Meanwhile, I usher Pepper to my car, but instead of taking her home, I take her to my place. After all, her parents shouldn’t see her in this inebriated state. Marcy and Peter White would completely freak out. Instead, I’ll take care of the curvy girl and make her feel better before the night is over.
4
Pepper
* * *
By the time Rob pulls up to his house, I’ve mostly sobered up. That other paramedic’s voice echoes in my head, accusing me of being stupid and selfish. He’s right of course. If they’d had a patient with an emergency, I really could have messed things up for them. I’m lucky to have had Rob there to intervene.
I glance at him as he kills the engine. His handsome face is shrouded in darkness, and I can’t tell what his expression is or how angry he must be with me. No doubt he just sees me as one of Mindy’s silly friends out to make trouble. The worst part of it all is that I can’t even blame Carl for this one. I chose to steal the ambulance by myself, and it’s not as if Carl’s hands were there, forcing me. As desperate as I am to forget the entire night, I’m the one that got myself into this mess.
Rob gets out of the car first and walks around to my side to open my door. I can see that he’s disappointed in me from the stiffness in those shoulders, but still, I’m touched by his kindness. Chivalry is something Carl never showed me even on his best days. Actually, none of the boys I’ve been with opened doors for me. What have I been doing my whole life if this is what I’ve been missing?
Rob offers me his hand. “Can you walk, Pepper?” His voice is gruff as I reach for his palm.
“I... I think so.” We connect, and my heart jolts at his touch, but of course as soon as I step outside, my legs go wobbly. I stumble into him, and he catches me easily, holding me close to his chest.
For those precious seconds, I’m surrounded by Rob’s warmth. I’m so close I can smell his cologne, a mix of woody pine and male musk. I want to sink into it, but then he stiffens against me, and I quickly hop back, nearly losing my balance again.
“Sorry—sorry!” I stammer. If not for the darkness, he would see that my face has turned as red as a lobster. “I guess I’m not totally sober yet. Sorry!”
“It’s fine,” he says gruffly. “I should’ve been prepared for that. Let me help you.” He makes sure that I’m steady before wrapping his arm around my torso to support me as we walk into his house. Inside, it’s dark and feels empty. With no one but Rob living here, I guess it would be.
“Y-you know, if it’s too much of a bother, I bet Mindy wouldn’t mind if I spent the night over at her place.” Rob lives alone since Mindy, his daughter, moved out to marry Rob’s friend, Jake Pratt. Now, my best friend has two kids and a hunky husband. How fast things change!
The handsome man flicks on the lights, showing off red flecks in his chestnut hair. “Somehow, I don’t think Mindy and Jake would appreciate having a drunk college girl around their kids,” he says in a wry tone. I start. Is it the lingering effects of the alcohol, or is Rob joking with me? His expression remains as deadpan as ever, but his brown eyes seem to sparkle a bit.
I give a small smile as I reply, “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“Here, I’ll take your jacket.”
“Sure. Thanks.”
I tilt my head, my embarrassment momentarily forgotten, and admire his broad, muscular back as he hangs my jacket. The guy he was with tonight, Sam, is blond and hot, but no one, not even Carl, can compare to Rob.
After all, this man smolders. He’s drop-dead gorgeous with a strong jawline, a small dimple in his chin, and a sexy five o’clock shadow. If he weren’t currently in his EMT uniform, I would’ve assumed he was one of those billionaire playboys I read about in my romance novels… or maybe a spy.
The idea of Rob being a spy in the same vein as Ethan Hunt or 007 makes me dissolve into giggles. He’s such a serious man, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile. I’ve been friends with Mindy for ages, but her dad’s always been somewhat remote.
But now, Rob takes me by the arm and leads me to the couch. He bends in front of me until we’re at eye-level. I think he’s mistaken my giggling for another bout of drunkenness, and honestly, he might not be totally wrong about that.
“I’ll get you a glass of water,” he says. “Then we’ll talk about your little stunt.”