Leading the Witness

by Chantal Fernando

  I love those sweatpants.

  “You don’t wear those out of the house, do you?” I ask, the thought suddenly hitting me as I eye the outline of his cock that is clearly visible.

  “Yeah, why?” he asks, glancing down. “I’ve worn them to the gym before, or just if I’m running into the supermarket or something.”

  “It’s the equivalent of me going out in a thong and white leggings,” I tell him, smirking. “And no, I’m not even joking. It’s one of the sluttiest things men can wear.”

  “Do you really want to get into a debate about this right now?” he asks, sliding his thumbs underneath the waistband of his sweats, teasing.

  “Not really,” I murmur, eyes on his cock. “Remove them.”

  “You making demands now, Riley?” he asks, unable to hide his amusement. He slides his pants down a little, enough to see the delicious V, not enough to see his cock.

  “Keep going,” I say, licking my lips. I lose all my inhibitions around him, all my shyness disappearing, too turned on to care. I just want him. We didn’t fuck last time, and it’s all I’ve been able to think about since. He wanted to wait, and I waited an extra week. It might not sound like much, but trust me, it was the longest week of my life.

  He brings them down a little more, his cock finally making an appearance as he slides the material over it. And then he’s naked, and my eyes are having a fucking feast as I take him in from head to toe. I make a sound in the back of my throat, a sound of want.

  “Come closer,” I plead, wanting him.

  He steps forward until his cock is within reach, my fingers reaching out to stroke him a few times before bringing him to my lips. Opening my mouth, I suck him in as deep as I can, taking him to the back of my throat, his pleasure taking priority over breathing.

  “Fuck,” he groans, fingers threading in my hair as he watches me. “I want to taste you.” He pulls away from me, climbing onto the bed and undressing me quickly. As soon as my red lace panties are off, his mouth is on me, licking, tasting, and sucking, driving me crazy.

  “I want you to fuck me, Hunter,” I tell him, just needing to feel him. It’s been so fucking long, and I’m glad I waited for him, even if I didn’t realize that’s what I was doing. He ignores me, of course, licking my clit until I can’t fight my orgasm anymore, moaning his name as the pleasure consumes me. Before I come back to myself, he slowly slides into me. He’s so big, but I’m so wet that it feels good. I pull his lips down on mine, kissing him deeply as he starts to gently thrust in and out of me.

  This is what I’ve been missing.

  I won’t be making that mistake again.

  chapter 26

  HUNTER

  SHE’S SO WET AND tight there’s no way I’m going to last as long as I want to, but I make sure she comes again before I let myself lose control.

  Ladies first, always.

  I pull out after I’ve finished, then realize something. “Are you on the pill? Fuck, I should have asked you this before. I’m sorry.”

  I’m normally much more responsible than this, and I usually use condoms, but I lost fucking control.

  “Yeah, I am,” she replies, resting her head on my chest as I lay down next to her. “And I’m clean. I got checked after I got separated, since I heard rumors of him cheating.”

  “I’m good too,” I assure her. I got checked out a few weeks back.

  “Then we’re good,” she says, eyes on me. “And I’m going to want to do that again.”

  I chuckle, and then I give her a soft, slow kiss. “We’ll be doing that a few more times tonight, Riley, don’t you worry. I’m only just getting started.”

  I roll on top of her, pinning her arms up above her head with my wrist.

  I smile as my lips descend on her neck.

  “I’M GOING TO FUCKING kill you” are the words I wake up to.

  I open one of my eyes to see a very unhappy Riley sitting on the bed next to me, one leg folded under her. She’s wearing my T-shirt and nothing else, her dark hair messily framing her face. Her hand is on her neck.

  “You’re meant to wake up sated and smiling after all the sex we had last night,” I say sleepily, thinking it’s only fair to share the rules with her.

  She removes her hand and shows me her neck. “Look what you’ve done, Hunter. Are we back in high school?”

  “Shit,” I groan, raising my head to inspect the damage. I never meant to intentionally mark her—I agree, it’s not a good look—but it’s not like I was thinking about it when the two of us were mindlessly, uninhibitedly fucking all night. I didn’t think, I just felt, and wanted to please her, my animalistic side taking over. “I didn’t mean to.”

  “I’m going to have to cover it up with makeup.” She sighs.

  “Well, it was a full moon last night, I guess you just brought out the beast in me,” I tell her, grinning, trying to cute my way out of this. “Come here, let me spoon you.”

  She lays down next to me, still grumpy. “I knew you were sucking too hard, that’s why I gently pushed your face away at one point.”

  I freeze. “Oh, is that why you punched me in the face?”

  “What do you mean?” she asks, yawning. “I gently swatted your face aside, because I knew you were going to leave a mark, and I was trying to avoid it.”

  “Babe, you full on hit me in the face,” I tell her, rubbing my cheek. “It hurt. That was not a gentle swat.”

  “Oh,” she murmurs, sounding surprised. “In my mind, it was gentle.”

  “It wasn’t.”

  She starts to giggle. “So in the middle of you fucking me from behind, I turned around and hit you in the face as you were sucking my neck.”

  “Pretty much,” I agree, remembering the moment.

  “Guess I hit you too late though,” she points out in a dry, sarcastic tone. “Considering the damage was already done.”

  “Should have hit me sooner.”

  She laughs.

  I grin.

  And then, we spoon.

  chapter 27

  RILEY

  “DO YOU KNOW MANY of my friends try to get me to introduce you to them?” Devon says, cringing. “Seriously. It’s fucked.”

  “It’s not my fault,” I tell him, lifting my chin. “I don’t even talk to any of your friends. Four years younger seems like a lifetime.”

  “I’m more mature than you,” my cousin says, smirking.

  “Just because you’re growing facial hair doesn’t make you more mature,” I deadpan.

  His lips tighten. “You’re a jerk.”

  “Must run in the family.”

  We share a grin.

  “I’m going riding, do you want to come?” I ask, nodding toward the stables.

  He nods, following my line of sight. “I’d love to. As long as you don’t get me killed.”

  I still. “How would I do that?”

  He turns to me, eyes bare of all emotion. Empty. Dead.

  “You killed me, Riley. Why?”

  “Devon?” I whisper, the world changing around me, the paddock turning into something else, a memory. “I’m sorry.”

  I wake up sobbing, tears running down my cheeks, and only then do I remember where I am. At Hunter’s, and he has his arms wrapped around me, rocking me back and forth, asking me what is wrong.

  “I had a bad dream,” I tell him, trying to get myself under control. “I’m sorry.”

  I don’t know if I’m saying it to him, or Devon, maybe both.

  “Who is Devon?” he asks me gently, only making me cry harder. I don’t want to talk about Devon, or my demons that haunt me whenever I’m weak and let them win. I don’t want Hunter to know what happened, because then he’ll hate me too and think I’m a bad person. When he repeats the question though, I find myself answering.

  “My cousin,” I reply, covering my face with my hands. “He was my cousin. My only cousin, actually. We were really close growing up.”

  “What happened to him?” he asks, kiss
ing my forehead. “If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s okay.”

  “He died in a car crash,” I tell him.

  What I don’t tell him is that he was drunk when he crashed.

  Or that it was me who bought him the alcohol in the first place.

  He was nineteen.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispers, stroking my back, comforting me.

  I haven’t spoken about what happened with anyone except my parents, and even they’ve learned not to bring it up. I told Jeremy what happened, and he used it against me whenever he could, even calling me a murderer in a fight we had.

  I loved Devon like a brother, and when he asked me to buy him and his boyfriend drinks for a party he was going to, I didn’t think anything of it. Everyone drinks at that age, or at least that’s how I justify it. I was twenty-three—the cool, older cousin, and I did as he asked.

  It was the worst mistake of my life.

  Everything changed after Devon died. His parents wouldn’t talk to me anymore, and I stopped going to their pub. Eventually, they forgave me, but things were never the same. Not only did I lose my cousin, I lost my aunt and uncle too. Things were rough with my parents for a while, but now we are stronger than ever.

  If I could go back in time, I’d never buy him that alcohol. I’d go with him to the party and make sure I was there to drive him home. I’d do anything, anything, to change the events of that night. I’d make a deal with the devil. I’d take his place. Anything.

  But I can’t, and now I’m stuck with memories and guilt. And utter sadness. I made a mistake that I will be paying for for the rest of my life.

  He always finds me when I’m asleep, because that’s when I’m at my weakest.

  My baby cousin always was my weakness, and he still is, just in a different way now.

  I fall back asleep in Hunter’s arms, but even he can’t save me from these demons.

  They are mine, and only mine, to war with.

  chapter 28

  HUNTER

  RILEY FALLS BACK ASLEEP, but I stay awake, replaying everything that just happened. She was clearly having a bad dream, and saying the words Devon and I’m sorry over and over again. I also heard her say I didn’t mean to kill you. I remember when Jeremy said that Riley was a murderer, and I thought he was on drugs or something, because Riley wouldn’t harm a fly. There has to be an explanation for this, because I know with everything I am that Riley would not murder someone. I absently stroke her back, wanting to protect her from everything but knowing that I can’t. All I can do is be there for her and let her know that no matter what, I’m not going anywhere. Nothing she does can scare me away, I don’t frighten easily. I have a good sense of character, and the woman next to me is beautiful inside and out.

  That’s rare these days.

  I close my eyes and fall asleep, her body warmth and scent surrounding me.

  Now that I’ve found her, and had a taste of her, I’m going to do anything I can to keep her.

  “WELL, IF IT ISN’T the werewolf of the firm.” Tristan smirks, sitting down in my office and making himself comfortable. I should have known Kat would have told him about that.

  “It was a love bite, not a claw mark. Let it go,” I tell him, shaking my head. “Are you here just to give me shit?”

  “Pretty much,” he says, flashing his teeth in a grin. “I’ve got some free time, and the first thing I wanted to do was ask you how you got a time machine to turn back into seventeen-year-old you, when giving hickeys was cool.”

  “I didn’t mark her on purpose,” I explain, lips tightening. “Why are we even talking about this?”

  “Because you gave your woman a hickey, and my woman saw it, and it’s funny,” he muses, chuckling to himself.

  “I think you joined me in that time machine, Tristan,” I tell him in a dry tone.

  Jaxon sticks his face in and smirks. “Do you only change at a full moon, or can you shift at will?”

  I’m going to kill Kat.

  I shuffle all of them out of my office and close the door. It’s only then when I look at my schedule on my laptop that I see that Yvonne has marked all the days of the full moon for the rest of the year.

  I can’t with these people.

  MY DAY GOES TO hell quickly when I read the piece of paper in my hand, rage filling me. I start to pace my office as I reread the words, making sure I understood correctly. Jeremy Rodgers is trying to sue me for malpractice, claiming that I breached my fiduciary duty to maintain confidentiality. He’s filed a grievance with the state bar. He must have heard about Riley and me being together, and is now accusing me of sharing his personal information with her, and claiming that’s why he lost money in the divorce.

  The thing that bugs the shit out of me is that his complaint is a valid one. I’m dating my client’s ex-wife. And while we didn’t start dating until after she was divorced, it looks suspect. I get that. But I have everything to prove that I exercised the utmost care in my representation of him and I never disclosed any confidential information to Riley. This is just a big pain in my ass. I should have known he wouldn’t accept the hand he was dealt, but there’s no way he can blame me for this loss. I did everything I could to get him to take what Riley was offering before court, but he refused to listen.

  I send Jaxon a text telling him to come see me when he’s free, and he’s in my office a few minutes later.

  “Is everything okay?” he asks, closing the door behind him. He warned me about this, and now he gets his I fucking told you so moment, but I still wouldn’t change everything that’s happened. When he sits down I slide him the paperwork, and he quickly reads it, sighing deeply when he’s done.

  “We knew it could happen” is all he says. “But he’s got nothing. He’s just pissed that he lost out on some money, and Riley is now happy.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry,” I tell him.

  “Hunter, we all love Riley. This isn’t on you. If I didn’t want you on this case, I would’ve said so. He’s clearly not a smart man, trying to take on our firm,” Jaxon continues, game face on. “He just started a war with the most powerful firm in the city; does he actually think he can win?”

  “Who knows what the fucker is thinking,” I mutter under my breath.

  “I guess we will see him in front of the board. I just became your lawyer.” Jaxon’s smile is all teeth, pure evil. It almost looks like he’s looking forward to this.

  Good luck to Jeremy, because Jaxon is going to destroy him.

  He stands up and takes the piece of paper with him. “I’ll get started on the annihilation of your woman’s ex-husband.”

  The way he says it, so casually, is why Jaxon is a man to be feared in the courtroom.

  “Thanks,” I tell him, meaning it.

  “No need to thank me. We’re all family here.”

  He leaves, closing the door behind him.

  Fuck.

  When will we be rid of this dickhead?

  chapter 29

  RILEY

  “I THINK I’M IN LOVE” by Kat Dahlia fills the pub, and I sing along to it, feeling happier than I’ve felt in the longest of times. It’s been two weeks since I was granted my divorce, and what a fortnight it’s been. Having Bear to go home to has brightened my life, and things with Hunter couldn’t be any better. My business is starting to thrive, more people coming in every day, and profits rising. For once, everything seems to be going my way. Like the world has given up working against me. How long does this luck usually last? Maybe I should just enjoy it while I can.

  “This song is on your playlist?” Callie snickers, coming to stand next to me.

  “So what if it is?” I playfully huff. “It’s a good song.”

  “You in love, Riley?” she pushes, doing a little happy dance. “Is this the moment where I get to say, ‘I told you so?’ Because I really love those moments.”

  I bet she does.

  “Just because the lyrics say something doesn’t mean that’s how I’m fe
eling right now,” I say, flashing her a look that dares her to challenge me. “And yes, you told me to take a chance, and I did. And yes, you were right. I’m happy, Callie. It’s kind of a foreign feeling.”

  One I’m never going to take for granted.

  Preston comes to stand on the other side of me. “What are we talking about?”

  “This song,” Callie says, looking straight ahead.

  “You mean how Riley’s playlist went from men-hating songs to lovey-dovey ones?” he asks, chuckling. “Oh, Riley, how the mighty have fallen.”

  “What man-hating songs have I ever played?” I ask him, scowling. “Go on, name one.”

  “You played ‘Come First’ by Terror Jr. on repeat,” he says in a dry tone. “Not man-hating exactly . . . more ‘I don’t need a man’ songs.”

  “Another great song,” I say in a haughty voice. “What’s wrong with it? It’s about an independent woman.”

  Preston and Callie share a look, then both start laughing. “Riley is in love.”

  “Don’t both of you have work to do?” I ask them. “You’re both the backbone of this place, remember?”

  Izaac walks in, dressed in worn jeans and a black T-shirt. “Sorry I’m late.”

  I glance at the clock. He’s ten minutes late. “No worries, Izaac.”

  The dinner rush hasn’t hit yet, so the place isn’t busy for the time being; we just need to prepare for when it hits. I send Hunter a message, telling him I’ll come to his place straight after work. I know he doesn’t like it when I work late, but he bites his tongue because I’m not going to change my schedule because he thinks it’s unsafe. It’s my job as the owner to make sure everyone gets home safely. Like a captain on a ship, I have to make sure all my staff members are okay.

  Drive safely, babe.

  The night goes quickly, and by the time I make it to his house it’s 10:30 p.m. He leaves his door unlocked for me, even though he knows I hate it when he does. It’s a safe area, but that doesn’t mean someone won’t try to break in. I open the door and lock it behind me, walking straight to his bedroom. The room is empty, but I hear the shower on, so I place my bag down and decide to strip down and join him. As I step into the bathroom, I see him resting his hand against the tiles, water dripping down his body, head down. He turns when he hears me, smiling and opening the door.