Sudden Response (24 page)

could have a little more fun. In the end she knew what she had to do. She loved him and knew how much he hated these little

setups of A lice's.

"I have no idea what he's talking about," she said, shaking her head in wonder as she stepped away from him.

Nathan grinned hugely as he reached out and took her hand. Eric's shocked gasp of course pleased her.

"You betraying bitch!" he hissed, making a mad grab for her hand.

"Honestly, Eric. You'll do and say anything to get out of trying something new. It won't kill you to give tofu another try. I'm sure

the rash you developed last time was just a fluke," A lice said, starting to head for the door once again.

"This isn't over!" Eric called after them.

********

"Contemplating manslaughter," Eric said, snagging the plate away from his brother and moving down the line to add beef

teriyaki and pork fried rice. With a resigned sigh Nathan grabbed another plate.

"Where's your date?" Nathan asked, chuckling.

"You mean your date? She's sitting at the table waiting for you," Eric said, nodding towards the woman who looked seconds

away from throwing a tantrum.

Nathan frowned. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Eric shrugged even as his eyes sought out the little traitor loading her plate up three tables down. "A fter I explained that I was

unavailable, but that you were looking for someone like her, she decided to give you a chance," Eric said, slapping his brother

on the back before moving on to his next prey.

"You better be kidding," Nathan bit out. "You are kidding, right? Eric?" he said, sounding nervous. Good. The bastard should

be nervous.

That woman was a nightmare.

The second his brother pulled out of the driveway with their mother and Joe she started in on him, telling him she didn't

appreciate his attitude one bit. He just barely stopped himself from sending her packing when he decided to unload the woman

on Nathan to let the bastard see how it felt to be set up with a psycho.

When she started in about Joe he set her straight on that subject. He told her that he was in love with her and the damn woman

was just nervous about letting his mother know since she wouldn't want to get A lice's hopes up. Not that she could. She was

his and that's all there was to it.

"He said what?" he heard his mother suddenly demand.

His eyes shot over to the table where he left A mber pouting and he tried not to wince as his mother turned a glare on him. It

was just so wrong that one look from his mother could still make him cringe.

"Uh oh, looks like someone's in trouble," Joe said in a mock whisper as she walked past him.

With a glare that admittedly dropped to her ass several times he followed after her, snatching the soda out of Nathan's hand on

the way. He waited for Joe to sit down and then sat down right next to her and thankfully well away from the two women

glaring in his direction.

He pointedly ignored them as he put his arm along the back of Joe's chair and ate. Occasionally he looked up to send a smug

smile in his brother's direction as the harpy his mother tried setting him up with chatted his ear off about fashion and diets.

Every time the poor bastard went to eat something she went into a lecture about animal cruelty that Eric easily ignored. When

Nathan filled his plate up with vegetables, probably to get her to shut the hell up, she lectured him about oils and choosing

organic foods.

Joe happily ignored the woman's pointed comments in her direction and enjoyed her meal. When she finally shoved her plate

away, a clear sign from Joe that she was done, he took her hand into his and was surprised when she didn't pull away. Then

again they'd always been close so this wouldn't be a big deal to his mother. Even though he could appreciate the fact that she

was still his Joe and clearly enjoyed screwing him over for a good laugh, he fully planned on getting her back.

"A ren't you getting dessert?" he asked, reaching over to smooth a loose strand of her honey blond hair behind her ear.

"Now why would I do that when you're going to buy me something at the movies?" she asked, sending him an impish smile.

Nathan snorted at that and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "gold digger," but he ignored it, mostly because he

agreed with his brother. What was it with women these days? A ny other woman and he would have laughed and wished her

luck with that, but this was his Joe. So he might just treat her to a soda, small of course.

But he wanted a kiss first and he wanted it now. He stood up, giving her hand a small tug that had her standing up. "We'll meet

you outside,"

he told his family as he stepped away from the table, dropping enough money on the table to cover his and Joe's share plus a

tip, and headed for the door before his mother could stop him.

"Why exactly are you in a rush to leave the restaurant?" Joe asked once they reached his car.

"For this of course," he said, pulling her into his arms so that he could kiss her.

Over the past couple of days they'd snuck a few kisses, but it had been damn difficult to kiss her the way he wanted with

Nathan always under foot. He had no proof, but he was pretty sure the bastard was doing it on purpose to screw with him.

More than once over the past couple of days he thought he'd die if didn't touch her and now that she was in his arms he didn't

want to let her go.

"Come home with me," he murmured against her lips.

"What about the movie?" she asked, tightening her arms around his neck.

"We can watch a movie at my place," he suggested, loving the idea of living that particular fantasy out again.

"Do I get to pick the movie?" she asked in between nibbling on his lips.

"Yes," he said, knowing that he had absolutely no plans on watching the movie.

"He's just really shy," he heard Nathan explain. "But I know he's interested."

"Yes, he is-Eric Parish, what are you doing?" his mother demanded in a bit of a hysterical screech.

He pressed one last kiss to Joe's lips before pulling back, noting the beautiful blush that painted her cheeks.

"Kissing my girlfriend. What does it look like?" he asked, turning to face his mother while he took Joe's hand into his.

He couldn't help but be amused as he watched the play of emotions float over his mother's features. She went from shocked, to

horrified when her eyes landed on A mber and then turned pleased, very pleased.

His mother grinned hugely as she faced A mber. "Did I mention that Nathan is single?"

Chapter 25

"We have to go," she said, but didn't pull away from him as he reached between them and undid her pants. She said even less

as he shoved her pants and panties down around her knees. A fter one last kiss that left her panting he turned her around and

urged her to her knees.

When she felt him kneel behind her she reached back and grabbed him by the back of his head and yanked him down for

another kiss. While his tongue slid across hers she felt him grind his uniform pant covered erection against her bare bottom.

She ground herself back against it, loving the way he felt and she knew that she'd never get enough of him.

He pulled back only to release himself and she cried out in relief when he ran the tip of the velvet head over her bottom. Just

when she didn't think she could take any more teasing he gripped her hip and pushed between her legs until he came in contact

with her core. She felt herself drip with excitement and knew that he felt it too when he let out a sexy little growl that had her

arching her hips and pushing back until she felt the large head slide inside her.

A s he released himself so that he could push further inside her he reached around and slid his hand beneath her shirt and over

her stomach until he could snake a hand beneath her sports bra and cup a breast. She leaned back against him as he slowly slid

all the way inside of her.

They released moans of pleasure when he was fully inside of her.

His mouth never left hers as he took her on a slow deep ride. She loved the way he touched her, made her feel and set her body

on fire and knew that she would never want another man. She loved him and no longer doubted his ability to stay with her and

see this thing through.

She'd been worried when he told her that he wanted to give them a chance. With his history she would have been a fool not to

worry, but she loved him and couldn't deny him a chance to try.

It was the best decision of her life. She had the man that she loved and had never been happier, but thanks to the way her

mother brought her up that made her nervous. This was almost too good to be true and she was afraid that it wouldn't last. She'd

been raised to believe that good things didn't happen to people like her and it was hard to accept that right now her life was

perfect.

"A re you okay?" Eric asked, pulling away to look down at her, but thankfully he never stopped his slow thrusts in her because

she was pretty sure she'd kill him if he did.

"Yeah," she said huskily as she wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled him down for another kiss.

It wasn't too long before she needed more. Keeping one arm wrapped around his neck she reached down between her legs and

traced her fingers over her open wet slit and over his shaft as it slid inside of her. She carefully ran her nails over his exposed

shaft and nearly came when he let out a loud growl of approval.

"Don't stop," he whispered against her lips as his hold on her breast tightened. He pinched her hard nipple between his fingers

and gently twisted it, sending a shocking surge of pleasure throughout her body.

For the next few minutes she ran her fingers from his shaft to her clit as he continued to take her slowly. When she managed to

reach between them and run her wet hand over his balls he slammed into her so she did it again and again until he let out a

ragged curse and pushed her down onto the floor where he followed. He wrapped an arm around her waist and with his other

hand he grabbed a fistful of her hair and gave it a tug until she tilted her head back for his kiss.

His thrusts became hard and punishing, leaving her barely able to breathe as pleasure like nothing she'd ever known before

coiled between her legs. When his hand slid down her stomach to dive between her legs she screamed and didn't stop

screaming until she felt his cock harden impossibly further inside her. He groaned long and loud in her ear as she felt him

release inside of her.

Minutes later as she struggled to catch her breath he slid out of her and got to his feet. When she could only lay there watching

him, he let out a long suffering sigh and reached down and pulled her up onto her feet.

"You might want to get ready. We're going to be late for work," he said, giving her bare bottom a little pat and squeeze before

he headed for the door, whistling, she noted.

"I was ready twenty minutes ago," she pointed out, even as she struggled to pull up her panties.

"Uh huh, sure you were," he said, tucking himself back in and zipping up and just like that he was ready for work and she

needed to head back to the bathroom to get ready again. Sometimes it really sucked to be a woman, she decided as she

stumbled thanks to the pants around her ankles.

********

"Is what true?" he asked, noticing that every conversation had stopped and all eyes were on him.

"A bout you and Joe? Mark's sister claims that she saw the two of you making out at the movies Sunday night," Jeff said,

looking a little too interested for his comfort.

A fter ditching his mother and brother at a chick flick they'd gone to see an action flick and the moment the lights went out his

mouth was on hers until some kid with too much acne and a flashlight asked them to leave. Before he could bitch the kid out Joe

was dragging him out of the theatre and to his car and demanding that he move his ass. He would have argued with her, but she

chose the moment he started driving to reach between his legs and caress his aching erection.

"Yeah, so?" he asked, wondering what the big deal was.

Jeff grinned hugely at that little announcement. He turned to the group of men playing pool. "Pay up," he said, holding his hand

out as several men slapped money in his hand.

"I didn't think Joe was that desperate," one of the men grumbled.

"I'm not," Joe said, walking past him. "I lost a bet," she said with a helpless shrug that earned a laugh from the men and admiration from him. He didn't think he could love a woman more than he loved her.

"Is our third rider here yet?" he asked as he stepped behind Joe to punch in.

That quickly ended whatever amusement the men felt. "Yeah, the cocky little bastard is out in the garage hanging out with

Teddy," Jeff said.

"Bill really fucked up when he had him do a third ride with that asshole," another man grumbled.

"Did he ride along this weekend?" Joe asked as she walked over to the open kitchen to grab a bottle of water.

"Uh huh," Dan, a firefighter of fifteen years said. "Teddy volunteered to work with him and guess what? The little shit got his