Sudden Response (EMS #1)(62)

With a soft laugh Beverly playfully swatted Eric's hands away.

"Is this your way of denying our love once again?" Eric asked, pouting.

"I'm afraid so," Beverly said matter-of-factly as she grabbed her reading glasses and a paperback novel and hugged them to her chest.

"What if I beg?" Eric asked, lowering the bed's side rails.

"You already have," Beverly pointed out with a smile.

Eric sighed heavily. "It's because you want a younger man, isn't it? I've grown past my prime and now you're done with me."

Beverly nodded solemnly. "I'm afraid that's it."

"I don't think I'll ever recover," Eric said, sighing as he leaned over and scooped Beverly up into his arms. Normally they would have placed the stretcher against the bed and worked together to shift Beverly onto the stretcher, but she barely weighed a hundred pounds. Plus, they both knew she got a kick out of being swept off her feet by a handsome man.

"Probably not," Beverly agreed as Eric gently placed her on the stretcher and began strapping her in.

"Where's Greg?" Joe asked when the other man didn't walk into the room by the time Beverly was all loaded up and ready to go.

Eric's lips twitched as he said, "He went for a walk."

Chapter 27

"Are you going to tell me where Greg is yet?" Joe asked as she perused the vending machine selection in the EMS room of Shamrock Hospital's ER. It was a place set up for EMTs to fill out their paperwork as well as swap out equipment. Some hospitals didn't have any designated areas for EMTs so they knew they were fortunate that the hospital gave them a room to work out of.

It made it a hell of a lot easier filling out paperwork in a designated area than trying to hunt down some counter space, or worse, using the stretcher. As long as they kept this room clean the hospital was happy to let them use it.

"I might if you buy me a Coke," he said, filling in the narrative section on the run sheet.

"You drive a hard bargain," she said, sighing as she purchased a twenty ounce bottle of Coke and placed it in front of him. "Okay, spill. What happened to our third rider?"

He opened the bottle and took a sip as Joe sat on his left leg and put her arm around his neck. His arm automatically went around her waist as he considered how to answer her question.

"I believe I mentioned that he went for a walk," he said, feeling his lips twitch from the memory.

"Yes, you said that," she agreed as she stole his soda and took a sip.

"Did I mention that I discovered the reason why he was acting so damn cocky?" he asked offhandedly as he took the soda back from her and took a sip.

"No," she said, pursing up her lips in thought. "I'm pretty sure I would have remembered that part."

"Do you remember USG Ambulance?" he asked, knowing that she already did.

"That ambulance company you interviewed with a few years ago?" she asked, shifting to get more comfortable on his leg.

"Well, it seems that he interviewed with them last week and had his uncle put in a good word for him. It seems that he was just waiting for their call," he said absently as he ran his eyes over her, appreciating the way her uniform fit her.

"I'm guessing he got it while I was talking to Beverly," she surmised, giving him a sexy little smile even as she gently cupped his chin and forced his eyes up.

"Apparently they're convinced that he only needs to do their two day requirement of ride along before they put him to work," he said, wondering if she'd be up to hunting down an empty hall closet and fulfilling another one of his fantasies.

"So he just walked out?" she asked, frowning in adorable confusion.

"More or less," Eric admitted with a mumble.

Her eyes narrowed on him. "What did you do?"

He blinked innocently. "I didn't do anything," he lied.

"Uh huh," she said, obviously not believing him as she stood up and stole his soda and walked back over to the vending machine to pick out a snack.

"Did somebody at least call dispatch and let them know that he quit?" she asked as she counted out enough change for a package of peanut butter cups.

"He called Bill," Eric said, not mentioning that the little bastard demanded that Joe and he bring him back to the station. He calmed the little prick down by arranging a ride for him. One that took him to the middle of nowhere and forced the little prick to walk ten miles to the nearest gas station, but he decided it was best not to mention that or the fact that the guys may have decided to give Greg a farewell gift by making it easy for him to return his uniform. So the ass**le was probably walking along Madison Road at this very moment in his boxers and boots.

But Joe really didn't need to know about that.

He finished up his report and headed for the door, pausing only long enough to give her a quick kiss and swipe the candy bar out of her hand. When she swatted him on the ass he simply ignored it as he finished off her chocolate. Why did the food he stole from Joe always taste so damn good? he wondered as he reached out and stole back his soda. He ignored her muttered promises to kick his ass and dropped his run sheet off at the nurse's station on his way out to the ambulance bay.

"I'll clear us with dispatch since you're still enjoying my snack," she said, shooting him a look that promised all kinds of pain for his poor wallet.