Ties That Bind Page 26

  After pulling himself together, Johnny answered the reporters’ questions then thanked his family and friends for standing by him for fourteen long years and for believing in him. He also thanked Randolph for taking the time to handle his case and knew that no amount of money could ever pay him for literally saving his life.

  Not waiting to get the few possessions he had accumulated during his years behind bars, Johnny wanted to get out of California and return home to Alabama. Everyone understood and less than four hours after being set free, Johnny Lane boarded a plane for Birmingham.

  That night Leigh, Ellie and Jenna took Randolph out to celebrate his victory in the courtroom. Later Randolph drove Jenna back to her hotel. She was to fly back home in the morning after having been gone nearly two weeks. Her mother was keeping Haywood and although she talked to her every night, she missed her daughter like crazy.

  Randolph walked Jenna to her room and asked if he could come inside. When the door closed behind them they stood staring at each other. Jenna noticed the lines of strain she’d seen around his eyes at the start of the trial were gone. She reached up and caressed his cheek. “Thanks for saving Johnny’s life, Randolph. I’m so proud of you. I knew you—”

  He didn’t let her finish. He leaned down and gently captured her lips with his, kissing her like a man starved for his next breath and for hers. Slowly, meticulously, he made love to her mouth, nipping, sucking and stroking; gently at first then with more force, more desperation and less control. She emitted little sounds from deep within her throat as her body gloried in his touch, craving it and wanting it with a passion.

  When his mouth relinquished hers, he placed butterfly kisses along her neck and jaw as he held her close to him, not wanting to let her go as he savored her softness, her scent and everything else that was uniquely hers. For twelve long years he had gone without her, but everything there was to know about her returned whenever he held her in his arms. He remembered how her body would feel pressed against his; and just how well the two of them fit together.

  Randolph pulled her closer and kissed her again, teasing, tasting. He left her shudder in his arms, which spiked his desire for her even more. When he released her mouth an exasperated sigh escaped her lips.

  “I don’t want slow and easy anymore, Randolph,” she said silkily, lifting her chin a stubborn notch.

  He looked down into the depths of her eyes. “What do you want?”

  She pressed her body against his as a slow, wanton smile played around the corners of her mouth. She reached out and boldly cupped him through the material of his pants. She felt his hardness, exulted in it. There had always been complete honesty between them. They had always been candid and blunt with each other about what they wanted. She couldn’t help but be that way with him now. “This. I want this.”

  His gaze burned with desire. “And how do you want it?”

  Jenna smiled, remembering the many times in the past they had made love, the many positions they’d used and the countless hours of pleasure. “Any way you want to give it to me,” she whispered, placing her arms around his neck and molding her body more firmly against his.

  “I hope you mean that,” Randolph whispered, kissing her again and picking her up into his arms. He carried her across the room to the bed and placed her in the middle. After removing her clothes and then his, he joined her there, pulling her close into his arms and taking the time to reacquaint himself with her body.

  “I missed you so much and I’ve hungered for this as well, Jenna,” he said, his voice raspy, his hands attentive as he touched her everywhere.

  She felt hot at his touch as he stirred within her a primitive need, an urgent demand. She had almost forgotten how responsive her body was to his, just how receptive. The heat in her reached a feverish peak. She wanted and needed him.

  He needed her as well. It had been a long time. Too long. He kissed her. She kissed him back. Longer and deeper. And then he pulled her under him and automatically her body opened to him, as an overwhelming need to be joined with him took over her. The ache between her legs throbbed, wanting him.

  “Randolph …” she whispered his name when he broke off their kiss.

  He straddled her hips, and meeting her gaze and holding, he gently pushed her legs apart with his knee and entered her slowly, savoring the moment. “Ahh, this is home,” he murmured as he continued to ease himself inside her, the warmth of her body surrounding him, holding him, clutching him. He continued pressing downward, feeling the very depth of her and going there. He lifted her hips into his hands, loving the feel of her muscles holding him inside of her. He knew he ran the risk of climaxing inside of her without even moving an inch.

  He suddenly remembered that he wasn’t wearing a rubber and wondered if she was on any type of birth control. He was willing to take his chances, doubting that he would be able to pull out now even if she said she wasn’t. He wanted to release his sperm into her, actually wanted to feel it jet into her womb. But she deserved to have a say in the matter.

  “Jenna?”

  “Umm?” she answered, barely able to get the word out.

  “I’m not wearing a rubber.”

  She didn’t respond for the longest time before she said, “And I’m not on the pill.”

  “Do you want me to pull out?” he whispered, penetrating deeper and hoping like hell that she didn’t.

  “No,” she breathed, wrapping her legs around him to prove her point. He had filled her so deeply it wouldn’t take much to push her over the edge. “I want you. All of you, Randolph.”

  He shut his eyes as her words boosted his primal urges. His body began moving inside of her, as twelve years of holding back took over. She had no idea what she was in for.

  Dipping his head he captured her lips as he continued to stroke her body with his, rising to a feverish pitch of desire. Filling her, thrusting in and out, loving the whimpering sounds she made. The feel of being inside of her inflamed him and his body tensed. “Jenna …”

  Her body erupted into pleasure the same time his did, the force of his release flooding her womb. They trembled in pleasure, rocked into oblivion, taking and giving, and relishing being back in each other’s arms. Pushing to the back of their minds the twelve years they’d been separated, they silently acknowledged the power of what they shared and thanked God for bringing them back together.

  Hours later, Jenna awoke from a deep, satisfied sleep. Her body was pressed up against Randolph’s, curved perfectly next to his. When she felt his fingertips move across her arm she knew he was awake, too.

  “Now that the trial is over I want to spend more time with you and Haywood, Jenna,” he said huskily. “I want you to get to know Trey and I want him to get to know you and Haywood.”

  Jenna turned toward him and smiled. “I’d like that, Randolph,” she said softly as tears misted her eyes.

  “It’s going to be a challenge, baby, since you’re in Atlanta and I’m in Richmond, but I’m willing to do whatever has to be done for us to be together.”

  “Me, too.” She shivered, partly from desire and partly from the realization that they were back together after twelve years and wanted to stay that way. Although they had grown into two different people over the years, one thing had stayed constant.

  Their love.

  Twenty-six

  The morning sun flowed through the kitchen window as Randolph sat at the table and gazed lovingly at his son who was piling pancakes and eggs onto his plate. He knew, like everyone else in the family, that he spoiled the boy. But then for the past twelve years Trey had been the only thing making his life complete.

  “Have you packed everything you’re going to need?”

  Trey glanced up at him, smiling excitedly. “Yes, sir. It’s gonna be cool seeing Ma Mattie again. Do you think this time she’ll let me take the canoe out all by myself?”

  Randolph smiled. “We’ll see. She worries a lot so don’t be disappointed if she doesn’t.” He had made plans
to go to Glendale Shores for the weekend. What he hadn’t told his son was that Jenna and Haywood would also be there. He felt it was time for Trey to get to know the woman he planned to marry one day. Soon … if he had his way. But Jenna thought it was best to wait and give Trey and Haywood time to accept their relationship. Haywood had already accepted it and had told him many times how much she liked him and wanted him for her new daddy.

  Trey’s attitude regarding his relationship with Jenna was an entirely different story. Thanks to Angela, he felt nothing but resentment for a woman he had never met, and had refused to meet Jenna although Randolph had told him about her. Therefore, he’d decided to take another approach.

  A few hours later, they were getting off the ferry at Glendale Shores. Plans had been made for the four of them to stay in the home he had inherited from his parents. Jenna and Haywood had come up the night before to spend time on the island with his grandmother. Gramma Mattie had taken to Haywood the first time he and Jenna had brought her to visit and thought of her as a great-granddaughter. Now that his grandmother lived alone, Randolph tried to visit the island every chance he got. Usually he came alone to rest and relax. At other times he’d brought Jenna with him. It was during those times when the two of them stayed in the cottage alone that they remembered happier times, like the week they had spent on the island while in college.

  “Can we go fishing, Dad?”

  Trey’s question interrupted Randolph’s thoughts. He smiled. His son reminded him so much of himself at his age—full of life and energetic. But then at twelve he’d had an older brother that he’d adored that he had spent time with. As usual whenever he thought of his brother Ross, a thick lump formed in Randolph’s throat. It had been nearly thirteen years and yet the pain of losing the one individual that he’d considered his best friend as well as his brother was still raw—just like it had happened yesterday. And it still bothered him to know that Ross’s child—his niece—was somewhere out there. He and Noah had hired some of the best people in the business to find her, yet they had discovered nothing. However, they would continue looking, for the rest of their lives if necessary.

  Pulling up in front of the house he noted Jenna’s car the same time Trey did. “Whose car is that, Dad?” Trey asked curiously.

  “A special friend, whom I would like you to meet,” he said, looking at his son.

  Trey nodded but Randolph could already feel tension radiating from him. Trey was not one to hide his feelings about anything and it was evident that he didn’t like the idea of someone else intruding on their time together. Also, it was evident that Trey had an idea who that someone was.

  Randolph decided it was time again to talk to his son so he could be prepared. Fully prepared. He and Jenna loved each other. They always had. Their love was evident for anyone to see whenever they were together. Haywood had gotten used to the open display of affection they shared. Trey would not be used to it. In fact Randolph couldn’t remember the last time Trey had seen him with a woman that he’d genuinely liked. Usually their time had been spent together, just the two of them.

  Bringing the car to a stop Randolph turned to his son. “There are two people inside that I want you to meet, Trey.”

  “She’s here, isn’t she?”

  Randolph could hear the deep resentment in his son’s voice. “Who are you talking about, son?”

  Trey turned angry eyes to him. “That lady Mom told me about. The one who is keeping you from marrying Mom again.”

  “That’s not true. Jenna is not keeping me from marrying your mother again. Even if I didn’t have Jenna in my life, I would not remarry your mother, Trey.”

  Randolph leaned back against the seat, inwardly cursing Angela for putting such ideas in their son’s head. “I know it’s hard for you to understand, but the only connection your mother and I have and will ever have is you.”

  “But you used to be married to her which means you had to have loved her once.”

  Randolph wished he could tell Trey the truth that he had never loved Angela. His heart had always belonged to Jenna, and if Angela hadn’t been so deceitful, he would be married to Jenna today.

  “Times change and people change, Trey. Your mother and I aren’t the same people. She has her friends now and I have mine.”

  “But she wants to get back with you so we can be a family,” Trey said as a sob caught in his throat. “I want you and Mom to be together, just like before. I don’t want you to want to be with that other lady.”

  Randolph reached out and placed his hand on his son’s shoulder. “You love me, don’t you, Trey?”

  Trey looked at him with misty eyes. “Yes, sir.”

  “Do you want me to be happy?”

  “Yes, sir. But weren’t you happy with me and Mom?”

  Randolph sighed. Trey had a habit of answering a question with a question. Randolph knew he had to choose his words carefully. “Having you as my son has always made me happy, Trey, and that’s the way it will continue to be. But things have been different with your mom and me. It has nothing to do with you but everything to do with us. Sometimes after getting married things just don’t work out between a man and a woman like they should and they both become unhappy together. Pretty soon they discover they can be happier with someone else.” Randolph wondered if Trey understood what he was trying to say.

  “You don’t love Mom anymore, do you?” Trey asked his father stiffly.

  Randolph thought over Trey’s question and knew he could and would not lie. “No, I don’t.”

  Time seemed to stretch between them. Randolph knew his words, blatant and truthful, hurt Trey. Because of Angela, he’d been holding out for something that would never happen.

  As they gazed at each other, father and son, Randolph saw Trey blink several times to fight the tears that threatened to fall, not wanting to cry in front of him. “I know what I’ve told you is a lot for you to understand, Trey. But one day you will grow up and fall in love with someone special, and when that time comes you’ll know how it is to be really happy.”

  Trey nodded slowly. He glanced down at his hand then met his father’s gaze once again. “Do you love her?”

  “Yes, I love Jenna,” he said, looking his son squarely in the eye. “I love her very much.”

  Trey hung his head and began toying with a button on his shirt. “You love her little girl, too?” he asked, raising his chin.

  “Yes, I love her, too. But I also love you. You’re my son. Don’t ever think that I don’t love you.”

  Trey caught his lower lip in his teeth before saying, “Yes, sir.” He then threw himself into his father’s arms to get the reassuring hug that he needed.

  Jenna stood at the window and looked out. She’d heard Randolph’s car pull up a while ago, yet he and his son were still outside, sitting in the car, no doubt discussing her. Randolph had shared with her the idea that Angela had allowed to take root in the child’s head, the notion that she and Randolph would get back together again, and because of it, his son resented Jenna or any person that he saw as a threat to his parents’ reconciliation. Angela had been wrong to try to use Randolph’s love for his son as a way to hold onto him. In her selfish obsession to keep Randolph, she had totally overlooked her child’s emotional well-being.

  It had been two months since that night they had made love again, the night he’d won a victory for Johnny. Since then, he had come to Atlanta on several occasions to see her and Haywood. He had built a very solid, very close relationship with Haywood and she wanted to do likewise with Trey but the boy’s feelings for her stood in the way. More than anything, she wanted Randolph’s son to like her and to accept her place in his father’s life. So far he hadn’t done that but she had hoped this weekend would be different. She wanted him to get to know her and to see how happy his father was with her. She wanted him to see that she wasn’t the monster Angela had probably made her out to be. She knew she couldn’t convince him of all those things overnight, not even over a w
eekend. But it had to start somewhere and at some time.

  “Mommy?”

  Jenna turned toward the sound of Haywood’s voice. She was standing in the middle of the room. “When is Mr. Fuller going to come inside?”

  Jenna smiled. “In a moment, sweetheart. He’s talking to his son, Trey.”

  Haywood nodded. “If Mr. Fuller becomes my daddy will Trey become my brother?”

  Jenna smiled. “Yes, sort of. He would be your stepbrother.”

  Haywood smiled as if the idea of having a stepbrother pleased her. At that moment Jenna heard the sound of the car door closing. She glanced out the window again. Randolph and Trey were walking toward the house and Randolph had his arms around his son’s shoulders as they walked. She took a deep breath. At least he wasn’t hollering, screaming and refusing to come inside, she thought.

  Jenna and Haywood turned simultaneously toward the door when Randolph opened it. Jenna slanted Randolph a nervous glance and he smiled and nodded, sending her a silent message that things were okay. Her eyes moved to Trey. He was standing next to his father, tall for someone only twelve. And he looked so much like Randolph that it almost brought tears to Jenna’s eyes. There could never be any doubt in anyone’s mind that this was Randolph’s son.

  Drawing in a deep breath she crossed the room to them. “Hi. The two of you are just in time for lunch,” she said casually, flashing him her warmest smile. She looked down at Trey who was eyeing her warily. “You must be Trey.”

  Eyes, duplicates of Randolph’s, looked back at her. “Yes, ma’am. I’m Trey.”

  “And I’m Jenna.” Jenna knew it was important not to push too much on Trey too soon. She started to open her mouth to ask if he was hungry and wanted something to eat when all of a sudden Haywood raced over from across the room.

  “And I’m Haywood.” Not waiting for Trey to acknowledge her presence, she moved next to him and took his hand in hers, linking her fingers with his.