Breaking Conviction by Greer Rivers
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Her feet padded softly on the concrete floor, but the noise echoed against all the hard empty interior. The floor was a ghost town.
“Where is everybody?”
Wes checked an app on his phone. “Hawk’s, uh… downstairs. But other than that, looks like it’s just us. A lot of times after a mission, the crew kind of separates and does their own thing. Lets off some steam.”
“A mission?” she asked, a spark of fear igniting. That familiar need to both know everything and nothing at the same time shot through her.
He nodded and watched her reaction. After a moment, he gave a quick nod and grabbed her hand for a quick squeeze. He did that a lot, she’d noticed. Held her hand. She was beginning to love it more and more every time.
“Yeah… we, uh, had a bead on Andrew Ascot.”
“Y’all found him?” She felt her eyes bug out. “So… what happens next, exactly? Is he willin’ to talk to y’all?”
“Um… he’s not exactly ready to talk to us just yet. But we think he will be in the morning.”
“Not ready? What’s that mean?”
Wes’s lips tightened. “I’m keeping you updated, Naomi, but there are some things that are best for you not to know.”
A sting of pain jolted from her lip and she realized she was worrying it as they spoke. Her imagination was running wild, but all she could do was trust that Wes would do the right thing. After what they’d all been through, they had to be dying to know what the hell was going on in Ashland County like she was.
Her own company, Charitable Technologies International, had been involved with human traffickers, for God’s sake. Had Gail known? Dean’s security company was contracted with CTI, did he know anything? Had Naomi unknowingly helped when she planned the parties where women were taken?
Each question was worse than the one before it, and she was afraid of the answers. But if she were honest with herself, she was tired of sticking her head in the sand when it came to her life. Besides all that, she didn’t want to be at the facility if BlackStone was doing anything illegal or dangerous.
Morals were all well and good if you had control over your life, but unfortunately Naomi was at the whim of her hosts until she saved up and figured out another safe place for her and Thea to live. At the moment, she was good with trusting Wes to make the right decisions. He hadn’t done anything to ruin that trust… yet.
No, I can’t think that way.She physically shook out the paranoia with a roll of her shoulders and moved on in the conversation.
“So what do y’all do for fun ‘round here besides save the world from trafficking?”
“As noble as the fight against human trafficking may be, secret jobs don’t keep the lights on, so we do have other clients that actually pay us.” Wes shrugged. “Aside from that, we do all sorts of things. I read, usually.” She smiled at his idea of a rip-roarin’ time and he rolled his eyes with a shy grin back. “Riveting I know. Anyway, Ellie and Devil are probably together. They’ve been inseparable since they started dating. Jaybird’s obviously with his fiancé, Jules. Like I said, Hawk’s downstairs right now, but as for fun? I’m honestly not sure what he does. He’s not much of a sharer and keeps to himself. And Phoenix…” Wes huffed a derisive chuckle. “He’s probably at a strip club.”
Naomi felt herself jerk back. “A strip club? On a Sunday?”
Wes huffed before leaning against the kitchen counter. “Phoenix isn’t really bound by religious morals. If the strip club is open, he’s probably there or somewhere else with some woman he picked up at a bar.”
Naomi hopped up to sit on the countertop before grabbing a cookie from the plate beside her. They might be on the crispier side, but they were still good, especially after she plopped a dollop of caramel on top. “I mean, no judgment… I guess. I was just surprised.” She leaned back against the cabinet and yawned before taking a bite. “Whew, I’m worn out.”
“Are you sleeping alright? I’m not trying to keep you up.”
She waved her hand. “No. It’s nice to have someone to talk to. I don’t have too many friends, and Dean certainly wasn’t much of a conversationalist.” A shadow of anger passed over Wes’s face and she immediately felt a twist in her gut for putting it there. “I don’t mean to always bring up my situation—”
“No, it’s okay. I want you to share with me.”
“That’s… I like that. Thank you. To answer your question, as for a good night’s sleep… Let’s just say I may have broken it off with him two weeks ago, but I’ve had Thea as a bedmate for much longer. Now I get to share a king-size bed, which is a major upgrade from a twin-size princess bed. I can’t remember the last time I slept so good.”
“Well, you can stay here as long as you like.”
“I sure as hell ain’t goin’ back to that house. That’s for damn sure.” She took another bite of the cookie in her hand before holding another out to him. “Want one?”
A mischievous glint shimmered behind his glasses and he dove at the treat in her hand, taking a huge bite. She giggled, but kept the remnants in her hand while he ate.
“Gorgeous.” His low voice made her core tighten.
“What?”
Her breath hitched as he traced her lips with his index finger.
“This. Your happiness.” He finished the upward path with a swipe at the corner of her bottom lip. A dark chocolate smear tinted his pale finger before he licked it clean. “I think I could bask in your laugh every day and never need the sun again.”
Her heart stuttered and desire flooded her center. Even though she cleared her throat before speaking, her voice came out breathy. “I’ve definitely done it more the past two weeks than I have in… years probably.”
Wes crossed his arms and leaned back against the kitchen island directly in front of her. “Why do you think that is?”
She scoffed, thinking at first he was fishing for a compliment until she realized he was being sincere. Her brow furrowed as she really thought about his question.
“I guess... it’s hard to enjoy life when there’s a constant stressor. It’s been nice to feel free. Like I’ve broken a chain I didn’t realize was trapping me to the ground.”
He nodded before adopting a wicked grin. “Sure it’s not just ‘cause of me?”
Naomi swatted playfully at his chest. “I knew you were fishin’!”
“Can’t fault me for wanting to catch another smile, love.”
She rolled her eyes and held out the rest of the chocolate chip and caramel treat for him to take. “Just shush your mouth and eat your damn cookie, troublemaker.”
Another wink and his mouth enveloped the cookie, taking the tip of her index finger with it. Her chest seized, capturing her breath and sending her heart racing. He chewed and swallowed before lifting her hand to his lips and sucking the remaining chocolate and caramel from her finger, all the while looking straight into her eyes.
Her breath came in hard pants as Wes stepped into her parted legs, wrapping her arm around his neck. She hadn’t realized it, but her other hand had gravitated to his chest and as he moved forward, she joined it with the other behind his head. His hands landed on her knees and her dress skirt was long enough to make sure she wouldn’t flash anyone as he stretched her. Once he settled between her thighs, he rested his hands on either side of her hips, his body protecting her from the world behind him.
“I don’t feel caged in with you. Never when you’re around.” Her voice was a whisper tinged with need, but she didn’t care. “And even now, you’ve got me locked in, but I’ve never felt trapped. Like I couldn’t say no.”
His brows furrowed, but in a blink, his desire was back to heating them up. “The only place I want you to lose control is in the bedroom. And even then, your wish is my command.”
Like I’m his queen.
The thought sent a tingle of excitement down her spine and straight to her pussy. When he’d first started calling her that, it’d felt silly. And when Thea started repeating it, she’d nearly had a heart attack every time she spoke at home. The fear that Dean would hear their daughter say another man was Naomi’s king had been her worst nightmare for two months. But now that Dean was out of the picture, every time Wes said it, the more she dreamed it could be true.
Her eyes left his and gravitated down to his lips. They glistened thanks to the sweet he’d licked off, but a small dab of chocolate still painted the corner.
“You missed a spot.”
“Is that so?” The ice in his eyes burrowed into her, making her shiver. “What’re you gonna do about it, Naomi Ward?”
She bit her lip before making her decision. All at once, she used her arms and legs to hook around him and dove for his mouth. Their lips met and he moaned when she teased her tongue against his lip to get the last lick of chocolate. It was sweet and rich, but she forgot all about it when Wes stroked up her back to grip her nape. His other hand tugged her ass closer so her pussy was flush with his hardening length.
“You smell just like that cookie, you know,” he whispered against her lips before leaning in. “Vanilla… sugar… delicious.”
His nose traced her cheek and her chest brushed against his with each breath. She got lost in the kiss when his hands delved under her dress and traveled up her bare leg.
Her skin tingled as he whispered in her ear. “I need to know if you taste the same way.”
One hand gripped her ass, and with the fingertips of the other, he grazed up her inner thigh until his thumb caressed the thin layer of fabric over her center. It had her trembling with need and she wondered if he could feel her desire through her panties.
Teeth teased her sensitive earlobe and she shivered when his tongue traced the shell. His thumb tucked under the thin fabric of her panties and stroked the seam of her center, spreading the moisture around before zeroing in on her clit. He circled just around it, making her moan against his neck.
“Goddamn, you’re responsive.” His hot breath tickled her ear and all the sensations at once set her body on fire. “If you like my fingers, love, how loud can I make you scream my name with my mouth on your clit?”
Her breath hitched as the hand that had been massaging her ass lifted her up, just enough to realize what he wanted. She helped raise herself off the countertop so that he could pull the waistband of her panties, tugging them down her thighs before setting them aside on the counter.
Excitement coursed through her at the wicked gleam in his eyes and she closed her own to try to calm her racing heartbeat. Something scraped the counter beside her, sounding like it was placed on the floor, but the thought slipped her mind right after Wes began to glide a hand along her inner thigh, rolling up the hem of her dress. With her eyes closed, the sensation of his warmth and the cold concrete countertop on her thighs made tiny explosions of goose bumps across her sensitive flesh.
She opened her eyes again to see Wes’s devoted attention solely on her. The gravity of what he was about to do, where they were about to do it, all mixed with the heat in his eyes, hit her like a static shock. She leaned back, trying to see if anyone was coming down the hallway as she pulled her dress back down. He halted, but didn’t let her tug the fabric away from his grip entirely.
“Wes, stop, what if someone sees?” The kitchen was positioned in the middle of the second floor and had counters in a U-shape around an island in the middle. With her sitting on the countertop, they were out in the open. No one could see it if they were just passing by, but if anyone entered the kitchen, they’d be able to see her pussy in all her glory.
Wes’s brow lifted as he watched her carefully. “Is that your only objection?”
She felt herself frown in confusion. He could’ve been worried about her feelings for Dean, but she’d thought she’d made it clear that she was done with him. Thea was asleep and the girl slept like the dead, but what about his teammates?
“Yeah, what other reason would there—”
“Then don’t worry about it.” He gave her a scorching kiss before placing his hands on hers, making her roll the hem up. “We’re the only ones up here.” Cool air met her sex and she shivered again, but more in anticipation than at the cold. “If one of the crew comes up, we’ll change venue, but I plan to make a dessert out of you in this kitchen. Once I start tasting, you’ll beg me to make you come. No matter who’s watching.”
He kneeled before her, his head level with her pussy and spread her wide with his hands on her inner thighs. She closed her eyes, overwhelmed with the idea of what he was about to do, but she was brought back to the moment when something sticky and warm slid down her inner thigh.
“Wes, what the—”
She looked down to see his finger in the caramel jar, swirling it around with a wicked grin on his face before pulling it out. Wordlessly, he painted her inner thigh with another swipe of warm caramel. The heat from the sweet mixed with the cool air kissing her thigh made her shiver.
“Your caramel tastes divine, love. I can’t wait to taste the rest of you.”
He kneeled forward, watching her as he gave her slow licks up her thigh that sent shocks straight to her clit. Her core tried to grab onto the promise of release and fluttered against the emptiness that was craving to be filled as Wes traveled his tongue all the way up her center. He began near her knees, trailing along the caramel path and sucking in hard against her skin to soak up the sweet.
The closer he got to her center, the more she wanted to tug him where she needed him. Her hands threaded into his hair, pulling slightly, testing his limits, but he only chuckled against her thigh and kept his slow pace.
She groaned and leaned her head back, but Wes bit her thigh hard enough to make her curse and look back at him. He was licking the caramel off his lips and held a finger up to her.
“Taste it.”
She was short enough to be able to lean over and take his finger into her mouth. She sucked up the sticky sugar, loving how his eyes darkened with need. She swirled her tongue around his finger, making sure to get all of it. When he drew his finger out of her mouth, he pulled her close to kiss the caramel off. The angle was almost uncomfortable, but she didn’t care as she gave into the messy kiss, tasting the last remnants of caramel. She moaned into his mouth right before he broke the kiss.
“Now for the real dessert.”
Her jaw dropped as he made a long swipe of his tongue through her arousal. The direct contact with her clit at the end made her draw in a harsh breath and she clutched the edge of the countertop.
Risking one hand to hold the hem of her dress, she watched in awe as he drove his tongue into her center. When it ventured inside, she bit her bottom lip so hard she tasted blood. It stung, but it was either that or moan too loudly and wake Thea up. With the industrial aesthetic, the facility echoed like a fucking concert arena.
His fingertips dug into her thighs and hers got lost in his thick hair as she tugged the strands like reins to ride him. He pulled her close to the edge, supporting her with his shoulders to keep her from falling.
Her muscles began to tense as she climbed to her peak. His icy blue eyes froze her in place as his thumb found her throbbing clit while his tongue speared her opening. When he withdrew from her core, she whimpered, afraid he was going to leave her hanging, until he delved two fingers inside her and went back with his mouth focusing on her clit.
A random beeping sound chirped in the hallway. Naomi’s hazy mind ignored the noise, but Wes stiffened beneath her and his tongue left her clit.
“What?” Her voice squeaked with her protest. “No, no, no.” She’d been so damn close. “Don’t stop. Please… keep goin’,” she urged, pulling his blue-midnight hair closer.
He tugged the fabric of her dress from her hand and she let go of her grip on him. The loose material covered him and as it smoothed down her legs, it sent shudders over her sensitive skin.
Slow, heavy-booted footfalls echoed on the concrete and her eyes widened, finally understanding that someone was home. She tried to move away from Wes, but he twirled his tongue around her clit and she melted against the cabinet with a moan.
Her free hand tried to grip the counter’s edge, but slipped on her panties. Reacting as quickly as her distracted mind could, she blindly opened up a random drawer before tossing them inside.
Should she have stopped him? Sure. Would old Naomi have stopped him? No, because old Naomi would never believe a man could make her feel this good.
So, for once, she wasn’t going to feel any shame. Fuck her modesty and fuck her fear. Aside from the pleasure, it was a heady experience to have a man kneel before her. She didn’t want either feeling to stop.
At least the dress mostly covered him. Hopefully. They could play it off if someone came into the kitchen, right? Maybe.
Maybe not, but Wes’s attention felt so good she’d take the risk.
Wes used the hand on her ass to pull her in closer for his feast, effectively hiding him even farther under her dress. She breathed deeply through her moans, but when his tongue found her clit and started to stroke, she lost the battle and released a quiet whine.
“Hey there…” Phoenix’s slurred introduction made Naomi jump, and Wes paused. Shit. “Didn’t think you’d shtill be up.”
In her pre-orgasmic haze, Naomi vaguely confirmed that with Phoenix lounging against the bar behind her, he had no clue she was getting eaten out right in front of him. Plus, Phoenix’s red eyes were half closed, and if his speech was any indication, he had to be blackout drunk.
Wes must’ve realized Phoenix’s level of inebriation too and slowly began to move his fingers inside her again. She gasped at the motion and accidentally inhaled the alcohol fumes wafting from Phoenix’s body, making her a little queasy. But then Wes resumed sucking her clit and she forgot whatever the fuck it was she was thinking about.
“Sho why’re you shtill up? Just got back myshelf. How ya likin’ it here?”
Yeah, there was absolutely no chance in hell he’d remember this moment. She could tell the liquor had brought out a light accent, but beyond that, Naomi could barely understand the guy. As if Wes had the same thought, his fingers narrowed to her G-spot. The damn troublemaker was trying to make her come in front of his teammate.
“Uh… I, um…” She tried her best to be articulate, but Wes’s tongue swirled her clit and she moaned the rest. “Love it, oh my god.”
Phoenix chuckled. “Well damn. Glad you like it sho much. You practically live here now anywayyyysh.”
“Yeah, uh-huh.”
Wes caressed her inner nerves with featherlight touches, and his mouth pulsated against her bud in a steady rhythm. A low whimper escaped, and she pulled Wes in with her heels on his back, pinning his head between her inner thighs. They were so tight against his ears, he probably couldn’t even hear. She hoped he didn’t mind, because she certainly didn’t care, not one damn bit so long as he could breathe enough to keep enjoying his dessert.
“Damn, you really love BlackStone. I wish I liked it that much. I think I’m fuckin’ broke inside though.”
A sardonic laugh punched out of him, bringing her back to the fact that there was someone watching her rocketing toward oblivion. Or not watching, actually. Phoenix’s head now lay against the bar with his eyes fully closed.
“You ever feel tha’ way? Like… you’ve heard too much… shit… And when you’re alone… Ish damn loud in your head, ya know? Like those shcreams… Onsh ya hear ‘em, dude, they shtay in ya, ya know? Up here.” He tapped his temple. “Ain’t never forgettin’ that shit. Nope. Not even if you fuck so much pushy your whole damn dick fallsh off, amiright?”
“Yeah, sure…” What the hell? Can he really not see what is going on here?Go the fuck away. She silently begged the drunk ass cuntblocker, although she had to admit it was definitely a thrill of its own to get away with an orgasm in front of someone. It made every slick brush of Wes’s tongue that much more electric.
Naomi felt her body tense as it rose to a peak again. She held her breath, afraid she wouldn’t make it there, and settled for the near-perfect pleasure of that moment right before cresting. If she didn’t reach the top, that was okay. She’d enjoy the plateau just as much. It was already higher than she’d climbed in years.
“Anywayyysh. I guess we’re all shome kinda fucked up in one way ‘nother, huh?” He slapped the bar top, making Naomi jump farther into Wes’s now… hell, was his tongue vibrating? She didn’t even know they could do that...
In her periphery, she saw Phoenix pointing at her with a sideways smile. “Shee ya later, Naynay. Got a big day of interrogatin’ pervs to rest up for. If I wake you up, don’t worry, it’s just shcreamin’. Once you hear it, you don’t forget it. Anywayyysh…” he said again before leaving and calling over his shoulder. “Nighty night!”
As soon as he began to stagger down the hall, the pressure low inside her reached a fever pitch. With another flick of Wes’s tongue, Naomi released the breath she’d been holding on a deep exhale. It ended with a long, low moan as she tumbled over the blissful cliff in heaving pants. Her legs trembled around his head and her body pulsed with release.
Finally, after coming all the way down, she went weak with relief. Wes gave her one last swipe, dragging another tremor from her body. He slid his fingers from her sensitive core while kissing and nipping down her inner thighs, and when he stood up, he straightened her dress back down.
Her chest was heaving like she’d run a marathon, but it didn’t help that he swiped at her arousal still on his lips and licked each of his wet fingers one by one, the heat in his eyes driving her wild. She grabbed his shirt collar with both hands and brought him crashing to her lips. A mixture of her pleasure and caramel flavored his tongue and she moaned at the taste.
He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her against him. The move pressed her center against his hard cock, making her gasp before he whispered against her lips.
“You taste just as sweet as I thought you would.”
Before she could demand he take her to his room and finish what he started, he swiped a cookie and brought it to his nose to sniff in one big breath and exhale, his eyes never leaving hers as he took a bite.
“I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to eat caramel the same again. It’ll always remind me of your sweet cunt on my tongue.” He licked the melted sugar off the cookie and grinned. “I’ve got to say, I’m not mad about it at all.”
Her mouth fell open, but his eyes twinkled as he walked backward. “Sleep well, love. I want you to rest up. Next time I dine with my queen, I’ll want more than just her dessert. I’ll want the whole damn meal.”
He winked before he rounded the corner and was out of her sight, leaving her there dumbfounded and totally at a loss for words. When she heard his apartment door open and shut on the other end of the hall, she thought about going after him. But a realization crept into her mind, making her pause…
That was the first time a man had ever done something for her and not demanded the same for him. She’d literally just had one of the biggest, strongest men she’d ever met, kneeling at her feet, worshiping and feasting on her like it was the best damn thing he’d ever tasted.
Thinking about Wes’s promise, she reached for a caramel chocolate chip cookie and looked it over. She smirked and whispered to herself right before taking a crunchy bite.
“It feels good to be queen.”
