The Last Execution (23 page)

Gasping for air, he rolled to his side and pulled her close. She’d completely surrendered and given him a precious gift. This one night of passion wasn’t enough. Maybe he’d never get enough. Maybe he’d gotten close to surrendering his soul.

Shit. What have you done?

He propped up on one elbow. She’d trusted him. Opened herself to him, given freely. A heavy weight wrapped around his shoulders. He had to be honest about his feelings on marriage and family. No way did he want her to get hurt. Tears glistened in her eyes. A hard punch surged inside his chest.

“Crying sort of hurts a guy’s ego.” He brushed his thumb across her damp eyelashes. “Can you tell me?”

“It’s been…”

“A long time.” He tried to help when her words trailed off.

“Yeah.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I’m not in the habit of hopping from bed to bed. It’s been a while for me too,” he confided honestly.

“Almost seven years?”

Reality struck like a bolt of lightning. She’d given him way more than her body. She hadn’t had sex since before Ethan was born. Coming to him tonight was more special to her than he’d imagined. His heart slid up to the back of his throat and wedged. He swallowed hard. For the next few hours, he intended to show her how much he appreciated her honesty.

“Don’t look so stricken,” she smiled. “It was my choice. No one has stirred my hormones. That is, until you came along. You were wonderful by the way.”

“We were wonderful,” he corrected. Her smile broadened, and his heart spun in rhythm with his mind. “And nowhere near finished.”

His cell buzzed. He kissed her swollen lips, palmed her breast, lifting it to taste her sweet nipple. God, she was beautiful. “I’ve imagined you naked in my bed. The real thing is so much better.”

She raked her gaze down his body, hunger radiating from her eyes. Blood rushed to his cock. His cell vibrated again. J.T. ignored the interruption.

She licked her lips. “Could be important. You should answer.”

“Nothing’s more important than this.” He tongued a rosy, beaded nipple. Jesus Christ, her breasts were soft and silky. No left-over bruises marred their beauty.

The insistent buzzing forced his attention away from her luscious body for a quick glance. A dark cloud formed above his head when he saw the caller ID. He answered the call with two words. “I’m busy.”

“How busy?” David snapped back. “Because I’m sitting here looking at your momma.”

Chapter Sixteen

Friday, May 7, 11:30 p.m.

“Dammit.” J.T. swung his feet to the floor, holding the phone close to his ear, he turned his back to Leigh. His mind raced in a dozen different directions.
Why now? Why tonight?
“Talk to me.”

“Your mama is sitting in my cruiser, drunk and madder than hell. She pissed off her boyfriend and he dumped her.”

“Where?” J.T. shrugged off Leigh’s hand, instantly regretting his action. Without looking back, he reached for her. His heart tumbled to his feet when her fingers wound around his, and she scooted close enough to rest her head on his back.

“Entrance to Woodruff Park.”

“She picked a nasty part of town.”
Shit. No options. Promises made to Nana were kept.
If he didn’t go get his mother right now, no telling when she’d turn up again.

“What do you want me to do?” David asked.

J.T. turned and stared into Leigh’s blue eyes. Open and trusting, she waited quietly.
Fuck.
He had to go get his mother. The dye had been cast a long time ago.

“Can you hang on to her until I get there?”

“I can’t make her stay, short of arresting her. Didn’t think you’d want her hauled downtown.”

“Park’s a big place. Give me an exact location.” In an instant, J.T.’s plans for the rest of the evening collapsed. He ended the call and tossed the phone on the nightstand.

“I’m sorry, Leigh. I have to go.” He dropped his head into his hands.

A chill skittered across where her warmth and gentle touch had been when she moved away.
Shit.
When he raised his eyes to her, she’d already slipped into her underwear.

“I understand.” She lifted one shoulder.

She stepped into the dress he’d casually tossed across the room and glanced up at him. The embarrassment on her face stunned him, turned him inside out.
Jesus Christ, just shoot me.

“It’s not like we’re involved or something.” She never flinched.

J.T. slid on his jeans. He’d hurt her, yet she held her expression, giving nothing away.

What the fuck could he say to make her understand? He’d never been good at lying. But to blurt out he had to go pick up his drunken mother. His family history wasn’t something he discussed.

“Leigh, come here.” He caught her by the arm. “Please.”

She allowed him to wrap his arms around her only after he tugged. Her spine felt rigid as a steel rod under his hands.

“I shouldn’t have come.” Her body shifted away from his.

“You can’t mean that, not after what just happened. I’ve wanted you from the first day we met, and I’ll never regret tonight.” J.T. cupped her face in his hands, leaned down, and kissed her soft lips. He thumbed away the smudged mascara under her eyes.

All the air left his lungs when she politely nodded and backed away. He had to tell her the truth. Had to trust her.

Pride be damned.

“It’s…my mother.” Damn, doing the right thing shouldn’t be this hard. Leigh deserved to know, even if telling her wiped out any chance of a relationship between them. He couldn’t remember regretting anything this much. “She’s a drunk and needs my help.”

“Oh.” Leigh’s tone had a distinct surprised ring. A slight smile appeared before she walked over and slid on her shoes. “Then why aren’t you dressing? We need to go.”

She had that stubborn look she got when she wasn’t taking no for an answer. He formed a time out sign with his hands.

“There is no ‘we’ when the subject is my mother.” J.T. jerked his shirt over his head to find Leigh holding his socks and his tennis shoes. “You have no idea how ugly this could get.”

“Doesn’t matter. You’ve been there for me.”

“One has nothing to do with the other.” Damn, he wanted to drag her back to bed. The way she stood nose-to-nose when she argued was one hell of a turn on. Her chin jutted forward, and her gaze locked on him.

“I’m going with you.” She cupped his jaw, stroking his chin with her thumb. “Don’t argue.”

A twinge of regret and disappointment zinged him. After tonight, after she met his mother, he doubted she’d want to continue whatever this was they were doing. “Then saddle up.”

She led the way to the elevator and pushed the button. J.T. spun her around and kissed her, pinning her body to his with his hands. Before this night was over, he’d lose her. For now, he’d take what he could—while he could. The doors parted and without breaking the hold, they boarded.

“Maybe we are involved.” She breathlessly retracted her earlier comment.

J.T. tightened his grip around her waist and mentally prepared for the mother he hadn’t seen in...funny, he couldn’t say how many years for sure.

“Or something,” he agreed.

****

Saturday, May 8, 12:30 am

Leigh’s nervous system was in hyperdrive. For a few minutes, she believed J.T. was about to dump her for another woman. She prided herself on being a realist. Tonight had been about satisfying a strong sexual attraction. Why had the pain of impending rejection been so intense? She shrugged off the question, refusing to believe tonight might’ve been more.

At the time, it had made sense to take her rental since three people wouldn’t fit in his Corvette. Now, cruising at seventy miles an hour, she questioned the wisdom of giving him the keys. The nerve in his jaw twitched. His muscles tensed, tendons bulged, and heat boiled off his body. His reaction to helping his mother was more than unsettling. Contrary to his earlier opinion, Leigh’s heart needed her to be with him.

He knew far more about her personal life than she’d intended to reveal. It was time he shared. Leigh looked forward to learning more about him. Judging from his behavior, she was about to be privy to things he didn’t want her to know. Who was he protecting? Oh, he’d made a couple of wisecracks without giving specifics. He’d said enough for her to believe J.T. and his mother were estranged.

Unable to resist touching him, she reached across to stroke his cheek. He cocked his head and rested the scar in her hand. Allowing her this peek inside his private life meant he trusted her. Warmth surrounded her heart. Tears swirled, blurring her vision.

He glanced at her and then quickly looked away. Realization slammed into her. Why hadn’t she noticed it before? Sure, he appeared to be angry with his mother, but his eyes, oh God, his eyes told a different story. Buried beneath the surface, he struggled to mask intense pain.

J.T. left the freeway and drove into an area Leigh recognized as one of the roughest neighborhoods in Atlanta. Homeless people, drunks, and junkies hung out. He parked behind a patrol car. A burly cop got out and walked back to them. His shoulders were as wide as his smile.

“You know him?” Atlanta was a big city, and Leigh wasn’t surprised when she didn’t recognize the patrolman.

“We grew up together,” J.T. explained while he rolled down his window.

The patrolman leaned down and reached across J.T.’s chest, ignoring him completely.

“David Campbell, ma’am. Pleased to meet you.”

She returned the warm grasp. “Leigh McBride.”

“Where is she?” J.T. pushed David’s arm away.

“She walked down the block to the Cycle House.”

“Why the hell didn’t you hold her?” J.T. demanded.

“I did you a favor by not arresting her for public intoxication.”

A few more pieces of the puzzle fell into place for Leigh. J.T. stabbed his fingers through his hair and shook his head.

“Prying her out of the bar may take a wrecker.”

“It’s lucky I spotted her. I don’t usually work this side of town.”

“I wouldn’t call it lucky, but I appreciate you calling.”

“I’ve got to get back into service. Nice to have met you, ma’am.” David’s arm stretched inside, his hand clamped on J.T.’s shoulder. “Be aware, you’ll be dealing with a rough crowd.”

“And the good news keeps coming,” J.T. muttered.

He drove two blocks and parked across the street from the run-down building. Dark of night didn’t hide the peeling paint or the pitiful condition of the bar. Burned-out lightbulbs on the sign provided very limited lighting for the four motorcycles and three cars in the small lot. A hard chill rolled down Leigh’s spine. She’d patrolled the streets for years prior to her promotion. A joint like this spelled trouble.

“If your mom’s in that dump, we need to get her out.” Leigh reached into the back seat for her purse to retrieve her badge and gun.

“There you go using the ‘we’ word again.”

Leigh winced at his cutting tone. “I may not be dressed like one, but I am a cop.”

J.T. blew out a breath, unbuckled, and turned to face her. The staggering expression of defeat in his eyes ripped her heart to shreds.

“I wasn’t challenging your ability.” He reached over and tucked her hair behind her ears, his touch soft and caressing. “Look at you, beautiful with your hair down, wearing a dress. I take you in with me, I’m asking for trouble. Bottom line, I’m trying to spare you from what may be an ugly scene.”

She slid across the seat and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. He leaned into her, buried his face in her hair, and held tight. She wouldn’t force herself into something this personal. If he wanted to shield her from meeting his mother, Leigh would back off. They both had parts of their lives tucked away in private. Tears welled for the man in her arms.

“Okay. I’ll wait here for you.”

“Leigh, I can’t deal with my mother and worry about you out here alone.” He held his hands up in surrender. “I need you to trust me. I want you to go home.”

“No.” Shocked at her own quick refusal, she scrambled for a reason. “I can’t leave you here without a ride.” His warm lips covered her and silenced her argument.

“I’ll call a cab. We’ll talk tomorrow.” He glanced at the clock on the dash. “No, today at the picnic.” One eyebrow lifted. “That’s if I’m still invited.”

“Ethan’s looking forward to seeing you there. And so is his mother.”

Leigh drove slowly as J.T. crossed the street. No way was she abandoning him. She’d honor his request and let him handle his mother. Nothing said she couldn’t park down the street and wait until he was safely on his way home.

****

Saturday, May 8, 10:30 a.m
.

The aroma of coffee woke J.T. from a deep sleep. Bright sunlight streamed through the window and across his grandmother’s living room. He pushed himself up, remembering why he’d spent the night on Nana’s sleeper-sofa. Mother.

He’d never forget the sympathy behind Leigh’s eyes before she drove away. How many times had he seen the same expression when he was a kid? Local people knew Roxanne Noble was his mother, and they’d taken pity on him. Like when he was seventeen and the cop yanked him out of class because she’d passed out in the women’s restroom of a bar. The principal had allowed J.T. to leave school, go get her, and drive her home.