Page 20 of Fighting for Julia (Laguna Beach Cops #6)
ALICEVILLE, ALABAMA
Miguel and Julia
An expression of awe and gratitude appeared on Miguel’s handsome face. Julia’s heart flipflopped… somersaulted… danced happily.
He called me beautiful!
She cupped his face and murmured, “Of course, I stayed. You didn’t think I’d let you boss me around, did you? I’ve learned a lot about you Laguna Beach boys sticking together.”
“Well…”
Julia smiled and pressed her forefinger against his lips. “Shh.” Propelled by an emotion she didn’t quite understand, she lowered her mouth to his.
Their lips barely touched, but it electrified Julia. She deepened the kiss without using her tongue. When Miguel responded by kissing her back, her body reacted. Tingles of excitement spiraled through her.
He called me beautiful.
A discreet cough interrupted the intimate moment, and Julia sprang apart from him. “Sorry for interrupting.”
Luca’s amusement caused Julia to blush and Miguel to laugh, followed by an exclamation of pain.
“Ow! Luca, don’t make me laugh. No offense, man, but what are you doing here? Has something happened?”
Luca’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Yeah. You were shot. Justice sent me so you wouldn’t be alone.”
“I’m not alone. Julia is with me.” His eyes traversed boldly over her. Julia’s blush deepened.
“True. But Julia needed someone to support her.” Luca set a white paper bag on a mobile TV tray and handed a to-go cup to Julia. “Coffee and donuts. Sorry, Miguel. They’re not for you.”
“Damn. I’m hungry. So, what have I missed?”
“I’ll let Julia fill you in while I inform the lead nurse that you’re awake.”
Julia placed a small folding chair next to Miguel’s hospital bed. She brushed a lock of his dark hair to one side and brought his hand up to her lips.
“That bad, huh?” he joked.
“It…it was touch and go… You were in surgery for hours to repair the internal damage. You lost a lot of blood…” To her chagrin, Julia’s voice cracked, and tears pooled in her eyes.
“Hey.” Miguel extricated his hand from hers and wiped away the moisture on her cheeks. “Don’t cry. I’m still here, and I’m gonna be okay.”
Their eyes locked and held. Miguel’s hand moved from her cheek to the back of her neck… His gaze shifted toward the entrance to his hospital room, and his hand fell away, along with its warmth. Julia glanced up and saw Luca with Dr. Solomon.
“Good morning, Agent Rivera. I’m Dr. Solomon. Glad you’re awake.” He shook Miguel’s hand. “Let’s see how you’re doing.”
A nurse had accompanied the doctor, and she accessed Miguel’s chart on the mobile computer stand.
“Your vitals look great. Strong and steady. Labs came back with positive results. So, let’s take a peek at your wound.”
Julia moved out of Dr. Solomon’s way. He adjusted the bed linens to preserve Miguel’s modesty and lifted his hospital gown. He peeled away the bandages and examined the stitches.
“It looks good. No sign of infection.” As the nurse placed fresh bandages on the wound, Dr. Solomon continued, “How’s your pain on a scale from one to ten?”
“Right now, it’s a five.” He winced from the pressure the nurse applied to his tender side.
Addressing the nurse, the doctor said, “Let’s wean Agent Rivera off morphine and replace it with a low dosage of oxycodone as needed.
Keep him on fluids and intravenous antibiotics for the next twenty-four hours.
Let’s try a clear liquid diet and monitor his urine output and bowel movements.
We’ll also transfer him to a private room and set up physical therapy. ”
“Yes, Doctor.” The nurse busily typed the instructions into the computer.
Dr. Solomon turned to Miguel. “I want you up and walking by this afternoon.”
“When will I be released? We were on the verge of arresting two dangerous fugitives before one shot me and escaped. The longer I’m laid up the colder their trail grows.”
“I understand, Agent Rivera, but you need to be ambulatory and eating solid foods before I release you.”
“Can you at least give me a time frame?”
“Three days minimum.”
Miguel opened his mouth to argue, but Luca interjected, “Thanks, Dr. Solomon.”
“I’ll check on you after you’ve met with a physical therapist.”
When they were alone, Miguel asked, “What happened after I was shot?”
“Faith Stoker Morgan showed up unexpectedly, and I asked her to help us.” Julia checked her messages. “So far, she hasn’t called or texted with any news.”
“And Tex?”
“He texted early this morning to let us know that the trail went cold.”
Miguel swore. “I knew it.”
“At least we know their destination.” Luca squeezed Miguel’s shoulder. “Listen, buddy, now that you’re out of the woods, I’m joining Justice and the rest of the team in New York City for Madam Secretary’s rally, unless you need me to stay longer.”
Miguel and Julia shook their heads.
“Not necessary,” Miguel assured him. “What will you do, anyway? Watch me waddle down the hallway?” He flashed his now-familiar grin, and Julia’s stomach fluttered with a now-familiar response.
Luca chuckled. “Good one, River.” He clasped Miguel’s hand and hugged and kissed Julia on the cheek. “Stay safe. Protect each other. And keep us in the loop.”
“We will,” Miguel promised. “You do the same.”
Within a minute or two of Luca’s leaving, the lead day shift nurse and an orderly came to prep Miguel for his transfer to a private room.
She unhooked his near empty IV bag from its pole and disposed of it.
Then she removed the leads from the heart monitor and raised the railings on both sides of Miguel’s hospital bed.
“There you go, Agent Rivera. You’re being moved to the fifth floor. Be well.”
They thanked the nurse. Julia grabbed their duffel bags and followed the orderly as he guided the hospital bed toward a set of two elevators.
They rode one to the fifth floor where the orderly rolled Miguel to room 534 at the end of the corridor.
An unexpected shiver of concern at the distance between the nurses’ station and Miguel’s room rippled through Julia, but she dismissed it.
Shortly after the orderly left, a nurse joined them.
She went through the routine of introducing herself and verifying Miguel’s identity before hooking him up to an IV bag of fresh fluids.
After she made Miguel comfortable, the nurse poured him a cup of water.
“Do you need anything, Agent Rivera? Agent Washburn?”
“No, thank you. Julia?”
“I’d love a bottle of water, if you have one?”
“Of course. I’ll be right back.”
The nurse returned a few minutes later with a cold bottle of water. When she left them alone, Julia asked, “So, what’s our next step?”
“Getting into Mexico without drawing attention to ourselves.”
“I have friends who are border guards.”
“And I have relatives…” Miguel’s voice faded as he grew sleepy.
“The pain meds are kicking in. I can’t stay awake much longer.
” He gazed up at her. “You have dark circles beneath your eyes. Go check into a hotel, Julia. Get some rest and work out a plan. I think…I think I’m gonna be asleep for a while. ”
“But—” she began to protest.
“No buts, Julia.” Miguel waved her closer to him. “I’m feeling uneasy. Can’t explain why. So, I need you sharp while I’m recovering. Please listen to me.”
“All right. I understand.” She recalled her own uneasiness earlier and couldn’t explain it either. She kept her concern from Miguel and turned to grab her duffel bag.
In a swift movement that surprised her, Miguel’s hand clutched her arm. “Wait. I was out of it when I first woke up, and I’m a little loopy now, but could you refresh my memory?”
“About what?”
“This.” He pulled her down, and their mouths melded in an electric connection.
Miguel’s soft but firm lips tasted and tested hers.
The exploration, the gentle, ever-increasing pressure ignited tiny sparks in Julia’s core that burst into full-blown flames, threatening to consume her.
Even without using his tongue, he excited and thrilled her, and she yearned for more.
Nearly a year without sex augmented her desire, and she almost whimpered with need.
When Miguel moaned low in his throat and kissed her harder, Julia knew he felt the same slow burn as she did. After a few more hot, sweet moments, when they’d stolen each other’s breath, they broke apart.
“Mm,” Miguel murmured in a voice drowsy with desire. “Now I remember.”
Julia smiled and dropped a quick kiss against his lips. “Very clever, Agent Rivera.” She straightened up and reached for the duffel bag at her feet.
“Julia, where’s my gun?”
“I have it.” In the chaos at the safe house after the first responders had arrived, Julia had stuffed Miguel’s gun in the waistband of her jeans.
“Good. Leave it in the nightstand. I’ll explain to the nursing staff why it’s necessary.”
Julia removed the Glock from Miguel’s duffel bag, checked to make sure the safety was on, and placed it in the nightstand drawer. “I’ll be back later.”
“’kay.” Miguel was already falling asleep.
Noises in the hallway outside his room woke Miguel.
His first instinct was to reach for his gun, but a food service staff member entered his room with a tray for him.
He greeted Miguel and set the tray on the mobile stand.
Miguel raised his bed to an upward position, and the staff member adjusted the mobile stand to the correct height before he left.
Miguel examined his lunch. Chicken broth, unsweetened iced tea, a small bottle of water, lemon Jello, and an orange popsicle. He frowned at the meager fare but supposed it was better than nothing because he was starving.
He was starving for more than food.