Page 37 of Breaking Conviction
“Hey... what’re you doing out here?”
Naomi moved her hands from her face and brought herself to look at Wes. His concern was obvious and she couldn’t keep looking at his expression or it would send those stupid butterflies fluttering in her belly again.
But as she moved her gaze down, she couldn’t take her eyes off his intricate tattoos up his neck and down to those strong hands. Instead of fluttering, desire pooled in her lower belly as she thought about what those calluses there would feel like on the softest parts of her.
And there was another question she’d been craving the answer to. What would this man do with the vulnerable pieces of her soul? The ones she’d never felt comfortable giving away to anyone?
She closed her eyes against the hope that she’d finally found someone who would safeguard her heart. Dreams like that would only get her in trouble. Choosing Thea’s father meant there was no use wishing to be rescued from a tower of her own making. Besides, this wasn’t one of Thea’s stories.
She’d learned the hard way that white knights only exist in fairy tales.
Chapter Fourteen
Wes’s blood pulsed under his skin, growing hot at the desire burning in Naomi’s smoldering eyes. But his heart slowed its arrhythmic beat as he watched her consciously blink back her need, replaced by a nervous energy.
“Hey there, trouble.” Her chuckle was forced as she glanced at her phone. “Nora asked for some privacy... She’s my ride back to Sasha Saves, so... I’m just waitin’ for her to be ready.”
“You know, you’re the only one who’s ever called me that? Be careful, though. I might start thinking you like me if you give me nicknames.” He wanted to tease her more, but her weak grin in reply made him pause. “Shit, love, what’s wrong?”
Her legs were shaking with nerves and she crossed her arms while pressing herself fully against the wall, as if doing so would keep her from running away from him. Or into him. But it was her furtive glance at her phone yet again that tipped him off.
His lips tightened as he realized the problem and confirmed his thoughts with his watch. “It’s almost the end of your shift at Sasha Saves.” Her gorgeous light ivory skin blanched and she nodded. Of course she knew that. She probably knew down to the minute what time it was whenever she had to go back to that asshole at home. “Do you want me to give you a ride?”
Her warm chestnut eyes darted up to his, searching his face before biting her lip. “I probably shouldn’t,” she whispered and ducked her head, her dark auburn hair spilled from her shoulder, covering her face.
Frustration zapped his nerves. Naomi sparked and burned with life when she was able to be herself, just like the campfire in her eyes. Her fiancé smothered that light, and Wes couldn’t fucking stand watching it anymore or the thought of anyone taking away this brilliant woman’s fire.
He’d developed a theory over the past couple of months, but he hadn’t been able to test it just yet. Although they’d seen each other several times at Sasha Saves since the day they went over the guest list together, she’d managed to avoid him like the plague. But what he’d noticed during their brief times together was how alive she got whenever she decided to hate him for whatever reason. It hurt that he was the object of her anger, but it was refreshing to see therealNaomi, and he bet she thought so too.
Time to light the flame.
“Damn, he’s got some hold on you, doesn’t he?”
Those eyes narrowed at him and he could see the anger ignite inside her. Even though he wished to God it was a different emotion altogether, the fact that he could make her feelsomethingbesides responsibility or fear went straight to his cock.
“Noone has a hold on me. I am my own person.” She shoved her thumb into her chest.
That’s it, baby, get mad.
Wes sipped his coffee, adopting the most nonchalant expression he could muster in the presence of the woman who drove him crazy.
“Alright then, prove it. Let me take you back to Sasha Saves. Think of me as a free Uber.”
He analyzed her facial expressions, seeing her creative wheels turning, trying desperately to come up with some stupid-ass excuse. Finally, after a heavy sigh, she relented.
“Fine.”
Wes couldn’t hide his surprise, but Naomi breezed by him and strode toward the elevator at the end of the hall before pausing halfway and turning back to him. “Come on, Uber driver. I’ve got places to be. If you don’t hurry, I won’t leave you a tip.”
Wes felt his lips curve up. “Oh, I wouldn’t want to go without that. I think I’d do just about anything to see what a tip from Naomi Ward would be.”
She pretended to be sucked into her phone, but he could tell she was fighting back a smile as he walked toward her.
He led her to his black Trackhawk and opened up the door for her. She seemed to be carefully avoiding looking at him and it made him want to irritate her more, dosomethingto get a rise out of her so he could see that spark in her eyes again.
When he got behind the wheel, he set off for Sasha Saves. It wasn’t very far, so sitting in silence wouldn’t have been too awkward, except the air inside the cab was so thick it made it hard to think about anything else but how close she was to him. Her sweet scent, like a delicious dessert, was heady as he breathed in and he had a hard time maintaining focus while daydreaming about whether she tasted as good as she smelled.
Her phone vibrated and she cursed before digging it from her pocket. She cursed again before raising the phone to her ear.
