CHAPTER SIX
brADLY
“How’s your day going?”
“It’s good.”
My eyebrow notches upward.
“Just…good? Not great…not wonderful?” I tease while I rub the mushroom shaped tip of my dick at the entrance to Octavia’s wet honey pot.
“Well, I’ve had better days,” she smirks.
“Is that so,” I whisper. My assault is slow as I penetrate her. I lower my lips to hers to taste the moans that are escaping her parted lips.
This is our routine. The weekends are the hardest for me. I tend to limit my visits to just two hours to give Nova and Octavia time to just be without me. When I should be using that time to work or clean, I find myself fighting the urge to insert myself in whatever is going on at the house. Oh, but when Monday comes around, I can barely wait until 10am to strike. On the week days, Octavia and I are either working at her dining room table or I’m on the couch in her office. I leave before Nova gets home then pop back later a few days a week in the evening to have dinner with them or they come to my house. On days I can convince her to skip work, she and I chill in my hot tub. And then days like this, we fuck the morning away.
I slip my arms under her legs to raise them until her knees touch her chest. I ignore her pretest. She knows I’m going to be killing her cervix with this one. Even still, her cries for more fills the room after the first few strokes. Sexy. I don’t think that word is good enough to describe the expressions that play upon her face. All I know is I can’t explain the way watching her wither and cry out in pure pleasure because of me does to me. Glancing down I watch her cum coat my dick with more of her creamy juices with each pass I make. That can’t be faked.
I wine my hips, extend my thrusts, and continue to impale Octavia in ways that makes her go limp and her eyes roll back into her head. I bite down on my lip at the feel of her nails scratching their way across my back. Dropping my head to her neck, I bite her flesh, and fight the urge to suck. Instead, I lick the salty sweat clinging to her skin.
Bracing myself on the sides of her body, the muscles in my arms flex as I shift my weight. Picking up the pace, the headboard beats out a rhythm that matches the strong thrusts of my hips until our moans and curses fill the room, singling our release.
I follow Octavia under my hooded lids when she rolls out of the bed.
“The play is tonight, right?”
“Yeah.”
I tap the mattress in thought. I know the damn thing is tonight. I’ve been helping Nova with her lines and the songs her class is set to preform for the last two weeks.
“She can’t wait to show off her moves, thanks to you,” Octavia chuckles through the cracked bathroom door.
Nice to know, but not what I’m getting at. Octavia hasn’t invited me to come to the play.
“I bought a ticket.”
The four seconds it takes for Octavia to respond seems like hours. Opening the bathroom door, she stands there.
“Okay, I have to be there early, but we can go for ice cream after,” she offers.
I know she’s sending a message. ‘Attend, but we’re not together’. I get it, and I take it. I don’t want to cause anyone, any hurt.
“It must be a mind fuck to be loved, liked but knowing in most cases, it’s only because of who you are.”
Taken back, I blink.
“Bradly, fuckin’ is easy. If I didn’t like you, I would never let you around my baby. Even when this all ends, I’m still a friend,” she smiles.
Tilting my head, “Will it end?”
She gives me a ‘don’t play with me’ kinda look as she tugs on her robe.
“You’re projecting,” I accuse.
“No, just being honest.”
I roll my eyes.
“Tell you what, don’t give up what’s paying you to become a mind reader.”
Annoyed, I start getting dressed.
“You’re pissed because I’m not falling under your spell?”
“What I am is pissed that you are so fuckin blind. I haven’t given you any reason to believe that I’m going to forget your name or Nova.”
“Bradly,” she speaks slowly, which gets me even further upset. “I’m just enjoying the view and the time. I’m not putting any pressure on you to do anything else beyond just chill and enjoy the experience.”
“Because I could never fall for you?”
I can tell I hit the nail on the head by the way her eyes pretend to see something on the wall above my head.
“In four and a half weeks?” she smirks. “No.”
“Watch what you say, the Universe may give it to you,” I tsk. I walk over to tower over her. My finger under her chin forces her to look at me. “You ever stopped to think that just maybe…maybe I could have found what I didn’t know I was missing? That maybe I’m falling for a woman that’s honest, hardworking, and doesn’t want a damn thing from me because she has so much self-respect that she’s determined to get it on her own. That maybe watching her treat her little girl with respect…the way she cares for, tries to shield, and pours so much into that little girl’s dreams…that I could want that for myself and maybe for my own kids, if we have any. Nah, that could never be because I’m a party boy, a bad boy, that’s used to fake people and cheap pussy. I wasn’t raised with values given by a loving mother. Or maybe if that woman could stop telling herself all the reasons why she isn’t worthy, she could actually walk away with something that she never thought she could have…because she can have it.”
I hold her gaze for a few heartbeats to ensure my words hit home. Leaning down, I brush my lips to hers.
“I’ll see you tonight,” I promise.
I see I’ve made a mistake. Me being so worried about coming on too strong has given Octavia the wrong impression. She thinks her becoming mine is up for debate. Tonight, I’m not fuckin around and no games are played. Dressed as if this is a red carpet opening night, my polished Italian leather shoes shine. If my 3 piece black suit, black tie, and diamond cufflinks didn’t turn heads, me getting out of my all white G-Wagon holding a huge bouquet of fresh red roses did the trick.
Fuck Octavia’s low key message to play nice while in public. When I enter the room, a hush falls over the cafeteria turned auditorium followed by the wave of gossiping voices. Unfazed I scan the audience until I find my target. I chuckle at Octavia’s horrified expression not only due to me coming in such a fashion, but also because I’m maneuvering through the rows of people for her. Putting on the charm, I smile down into the stun faces of the people sitting around her.
“Shit, you didn’t save me a seat. I said I was sorry for being late,” I lie, jokingly.
Right on cue, “Oh, we’ll make room,” someone offers.
“Thank you,” I gush, causing the woman’s face to go beet red.
Placing a kiss on Octavia’s stunned face, my mischievous gaze bores into hers before I take my seat. Unable to find her voice, I talk to the people around me.
“Oh, they are gonna be talkin’ about you,” I whisper in her ear as I move her limp hand to my lap.
Once the lights dim and the play begins, my focus shifts to the little girl on stage. I feed off her excitement upon seeing her mother and I in the crowd. I’m like a proud parent taking pictures and video taping. If anyone wondered if I was really in Nova’s life, the fact that I’m singing along and reciting the lines is all the proof…and trust me, the people here notice it all.
“She’s doing wonderful,” I say, elbowing Octavia.
“No, I think you’re going to leave with the best actor award,” grumbles Octavia.
Looking at her, “You wanna defy me here…in public,” I challenge.
Frowning, she glares at me.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
“Actions speak, right? Since you’ve had your ears closed to what I’ve been saying to you, I’m switching to showing you.”
“What? That you are an assh-“
My hand on her thigh choaks her up. Brushing my lips to her ear, my heated breath makes a shiver dance down her spine.
“I want you…all day, everyday, every holiday,” I pause to lean back to find her eyes wide. “No games… and I’m the bastard that will get it.”
“Is this a role, cuz I missed this one?”
Tossing back my head I laugh. Getting under control, I steal a kiss before going back to the play.
OCTAVIA
I can’t stop myself from stealing glimpses of Bradly. What the hell happened? I keep raking my brain with no answer. What am I missing?
The damn play , the voice in my mind points out.
Shifting my weight in the uncomfortable chair, I force myself to get out of my head and to watch my baby on stage. It isn’t easy with Bradly constantly touching me and showing me attention. At every direction I glance, I find the eyes of others watching and peeking at us. There is no coming back from this.
What’s wrong with that?
My eyebrow notches upwards.
What’s wrong with that man telling the town, well the world, that he’s into you? You ain’t dried up. You aren’t beyond him falling for you. Shocking to think cuz you’re not from his world, but whose to say that’s not what he really wants. Normal. Real, grounded.
My mouth tilts into a frown.
I mean, that’s what he said.
I cut my doubtful eyes to watch him smile and laugh at whatever was just said on the stage. For the next 35 minutes, I focus on the play. The lights come up and Bradly is the first on his feet to clap and cheer. Although I know that the kids are supposed to remain on the stage until after the teachers and principle said their boring speeches, the kids break ranks to run off the stage to their excited families. Nova is no different as she weaves through the people to reach us.
“Perfect, just perfect,” beams Bradly as he takes the roses from me to give to Nova.
“Wow,” she yells while stumbling under the weight of the flowers.
She wastes no time showing them off to the kids dancing around her.
“Beanie.”
My heart stops. Nova’s mouth becomes agape. Both of our worlds freeze at the nickname. Two pair of eyes looking like deer caught in headlights turn around.
“Dad?” Nova mumbles as she looks to me to confirm what she’s seeing.
“Baby, you were amazing .”
“What the fuck?” I manage to say, still in a daze.
In spite of everyone being there for the play, with this plot twist, their interest switches to us. I’m flabbergasted while I watch my ex stroll over to pick Nova up into his arms.
“Ugh, I can’t hug you with these,” he complains.
Snatching the flowers from Nova, he tosses them back to Bradly.
“You’re a shining star of the stage. Must have gotten that talent from me,” he jokes, but I know he’s serious. “Your mom seems to be doing right.”
How can he be just a motherfucker with such a beaming grin.
“Her mother is right here,” I grin back.
“Oh, I saw you, Octavia.”
Not wanting to be part of his shit, Nova wiggles out of her dad’s arms. Going over to Bradly, she retrieves her flowers. Acting might be in her future especially after the show she puts on of breathing deeply of her roses.
“Thanx for the flowers. Nobody ever bought me roses before,” she praises.
“Well, you earned them,” nods Bradly.
“Thanks to you. See how I did that twirl you taught me. Everyone cheered,” she laughs.
Okay, Nova is going out for blood with the nice, nasty digs falling from her smiling lips.
“Baby, you have natural talent, Beanie. No coaching needed,” huffs Justin.
Getting tired of hearing his voice…seeing his ugly ass face, I cut in.
“Glad you could make the last school event of the year. Um, we have to go for-“
“Yeah, I’m lucky to have gotten the invite. I dropped everything to be here to support my little girl,” Justin lies. “How about we get some cake?” he suggests as he tries to lead Nova away from us.
“I think that would ruin our ice cream plans.”
My gaze darts over to Bradly since he finally decides to speak. Oh, Justin’s face isn’t hiding shit as his hard gaze roams Bradly from head to toe. I have no doubt that teasing smirk on Bradly lips will be living rent free in Justin’s mind for the rest of the night.
“Oh, ice cream,” shouts Nova.
She runs back over to me and Bradly.
“At the DQ over on Newberry? I’ll take her over there?”
“No, at my house.”
I swear I could hear a mouse piss on cotton. It got just that quiet in the circles surrounding us. There was no pretending now that people weren’t listening. Bradly snakes his arm around my waist as he takes Nova’s hand. My movements are stiff like a robot when he starts to walk us away.
“Did that just happen?” I ask in a daze.
“Yes.”
“Did you just-“
“Tell that motherfucker that I’m in here now? Yes, yes I did,” growls Bradly.