Nova
I shouldn’t have cared, I wasn’t supposed to care, I had purposely designed things to be carefree. But something about Guy’s conversation with his baby mama was sitting heavy on my mind long after I should’ve been thinking about it at all.
She was coming to visit soon, something that shouldn’t have really surprised me since I had pretty much talked it up myself. But that still didn’t mean I would actually be prepared for it when plans became solidified.
Her boyfriend was mentioned, but he wouldn’t be joining. Her trip was only for the weekend, but I wasn’t exactly sure where that left me, or if I fit at all. I mean, we had just found our routine of getting Jaxson off to school, sharing cooking responsibilities, and even planning out activities together with Jaxson’s insistence. But now that would all be… interrupted.
Then again, it was probably a good thing that she’d be visiting, reminding me that neither Jaxson nor Guy were my responsibility. They already had someone to look after them, someone who knew them from the very beginning, the missing piece to their puzzle. And really, I needed to find my own.
So instead of joining Guy and Jaxson in their plans to make brownies and watch movies together, I found a lounge to go hang out at, going all out with my make-up and twisting my hair into a cute updo that I hoped screamed, “single and ready to mingle”. I found a slinky black dress to throw on, matching it with a pair of heels I knew I wouldn’t last all night in. But maybe if I found a guy handsome enough to buy me a few drinks, that would become a non-factor.
After picking out the perfect jewelry pieces and spraying on a little fragrance for the final touch, I headed to the kitchen intending to sneak in a pre-drink to cool my nerves before my Uber driver arrived. But the only thing I got were two sets of curious eyes and a, “Damn. Where you headed, girl?”
“Out for a drink,” I answered as I poured a quick glass of wine and practically finished it in one sip which only made Guy’s eyebrow raise even higher.
“With Kaylin?”
“No. By myself,” I replied shortly, trying to make it sound more normal than it was. But I knew it wasn’t normal, which was why I hadn’t told Kaylin at all since she more than likely would’ve called me crazy and tried to talk me out of it. Either that or insist she join me which meant she would’ve only been judging every guy I came across and comparing him to Guy each time; the last thing I needed if I really expected to find my own lane.
“You’re going out by yourself looking like that?” he asked as if my outfit was out of place for the circumstances.
In fact, his reaction was enough for me to challenge, “How do I look?”
He gnawed at his lip, his eyes washing over me as he brought his fist to his mouth and shook his head. “I… can’t answer that without being completely inappropriate.”
“Daddy, what’s inappropriate?” Jaxson asked, his face covered in chocolate from his attempt at licking the brownie batter bowl clean.
But it seemed as if he wasn’t the only one trying to lick something clean the way his father shot me a heated gaze when he answered, “In this case? Nasty.”
While the single word sent shivers up my spine now that I knew just how nasty he could get, it only made Jaxson’s little face scrunch in disgust. “Ugh, Daddy. Don’t be nasty. That’s… nasty.”
“Tell him, Jax,” I added with a teasing gaze of my own.
Guy was too busy laughing at his son to catch it, wiping his nose and cheeks with a wet paper towel when he asked, “You really gonna be alright out there all by yourself? I mean, I’m sure Mama Cheryl wouldn’t mind looking after him again.”
Now it was my face scrunching. “So you can knock my game? I think not.”
“You’re really on that, huh? What’d you call it? Finding better company?” he asked in a way that I couldn’t tell if he was teasing or serious.
Either way, it didn’t matter once I explained, “Just finding company of my own.”
Regardless of his situation with Mariah, nothing about it made me feel like Guy was an available candidate in my pursuit of something new. And even though my body was still screaming for him days later, I had to mute the call if I expected to stay open-minded about going out and meeting new people.
Still, it seemed as if me exploring my options actually bothered Guy the way his head snapped back when he asked, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
I could already feel myself crumbling under the pressure of having to explain myself. So instead of giving a real reason, I rushed out, “It means what it means. Have fun tonight, boys.”
“Yeah, you too,” Guy replied with more attitude than I was used to, though it was quickly overshadowed by Jaxson waving goodbye with his chocolate-covered hands.
“Bye Bye Miss. Nova!”
“See you later, sweetheart,” I told him with the best smile I could muster before turning to leave, though I didn’t get too far when I heard Guy calling after me.
“Yo, Nova. Wait up!”
My shoulders went stiff before I slowly turned around to find him right behind me. He slipped his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants as if he was nervous, making me nervous until he finally said, “Be careful out there, for real. Niggas is crazy these days and…”
I cut him off with a laugh. “Guy, I’m grown. I may not have done this in a while,” Or ever. “But I still know how it’s done.”
While he still didn’t seem too thrilled about it, he at least offered me a smile. “Yeah aight, beautiful. Do your thing.”
“Oh I am,” I told him, turning to head towards the elevator once again.
But I hadn’t even taken a full stride when he said, “One more thing.” Prompting me to turn back around. And when I did, he caught my face by the chin, landing the hottest, wettest, most stay-your-ass-at-home kiss against my lips before pulling away to ask, “Keep that in mind too, aight?”
Speaking didn’t seem necessary. In fact, leaving no longer seemed necessary. Still, for my own good, I gave him a nod before getting on the elevator where I thought I belonged.
&
Going out alone was… not what I was expecting it to be.
Maybe I had binged-watched one too many rom-com movies, had read one too many romance novels. But the whole, “man buys a drink to court woman, they share conversation and maybe a dance, then exchange numbers or take each other home” thing was practically a fairytale myth compared to what I had experienced.
One man bought two drinks, only to drink both himself. Another man couldn’t stay off of his phone long enough to share a conversation, Snapchatting everything around us from his beer bottle to shots of the crowd. And the most recent man… my God, he wasn’t the most attractive but he was nice enough to entertain, until his girlfriend showed up.
You would’ve thought I had a, “Trash men only” sign hanging from my bar stool considering the bunch that had been bold enough to approach me. Then again, maybe that was what I deserved for trying to go out of the box and do something I had no business doing. I mean, I had never been one to go out explicitly looking for a man, even before David, since they usually didn’t approach me anyway. And then when I was with David, any man that just so happened to approach me got sent off immediately out of “respect” for him. But now, you would’ve thought the ghost of David was still haunting me by sending the worst picks of the litter my way.
Instead of continuing to be haunted, I decided to make my way back to the condo, surprised when all the lights were off besides the one in the kitchen creating a spotlight over the leftover bite-sized brownies Guy and Jaxson had made. It only seemed right for me to taste one to put the sugar on top of my shitty night. And I was pleasantly surprised when they were actually pretty damn good, just moist enough for my teeth to sink into without being too cakey. In fact, I grabbed a second one before heading down the hallway to peek into Jaxson’s room, the sight of him sleeping peacefully always a bright spot in my day even if he wasn’t my child.
We still had a bond, a connection, a…
“You’re back.”
The sound of his voice made me jump back, putting a hand to my chest to calm my thumping heart as I whispered, “Shit, Guy. You scared me.”
His expression was a little sleepy as if the sound of me coming in had startled him awake just as he was on the verge of dozing off. But his sleepy expression also gave his eyes a dreamy-like haze, reminding me of the terms we had left on; the kiss he had laid on me to prove the point that everything I called myself going out to look for was right here in front of me.
I tried to shake off the thought just as he brushed a hand against the back of his neck. “My bad. I’m just… happy you made it back.”
“Why? You missed me or something?” I asked teasingly as I slipped past him towards the kitchen to grab another brownie bite.
From behind me, he only semi-agreed. “Maybe. More Jaxson than me. Wondered where Miss. Nova was going looking all pretty.”
While Jaxson’s compliment might’ve been the heartwarming ego boost I needed, the fact that I was looking all pretty and had still came up empty-handed was enough for me to shove the brownie in my mouth, my teeth surely covered in chocolate when I replied, “Well when he wakes up, I’ll be sure to tell him it wasn’t worth a damn.”
Of course that only made Guy laugh, pouring us both a drink - something dark over ice - as he asked, “Rough night out there on single’s row, huh?”
“Rough is an understatement,” I answered, accepting the glass he slid my way and not even complaining about it not being mixed with anything.
In fact, I took the first short sip with confidence until it burnt my throat and chest, and had me shimmying in my seat with tight eyes to fight against the sting. I wasn’t even sure if he was talking about my outing or the drink by the time he insisted, “It was your first go-round. You’ll get better with time.”
“Or maybe I’ll just... stay alone,” I told him, wondering if I sounded as pitiful as I felt.
Guy only shrugged, taking an easy few sips from his glass. “Nothing wrong with that either.”
“There’s definitely something wrong with that,” I countered, shaking my ice cubes against the walls of the glass before taking another sip in hopes of the straight liquor making my misery dissipate a little quicker. Or maybe it would just burn my throat lining to the point where I could no longer vocally complain about what had happened.
I wasn’t certain if it was intentional, but Guy only added insult to injury when he asked, “Is that why you stayed with David for so long? Didn’t want to face this part? Being alone?”
“Probably. Who knows. Who cares,” I answered with a shrug as I downed the rest of the glass, slamming it against the countertop just in time to hear Guy give a two-word response that I hadn’t heard often enough.
“I care.”
Tingles rushed from my head to my feet, though I wasn’t sure if it was from Guy’s flattery or the alcohol. Still, it was enough to get me out of my seat, heading towards the window as I tossed over my shoulder, “Well I don’t know why you do.”
My attention was immediately focused on the bay as a cargo ship passed through, but all attention was stolen when I felt him press against me from behind, his beard tickling my exposed neck when he leaned in to say, “Because I actually kinda like you, Miss. Nova.”
He sealed his statement with a soft kiss against my skin, the tingles returning as he continued, “I like your style, the way you operate, the way you deal with my kid, the way you suck a mean…”
“Guy!” I screeched, turning my head to find his eyes that were twinkling with mischief under the moon’s glow through the window.
“What? It’s the truth,” he replied with a sly grin. And since I couldn’t exactly deny it, I continued listening instead. “But for real, I just… I don’t know why I can’t keep my ass away from you, but I’m done trying.”
“Does this have anything to do with me going out tonight?” I asked as I sank deeper into his closeness, reveling in the comfort that came from just being against him.
He made it completely worth it when he wrapped his arms around my waist, bringing me even closer when he answered, “Maybe. I mean, I can’t lie. Thinking about you really hittin’ it off with somebody out there, goin’ home with another nigga, lowkey had me sick to my stomach. Couldn’t even eat a damn brownie.”
“Those are some good ass brownies too,” I added as if that made his point even more valid.
But the mention of how good they were only caused him to slip away from me to grab one. And I couldn’t help but toss a side eye his way, even when he said, “Shit, you said they were good. And now that you’re back, my appetite is too.”
He tossed one into his mouth before grabbing another and making his way back to where I was standing. “I don’t know, Nova. You might’ve been lying. I mean, you taste way better than these brownies ever could.”
“Let me see,” I said, my first thought to take the one from his hand. But a second, much better thought came to mind as I dodged it once he had extended it my way and went for his mouth instead, the remnants of chocolate in combination with the liquor he had consumed making me moan, “Mmmm… nope. Brownies still win.”
He seemed amused as he fed me the brownie I had just raved about, watching me chew enthusiastically while insisting, “Now let me see.” And I wasn’t sure what he meant until he dropped to his knees in front of me, knocking me just slightly off-balance when he lifted one of my legs over his shoulder, causing the hem of my dress to slip up towards my hips.
Thankfully the window was there to support me, even if that meant my ass was exposed to anyone who could see that many floors up. Then again, the idea kind of turned me on as Guy inhaled my natural scent like it was a bed of roses, releasing a moan of satisfaction before he asked, “Panties really aren’t your thing, huh?”
I gnawed on my lip as I shook my head no, watching the way his lips turned upwards into a greedy grin before he landed a kiss against my inner thigh. Then he went to the other to deliver a kiss just as teasing, his grip on the back of my leg tightening when he asked, “You with me?”
Of course I nodded yes, though once again I didn’t know what he actually meant until he lifted the leg I was relying on for support and tossed it over his shoulder with ease so that I was completely straddling his face. And while I was initially worried about doing something clumsy, I felt completely balanced sitting in his hands with my back pressed against the window and my thighs resting on the shoulders I knew were perfect for stuff like this the first time I laid eyes on him.
Chance encounters at the airport were now a thing of the past as his fingers dug into my ass when he delivered a full swipe with his tongue, following it up with quick flickers against my clit as I sank deeper into the window with no place to go, no place to escape the way he was making me feel. And he took complete advantage of that fact, licking faster and sucking harder with every encouraging moan I released from up above until I felt like I was free-falling into his hands. But he didn’t let me fall, forcing me to take on everything he was dishing out as he gripped me tighter and moaned with me in his mouth, doubling down on his claims of me tasting better than those damn brownies.
In fact, it seemed like a silly argument as he unleashed an attack with his tongue that had me trying to push off his shoulders with a newfound strength; strength that meant absolutely nothing to Guy as he countered it with a stronghold of his own, even when I gasped, “I can’t.”
“You are,” he growled, easily recapturing the spot he had abandoned to speak. And since he wasn’t giving me a choice, I quickly succumbed to the sensation he was creating deep in my belly, continuing to ride the wave as he licked me clean through my orgasm.
Like the devil he was, he only grinned as he let me down onto my heels, catching me at the hip when I stumbled a little thanks to my weakened limbs.
“Easy, baby,” he advised as if it wasn’t his fault I suddenly had baby giraffe legs. And just when I thought he actually had my best interest at heart, he turned me around, pressing my chest against the window as he grumbled, “I know you don’t really think I’m done with you already, Nova.”
I honestly hadn’t even gotten a chance to think about there being more, too busy floating on top of the clouds to consider a next step. But when Guy pressed further against me, I discovered the exact reason why he wasn’t done, my mouth watering as I thought about returning the favor.
Instead of letting me taste him, he made me taste myself, slipping a hand between my thighs to see just how wet he had me before slipping that same hand between my lips. And naturally, I groaned as I sucked my flavor from his fingers, Guy close enough to whisper, “Good, ain’t it?”
I nodded, though an answer wasn’t nearly as important as the feel of him taking me with one firm stroke from behind, pushing the strap of the already mangled dress I wore from my shoulder so that he could bite into it. And I couldn’t figure out which pleasurable pain to focus on as he slammed into me again, my fingertips finding just enough leverage against the glass to meet his stroke as I struggled to balance on my heels.
That’s when I knew I was really a goner. The fact that I was willing to risk a sprained ankle or worse for this shit without a second thought because it felt that good. And it was clear I wasn’t the only one going off the deep end as Guy wrapped an arm around my waist to keep me steady, growling against my ear, “Fuck, girl. You feel too fuckin’ good.”
The only response he got was my panting moans as he continued to sex me senseless, somehow managing to get me out of my dress in the process. And while being completely nude, especially in front of a damn window, would’ve brought along a bout of insecurity in the past, I had never felt sexier with my breasts pressed into the glass and Guy’s mouth hot against my neck as he gave me medal-worthy backshots.
“You gonna cum again for me, baby?” he asked so politely you would’ve thought he wasn’t crashing into me at all. But when I didn’t respond fast enough, he quickly returned to the aggressive demeanor I had a kink for, wrapping his hand around my neck when he grunted, “I know you heard me, Nova. Speak up.”
“I’m gonna cum!” I shouted loud enough to wake Jaxson up - or the whole building.
But saying it loud and proud got me what I wanted as Guy linked his fingers with mine and did what he did best, giving me strokes so perfectly calculated that I was collapsing against the glass in no time. And Guy was only a few pumps behind me, pulling out and stroking himself through his release as he came in thick, white drops against the hardwood floor.
“What a waste,” I told him teasingly through my heavy breathing, his eyebrows shooting up once he realized the missed opportunity I was talking about.
“Don’t even trip, sweetheart. There’s plenty more where that came from,” he replied with a wink as he took off towards the bathroom to clean himself up. And I did the same, going to my own room to prevent myself from being too tempted with potential shower sex.
By the time I got cleaned up, got my makeup off, and got all of the bobby pins out of my mostly destroyed updo, I didn’t expect Guy to even still be awake. But when I went to the kitchen intending to snag just one more brownie before bed, there he was, looking completely refreshed with his post-sex glow as he peeked up from the bowl he was mixing and smiled.
“Gotta whip up a new batch of brownies for Jaxson since somebody devoured them all,” he teased, making me blush with embarrassment since I hadn’t meant to. But seeing the dedication he had to keeping a smile on his baby boy’s face in combination with his dedication to satisfying me a few moments earlier only reminded me of why I should’ve stayed home in the first place.
Everything I wanted, even if it was temporary, was right here.
I couldn’t help but smile as he lured me in with a finger of brownie batter, me licking it from his fingers only taking me back to the place I could still feel between my thighs. But for now, I was going to focus on Guy, the person, when I snatched the spoon from his hand and told him, “I got this.”