Page 62 of Breaking Conviction
“You can’t just sneak up on a girl like that!” She returned to the cookies to try to play off how fast her heart was beating, but the only dough left was on the mixing spoon and sides of the bowl.
Wes’s brow furrowed as he stepped closer. “I’m sorry, Naomi, I…”
Naomi watched his full lips move and she could’ve sworn she was listening, but Wes’s actual explanation didn’t register. Instead, she imagined him saying the words of his text message in his baritone. Heated desire crashed over her like a wave.
“I’m trouble… why would I be good, when I can make you feel good instead?”
“Mommy, is you okay?” Thea called from the dining table in her high-pitched voice, pulling Naomi from her trance.
“What, baby?” Naomi grabbed the baking sheet and shoved it into the oven, allowing three hundred and fifty degrees to blast against her face before she stood back up and closed the door. Hopefully, the oven’s heat masked the blush she’d felt coming on. “Yeah, Mommy’s okay. Why would you ask that?”
“‘Cause your mouth was open and your eyes was big and you was starin’ at Wes—”
“O-kaythat’s enough, I get your point.” Naomi interrupted, in a higher pitch than usual. When she heard Wes chuckling, she scowled at him.
He held his hands up to the side and scoffed. “Hey, don’t look at me, it’s out of the mouth of babes. I’m just enjoying the show.”
“Is it ‘cause his blue hair’s wet? Wes, Mommy says you have to scrunch your hair with a towel so the curls don’t fizz.”
Wes snorted. “I’ll make sure to towel it off better next time so it doesn’t getfizzy. I just couldn’t wait to see your mom again.”
Naomi rolled her eyes while her heart did that stupid pitter-patter and turned back to her daughter. “Thea, why don’t you take Angus and watch your show in the livin’ room? I’ll bring your cookie when they’re done.”
“‘Kay,” she nodded and her bright red curls brushed over her shoulders as she and her teddy bear, Angus, slid from her dining chair. While awkwardly using Angus to stabilize her crown, Thea watched her iPad and walked to the living room all at the same time.
“Who says preschoolers can’t multitask,” Wes joked and Naomi snorted. When Thea had settled on the couch, Naomi returned her focus back to Wes and whispered.
“How’d… whatever happened today, go?”
She’d meant what she’d said a week ago, that she wanted to remain on a need-to-know basis. That meant she had no idea what Wes had been up to all day, but she was fine with knowing just the end result.
Wes nodded slowly and leaned against the stainless steel fridge and crossed his arms. “It was… successful in some ways. A setback in another.” A shadow passed over his face before he seemingly shook it away. “But no need to worry. Everyone’s safe.”
Naomi nodded. She tamped down that natural curiosity that was bound to get her hurt. It wasn’t in her nature, but in this circumstance, plausible deniability promised a much better outcome judicially speaking if things went south. If she went to jail and left Thea with Dean… she shuddered at the thought.
She wiped her hands over her face and ended by smoothing her dark auburn tresses. “Good. I’m glad everyone’s safe.”
There was a pause and she looked to Wes and his furrowed brow as he watched her.
“You sure you’re okay?” he asked, snapping her from her reverie. “You seem…”
Turned-on? Horny? Needy?
“... stressed.”
Yup, definitely that one.
She chuckled at her inner thoughts and hopped up to sit her butt on the counter. “There’s just been a lot goin’ on lately.”
He nodded before he stood in front of her. More than anything she wanted to demand he follow through with the text message that she’d been obsessing over all day. But she settled for minutes of comfortable silence as he took her hands in his. He squeezed and she looked up from their connection and into his Arctic blue eyes.
They were so different from everything else about him. A story she wondered if she’d ever learn all the nuances. He was warm and kind, but his eyes made her think there was maybe something cold and dark hidden within. Granted, that was probably just her experience and paranoia more than anything else.
Wes stroked her palm with his thumb, somehow hitting all the nerves in her body that were in charge of desire. There was no telling what Naomi would let this man do to her if she gave into the pulse thrumming between her legs, but she had to get control of herself. Thea was in the next room, for goodness’ sake.
Naomi blew out a breath and collapsed her back against the dark wood of the overhead cabinet. Her legs inadvertently spread a fraction, but she didn’t change her position. Wes’s eyes flashed to hers as he took a small step to stand between her thighs. It felt sneaky, like she was getting away with something, but being around Wes never feltwrong. Quite the opposite. Especially when his fingers started massaging the inside of her palm more insistently, making her bite back a moan.
“Why the hell does that feel so damn good?” The words whispered out of her as she closed her eyes and sank into the relaxation his touch provided.
