Bride On the Run

by Leann Harris

  She smiled back.

  “C’mon. I’ll fix breakfast while you get dressed. Afterwards, we’ll finish your shopping.”

  * * *

  After sixty hours of being cooped up in his house with J.D., hours of seeing her, smelling her sweet fragrance, brushing against her while doing the dishes, sitting next to her on the couch as they watched a baseball game on television, Luke was as close to the edge as he’d ever been.

  Each hour the want became stronger and his willpower weaker. With the slightest provocation, he was ready to pull J.D. down on the floor and make wild, uninhibited love to her.

  Finally, in self-defense, Luke suggested that she meet Emma at the old municipal building where the homicide division was located and work on her cases while he worked on some of his. She willingly agreed. He prayed the meeting would help defuse the situation, because if it didn’t, things were going to start popping.

  Luke found a parking space in the dilapidated lot by the Police and Courts building. J.D. glanced up at the old structure.

  “It’s kind of a shame that the police department doesn’t have a building all their own. You’re like a stepchild, given the old and leftover.”

  Luke turned and gaped at her. “Has my hearing gone bad? You’re feeling sorry for the police?”

  J.D. shrugged. “At least they could give you a building all to yourself for your administration and labs.”

  “I’ll recommend you talk to the city council for us.”

  “Not me, mister.”

  “Sympathy, Counselor, is only good with action.”

  As Luke escorted J.D. from the parking lot to his office, he ran into more than the usual number of friends and associates. Each wanted an introduction. Several didn’t need any. J.D. knew them from rounds in court. Luke noted the flare of interest in several men’s eyes, which rubbed him raw. What was the matter with these guys? Didn’t they know J.D. was a married woman?

  A marriage only Captain York knows about. A sham marriage, a name-only affair, so keep your head on straight and your temper under control.

  Emma was waiting for them in Captain York’s office, and the minute she saw J.D., she jumped up.

  “Oh, you poor thing,” Emma clucked, surveying J.D.’s face. “Who would do anything so mean? I hope the police catch whoever did it. And if they do, you, young lady, are forbidden to defend the scoundrel.”

  Luke laughed. “No need to worry on that score, Emma. The problem is exactly the opposite. When we catch this guy, I’m going to make sure J.D. isn’t left alone with him. My bet is he wouldn’t survive the encounter.”

  “Good.” Emma nodded. “It’s about time the girl came to her senses.”

  “If you two are through discussing me as if I weren’t here, I’d like to get to work,” J.D. said in a tone that made it clear she was not amused with the exchange.

  “Sure, Counselor. Anything you want.”

  The look J.D. gave Luke told him if she got what she wanted, the police would arrest her for his murder.

  “We’re going to need a quiet corner or room where we can have some privacy. It’s not that I don’t trust your people, you understand, it’s just not tactically smart to discuss my cases and strategy within earshot of the opponent.”

  A slow smile broke over Luke’s face, and he leaned toward Captain York. “We could give her one of the empty cells in the old jail above us.” He looked at J.D., pressing the point. “Why, you and Emma can have the very cell that Lee Harvey Oswald occupied.”

  From her expression, J.D. was not impressed.

  Captain York came around his desk. “There’s a small office down the hall, ladies, that you can use. Let me show you the way. McGill, stay put. We have things to discuss when I get back.”

  Luke flopped down on the chair Emma had vacated. What was the matter with him, pushing J.D. like that? Or, for that matter, why was he acting like a jealous suitor? He laced his fingers together behind his neck and stretched. Too much time with J.D. was making him lose it.

  “Would you mind telling me what that little display was all about?” Captain York said without preamble, closing the door behind him.

  Rubbing his forehead, Luke mumbled, “Yeah, but I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

  “Try me.”

  “I’ve got a bad case of hormones.” Luke shrugged. “Living with the counselor could push a saint over the edge, and you know I’m no saint.”

  Al settled back in his chair and studied Luke. “It’s more than that, Luke. Be honest. I’ve seen you with other women—hot and bothered with other women. None of your reactions comes close to how you’re acting now. I saw how you bristled when Johnson smiled at the lady. I thought you were going to punch him out.”

  “The man was drooling,” Luke shot back.

  “Johnson drools over anything in a skirt. You know that. It’s nothing personal.”

  “Well, it felt personal,” Luke grumbled.

  Al shook his head. “You sure you’re not feeling something else for the lady besides a healthy case of lust?”

  Luke shot to his feet. “Why the sudden concern?”

  Resting his arms on the desk, Al leaned forward. “I owe you my life, Luke, my career. You were there when I needed help. I don’t want to see you hurt. Be sure of the lady before you make that commitment.”

  Luke turned away from his friend to look out the window. “I’m afraid it’s too late, Al.”

  * * *

  The moment the door closed behind Captain York, Emma fired her questions at J.D.

  “Well, is he as good as he looks?”

  “Emma!” J.D. gasped.

  “Don’t give me that indignant look, young woman. Tell me, doesn’t it make your blood speed up to be around that handsome man?”

  It did, indeed, but she wasn’t going to admit that to anyone.

  “What’s it been like the last three days locked in with him?”

  “I’ve been recovering from the blast, Em. I’ve had a lot of aches and pains.”

  “Anything else?” the perceptive old bird asked.

  A lot of hot flashes. A lot of cold showers.

  “According to Captain York, Luke McGill’s a good man. Maybe you should give him a try. He certainly can’t be any worse than those lawyers you’ve dated.”

  Emma had a point. J.D. nodded at the briefcase on the table. “Show me what you’ve gathered so far.”

  The other woman looked like she wanted to press her point about Luke, then shrugged and pulled out the papers she’d brought.

  An hour later, Luke opened the door and stuck his head inside. “Time to go, Counselor.”

  J.D. looked up from the papers on the table. “But we’re not finished. Give us about thirty more minutes.”

  “‘Fraid not.” He stepped into the room, slipped his arm around J.D.’s waist and gently pulled her to her feet.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” J.D. asked, slapping at his hands.

  “You’re redundant. You always ask the same question.”

  “That’s because you are always doing something that is unfathomable and needs explaining.”

  Luke glanced at Emma. “She uses a lot of big words, doesn’t she?”

  “She does.”

  “Kindly unhand me, McGill. I’m not going anywhere right now.”

  He released her and stepped back. “Counselor, be reasonable. You’ve only been out of the hospital less than three days and need to rest. Besides, you’re looking a little ragged around the edges. Don’t you think so, Emma?”

  “He’s right, J.D. Maybe we should finish this tomorrow.”

  The concern in both Luke’s and Emma’s eyes deflated her anger. “Five more minutes, Luke. This case needs action today—at the latest tomorrow.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest and studied her. “Okay, but only five minutes.”

  “Bully,” she murmured as he walked out.

  “I’ve been called worse,” she heard him say.


  When he returned, J.D. was standing in the hall, ready to go. She glanced at her watch. “You’re thirty seconds late.”

  He grinned, unrepentant.

  They didn’t run into anyone until the elevator opened on the first floor, dumping them into a crowd of people gathered to pay their fines and tickets.

  “J.D.,” a man called from the throng.

  Luke heard J.D. groan. Immediately he went on alert.

  A well-dressed man in his late forties elbowed his way toward them.

  “J.D., I’m so glad to run into you. I heard the ugly rumor that your residence had been blown up. I couldn’t countenance it, but from your ghastly appearance it must be true.”

  Unthinking, Luke stepped closer to J.D.

  “It’s true, Robert.”

  “Oh, my. Who would want to blow up your house? Have the police caught the culprit?”

  “We’re working on it,” Luke replied.

  Robert’s gaze flew to Luke. “Who are you? Are you with J.D.?”

  Luke had played this game before in Vegas and he hadn’t liked it then. He sure as hell didn’t like it now. He opened his mouth to let the twit have it, but J.D. beat him to the punch.

  “This is my good friend, Detective Luke McGill. He works homicide.”

  The other man shook his head. “My, your tastes certainly have changed, J.D.”

  The polite smile and frozen eyes told Luke that Robert was not one of the counselor’s favorite people.

  “Indeed, they have. I date honest men now.” She grabbed Luke’s arm and marched out of the building, never looking back.

  Luke did, and he chuckled at the surprised and offended expression on the other man’s face.

  In spite of her mutinous glare, Luke asked, “Who was that?”

  “Someone I once dated,” J.D. answered.

  She refused to answer any other questions, which left Luke’s mind to conjure all sorts of images. Images that left him seeing green.

  That night, Luke and J.D. tried to carry on normally. They fixed tacos. While he fried the ground meat, she chopped the tomatoes and lettuce. She still hadn’t mentioned Robert. Luke was dying to know.

  “Want to eat out on the deck?” Luke asked.

  “Yes.” She jumped at the chance.

  The evening was warm, a slight breeze ruffling the trees. They ate for a few moments in silence.

  “I hope you accomplished a lot this afternoon,” Luke finally said with forced casualness.

  “I did.”

  It was like prying money out of the city council. “Did Emma have much trouble getting the documents you needed?”

  “No.” She popped the last of the taco into her mouth, then licked the drop of grease rolling down her finger.

  Luke nearly choked on his taco. Their little trip downtown today had done nothing to ease the sexual tension humming between them. If anything, all those men panting after J.D. had only heightened his awareness of what a beautiful woman she was.

  Calmly, she picked up her napkin and wiped her hands. “Go ahead and ask, McGill, and get it over with.”

  Luke didn’t bother to pretend he didn’t know what she was talking about. He simply asked, “Who is Robert?”

  “Robert Lynwood is a lawyer. He practices corporate law. We dated for about three months. When he wanted to go to bed with me, I broke it off. Of course, being the practical man he is, Robert was miffed he had laid out so much money without getting anything in return. I wrote him a check to cover his expenses, then punched him.”

  Luke’s mood had been getting darker and darker until she uttered those last three words. It figured. The lady could take care of herself. “What was his reaction?”

  Her smile was one of pure mischief. “He threatened to press assault charges. I told him that was fine with me, but I’d stop payment on the check. He never filed the charges.”

  His laughter filled the yard. “You’re priceless, Counselor. Priceless.”

  Standing by her at the sink as they cleaned up, Luke’s light mood vanished. The air around him seemed heavy, charged with sensual electricity. He was aware of each time she reached into the sink to retrieve a dish to dry. When she took a breath, he felt it, one more twig on an already large pile. When the spark came, he’d burn out of control.

  They watched a baseball game together, and for the next ninety minutes, his entire being was focused on the woman beside him. When she excused herself for the night, he couldn’t remember which team had won. Couldn’t remember his own name.

  Unfortunately, her exit didn’t relieve his tension. After three hours of tossing and turning on the couch, unable to sleep, he went to the weight room to work off his frustration. If nothing else, this situation was helping improve his muscle tone.

  * * *

  J.D. heard Luke pad down the hall. She held her breath, waiting to see if he would open the bedroom door. Her hopes were dashed when the clank of weights filtered into the room.

  She flopped onto her stomach and pulled a pillow under her arms. They were killing each other inches at a time.

  She wanted Luke.

  He wanted her.

  Yet neither had acted on that want.

  No matter how hard she argued with herself, she couldn’t dismiss the idea of making love to Luke. But the worst part of it was it seemed the right thing to do.

  She heard him grunt and remembered how he looked dressed only in the jogging shorts he wore these last few nights. His chest was broad and firm, the muscles across his belly defined with clarity—a washboard effect that always made her stomach do a funny dip when she thought about it. His arms were well-muscled, so hard that the veins stood out on his forearms. His legs were long and lean, sprinkled with brown hair.

  But more than the physical attraction, which was a formidable force, was a deeper attraction to the man himself. Although his views on the judicial system varied radically from hers, Luke was a man of honor. He’d kept his word to her. And that, J.D. knew, had sealed her fate.

  There was no other course for her. She had to go to him. For once, she wanted to be held and loved by a man she trusted.

  She threw back the sheet and stood. Her knees were wobbly, but she wasn’t going to turn back now. Opening the bedroom door, she paused to listen. Luke was still lifting his weights.

  Her footsteps were silent as she walked to him. He didn’t see her until she was inches from him. He set down the hand-weights and faced her.

  “You should be in bed, J.D.” His voice sounded strained.

  “I know.” Gazing into his eyes, she read a return of the passion she felt.

  “Then go back to bed.”

  She reached out and lightly ran her fingers over his biceps. His muscles jerked in response.

  “What the hell are you doing?” he demanded angrily. “Get back in bed.”

  “No. Not without you.”

  He opened his mouth, but when her words registered, his jaw snapped shut. His eyes began to smolder and the muscles of his face tightened. “I hope you know what you’re saying.”

  “I do.”

  The fire in his eyes burst into full flame. “If I walk into that bedroom with you, Counselor, I’m going to make love to you. Is that what you want?” His voice was dark and rough, filled with the raging emotion he tried to contain.

  It gave her hope. And joy. “That’s exactly what I want, Detective.”

  When he didn’t move or say a word, she took the last step toward him and rested her hands on his chest. “Love me, Luke.”

  He moaned, then clamped his arms around her waist, his lips covering hers. The intensity of his passion stirred an answering emotion in her. His tongue slipped into her mouth, caressing her.

  His hands cupped her face. “Do you know how often I’ve fantasized about hearing you say those words?”

  “No,” she answered.

  “Every hour for the last few days.” He studied her for a moment, before scooping her up in his arms.

  “Luke, have you
gone mad?” she asked, dazed by his actions. “Put me down.”

  “Only if you want to make love here on the floor.”

  She rested her head on his shoulder. “Only if you’re on the bottom.”

  Luke chuckled as he carried her into the bedroom. “I’m too old for that sort of thing.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short, Luke. You’d do fine.”

  He set her on her feet next to the bed. Grabbing the edge of her nightshirt, he pulled it over her head. Her first reaction was to cover herself, but she stood still. His eyes slowly traveled over her.

  He frowned, and J.D. braced herself for his negative comment. Luke’s fingers lightly skimmed her ribs. “You’re bruised.”

  “That’s from the explosion.”

  “I’ll kill the bastard if I ever find him.”

  His words rolled over her in a gentle wave that eased all her fears. No matter what, Luke would not hurt her.

  “You’re beautiful,” he whispered in awe, his hand cupping one of her breasts.

  The shocking pleasure of his touch raced through her. Her ex-husband’s touch had never affected her like Luke’s did. He pulled her braid from behind her back and tugged off the rubber band. With his fingers he freed the golden strands, spreading them across her chest.

  “The first time I saw your hair down we were at the morgue. All I could think of was how wonderful it would feel against my naked skin.” His eyes met hers, his desire burning away her shyness. “Now I’m going to find out. And in this case, reality will be a hundred times better than the dream.”

  She ran her hands over the hard muscles of his stomach, over his chest to encircle his neck. “I’m not stopping you,” she said, smiling.

  His mouth covered hers. His fire became hers as skin touched skin. He eased her back onto the bed, never breaking the contact of their mouths. J.D. wanted to absorb him into her bones. His weight pressed her into the bed. She should’ve felt panicked or at the very least overwhelmed, but she didn’t. Instead she felt cherished.

  His hands were gentle on her. “Does that hurt?” he asked, touching the bruising across her ribs.

  “No.”

  His fingers shaped and reshaped her breast. The experience was both exciting and comforting. When the warm, wet heat of his mouth replaced his hand, she cried out in pleasure. He looked up at her.