Free Handcuffs and Lace 24 - Balls and Chain by Mia Watts Page B

strained his neck, looking for Jude. The courtroom was packed. Reporters filled the aisles and bulbs flashed as Winston was escorted away. Now , it was over. But where was Jude?
Because of the criminal homicide attempts, and the murder of Gregg Christiansen, the case had been expedited through the legal system. A little over a month after the motel gun fight, and a jury had already found Winston guilty on fourteen counts of first degree murder along with several other criminal charges. Winston wouldn’t be seeing the light of day for a long, long time.
Other than quick phone calls, he hadn’t seen Jude since the arrest. He didn’t know how he’d come to need Jude so quickly, but he did. He needed to hear his voice, needed to see him. He’d been counting on Jude to be there for the reading of the verdict. He’d promised.
The courtroom cleared. Negligently leaning on the back wall, like he was holding it up, Jude folded his arms and watched him. A smile softened his lips, and there was a happy light in his eyes. Sam’s breath caught. Relaxed, happy, and smiling at him was exactly the way Sam had chosen to remember him. It was like revisiting those precious moments after the last time Jude had kissed him. Before all hell had broken loose.
Sam didn’t wait for an invitation. He crossed the room to Jude. Jude stood, waiting for him. He didn’t even hesitate when Sam got there, just held him tightly in his arms. Sam sighed.
“I thought you hadn’t come,” Sam confessed.
“I couldn’t miss this. You needed me. I always want to be here when you need me.”
Sam looked up at him hopefully. “I need you every day. Think you can swing that?”
Jude’s easy smile warmed Sam to the core. “I thought it was going to be a lot harder to convince you of that.”
Sam raised an eyebrow. “You thought you needed to convince me ?”
“I was fully prepared for a total seduction taking as long as necessary.”
“Hey, now, we don’t need to rule that out just yet.”
Jude threw his head back, laughing. Sam’s skin tingled, alive at the sound of Jude letting go. When Jude’s laugh returned to twinkling eyes and toothy grin, he pressed a kiss to Sam’s lips. “I have some other news for you too.”
“Oh?”
“Gifford told me you’d been asking about Matilda’s circumstances,” Jude began.
“Yeah, I’ve been worried about her.”
“She’s in foster care. She’s doing well. Gifford wanted to let you know that if you wanted to adopt her, he’d put a recommendation in for you.”
A smile split Sam’s face as he failed to contain the joy he was feeling. The man he’d fallen for wanted him and the little girl who’d stolen his heart could become his daughter. “Really? Based on the motel thing?”
“That and because of your persistence in making sure she’s been safe this past month. I may have put in a good word for you too,” Jude said.
Sam kissed him. God, he loved this man.
“I love you too.”
Sam blinked.
“What? You didn’t know you’d said that out loud?” Jude teased.
Sam blushed.
“C’mon. Let me take you home and show you exactly how much I liked hearing it.”
Sam’s nerves were jumping by the time they got to his apartment. Everything was a mess, like it had been searched. Jude didn’t let him get distracted though. He pulled him close, kicking the door shut behind him.
Jude took his hand and led him to the bedroom.
“How do you know where to go?” Sam asked.
“I was the one who discovered that the bugs in your apartment weren’t ours.”
“You’ve been in here.”
Jude smiled mysteriously. “Yeah. I may have stopped to smell your aftershave.”
Sam grinned. He’d been doing a lot of that today. It felt good to be this happy. Jude unbuttoned Sam’s oxford shirt. He tugged on Sam’s belt, and Sam lost himself in the heated expression that baring his body had on Jude. Knowing that a man like Jude—self-sufficient, sexy as hell, competent—wanted him as badly as Sam did him, turned him