A Long Time Coming Ch. 04

Deciding to get back to the reason he'd come by, Jackson called Briana to him. She was reluctant to go. Jade give her a little nudge and said, "Go ahead, baby."

Briana went and stood in front of Jackson where he sat on the sofa. He took her little hands in his. Although she didn't pull away, she didn't give any sign that she was responsive to his touch either.

Jackson was feeling frustrated, especially with Alex watching. Alex, sensing the situation and not wanting to escalate the hostilities, got up and joined Jade in the kitchen. As much as he disliked the man, Jackson was Briana's father.

"How would you like to go to the park with my Mom and me next Saturday?" Jackson asked.

Pulling her hands out of his, Briana said, "No thank you. I want to stay here with Mommy and Alex."

Jackson was livid, but he wasn't going to make a scene. The last time he got angry with Jade and yelled at her, it was a long time before Briana would even come near him. He knew that he didn't spend enough time with her, but he still couldn't handle having a kid. He'd asked her about going to the park, but the truth was, he was relieved that she said no. It was his mother's idea anyway.

After Briana gave her answer, Jackson glanced over to the kitchen to see if Jade and Alex were listening, but he might as well not have been in the place, they only had eyes for each other.

"Fuck him. Fuck her," he thought.

Alex had his arms around Jade and they were whispering to each other. He didn't need to ask if they were sleeping together, it was obvious and it grated on his nerves. She'd look at him like that once, but that was a long time ago.

Jade had been crazy about Jackson from the time they met, but all that ended when he rejected her after she got pregnant. He tried to rekindle the relationship, but she had moved on without him. He thought he could just see her whenever he wanted without having to deal with the child, but she'd put the kibosh to that idea.

Since there was no further reason for him to stay, Jackson got to his feet and cleared his throat, "Ahem!"

Getting their attention, he said, "I need to get going."

As he headed to the door, Jade left Alex's arms to escort him out.

Looking over Jade's shoulder, Jackson saw Briana go over to Alex and held up her arms. When he scooped her up, she put her arm around his neck and started talking to him. Jackson couldn't hear what she said, but Alex was smiling.

At the door, Jade said, "Please say hello to your mother for me."

"Why?" Jackson retorted. "You don't care about my Mom. You haven't seen her since we broke up."

"Jackson," Jade said, praying for patience, "I know you're itching to start a fight, but I'm not going to argue with you. Neither of you have given me any reason to believe she wanted to see me. You know my phone number, she could have easily called if she wanted to see me or Briana and I would have been willing to make time for her.

"It's always on your time table," Jackson grumbled.

"Whose time table is it supposed to be on?" Jade hissed tired of him playing the victim.

Taking a deep calming breath, she continued.

"I'm Briana's mother and I have to work." She tried to keep her voice low, but Alex could tell the goodbye was taking longer than it should.

"Is everything all right, sweetheart?" he called from the kitchen.

Jade opened the door and called back, "Yes, everything is fine, Alex."

Turning to Jackson, she said, "Call and let me know when you want to see Briana again."

"What for, she doesn't want to be with me," he said like a sullen child.

"It's up to you," Jade sighed biting back a retort.

"Goodbye, Jackson."

Alex sat Briana down in a chair and whispered something to her, to which she nodded.

He then walked toward Jade and Jackson. Jackson thought it was a good time to make his exit. He walked out the door without another word and Jade closed it behind him.

Leaning back against the door, she sighed again.

Alex gathered her into his arms and hugged her tightly.

"You sure you're ok, baby?" he whispered.

"Yes," she murmured.

"Mommy, can I have a popsicle?" Briana called from her seat at the table, effectively breaking Jade's sober mood.

"No, sweetie," she said, "you just had a glass of juice. But you can have one after dinner."

"Ok, Mommy," Briana answered as she got up from the table and headed to the living room to watch cartoons.

*

On the drive home Jackson had time to think.

He had a good set up at home. Now and then he would pretend to be looking for a job, but eventually he'd have to find one, even if only temporarily. He'd work for a few weeks or months and then quit. He'd tell his mother that he was laid off or make up some other excuse that didn't include taking the blame.

He knew his mother would continue to support him as long as it looked like he needed it. What she didn't provide in the way of material things, his girlfriends did. He was a good looking guy with no shortage of women. He had it made and not having to pay child support was a bonus. He was the envy of most of his friends.

Despite his women, Jackson was jealous of Alex.

He was loathed to admit it, but he knew it was true. He'd never seen Jade with another man in the years since they split. He'd liked her, maybe loved her, but he just hadn't wanted to be around a kid for long. But seeing her with Alex had revived some dormant feelings of possessiveness.

It didn't help matters that his mother was stuck on having a relationship with her granddaughter and nagging him in the process.

He hadn't been honest with his mother, not by a long shot.

She'd asked him on numerous occasions to bring Briana over, but he always made up an excuse and it mostly involved Jade refusing. She wanted to have a relationship with her granddaughter, but Jackson knew that would just lead to her wanting him to take more responsibility for his daughter.

Truth be known, it wasn't just Briana. He always made it a point never to date women with children, particularly after he'd made the mistake of doing that once. They always took up the woman's time and always needed something.

The one exception had been Tina Lewis and that was because she was so fine, he had to have her. In the beginning it was all good. She got a babysitter who took the kids to the park before he came over. But eventually she started complaining about the expense. In the end, all the whining wasn't worth the effort or the pleasure and he dumped her.

To make sure that he didn't have anymore little mistakes, he always wore a condom, even when the women said they were on the pill. He just didn't trust them. One was more than he wanted, he wasn't going to be anyone else baby's daddy.

When he thought of Jade with another man and a white man at that, he got angry all over again. He thought that there were more than enough black men for her to choose from, but apparently they weren't good enough. On the heels of that thought was the realization that he would have been jealous no matter the color of the man's skin.

"Yeah," he thought, "fuck both of them."

*

The next couple of weeks were hectic for both Alex and Jade. Alex was engrossed in a case that was set for trial; a contract dispute between J.C. Reynolds Inc. and their international partners, Townes-Wellington Construction.

The lawyer who represented Reynolds when the contract was drawn up two years earlier was in prison for assaulting his ex-girlfriend. He was indicted just before the contract dispute blew up. Alex was recommended to Reynolds by a mutual friend, another attorney, Michael Lewis, who was not familiar with contract law, let alone international contract law.

Jade and Mrs. McCord were in the middle of planning a charity dinner. Again, Jade would be sending out the invitations and answering any questions about the event, but she was also charged with working with an event planning company to coordinate the details for the dinner.

Mrs. McCord was working on the guest list and planning another, smaller event that would be held three weeks later at the country club.

*

A week later

By Wednesday morning, Jade had everything at work pretty much under control. She was now looking forward to spending some time alone with Alex.

Since she and Alex got together, Briana was more times than not spending her after school hours with Judy giving her parents a little break. He mother still took her to school, but Judy picked Briana up in the afternoon when she got Lisa. Although her parents enjoyed having their granddaughter, at Judy's she had a playmate in Lisa and her parents had more time to make their own plans. They both were active and had a fairly large circle of friends.

Her mother was still pressing to meet Alex. Jade knew she wouldn't be able to put that meeting off much longer, but she wasn't prepared for it right then. However, she decided to talk to Alex about it sometime during the following week.

Although she and Alex kept in touch by phone, they hadn't actually seen each other all week. He was putting in some long hours in the evenings, either working at the office or at home. When he called he sounded tired, but he promised to spend time together over the weekend.

On Friday Jade's mother called to ask if Briana could stay with them after school the following week and then stay over the weekend. They missed their granddaughter. She agreed knowing that Briana loved being with them. Besides, she'd get to have some alone time with Alex. The irony of the situation wasn't lost of Jade. Just when she'd gotten another job, in part to spend more time with her daughter, she'd gotten a social life.

It was still a win for both of them. She was able to spend evenings and most weekends with Briana, but unlike when she was with Rollins, she was now able to enjoy them. That meant that she could give her daughter her full attention with they played games or worked on school projects, sometimes with Alex.

Jade and Alex spent a few weekends alone and went out on the town from time to time, but a good deal of their time together was spent with Briana who seemed to blossom under the attention she was getting from Alex.

*

After picking Briana up, they headed to the Bob Evans near Judy's house. They were seated waiting for the waitress, when Jade brought up the subject of Briana staying with her grandparents on the weekend.

"Briana, I talked to Mom about you spending time with them after school next week and the weekend. Would you like that?"

Nodding, Briana said, "Yes. I like staying with them. I like staying at Lisa's too, but I haven't stayed with Grandma and Poppy for a while."

Then, pulling on her pigtail, she said, "I miss Alex, too. When is he coming over to our house?"

"You'll get to see Alex soon. He had a lot of work to do this week and couldn't come over. I'm sure he misses you too," Jade said.

"I liked playing with him. He smells good and I like it when he reads me a bedtime story, just like a real daddy. Lisa's daddy reads her stories all the time," Briana said, with an innocence only children have, but Jade felt the longing behind the words.

Briana's reference to a 'real daddy' shocked Jade, but she didn't say anything. She knew Briana was attached to Alex, but she didn't know she was starting to think of him as a father figure. Neither of them had known him for a long time, but she acknowledged that it was more than enough time for her daughter to learn to love him. A few months were a long time for a child.

Sighing inwardly, Jade prayed for things to work out for both of them. In the meantime, she decided not to make a big deal of Briana's statement.

"Alex loves reading to you, baby. I'm sure he would read you a story whenever you wanted," Jade said.

Briana nodded, but before she could say anything the waitress appeared to take their orders.

Jade placed the orders and while they waited for their meal, Briana regaled her with Lisa's antics. In the middle of one of the stories, she got a call on her cell phone. It was Alex.

"Hello?"

"Hi, sweetheart, I'm on my way over to your place. I finished work early and thought we'd go out to dinner with Briana."

"Oh! We're already at dinner, Alex. I decided to treat Briana to Bob Evans since she's going to be at my folks this coming weekend.

"Which Bob Evans?" he asked.

"It's the one on fourth; a few blocks from Judy's house."

"Ok, baby, I'll join you there. I'm about ten minutes away. Order me the pot roast sandwich platter and iced tea," he requested.

"All right, Alex, I'll see you soon."

When Jade put her cell phone back in her bag, she smiled at her daughter knowing that she had been listening intently.

"Alex is going to join us for dinner."

"Yay!" Briana said enthusiastically.

Jade signaled to the waitress who came over and took the additional order with a request to hold their meals until Alex arrived.

Briana took up where she left off on her story, but it only took a few minutes for Jade's mind to drift as she thought about the last night she spent with Alex. It wasn't very long after that when she felt her heat rise. As she tried to tamp down those feelings Alex walked through the door.

Briana was first to catch sight of him.

"There he is, Mommy!" she shouted.

Jade shushed her as her voice carried across the room. She noticed that Alex smiled when he saw them. She also noticed heads turning to look at him, but it's the women gazes that lingered.

He was sexy, no doubt about it. He'd worn a 3-piece gray suit to work, but had taken off the jacket. As he strode across the room toward them, Jade couldn't help appreciating how tall and board shouldered he was. His waist was trim and he had a butt that begged to be stroked. She blushed as she recalled that she had, in fact, stroked that supremely fine hard ass.

When he arrived at the table, he slid into the booth next to Briana and across from Jade.

Taking Jade's hand, he brought it to his lips and kissed it, before saying, "Hi, sweetheart."

Jade looked into his dark smoldering eyes and almost melted into a puddle right there.

"Hi," she said shyly.

Hell, they were in a public place and this gorgeous man had just kissed her hand. That was damn sexy.

Glancing at Briana, he said, "Hi, princess. Glad to see me?"

Briana nodded and said, "Yep. I missed you and I asked mommy about you. I'm glad you came to eat with us."

"I missed you, too," he said. "Tell me what you've been doing at Lisa's."

Jade shook her head as Briana launched into her adventures and misadventures with Lisa during the week. Alex listened intently, occasionally asking questions. When he caught Jade watching him, her eyes soft and her beautiful lips curved into a smile, he winked at her, making her eyes widen and she blushed like a giddy school girl.

The meal was a sweet intimate occasion. Jade felt like they were a family; how could Briana not think of Alex and daddy in the same sentence? He was attentive, genuinely interested in what she had to say and loving. He was everything she had wanted Jackson to be.

After dinner they drove to Jade's place in their separate cars. Briana stayed up longer than usual and watched television while Jade and Alex cuddled on the sofa.

At nine o'clock Briana had her bath and afterward she was put to bed. After saying her prayers, she asked Alex to read her a bedtime story, one she'd heard many times before from the Dora the Explorer series. Alex read in a soft even tone and half way through the book, Briana was asleep. He and Jade both kissed her before closing the door behind them.

Once Jade and Alex were alone, she curled up in his lap on the sofa. Stroking the side of his face, she leaned in to kiss him softly. Alex grunted and deepened the kiss, his hand caressing her hip and buttocks. Soon, his tongue slipped into her mouth and he heard her moan as her tongue dueled with his. For long minutes, they indulged their hunger for the taste of each other.

When their ardor heightened, Alex unbuttoned Jade's blouse and slipped his hand in to caress her plump breasts through the lace bra. Finding that the bra had a front closure, he eagerly opened the eye hooks and pulled it aside allowing her breasts to spill out.

Jade panted, grinding her bottom into his erection, groaning more urgently as he pinched her throbbing nipples.

"Alex," she moaned on a ragged breath.

Sliding his mouth down her smooth tender neck, he sucked and then licked the flesh, his breathing just as harsh as hers.

"What is it, sweetheart? What do you want?" he growled, the words muffled by the slide on his lips down to her breasts.

Fighting to find her voice, Jade said, "I...I want...I..ooooh, Alex." she wailed as his hand found it's way under her skirt to caress her pussy through her wet panties.

"I want too, baby," he averred.

"I want you riding my dick. I want you screaming..." he trailed off as he slipped a finger into her pussy and her walls clinched around it.

"Fuck, baby. I have to have you. Now!"

Alex slipped her off his lap and tried to gain some control so that he could please both of them. The way he was feeling, he was likely to shoot his load the minute his dick felt her slickness.

Quickly, taking her hand, he pulled Jade to her feet and strode into her bedroom. After closing the door and locking it, he undressed her, then himself.

His head was swimming with the heady scent of her arousal.

After urging her to sit on the bed, Alex knelt on the floor before her. He spread her feet apart to give himself full access to the source of that glorious aroma. Pushing gently on her chest he ordered with a grin, "Lay back, baby. I'm going to be here for awhile."

With those words, her pussy throbbed and gushed in pleasure. Leaning back on her elbows, Jade watched and waited. She didn't have to wait long.

Alex lifted both of her legs onto his shoulders, and then curved his hands around her thighs to hold them open as he lowered his head. As he watched her watching him, he sank his lips into the sweet nectar bathing the entrance to her womanly core.

Jade's hips lifted at the pressure from Alex's lips, and she squealed with delight. She lost all thought as his mouth made a feast of her pussy with his tongue thrusting, seeking the source of her liquid essence.

Jade fell flat on her back almost swooning, unable to hold herself upright.

Grabbing his hair, she groaned and mewled, thrashing her head from side to side, trying to squeeze his head in the vice of her thighs. But Alex held her open, licking and then taking tiny bites on her swollen clitoris.

Thoroughly, he covered the entire area, not wanting to come up, even to breath. But, he did manage, barely, and then plunged right back down into the sweetest taste he'd ever had of a woman.

Alex wasn't drowning; he was flying, higher than he'd ever flown from this act. He could not get enough and she obliged him by continually flooding his mouth with her honeyed sap.

For her part, Jade was holding on for dear life, her hands twined in his thick silky hair, her body bowing as she felt the tentacles of orgasm taking hold. Suddenly, Alex flicked her clit with his tongue and then took it between his lips and sucked, hard.

Jade screamed and buck as her climax shot through her body and her pussy throbbed relentlessly. Still he held on sucking as she screamed long, seemingly endlessly, until she could offer no more.

Her mouth gaped open, but no sound emanated from it.

Finally, as she came down slowly, Alex eased up, licking and soothing her tender clitoris, then kissing her inner thighs as she released her grip on his hair and her arms fell to the bed.

Alex was on fire, his cock hard and aching, needing his own release. Getting to his feet, he urged Jade further up the bed. He then knelt on the bed and wrapped her legs around his hips.