Page 69 of A Sudden Response

“I need to know if I’m part of the reason that you turned this down,” Eric said quietly.

“And if you are?” Joe asked, knowing that she should be happy with the way things were, but…

She wanted more.

She wanted to fall asleep in his arms every night and wake up in his arms every morning. She wanted to fight with him over the remote, trick him into giving her backrubs every chance she got, and she wanted to know that he was hers.

He pressed his lips against her forehead. “Please tell me that I’m the reason, Joe.”

“Why?” she asked, closing her eyes as she savored his touch.

“Because I need to know that you want me as much as I want you,” he whispered hoarsely against her forehead.

“And if I do?” Joe asked, smiling as she relaxed in his arms.

“I wish like hell that we weren’t having this conversation at work,” Eric said as she pulled back so that she could run her fingertips along his jaw.

“I’m in love with you, Eric,” Joe said, sighing softly as she reached up and cupped his jaw.

“And I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Joe,” Eric said as he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers.

When he moved back, Joe followed him, moving her lips against his as she shifted on his lap and moaned when he deepened the kiss. She would never be able to get enough of this man, Joe thought, wrapping her arms around him as his hands slid up her thighs, around her hips and cupped her bottom, using his hold to pull her closer so that she could feel just how much he wanted her. He-

“We have to stop,” Eric said, gasping as he broke off the kiss. Knowing just quickly this could get out of control, Joe forced herself to climb off his lap and willed her trembling legs not to give out as she climbed back into her seat.

Needing something to do besides think about how badly she wanted to climb back onto his lap and pick up where they left off, Joe grabbed the pastry box off the dashboard. Biting back a sigh, she handed the apple fritter to Eric and grabbed the chocolate-frosted coffee roll for herself. She took a bite and tried to focus on something besides Eric and all the things that she wanted to do with him, but it was difficult being this close to him.

“I don’t want you to quit for me, Joe,” Eric said softly, taking her by surprise.

“That’s what you wanted a few months ago,” she reminded him.

“I don’t want you to give up something that you love because of me. I don’t want you to regret this,” Eric murmured, looking lost in thought while he sat there, staring out the window.

She reached over and took his large hand in hers. “I’m not going to regret this, Eric. I love dispatching and teaching and if it doesn’t work out, then I’ll go back to working on the truck full-time and reapply to medic school.”

“I only want you to be happy, Joe,” Eric said, raising their entwined hands so that he could press a kiss against the back of her hand.

“I am happy,” she promised him before releasing a long-suffering sigh. “But I’d be happier with an orange juice.”

Shooting her a mock glare, Eric started the truck again as he muttered, “Little gold digger.”

“That’s me,” Joe easily agreed as a siren drew their attention to find Greg racing across the empty parking lot with his lights flashing and the siren blaring.

“What a fucking idiot,” Eric muttered as they watched Greg peel out in front of an SUV before racing down the middle of the road, forcing cars to pull off to the side or get hit.

“Remindme to have Bill give OEMS a call about that little prick,” Eric said as they watched Greg force another car off the road. He-

“Oh, shit!” Eric snapped, turning on the emergency lights and grabbing the mic as they watched in horror as Greg ran through a red light and was slammed into by a tractor-trailer that hadn’t been able to stop in time.

“Echo seventeen to dispatch,” Eric said as they drove across the parking lot, watching as Greg’s ambulance rolled over several times until if finally landed on its hood only to have the truck slam into it a second time as the sound of screeching breaks competed with the sounds of metal being crushed.

“Echo seventeen.”

“We are onsite at an MVA involving an ambulance and a tractor-trailer at Washington and Paramount. Requesting assistance from fire and ambulance,” Eric said, smoothly turning onto Washington.

“Received Echo seventeen, MVA at Washington and Paramount.”

“That fucking idiot,” Eric growled as he moved through traffic, switching the sirens as he requested the right of way.

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