Sudden Response (EMS #1)(34)

"What about you?" she suddenly demanded, interrupting him and sounding pissed.

"What about me?"

"You don't have a life. You don't date and I doubt you've gotten laid in the last year," she announced and he had to grind his teeth as he forced away the memory of why he hadn't gotten laid in too damn long to be normal. "Are you going to be looking for another line of work?"

He frowned. "No, why the hell would I?"

"Exactly," she said, placing her hands flat on the table and standing up. She leaned forward. "So it's okay for you to still be doing a job you love at forty, but not for me?" she demanded.

He got to his feet and leaned forward, closing the space between them until their noses were only a few inches apart. "Damn straight."

"Why exactly is that?"

"Honestly?" he asked, not really sure if she wanted to hear the truth.

"Of course," she said tightly and if it had been any other woman he wouldn't have laid into her, but this was Joe and he wanted her safe and if that meant pissing her off then so be it.

"While you think that you're one of the guys, Joe, you're not," he said, ignoring the flash of hurt in her eyes. "You're a woman and while that comes in handy when we have a patient that needs a reassuring word or two and a little handholding it's also a huge problem. You're smaller and weaker and when the shit hits the fan it means that not only does your partner have to handle whatever's going down, but he also has to make sure that you're safe and out of the way. It's a huge f**king liability that no one needs and it's only going to get worse as you get older and you know it."

For a moment she didn't say anything as she looked at him and he thought that maybe he needed to push the point a little more, but thankfully she seemed to understand. "I see. So, it's distracting to work with me," she summed it up.

"Yes."

She shrugged as she stepped away. "Then I guess I don't have any choice but to call up Bill and have him reassign me to another shift since I'm such a distraction for you."

Everything in him went still as her words hit home. She was going to work with someone else? Not f**king happening. As long as she was working on the truck, and if he had his way it wouldn't be much longer, she was going to work with him. He didn't trust some other ass**le to keep an eye on her and keep her safe.

That was his job.

"No," he said evenly.

"No, what?" she demanded.

"You're not switching off of our shift."

"That's not your decision, Eric. In fact, I believe you just made it painfully clear that it's a problem to work with me. Well, I found a solution so you should be happy that I'm going to be out of your hair soon," she bit out angrily as she moved to walk passed him.

He stepped in front of her. "You're not f**king switching off our shift, Joe. As long as you're determined to be pigheaded about this you're going to work with me so that I can keep you safe."

She shoved him back. "Who the hell do you think you are?" she demanded, stepping forward to shove him back again. "You're not my boss or my keeper! If I want to switch my shift then I'll switch my damn shift! And if I want to keep working on the truck until I'm old and gray then that's my goddamn business!"

"Bullshit!" he snapped, grabbing her hands when she went to push him again and shoved them behind her back. The movement forced her to arch into him until her br**sts were plastered against his bare chest and she was forced to glare up at him. "Anything that concerns you is my business."

"No, it's not!" she said, struggling against his hold. "I can take care of myself!"

"You don't have to!"

"Yes, I do!" she yelled.

"Why?" he demanded, yanking her back against him when she managed to put some distance between them.

"Because I don't have anyone, you ass**le! Now let me go!"

He glared down at her. "That's bullshit, Joe."

"No, it's not" she snapped, renewing her struggles, but he didn't let her gain so much as an inch this time.

"You have me, Joe! You've always had me," he bit out evenly. How the hell could she say that or even think that?

She'd always had him. Always. They'd been inseparable since they were eight years old and that hadn't changed, wouldn't change. She was just too damn stubborn to realize that she wasn't alone in this world, but she was hung up on that bitch that abandoned her and refused to see that she'd done her a favor. She was the most important person in his life and he thought that he was the same for her. It killed him to know that she thought she was alone. She wasn't. Not as long as he was around.

"No, I-"

Whatever she was about to say was cut off when he did the one thing he'd longed to do since the dare he'd accepted when they were fourteen, he kissed her. For a moment she stood there, tense, but he didn't let that stop him from enjoying her lips. They were so warm and soft and he couldn't seem to get enough.

He knew he'd f**ked up, but he couldn't help himself. She felt so good in his arms and when she moved her lips slowly against his she felt perfect. It was so damn good, but he wanted more.

With a groan he released her hands and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her impossibly closer as he tilted his head and traced the seam of her lips with the tip of his tongue. When she opened up to him he didn't hesitate. He slid his tongue inside of her mouth and couldn't help but feel like he was coming home.