sample sunday. if only for the summer.

Happy Sample Sunday!

I’m *FINALLY* at a point where I can share a little somethin’ somethin’ from what I’ve been working on!

While I don’t have an official release date just yet, this will definitely be coming some time this summer! But for now, here’s a sample :).

(Note: Sample copyrighted, unedited, and subject to change)

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Nova

“My ovaries are aching, Kay. I’ve never seen anything so adorable in my life.” – Nova

I was on a layover, one more flight until paradise, but I could only focus on the pair sitting diagonally from me – a father and his baby boy – as they went back and forth in whatever game they were playing. I had been watching long enough to catch the jig, baby boy wearing a mischievous grin as he took slow steps backwards into his father’s arms and then acting surprised when his father snatched him up into a hug. Little guy would squeal and laugh as he pulled away while his father showered him in kisses before letting him go. Then only a few seconds after being released, he’d be right back at it.

It was incredibly sweet, though I don’t think there was ever a time when I saw a black father interacting with his child and didn’t think the same thing. But something about this particular pair was especially adorable, making me release a dreamy sigh as my phone buzzed with a notification.

“What are you talking about, crazy? You’re probably just getting your period.” – Kaylin

Though I hadn’t checked my calendar to know if that was actually the case, there was something about the way the father – who was so handsome he could only make babies as precious as this one – exuded full masculinity while also being tender with his little one that was just so damn refreshing. And the son was incredibly engaged, not strapped to a device like most of the kids around us, earning them bonus points from my teacher side. But since that was supposed to be put away for the summer, I focused on my response to Kaylin.

“LoL that might be true. But seriously, Kay. Baby fever on a thousand.” – Nova

“Fuck around and get knocked up by that clown if you want to…” – Kaylin

I rolled my eyes, hardly surprised that she had used the moment to take a jab at my relationship with David. She always claimed it was because he acted like he was too good for me, like he was a blessing to me, when it was really the other way around. And while I could never be mad at her for wanting the best for me, there were also times like now when I just wanted her to shut the fuck up about it.

Instead of defending him like usual, I simply replied, “You’re such a hater.”

“If that’s considered hating, you might as well put the title on my tombstone.” – Kaylin

“Right next to bitch. Lol” – Nova

“Your Bestie Bitch, to be exact. ;)” – Kaylin

I smiled into my phone, feeling even more excited about getting on the plane and touching down in the MIA. I scanned the crowd of people waiting in the boarding area once again, but naturally my eyes landed right back on the daddy and son tandem; this time more on the daddy who was scrolling through his phone while baby boy played on the floor with his toy cars.

He was fine.

Like… real fine.

A little lighter than I usually preferred my men since I was a light bright myself. But he definitely had the build I liked according to the way his plain navy v-neck strained against his shoulders, chest, and biceps. The type of build that would pull you into the warmest bear hug. The type of build that could toss you over his shoulder and carry you up the stairs with ease. The type of shoulders you could straddle suspended in the air with his face between your thighs.  

“Slow down, Nova,” I thought to myself as I pulled my lip between my teeth trying to remember the last time I had gotten that kind of treatment. And while I assumed I was only daydreaming through it all, I must’ve actually been staring too hard as the guy peeked up at me with a smile before I had the chance to look away.

Instead of being a complete creep, I gave him a polite smile before I casted my eyes back to my own phone where they should’ve stayed in the first place. Then I spent some time scrolling to delete an excess of selfies, and then through my messages to delete a bunch of those, and then….

“Shit!”

I looked down to my foot and found baby boy’s car sitting directly on top of my pinky toe, Lightning McQueen staring up at me with a grin as if he had done it on purpose. Any other child I probably would’ve gotten mad at, especially considering my toe was already beginning to throb. But since it was him, I picked it up and held it out with a smile so that he could come and get it.

The baby.

We’re talking about the baby.

He was slow on his approach, his expression a mix of shy and nervous and his cheeks already bright red as he said, “I sorry.”

I couldn’t help but smile, scooting towards the edge of my seat as I told him, “It’s okay, honey. Don’t worry about it. Just be careful next time.”

He nodded quickly as he took the car from me, then he jetted back over to where he had came from. But instead of going back on the floor to continue playing, he buried his face into his father’s chest as if he was in trouble.

Poor baby.

The sight immediately tugged at my heartstrings, especially since I wasn’t really that mad at him even though I had cursed. And while it was really none of my business by this point, his father already consoling him through it, I couldn’t help but want to do the same. So I got up and walked over to where they were sitting, squatting down in front of the little one to tell him, “Don’t be sad, honey. It’s okay. Your car just… scared me that’s all. But I’m okay. It was just an accident, right?”

Once again, he nodded quickly, his little bottom lip trembling as if he had already been on the verge of tears. And instead of going full blown creep mode like I was tempted to by pulling him into a hug to comfort him, I used the same method I’d use on my students, changing the subject completely when I asked, “What’s your name, cutie?”

My eyes were on baby boy, but the answer came from a deep baritone voice saying, “Guy.”

I felt literal shivers as I peeked up to his dad who was even bigger and broader up close, especially in the confines of the small airport chairs. He was wearing a teasing smile, one I couldn’t help but smirk against as his son said, “Not you, Daddy!”

“Yeah. Not you, Daddy,” I said, mocking his son before turning my attention back to baby boy to tell him, “I’m Nova. Can you remember that?”

His eyebrow piqued as he asked, “You mean, Miss. Nova? My daddy said big girls like you are miss and big boys like him are mister.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his wittiness as I agreed, “Miss. Nova works too. Now what’s your name?”

“I’m Jaxson,” he answered with high shoulders and a proud smile.

A smile I couldn’t help but match when I repeated, “Jaxson. I like that name.”

“I like it too, Miss. Nova. It’s my favorite name,” he replied enthusiastically, making me laugh once again just as they announced it was almost time to board.

I stood up, my knees already aching from being in the squat position as I tossed my purse over my shoulder and told him, “Well it was nice to meet you, Jaxson. You have fun on the plane, okay?”

He shook his head yes, and I was glad to see him back to the happy kid he had been from the beginning. But as I turned to walk back towards when I had been sitting, I heard that already familiar baritone ask, “Hey, what about me?”

I turned around and found Jaxson’s father wearing a silly grin outlined with a goatee that went into his thick, full beard. The type of facial hair that took the right person to maintain. The type of facial hair that would feel great grazing against my freshly waxed…

“Shit. Get it together, Nova.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, mainly to cover my nipples that were steadily growing harder under the thin fabric of my Miami-appropriate sundress when I asked, “What about you?”

He stood up, giving me a complete view of just how large he was as he took the couple of steps over to where I was standing. And I was already busy deciding what sport he must’ve played growing up in my mind when he looked down at me and asked, “Aren’t you gonna tell me to have fun on the plane too?”

Instead of looking back at him, I looked down at the ground, refusing to get lost in his thick, luscious lips that I had already secretly stolen a few glances of back when I was talking to Jaxson. I was just sure they’d look even more delectable up close, not to mention how great they’d look wrapped around exactly what I was trying to cover up. But since thinking about a complete stranger in such an erotic way really only made me grateful when it came to my last minute decision to throw “Trevante” in my bag, I tried to get back into my right mind when I finally told him, “Have fun on the plane… Guy, was it?”

I looked up just in time to catch him licking those bad boys, giving me new content to fantasize about later as he answered, “That’s right, Miss. Nova.”