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He couldn’t outright admit she’d fascinated him from those few minutes they’d spent together. He certainly shouldn’t admit he’d looked her up on the internet. More than once. Not that there was anything other than the official hospital profile. The woman had no social media he could find.
Finally he looked at Lia. She looked as flustered as he felt and that helped him settle. “All set?”
She licked her lips and swallowed before she looked at him with sadness and frustration in her eyes. “I can’t do the seatbelt.”
Her face flushed deeply with the admission, making Joe heart-sore. This wasn’t a woman who wanted help or accepted it easily. He kept his voice easy and reached past her. “No problem.” He avoided brushing her body more than necessary, but even the slightest touch had his own body reacting.
Once he’d clicked the belt in place, she managed a small smile. “Thank you.”
His body tightened and he told it to slow the hell down. Not an easy task. Then he put the car in gear and prepared to get to know a lot more about the fascinating Julia Moreno.
Lia’s mind raced in circles. She’d never expected to see the sexy FBI agent again. Once she’d learned he was from California and had just happened to be in Atlanta when Sneaks had stormed the operating room, she’d put him out of her mind.
Okay. That was a total lie.
Every time she’d wanted to scream or cry in frustration, she’d thought of the way he’d calmly walked into a room to make himself a clear target for a distressed man with a gun.
When the healing pains had been too much, she’d remembered how calmly Joe had walked over to assist her in the surgery as if he’d been trained for it.
When she’d been unable to get a single person to give her updates on Sneaks progress with the courts or Gogo’s progress with his healing, she’d consoled herself with the fact that the people had told her the FBI agent was still involved with the boys.
When her application to take on the care of the boys had been turned down flat, she’d known that Joe would make sure they were okay. His competence and protectiveness had both been on display that day.
When the pain had kept her up through the long nights, she’d built more than one fantasy around Joe with his strong body and eyes that seemed to see straight to her soul.
Lots of fantasies.
She’d never really lusted after a man before. She’d had a few relationships throughout the years. Mostly with other medical professionals that were all about scratching an itch and not about building a relationship.
She had honestly wondered if she’d built up the man in her head to help her cope with her reality. He couldn’t have been as sexy as she remembered.
He was. Especially now that she could see more of his face than his eyes. Although she thought they might be one of his best features. The strong cheekbones and granite jaw spoke to indigenous heritage. His eyes showed he’d seen a lot. Not only had he survived, he was in control of his own destiny.
An alluring thought when she was floundering with hers. Not that he needed any assistance in being alluring.
Joe headed for a drive-through and grabbed them coffee, giving her a chance to settle and think about things like the fact that they both drank their coffee black. A straight injection of caffeine without bothering with the fancy stuff.
He hit the highway and then lifted his cup in salute. “Here’s to coffee. You know Tansy doesn’t have coffee at the Lodge, right?”
What? “No coffee? How is that possible?”
Joe grinned. “My sister is a powerhouse and all about saving the planet and the people on it. She has a friend working on some coffee alternatives, but right now the lodge is only supplied with different teas, most of which she’s grown and harvested herself.”
Tea. Wasn’t that what grannies drank? “I don’t know if I’ve ever had tea.”
Joe laughed. “You will. And you’ll find something you like, I’m sure. She’s got dozens of flavors to choose from. Lots of cinnamon and fruits and other things I don’t ask about. But if you ever need a shot of the real stuff, Sam stores some coffee at the Midnight Security office.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing the whole place.” Especially the office stocked with life-giving coffee.
“It’s gorgeous. An old-time fishing lodge on a secluded lake. A bunch of cabins around the lake too. Some are being used but others are still empty. As you probably know, Tansy has an eclectic brain and she’s always working on something. One of the cabins is her lab. Another is a fire lab for an arson investigator. Another is being turned into an art studio.”
“It sounds fascinating.”
Joe nodded, but his face grew serious. “It really is.”
She wondered what was going on in his head, and for a few minutes they drove in silence. It wasn’t uncomfortable and Lia enjoyed watching the scenery. So different from Atlanta. She’d had no reason to leave the city. Her work was there, which meant her life was there. Now it wasn’t.
Her hand ached after the flight, so she rested it up against her chest, keeping it above her heart to improve the blood flow.
