Witness Protection (The Witness Series) (3 page)

“Stop fidgeting.” Ryder says into my ear.

“I can’t help it, I am nervous.”

“He isn’t going to shoot you in broad daylight, Nate told you that.”

“Doesn’t mean I am not nervous.”

“I make you nervous?” He asks and I roll my eyes.

“Dream on GI Joe.”

“Don’t be sassy
, I make most girls nervous.”

“I bet you do.” I mutter.

“So what are we
having?” Nate asks, coming
in
and stopping beside me
.

“I am having whatever you guys are having.” I say, peering around the room again.

“Stop looking so damned nervous.” Ryder snaps again.

“Well fine, I will stare at the floor if it makes you feel better.”

“Are you two arguing again, seriously anyone would think you want to bang each other.”

“What?
As if!”
I cry, folding my arms.

“It’s not a bad idea.” Ryder says, staring at the board
casually as though he didn’t just suggest that
.

“Dream on.”

“I am dreaming, and it’s a good dream.”

“Stop hitting on her, you are scaring her Ryder.”

I glare at Nate who gives me a stupid grin.

“Alright, I will order, you two go sit down.
Usual Nate?”

“Yeah bud.”

Nate takes my hand and we find a booth and slide in, he sits across from me and smiles at my twitching fingers.

“Stop worrying, it is going to be ok.”

“I know, it’s not that.”

“Ryder gets under your skin, doesn’t he?”

“What, no, I don’t think so.”

“Oh he does!”

“Nate, shut up.”

“Don’t
worry;
he gives most girls red cheeks.”

“Yeah I just bet he does.”

Ryder comes back over and instead of sitting beside
Nate,
he slides in beside me and close enough that his leg touches mine. I flinch and my knee hits the table.

“Ryder, keep your hands above the table.” Nate says, warning him.

Ryder laughs and holds his hands up. “They are above the table.”

“
Then keep your legs off her, come on mate, she doesn’t need to feel uncomfortable.”

Ryder grips my chin suddenly and turns my face to his, my heart begins to pound.
God
he is beautiful.

“Are you uncomfortable, baby?”

“Stop calling me baby and no, I am not uncomfortable.”

“Do I make you flustered?”

“No.”

“Good, then we have no problem.”

He lets me go and I stare out the window, trying desperately to control my heart beat.

“So Ari, tell us about your family?” Nate says.

I turn back. “I have a sister, she is seventeen.”

“Oh very cool.
Does she live around here?”

“Yeah.”

Getting the hint that I am sketchy about my family, he changes the subject.

“How long have you lived out here?”

“All my life.”
I say, picking up a bread roll the waitress brought over. I nibble on the soft fluffy morsel.

“Same.”

“How long have you been a cop?”

“
God
, a good ten years.”

“Yeah, about that.”
Ryder agrees.

“Hi Ryder.”

I look over to see two girls who have stopped at the table.

“Sandra, Emily.”

“How have you been sir?”

Sir?

“Fine, thanks.”

“We saw you and thought we would come and say hello.”

“I am busy.”

“Oh, right.”

He gives them a glare and the
y
both walk off, I gape.

“That was rude.”

“They are stalkers.”

I choke on my bread, Ryder slaps my back while I cough and splutter.

“
God
Ryder, maybe she is safer in the
killers
hands.” Nate mumbles.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“It’s ok, I am fine.” I say, sipping my water.

“Those are ex’s, they don’t seem to take no for an answer.”

“Oh, of course.”
I say, nodding stupidly.

“Here is your food.”

A waitress stops and puts three bowls of seafood gumbo down, it smell divine, makes sense now why we have bread.

“Oh, that smells great.” I whisper, inhaling.

“Best damned gumbo in town.” Nate says with a wink.

We eat in silence and the food is divine. Oh, divine. I am full and groaning by the time we are done.

“
God
, I am so full.”

“There ain’t much to fill, makes sense.” Ryder says, giving me a gorgeous stare.

“No, you are right about that.” I mutter.

“Want to walk it off?” Nate asks.

“Nah, best I can do right now is roll.”

“We can arrange that, would make my day rolling you down the street.” Ryder
says in a monotone, but his eyes are dancing with amusement.

I glare at him. “Do you know how to be nice?”

“That was nice.”

“That was not nice!”

“Don’t start again guys come on.”

“Why don’t we go?” Ryder asks.

“Sounds good.”

We drive home in silence, I feel like the ice has been broken somewhat but it still feels a little sketchy. We spend the afternoon swimming and playing tennis, then I plod to my room for a sleep, feeling exhausted. I wak
e in the early evening, and make my way
out into the lounge.
I hear the giggling before I see the females. When I step into the lounge room, I see Ryder and Nate sitting with beers in hand and topless. Two girls are sitting and giggling be
side them. The girls are pretty;
tall
,
leggy blon
des.

“Sorry.” I mutter
.

“Don’t be, we are just entertaining. Come in.” Nate says, smiling.

“No, it’s ok. I was just getting a drink and…”

“Come on, we have beer.”

I smile a little at Nate, who gives me a truly all American boy grin.

“Oh yeah?”
I say, a small smile touching my lips.

“Yeah.”

“I…”

“It’s good beer.”

“Alright.”

“Ladies, this is Ariana, our house mate.”
Ryder announces, not looking at me.

“Hi.” I murmur.

“This is Nicole and Stacey.”

“Hiiii.”
They both chirp.

“We got good pasta.” Nate
says
standing
and taking my hand.

He leads me into the kitchen, an
d pulls out a bowl. My stomach g
rumbles at the pasta that he puts
in;
I inhale the rich, tomato sauce.

“You make this?” I ask.

He laughs. “No sweetheart,
it came all the way from lazy J
oes.”

“Oh, I love lazy Joes.”

His gaze meets mine. “Well, you will fit right in. It’s our favorite spot.”

We all sit in the lounge and I listen as the women banter on about shopping and shoes, seriously, gag.

“What is your favorite brand?” Stacey asks me.

“Brand?”

“Of shoes?”

“
Err
, flip flops.”

Ryder snorts a laugh and Nate falls back clutching his belly. What?

“Oh, are you serious?” Stacey gapes.

“Shoes bore me.”

“Oh my
God
.”
Nicole says, covering her heart in shock.

“I think
it’s
sexy.” Ryder says and I feel my cheeks heat.

“Well in that ca
se, we might have to try it out,
” Stacey purrs. “I could wear them when we…”

“
You wear what I tell you.” He snaps.

I gape, blinking back and forth between the two.

“Yes master.”

“Master?”
I snort, choking on my beer.

Both girls stare at
me, like I have just abused their mothers
.

“What?” I ask.

“Don’t disrespect him like that.”

I
glance at Ryder, who is gazing
at me.

“Um, am I missing something here? Is he the king or something?”

“No, he is our master.”

“Excuse me?”

“They are my subs.”

Subs?
What the hell is a
sub?

“They don’t look like big yummy
sandwiches
.”

Nate roars with laughter again and drops back down onto the couch.

“A sub is not a
sandwich
you insolent shit, it is a submissive. They are my submissive
s
.”

Oh…OH. Wow, he is a
Dom
, that’s so kinky
and weird.

“Well good luck with that.” I say, waving my hand.

“You don’t have a master?” Stacey asks.

“Yeah, no, that is never going to happen. I enjoy my own control.”

“When someone like Ryder is controlling you, you don’t.” Nicole purrs.

“Sorry, not my cup of tea.”

“Have you tried it?” Ryder asks, and I turn to stare at him.

“No.”

“Then how would you know it’s not your cup of tea?”

“Something about being tied
up,
ordered around and spanked like a child just doesn’t cut it for me.”

“It’s not about all that, those are just the perks.”

“If those are the perks, I would hate to see what the cons are!”

“Ryder is an amazing dom.” Stacey cuts in.

“Sure he is…
no issues there at all.”

Ryder hisses and glares at me. “Back down.”

“Or what, you will spank me?”

“
Don’t
fucking tempt me.”

“You would have to catch me first and I can assure you
Mr.
Dominant that won’t happen.”

“Is that a challenge?” He growls.

“Alrig
ht, enough.
That’s enough,
” Nate says, sitting up and stretching. “I am going to bed, Ari unless you want to be involved in Ryder’s fuck fest you should do the same.”

“I am happy here thanks, he can go anytime.”

“Careful, I have never had three.”
Ryder warns with a heated gaze.

I gape at him. “That’s disgusting.”

“How?”

“It just is!”

“Goodnight!” Nate sighs, standing.

“Night Nate.”
I smile, as he walks past.

“Behave yourself, Ryder doesn’t like being challenged.” He grins back at me.

“Well, here’s the funny thing, neither do I.”

“Challenge accepted.” Ryder snarls.

“
Pipe down GI Joe,
I am ge
tting another beer,
” I mumble, “Anyone want one?”

Ryder stands and follows me into the kitchen.
I rummage through the fridge and pull out a beer.

“Making
yourself
at home?”

“Would you like me to get on my knees and beg you for a beer, will that make your juices run?”

Ryder grips my hair and his aqua eyes flare, oh yes, I can see the dominant inside him, it is flowing off him and I can’t help the throb between my legs thinking about it.

“Careful, I will push you against this wall and fuck that pretty body until you can’t breathe.”

“I don’t think so.” I whisper, hating that my voice has betrayed me in my time of need.

“Don’t. Tempt. Me.”

“Consensual sex, haven’t you heard of it, or isn’t that part of what you do with those women?”

“They consent, and they fucking love it.”

“I think they have daddy issues and can’t think for themselves.”

“Watch it. Those girls have fantasies, it is perfectly normal.”

“I fail to see how.”