Breaking Conviction by Greer Rivers

Chapter Sixteen

Naomi immediately felt Wes’s body tense, and he stayed stock-still for an awful second, during which her mind went haywire. Maybe he didn’t think of her that way. Maybe it was all her wishful thinking. Or maybe he was just as afraid as she was that the moment would disappear.

But she didn’t have time to dwell on the answers. One moment she was questioning everything and the next she was scooped out of her chair.

He held her up with one arm before swiping his keyboard away with his free hand and sitting her on the desk. Standing between her legs, he caged her in with his hand on the side of her hip as his free one stretched to press a button behind her. She got lost in a cloud of citrus and cedar just before she vaguely registered a click coming from the closed door.

“It’s locked. Now come here.” He cupped her nape and drew her in, melding their lips together just as she sank her fingers into his thick hair.

If it were anyone else, the thought of being trapped would’ve terrified her. But she tasted freedom in his kiss, and the stress she’d been drowning under released in a deluge, leaving her lightheaded with relief.

But she craved more and grew ravenous for his touch, opening her lips to let his tongue slip inside her mouth. Delicious need pulsed through her body and into her core, dampening her thong underneath her leggings and sweater dress.

He squeezed her ass and pressed her heat against the hardness growing in his jeans. Curling her body flush against his shaft, she sucked in a breath when she found the friction she needed to relieve the tension swelling in her clit.

His palms traveled down her hips and underneath her sweater dress until her groan made him pause.

“For the first time in my entire life, I wish like hell I wasn’t wearing leggings.”

He chuckled and splayed his large hands across her upper thighs. “Oh love. Do you really think clothes are going to keep me from making you come?” His thumbs grazed over her clit in a move that had her moaning into his mouth.

“I think I’m gonna enjoy feelin’ you try.” They weren’t even skin to skin yet and his touch still sent a thrill up her spine.

“Fuck, Naomi, do you know how long I’ve wanted to touch you like this?” he whispered against her lips as he barely skimmed over her center, making her shiver.

“Too long,” she whispered back before tucking the fingers of one hand into his waistband and unbuckling his belt with the other. He began to massage her clit, sending liquid heat to her pussy and her legs trembling.

“Goddamn, love. If you’re this responsive with clothing in the way, I can’t wait to feel you combust around my cock when I’m inside you.”

She opened her mouth to agree when a faint vibration began to hum in her ears and her body stiffened with a completely different kind of tension. She tried to ignore the humming and the dread sinking into her stomach. But the vibration happened again… and again… until it finally dawned on her what was making the noise.

“Shit!” Naomi dropped her hands from Wes’s jeans' button and pushed him away like he burned her. His hands instantly flew up and off as he backed away. Something about that gesture sent a twin ache, loving that he was so attentive and respectful, and hating that the man she had to go home to was anything but.

She hopped off the desk and scrambled for her phone from inside her purse.

3 missed calls. Two voicemails. 7 text messages.

“Shit, damn, fuck, shoot.” She mindlessly cursed under her breath. The erratic drumbeat of her heart in her ears gave her the sensation of having her head underneath a waterfall. She unlocked her phone to read the text messages first.

Dean: Got off early. Come home but leave Thea at day care so I can finally get you underneath me without her ruining it :)

Dean: When are you comin home sweets? Answer your phone

Dean: Answer your damn phone, bitch

Dean: Where the fuck are you? You better be busy as hell at that goddamn store or we’re gonna have some fuckn problems

Dean: You made me have to look for you at that shitty ass place. And guess what? You werent there. Who are you fuckn??? WHORE

Dean: If you don’t call me in the next hour we are fuckn done bitch. you might as well stay on your knees after you choke on that dick youre suckin. Maybe if you beg I’ll be in a forgivin mood

Dean: I picked our daughter up. Dont bother comin home. She doesnt need a slut for a mother and you can forget being my wife. If your dirty cunt gets anywhere near my house I’ll finish wut I started last time

The last text made her hands tremble and her vision blur. This man who could so casually threaten to murder her had her daughter. He’d never hurt Thea before, but he’d never threatened her own life before, either. Along with the fear making her adrenaline go haywire, her stomach also turned in knots with guilt. She’d heard his accusations before… but this was the first time there was truth to them.

She checked the time and realized he’d sent that particular text just a few minutes ago. She scrolled through and realized all but the Sasha Saves related text were only minutes apart. He hadn’t even given her a chance to defend herself.

“I gotta go, Wes.”

“What is it?” He gently grabbed her bicep, but she jerked it away, afraid his fingertips would brand her there for Dean to see.

“Thea’s father is textin’ me. I’ve gotta go now.”

“Wait, let me see the messages.”

She gave him her phone without thinking. Fighting past her blurry vision, she fumbled for the strap on her purse before slinging it over her shoulder.

“Motherfucker.” Wes grabbed his midnight-blue hair with his free hand as he stared at the screen, then stared at her. “I can’t let you go like this. No way in hell am I letting you be alone with that asshole when he’s fucking threatening you with shit like this.”

“I’m fine. I gotta go.” She reached for her phone, but his firm hand cupped her shoulder, stopping her at arm’s length.

“No way. Besides the fact you’re too upset to drive, this is some scary shit.”

It was only then that she realized her blurry vision was caused by the tears streaming down her face. She blinked hard, willing them to stop and tugged her shoulder free.

“I can’t think about that. I’m sorry Wes, but this was a mistake.” She ignored the lilt in her voice and her chest constricting at his stunned expression. Instead, she took the opportunity and grabbed her phone from his hand before rushing out of the BlackStone meeting room.

After a couple of steps, Wes followed at her heels.

“Wait, Naomi. Stop!” She burst through the door to the garage and beelined to her car until his hand tugged her arm again. “Please. Stop. You don’t mean that.”

“Yes, I do!” She easily tugged free and held her hand up to halt him from getting closer. “This was a huge mistake, so I just need to get home—”

“No, we are not a mistake. Can’t you feel that? I know I’m not the only one.” He ran his hands through his dark hair. “Fuck, Naomi, getting to hold you felt like I could breathe easy for the first time in months. We are not a mistake. This” —he gestured between them— “is not a mistake. Going back to him is the mistake.”

“You don’t get it, Wes.” She choked on the words as dread and guilt constricted her lungs.

“Well then, explain it to me!”

Unable to look at his pleading icy blue eyes anymore, she pivoted, aiming straight for her Nissan as she yelled over her shoulder.

“Throughout our entire relationship, Dean has accused me of cheatin’ on him, he has... hurt me for those lies he believed, but for once—” She swallowed back the bile of the truth in her words. “For once, he was right. I have to go. I have to fix this.”

“Naomi, no you don’t! Don’t go back to him, please.”

She whirled on him and threw her hands up in frustration. “Why, Wes? So I’ll stay with you, instead?”

Wes’s mouth opened and shut quickly before he shook his head. “What? Fuck, I’d love for you to do that, but no. That’s not what this is about. I don’t want you to go back to him because I’m scared for you. You are too, I can hear it in your voice.” He sidestepped around her and stopped in front of the driver’s side of her car with his arms spread out, keeping her from getting inside. “Listen to me, Naomi, no matter what you’ve done, there’s no reason for you to be literally shaking in fear of physical harm from this guy. Please. Don’t go.”

His voice broke on the last sentence, breaking something inside her too. Never had Dean cared enough to fight for her like this. He’d been the one to cause all the pain and she’d let it happen over the years because of some twisted view of the type of family Thea should have. The one she’d grown up with and craved for years since.

But Thea had never had that with Dean and maybe it was high time to stop trying to make something happen that just wasn’t there.

Thisman in front of her was making her feel things Thea’s father never had. Sure, desire, hunger, and need, but also strength, security, and… treasured. Dean never had more than a physical or manipulative hold on her.

Apparently, it took this man begging for her safety to make her realize all that. The ice blue in Wes’s eyes pierced her resolve, breaking down convictions she’d held too tightly for way, way too fucking long.

She straightened before closing her eyes and making her decision. “I won’t stay—”

“Thank fuck—”

“I won’t stay. But he’s gonna have Thea all by himself if I don’t get there in time. If he gets her before I get home, I won’t be able to leave. I’m not leavin’ my baby with someone hell-bent on hurtin’ me, even if it is her father.”

“Fine, I’ll go with you—”

Alarm shocked through her, making her nerves stand on end. “No, absolutely not, that’ll make everything so much worse.”

“Damn!” Wes pulled at his hair again, making it stand on end. “Fuck, okay... I-I’m going to follow you—” She opened her mouth to object, but he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. “He won’t see me. I promise. But I... I need to be near you, okay? I need to know you’ll be alright.”

Habit told her to rebel. That she needed to handle this on her own and keep prying eyes out of her business. But… instinct told her he was right. If she was facing her monster, she needed a knight.

“I-I have to go. Do what you gotta do, but I need to leave now, before it’s too late.”

He backed away as he frantically nodded as he followed her to the driver’s side. “Okay... okay. But call me if you need me before I can get to you, okay?”

“Okay.” She swallowed before opening the door and hopping into the seat. When she reached to close it, Wes took her face in his hands and kissed her on the forehead. Hot tears filled her eyes. She wasn’t ready to leave this safety, this security. This man.

She’d just had him for a split second. What if that was all she’d ever get? Was a split second of freedom worth the rest of her life?

When his warm lips left her forehead, she withdrew and sat up in her seat, sighing.

“Goodbye, Wes.”

She closed the door.

As soon as she looked out of her rearview mirror to back up, the garage door opened. Wes must’ve had some fancy way of opening it. She looked to him one last time, memorizing his face. It was stark white and worry was etched over his features. His arms were crossed, his back straight, and she blinked back her own stress.

“It’s gonna be fine,” she whispered to herself, ignoring the light lilt at the end.