Page 2 of Her Paramedic
A smile spread across his face, and he licked his lower lip. “Are we still talking about pool, gorgeous? Because I haven’tplayedwith you yet, and if we aren’t, I’m not opposed.”
She listened to Maximus snort, and she refrained from pulling her lower lip between her teeth. She assumed he’d just been bantering with her earlier, but no. This man was flirting with her, and while she’d meant to play another game of pool, she didn’t find herself opposed to the latter part of his statement. Before she could answer, arms wrapped around her waist, and a chin settled on her shoulder.
“Did you beat him?”
“You know it,” she responded to Journee, and the other woman laughed, probably at Slate rolling his eyes.
“I’m making a drink run. Do you three want anything?” Journee questioned.
“I’ll take a vodka cranberry,” Talia stated.
“I’m good. Thanks,” Slate responded.
“I’ll take another beer,” Maximus requested.
“Okay.” Journee released her and was gone just as quickly as she’d come.
“Loser racks the balls,” Talia told Slate.
Once racked, she broke them, knocking in one solid and one stripe. She chose stripes, and the new game commenced. It went much like their first, and by the time she’d sank the eight ball, Matteo had migrated over to watch.
“There’s no fucking way,” Slate stated, and Talia laughed a bit.
“What’s going on?” Axel questioned as he and her sister came over, passing drinks around. Talia took hers.
“Talia just beat Slate two games in a row,” Maximus responded. From watching his other games, she’d already figured that wasn’t an easy feat, and she couldn’t help but feel a little smug about it.
“I’d ask you if you wanted to play again,” she started as her sister and Axel walked off to continue passing out drinks. “But I don’t think you can handle a third loss,” she teased with a smile.
“I can admit when I’ve met my match,” Slate responded, placing the stick on the pool table and gesturing to the empty pub table on the other side. He pulled a chair out for her, and she thanked him.
“So, Slate, Axel says you’re all current or former military men. Which are you?”
“Former. I’m currently a paramedic in Pueblo.”
“That’s not too far from here.”
“What about you? What do you do, Ms.Talia?”
She paused briefly. The way her name rolled off his tongue sounded better than she’d ever heard it coming out of anyone’s mouth, and she wondered if he’d done it on purpose when he gave her a small, knowing smile. Picking up on her pause, even when she hadn’t felt that it lasted long.
“I’m a cosmetologist. I own a salon.”
Slate studied her for a moment. “That means I can come see you next time I need a haircut.”
“Sure,” Talia responded.
“And if I don’t need one? Can I still come see you?”
Oh, this man was bold without being overbearing. Typically, they came off far too aggressive when she got questions like that. Men typically approaching her came off that way. She knew it wasn’t always their fault because society demanded that men be confident, but it often appeared overbearing. She was about to answer him when someone else spoke.
“Can you believe Kaydence just called me a cock-sleeve?” Alivia asked, and Talia could hear the pout on her face before she even turned to look at her friend.
Yes, she could believe that her sister called her a cock-sleeve, but for Kaydence to have done so, Talia knew Alivia had pushedher buttons one too many times. She would have taken it as another ordinary day if she had told her it was Journee.
“I’m sure you probably said something you shouldn’t have,” Talia responded.
“Not really. I was telling her the truth.”
