Joseph (6 page)

She crinkled her nose and erupted in a throaty chuckle. “Stop ignoring the question. What do you do?”

Oh, nothing much, I kill evil mother fuckers who deserve to die.
“I have assignments abroad.” Congratulations, it wasn’t a lie.

“So you work for Guardian overseas doing what?”

He stopped the car, put it in park and turned his head towards her. He didn’t move his body more than necessary. “I eliminate security concerns. Stop bad situations from getting worse.”
Yep, with practice he could actually hold a conversation
.

She smiled at him, “Is this what you pictured when you joined the Marine Corps?”

He leaned back gingerly on the door and leveled a very pointed stare at her. “We had a very naive view of the world back then, Em. Nothing about what I do is that innocent. I perform a necessary function, without which hundreds if not thousands of innocent people would perish.”

He watched for her reaction. Her brow furrowed as her head cocked. “What could you possibly do that would stop that much suffering?”

“My job.”

Joseph dissected the dining room, a habit he couldn’t stop after years of living on the edge of society. The waitress served them coffee, took their order and left while he determined the possible threats.

Ember leaned across the table and placed a hand on his. She lowered her voice to a whisper, “Is there anyone here we need to worry about?”

He nodded and drew his eyes to hers. “Two men, seated separately—one at the entrance, the other at near the bathrooms. Based on the number of cars parked outside, and accounting for the staff and patrons grouped into clusters, they could be together. They seem to want to give the appearance they aren’t.”

She never looked away from him and calmly asked, “What are we going to do?”

Brave girl
. He shook his head and leaned forward towards her. “We are going to eat breakfast and push on. If they’re looking for you, they won’t know you’re with me. Hopefully, they’re not aware you’ve changed your looks.”

Time to change the subject. No need someone hearing something they shouldn’t
. “So tell me how your Aunt Caroline is doing.” His field of vision held both of the suspicious men.

“Ahhh well…she died four years ago. It was a sudden, massive, myocardial infarction that irreparably devastated the heart muscle. There was no chance of survival.”

“God, I’m sorry. I don’t remember anyone telling me that.”
Damn it King, you really do suck at small talk.

She shrugged. “Death is part of life. Nobody has tomorrow guaranteed.”

“I take it by the terminology you used that you did go to medical school?” He covered her hand with his and once again stroked the top of it with his thumb.
And, no, thank you, I don’t want to know why I feel the need to do that.

“Went to, graduated from and currently practice emergency medicine. Or at least I did until yesterday.”

Reality. He could deal with reality.
“I can get someone at Guardian to make a call and get you a leave of absence if needed.”

She shook her head. “Nah, that won’t be necessary. I just resigned my position. I’d reached a point where I wanted a change. I planned to take the next year off. I had the foolish notion I wanted to travel the country and see all the sites. While I was soaking in the Americana experience, I was going to look for a smaller hospital, one where I could actually have a life, you know? Outside of work, I mean. I was supposed to drive away today on my long anticipated hiatus.”

Joseph kept silent until the approaching waitress deposited their breakfast plates, refilled their coffee and left. “Do you still enjoy medicine?”

Ember cut the blueberry pancakes and swirled them in the maple syrup she had pooled on the plate. With the fork halfway to her mouth, she paused before she smiled radiantly.

God, she was amazing.

“Absolutely. I love what I do, but the way I was doing it was draining my energy, my essence. I felt almost…I don’t know how to explain it, but I felt dead inside. It’s hard to put out there because I don’t want to be a complainer. But when you’re good at something, sometimes, you allow people to put you in a position that keeps taking that skill from you until burn out. Believe it or not, it’s human nature. Well, if not human nature, it’s at least my nature. I was asked to accept more responsibility, work longer hours and take on additional shifts.” She stuffed the pancakes in her mouth and chewed for a while before she continued. “All of which I did without complaint. That left me with almost no time to figure out who I was or what I wanted. I floated, doing exactly what people expected of me. I was content or at least ignored my dissatisfaction until I saw a way out. The friends I made in college are all married. They have families and their lives are filled with children and love. All I have is a storage unit full of taped up boxes. I want more.”

And didn’t that sum up the way he had allowed his profession with Guardian to suck him into nonexistence? The parallel was uncanny on so many levels–too many to be comfortable with.

Putting another bite of the blueberry studded pancake in her mouth she closed her eyes and hummed, “Delicious!”

Hell yes,
she
was delicious and, damn, he may just have to sample a bite. “I agree.”

She opened her eyes and cast a glance at his stack of pancakes. “Joey, you haven’t even taken a bite.”

“I’m not hungry for food. I’m talking about you. I bet you’re absolutely…delicious.”
See? Ember was a distraction. Trouble with a capital E.

Just like in high school, her blush built up from her chest and swept over her cheeks. She peeked through her long lashes at him.

He chuckled and pushed his food around his plate.
Well, you started it King. Don’t stop now
. “I’m betting the recipe may have gotten better with time. With age and maturity the flavor has had time to develop additional spice.”

Ember winked at him. Between bites, she teased, “Nice. Call a woman old and then complement her on her spices!” Her laughter peeled around him. He had to shake his head in disbelief. She hadn’t changed at all.

“So, mister-open-mouth-insert-foot, just how do you propose to savor said spices?”

He frowned at the food on his plate and put down his fork. “That depends. Is there a man who is going to try to kick my ass when I make love to you?”

Ember cocked her head and looked at him narrowing her eyes. He recognized that look. He’d seen it many times when they were younger. She pointed her fork at him.

“When you make love to me? Don’t you mean
if
you make love to me?”

He shook his head. His eyes devoured her luscious body. “If I’m completely honest? I’m not entirely sure. Still contemplating whether or not that would be a good move for either of us. Answer my question.”

She blushed vividly and suddenly found her pancakes very interesting. He struggled to hear her soft reply.

“There’s nobody and hasn’t been for a long time. Remember the work rant I just bored you with?” She threw a radiant smile his way. “Half the world doesn’t know I exist and the other half only values me for my medical skills.”

His foot knocked hers under the table like he used to do in high school when he wanted her full attention. “I happen to know you exist and at this second I don’t need a doctor.”

“Really? Have you had a routine need for a doctor in the past?” She ate another forkful of pancakes as he watched.

He shrugged and regretted it immediately when pain skipped across his shoulder and back. “More than I care to admit.”

Ember kicked his foot under the table. He glanced at her while taking a drink of coffee. Her eyes were bright with laughter.

She purred, “Hey, Joey, want to play doctor with me?” Coffee spray showered the table as he choked on the hot beverage. Her squeal of laughter ripped across the restaurant. Picking up her napkin, she wiped her arm and tossed it at him. “Damn, Joey, you lost all cool points on that one!”

He couldn’t help it. He laughed. It had been forever since anything had struck him as funny. Dropping cash on the table, he stood up offering her his hand. “Maybe, but that was one hell of a loaded question.”

She giggled, stood up and walked out the door with him, “That would be true. It was. So? Are you going to accept?”

He got in the car and waited until she had fastened her seatbelt before he put it into gear. As he pulled out, he answered. “Do I want to? Hell, yes. Am I going to? Look, I’m not politically correct and I don’t play games. I’m putting my cards on the table. I’m not the kid you used to know. I’m not what you need. I would end up hurting you, Em. I don’t do normal.”

“Normal what?” Her eyes were wide as she stared at him.

“Normal relationships. I guess you could say I have unique desires.”
Damn, could she blink maybe or look away? How in the hell did I get into this conversation?

“Oh. Ohhhh! Like the Dom thing you wouldn’t talk about last night?”

He shook his head. “No, not like that and I’m not getting into this with you. You probably couldn’t handle what I need.”

“Are you gay?”

He couldn’t stop the laugh. Damn, she tickled him. “Far from it. Not that I give a shit who a person is attracted to, but guys don’t do it for me.”

“Then what is it you need I couldn’t give you?” The innocence of the question defined everything she couldn’t give him.

“I’m not into regular sex, babe. You couldn’t cope with what I want from a sexual partner.”

He purposefully didn’t look at her. He couldn’t bear to see the expression on her face.

Her voice was calm, almost clinical. “You do the thinking for everyone, or am I just
particularly
lucky?”

He shot a quick look her direction. “Babe, what would you say if I shoved my cock down your throat and held you so tight against me you couldn’t breathe? Or fucked you up the ass or pounded into you so hard you screamed? I like it when it hurts, when it frightens and when it’s rough. No, I won’t
play
doctor with you. I don’t play.” He risked a look at her and did a double take. He hadn’t expected to see desire. He’d expected disgust.

“Oh, really? What makes you think I wouldn’t get off on that?” She threw the challenge his way and damned if he wasn’t going to accept it. Deadpanning, he responded. “One, your ignorance about the significance of that collar you wore says you are pure vanilla. Two, I dated you for over a year. I know what got you hot and it wasn’t me hurting you. And three, there is no way this, what’s happening here, has a snowball’s chance of becoming anything other than a one-and-done. I’m never in one place. My job is dangerous. A relationship is a weakness I can’t afford.”

Quite proud of himself for remaining in control of the situation, he gave himself a mental pat on the back. He did well. He defused the situation and let her down easy. Her foot started tapping the floorboard.
Oh, God…not the foot tap.
He risked a glance at her. Her eyes blazed. Her jaw was set, and her face had turned the color of cooked lobster.
Oh, fuck me. Here it comes.

“You self-righteous, smug son-of-a-bitch! Let’s examine your bullshit-filled list why don’t we? One—just because I don’t know about the Dom thingy lifestyle doesn’t mean I’m stupid, frigid or sexually stunted. I learn damn fast. Two—for your information, my fucked-up Romeo, you may have dated me for a year, but you never fucked me. I can tell you this,
Joseph
Theodore King,
while what we did was sweet, it did absolutely nothing towards getting me off! And three—you arrogant asshole, did I ask you to marry me? No, I don’t think I did. Your one-and-done? Okay by me, Mr. God’s-gift-to-women! I merely offered to fuck you into next week. For that, I get a lecture on my lack of sexual knowledge. Gee, thank you so much for your self-denial at my expense, you self-centered, conceited prick! Do
me
a favor? Stop doing me favors, you…you chauvinistic asswipe!”

Well shit, when she puts it that way.
“Ember…”

“No. This conversation is over. When we get to where ever it is you’re taking me, I’ll call one of your brothers to come get me. Calling you was a mistake. Huge! Massive! The biggest fucking mistake I’ve made in sixteen years. I had to have been fucking nuts…conceited son of a… ”

He reached over and grabbed her chin in his hand pulling her face toward him. The pressure hurt, he knew it did, yet she did nothing to make him stop. “You
do not
get to call me that twice in one day!” She glared at him but remained silent. “There is no way one of my brothers is coming to get you. If anyone is going to protect you, it’s me.”

He cast a look at the road before he pulled her towards him and kissed her. He kept an eye on the road as his lips punished hers until she mewled under him. That whimper was what he lusted after. It could get him off quicker than just about anything. He lived for those cries of surrender, and from Ember, the small whimper lit him up like a fucking roman candle on the Fourth of July. He released her chin and seat belt before he pulled her across the seat firmly tucking her next to him. When she started to pull away, he growled, “Sit there and be absolutely silent until I tell you to speak or I’ll whip your sassy ass. And believe me,
I’ll
enjoy every second of that!”

Uncharacteristically, Ember complied. She sat quietly beside him with her eyes downcast. The only movement he saw was her bottom lip being repeatedly pulled into her mouth. God, not like
that
was distracting after the kiss they just shared. Casting his eyes to the rear view mirror, he watched the truck with Texas plates. It still held its distance.
Great. All this fun and a couple of douchebag wannabe druggies.

Joseph drove for miles waiting until the area surrounding the interstate became remote. A plan coalesced before he spoke, startling the pouting woman next to him. Making his move away from potential witnesses was going to require some ingenuity on his part.

“Ember, we have a tail. I’m going to stop to get gas. When I ask you to freshen up go into the station and lock yourself in women’s restroom. Do not open the door until you hear my voice. You got that?”