Sudden Response

by R. L. Mathewson

  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 fucking 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 fucking 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 asshole 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 fucking 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 breasts 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 asshole! 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 fucked 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.

  She suckled his tongue into her mouth as her arms wrapped around his neck. In seconds the kiss went from cautious to out of control and desperate. He couldn't get enough of her and if the way she was fisting his hair was any indication then she felt the same way. They stumbled back until his back met the wall.

  Without breaking the kiss he turned them around until she was against the wall. He removed his arms from around her and slid his hands over her back to her sides and up. He ran his hands over her breasts, earning a needy little growl from Joe as her hard nipples teased his hands through her shirt. She felt so good, a thousand times better than he ever imagined she would.

  After a moment he needed more. He released her breasts and reached down, cupping her behind her knees and pulled her legs up. She didn't hesitate in wrapping her legs around his waist and he sure as hell didn't waste any time in shifting until his erection was pressed against her center.

  Even through multiple layers that separated them he could feel her heat. He couldn't remember ever wanting a woman more than he wanted her at that moment. He ground himself against her as he swallowed her moan of pleasure.

  She ran her hands over his back and ass, encouraging him on and he knew by the sounds of her breathing and the way she dug her nails into his back that she was close and god help him, but so was he. It wouldn't be enough. Not nearly enough, he thought as he pulled her away from the wall and placed her on the edge of the kitchen table. He needed to be inside of her.

  He reached for her pants button when he heard her front door open. They both went completely still.

  "Joe? Look, I can't stand you being mad at me so I brought you another milkshake."

  The moment he pulled away from her, reality crashed in over them like a bucket of cold water and they both realized they'd just fucked up.

  Chapter 16

  "Are you going to share that with me?" Nathan asked, pouting.

  "No," she said, sighing as she took a big bite out of her fried dough. She didn't really want it, but she needed something to do in order to distract herself from the colossal mess she'd made out of her life.

  "Cheap," Nathan mumbled, throwing her a little pout that had her rolling her eyes.

  "You can have some of mine, Nathan," Caitlyn said, smiling sweetly up at Nathan.

  "Thank you," Nathan said, looking a little uncomfortable as he accepted a bite of her fried dough. Caitlyn must have noticed it too, because her smile slipped a notch.

  She just barely stopped herself from slapping him upside his head. What the hell was wrong with him? Caitlyn was smart, funny, sweet and kind and he was pushing her away. He did this so often that she knew the signs by heart now.

  Right now he was distancing himself from Caitlyn and in a week she'd be gone from the picture. In another month or two he'd find another woman that was just as perfect for him and he'd be happy until whatever stupid notion he allowed to take o
ver his common sense had him pushing that one away too. She wanted to scream at him and slap some sense into him, but she honestly didn't know where to start.

  "I-I'm going to go get a drink. Does anyone else want one?" Caitlyn asked, shifting uncomfortably.

  "No, thank you," Joe said, throwing Caitlyn what she hoped was a warm smile.

  "I'm all set," Nathan said absently as he watched the teams of firefighters run a relay race with rolled up hoses.

  "Okay," Caitlyn said softly as she turned and walked away.

  "Do we need to send you to therapy?" she asked when Caitlyn was out of hearing distance.

  He frowned down at her. "No. Why?"

  She rolled her eyes as she gestured towards Caitlyn's retreating back. Nathan followed her gesture and sighed.

  "It's just not working out," he said with a shrug.

  "Then tell her that instead of dragging this out. It's not fair to her."

  "I will," was all he said and she had to ball her hands into fists to stop herself from choking some sense into him. What the hell was wrong with him that he couldn't even see what was right in front of him? How the hell could he push someone who was obviously perfect for him away like that?

  The man needed his ass kicked. That's really all there was to it.

  "What's going on with you two?" Nathan asked, gesturing towards the row of ambulances lined up for the EMS competition. She spotted Eric leaning against the ambulance, shirtless of course, talking to an equally shirtless Dave, the EMT that took her spot, but the sight of Dave didn't send her heart racing, make her palms sweat or confuse the hell out of her.

  After their momentary lapse in sanity he hadn't said one single word to her. He simply stepped away from her and went to her bedroom to get dressed, leaving her sitting on the table, confused, aching and furious. Of course the milkshake Nathan brought her had helped calm her down. It really was too bad they weren't selling them here because she could really use one right about now.

  By the time Eric reappeared he was dressed and wouldn't make eye contact with her for which she'd been immensely grateful. She'd never been more embarrassed in her life than in that moment. He kissed her and what had she done? She'd turned into Super Ho and practically swallowed his tongue and rubbed against him.

  She still couldn't believe it happened and if there was any doubt in her mind then the way her nipples tightened and tingled every time she thought of him was proof enough. It didn't help that she couldn't stop thinking about him and what almost happened. It didn't matter that she'd always been attracted to him. He was her best friend and she didn't want to lose that.

  When he kissed her she should have put a stop to it and pulled away and laughed it off like she did when they were fourteen. But had she done that? Oh no, not her. She practically swallowed his tongue and was seconds away from begging him to screw her on the kitchen table before Nathan thankfully came by.

  Now they weren't talking. They'd never gone a day without talking, but not one word from him over the past three days. Then again she wasn't exactly reaching out and trying to connect with him either. For the past of couple of days she'd been screening all her calls and avoiding all his usual haunts. If Nathan and Caitlyn hadn't showed up and bugged the hell out of her until she gave in and let them drag her here to the Fireman's Muster she'd still be avoiding him.

  "You're not still mad at him, are you?" Nathan asked, thankfully drawing her attention back to him before Eric saw that she was watching him. The last thing she needed was for Eric to think that she thought that kiss meant something when it clearly didn't.

  Not at all.

  She barely even thought about it or how good it felt to be in his arms. It was the furthest thing from her mind. Of course she also wasn't curious about what would have happened if Nathan hadn't showed up or wondered if it would have been good. She didn't, because that would be counterproductive when she was trying to forget it ever happened and figure out a way to act like it never happened.

  "Everything's fine, Nathan," she said with a shrug.

  "Really? Is that why he won't even look this way and you haven't gone over there to kick his ass for getting you kicked out of the competition?" he asked, throwing his arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle pull until she was walking with him towards the food vendors.

  "It's just a simple misunderstanding. It's nothing," she explained as they stepped in line, hoping he'd let it go. Thankfully by some miracle he did.

  "I'm starving. What are you buying me?" he demanded as he gestured towards the two man team working the grills.

  "Nothing. You kidnapped me. That means you feed me."

  "I guess I'm not up to date on my kidnapping etiquette."

  "Guess not," she said, feeling her lips twitch in amusement. "You'll have to work on that."

  "I guess so."

  "Hey, Joe!" a familiar voice suddenly yelled.

  She looked past Nathan to see Johnny, an EMT from the 505, waving to get her attention. "We need a patient. You interested?"

  Was she? Yes, yes she was. The fact that she'd be helping the competition beat Eric didn't hurt. She was still pretty pissed about being kicked out of the Muster and after all this weirdness was behind them she fully planned on kicking his ass for screwing her over like this.

  "I'll take a rain check on that double rack of ribs," she said, pulling away from Nathan to go help kick Eric's ass.

  "Wait. When did I promise to buy you a double rack?" Nathan asked, sounding adorably confused.

  "About ten seconds before you promised to buy me a double fudge brownie sundae," she said, throwing him a wink.

  "Gold digger!"

  ********

  "What the hell is she doing?" Dave asked as he gestured behind him.

  Eric looked back and had to bite back a curse or two as he watched Johnny Powers sweep Joe off her feet and place her on his stretcher. His eyes narrowed to slits when the bastard ran his fingers through her hair as he moved it out of her face.

  What the hell was she doing?

  Was she really that pissed at him that she was willing to help his competition? Or was it something else, he wondered. Everyone knew that Johnny had the hots for Joe. Although whenever anyone told her that she'd just laugh it off. She thought Johnny was just a buddy and being friendly. She was so fucking naive sometimes.

  "That reminds me. We're going to need a patient too. Should I go get my sister?" Dave asked, moving to go do just that.

  "Nah, I got it covered," he said, tossing the straps back on the stretcher.

  He ran his fingers through his hair, questioning his motives even as he weaved his way through the other teams getting their equipment together.

  "Maybe after this we can go get a drink," Johnny asked, sounding eager.

  Joe opened her mouth, probably to say yes since the damn woman no doubt thought it was just the guys hanging out together. He really had no idea why the hell she couldn't figure out that she was pretty much the only one that saw her as one of the guys. All the other guys as far as he knew looked her at her as a hot piece of ass and she was too damn oblivious to see that, which was pretty fucked up since she wasn't like this with guys from outside of work.

  "She's busy," he said, cutting her off before she could inadvertently lead the poor bastard on as he shoved past Johnny and scooped her up. He ignored her sputtered protests as he carried her back towards his ambulance.

  "Where the hell are you going with my patient?" Johnny called after them.

  "She's mine, dipshit," he yelled over his shoulder, wishing like hell that he didn't like the sound of that.

  He dumped her ass on his stretcher and before she could make a run for it he clipped her in. Of course she moved to unclip the safety restraints, but he simply readjusted them so that the belt at her waist covered her forearms and tightened it so that she couldn't move. He did the same with her legs of course.

  "Comfy?" he asked brightly as she glared up at him with all sorts of promises of pain and mise
ry in his future. As long as she didn't go for his balls she could have her little revenge.

  "What is wrong with you?" she demanded. "Let me go!"

  "Sorry, can't," he said with a bored shrug. "The patients are expected to be on the stretcher at the start of the competition."

  "I'm not your patient!" she snapped.

  "Of course you are," he said, leaning against the open back