Chapter One #2
“Oh, if I didn’t please him, I got these,” she easily responded, standing up, turning her back to Stone, and raising her skirt.
Stone was a friend, so she didn’t think twice about him seeing her panties when she showed her correction marks.
She hated how they looked because Jared the Jerk had wanted fresh skin for correction, so he’d started going farther down her legs.
It hadn’t mattered while they were married because he didn’t allow her to wear shorts, but now, she could.
“He gave you these if you didn’t do what he wanted?” Stone demanded, his voice hardening. Oh, she didn’t want him mad at her. She liked being around him. She turned around quickly, everything spinning a little.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you mad,” she whimpered, dropping to her knees in front of him.
Stone took her hand and helped her stand back up.
“Naomi, I’m not mad at you at all. Even if you did say something that angered me, that’s on me to deal with. Not something that you need to apologize for. I didn’t like seeing that he’d hurt you, and these look like they definitely hurt when they happened,” Stone reassured her.
Naomi stared at Stone. He’d been so nice. She’d hoped she’d find someone here at Bluff Creek to help her.
“Thank you. You’re a good man, Stone,” Naomi said, standing in front of Stone’s chair, swaying. Stone stood up and caught her when she spun around and started to fall off the porch.
“Whoops,” she laughed quietly.
His arms felt nice and warm. Not with huge muscles that would hurt her but just enough to make her feel safe.
“Did your dad know about the correction marks or how Jared treated you?” Stone asked.
“Yes. I went to him after the first time. He said it was my job to not make Jared mad,” Naomi said. She wondered if all men were like Jared or if they were more like the guys in romance novels. She could see Stone being more like the men in romance novels, where they care about a woman’s needs.
“I bet you make sure that when you have sex the woman comes,” she muttered, looking up at his face.
“Excuse me?” Stone choked out. His voice sounded funny again. He should get that checked out. Maybe he was coming down with something.
“In the thirteen years of marriage, Jared never made me orgasm when we had sex. He said it was my job to be turned on enough to come,” she confided with a heavy sigh.
She was getting tired and her stomach was a little off.
The wine was sloshing a little. Maybe she should have eaten supper before consuming the wine.
“Sounds like a jerk,” Stone lowered his voice.
“On your hands and knees, Naomi, then thrust, thrust, thrust and done, or on your back, Naomi, your tits are too small to suck, so rub your clit if you want to come. You’d look so much better with a boob job,” Naomi muttered.
“It’s not your job. It’s your partner’s job to make sure you’re enjoying it. It seems like maybe this divorce is a very good thing,” he said.
He was so nice and she was getting tired. She yawned loudly, her mouth stretching wide. Jared would have made fun of her for that.
“Do you want me to walk you back to your room?” he asked. His face was so sincere, and she really liked looking at it. She didn’t want to be alone in her room.
“No,” she breathed.
Stone wasn’t sure what to do. Naomi was so drunk that he didn’t feel comfortable letting her walk back across the compound by herself, but he’d asked her if she wanted to go back and she said no.
Her ex sounded like a prick and an abusive asshole.
He hadn’t meant to scare Naomi when he spoke, but the marks on her thighs looked like he’d used a switch or a small whip.
The marks disappeared under her panties and went down about eight inches on the back of her thighs.
The fury that had filled him when he’d seen them had him wanting to find Jared the Jerk, as Naomi called him.
Her head was leaning against his chest and her eyes were closed.
“Naomi, do you want me to take you back to your room to sleep, or do you want to sleep here, and I’ll sleep on my couch?” he asked. He wasn’t sure this was the smart move, but it sounded like she hadn’t had a lot of choices in life, and he wasn’t going to make the decisions for her.
She smiled at him and opened her eyes. “Wanna sleep in your bed, please. Bet you could make a woman come. Hey, you’re a tattoo artist. Would you tattoo my scars so I could wear shorts and look pretty?” she asked.
When she smiled, she wasn’t just pretty—she was gorgeous. Her eyes were shining, though right now they had the glassiness of overconsumption.
He slipped his hand under her thighs, lifting her into his arms. He’d put her in his bed and let her sleep it off. He carried her in.
“Yes, if you want me to tattoo the scars, I could, or if you’d feel more comfortable having a woman do it, Frankie or Harry could,” he said, carrying her toward his room.
His sheets were fresh. Since he’d gotten out of prison, he’d been obsessed with clean, fresh-smelling sheets.
He changed them out every other day. He’d changed them this morning.
He tugged the comforter back and laid her down on her side. She’d consumed a lot of wine. He wondered if she drank frequently and had a good tolerance or if she’d be regretting it soon.
He slipped her sandals off, tucking her feet under the cover.
He grabbed the trashcan from his bathroom, placing it on the floor beside the bed.
Once he had her settled, he stared at the vision in his bed.
He brushed her hair off her face. She was beautiful, funny, and a good mom.
He’d seen how she acted with her girls, Regan, Taylor, and Beck.
He turned to go but her hand grabbed his, stopping him.
“Thank you, Stone, for letting me stay and listening,” she whispered, her big eyes staring at him, her plump lips begging him to kiss them. He’d never take advantage of a woman in this state, but her lips were so tempting. He wondered how soft they’d feel and how she’d taste.
“You’re welcome. I’ll bring water in, so you won’t get dehydrated,” he said.
He left the room before he spent the night watching her sleep like a stalker.
He took a bottle of water from the refrigerator and placed it on the bedside table.
Her deep breathing signaled she was already asleep.
He turned the light off and left the room.
He’d definitely need to change his sheets after she slept in them.
He’d never be able to sleep with her light, clean fragrance permeating the sheets.
He grabbed a blanket from the hall closet and settled in his recliner, leaning it back and pulling the cover up. He sent a quick text to Locks that let him know Naomi was safe but was sleeping it off at his house.
Locks’ reply of a thumbs up made Stone shake his head. Benji, Locks’ son, had been giving Locks emoji lessons because he said Locks needed to be up-to-date and not embarrass himself.
Stone moved a little, finding the perfect spot to relax in.
Sleeping in the recliner wasn’t a hardship.
He’d spent many a night sleeping in it after getting out.
He’d had a hard time adjusting. He’d either worked out until he dropped from exhaustion or slept in the recliner because the bed was too soft.
Thinking back over Naomi’s words had him wondering exactly where Jared was and what he was doing.
A man who acted like that toward his wife wouldn’t give up easily.
So why had the divorce been so speedy? He’d ask War tomorrow what was going on.
Since War’s wife was Naomi’s cousin, he was positive War would have the details.
He’d tattoo her if she wanted, but he wasn’t the man for her. Naomi was all sunshine and brightness. She didn’t need an ex-con in her life and neither did her girls. Though he was positive her pretty lips would be the vision he fell asleep to tonight.