Page 37 of Her Paramedic (Men in Uniforms #3)

T alia turned Jean, the older woman in her chair, towards the mirror after finishing her hair.

She was a regular who came in every two weeks for a wash, blowout, and style.

Talia enjoyed doing the other woman’s hair and listening to stories of what her grandchildren had gotten up to since the last time she’d been in.

She always brought them a bag of cinnamon candies.

Each visit with Jean brought up a sense of nostalgia.

“You get this old lady together every time,” Jean said as she looked herself over in the mirror with a smile. “I always feel ten years younger when I leave.”

“You make it easy,” Talia replied.

“You look good, Ms. Jean,” Nesha said. “If you’re interested, my daddy is single, and I need him to mingle so he’ll stay out of my business.”

That drew a laugh from those in the shop and a blush tinted Jean’s caramel cheeks. “I’m too old to be out here dating.”

“Says who?” Maya asked, adding rollers to her client’s hair. “Dating has no expiration age, and you’re only as old as you feel.”

“She’s right,” Talia agreed.

Jean waved them off with a laugh. “You girls always know how to make me feel young.”

Talia removed the cape and took her to the front to pay. With her next appointment set, Jean exited the salon, and Talia returned to her station to clean up and prepare for her next client. She was setting up her hot comb when Monique returned from lunch, making a beeline for her.

“Tal, someone hit your car,” Monique informed.

Talia’s eyes widened. “What?” she asked, not waiting for an answer as she headed out of the shop. She started across the parking lot to her car, the irritation on her face shifting instantly, and her steps picked up as she quickly closed the distance.

She found herself in Slate’s arms, legs around his waist, her lips on his as she kissed him.

She hadn’t expected to see him so soon. He wasn’t supposed to fly home until tomorrow evening and had to work the entire week after that.

At the very least, she thought it would be the middle of next week before she did.

“I take it you missed me,” he said when they pulled apart.

“I did. You weren’t supposed to get back until tomorrow.”

Slate brushed a curl off her forehead. “I was, but considering Killian gets to go home tomorrow, he sent us home. I’m sure he was tired of us interrupting his alone time with Journee.”

Talia laughed as she played with the hair at the nape of his neck. “Well, I’m glad he’s doing well enough to want to tell people to get out,” she joked. “When are you heading home?”

“Tomorrow, or maybe early the following morning. Tonight, I want to take you out.”

“Okay, I should be home by six.” She gave him another kiss, and Slate put her down.

“I have something for you.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small box.

Talia opened it and smiled at the little bear charm inside. It was silver with purple jewels for the eyes. She took it out and handed it to him so he could help her attach it to her bracelet.

“Thank you, baby.”

“There’s a market area with vendors next to the hospital. I saw the woman making it and thought you’d like it.”

“I do. It’s adorable. I have something for you, too, but it’s at home.

” Talia’s attention shifted to the car that had just entered the parking lot.

“That’s my next client. Come inside, and I’ll give you my key.

” Talia figured she might as well give him her spare once she made it home and just let him keep it.

Once she’d given him the key, he’d left her to take care of her next client, and she knew six o’clock would feel like it was years away.

“I take it everything worked out with his family member,” Nesha said later, as Talia’s client was under the dryer.

When a few of the stylists asked her why they hadn’t seen him much over the last few weeks, she’d told them he was tending to a family emergency but hadn’t gone into detail beyond that.

What Killian had gone through was personal, and while their friend groups and his family knew.

It wasn’t relevant for people outside of them to know.

“It did.”

“Did he just get back?” Maya asked. Talia nodded as she placed the hot comb in the warmer. “And his first stop was to see you. Yeah, that man is whipped,” she joked. “I’m going to keep asking what spell you put on him because I need it in my life.”

Talia shook her head with a laugh. She’d done nothing to catch that man other than be herself.

Truthfully, she’d been lucky. They’d been in each other’s orbit at the right time, and when they started dating, they learned they were compatible beyond their physical attraction.

If anything, she owed her newfound relationship to her little sister and Axel because had they not been dating, she likely would not have met Slate.

“I will keep telling you I didn’t do anything. Put out the energy you want to receive and take nothing less. It took me a hot second to realize that my expectations were not unrealistic, and I didn’t need to amend them. I was dating the wrong people.”

With Slate, Talia learned it was okay for desire to burn hot between them as long as she made sure he knew what she wanted and was willing to meet her in the middle.

That was something she hadn’t done in past relationships.

Sure, she’d let them know what she was looking for, but she could admit she compromised what she wanted a little too much when it came down to them giving that to her, and ultimately, it caused the relationship to be more physical than anything else.

With Slate, she was met more than halfway.

There were times when Talia had to reevaluate whether she was doing what she needed to in their relationship.

If she was giving as much as she got. She recalled hearing her grandmother on Courtney’s side once say that because women loved so hard, you needed to find a man who was into you even more than you were him. That had sounded so one-sided to Talia.

She realized it meant only accepting matched energy.

To never do more than you receive because a relationship needs balance.

It’d taken her past relationships being one-sided on her end for the lightbulb to click.

She was positive that Slate had ruined her for relationships with other men, because she would take nothing less than what she received from him.

Though it wasn’t like she planned to let him go.

T alia stepped into her house a quarter after six, her last appointment having run a little long. She found Slate sitting in the living room watching television. She placed her purse on the entry table and leaned against the door frame.

“Hey, gorgeous,” he greeted.

“Hey, baby. What are you watching?”

“Forged in Fire.”

“What are they making?” Talia asked, glancing at the television.

“Hunting knives.”

She nodded. “Oh, let me get your present.”

She pushed off the door frame and headed into her bedroom, went to the closet, pulled out the gift, and headed back into the living room. Talia sat beside him on the couch and handed him the bag.

“What’s the occasion, baby?”

She shrugged. “I don’t need one to do something nice for you. The same way, you don’t seem to need one.”

She watched him remove the decorative paper and pull out a model antique car.

It was a 1920s Ford Model T with a clock on the side of it.

It was a decorative piece she thought he’d like.

She’d been passing an antique shop earlier in the week after lunch and saw it sitting in the window.

Talia had immediately thought of him. It took watch batteries, and she’d gotten a pack so he wouldn’t have to worry about it for a while.

Slate leaned over and kissed her after surveying it. “Thank you, gorgeous. I have the perfect place for it.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I wanted to. There are batteries in the bag, too,” she informed as he packed the car back inside. “I’m going to go get ready. Do you want to leave at eight?”

“Eight works. We’ll have a late dinner, and we can go to that lounge you like,” Slate responded.

Talia nodded before exiting the living room. She had the perfect outfit to wear for the evening.

? ─ · ─ · ─ · ─ · ─ · ─ · ─ ?

S late sat in the living room at a quarter to eight as he waited for Talia.

He’d showered in the guest bathroom and gotten dressed.

He was scrolling through his phone, looking at restaurants.

Each time he took her out, he liked to take her somewhere new, even if she’d been there before or he had; they hadn’t been together, and that was the point.

He looked up as she came into view, and he couldn’t contain the groan that built in his throat.

“ Talia ,” he stated.

She wore a two-piece lilac set. The skirt housed two long splits on either side and hugged her hips.

The top had a deep V-neckline, and her midriff was exposed.

Slate knew that several of her body parts would play peekaboo with him all night.

Her hair was pulled on top of her head, and a few tendrils were left loose on each side.

He stood, placing his phone in his back pocket as he approached her.

“Baby, you look gorgeous,” he complimented. “But I need you to change.” When she raised a brow at him, he continued. “I’m not trying to tell you what to wear. This isn’t insecurity or jealousy, but I haven’t seen or taken you out in weeks. I can’t promise to behave if you wear this.”

She slid her arms over his shoulders and rose onto her tiptoes, kissing him softly. “If I wanted you to behave, I would have worn something else.”

Slate chuckled as she smiled at him. “Remember, you said that. Do you have your EpiPen?”

“Yes, but since this clutch is too small for the pouch to fit, it’s in the side zipper.”