Guy
I’m never going back.
My arms were resting on the ledge of the balcony as I looked out towards the Biscayne Bay, immediately deciding in my head that there was no use for cities like my hometown when compared to something like this. We had only been in Miami for a few hours and I was already in love with the fast pace, the perfect weather, the incredible view, the beautiful women…
“Daddyyyyy!”
Oh, and indulging in it all with my son.
“Yes, Jax?” I yelled back through the screen door, his room being right next door making for the perfect set-up since it practically gave Nova her own half of the condo with plenty of room in between us as a buffer. But it felt like I needed the buffer more than she did since I couldn’t stop thinking about her even though her boyfriend mention was supposed to make me leave her alone.
I didn’t do taken women under any circumstances. I had learned early on that that shit simply wasn’t worth the trouble. But something about Nova’s aura just… drew me; drew me in a way I hadn’t been drawn since… damn, Mariah.
Since that sounded as crazy as it felt and since dealing with her wasn’t a part of my summer’s plan no matter how tempting her cute ass kept making me feel otherwise, I focused on what I was really here for just as he yelled back, “I’m hungryyy!”
“Didn’t Auntie Kay give you some snacks before she left?” I yelled back, shaking my head as I made my way back into the room to find a change of clothes. And as I yanked my t-shirt off to trade it for a tank from my suitcase, I waited for answer.
Nothing came.
In fact, the silence was so thick that I just knew my son was up to no good. So after changing out of my jeans into a pair of basketball shorts, I left my room to go find him in his.
Empty.
I peeked in the bathroom.
Empty.
I peeked into the living room and was getting ready to yell his name when I heard his little giggles coming from the kitchen. And once I turned around, sure enough there he was, propped up on the counter with his little feet dangling off the edge as Nova looked in the fridge.
Damn, that girl is a sight from behind.
Her locs were just long enough to sweep the top of her ass with every move she made, which also meant they were the perfect length for a little tugging while I hit it from the…
Shit.
I shook my head, trying to get rid of what I knew were foul ass thoughts before finally addressing the situation. “Jax, why are you in here bothering Miss. Nova?”
She set a few ingredients on the counter before she pinched Jaxson’s cheek causing him to giggle again as she answered for him, “Oh, he’s no bother. I just figured since he said he was hungry and I’m hungry too, I’d fix us something to eat.”
“Well I hope you have enough for three. Daddy’s got a big appetite,” I told her, rubbing circles on my stomach that was damn near touching my back, the mention of food making me realize I hadn’t eaten anything other than a bag of Jaxson’s fruit snacks and the courtesy peanuts on the plane all day.
My heart was already set on whatever meal she was putting together based on the vegetable spread alone. But before I could get too comfy with the idea, she shut me all the way down, pulling the corner of her lip between her teeth as she said, “Umm… I said I’d fix us something to eat. As in me and Jaxson. You’re on your own… daddy.”
Something about the way she let the word roll off her tongue made the locs-tugging come back to mind, an act I knew would give her a real reason to call me by that name. And not just call me daddy, but scream that shit loud enough for the people twenty floors below us to hear. But since that idea was going to have to stay a thought until further notice, I focused back on the food, using my secret weapon in hopes that it would get her to budge.
“You really gonna let her do your daddy like that, Jaxson?” I asked, knowing my little guy would always have my back. But to my surprise, he only wore a sheepish smile in response as if he was already torn between the two of us.
“This is some bullshit,” I thought to myself as Nova grinned, crossing her arms over her chest as she said, “Cheap move, Guy. Trying to use this precious baby like that,”
“Miss. Nova, I’m not a baby. I’m a big boy,” Jaxson chimed in, finally snapping out of the spell Nova already had him under.
Not that I could blame him.
In fact, I was impressed by his good taste in women, something he had obviously inherited from his pops.
I walked over to where he was sitting, giving him a scrub on the top of his short curls as I agreed, “That’s right, son. A big boy with a big appetite. Just like your daddy.”
Nova wasn’t exactly amused by that as she turned back to the fridge, giving me another show when she bent over to grab a few things from the bottom shelf before setting them on the counter next to us. Then she went to grab a bowl and measuring cups, quickly whipping together some sort of sauce as she said, “Well… maybe your big boy will share his food with you because I only have enough stuff for two people.”
“He only counts as half so that’ll work,” I told her confidently, knowing if whatever she was cooking involved this many vegetables that he’d probably be eating even less than that.
Still, Nova didn’t seem as convinced when she replied, “Yeah, we’ll see about that,” Turning her attention towards him to ask, “Jaxson, you gonna help me cook?”
For a second he looked confused as if she had asked him a stupid question. But with his little eyebrows furrowed together, he finally answered, “Miss. Nova, I’ma kid. I can’t cook.”
“You can still help,” she insisted, grabbing a few of the vegetables from her mix and handing them to him. “Here. Rinse these off in the sink. Have your daddy help you.”
Jaxson looked at me as if he was making sure things were alright. And while I was little surprised by the invitation myself, the fact that she was willing to get Jaxson involved in the process only encouraged me to back her up when I told him, “You heard her, Jax. We got work to do.”
The kitchen was big enough for us both to have ample space to work. But the placement of the sink put us right next to each other for the moment, Jaxson leaning over to rinse a bell pepper for all of two seconds before handing it to me.
My face scrunched as I told him, “Nu uh, Jax. You gotta do it a little longer than that. And make sure you get water on the whole thing, so it’ll be really, really clean.”
“Like a bath, Daddy?” he asked as he held it under the water, his little arm straining as if he was holding a damn dumbbell.
“Ehhh, more of a shower,” I explained as he handed it over for me to dry.
“This one too?” he asked, holding up a head of broccoli.
I nodded. “Yep, that one needs a good shower. He’s extra dirty, like you are when you leave the park, or when you come home from school, or… all the time.”
“I’m not dirty, I’m clean!” he defended, though he and I both knew that was a boldfaced lie.
But I still took advantage of his claims, setting him up when I asked, “Oh yeah? Well what’s that on your shirt then?” And the second he looked down, I quickly ran my hand from his chest to his nose, giving it a gentle squeeze between my fingers that made him squeal.
We both started laughing as I peeked over to Nova who was too busy staring at us to join in. In fact, she was staring hard enough for me to ask, “What?”
My question seemed to make her snap out of her daze, quickly shaking her head as she replied, “Huh? Oh, nothing. You wanna chop those up too while you’re at it?”
Even though her request wasn’t at all a problem since it was only right that we carried our weight, I couldn’t help but tease, “Damn, if we’re doing all this, what are you gonna do? What’s your role? Kitchen monitor?”
She smacked her teeth, dousing the chicken in the sauce she had been working on as she answered, “I’ve got this chicken and rice, in addition to kitchen monitor. I mean, somebody’s gotta make sure you’re doing it right.”
“Oh, you never have to worry about that, beautiful. I always, always do it right,” I replied with a wink; a wink that earned me her adorably rosy cheeks as she turned around towards the stove to avoid looking at me. But her reaction was also enough to remind me that this was the exact route I wasn’t supposed to be taking, that she was the exact prey I wasn’t supposed to be chasing.
Still, it felt as if I couldn’t help myself, my responses coming so natural, the flirting coming so easy, the vibes already so damn… electric. Then again, I could’ve been alone in all that. I mean, sure she always reacted to me whenever I made a slick little pass her way. But she never engaged, she never had anything to add, and she had yet to initiate anything herself.
Just like that, my plan to chill was reinstated as I decided to go back to what I knew was best; staying focused on Jaxson. So as I opened the utensil drawer, I did just that, grabbing the bell pepper and telling him, “Alright, little one. Time for you to get your knife skills up.”
&
My stomach wasn’t nearly as full as I wanted it to be as I watched Jaxson scarf down the last of his chicken stir fry, a portion we were supposed to be sharing though I was sure he had consumed even more than I did. He had never been a fan of vegetables before unless they were covered in ranch, so I hadn’t expected him to dig into it the way that he had. But just because Miss. Nova had made it and had encouraged him to try it with her own convincing bites, he was all in.
Already a sucker for pretty women.
“Miss. Nova that was so good! Can you make it again tomorrow?” he asked as he licked his lips, obviously savoring every last flavor he could. And I honestly couldn’t blame him, the food tasting just as good as it smelled when she had put it all together, even going as far as letting Jaxson add some of the vegetables and stir all by himself.
I could already tell she was good with kids from when we first met in the airport; how kind and comforting she had been with Jaxson. But the way her interactions continued to prove themselves as genuine and natural, I would’ve thought she had kids of her own. And she only added to that when she laughed, taking all of the plates to the kitchen as she answered, “Whatever you want, cutie. As long as you’re a good helper like you were today.”
He seemed content with that answer, taking his cup of water to the head just as I was telling him, “Alright, little buddy. Bath time, story time, bedtime. In that order.”
The second his cup hit the table he was already whining, “Daddy, I want Miss. Nova to give me a bath.”
While I shouldn’t have been surprised by his request, I tried to let him down easy when I explained, “Son, Miss. Nova wants to enjoy her vacation just like we do. Maybe she can give you a bath a different day.”
The silence lingered as I watched Jaxson’s little face slowly begin to crumble as if I had really shattered his dreams. “But Daddy…” he whined again, extending it until Nova finally cut in.
“Guy, it’s fine. I can give him a bath.”
I turned towards the kitchen, not wanting to become a burden as I told her, “Nova, you really don’t…”
But she cut me off, wiping her hands on a dish towel when she insisted, “It’s okay. Seriously.”
Then she walked over to Jaxson’s chair, squatting down in front of him to ask, “Hey, you’re a big boy, aren’t you?”
Of course, he shook his head yes.
“Can big boys pick out their own pajamas?” she asked, her tone seeming especially warm as he shook his head again, this time with a smile.
“Okay, big boy. I need you to go pick out your favorite pajamas and your favorite book for story time. Can you do that for me?”
He shook his head so hard I just knew his little brain was scrambled. Then he hopped off his chair and dashed down the hallway to his summer bedroom, the whole exchange leaving me completely bewildered. I mean, it would’ve taken me a little more bribing, a few more exchanges, and it certainly wouldn’t have gone over that smoothly. But with her, Jaxson was a damn angel.
Of course Nova wasn’t paying me any mind as she went back to the kitchen, stacking a few more dishes in the sink. Still, my eyes were locked on her as I tried to make sense of how dealing with my kid came so easy to her. But instead of coming at her with the boatload of questions that were lingering in my head, I simply told her, “Thank you.”
“It’s no biggie,” she said with a wave of her hand, keeping her eyes on the sink as she filled it with soapy water. And I continued watching her as she dampened a dishrag before wiping down the counters; that simple motion causing her locs to swing, sweeping that ass again.
“Guy, you can either help me clean up or go help your son. But sitting there and staring at my ass is not an option.”
“Damn, how’d she know?” I thought to myself as I stood up from the dinner table to join her, making myself busy with the dishes as I told her, “I was actually looking at your hair which just so happens to land where? On top of your ass.”
Her sarcasm was thick when she turned around to ask, “So you did notice it was there? Oh, okay. Good to know.” Then she rolled her eyes, turning back to put finishing touches on the counter.
While it would’ve been easy for me to just let it go, I couldn’t help myself in taking the little inch she had gave whether she meant to or not, leaning against the counter when I told her, “Of course I noticed it. I mean, how can I not? That’s not even realistic if we’re keepin’ it a buck, especially with you in those damn leggings. You ever put on leggings and not have somebody look at your ass?”
“Never not once,” she answered shortly as she blew past me towards the sink and began loading the dishwasher.
I followed her, deciding to lend a helping hand by taking over the rinsing as I told her, “See what I mean. Might as well embrace your blessing. I know I am.”
She snatched the plate from me with extra vigor, reaching to slide it into the rack when she replied, “Guy, you literally just met me today. Why do you feel so comfortable talking to me like this? Any other man would’ve already gotten his balls kicked in.”
I shrugged, finding her little threat amusing. “Nova, we’re friends by association now. And considering my balls are still very much intact, I assume you’re not as bothered as you’re claiming to be. But if you want me to shut up about it, I’ll shut up.”
“Perfect. You read my mind,” she said as she took the last plate, setting it in the rack before reaching under the sink to grab a soap pod. And it was almost as if she was doing it on purpose, giving me yet another perfect view of her ass when she bent over.
“Okay, one more thing though. That little dimple in the right cheek is A1,” I rushed out just as she was shutting the dishwasher door.
And once she realized what I had said, she let out an exasperated, “Oh my God.” Just as Jaxson appeared back in the kitchen to tell her, “Miss. Nova, look. Daddy bought me Cars jammies.”
She gave him a smile, one I couldn’t tell was fake or not since just a few seconds before she was scowling at me. But instead of taking that anger out on him, she only gushed, “How kind of him.” Before continuing to ask, “Did you pick out your book too?”
“Uhh…” he hummed before slipping back out of the kitchen, making me laugh since he had obviously forgotten. And Nova knew it too, shaking her head with a little chuckle of her own.
Since she seemed to be back in a good mood, I tried to keep it that way when I said, “Thank you for making dinner, even though I’m already thinking about my midnight snack since Jaxson loved the food so much.”
While my comment could’ve been taken one of two ways, she finally gave what I knew was a real smile as she teased, “It’s not my fault you tried to include yourself in a Nova and Jax situation.”
“Oh, so y'all are a thing now? A partnership? A tandem of sorts?” I asked, my eyebrow piqued as I contemplated pouting about being left out.
But the question only made her smile bloom into a laugh when she insisted, “You sound jealous.”
“Shit, I am! He’s eating good, getting bathed and bedtime stories. I can’t even get a friendly hug or my own portion of food.”
“Oh, so you want a hug, huh? That’s what this is all about?” she asked, her eyes twinkling in a way that surprised me since I didn’t expect her to even engage in that part of the conversation.
But now that she had, I shrugged when I answered, “For starters, yeah.”
She released a heavy sigh, biting her bottom lip to hold back what I knew was another one of her little grins before she agreed, “Fine. If that’s all you want, then give me a hug, Guy.”
“You serious?” I asked, knowing the question was a risky one since I should’ve been taking the invite before she could rescind it. But I respected her physical boundaries enough to never cross them without permission, even if that meant cancelling out my own request.
Surprisingly enough, she seemed to be enjoying the back and forth even more than me now, taking an obvious stab at my ego when she replied, “I’m already tired of you whining like a baby for unfair treatment. So bring it on.” Waving me in with wide arms.
A grin spread on my face as I took the few short steps to get to her, swooping up under her to wrap my arms low around her waist as her arms went around my neck and giving enough of a squeeze that made her groan as she lifted onto her tippy-toes. With our height difference, my head almost landed on top of hers, the smell of chicken stir fry still lingering in her hair with a touch of… something else.
A good something else.
In fact, it was so good that it had me getting even more comfortable as my hands slipped from her waist down to…
“If you don’t get your hands off of my ass…” she whispered between clenched teeth, making me chuckle as I snapped my hands back up to where they were supposed to stay.
But even there, I was able to tighten my squeeze, playing dumb when I asked, “What? That’s how we do it where I’m from.”
She stayed in my arms, but pulled her head back to meet my eyes so she could ask, “Do you grab your grandmama’s ass when you hug her too?”
I shrugged. “Nah, just give her a little pat on her Depends to let her know I care.”
“Ewwww,” she groaned with laugh as she fell back to flat feet, prompting me to let her go. And when I did, I couldn’t help but notice that her nipples were rock hard as if she had actually enjoyed being wrapped in my embrace, as if she had enjoyed the closeness as much I had. But apparently I had enjoyed it a little too much, Nova’s eyes going wide once she realized what she had caused down below and creating an awkward moment for the both of us. I mean, I hadn’t gotten hard off a simple ass hug since fuckin’ high school. But here I was, my basketball shorts giving a view of my dick that thankfully wasn’t at full attention.
She did her best to turn away from it, though I caught her peeking down once again as she stammered, “I’m… gonna go… uh.... give Jaxson his bath.”
And while I probably should’ve been a little embarrassed, her reaction was enough to put me at ease, letting me know I at least wasn’t in this alone.