Page 63 of Breaking Conviction
He gave a knowing chuckle. “We’ve got a lot of pressure points and nerves in our hands. It feels good to find release.”
The words hit Naomi and her eyes snapped open. Wes wasn’t looking at her, but she caught his wicked smile and his skin pinkened from his pale cheeks all the way down his tattooed neck.
She opened her mouth to confront him about the innuendo, but as she did, the timer on the oven dinged.
“Shoot! I completely forgot.”
She pushed him aside and hopped off the cabinet, turning to open the oven. The heat clouded her face and she stood back up, opening, searching and closing every sparse drawer. “Um... where are y’all’s oven mitts?”
Wes cringed. “Honestly, I don’t think we have them.”
She huffed and turned off the oven, leaving the door open to let the heat out. “Well, how am I supposed to get them out? If they stay in there, they’ll burn.”
He frowned. “Okay, hold on.” He reached behind him and tugged the collar of his white T-shirt, sliding it over his head and arms like he’d freakin’ practiced the move that every red-blooded woman fantasized over.
“Wes, what’re you doin’?” Her voice wavered and her eyes widened at his sculpted chest, painted with intricate tattoos that made her mouth water.
He ignored her as he wrapped the shirt around his hand multiple times and bumped her to the side with his hips.
It took her another second until she realized what he was doing and she watched in horror as he tugged the tray from the oven and held on to it long enough just to clatter it to the stovetop. He cursed and tossed the shirt onto the countertop as he wrung his hands.
“Did you just use aT-shirtto get out a three hundred and fifty degree metal pan? What the hell’s wrong with you?”
“Mommy, don’t say bad words.”
Naomi swiveled her head around to see Thea eyeing her over the couch, her big round headphones laid around her neck.
“Watch your show, baby. Headphones up.”
Thea sighed dramatically before turning and collapsing back into the couch.
“Of course she’d freakin’ perk up for cookies and curse words.” Naomi muttered.
Wes laughed, sucking on a finger. “Kids have a sixth and seventh sense for those things.”
Naomi almost laughed with him until she noticed the redness already creeping over the pads of his fingers.
“Goodness gracious, come here.” Grabbing his hands, she tugged him toward the sink and turned on the cool tap water, testing the temperature before soaking his fingertips. His palms were already an angry red, but as she inspected his injuries, she noticed his knuckles were split and bruised. Without thinking, her finger grazed over one of the small cuts and she shuddered from the memory of the last time she’d seen knuckles like that… the last time she’dfeltknuckles like that.
No. This is Wes. He doesn’t have a violent bone in his body.
“Dang, trouble, maybe you should try less to live up to your name and ease up on the boxin’. At least make sure these heal up before you go again.”
“Yeah, um… you’re right,” he murmured and tucked his face away from her as he bent close to the water, like he suddenly felt the need to pay rapt attention to his injuries.
Weird. But it’s not my business. Better to not ask questions.
“Your fingers don’t look too bad, just red. This water should help. Maybe some petroleum jelly if y’all’ve got some—” She looked up to speak to him but paused as she realized how close he was to her.
Her eyes were level with his chiseled, bare, tattooed chest, and her own skin grew hotter with the need to touch him than it had from the oven behind her. His icy hot eyes bore into her, but hers darted to the sensual curve of his mouth. She licked her lips and Wes pulled his hands free before placing his hands on either side of her in front of the still running sink. Normally, his positioning would feel like she was trapped, but the overwhelming security she felt made her heart light. She leaned in as he grazed his nose along her jawline, and her breasts heaved with every panting breath.
“Naomi—” Wes groaned her name against her ear before moving his hands to her hips and tugging her into his hardening—
“Mommy, is the cookies ready? Wes… where is your shirt at? You can’t go ‘round the world with no clothes on.”
Thea suddenly appeared in the kitchen as she used her sweet little voice to repeat words Naomi scolded her with all the time. The combination splashed cool water over Naomi’s libido, way better than the rushing tap water beside them could provide.
Wes chuckled before kissing Naomi lightly just under her ear. She swallowed and moved her hands to his chest with every intention of pushing him away, but she couldn’t bring herself to create space between them. He did it for her, though, as he cleared his throat and backed up.
