26

Christina

I slipped on my nude flats and straightened my blazer before racing out my front door. Will was just getting out of his car when he saw me.

"You look beautiful," he said.

I smiled. "You never fail to tell me that." Rising on my tiptoes, I kissed his firm lips. "How did you sleep last night?" I asked.

"Miserably," he said, pulling me in closer by my waist and kissing my neck.

I laughed and tried to pull away when his breath tickled my neck.

"How about you?"

"Terrible," I said.

"Good." He opened the car door for me and I climbed inside. Sniffing the leather and his woodsy cologne, I sighed and fell back into my seat. "I should pack a larger bag so I don't run out of clothes and need you to take me back home."

"Yes. A much bigger bag," he agreed.

We chatted about his next assignment, guarding an Italian diplomat, and I told him about an upcoming case I was working on. It was pleasant and soothing, as I'd never imagined a domesticated relationship to be. I thought I'd feel stifled or smothered. But it was the opposite.

"So, what do you think the judge will give Simon?" he asked as we approached the courthouse.

I shrugged. "I'm not sure. In New York, sex trafficking is a class B felony, which means he can get anywhere from five to twenty-five years in prison."

"Let's hope he gets the max."

"As much as I'd like to agree with you, I don't think he will. That is usually reserved for much larger trafficking rings, but I hope it's more than five."

Will pulled up to the courthouse and parked the car. At the top of the steps were Donna, Lynette, and Cheyanne. They all ran up to me and hugged me.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Nervous. What if the judge gives him six months or something? Or worse, time served?" asked Lynette.

I shook my head. "He wouldn't do that."

Donna crossed her arms. "When did you become the optimistic one?"

"Well, let's just say I handed down some justice of my own and feel pretty good about it."

She tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"I can't say, but I can assure you that he won't forget the pain he caused any of you."

"Girl, I hope you're right," said Cheyanne.

I smirked, remembering Simon's agony, and knew I was right.

We all walked into the courtroom together while Will stayed back to talk to one of the guards. I saved him a seat next to me and when he sat down, I leaned toward him. "What was that about?"

"I just wanted to make sure the guard didn't have any blowback from our little chat with Simon yesterday. If he did, I would have handled it."

"And?"

"All good. No one gave a shit that he came back limping and bruised."

Just then, a side door opened and a new guard walked in, steering Simon with a hand on his elbow. His hands were cuffed again, and he wore the orange jumpsuit, but he had a brand-new shiner on his eye. It was black and purple and it was glorious. He wasn't squirming on the floor anymore, but I knew that his balls must still ache from yesterday.

Donna leaned against my shoulder. "Shit. Simon's gonna have a rough time inside prison."

I smiled. "His rough days have only just begun, Donna. Trust me."

The court bailiff entered. "All rise."

The half-empty courtroom stood as the judge entered and took his seat. As soon as we took our seats, he looked at Simon and addressed him.

"I considered many factors for this sentencing and know that Mr. Graff is still a young man and can perhaps be rehabilitated."

My heart stopped beating, and I held my breath.

If he were to give Simon only six months, I don't know what I would do.

He went on to cite his reasons and while they were lengthy, I couldn't repeat any of them. My mind was stuck on the word rehabilitated. Finally, the judge said, "For the crime of human trafficking, Simon Graff, I hereby sentence you to ten years in prison, with the possibility of parole after five years."

I sighed. It wasn't twenty-five years, but it wasn't six months either.

"For the crime of gross negligence, Simon Graff, I hereby sentence you to one year in a state penitentiary to be served concurrently with your other sentence."

"Damn. He doesn't get any extra time for that?" asked Donna.

"No. But it will make our civil negligence case stronger. Don't worry, when he gets out, he won't have a dollar in his account to buy himself a coffee."

We waited for the judge to finish speaking and finally rose as he exited the courtroom.,

Simon sat with his head down, his usual cocky grin gone. He frowned when his lawyer spoke to him, but said nothing at all. For the first time in my life, Simon Graff looked defeated.

And we had done that to him.

"Let's go celebrate," I said.

"I thought we already did that after the verdict," said Donna.

"Hey, if she's buying, why are you questioning it?" asked Cheyanne, and we all laughed.

"There's a great bar near Will's house. I'll text you the address."

"Isn't it a little early to start drinking?" asked Donna.

Lynette rolled her eyes. "Donna, babe, when did you become the responsible one?"

Donna smiled, as though the moniker pleased her. "I guess now. And you better get used to it because there will be a lot of changes from now on."

Will drove us to the bar, as none of us wanted to be the designated driver. Since he had to work later, he agreed to stay sober.

When we arrived at the bar, I saw Tina and waved her over. "Tina, I'd like you to meet my sister, Donna, and her friends Lynette and Cheyanne."

Tina smiled and wiped a loose strand of hair away from her face that had escaped her ponytail.

"Pleased to meet you all."

"Tina, we'd like four rounds of tequila shots, please."

"Tequila shots, huh?"

"Yes, we are celebrating, and we are not going to mess around about it."

"Maybe, let's start with a glass of champagne since it's only eleven thirty."

Cheyenne shrugged. "Fine. But only because you're buying."

"What are you celebrating?"

"We are celebrating getting a dipshit of a man out of our lives."

Tina's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"You don't know him, but Simon Graff is a real piece of work. And today, he is out of our lives, and behind bars. And there's no better feeling than standing up for yourself. Isn't that right, ladies?" Lynette asked, and the women whooped in reply.

I chuckled as I basked in their afterglow. They were happy, and I was, too. My gaze caught Will's as he chose a table near the back. I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Thank you," I said.

"For what? Agreeing to stay sober?" he chuckled.

I shook my head. "No. For being you. For being patient," I kissed his lips softly, "and understanding when I need your help versus when I need your support. You get me like no one else ever has."

"You make me want to know everything about you. Good, bad, and ugly. But it's never ugly to me, remember that. Your past, who you are, is beautiful to me. You are beautiful not just here," he caressed my cheek, "but here, too." He placed his hand over my heart, and my eyes watered.

"No one has ever accused me of being soft." I tried to smile, but my emotions were too shaky.

"You're not soft, Christina. You are fiercely protective. And compassionate. Just because you love hard doesn't make you a hard person."

He pulled me against him. "There's only one thing that's hard between us," he said with a grin.

I squeezed my hand between our bodies. "Shall I help you with that?"

He barked out a laugh. "God, you are adventurous. But no, I'm going to take my time with you tonight."

"Your place?"

"Yes."

"Deal."

"Now, go have fun with your friends. I'll come back to pick you guys up in a couple of hours."

He kissed my lips. "I love you," he said.

I inhaled sharply. "I love you, too, Will. I can't believe I haven't said it yet, but I've loved you for a while now."

He smiled. "I know, but I really felt it today."

"Why?"

"Because when you left that courtroom today, you left the past behind. I think you're finally ready to accept a future—with me."

Damn. He knew me better than I knew myself.

I nodded otherwise, those tears blurring my vision would fall down my cheeks, and I didn't want to cry. Not when this was supposed to be a day for celebration and new beginnings.

"I'll see you later," he said and kissed me one more time.

I watched him leave the bar, his blazer stretched across his broad back and I bit my bottom lip. I couldn't wait to see him again. Everything inside of me told me what I was feeling was right and good.

"Are you going to stand at the back of the room all day or are you gonna come drink with us?" Cheyanne hollered, holding her glass of champagne.

I shook my head, but laughed as I walked back to the bar. "Looks like you've already started without me."

"Looked like you were already celebrating without us," said Donna with a smile.

I grinned, unable to hold back my happiness. "Yeah. I guess I was."

"Damn. Does he have a brother?" asked Lynette.

"He has three."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Hook a girl up."

We all laughed and clinked glasses.

"To justice and new beginnings," I said, holding up my champagne glass.

"To rich boyfriends and their brothers," replied Cheyanne, and we downed our drinks while trying not to laugh.

I caught Tina's gaze as she watched us from the opposite end of the bar. I smiled at her and she smiled back. "Join us," I said.

"I can't. I'm working."

"Well, then just sit and listen to their crazy stories. They're always entertaining."

Tina looked around and saw there was no one else that needed serving and walked on over. I pulled up a chair, and she sat down beside us.

"Now, have I ever told you about the time Jimmy the Greek sat at a bus stop naked after I told him the story of The Emperor's New Clothes?"

They all started laughing, including Tina, and I sat back and sipped my champagne.

By the time Will returned two hours later, Lynette was holding a napkin to her lips, pretending it was a microphone, and singing "Sweet Home Alabama" while Donna, Lynette, and I waved our arms in the air.

Will rubbed his lips to hide his grin, but I laughed. "You don't have to hold back on our account. I know how ridiculous we look. I just don't care."

He removed his jacket, and I licked my lips. "You are so damn sexy. You know that?"

He pulled me into his arms. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Ladies," I said, turning back to my friends. "It's time to go. Will has got to drive you all home so he can take me to bed."

"What?" cried Cheyanne, still only halfway through her song.

"Yup. Everyone in the car."

"I'll call them a cab if they don't want to leave yet," said Tina. "They look like they're having a great time."

"Thanks, Tina," said Will, and he passed her several bills. "This should cover the cab fare."

He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the exit. "First, we're going to stop by a coffee place and pick up one of those disgustingly sweet lattes you love, so you can sober up. I need you alert and ready for what I have planned for us."

I strutted down the sidewalk, exaggerating my hips. He chuckled and rubbed his forehead. "This may take more than coffee, I think."

True to his word, Will stopped to get me a coffee before taking me to his place.

I hung up my purse and sipped the last drops of the caramel latte. "So, big boy. What did you have in mind?"

He removed his blazer and sat on the armrest of the couch. His pants stretched over his thighs and his crotch. I knew the bulge underneath wasn't stiff, yet it was quite impressive, nonetheless.

I walked over and cupped him.

"I remember the first time you did that. It didn't end well for me."

I licked my lips. "This time, I promise it will end very well for you."

I massaged his groin, and he began to stiffen. He pulled me down and kissed me deeply. His tongue pressed between my lips and explored my mouth. If I tasted like champagne, his breath was peppermint fresh.

"Are you stealing my gum?" I asked.

He smiled. "Maybe."

I pressed my lips back onto his and sucked on his bottom lip. "That's okay. I like the taste of me on your lips."

He groaned. "Fuck, Christina. I love it when you talk dirty to me."

He unbuttoned my blouse and caressed my breasts through my bra. I felt everything through the thin layer of lace, especially his hot tongue when he swiped it over my nipple. I pressed his head closer to my breast and hugged him.

My heart beat faster and my breasts swelled with his touch. "I love you," I whispered. Now that I'd said it, it seemed like I couldn't stop.

He picked me up and carried me to his bedroom. My head was clear now and my focus narrowed on us. There was nothing left unsaid. Nothing in my past I was afraid to share. No one I wanted to spend my days and nights with but him.

"We need to pick up a bag for me later. I want to spend the night."

He lifted his head from my nipple and his hair fell in front of his eyes. I pushed it away as he looked at me. "I don't want you to spend the night," he said.

My heart stopped. "What do you mean?"

He lifted himself from my body and held my face in his hands. "I don't want you to spend just one night or even two here. I want you to spend every day and every night with me. I don't ever want you to leave, Christina."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his shoulder. The tears fell this time, and I didn't even try to wipe them away.

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes!" I cried. "Absolutely, yes."

"Good. Now I can love you properly and take my time."

I liked the sound of that. Taking our time, knowing we had all day and all night, was exactly what I needed in my life. Someone I could depend on. Someone who would be there for me, no matter what.