Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
She put her hand on my thigh, the touch searing me. “That sounds hard.”
“It was. We weren’t married for long, but we had a lot of fights. And… it seemed like she changed. When we started talking about divorce. It was like she became a different person.”
“I’m sorry.” She leaned against my side, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world to put my arm around her shoulders. “It got really nasty when my parents got divorced.”
She felt good, pressed against my side, and she lightly stroked my leg. But as tempting as she was, I was still hung up on the past. “When someone changes like that… when they seem like they become a different person, it makes you question everything.”
“How so?”
I didn’t know if I could explain it. “It’s like… you try to figure out which version was the real her. The one I fell in love with and married? Or the one she became two years later? I just… I don’t know if she was always that bitter woman and just fooled me in the beginning, or if she really was nice and I did something to make her change.”
“I can’t imagine you turning anyone evil.”
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. “Tell that to Shitty. I somehow managed to turn him into an supervillain.”
Naomi rested her head on my shoulder. Her hair smelled like vanilla. We were silent for a while, but it was a companionable silence. Naomi seemed to relish every chance she got to see the water, and I was glad to share one of my favorite spots with her.
But finally she stirred. “I know it won’t solve everything, but I think it’s time for you to have a massage.”
I bit back a laugh at that. Though decades younger, Naomi was just like Aunt Evelyn, thinking that a little stress relief could solve everything.
“Thank you, but I’d like to stay out here for a while.” I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but I also wasn’t ready to go back inside and face the others. They didn’t blame me for ruining their careers, but I blamed myself.
“So we’ll stay out here,” she said, getting to her feet. “Turn that way.”
“What?”
She patted my leg. “Put this knee up on the bench and turn your body toward that palm tree over there.
There were a half dozen palm trees in that direction, but I played along, and she climbed onto the bench behind me. Then her slender fingers pressed onto my shoulders, kneading and rubbing. Almost immediately, I felt some of the tension in my muscles ease.
The guys were right. She was good.
I tried to let my mind go blank as Naomi worked her magic. Her hands were strong, and she was really able to dig into some of the knots in my upper back. At one point she asked me to take off my shirt, and I obliged. It felt even better to feel her brushing chest occasionally brushing against my bare skin.
My head lolled to the side, and I almost felt like she was putting me into a trance. When I spoke, my voice sounded spaced out. “You know, I thought Aunt Evelyn was nuts when she said she wanted to fly you down here for a week.”
Naomi laughed softly, and I felt her soft hair brush against my shoulder. “I did, too. But eventually, she wore me down.”
“That’s Evelyn.” For a moment, I missed the old lady. My whole life, she’d been popping in and out. She never stayed in one place too long. But when she appeared, things were never dull. I hadn’t seen her since before the divorce, though we talked on the phone quite a bit.
Naomi stood up, and I thought she was done, but instead, she stepped in front of me. “Face forward again.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said, a hint of teasing in my tone. Naomi had definitely lightened my mood.
She placed her hands on my knees and pushed outward, spreading them. Then she stepped into the space between them, her chest pretty much right in front of my eyes. Her breasts were perfect. Not too big, not too small. That wasn’t something I was supposed to be noticing, but when they were inches from my face, it was hard not to.
She brought her fingers up to my temple and rubbed, and my eyes closed in spite of the awesome view of her body. “Is this the famous scalp massage Justin’s been raving about?”
“A modified version,” she said softly. “Just relax and let your mind clear.”
With my eyes closed, other senses took over. I could smell her feminine scent. Her warm body kept jostling against mine. And her strong little fingers seemed to make my head feel several pounds lighter.
After another ten minutes or so, her fingers stilled. “How do you feel?” Her voice was low and sexy.