Chapter Fourteen
Stone finished his drawing of the tattoo for Naomi. He glanced at the clock: one a.m. It was probably too late to show her.
He’d had a great morning with Naomi and the girls. He’d had to be at work at noon, so they’d spent an hour perusing the items at Broken Hearts Brewing before deciding what books they wanted. They’d ordered the snack items but then left them there for pickup.
He’d texted Brody to see if he could bring them over to the rescue and let the girls play with some of the animals in the playroom.
Brody had been happy to have them over, and they’d spent an hour there with the girls playing with the kittens and cats first, then the dogs and puppies.
He’d had no idea how many animals the rescue had.
Afterward, they’d picked up their snacks, and he’d delivered them all to the compound. He’d showered and gotten back on the road to the shop just in time for his first appointment.
He was tired, but when he got home, he couldn’t shut his brain off. Seeing Naomi smile with the girls today and have fun, he couldn’t stop thinking about getting her tattoo done.
He’d heated up leftovers when he got home and immediately started working on the drawing. After stopping and restarting multiple times, he’d finally got the design to look like he envisioned it.
He couldn’t wait to hear Naomi’s thoughts on it. It was a Saturday night, so it wasn’t outside the realm of possibilities that Naomi was still awake. Maybe he’d take his nighttime stroll and see if she was still up.
Once the thought was in his mind, he couldn’t not check.
He took the sketch and headed over to Locks.
Once he was there, he walked around to the window he knew was Naomi’s.
He wasn’t a stalker or anything, but he had asked a couple questions that had told him which suite of rooms was hers and the girls’.
He could text her, but he didn’t want to wake her if she was asleep.
He grabbed a couple small rocks, almost gravel-sized.
They should make a nice sound but not damage the glass.
He tossed one, then another, up to her window.
Her room was on the second floor. He gave it a couple seconds, then tossed a couple more.
Maybe she was already asleep. He’d be disappointed, but he could always show her at lunch tomorrow.
The curtains moved, and Naomi was standing there.
He waved, and she tugged the window open.
“Stone?” she whispered into the night.
“I got your sketch done and hoped you were still awake,” he called up softly.
She smiled. “Give me a sec and I’ll be down.”
He stood waiting, then paced back and forth. He drew so many tattoos, but for some reason, hers meant so much more. What if she hated it?
The door opened and she was there. Her hair was loose, her feet were bare, and she had a light robe over a pink silky nightgown that ended at her knees. She belted the robe as she walked across the patio to where he was standing.
“Did I wake you?” he checked, his low voice barely carrying across the lawn.
“No, I was still reading. Can I see it?” she asked eagerly, her eyes sparkling.
He unfolded it and handed it to her. She was quiet for a minute, then her finger traced the lines. He hadn’t added color yet because he wanted her to approve the design.
“Oh, Stone, it’s gorgeous. It’s even better than I imagined,” she choked out, tears in her voice.
Stone stepped closer. “Hey, it’s not supposed to make you sad.”
She tilted her head up to him, shaking her head. “They’re not sad tears. I’m just so happy,” she breathed, leaning up to place a soft kiss on his lips.
Her lips sent a lightning bolt through his system. He’d been fighting himself because Naomi didn’t need an ex-con, but she was here, right in front of him.
“I’ve been trying to be a gentleman and be your friend, but I want so much more. If you don’t want me to kiss you, then turn around and go inside. We’ll still be friends, but I’ll know you don’t want more,” he confessed, swallowing around the lump in his throat at the thought of her walking inside.
A small grin started until she was smiling at him with her eyes dancing.
“I’m not walking inside because I want your lips and so much more, Stone,” she whispered, stepping closer.
Oh, thank fuck. He wasn’t sure how he’d survive her turning him down. He slid his hand behind her neck, grasping her hair, and cupped her face with his other hand, pulling her close.
“I’ve got to taste you,” he murmured as he pulled her closer. His lips touched hers, nibbling until she opened so he could go deeper.
How the hell was he supposed to remember they were outside in front of Locks’ house when everything about her mouth was pulling him under?
A small moan escaped Naomi as she pressed herself against him.
Her breasts and body just two small pieces of material away from him.
He left her mouth to taste the hollow of her neck.
Her smooth skin and vanilla scent filling his mind until all he could think about was more.
His hands traveled down her sides until he was pulling her against him. He held back a groan when Naomi’s hands slid under his shirt and cut to touch his skin. He tugged Naomi’s nightgown to the side to trail kisses across her collarbone.
“Oh, what is—” Naomi gasped, pulling back.
“Lilly, come back here!” Flick yelled.
Stone pulled back to see that Lilly had dropped a wet ball on Naomi’s bare foot.
“Oh, so sorry,” Flick apologized, walking closer. “Lilly, get your butt over here and leave them alone.”
Seeing the blush filling Naomi’s cheeks, Stone stepped in front of her.
“Hey, Flick, just back from a shift?” Stone asked.
“Yes, Lilly was too rambunctious to let me sleep. Sorry we disturbed you,” Flick apologized again.
“It’s okay. I need to go back in. I don’t want the girls waking and not being able to find me. The drawing is perfect, Stone. Will you add the colors so I can see what it will look like later?” she asked.
Stone nodded. “Yes,” he agreed, not knowing if she would want him to kiss her goodbye.
“Thank you.” She leaned up to kiss him quickly before turning and running into the house.
Stone stood staring at the closed door for a minute.
“Seems like that’s going well. Want to come over for a beer?” Flick offered.
Stone turned. “Sure.”
Stone walked over to Flick’s with him.
“Beth still gone?” Stone asked.
“Yes. If I hadn’t had a shift, I would have joined her for the weekend. She got the job and started yesterday. She placed some listening devices and said that she might have something as early as Monday,” Flick explained, grabbing a couple beers from the refrigerator and handing one to Stone.
“Let’s kick back in the recliners. I’m beat. We had non-stop calls,” Flick groaned, kicking one of the recliners back.
“She’s not by herself, is she?” Stone pressed. He knew that Beth was capable of taking care of herself, but no one should ever be without backup. His gut was churning whenever he thought about Jared.
“No, Ellie is helping her,” Flick reassured him, then looked at his phone when it beeped.
“Seriously, these women,” Flick muttered, turning the phone toward Stone.
Stone chuckled. They’d taken a selfie from Jared’s bedroom with him asleep in the bed near them.
“How?” he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Beth said she had tainted some of the food in his house with knockout drops. If he ate or drank any of the things, she and Ellie were going in to search his house,” Flick said, grinning and taking a sip of his beer.
“So, Naomi, huh?” Flick prompted.
Stone nodded. “Yes. I never planned on dating anyone seriously because I figured most women wouldn’t want someone who had been in prison.
And, oh my gosh, some women never shut up.
I know I shouldn’t say that, but silence does not always need to be filled.
Then she showed up, and it was this snowball of things,” Stone confessed.
“I’m happy for you. She deserves someone who will cherish her, and I know you will,” Flick sincerely stated.
“Her ex worries me, especially him wanting the girls the commemoration weekend. It would be the first time he’s alone with them pretty much ever, from what she’s said,” Stone worried aloud.
Flick nodded. “Unfortunately for him, he’ll have to pick them up in Bluff Creek. I’m guessing he won’t find it an easy prospect. I’m also betting on my wife finding enough dirt to make sure things go the way Naomi would like,” Flick said.
“I hope so,” Stone replied.
Stone wasn’t sure what he’d do if Jared tried to take the girls for his weekend.
He was falling for the mini-Franks triplets just like he had for their mom, but in a different way.
He thought he’d never have the chance to be a dad, but he yearned to be the dad they deserved.
He wanted them to have everything they deserved—love, support, and the unwavering faith that he had their back.
Flick chuckled. “Oh, I have no doubt that he’ll get what he deserves. You hungry, or do you just want to relax?”
“I’m good,” Stone replied, petting one of the dogs that had jumped up on the couch to cuddle by him. Scratching the dog’s ears, he wondered if things worked out the way he wanted, would his house be big enough for them?