Chapter 30 Naomi #2
He doesn’t stop, striding down the hallway toward my room. “Relax, Naomi,” he says, teasingly. “In my arms is the safest place you could possibly be.”
“Nyx, put me down!” I try to sound firm, but the command comes out weaker than I intend, especially when a giggle slips free.
Did I just… giggle?
Usually, when Nyx pulls stunts like this, I’m furious—indignant, arms flailing, half-hearted threats on my lips. But today, with the easy way he carries me, his laugh rumbling low and deep as he teases me, it doesn’t feel infuriating.
I catch Jaxon out of the corner of my eye as we pass, his arms crossed, his weight casually leaning against the wall.
He doesn’t stop Nyx, doesn’t demand that he let me go.
He just watches, the corners of his lips twitching with amusement as his eyes follow us.
The sound of Jaxon’s chuckle reaches me, and something about it stirs deep in my core.
“So, you’re just going to stand by and let him kidnap me?” I huff, blowing a curl out of my eye. “Some bodyguard you are!” I yell just before the deck door closes behind us.
“Nyx,” I say again, my voice softer this time, “put me down.”
He only hums in response, clearly enjoying himself as he strides into my room and tosses me down—finally—onto my bed. “There you go, Dollface. Chop Chop. Water’s waiting.”
I sit there for a moment, staring up at him, trying to ignore the flutter in my chest from his eyes lingering a little too long.
As soon as Nyx leaves, I mutter, “Who told them jet skiing was a good idea?”
Rifling through the bag that Aisha packed, I see clothes, random toiletries, a few things I don’t even recognize—but no sign of anything I can wear to jet ski.
Relief comes on a sigh, just before there is a knock at the door. I glare at it. “Who is it?”
“It’s me!” Aisha’s voice is a sing-song, full of amusement.
I swing the door open, already annoyed, and of course, there she is with an unwanted present in hand.
She has on a leopard-print thong bikini that leaves almost nothing to the imagination, with a big grin on her face.
“Here,” she says, thrusting something bright pink into my hands.
“I brought this for you. Now, hurry up. Everyone’s waiting. ”
I squint at the bright monokini in my hands as I hold it up between us. “You can’t be serious with this?”
“As a heart attack!” she says, winking, then flops onto the bed like she doesn’t have a care in the world.
Sighing, I stomp to the bathroom. “You’re lucky I love you!” I shout as I slam the door.
Once inside, I peel off my clothes and pull on the swimsuit. It’s actually…cute? I adjust the straps over my shoulders and smooth it down. But then I turn around, and I’m sure my eyes are deceiving me.
“Oh, hell no,” I mutter. Leave it to my best friend to bring me something that makes me look like I’m turning tricks, my entire ass is on full display.
“What the fuck, Aisha?” I yell, flinging the door open.
“What’s the problem, babe?” She looks up with an innocent smile, as if I’m in every day loungewear.
“This!” I snap, motioning to the swimsuit. “Who’s wearing this?”
Aisha sits up, tilting her head like she’s admiring a masterpiece. “First of all, you look stunning. That ass alone deserves its own social media account.”
I can feel my body heating up. “My ass is too fat for this shit, June!”
She grins wider, completely unbothered. “And that’s why it’s perfect. Spin around. Come on, gimme a lil’ twerk!”
I glare at her, but somehow, a laugh slips out as I reluctantly turn and give her the tiniest, most half-hearted twerk I can manage. But it’s not long before she’s singing “The Thong Song” and I’m full on twerking everything Bethany Blaine blessed me with.
“That’s right!” Aisha cheers, clapping her hands. “Drop it to the floor, make that ass clap!”
But before I can even roll my eyes at her, I hear a low whistle from the doorway.
Slowly, I turn my head, and Nyx and Xay are standing in the doorway. Nyx leans casually against the doorframe, his eyes practically devouring me, while Xay looks like he’s about to have a nervous breakdown, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Babe,” Aisha whines, “tell Naomi she looks great so we can go have fun.”
“Well,” Nyx says, cutting in. “I don’t know about him, but I know I could watch that shit all day.”
Every cell in my body is on fire. “Aisha,” I hiss, whipping around to her, “do you have a cover-up? Please?”
She just laughs, waving me off. “Girl, a cover-up for what?”
Just as I’m about to plead my case, Xay grabs her by the arms, dragging her toward the door. “Let’s go,” he says firmly, shooting a pointed look at Nyx, who just chuckles.
Nyx shut the door behind him with a soft click that makes my heart go into overdrive.
“What are you doing?” I ask, just above a whisper.
He doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he takes a slow step toward me, then another, until he’s close enough that I can feel the heat radiating from his body.
“You shouldn’t have let Aisha put you in something like that.” He’s incredibly sexy when he looks at me like this, and immediately my heart thunders.
“Why?” I manage, trying to steady my voice. “It’s just a bathing suit.”
Nyx lets out a dark chuckle, reaching up to brush his fingers over my bare shoulder. The touch is light, barely there, but it sets off a spark that makes my knees weak.
“You don’t even know what you’re doing to me right now.” He murmurs, his hand sliding down my arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake.
I take a step back, but he follows—closing the distance again until my back hits the bathroom door. He sets his palm next to my head, boxing me in. “You walk out there like this,” He tugs on a strap that settles against my stomach, “and I’ll have to put Cade in an early grave.”
“Nyx,” I whisper, trembling, “We can’t…not here.”
“Why not?” he asks, his lips barely an inch from mine. “You think I don’t see the way you look at me.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, but it comes out weak, not an ounce of heat to support it. “We went through a lot. I think we both were just looking for some comfort.”
“Comfort?” He smiles, and those goddamn dimples flare. “Maybe,” he murmurs, brushing his nose against mine, “but you don’t really want me to stop, do you?”
I open my mouth to argue, but I’m not even sure why—his lips collect my protest, melting it out of me.
His thumb slips under the straps along my hip, and I shudder.
He kisses me, softly at first, as if testing the waters, daring me to pull away.
Gripping my hips, he pulls me closer when my body melts against his.
His lips are full of the heat he's been holding back. His tongue dances with mine in a fight for dominance, which I know I’ll submit to, while his tongue ring swirls in my mouth.
“Nyx,” I whisper. He pulls back enough for us to catch our breath, his eyes searching mine.
“I mean it, Dollface,” he pants. “Step out there looking like this, and I won’t be the only one losing my mind.”
“You’re ridiculous,” I push him away, gently. Thank God for melanin because my cheeks burn, and my whole body is on fire. To say the least, I’m not okay.
He smirks, a cocky little thing that makes me want him even more. “Okay,” he says, stepping back just enough to give me space. “Let’s test my theory,” he hums.
Ever the gentleman, he opens the door for me so I can walk out first, right before a heavy slap lands on my ass. I yelp, stumbling forward. And it earns him a stone-cold glare.
“Sorry, sorry,” he chuckles, biting down on his bottom lip, clearly anything but remorseful. “I couldn’t help myself.”
“Shit, Nyx,” Jaxon’s voice cuts through the hallway as he steps out of his room, his tone dripping with exasperation. “I told you to check on her, not harass her. I heard that shit through the door.”
Nyx shrugs, completely unbothered as he chuckles, “I don’t hear her complaining. Do you?”
Now, I’m absolutely mortified. They sandwich me in between them, Nyx in front of me and Jaxon behind, and feel like if the ground opened up and swallowed me whole, it would be fine. I press a hand to Nyx’s chest, desperate for an exit.
“Excuse me,” I say.
Nyx smirks, stepping aside just enough to let me pass, but then he chuckles, “Well, would you look at this? I think our girl is embarrassed, Jaxon.”
My head snaps around, eyes blazing as I glare at him. “I’m not your girl,” I bite out, then level Jaxon with the same heat. “Or yours.”
I want to mean it.
I should mean it.
But the way they look at me—like I’m arguing in vain—makes it hard to breathe, let alone think straight. I cross my arms to hide the trembling in my hands, pretending it’s anger, not confusion. Not desire. Not that deep, aching pull in my chest that whispers liar every time I say I don’t want them.
“Whatever you say, Dollface,” he shrugs.
Leaving their stubborn asses standing there, I make my way through the rest of the yacht, their presence heavy behind me like shadows that refuse to let go. Upon reaching the back deck, I find Cade lounging in the sun, while everyone else is in the water.
Cade whistles. “Well, look at what—”
“Cade,” Nyx snaps, cutting him off with a warning glare, “if you finish that sentence, I swear I will toss your ass overboard.”
His toothy smile falls, and he quickly goes back to scrolling through his phone. Jaxon sneaks up behind me before I can hear him, lifting me as if I’m no more than a duffel bag.
“Jaxon, put me down!” I shout, kicking my feet, my voice tinged with disbelief.
“You’re with me, Reina.” He chuckles.
“Nyx!” I squeal, twisting to catch his eye, but he doesn’t move an inch in my defense.
“Don’t look at me,” Nyx says, grinning. “You brought this on yourself.”