Naomi

 

I lay in the bubble bath with the prepaid phone sitting on the edge of the tub. I’d been home for about an hour now trying to get the guts up to text Chase.

Grace had made a fantastic Cobb salad with fresh-baked bread. I’d made and brought over her favorite peanut butter brownies. The conversation had remained with her pretty much grilling me about what was wrong. I’d assured her that I was fine but she hadn’t been too accepting of my answer. Finally, I’d decided to divulge a little information in hopes that she’d ease off on the interrogation because the way Grace looked into your eyes when she grilled you was like glaring into the eyes of a serial killer.

Therefore, I relayed that Braydon had changed since we’d been married. She’d understood and said maybe being married gave him cold feet in a sense. Then I explained I had thought that too but everything about him was different. His personality, mannerisms, the excitement we once had had died and the sex had definitely done a complete 360. That it went from amazing to bland. She’d proceeded to give me a few tips that she’d used back in her married days: make him feel like he was the greatest man alive for the dedication and hard work he’d been doing for our future. Yes, that had been good advice. But even though her recommendation was really great, I couldn’t use it because I’d left out the infidelity that I suspected of Braydon. Giving him that kind of treatment when he was home would only be giving him his cake and letting him eat it too.     

Plus, I’d done that already when we first moved here, sucked it up and put on my big-girl panties, dealing with the lack of his participation in our marriage and his commitment to work, and obviously, it hadn’t worked.

But now, I felt it deep down in my bones that something was not right and I wasn’t sure I even wanted to continue with the marriage. With the suspicions and red flags, I had of him cheating, the marriage was essentially over.

 

****

 

I lay on the plush table with my legs spread wide. The deep breaths I’d been taking, mixed with the calming music coming from the speakers, weren’t helping one ounce.

“Relax, honey,” the woman said softly from between my legs.

I stared up at the ceiling and focused on the beautiful beach scene that had been painted there. One more deep breath. I closed my eyes and replied, “Okay.”

My teeth clenched so hard with the rip of the strip that I thought some of them cracked. “Ughh,” I grunted.

“Only three more strips to go and the worst part is over,” she told me in a calming voice.

I’d made the decision early in the morning to ask for the coming weekend off. It hadn’t been until I pulled into the parking lot that the bright idea to get waxed had hit me. My plans were to talk to my boss and as soon as I got the go-ahead, which I had, I’d call the airline and find out what available flights they had to Dallas, Texas. It’d been too long since I’d surprised Braydon with anything and maybe in the process, I’d find my own answers as to what he’d been up to.

And what husband wouldn’t like a surprise visit from their wife? A cheating one I would guess.

Then add in the sexiness of the results of the extremely painful waxing I was currently getting and he would surely be shocked. I needed to make some grand gesture that I was still there for him and supported him in everything, in case I was wrong. Maybe he was just working crazy hours and I was letting my mind wander too much.

So, a surprise visit, some sexy lingerie, and a freshly waxed pussy were my plan.

I clenched my jaw on the last three strips that were pulled and said a small prayer that it was over. And also made a mental note to never ever do it again.

Once I left the spa at the Landslide, I made a mad dash to my car not wanting anyone to see me leave and ask what I had gotten done. It was my day off and I knew I’d be bombarded with questions as to why I’d been there.

Just as I pulled into my driveway, the secret cell alerted me of a text message. I shut the car off and retrieved my phone from my purse.

Chase: Hello Naomi, how is your day going?

A small smile tipped my lips up as I replied, Hey, not bad and yours?

As I walked to the front door, I chastised myself for answering with a “hey.” That sounded like I was too happy to hear from him. Or maybe not; I didn’t know. I should have probably just replied with hi. For some reason he made me nervous.

Once inside, I threw my purse on the kitchen counter, snatched my laptop from the sunken desk area and went onto the back porch. It had been a cold day but I thought maybe sitting on one of the chairs that’d been out in the crisp air would soothe the burning between my legs.

Placing my computer on the table, I opened it and began searching for flights to Dallas. Since I was only working Wednesday this week and because I was able to get Saturday off, my options were pretty open.

I settled for a Thursday night flight and a return Sunday morning. That’d give me two full days with Braydon and enough time on Sunday to get ready to return to work on Monday. The cell buzzed on the table next to my laptop. I tapped the screen a few times and opened the new message.

Chase: It’s going that’s for sure. What’s your work schedule this week?

The last of the message puzzled me. Why did he need to know what my work schedule was? I played with the thought in my head for some time. Should I tell him I had plans to fly out to Texas at the end of the week? But if he were the great PI that I’d heard about then he should be able to find out. Right?

I typed, I work Wednesday, leave for Texas Thursday night and return Sunday morning. I’m going to surprise Braydon. :)

After clicking to print my confirmation, I shut the laptop, grabbed my things and moved inside. I was walking fairly normally now that the burning pain had begun to subside and when I reached the office and placed my laptop on the desk, the cell buzzed. But this time it was an intermittent buzz that drew my attention.

He was calling.

Chase was calling.

I took a deep breath in, let it out, and tapped the green button.

“Hello,” I said hesitantly.

“You’re not going to Texas, Naomi,” he bit out with slight irritation.

“Excuse me?” I replied with the same bite.

“You heard me.” His firm voice had me pulling the phone from my ear and looking at it. I placed it back to my ear and heard a huge sigh.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I heard you correctly.” My tone was eerily calm.

A growl sounded before he stated decisively, “Oh, you fucking heard me, all right. You are not going to Texas.”

My head snapped back. “And who do you think you are telling me what I can or can’t do?” I berated. The anger boiling inside had me pacing the office floor, stomping my feet harder with every step.

“I’m the guy you hired and I don’t need you screwing up my investigation—”

I cut him off. “Then you’re fired.”

“Is that so?” Chase rumbled.

The tone that reverberated into my ear caused me to halt my steps. A shiver coursed down my spine. I felt it settle in my stomach. My nipples hardened and pressed against the lace of my bra.

I was getting turned on.

Holy shit!

Arguing with him was turning me the fuck on.

What was wrong with me?

“Naomi?” Chase called loudly, breaking me from my bizarre revelation.

“What?” I shouted, because now I wasn’t just angry at him but myself too.

His voice was softer when he said, “Let me do my job, yeah?”

I found the words falling from my mouth before I had a chance to stop them. “Fine.”

And with that, I hung up.

Fuck him… I was still going to Texas.

 

****

 

Chase

 

I wanted so fucking badly to toss the phone across the airport. But that would have caused too many delays in getting to Texas by late this afternoon. Plus, I was sure airport security wouldn’t be too happy with my raging actions and being added to the no-fly list wouldn’t solve anything. From the information I’d had come across this morning, Braydon having an affair was written all over it. Cash advances on his credit cards, charges to a card he’d just opened up in the past few weeks for hotels and dinners. This guy was headed for some serious fucking debt if he kept it up. So the last thing Naomi needed to do was walk in on her husband with another woman.

It was time to check my anger and move on.

I took a deep breath and placed my cell into my back pocket. Walking over to the small coffee shop, I thought of all the expressions that probably had passed along Naomi’s soft features. Fuck, I would’ve loved to experience that little tussle face-to-face. I would’ve bent her over, ripped off any clothes she had on, and smacked that round ass as I thrust my hard cock into her wet cunt and told her exactly how it was going to—

“What can I get you, sir?” the young girl from behind the counter called in my direction.

I blinked, trying to diminish the vision of Naomi’s ass and my cock driving into her from my brain. “Large black coffee with a shot of espresso,” I told the girl. She looked from my face to my chest then back up again and smiled at me.

I grinned back. She winked, and I ignored that. Fuck, she couldn’t have been any more than twenty and if I touched that, I’d ruin her for any future guy in her life. Once she walked away, I moved down toward the Order Pick-up sign.

As I stood there waiting I came up with a plan to divert Naomi. I knew she wasn’t going to listen to me. She had this spunk in her voice that said, “Fuck you, I’m doing what I want,” which was one hell of a turn-on.

I needed help on this one. Usually I would’ve contacted Frankie and had him loan me one of his henchmen, but that wasn’t going to work this time around. It’d come to the point of asking one of the guys. Russell hadn’t even been a tangible thought, as he would want too many answers, so Lane it’d have to be.

The same girl leaned over the counter holding up a cup, grabbing my attention. I took two steps and retrieved it from her outstretched hand and said, “Thank you.”

Her eyes went to the cup in my hand and back to my mine before she said, “Anytime.”

That had my eyes averting to the cup in my hand, where I saw her name and number scribbled on the cup sleeve. Without even looking at her, I removed it and tossed it in the nearby trash.

As I began to walk away I heard her aggravated huff before she yelled, “Next,” in a pissed-off tone. My lips tipped up slightly. I knew it was a dick move but honestly, I was just being me.

The intercom blared through the small waiting area, “Flight 816 to Dallas–Fort Worth will be boarding first class now,” and I waited for the line to form before I moved into it. Taking my phone out of my pocket, I maneuvered my coffee between my hands and tapped out a quick text to Lane that I needed his help with something and that I’d fill him in later with the details.

Slipping the phone back into my pocket, I retrieved the boarding pass from the other and handed it to the attendant. He glanced over it, handed it back and said, “Enjoy your flight.”

Once settled into my seat, I said a quick prayer that the seat next to me would stay empty. It was clearly answered when first class was done being seated and coach began. I looked out at the tarmac littered with planes, people shuffling around and small vehicles cruising about.

But all that was just scenery as my mind began to fill with Naomi. I shifted in my seat to the constant thoughts of her that plagued my head. This wasn’t normal for me and it was beginning to become bothersome. And before I knew what I was doing, my cell was in my hands and I was typing out a text to her with a fucking smile on my face. Now, be a good girl, Naomi.