Page 26 of Her Paramedic
“You haven’t heard a word I said.”
Slate turned his attention to Jonah. “You mean you finally finished talking to yourself?”
“Har, har, har.” He removed his seat belt and pulled out his Switch. “How long do you think the guy will have to stay in the hospital?”
“They’ll discharge him in the morning once they set it. It wasn’t that bad.”
“Lucky for him. What possessed him to climb onto his roof with ice covering it is beyond me.”
“Jim Beam is what possessed him. When people can’t hold their liquor, dumb shit occurs.”
Slate pulled out a crossword book, and they settled into their usual routine as they waited for their next call.
Slate walked through his front door after his shift, with breakfast from the place he’d taken Talia on their second date. He tossed his keys into the bowl, went into the kitchen, grabbed a drink, and settled at the bar.
After breakfast, Slate put a load of laundry in the washer and went into his en suite. He turned the shower on, placed his phone on the counter, and took off his uniform, tossing it into the hamper. He stepped into the shower, dipping his head under the water spray.
The rest of their shift had been busy. It seemed stupidity was the theme for the night because after the man fell off his roof, they’d received several calls involving others doing things that made no sense to him. Those were the calls they got on New Year’s and Independence Day when idiocy ran rampant like an epidemic—not a week into the year.
When he stepped out of the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist and ran another over his hair. After brushing his teeth, he lined up his goatee. Ten minutes later, when he looked at his phone, he found it was after eight. He was supposed to text Talia when he got home, but he figured shewould still be asleep when he did. Slate took a picture and sent it to her.
Slate:Good morning, baby.
Talia:That’s a nice way to start the day, but don’t be shy. Move the towel.??
Slate chuckled, shaking his head.
Slate:You can undress me whenever you want.
Talia:I’m going to hold you to that. Get some sleep. I’ll call you after work.
Slate:Yes, ma’am.
He exited the bathroom and dressed in a pair of boxers. He put his phone on the charger and slid into bed. If his upcoming shift was like the last one. Slate would need all the rest he could get.
8
Slate pulled up to Talia’s house on Thursday evening after six. He’d spent his day running errands and ensuring his uniforms were washed for his upcoming shifts. He grabbed the bouquet he stopped for from the passenger seat and his bag from the back before approaching the door and knocking. It opened a few seconds later, and he had to stop himself from groaning as he took her in.
She wore a pair of mustard-colored high-waist slacks with a burgundy cropped sweater. Her hair was pulled on top of her head. The natural coils spilling over their confinement. Slate wasn’t sure if it was because he hadn’t slept with anyone in a while or because she was that beautiful, but his dick twitched in interest. He realized quickly it was the latter because this was the first time in his adult life that looking at a woman had his dick wanting to harden.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he greeted as she stepped aside and let him in.
“Hi. Did you find it okay?”
Slate kissed her before passing the flowers to her. “I did.”
“Thank you. They’re beautiful,” she responded, bringing them to her nose. She reached for his bag, and he moved it away.
“Absolutely not.”
“I’m trying to be a good hostess,” she countered. When he raised a brow at her, she conceded, dropping her hand. “Come on. I’ll show you where you can put it.”
Slate followed her, his eyes dipping down to the sway of her hips, before the delicious aroma filtering from the kitchen as they passed caught his attention. The blended smell of spices was mouthwatering. She led him into her bedroom after pointing out a bathroom and a guest room.
“You can put your bag anywhere.”
If he’d imagined what her bedroom looked like prior, he wouldn’t have been far off. He placed the bag by the dresser.
