AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Craig comes to an abrupt halt in the middle of the hallway. I look up, and my gaze locks with soft grey eyes set in an oval face with plump, pink lips. Her golden-brown hair is pulled into a ponytail, and her slender form is almost swallowed by the dark green shirt and trousers of her London Ambulance Service uniform. She’s above average height, but she looks like a good puff of wind would knock her over. This job requires strength and stamina, and Grace Newton looks like she lacks both.
“Grace!” Craig booms with a big smile. “We were just talking about you.”
“I heard,” Grace says, her expression revealing nothing. She shifts on her feet as she grips two cups of coffee.
Her eyes leave mine, and I experience a strange sense of loss.
“This is your partner, Fletcher Hardy,” Craig introduces, nodding in my direction. “Daniel’s out with a broken leg, so you’ll be working with Fletcher until Daniel’s fit to return to the DCA.”
Grace transfers the mugs to one hand and extends the other. I shake it reluctantly, surprised by her firm grip. Heat flows up my arm where our palms connect, and my dormant dick twitches.
If Grace feels the connection, she doesn’t let on. “Nice to meet you,” she says with a dazzling smile, her expression open and friendly.
I don’t return the sentiment because I’m momentarily struck dumb by her thousand-watt smile, glowing cheeks, and sparkling silver eyes. I need to work on my social skills because,damn, this woman is sweetness personified.
I shift uncomfortably and clear my throat. “I’ll meet you in the bay in ten minutes.”
Her light dims slightly at my brusque tone, and she drops my hand like it’s burned her. “Okie-dokie.”
Brushing past me, she almost spills the coffee before continuing down the hallway with a jaunty step. The woman is a bouncing ball of sunshine, and I’m a raging storm, but my cock doesn’t care. I stare at her swaying hips and will the fucker to go down.
Fuck. I’m in big trouble. Not because she’s tempting enough to make my dick twitch with interest—something that hasn’t happened in a long damn time—but because she’s got that wide-eyed innocent look about her. She’s too young, too inexperienced, and too fucking tempting with her glowing skin, pert nose, and plump lips.
Craig tries to hide his smirk. “Glad I’m not on your ambulance today.”
“You seriously couldn’t find me someone else?” I growl.
“Nope,” he says, popping the “p.” The fucker is enjoying watching me squirm.
“Shit,” I mutter, resigned to my fate. I need to pull my head out of my arse if this new “partnership” is going to work. But if there's one thing I know how to do, it's follow a damn order.
“Stay safe out there,” Craig calls after me as I head toward the ambulance bay.
I resist the urge to flip him the middle finger.
ChapterThree
Fletcher
Grace is stashingher bag in the ambulance as I enter ten minutes later.
“Did you run through the checks?” I ask as I approach.
“I’ve—”
“Let me paint you a picture,” I say, cutting her off. “You’ve just arrived at the station. The off-going crews are still asleep, no doubt from a previous busy night of calls, so you grab a coffee.” I look pointedly at the cups she’s placed on the floor. “As the crews filter in, you get caught up in a lively discussion about last night’s episode ofThe Last of Us,and before you know it, an hour has slipped by. Suddenly, the tones go off, summoning the crew to a cardiac arrest. Chaos ensues as the ongoing crews rush to respond and the off-going crews rip their gear from trucks. The medic you relieve yells something about expired drugs, but there’s no time for details as you race from the station. Sound familiar?”
I pause and raise an eyebrow at Grace. I’ve had soldiers quaking in their boots from one of my dressing-downs in the past, but Grace looks completely composed. Interesting. Seems she has more backbone than I gave her credit for.
“You’re side-tracked from the DCA checklist and get caught when an early call comes in. You are now at the mercy of the previous shift’s crew, and if they were lax in their checkout, you’re going to pay the price. Truck checkout is a critical part of your day. Without the proper equipment, your capabilities are compromised, and your patients will suffer.”
Grace places her hands on her hips and meets my gaze without flinching. “If you’d let me finish, I’ve checked every piece of equipment to ensure it’s working, including the monitor, oxygen, the portable suction unit, and all the batteries. Oh, and the backup batteries because you can never be too thorough.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “Do it again so I can supervise.” I know I’m being an arsehole, but the woman’s got me all kinds of off-balance.
Grace presses her lips together on whatever retort is on the tip of her tongue and, to her credit, gets on with it. I stay quiet as I begrudgingly note that she's meticulous in her checks. I try hard to ignore the appealing curve of her arse as she bends this way and that, double-checking that the ambulance is stocked up with the necessary equipment for the day.
Joining her in the ambulance, I lean around her to point out something she's forgotten, careful to avoid touching her in the small space. I grit my teeth as her alluring scent teases my nose, making me wonder if she smells that good all over. With an abrupt nod, I step down from the ambulance and climb behind the wheel. I start the engine and check the mileage while Dua Lipa singsScared to Be Lonelyon the radio.
