Page 104 of Breaking Conviction
But it’s so much more than that.
Naomi mentally shook the truth away while outwardly nodding. “What about everyone else? Where are they?”
“Jason and Jules are staying back in Ashland. The hospital admitted Jules about an hour ago for observation. They think she’s having contractions, but they’re not sure if it’s actually time to have the baby or stress. She’s only days away from her due date anyhow, so they’re keeping an eye on her and the baby. And Jason too, if I’m honest. The man sounded like a nervous wreck on the phone. With BlackStone blowing up, Phoenix missing, and his already helicopter tendencies, he probably won’t let her leave the hospital until she’s given birth.”
Naomi snorted. “I get that. I was terrified when I had Thea, but even without that stress, Jason seems a little… erm… emotional. At least from what I’ve heard of him from Jules and Nora, and what I’ve seen at the BlackStone meetings.”
“That’s a way of putting it.” Wes laughed and casually put his arm around her shoulder, leading her to his room.
The entire cabin was something out ofSouthern Living, and their room matched with bear and plaid decor and cedar walls. It was exactly what they all three needed after what they’d been through. Naomi had relaxed as soon as they’d stepped through the front door to the homey scent of citrus-cedar.
Like Wes.
A king-size bed with a forest green quilt took up the center of the room. Black bears traveled the hem, matching the curtains drawn over the window. Which was bulletproof, apparently, according to Wes’s assurances. And the best part was Thea was able to be just next door.
She hadn’t wanted to let her daughter out of her sight, but the poor girl was exhausted and Naomi was still keyed up. Instead of tossing and turning beside Thea, possibly waking her, she decided to stay up with Wes. Now she was wondering how soft his bed was, and how good it’d feel to lie in it beside him.
Wes pulled his phone from his pocket and typed until a flame erupted in the gas fireplace, completing the comfy ambiance. They both collapsed on either side of the bed together without a word. A comfortable silence rested between them as they both watched the flames lick at the ceramic logs. The orange glow was mesmerizing, and before Naomi knew it, she was leaning against Wes’s arm, her eyes half closed with sleep.
It was perfect. She felt more at home in this cabin after a few hours than she had... anywhere, really.
“Devil and Ellie are at Sasha Saves,” Wes continued. Despite his low murmur, Naomi’s eyes flashed open at the gentle disturbance. She’d almost forgotten she’d asked about everyone else’s whereabouts. “Devil didn’t want Ellie anywhere near BlackStone, but Ellie refused to sit around and insisted they at least help at the clinic. The place is tricked out with the best security we could provide. Not that that means anything anymore.”
She raised her head from his shoulder and held his uninjured hand, a reflex for comfort that she’d developed with Thea. “You can’t beat yourself up. Whoever did this was obviously gunnin’ for y’all. There’s no way they weren’t professionals. Especially, since Dean was involved.” She shuddered.
“Shit, no. Stop that. We can’t both feel guilty, love.” He squeezed her hand and before she could think, she squeezed back three times.
It was a ritual only she and Thea had. She’d never wanted to hold Dean’s hand, couldn’t bear to reach out to the hands that hurt so easily. Come to think of it, she’d never seen Thea hold his hand either. But for both of them, it’d seemed, it came second nature with Wes.
He stilled before clearing his throat. “You have nothing to feel guilt over, Naomi. Just know that.”
“Yeah, how ‘bout neither of us do? At least right now. We can beat ourselves up tomorrow when Hawk gets here and we can actually do something to help. But let’s give ourselves grace tonight.”
Another gentle smile lifted up the corners of his lips. “I like that. We could all use a little more grace. Anyway, Nora is at the hospital, too. She’s close to Sasha Saves, and she said that Jules might need backup. If Jason freaks out more than he already is, Nora didn’t want to be too far away from the hospital.”
And Drake.
The thought whispered across her mind, but she didn’t want to out her friend. Nora hadn’t said anything, but Naomi knew that the nurse’s words weighed heavy on her.
Naomi leaned against the bed. “So it’s just us, huh?”
“Just us.”
The need to comfort and be comforted reflected in the faint worry lines beside his eyes, the cautious grin blooming on his face, and the way his hands flexed as if he was itching to hold her. She desperately wanted to have him do just that and leaned forward, but was stopped gently when Wes threaded his fingers through her hair and kissed the top of her head. Every time he did that, she soaked in the warm feeling that started in her heart and flowed throughout her body. She felt so safe, secure. Soloved.
“Hey, I’m going to draw a bath,” he whispered against her hair.
She felt her nose scrunch in confusion. “But you already took a shower?”
His chest rose and fell with his chuckle. “You’re right, but it’s not for me. So what do ya say?”
Naomi’s small gasp at his gesture ended in a moan. “Good Lord, I hadn’t even thought about that but now that you’ve said it I don’t want anything else.”
His low voice went straight to her core. “Anything?”
“I guess it depends on how good that bath is.” She pulled back and gave him a wink. He laughed outright and pulled her in for a hard kiss against her lips that ended all too quickly.
“Challenge accepted, myqueen.” He hopped out of the bed to the en suite bath and closed the door. She crossed her arms, trying to keep herself from going after him and ravishing him, bath or not. Instead, she decided to go check on Thea one more time.
