Witness Protection (The Witness Series) (7 page)

Nate shakes his head furiously.
“
God
no, hell no.
You were young, it was a mistake.”

“It was only two years ago.”

“You
’re
nineteen?” Ryder asks, taking a deep breath.

“You know that, why, are you cradle snatching
gramps
?”

“Twenty eight.”
He says, with raised brows.

“Really?”
I ask.

“
Hmmmm
.”

“Nate?” I say, looking towards Nate.

“Twenty seven.”

“You two have done a lot for yourselves then?”

“So we have.”

“Your turn.”
I say and they both look at me.

“For what?”

“Tell me
something about yourself, fairs fair. You don’t want me to sleep with bad dreams do you?”

“Hard woman.”
Ryder comments.

“Agreed.”
Nate grins.

“Come on then, spill.”

“What you want to know?”
Nate murmurs, leaning back on my pillows.

“Anything.”

“Well, I come from a family o
f four.
One sister,
two par
ents, obviously.
Lived on a ranch
my whole life, decided I wanted something different and joined the force. My
family are
the good type you know? They are the warm fuzzy family everyone wants.”
Nate grins.

“I don’t have a good story like that. My father is a jack ass, my mother is weak. I have a sister, who I never see. I left home at fifteen and got taken in by Nate’s family. They were old friends of the family, before it went sour. Joined the force with him and there we stayed.”

“I’m sorry Ryder.”

“Nah, don’t be.”

“So have you two always lived together?”

“Yeah, since we joined the force.”

“And have you been married?”

They both tense up.

“No, I haven’t.” Nate says.

“I have.” Ryder finishes.

“You have?” I ask, shocked.

“Yeah, once.
Ended.”

I get the hint he doesn’t want to talk about it further so I zip it.

“Well thanks for sharing.”

“I gotta get going, hot date.” Nate says, standing.

“At this time of the night?”
I grin.

“Night shift.
See you later.”

He walks out and I look over at Ryder.

“Well, I should get some sleep.”

He stands and I expect him to walk out, but he doesn’t, he walks over and kneels on my bed.

“I
meant
it, what I said earlier. You might have had a bad experience and that jack knife will get what’s coming but what he did was wrong. Sex isn’t horrible.”

“You tie and spank
women,
I don’t see how it’s any better.”

“You don’t understand submission.”

“And I don’t want to.” I frown.

“Don’t you baby? I think you do.”

“You don’t know me Ryder.”

He sighs. “Look I went about it all wrong when I kissed you. I didn’t realize the experience you have
had,
I didn’t realize it affects you so much to lose control. I get what my tastes must look like to
you,
and how I must seem but it’s not that way, there is trust Ari, a lot of it.”

I look down at my fingers fumbling together. “I told you, I don’t judge you Ryder but you came onto me hard and fast, I didn’t see it coming.”

“Really?
I have been throwing hints at you for weeks.”

“You have been throwing dirty little offers, but what you don’t understand is I don’t want dirty little offers.”

“You are scared, I get it.”

“No you don’t.”

He crawls closer. “You think I have never been scared before?”

“I don’t think anything frightens you.”

“You are wrong,” He whispers, “You frighten me.”

“Me?” I tremble.

“You make me come alive in ways I haven’t come alive for years. Even with all those girls, you spark my
interest,
I want to fuck you Ari.”

“I told you, I am not here to play. I don’t need to leave with a broken heart.”

“Who says I will break your heart?”

“You clearly don’t do relationships Ryder, so what do you suppose we do? Fuck and then when the killer is caught, I leave and end it? You might be able to work that way, I don’t.”

“I don’t stay with those other women because it’s not what they want either. I never said I don’t do relationships so stop assuming.”

I blink stupidly at him. “Ok, so put that aside, you expect me to trust you and let you do things that scare me?”

“Yeah, I do because I won’t ever hurt you.”

“I…”

“Look, do you trust me now?”

I nod.
“Entirely.”

“Then let me do something with you, just tonight, I won’t lay my hands on you, not once.”

“What are you going to do then?”

“I want you to see my
control,
I want you to see me in the
throes
of pleasure to see I am not a monster. I want you to show me what you
like,
I want to see you coming.”

“And we are going to do that without touching?”

“We are going to do it to ourselves.”

“Oh hell no,
” I say, putting my hands up. “I am not doing that in front of you.”

“Stop pushing everything aside Ari, please, just listen.”

“I don’t want to do that!”

“Why, why not?”

“It’s shameful.”

“No, it
’
s beautiful.”

“I
can’t…can’t
bring myself to do that in front of you.”

“I will do it too.”

“I don’t see the purpose.” I mewl in protest.

“The purpose is trust, you are trusting me not to touch you because you have said it frightens you, I am going to sit back and not lay a hand on you, we are going to show each other pleasure.”

“Still don’t see the point.”

“Just trust me, will you?”

“I can’t Ryder, I can’t do it.”

“Let me show you how.”

He stands and slowly drags down his boxer shorts, I gape when he springs free and stands before me so gloriously naked. His body is gorgeous, toned, rippled and shining under the light. I suck in a breath and stare down at his erection, which is pulsing and huge. Oh my. I meet his gaze again as he crawls onto the bed and lays beside me, not touching me but close enough that I can smell him.

“Ryder.” I whisper.

“Bodies are beautiful Ari, touching is beautiful, what I do to those women is what they find beautiful, giving up control arouses them. Give me some of your control, I won’t touch you, just give it to me. Touch
yourself,
show me how you pleasure yourself.”

“I…”

He grips his shaft and I can’t help the pathetic whimper that leaves my throat as he slides his hand up and down slowly.

“That doesn’t embarrass you?” I whisper.

“Why would it?”

“You don’t really know me and, you are just touching yourself.”

“Ari,
is it making you feel good?”

“Y-yes.”

“Then I am not just pleasuring myself. Enjoyment can be created without laying a hand on another person, now come on, show me.”

I hesitate, clenching my eyes shut as I slide off my panties. I can’t, I can’t do this in front of him.

“I can’t.”

“Can I touch your hand a moment?”

“Yes.”

He grips my hand and lowers it to my sex. Covering my fin
ger with his, he slides it throu
gh my folds and I whimper. He does it again, and again until I am moving on my own, then he moves his hand
away
.

“Yes, that is so fucking beautiful, spread your legs further.”

I do as he asks, surprised at my own actions. I have this control, it is my hand and my body, I can stop at any moment and it brings me comfort. I let my eyes go over him stroking slowly up and down, then I look up to meet his gaze. It is fixed on my face, which
surprises
me.

“Ryder?” I pant.

“Yeah baby.”

“Can I kiss you?”

“Oh, fuck, yes.”

He leans over and presses his lips to mine, taking me in for a deep, long kiss. I open my mouth and moan when his tongue slides in and
dances
with mine. My fingers move faster, my body sparking to life in ways it has never done. His hand moves faster, his muscles flex and pull.
God
, it feels so good, so good.

“You are so fucking beautiful.” He murmurs, finally looking down to my hands.

“Oh…” I whimper, letting my head drop onto the pillow.

“Show me how wet you are, show me.”

I let my legs fall open further and he hisses through his teeth.

“You are beautiful, from head to toe, beautiful.”

It
surprises
me Ryder has this soft side, this kind and caring side. He always comes across as so hard, but in the bedroom he is something different. It makes sense to me now, why all those women swoon over him. He is a sweetheart, deep down, he is a sweetheart.

“Ryder, I…I…”

“Watch me come,” He growls. “Watch me.”

I lift my head and watch his hand furiously work his length, when he releases, the white liquid shoots out and onto his belly. It is my
undoing,
I explode with a ragged cry. I fall backwards onto the bed and he falls beside me, we lay looking at the ceiling for a long moment.

“Wasn’t so bad huh?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”
He asks, sitting and picking up a tissue from my bedside table.

“For taking it
slow
like that.”

“Sex, oral, it is all extremely
pleasurable
when done right. That jerk didn’t do you any favors but not all men are overbearing like that.”

“But you like being a dominant.”

He shakes his head and
lays
back down beside me. “What image is it you
have of a dominant in your head?
”

“A man whipping a woman who doesn’t want it, tying her up and making
her do things she doesn’t want.
Being unable to gain control, not being able to be freed if she is scared.”