Page 22 of Her Paramedic (Men in Uniforms #3)

T alia couldn’t remember the last time she counted the minutes until the end of her day.

She loved what she did, making people feel more confident and beautiful by helping them pamper themselves and care for their hair.

It wasn’t boredom or lack of interest in the day that had her doing a countdown.

It was because she knew she’d get to spend the weekend with Slate when she left.

He’d surprised her a few times with day visits, but since it was during the week, they only had a few hours to spend together since she was working.

Now she’d get a couple of uninterrupted days.

He didn’t have to work again until Monday night, and her first appointment wasn’t until ten-thirty, so she would leave to head back home that morning.

They were spending the weekend celebrating Valentine’s Day and her birthday.

The holiday was yesterday, and he’d sent her a teddy bear made of roses, a box of chocolates, and some balloons.

There was a card with a QR code, and when she scanned it, it brought up a cute little bear asking, Will you be my Valentine?

Yes, and no came up as options. She’d pressed yes, and the bear winked at her.

She’d received a text from him a few minutes later, which told her he was confident she’d say yes.

The ladies in the salon had a field day with their usual antics and asked what sort of witchcraft she did to get him.

Her last client was under the dryer with five minutes left. Talia would remove the rollers and style the curls, and she’d be good to go. She was going directly from the shop to Slate’s house. Her bag and his gifts were in her car. She could admit she was eager to see and spend time with him.

“What does that handsome man of yours have planned for Valentine’s Day?” Whitney asked as she cleaned some of her tools after her last client.

“I don’t know,” Talia responded. “To be honest, we don’t have to do anything.”

“I have a feeling he wouldn’t be okay with that,” Monique stated, approaching from the reception desk. “You’ve gotten more deliveries in the past few weeks than I think any of us have combined in the past couple of years.”

“Whatever it is, let us know,” Maya requested.

“Yes, we’re all living vicariously through you,” Nesha added.

She didn’t doubt that he probably had something planned, but she would be fine with them spending time together.

They hadn’t discussed what they would do, but now that she thought about it, she hadn’t asked or suggested beyond them being together, and neither had he.

There was one thing Talia knew they would do, and maybe that was why she was ready to see him.

I t was almost seven when she pulled in front of Slate’s house. She grabbed her purse and small suitcase from the backseat after draping her coat over her arm. The front door opened shortly after she knocked.

“Hello, gorgeous,” he greeted, kissing her.

“Hey, baby,” she replied, entering the house. “Something smells good.”

He took her suitcase and coat from her. “I thought we could start the night with dinner. Come on. I’ll show you the bedroom.”

She followed him down the hall, where he pointed out two guest rooms and a bathroom before they stepped into his bedroom, which was decorated in shades of gray. She took it in as he placed her suitcase and coat in the closet, and she put her purse on the dresser.

They backtracked to the kitchen, where the delicious smell was more prominent. He pulled a chair out for her at the table, which housed a bottle of wine chilling on ice, taper candles, and two vases of red roses. Talia smiled as he pulled one from the vase and handed it to her.

“What did you cook, babe?” she asked as she watched him pour glasses of wine.

“Ribeye, German potato salad, and Brussels sprouts.”

“The superior vegetable,” Talia stated, and he rolled his eyes playfully.

“If you say so, baby.”

During a conversation, he wasn’t shocked when she told him Brussels sprouts were one of her favorite vegetables.

He was when she said it was the superior of the vegetable family.

She took a sip of wine while watching him move around the kitchen.

His back was to her, and her eyes zeroed in on his shoulders.

Each time she’d seen them since he had her test them as leg rests, she was transported back to that night, and she probably should have been ashamed by how wet the memory made her.

A couple of minutes later, Slate set a plate in front of her, and she discovered two things.

The first was that German potato salad was not what she thought it was.

It was yellow baby potatoes sliced in quarters, topped with chives, bacon pieces, sauteed purple onion, and tossed in something.

The second was that it looked as good as it smelled—not just the food, but the presentation of it.

“So you moonlight as a chef in your spare time, huh?” she teased.

Slate chuckled as he sat across from her. “Only for you, baby.”

As they ate, Talia discovered that German potato salad might be her new favorite food as they discussed their days.

Once they finished eating and Slate declined her help cleaning, she went into his bedroom and removed her toiletry bag and the gift boxes.

She freshened her breath before taking the two boxes into the living room and placing them on the coffee table, then went back into the kitchen to try again to help.

She casually walked to the other side of the sink, intent on rinsing the dishes.

“No,” Slate stated.

“If you let me help, it’ll go much faster.”

“You want to help?” Talia nodded. “You see those barstools?” He tilted his head back in the general direction of them.

“Yes.”

“Be a good girl, and sit your pretty ass on one until I’m done,” he smirked.

She no longer had the desire to help. All that mattered was that playful command she was well aware he meant, uttered in that deep baritone.

The only thing Talia wanted to do was be a good girl, but that didn’t mean she still couldn’t be a bit of a brat.

She moved the barstool to where she could look at his profile and sat.

Slate chuckled. “I almost expected you to put it at the sink and still try to help.”

Talia smiled. “I thought about it, but you told me to be a good girl, and I intend to be so good for you.”

He inhaled deeply before exhaling, and he looked at her.

He said nothing; she didn’t need him to because she could read what he was saying through those expressive green eyes.

He licked his lips, turned his attention back towards the sink, and Talia squeezed her thighs together, swearing she could feel the phantom press of his tongue against her clit.

“I have something else planned tonight,” he stated after a moment.

“Are you going to tell me what it is?”

“You’ll see.”

It didn’t take him long to finish, and she took the time to admire the way his biceps flexed while doing something so domestic. His shirt hugged his broad chest and shoulders, his sculpted back.

“Come on,” she started, grabbing his hand after he dried them. “I have something for you.”

He allowed her to pull him to the threshold of the living room before pulling her back against his chest. Slate kissed her neck. “Give me a minute.”

Talia sat on the couch, a little antsy about the gifts she’d gotten him.

Valentine’s Day was a holiday that catered to women.

She could admit that finding a gift for him had been a little tricky because she wanted something that embodied the holiday.

But ultimately, she got something she thought he’d enjoy and was helpful.

He returned a few minutes later, and her eyes were immediately drawn to the large purple bear he held, which held a heart.

She smiled at it. It was such a sweet gift, and purple was her favorite color.

She reached out for it, and when he set it in her lap, it was far softer than any stuffed animal she’d ever received.

Talia had not been expecting anything else after the gifts he sent her yesterday.

“It’s so adorable, babe,” she stated.

“I thought you’d like it.”

“I do. It’s so soft.” I can sleep with it when I miss you, she thought.

Talia moved the bear aside and took a jewelry box from him.

When she opened it, she smiled, taking the charm out of the box.

She held her wrist out for his help to remove the bracelet.

He added the blow dryer charm and clasped it back around her wrist. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled until he leaned down and kissed him.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, gorgeous.”

“My turn.”

She handed him one box and then the other. She’d gotten him a self-cleaning travel cup and a steering wheel tray.

“Since you eat mostly in the ambulance when you’re on shift, I thought the tray would come in handy, and the cup stays hot for twelve hours and cold for twenty-four.”

“They’re perfect, baby. Thank you,” he responded, giving her another kiss.

He grabbed a shopping bag from beside the table she hadn’t realized he’d brought in.

He pulled out two pairs of matching slippers.

Talia was confused, but she allowed him to remove her shoes and slip her feet into them.

They were cream and soft, like walking on clouds, with a thin tan-colored stripe across the top.

His were tan, and the insides were cream.

Slate took her hand and led her down the hall and to the back door.

“Do I need my coat?” she asked. It was cold outside, and the last thing she wanted was to freeze.

“No. You’ll be okay.”