Covertly Strong (The Strong Series Book 1) (52 page)

SLOAN AND ALY SIT COMFORTABLY in Sloan’s room, both women sharing the small hospital bed. The sheets are littered with various junk food wrappers as they entertain themselves with a Golden Girls marathon. Aly bursts into a fit of laughter every time Sophia unleashes her witty, lightning-quick, smart mouth.

“I can’t believe you’ve never seen the Golden Girls! How have you gotten this far in life without these ladies?!” Sloan exclaims as she pops another peanut butter M&M into her mouth.

Aly glances at Sloan out of her periphery. “I have no idea!” she answers in amused disbelief. “I want Sophia to be my grandma. That woman is hilarious!” she responds through another burst of giggles.

“You
have
to watch every episode once we get to San Diego,” Sloan demands with hilarity in her voice. “Seriously, you have to. No exceptions.”

They continue to laugh and keep their eyes fixated on the small plasma television that hangs on the opposite wall until a husky, male voice clears his throat, gaining their attention.

Both women glance towards the doorway.

Two masculine forms in white lab coats are staring back at them with tricky, “we’re-up-to-something” smiles.

A surprised laugh escapes Sloan’s lips as she finds Nix and Julian dressed in navy scrubs accessorized with name badges displaying photo IDs on their left breast pockets.

“You have got to be kidding me,” she proclaims in incredulity.

Nix’s cerulean eyes dance with amusement as he rolls a wheelchair into the room. “Nope. No jokes allowed on this mission. We’re one hundred percent business. We’re a go for Operation Blow This Joint. You ready, Sloan?”

She laughs and nods her head.

“
Sloan.
” Julian pronounces her name with an odd tone. “That name is going to take some getting used to,” he declares with amusement.

“Well, get used to it, because I’m not going anywhere,” Sloan declares while flashing a knowing smile in Nix’s direction.

“All right! Well, grab your shit, pretty ladies. It’s time to roll,” Julian demands, his piercing, emerald eyes fixated on Alejandra. He slides the other wheelchair into the room and pats the seat with a smirk. “Come on, Alejandra. This seat has your name all over it. I will have the pleasure of being your escort for this evening’s festivities.” His words ooze double meaning as he takes in her long, toned legs striding in his direction. Even in a hospital gown, she is the most beautiful woman he’s ever laid eyes on, which is saying a lot considering Julian’s favorite pastime has been women for as long as he can remember.

Alejandra stops directly in front of him, eyeing him with stark scrutiny. “Well”—she pauses as her gaze takes in every inch of his tall, well-built form—“I guess you’ll do.” She feigns an irritated expression as she releases an unamused sigh from her pouty lips.

Julian motions towards the seat, his face flashing a pointed look in her direction. “Just sit your ass down and stop complaining,” he responds to her sarcastic mouth.

She sits.

Her delicious smell assaults his nostrils, making it nearly impossible to stifle the desperate groan that wants to escape his chest. This woman drives him crazy. He barely knows her, but he’s just drawn to her. From the moment he found her inside of the Arturo compound, he hasn’t stopped thinking about her. She awakens every nerve ending, every miniscule, microscopic cell inside his body, pulling his awareness and demanding his attention.

Once she’s seated comfortably on the wheelchair, he leans in and whispers in her ear, “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you love the ride.”

His warm breath brushing against her neck does strange things to her—things she would never admit to the obviously horny American soldier. Yes, she owes him a lot considering he refused to leave the Arturo compound without her, but that doesn’t mean she has to accept his wildly flirtatious behavior.

There’s no denying his sexual attraction, but looks aren’t everything. Nico was good-looking—downright gorgeous, in fact—and look where that got her. She glances over her shoulder, her brown eyes making eye contact with him.

“You know what would make this ride even better?” she asks sweetly.

“Name it and I’ll do it,” Julian answers without a second thought.

“You keeping that ridiculous mouth of yours shut,” she retorts before unleashing a sharp glare.

Her heavy Spanish accent has his dick practically jumping out of his pants.

Damn, she’s feisty
.

He suppresses the intrigued smirk that wants to encompass his entire face.

Sloan and Nix watch the interaction between the two with curiosity. The sexual tension that courses between Julian and Alejandra is nearly palpable in the tight quarters of the hospital room.

Sloan glances up at Nix from her cozy spot in the wheelchair, her finger motioning for him to lean down so she can whisper in his ear. “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” she asks.

He nods with a knowing grin on his face. “Yeah, baby, I am. It’s like a wilder, hornier version of us, isn’t it?” he softly responds in a low voice.

Sloan laughs. “You got that right,” she agrees a little too loudly.

“What did he
get right
?” Julian questions with confusion.

“No time for chitchat, sweetheart,” Nix interjects towards him. “I know how much you love girl talk and gossip, but we’re a go, Nancy,” he chides as his hands grip the wheelchair, turning it towards the door. Nix glances over his shoulder and adds, “And seriously, tighten your fuckin’ towel, bro.”

Julian’s only response is the middle finger thrown in Nix’s direction.

“You have some sort of diversion, right?” Sloan whispers towards him as they are exiting the room.

“Of course, sweetheart. Slade is keeping the lovely nurses busy with his charming personality while we make our way to the elevators. The route has been mapped, the diversion set in place, and the escape vehicle is ready and waiting.” He grins down at the thrilled expression she flashes over her shoulder.

“You’re ridiculous, but I’m seriously digging this mission right now,” Sloan quickly says before gluing her eyes to the floor and sealing her lips shut as they swiftly roll past the nurses’ station.

Slade’s deep, baritone voice echoes in the hallways as they make their way towards the elevators. The nurses are too enthralled with his charming good looks to notice that two of their female patients are making a run for it.

Both patients and their escorts make it inside the elevators, the doors closing with a successful bang. Nix and Julian high-five while Sloan and Alejandra remain in the wheelchairs, their facial expressions proving that they are more than thrilled to be getting out of medical captivity.

They continue the swift escape route through the lobby doors, where Andrew waits for them patiently inside the rental SUV with the
Mission Impossible
theme song blaring from the speakers. The girls hop out of the wheelchairs and slide into the back seat while Nix and Julian motion for an extremely happy Slade to get his ass moving.

“Dude, you think you could have toned it down with the music?” Julian questions with a chuckle as he slides into the passenger’s seat.

“Ah, come on! I thought it was fucking clutch to have that blasting when y’all came rolling out of those lobby doors,” Andrew exclaims.

Once everyone is seat-belted and ready to go, Andrew peels out of the parking lot. The screeching tires leave track marks right in front of Galveston Memorial Hospital’s doors.

Nix shakes his head in amusement as he wraps his arm around Sloan’s shoulder in the back seat of the SUV. “I’d say Operation Blow This Joint was a motherfucking success!” he hoots loudly for everyone to hear.

“Hell yeah!” Julian shouts as he turns in his seat to glance back at Aly, who is sitting directly behind him.

Aly laughs as Julian forces her to give him a fist-bump, shaking her head as their knuckles tap against each other.

Nix and Sloan cuddle up with each other, enjoying this moment with their friends. His hand cups her face as he whispers quietly into her ear, “I’m going to save this lab coat for when we get back to the hotel. I know how you have a thing for role-playing.”

She peers up at him, taking in his sexy smirk and the wicked gleam in his eyes.

“Before we start
role-playing
, I think we should do a little
fore-playing
…make out in the back seat with me like old times?” he asks as he bites his bottom lip and raises his eyebrows suggestively.

She shakes her head at his ridiculousness before putting her game face on, fully prepared to give him a taste of his own medicine. She tilts her chin up and whispers softly, her tongue licking along his earlobe, “I’m not really in a playful mood, Nix. I’m in the mood for something a little more…
hard and deep.
Something life affirming. I need your cock buried deep inside me for hours…days, even.”

He grips her neck in a possessive display of affection as he brings them nose to nose.

He kisses her soundly on the mouth. His teeth bite her bottom lip, spurring a moan from her. His lips move to her neck before kissing a path to her ear. “Operation Blow Sloan’s Mind will begin promptly at twenty-two hundred hours,” he whispers seductively as his lips brush across her neck.

Sloan glances at the clock on the dashboard.
Nine forty-five p.m
. Fifteen minutes and she’ll have a deliciously naked Nix ready and willing to meet her every need and desire.

Hell yes.

Operation Blow This Joint was a success.

Next stop, Operation Blow Sloan’s Mind.

SLOAN AND ALEJANDRA MANAGED TO change out of the hospital gowns and into much more comfortable attire—sweatpants and T-shirts—while they were en route to the hotel. The endeavor took a little creativity considering the combination of the confined space inside the SUV, Sloan’s still smarting injuries, and Julian’s appreciative glances in Aly’s direction. But all was a success and they made it safely to their hotel a few minutes before ten p.m.

Since the guys already checked in prior to their down-and-dirty escape mission, it was a smooth entrance into the hotel, bypassing the lobby and heading straight for the elevator. The goal was set on getting a good night’s rest in Galveston before their flight out of Texas in the morning.