenic spots you could get to by car. “It’s crazy busy up here once the fog burns off. Everyone wants to see the Golden Gate and other vistas. Parking can be a total nightmare, so I always like to arrive and park before 10:00 a.m.”
“I can’t believe I’ve never been here. It’s so close to the city,” she said, looking out over the water. “And there’s no tree coverage, so the views are endless.”
“You can get an amazing view of the Bridge from the Lighthouse, but they don’t allow dogs down there,” he said, sweeping his hand down Bash’s back.
“Maybe another time,” she said, and he hoped her next visit was with him. “But, this is great. Ankle still doing well?”
“Of course. You know it’s basically healed. They wouldn’t let me back on the ice if it wasn’t.” He’d met with Dr. Jonas a few days before, and he had been given the all clear to strap his skates back on.
“I know. I just don’t want you to aggravate it.”
“You just don’t want our appointments to end,” he said, stalking toward her. “It’s okay. I understand.” He pulled her into his arms, and she huffed in annoyance, but didn’t push him away.
“You’re ridiculous,” she said, leaning in and pressing a quick kiss to his lips, catching him by surprise. She ducked out of his arms before he could recover and tighten his hold. “Now, let’s finish this hike. And maybe you could take me out for lunch. I’m starving.”
Progress.
He would not pump his fist or pull her back in for another kiss. “I think she likes us,” he said to Bash, then followed after her along a steep stretch back to their cars.
“Now be careful, it’s extra rocky here,” she said a short while later as they navigated through the path.
“It’s fine. You worry too much,” he said, leaning in to kiss her when she got too close. Her warm breath washed over his cheek when she pulled away to scold him.
She poked him in the chest. “Stop causing trouble,” she teased, her green eyes sparkling in the sunlight.
He stepped back and felt the twinge in his injured foot as he landed awkwardly between two rocks.
“Son of a bitch,” he burst out.
Sophia’s eyes widened in panic. “What happened?” she asked.
He pressed his weight down on his foot, cursing himself as it throbbed in pain.
“I stepped wrong on some rocks,” he bit out, pissed at himself.
“Finn, I told you to be careful,” she said, crouching down to push up his pants and touch his ankle.
“I know,” he gritted out, not needing a reminder.
Bash trotted over and nudged his head under Finn’s clenched fist. “It’s okay, buddy,” he said, trying to reassure his dog, and not curse himself for his stupidity.
“Can you walk on it?” she asked, standing and brushing her hands over her thighs.
“Yes. I can walk,” he barked out, immediately regretting his tone, but unable to stop his frustration from coming out.
“There’s no need to be a jerk about it. I’m trying to help,” she said, her irritation at his response clear.
“I know. And I’m just mad at myself. This is going to set me back, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know. You might be swollen tonight and tomorrow. Hopefully it’s just a minor strain. I’ll have a better idea on Monday during your appointment.” She was pulling away.
“Sophia,” he started, grabbing her hand, which she quickly tugged away.
“At least we’re almost to the parking lot. Can you drive yourself? You should make sure to ice your ankle as soon as you get home. Hopefully the swelling won’t be too bad.”
“Sophia, I’m sorry for lashing out.”
“It’s fine. I get it. You wanted to stick to your schedule and get back on the ice this week,” she said, standing straight and looking toward the path, her eyes not meeting his.
He was an asshole.
“It’s not fine,” he said, putting his finger under her chin and forcing her to look at him. “I’m sorry. I had no right to be so short with you.”
“I get it. I really do. We should get you back.”
He followed at a slow pace behind her, hoping that he hadn’t damaged his ankle, or what was happening between them.
Shit. He’d been so close.