A Special Summer (Love Conquers All) (27 page)

Pushing off the edge of the sofa, Summer stood. “Okay, coming right up.”

While she was in the kitchen preparing his food, Nick sat holding the infant struggling to get himself together. Summer’s scent was too provoking. She had him feeling like a starved man who desperately needed to be fed in the worst way.

Minutes later she placed a tray with a plate of hot steaming food and a glass of her famous strawberry lemonade on the coffee table.

“Here let me take him so you can eat.”

“Thanks.” Was all he said as he concentrated on the piping hot plate in front of him as an effort to clear his head.

Tenderly the sleeping infant was transferred from father to mother. Once the baby was settled in her arms, Summer gently kissed his forehead.

“You’re going to spoil him rotten Nick if you keep holding him like this while he’s sleeping.”

“Come on now, I don’t get to see him as often as you. I can’t help it if after a long day at work all I want to do is hold my son.”

Summer smiled.
He loves his son so much. Is this the same man who almost lost his mind when he found out I was pregnant with his baby? Now look at him, can’t keep his hands off my baby.
“Yeah, my little man has that effect, doesn’t he?”

“Yep, he does,” Nick agreed as he turned to the movie,
Training Day
. Picking up his plate he patted a space on the sofa next to him. Having Summer and NJ close always made him feel complete. It made him feel whole.

Sitting down she asked, “Did NJ take the bottle okay?”

“Yeah… he did good…Why?” he asked in between bites.

Evading Nick’s question she questioned, “Did you burp him?”

Nick raised a brow. “Yeah, why you ask?”

“Because I don’t want him to get a tummy ache from all the air in his little belly,” she said in baby talk as she held the sleeping baby kissing his tiny lips.

“Not why to that. Why did you ask about how he did with the bottle?” Nick noticed how Summer squirmed at his clarification of the question.

“Because he didn’t like the bottle at first, he kept crying and spitting out the nipple.”

“Why?” Nick was now even more curious as she squirmed even further with her explanation.

“He likes the breast better than the bottle,” she mumbled under her breath.

“That’s my boy,” Nick commented with a wolfish grin.

Rolling her eyes and scooting away feigning disgust, Summer huffed, “You so nasty. Just nasty.”

Nick chuckled, shrugging a broad shoulder. “I’m only telling the truth.”“Whatever, Nick.”

Summer swatted Nick’s hand as he leaned over and poked her in the side. “Come on, you know you want to laugh.”

“Leave me alone nasty boy. Watch your movie,” she said swallowing her giggles as she stood holding her son close to her chest.

“Where are you going?” he asked almost in panic fearing he had gone too far in his jesting.

“I’ll be right back. I want to put my little prince to bed.”

“A’ight, hurry up back so you can watch the movie with me.”
Hurry up back?
What is up with that?
Nick mindlessly scratched the side of his head, wondering when he had become so desperate.
Since you fell in love with her,
the tiny voice in his head taunted.

Returning from putting the baby down, Summer found Nick in a more relaxed position. The tie was removed, the first few buttons of his shirt were undone and his sleeves were rolled up. Reclining back, long legs were stretched out and crossed at the ankles.

“Are you comfortable?” Summer asked as she plopped down next to him.

“Uh huh, why you asking?”“Because, you look awkward to me that’s all.”

Nick frowned. “I do?” He certainly didn’t feel uncomfortable.

“Mmm hmm, you do.” Leaning forward she instructed him, “Here, give me your leg.” She removed a shoe, “now your other leg,” and then the other. Placing the size thirteen Kenneth Coles under the table, she asked, “Is that better?” as she leaned back next to him.

Wrapping an arm around her slender shoulder, he pulled her head to his chest. “Yes, thank you, baby.”

“You’re welcome.”

When Summer pushed away from the embrace, he tightened his hold and kissed her forehead. “Stay and watch the movie with me.”

Reluctantly she submitted to his request. Lying in his arms feeling the steady rhythm of his chest rising and falling was hypnotizing. Her resistance to be near him was effortlessly dissolving the longer she stayed in his embrace.

The movie came to a scene Summer enjoyed although it was a bit on the violent side. She didn’t care though. Shoot Denzel was fine!

“You look like him?”

“Who?” Nick asked confused. “The white dude?”

“No simpleton. Denzel,” she replied rolling her eyes towards the ceiling.

Nick look at the television screen then back at Summer. “I do?”

“Mmmm… hmmm… yep…yep,” Summer purred as she watched Denzel swagger across the screen.

“Is that the only reason why you dated me?” Nick asked pretending to be offended by Summer practically drooling at the television screen.

“But why of course. How else do you think you hooked me?” Summer teased saucily.

“Woman, please. I look ten times better than that chump.”

Summer pushed away planting her hands on slender hips. “Negro, pullease! As if! And don’t be calling my man a chump! Chump!”

Within a flash he had flipped her on her back and straddled her midsection.

“Nick! What the heck are you doing?” Summer squealed.

Grinning with mischief in his eyes, he demanded, “Take it back.”

With a stubborn glint in her eyes she shook her head from side to side.

“I said take it back.”

“No! Now get off me!”

“Okay, have it your way, Miss Summer.”

Summer screamed and squirmed as Nick mercilessly tickled her. Being extremely ticklish, she tried with all her might to get him off her petite body. It was useless he was too large.

Nick covered her mouth with a large hand. “Ssh, woman, you’re going to wake up the baby.”

Nick snatched his hand away when she nipped his palm with her teeth.

“Hey, what you bite me for?”

Laughing at his mock anger, she said between laughs, “Because…now… get your… big…butt…off of me!”

Summer’s screams bounced off the walls as he resumed tickling her. Again he silenced her with a tighter grip. Summer’s small hands didn’t have strength as she attempted to pry his hand from her mouth.

“Want me to let you go?”

Summer nodded her head.

“When I let you go are you going to tell me what I want to hear?”

Again she nodded.

“Good.”

Slowly he released his hand from her mouth.

Summer said nothing as she gave him the evil eye.

“Well, Miss Jackson.”

“Let me up first. My back hurts,” she pouted.

Nick was agile as he stood pulling her to her feet with him. Backing away toward the steps, Summer taunted him. “You wish you looked as good as Denzel on your best day buster.”

Making a mad dash for the stairs was futile. With one powerful swoop of his arm, Nick had Summer around the waist carrying her.

“Whoooa!” She yelled as he dumped her on the sofa straddling and pinning her arms to her side.

Bursting into laughter again she said, “Nick, this isn’t fair!”

Nick loved that Summer was laughing. He loved even more that he was the cause of her laughter. Chuckling feigning confusion, he quipped, “What isn’t fair, Beautiful?”

“You out weigh me by more than a hundred pounds.”

His chuckle dwindled to a grin. “So.”

“Boy, what are you about to do to me?” Summer could tell he was about to be up to no good.

“You should’ve told me what I wanted to hear.”

“Okay, I’ll tell you.”

Nick shook his head. “Nope. Too late.”

Summer went completely still as he slid a hand in the waistband of her pajama bottoms. This was one time she wished she’d wore panties underneath her pajamas.

“What are you doing?”

“I just want to make you feel good.” He nibbled at her earlobe as his voice seductively dropped to barely a whisper while his hand expertly glided further inside in search of her hidden treasure.

Oh…oh…o-o-o-oh!

Summer moaned and writhed as his long strong fingers worked their magic, stroking and caressing, finding her hidden pearl.

She felt herself being pulled back into Nick’s vortex as he took her to a place she hadn’t gone in over almost a year. Struggling with her emotions as she slipped into a haze of ecstasy she told herself she couldn’t get caught up in Nick’s world again at any cost.

But it was easier said than done to refuse him, to resist being pulled into his web when he was giving her body such pleasure.
This one
time. Just this once
, she told herself as her body tumbled out of control.

Summer lay on the sofa, her thighs quivering after having a longing she hadn’t realized was so deep satisfied. Nick captured her mouth in a penetrating kiss that sucked the oxygen right out of her lungs. When he felt her struggling to break the kiss, he was sure it was to replenish the precious air she needed to breathe.

Breaking the kiss, his mouth mere inches away from hers. “Now you were saying, Miss Summer.”

Not hesitating the conceal the lazy, satisfied grin, she let out a soft sigh.“Honey, you’re ten times finer than Denzel.”

“I thought you’d see things my way.” Of course, his response was one of arrogance.
Oh, honey you have no idea how much I love seeing things your way
. She would not say such a thing aloud giving him the satisfaction of knowing he had her body humming a sweet melody.

Slowly withdrawing his hand and changing positions on the sofa Nick pulled Summer against his solid body. She felt his steel heat pressed against her as she lay nestled between muscular thighs. Immediately she reacted by jumping up and away from the intimate contact. Her movement had been so abrupt she nearly tripped over her own feet.

What in the world was I thinking? No! No! No! History will not be repeating itself again! I am not ending up pregnant…again! Oh hell to the NO!

Gazing at her, Nick was bemused by her reaction. Wasn’t she just purring like a kitten from his touch? “Hey, what’s wrong?” Not waiting for an answer he pulled her on his lap. “We went too far, Nick,” Summer whispered not making eye contact.

She had felt how his body responded to her and was still responding as she sat in his lap. He was ready to make love to her, and that scared her. If she went all the way with him, she would never be able to free herself of him. Not to mention the possibility of another pregnancy.

“Summer, look at me.”

He needed to look into her eyes to see what she was feeling. Nick was very much aware of her state of vulnerability. All evening he sensed her need to pull away from him and not give into her desires. A battle which they both knew she was losing the longer she remained in his presence.

Slowly Summer lifted her gaze to meet his. Her eyes said it all. She wanted to love him, and to be loved by him, but was too afraid to do so.

“Are you afraid I want to make love to you?”

“Yes. . .” Summer paused trying to get her thoughts together. “But I can’t, Nick. I’m sorry about earlier. I should have resisted you more than what I did. I didn’t mean to lead you on.”

“Baby, you didn’t lead me on. I would be lying if I said I didn’t want you. But I would never force myself on you.”

She believed every word he had said. Not once had he ever taken advantage of her in that way. “I know you wouldn’t do that to me.”

“Good. Now can I hold you before I leave?”

Though she momentarily hesitated, thinking,
I got it bad for this man.
Letting out a soft sigh, trustingly she allowed him to pull her back into the warmth of his embrace.

As Nick held Summer, he dreamt of the day not
if
, but
when
Summer would completely be his again.

After that night with Nick, Summer was extra cautious when around him. He was a constant figure in her life and in her space. She had seen more of him in the last three months than she did the entire time they dated. His level of attentiveness without a doubt increased as well. Whenever he paid special attention to her she would brush it off as,
he’s only doing this because of NJ.

As strange as it was she couldn’t deny the fact she looked forward to Nick’s daily evening and all day weekend visits. No longer being in the hustle and bustle of going to work every day was getting to Summer. Certainly, she loved her son more than life itself; however, she was itching to get outdoors, to be a part of the outside world. So when he showed up at her home she was more than grateful for his company. When she wasn’t living vicariously through Starr’s and Ava’s lives, she was doing so through his. Nick would always find it amusing when she’d meet him at the door and drag him in by one hand as she chattered away. “So tell me about your day. I want to hear all the nitty-gritty. Don’t leave out any dirty details. Tell me who got on your nerves today. Because I know somebody did something to piss you off, you’re so dag-gone picky about everything. It’s a wonder
―
”