Chapter Twenty Seven

Naomi thought she was home free. She was actually beginning to believe she would make it through the week without seeing Sam. After the incident in her laundry room, Naomi had almost called in sick to avoid seeing him on Monday. But she was a grown woman; so she'd forced herself to put her big girl panties on and go to work only to discover that Sam would be in surgery all day. A tidal wave of relief had instantly washed through her. The next two days produced the same results and Naomi purposely worked late on Wednesday so that by the time she arrived home that evening, Sam had already picked up Isaiah. But then Thursday arrived, and her dreams of avoidance were crushed. Naomi had been feeling confident that she'd have two more days before coming face to face with Sam. The previous day, she'd overheard Pete saying that Sam would more than likely be at the hospital for the rest of the week. And since it was her weekend with Isaiah, Sam was scheduled to keep their son until late Friday night. So when Naomi stepped off the elevator Thursday morning and saw Sam standing at the front counter, her world turned upside down. Her quick reflexes were the only thing that kept her jaw from hanging open and her briefcase from slipping out of her fingers. But there must have been a strange look on her face because Violet walked up to her.

"Are you okay Naomi? Is something wrong" Violet asked, lightly touching her arm in concern.

Naomi shook her head. "No, why would you think that" she retorted nervously as she watched Sam look up and notice her for the first time. To her surprise, he didn't say anything or make any attempt to approach her. But his gaze was as intense as ever; Naomi immediately felt hot all over.

"Because the elevator closed over a minute ago and you're still standing here" Violet said quietly.

Had she really been standing there that long? "I'm fine". Naomi gave Violet an unconvincing smile as she tore her attention away from Sam. "Today is just a busy day for me; I guess I'm just a little overwhelmed with everything I have on my plate. With Addison in Seattle consulting on a case, Jake agreed to see her patients and I've had to take on some of his patients to even the workload. I should probably get started instead of just standing here and thinking about it" she tried to joke.

"Well, if you need any help…" Violet began to offer. They weren't quite friends again, but things had been moving in a positive direction. Violet wondered how long it was going to take until they felt comfortable around each other again. Things were still so awkward between them.

"No, it will be fine. I'll see you later, okay" Naomi said briskly, walking off before she received a reply. Even though she refused to look at him again, she could still feel Sam's powerful stare trained on her. Maintaining as much normalcy as possible, she kept walking until she passed through the double doors into her side of the practice. Hurrying into her office, Naomi closed the door behind her and leaned against it. She took several deep breaths and tried to calm down. Why did Sam still have such a huge effect on her? How could she have lost control and had sex with him on top of a washing machine for crying out loud? She had to pull it together. There were patients to see and a new business to run. Having sex with Sam was just a mistake, one tiny slip, Naomi told herself. It was never going to happen again. She repeated that in her head until she began to believe it. Standing up from the door, Naomi went to her desk; she was convinced her lapse in judgment was safely tucked in the past. By the time Jake knocked on her door, she was prepped and ready to go over their caseload for the day. Today was going to be a good and productive day. Naomi was determined for there to be no drama, regardless of whether Sam was in the office or not.

…

Naomi was back in the main practice checking her messages. Since she and Jake's practice, Oceanside Fertility, was still new, many of her older patients and medical colleagues still called Oceanside Wellness's front desk. As she was prioritizing the notes, Jake came up behind her. "Hey, everyone is about to go to lunch at the new Mexican spot down the street. You want to come"?

Without bothering to look up, Naomi shook her head. "We've been swamped today. I think I'm going to stay behind and catch up on some paperwork". Maybe she would actually be able to concentrate knowing Sam wasn't in the office Naomi thought silently to herself.

"Oh come on, an hour won't kill you. You've got to eat sooner or later Naomi. Don't make me go by myself. You're already used to these people but I'm still the new kid on the block".

Naomi smiled at Jake's sly attempt to guilt her. "Nice try, but everyone already loves you and you know it. You already fit in better than I do. Go have fun. I'll find something in the kitchen. There's got to be something in that refrigerator that's edible" Naomi insisted.

Not everyone loved him Jake thought, thinking of Naomi's ex-husband. Sure, he was civil but barely. Jake didn't take it personally though. Sam was just being territorial and probably didn't realize how much hostility he projected. But Sam's attitude still didn't explain how strange Naomi had been acting. Jake sighed; all women were hard to figure out but Naomi took the cake. "What's going on with you"?

Naomi finally looked up, caught off guard. "What do you mean" she asked nervously.

"I don't know; I can't put my finger on it. You haven't been quite yourself this week. Did something happen over the weekend" Jake asked, right as Sam, Cooper, Sheldon, and Pete walked by them.

Naomi felt her pulse quicken as Sam gave her a knowing look but didn't comment. "No, nothing happened. I've just been a little overwhelmed with our recent workload, that's all. I probably won't feel sane until Addison is back in town. You guys have a good lunch" she smiled, hoping her voice didn't sound too hysterical and her eyes didn't look too wild.

"That's nothing a margarita or two won't cure" Charlotte joked, as she, Amelia, and Violet rounded the other corner.

"Because drinking on the job is so professional" Naomi laughed. "Even if I was willing to consider it, I wouldn't be able to indulge. I'm still breastfeeding and I don't have any back up supply in the freezer at home. I have to keep my milk clean".

"Still" Amelia asked, flabbergasted. "Isaiah is over a year old now".

"I know, I know. I've been trying to stop for months now but I haven't been successful. He just looks at me and I melt. It's getting ridiculous. He's getting cut off at the end of the month. I'm serious this time".

"Sure you are" Charlotte said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Wait until you have kids and see how easy it is Mrs. Friedman" Naomi shot back.

Charlotte suddenly turned serious again. "Let's go people, there's some Mexican food waiting on us" she said, dashing towards the elevator.

Everyone laughed as they trailed after her. "See you guys later" Naomi waved as the elevator doors closed after them. As soon as she was sure the elevator was descending, Naomi took a deep breath, releasing the tension from her body. She hadn't realized how wound tight she'd been all day until Sam had finally left the building. All day, she'd been worried he would confront her or tell the whole practice what had happened. So far she was in the clear; now all Naomi had to do was make it through the rest of the day.

Collecting all of her messages, she was headed back to her office but decided to make a pit stop in the kitchen. With the stress gone from her body, Naomi suddenly recognized how hungry she was; the hunger pains in her stomach were so strong she was beginning to feel queasy. Grabbing a banana, she split it open, and bit into it; instantly she felt better. Rummaging through the refrigerator, she found some yogurt that hadn't expired and a bottle of water. Too hungry to make it back to her office, she stood silently in the kitchen and ate, feeling more relaxed than she had all day. As usual, it didn't last. Taking the final bite of her banana, she heard the distinct ring of the elevator doors opening. Assuming it was an extremely punctual patient or someone who had gotten off at the wrong floor, Naomi headed towards the lobby to assist the stranger. But it wasn't a stranger. It was someone she knew very well; too well. Sam was standing in front of the closing elevator doors. What the hell was he doing there? He was supposed to be at lunch with the rest of the practice.

"Naomi" Sam said, watching her closely. As soon as she'd recognized him, his ex-wife had stopped dead in her tracks. He'd been on his way to lunch with his coworkers when he realized it would be the perfect opportunity to get Naomi alone. Coming up with an excuse, he'd dismissed himself from the group and made his way back to the practice. Ever since Sunday night, Naomi had been avoiding him at all costs and his busy schedule at the hospital had been helping her do it. But now he had her backed into a corner that he refused to let her escape. Sam had been doing a lot of thinking about what happened between them. They had to talk, get all of their cards out on the table.

"Naomi" Sam repeated, when she failed to respond.

She ignored him again; but this time instead of her feet staying glued to floor, Naomi made an about-face and bolted in the opposite direction. Trying to think of a place in the practice where Sam wouldn't follow her, she dashed into the women's bathroom. Pacing back in forth, she tried to calm down. What was happening? Why was he there? Going to the sink, she turned on a stream of cold water and dabbed her face gently. Why was she hot all over?

"Naomi".

She quickly looked up from the sink. Not only had Sam entered the women's restroom, but he had locked the door behind him. No one else would be able to enter and Naomi wondered how hard it would for her to get out. Her temper instantly flared. Fine; if he wanted to play hardball, she would give him everything she had. Turning off the water, she looked Sam dead in the face. "What, Sam? WHAT"?!

Sam shook his head at his ex-wife's contradicting behavior. She had gone from running away to audaciously confronting him in less than sixty seconds. Regardless of her behavior, he refused to let Naomi distract him from his mission. "We need to talk".

Naomi sighed. "You always want to talk. Don't you ever get sick of talking"?

In a flash, Sam was in Naomi's personal space and had her backed against the counter. "I'll tell you what I'm sick of; I'm sick of you giving me the runaround. Every time I confront you about anything, you avoid the subject at all costs. Why are you making things so difficult Naomi? If you would just stop being so damn stubborn and communicate with me, I wouldn't have to corner you like this".

"There's nothing left to communicate between us Sam" Naomi said, exasperated.

"There's nothing left to communicate" Sam repeated skeptically, raising his eyebrow in question.

"Yes" Naomi shouted.

"Then how do you explain what happened the other night? And how do you explain you avoiding me since" Sam said in a low voice, stepping closer to Naomi.

Naomi felt her heart skip a beat. She swallowed thickly. "I believe you said it best Sam. It just happened; and in my opinion, it was a big mistake".

Sam nodded his head as he absorbed her words. If he didn't know her so well, he might've believed her. But he did know her; and he knew she was lying. Even if she wasn't aware of it, deep down she was lying. Sam knew that to be true because over the last four days he'd done a lot of soul searching. Naomi throwing Addison in his face forced him to really sit down and figure out his feelings. And while he cared deeply for Addison, and always would, he'd come to the conclusion that Addison had been right when she broke up with him. Not only was Naomi deceiving herself, but he had been lying to himself too; lying about the fact that he was over Naomi. In truth, his ex-wife still had her hooks deep in him. Slowly and cautiously, Sam reached out and grabbed Naomi's waist. He pulled her against him until their bodies were flush with each other. Inhaling her strawberry scented hair, he said quietly in her ear "I don't think it was a mistake at all. Admit it; we both wanted each other".

Naomi tried to remember how to breathe. Why was it so hot in this damn bathroom? She put her hands on Sam's shoulders with the intention of pushing him away. But she couldn't get her arms to work. Instead, her fingernails were digging into his firm and masculine back. "You are so full of shit" Naomi muttered shakily, trying to keep her bravado.

"No, you are. It wasn't a mistake" Sam repeated, gripping her hips tightly. Deliberately, he pushed closer against her until his manhood pressed between her thighs. "It was inevitable. We've been on a collision course towards each other for months. Think about it, Naomi. Why else do you think we can't get our shit together, why do you think our relationship has continued to run so hot and cold? It's because we've been too busy trying to ignore our real feelings for each other".

Naomi couldn't concentrate. The only thing she was aware of was Sam's growing desire against her center. A deep carnal fire began to grow and burn inside her. But she'd be dammed if she let Sam know that. Her ex-husband was an asshole. Just because he still had the ability to sexually arouse her didn't prove anything. "The only real feeling I have for you right now is hatred" Naomi said hoarsely. Why did her voice sound so hoarse? "I can't even stand the sight of you. The only reason I still deal with you is because of Isaiah".

Despite her protests, there was still something between them. He knew it without a shadow of a doubt. Sam inhaled her hair again, rubbed his face against hers, and kissed her neck. His hands moved down to her ass. "You don't hate me, Naomi".

Squeezing her eyes shut, Naomi gritted her teeth to prevent a moan from escaping. "Yes, I do Sam" she panted.

"Then stop sending mixed signals and push me away, Naomi. Don't let me hold you this close, don't let me touch you like this, don't let me kiss you…." Sam leaned down to capture Naomi's lips.

Naomi's eyes popped wide open at the mention of a kiss. She was about to go on a rant, explain to Sam that she wasn't sending mixed signals, explain that he was only seeing what he wanted to see, explain that she would've pushed him back but he was too strong, explain that there was no way in hell she was going to let him kiss her. But the words never came out. Naomi's thoughts turned out to be a second slower than Sam's lips. Before she could open her mouth to protest, Sam's soft lips were covering hers and Naomi was immediately lost in waves of unbridled passion. All her confessions of supposed hatred towards her ex-husband fell away when not only did she let Sam keep kissing her, but when she began kissing him back; and when she allowed him to unzip the back of her dress; and especially when she allowed him to pick her up and sit her on the bathroom counter.

Four days; it had been four days since Sam had been able to kiss Naomi's seductive lips, since he had touched and caressed her feminine skin. Not knowing what tomorrow would bring, he took full advantage of it now. Massaging the inside of her thighs, Sam's hands leisurely crept up until they were under her hiked up dress, until his thumbs were kneading the delicate skin right next to Naomi's flowering sex. He could feel the heat, sense the moisture.

"Sam" Naomi moaned between the wet and deep kisses they gave each other. She felt ready to explode and he'd barely touched her.

The huskiness in her voice and the hooded look of her eyes was driving Sam crazy. "Naomi" he groaned back as he grabbed her thighs and pulled her close again. Yanking at the hem of her lace panties, he pulled them down over her ass and slowly slid them down her legs. As he recaptured her lips, his right hand found its way up her dress again. Taking his time, he inserted one, then two fingers into her hot pulsating vagina.

Naomi gasped, moaned into Sam's mouth. Her right leg began to shake uncontrollably as his fingers curved up to hit her g-spot. "Sam...oh my God...Sam...oh my God" she repeated over and over again, her head writhing back and forth in the throes of pleasure.

Sam winced in both pleasure and pain. His arousal had grown so strong, his penis had begun to painfully strain against the fly of his pants. But it still didn't stop his hands from exploring her body or his mouth from tasting her skin. Naomi was too warm, too snug, and too irresistible. "Damnit Naomi. How do you keep doing this to me" he grunted while he licked and sucked on her neck.

Sam was working her into a frenzy. No longer able to sit still, her hips began to thrust forward, meeting his hand. His fingers felt so deliriously good, but now Naomi was craving something else; something much bigger, harder, and longer. Unconsciously, she reached for his pants and began to unzip them. When his manhood sprang free, she bit her lip in anticipation. She thrust her hips harder, silently willing him to penetrate her.

It took every fiber of Sam's being to show even a little self restraint. Removing his fingers from her wetness, his hands dug into Naomi's thighs, pulling her even closer. Taking his time, he tasted her lips once again; nibbling on them and biting them before he slid his tongue into her mouth.

Naomi reached into Sam's pants and grabbed his ass, drawing his sex nearer. She opened her legs wider, tried to find the right position to enfold him in her warmth. But Sam's mind altering kisses kept distracting her. And when she did manage to get close, he would pull away. "Please...Sam please" she moaned and pleaded breathily in his ear.

"Damn you woman, damn you" Sam replied, nibbling on her bottom lip. In a quick as lightening move, he pulled Naomi off the counter, turned her around, and bent her over the counter. Her ass was so round and firm. He grabbed it and massaged it roughly.

"Please" Naomi whimpered, gripping the counter.

Sam couldn't hold out any longer. Pulling Naomi's backside firmly against him, he smoothly pushed through her fleshy folds and nestled into her heat. He immediately began to inwardly tremble. How could someone feel this good? "Fuck...Naomi" he shouted.

Naomi's eyes rolled into the back of her head. To feel what she was feeling should be illegal. The sensations already had her knees giving way. She needed support. Leaning further back further into Sam, she rested her back on his chest and pulled one of his arms around her waist to hold her in place. "Don't let go" she moaned.

As Sam began to move in and out of her, he squeezed her waist tighter. He kissed the side of her neck and whispered in Naomi's ear, "Never". Sam felt his heart skip a beat as the significance of that word hit him; because he meant it with his entire being. He was starting to realize that not only was he not over Naomi, but that he was still madly in love with her. And he had no intention of ever letting her go again.

The intensity of Sam's answer had something stirring inside Naomi; something she wasn't ready to face. So she tried to block it out and focused on how good the sex felt; focus on how secure she felt in his arms; focus on his eyes when she turned her neck to face him. But her actions only seemed to encourage the stirrings. Naomi was almost thankful when Sam took her mouth again with such a searing kiss, her mind was wiped of all thoughts.

Sam's thoughts fell away too. He gave into his animalistic nature and pumped in and out of Naomi over and over again. Eventually, the feeling became overwhelming. He felt his body about to succumb to a monstrous orgasm. Sam could tell Naomi was reaching the brink as well. Her inner walls we're beginning to contract tighter around him. "Oh my God...shit" he yelled, trying to hold on.

Naomi opened up her mouth, but nothing came out. Her entire body was so overcome with pleasure, her vocal chords had been paralyzed. She bent over and gripped the counter.

The arch of Naomi back threw Sam into a complete tailspin. Leaning over, he placed a trail of kisses up her spine before pulling her back up towards him. With her waist tucked firmly in his hands, he finally let go and erupted inside her. "Naomi" he groaned.

Her vocal chords came back to life. "Ahhhhh...shit...ooohhhh...Sam" Naomi moaned and cursed as his release triggered her own orgasm. By the time it was over, she was physically spent. Closing her eyes, she rested her head on Sam's shoulder. It felt nice to be in his arms. And the soft kisses he was placing on her cheeks and nose were even better. But then the stirrings she was trying to ignore came back and she panicked. Her eyes popped open and she looked around. The first thing Naomi zeroed in on was the mirrored reflection of her and Sam in post coital bliss. How had this happened?

Sam felt her tense up and automatically sensed what was about to happen. "Naomi..."

"I can't believe I just did this...again" Naomi lamented as she pushed away from Sam, cutting him off. Trying to regain some composure, she began to zip up her dress and clean up her appearance. She grabbed her panties off the floor and threw them in the trash.

"It happened because we both wanted it to" Sam said softly, as he pulled his pants back up.

"No, I didn't want this to happen, Sam" Naomi argued.

Sam sighed in frustration. "Then why did it happen for the second time in less than a week, Naomi? I didn't force you to do anything. You were with me every step of the way. You were practically begging"! This was unbelievable. They had gone from arguing, to having passionate sex, back to arguing.

"I was not" Naomi shouted, abruptly turning to face him.

"Sam...Please" he imitated her moans. "If that's not begging, I don't know what is. Come on Nae; stop being so stubborn. I wanted you. I still want you in this very second and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Why can't you do the same"?

Naomi's cheeks burned with embarrassment and rage. "I can't admit something that's a lie. I don't want you Sam. The real truth is that you took advantage of me. I let it slip that I hadn't had sex in two years and you practically jumped on me. You counted on the fact that I would be horny and put up little resistance. All you've done is scratch an itch for me, so I guess I should thank you. But don't read any further into this Sam. Almost any man who mildly interested me could have performed your services just as easily" Naomi spewed. Her reasons had come to her out of thin air, but the more she thought about it, the more her reasons made sense...until Sam dismissed it with one question.

"Then why didn't you sleep with Jake" he asked quietly.

Naomi didn't have a comeback for that. "Just stay away from me" she demanded, as she shoved past him and left the bathroom.

She wanted to stop and catch her breath as soon as Sam was no longer visible. But she was afraid he would catch up to her, or worse; drag her back into the bathroom. So Naomi kept walking; but even that proved to be a difficult task. She continued to feel hot all over and her body was still tingling with the afterglow of sex. As Naomi kept walking, she found it took effort to walk in a straight line. And the absence of her panties and the stickiness between her legs were nagging reminders of what had just happened. Maybe she just needed to get some water in her system, she thought as she dragged herself into the kitchen.

"Hey Nae" Charlotte greeted her from the kitchen counter.

Naomi looked up surprised to see both Charlotte and Violet standing there. "He...hey" she stuttered. "What are you guys doing here? I thought the gang was out to lunch".

Violet raised her eyebrow. "We were gone for almost two hours".

"What" Naomi gasped in shock. There was no way she and Sam had been having sex in the bathroom for almost two hours! Was there? Quickly trying to cover her dramatic reaction, Naomi said, "I can't believe the time went by so quickly. I've been so wrapped up with the case files in my office. The only reason I came out now was to grab a bottle of water". Going to the refrigerator, Naomi ducked her head inside. The cool air felt good against her overheated burning flesh. Apparently, she stayed a little too long.

"Naomi" Violet said. "Are you okay"? She'd been acting strange from the moment she set foot into the practice.

Naomi grabbed a bottle of water and shut the refrigerator door. "I'm fine, just fine" she said, faking a smile.

"Are you sure" Charlotte questioned. "There's something different about today. Did something happen with your personal life? There's a certain glow about you".

Naomi blushed so hard, she was afraid the color would shine through her chocolate cheeks. Thankfully, Amelia saved her from having to answer. "Hey guys, did you see that young couple in the lobby who can't keep their hands off each other"?

"Yeah, so" Charlotte answered. "They're newlyweds and in love".

"Yeah, well I think they just had sex in the women's bathroom. When I walked in there, there was a weird smell and when I went to throw my paper towel in the trash, I spotted a pair of black lace panties".

Scratch being thankful; Naomi wished Amelia would disappear off the face of the earth. The only small consolation was that Sam must have cleared out before he could be spotted.

"No way" Violet exclaimed.

"Naomi, did you see or hear anything" Amelia asked

Naomi took a long gulp of her water. "No" she answered, shaking her head. "Like I was just telling these two, I've been holed up in my office all afternoon. Speaking of which, I need to get back at it. Those reports won't write themselves" she joked. "I'll see you guys later" Naomi added as she walked out the door before anyone could stop her.

Hey Guys! I'm switching it up today and writing my note at the end of the chapter, LOL! I just wanted to say I know this chapter and the last one have been really intense. Well the whole story really, but especially in recent chapters. I just want to let the readers know that it all has a purpose and that Naomi is not crazy. She's just fighting really hard against everything and everyone to keep from being hurt again. So many people have hurt or betrayed her so barriers are very important to her. Even though it seems her barriers are falling, she's still trying like the devil to keep them intact. Only time will tell how it all ends up. I hope you guys will stick with me through this journey. This story has come a long way but I've still got quite a ways to go. As usual, I am so thankful to anyone out there still reading this story. Your support really encourages and pushes me to keep writing. Muah! XOXO