Leading the Witness

by Chantal Fernando

  Shit.

  I decide to stop overthinking and just enjoy the moment. I’m here now, and even though I’m torn, I’m still here because I want to be. I rest my head back and close my eyes.

  “I can’t remember the last time I felt so relaxed,” I tell him, sighing in contentment.

  “You need to take better care of yourself,” he murmurs. “You’re always on the go, you never take any time off, and you never relax.”

  “I know,” I agree, opening my eyes. The truth is that I put my all into the pub because in some ways, it’s all I have. “There’s just so much that has to be done to get me where I want to be. And it’s not about money, I clearly don’t care about money, or I’d have hit Jeremy up for more in the divorce. It’s more about proving to myself that I can do this, something of my own to be proud about.”

  “I get it,” he says with a nod.

  “You’re successful, Hunter,” I try to explain. “You have an amazing career, and you’re one of the best at what you do. I want to be the best I can be. I want to be proud of my accomplishments and reach the goals I’ve set for myself.”

  “And you will,” he says, sounding confident. “Just make sure the goals you’re setting for yourself are realistic. There’s no rush, Riley.”

  Feeling a little bold, I move closer to him until our shoulders are touching. “That’s true. Things take time.”

  “And they are worth the wait,” he adds, eyes on my profile. “I’ve never seen anyone so beautiful, Riley. I could look at you all day.”

  Heat rises to my cheeks as I duck my face. Gathering my confidence, I lift my head to look at him.

  And then his lips are on mine, my tongue is in his mouth, his hands in my hair, tangling gently. I move closer, positioning myself in between his legs but not touching anything except his chest where I rest my hands. His skin is warm, smooth, and I find myself wanting to touch every inch of it. It’s me who pulls back, and we look into each other’s eyes, my breath coming out in pants. He cups my face with his hand, wet from the water, droplets dripping down my neck. He watches them fall, before his tongue touches my neck and trails upward, licking them off me. I shiver, warmth spreading to my lower belly, my nipples pebbling in front of his eyes.

  “Riley,” he whispers, his gaze lowering to my breasts, his lips soon following. He sucks on them gently, licking and nibbling, cupping them in his hands. It feels so good to have his hands on me, his mouth working magic, my head falling back, my lips parting in a silent gasp.

  And then I’m straddling him, his hard cock pressed up against me, my lips on his neck. He runs his hands down my back to land on my ass, squeezing the globes gently, exploring.

  “This still counts as just kissing, right?” he asks, voice deep and husky.

  “Definitely,” I reply, smiling against his neck. I bite down on his skin, enjoying the growling sound he makes when I do, and then kiss along his jawline. When his lips find mine again, the kiss is deep, hungry, and passionate.

  We may have planned to take this slow, but I want him so badly right now.

  He’s all I see, all I want.

  And after a year, I think I fucking deserve this.

  If Hunter wants to take things slow tonight, he’s going to need a lot of willpower, because I’m going to do everything I can to have him.

  chapter 24

  HUNTER

  WHEN SHE TAKES MY dick into her hands and starts stroking, I know she’s not fucking around. So much for only kissing. What the fuck was I thinking that I was strong enough to sit across from her, naked, without anything happening? I guess I thought that she’d refrain, that she’d want to go slow and wait. It’s not that I don’t want her, because, fuck, I think I’m harder than I’ve ever been in my entire fucking life, but I don’t want her to regret it, or to decide she doesn’t want to see me after this.

  So right now, I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place.

  A really, really hard place.

  But as she strokes me, I forget all common sense, all reason. I just want to please her. It’s been so long for her. What if I just make her come and leave it at that? She gets her release without us completely crossing the line. I don’t know if she’ll go for this, but I can try. I stand up, get out of the Jacuzzi, and then lift her into my arms as she does the same. I grab a towel on my way out of the bathroom, then wrap it around her as I get her to stand in front of my bed. She kisses my neck, and my chest, until I can’t take it anymore, so I gently push her back onto my black silk sheets. I run the towel over my body quickly, then throw it on the floor, lowering myself to my knees and spreading her thighs. I kiss her right ankle, and then up her calf, her thigh, then lick and kiss both of her inner thighs, teasing her until I hear her groan in need.

  “Hunter,” she whispers, lifting her hips up toward me.

  I lower my face to her pussy, kissing around before licking her clit gently, then lowering my tongue. Her fingers pull on my hair while she lifts her hips again, grinding her pussy in my face, silently begging for more. I slide my finger inside her, and suck her clit, flicking my tongue out.

  “Fuck,” she grits out, moaning. “I’m going to come.”

  I continue at it, until her thighs start to tremble and she starts to moan loudly. I love the sounds she makes, the way she whimpers, how wet she gets as she comes. When I’ve wrung every last bit of pleasure out of her, she covers her face with her hands, breathing heavily.

  “Oh my god,” she whispers to herself.

  I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and smile.

  She lifts her head and looks at me. “You have no idea how badly I needed that.”

  “A year’s worth?” I tease.

  She nods.

  “Then I guess we have some catching up to do.”

  I lower my face again.

  SHE SITS THERE, EYES narrowed, arms crossed over her breasts. “So, let me get this straight.”

  I don’t know how someone can be grumpy after four orgasms, but here we are.

  “You went down on me. It was fucking amazing. But now you won’t fuck me, or at least let me return the favor and give you head?” she asks, her expression a picture of confusion.

  “Well, when you put it like that,” I murmur, glancing down at my cock, which is hating me right now, still hard, and patiently waiting.

  “I don’t want you to regret—”

  “I’m not going to. I’m not a child, Hunter. I’m in control of my decisions, and what I want. And what I want right now is to fuck you,” she states, glancing over my body. “You’re being ridiculous.”

  Maybe she’s on to something here.

  “Come here,” I demand, then watch as she comes to straddle me, her still wet pussy brushing against my cock. “Fuck.”

  “Don’t think so much, Hunter,” she says against my lips. “It will be fine. I want this. I’m not going to regret anything, I promise.”

  She kisses me, working her way down my body. My neck, my chest, my stomach. She lingers over my abs and the V of my hips. When she reaches my dick, she takes it in her hand and then kisses around it, teasing me, before sucking the head into her mouth. She then takes me in, deep, to the back of her throat, a curse leaving my lips. She starts to suck, hollowing her cheeks, putting everything into it. Her gag reflex kicks in a few times, but she simply pauses, and then continues. When she starts to suck powerfully, and slowly, I know I’m about to finish.

  “I’m going to come, Riley,” I warn her, but she doesn’t move her face away. “Riley?”

  I’m ignored.

  My hips jerk as I come, and she swallows with each squirt, sucking gently, and driving me fucking insane. I’m louder than usual, noises leaving my lips that I don’t think I’ve ever heard myself make before, the orgasm more intense than usual. I fall back onto the bed when I’m done, while she playfully licks my cock again before moving next to me. I wrap her in my arms, kissing her lips and then her forehead.

  “That was . . .” I trail o
ff, my mind clearly not working properly. “Fuck, Riley. That was amazing.”

  She places a kiss on my chest, a small smile on her face. “It’s been a while.”

  “It must be like riding a bicycle,” I joke, pulling her closer to me. I’ve wanted her here, in this very spot, for so long now. I wasn’t sure it would ever happen, if I’m to be honest with myself. I exhale, close my eyes, and just enjoy the moment. Eventually we both fall asleep, but it’s not long before I wake her up, my mouth between her legs, pleasing her once more.

  She’s never going to forget this night.

  I MAKE HER BREAKFAST—BACON, eggs, and toast—then drive her home. She has to get to work, and although I have the day off, I thought I’d go visit my sister and then hit the gym. I reach over and take her hand in mine, smiling that I can do so now without her feeling too weird about it.

  “Well, what a first date,” she says into the silent car, making us both break into laughter. “I’m serious though, Hunter. Thank you. I feel so relaxed, and spoiled, and . . .” She trails off, smiling widely.

  And loved?

  Because that’s kind of what I was going for.

  I walk her to her front door and give her the lingering kiss I always planned to.

  “Can you take another day off next weekend?” I ask, pushing my luck. “How about Saturday or Sunday?”

  She nods. “I can make that happen.”

  “Good.”

  She gets on her tiptoes and pulls my head down for another kiss. When she pulls away she says, “Message me.”

  Then closes the door.

  I stand there, grinning to myself.

  I’m going to take this as a win.

  chapter 25

  RILEY

  “THE BETRAYAL, OH, HOW it still burns,” Preston says, hand on his heart. “I can’t even look at you, Riley.”

  “Preston, the guy is pretty good at what he does, admit it,” I tell my dramatic friend. “The place is spotless, he handled a fight, and to be honest, I have a lot less work than I usually do.”

  “He also got the phone number of a chick I was checking out,” Preston argues, crossing his arms over his chest. “He’s not that good-looking, is he?”

  “Um, I can hear you both,” Izaac points out, coming to stand next to me. I kind of lied to Hunter, because Izaac is fucking hot, and I noticed it the second he walked in.

  “Sorry, Izaac,” I say to him. “These two wanted to be left in charge, and I let you be manager instead, and let’s say I won’t be hearing the end of it until I’m dead.”

  “I’ll write it on your headstone,” Callie adds, joining the conversation. “It will read ‘Riley McMahon, owner of Riley’s pub and a traitor.’ ”

  I flash Izaac an I told you look, and he simply chuckles and turns to Preston. “If you want a chick, tell me and I’ll back off. And I’ll do the same for you. Deal?”

  “I didn’t realize Riley’s sidelined as a brothel,” I whisper under my breath, then turn to Callie. “Come on, how long are you going to be mad for? I couldn’t choose between the two of you. You are both amazing. But look at it this way, I’ve made your jobs easier, because if there’s any problems and I’m not here, it’s now Izaac’s problem.”

  “Thanks,” Izaac mutters in a dry tone.

  “You’re welcome,” I tell him, patting him on the shoulder. “And welcome to the family.”

  Callie slides up next to him and winks. “Don’t think family is the right word here.”

  Preston studies me. “So are you going to tell us how your date went or are you going to keep us all in suspense?”

  “What do you want to know?” I ask them all warily, leaning back against the counter. “We went horseback riding, had a picnic, and then went back to his place, where he cooked me dinner.”

  “Whoa, he’s good,” Preston comments, looking impressed. “Horseback riding? You would have eaten that shit up.”

  “No shit,” Callie adds, sharing a look with Preston. “I knew he’d nail the date. There’s no way he’d fuck up the first real chance you gave him.”

  “Agreed,” Preston remarks, clapping his hands together. “So, does this mean you guys are together or what? Is this shit official?”

  “Okay, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” I tell them, rolling my eyes. “It was one date, and I’m not in any rush, remember?”

  “Did you fuck him?” Callie asks, straight-out nosy.

  “No,” I reply with a straight face, because technically, I didn’t. And they don’t need to know all my business. No one does. “So that means you lose your stupid little bet.”

  “Prude,” she snickers, but then wraps me in a warm hug. “I’m glad you’re opening yourself up to possibilities. I’m proud of you. Even if I’m still angry at you.”

  I hug her back and say, “Thank you, and I know you are. But you will get over it.”

  Preston wraps his arm around me as soon as Callie lets go. “I suppose he’s not that bad.”

  “Hunter or Izaac?”

  “Both of them,” he says, kissing the top of my head. “As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”

  “Does that mean you’re not angry anymore?” I ask, snuggling into him.

  “Nope,” he replies, letting go of me and walking away.

  Tough crowd.

  Izaac removes his sweater, his T-shirt riding up with the movement, exposing a pretty decent set of abs.

  No regrets.

  My phone beeps with a message. It’s from Hunter.

  How did the mutiny go?

  I think I handled it. Although apparently “traitor” will be written on my headstone when I die.

  Let me guess. Callie?

  I laugh and reply:

  You got it. Are you at the gym on your phone?

  Maybe.

  Are you going to send me a gym pic?

  No.

  I laugh and type back:

  Why not?

  Because I’m not a douche.

  I laugh to myself and type back furiously:

  I guess I’ll have to see you flex in the flesh.

  Looking forward to it, beautiful.

  Warmth fills me. I’m slowly letting him in through the cracks.

  Let’s just hope it’s the right decision.

  NEXT WEEKEND ARRIVES, AND Hunter and I decide to stay in after both having big weeks. Hunter cooks dinner for us, and we watch movies and cuddle. It’s nice, and it feels natural somehow.

  “You have really cute feet, they’re all small and pretty,” he tells me, out of nowhere.

  “Ew,” I reply, moving my feet when he goes to try and touch them. “Don’t touch my feet, or look at them.”

  “Why not?” he asks, laughing. “They’re just feet.”

  “Feet are yuck,” I tell him, glancing down at mine, glad I got a pedicure on my lunch break the other day. “And if you have some foot fetish, you’re shit out of luck because if you try to kiss my toes I’m going to kick you in the face.”

  He throws his head back and laughs, so I tug down on his beard until his face is level with mine.

  “That escalated from a simple compliment,” he says, scanning my eyes.

  “Apparently everything with us will escalate quickly,” I reply, kissing his lips.

  He cups my face with his hands. “As long as you’re not going to change your mind.”

  “I’m here, aren’t I?” I reply, arching my brow. I don’t know how else to reply to that, because you never know what can happen. I don’t know, and neither does he. Maybe he will realize this isn’t what he wants—you never know. This is why no one wants to fall in love or be vulnerable anymore. It’s like you’re trying to get to know someone, but without fully opening up or giving yourself to them, because then they have the power to hurt you. I don’t want to get hurt again. I chose wrong the first time, and I sure as hell don’t want to choose wrong again. I don’t want to hurt him either. There’s a lot going on though, my divorce for one, but I know that if two peop
le want to make it work, they can.

  We just need to both want it badly enough, but how do you know if you do so early?

  I don’t know.

  I’m just going with the flow right now, trusting my gut and hoping it doesn’t lead me astray.

  “Yes, you are,” he murmurs, and I decide to change the subject.

  “How’s work? What cases are you working on right now?” I ask.

  “Nothing too interesting,” he replies, gripping me by the waist and pulling me closer. “A few straightforward divorces. There’s one with an ugly custody battle, so I’m working hard to make sure the father gets equal access to his kids.”

  “It must be draining sometimes,” I tell him. “And a lot of pressure.”

  “Yeah,” he agrees, nodding. “Definitely. I want to help everyone, you know? But it doesn’t always work out like that.”

  I kiss his beard.

  “Did you just kiss my beard?” he asks, body shaking as he starts to laugh. “In the middle of a serious conversation?”

  I nuzzle his cheek. “I like you, Hunter. I mean, at first I thought you were a womanizer and couldn’t take anything seriously.” I pause, puffing out a breath. “And well, you kind of are, and you don’t, but there’s so much more to you. I just like being around you. I like you, I like your beard, and I like spending time with you.”

  “I like spending time with you too, Riley,” he says in a deep tone. “I’ve been looking forward to seeing you all week. Seeing you at lunch is good, but kind of not cutting it anymore.”

  “I know what you mean,” I reply, sighing. I kiss the lobe of his ear and smile when I feel the shudder that overcomes him. “Let’s go to bed.”

  “Okay,” he replies, turning off the TV.

  I like that it didn’t take much convincing.

  I laugh when he picks me up and carries me bride-style to his room, lifting me like I don’t weigh a thing.

  He kisses me and places me on the bed, pulling off his white T-shirt so he’s standing before me in nothing but gray sweatpants.