Teach Me to Love

by Tressie Lockwood

  “Whether you are or are not, I respect how you feel, and we need to address it.”

  Bryah blinked. She hadn’t expected that response. Denial that there was anything between the two of them, sure, but not him being understanding of what she felt. So Gavin seemed perfect on many counts. This was his shortcoming. She wondered what others lay hidden, but didn’t care about those as Kate was a huge enough issue.

  Gavin stopped fiddling with his hat and hung it on the back of a chair. “My brother never wanted a child. He had little to do with my nephew from the start. I stepped in because I felt he needed a father figure.”

  Bryah winced. This wasn’t going to work. “I see,” she forced out.

  He grinned. “But you don’t like it.”

  “I would never spite a small child having a good father figure in his life. Trust me. I’ve seen enough fatherless homes in my work to know the impact it can have. I’ve also seen positives with strong mothers who are both parents to their children.”

  “I feel a but coming on.”

  “Kate wants you,” she blurted out. “If you’ve been too blind to see that all this time, you’re an idiot. She seems like a good person, a responsible mother, but you won’t convince me that she can’t get her own child calm after a nightmare. That’s Motherhood 101. And before you say, how would I know, like I said, I’ve been a teacher for a while. I’ve seen good and bad. Also…”

  “Also what?”

  She couldn’t read his expression. Something inside her wanted to run across the room and throw herself in his arms, to beg him to look at her and not at Kate. She wanted to be loved above all, to be able to lean on someone else for a change, but she knew from years of experience, she would never cave. She would never give up and stop being the strong woman she was. Being strong sucked sometimes—big time.

  “I know the two of you dated in high school, and she left you for your brother.”

  He frowned. “Who told you that?”

  “Does it matter? It’s true, right?”

  “What Kate and I had is in the past, Bryah. I admit that I let things go too far with Kate calling me all the time. I knew she had feelings for me, and maybe I encouraged it while never giving anything in return. Maybe that was a way of getting her back for dumping me, but I promise you, it’s all about my nephew for me, not her. The only woman I want now is you.”

  I wish I could believe that. I wish I could not worry and just care about you. She didn’t speak a word out loud.

  Gavin watched her for a moment and then zipped around the table. Before she realized what he was doing, he took her hand. “Let’s go.”

  “Wha—?”

  Bryah didn’t have a chance to say more as Gavin practically dragged her from the house and tucked her into his truck. At a little after eleven at night, they sped along the northeast loop of 820 until they merged onto 183 into Euless. Bryah didn’t know anyone who lived in this city, but figured Gavin did.

  “Where are we going this time of night, Gavin?”

  He didn’t answer. Rather, he pulled up in front of a small rancher and parked the truck in the driveway. After he encouraged her to get out by holding her arm in a gentle but firm grip, they marched up to the door. The house lay in complete darkness.

  “I don’t think…”

  He rapped on the door’s thick panel and leaned on the bell. By this time, Bryah was ready to get back in the truck and pretend she didn’t know him. Folk were liable to shoot and ask questions later in the south.

  With Bryah half hidden behind Gavin, the door opened. Kate’s groggy expression lightened the moment she spotted Gavin. “Gavin? Everything okay?”

  She stepped back with too much eagerness to let him in. When he turned and put a hand around Bryah’s waist to guide her ahead of him, Kate’s disappointment was palpable. Bryah tried to feel sorry for the woman. She wasn’t a bad person and didn’t act like she was trying to sabotage their relationship—at least not on the surface. Still, Bryah didn’t know why Gavin dragged her over here this late.

  “I wanted to set the record straight,” Gavin announced after Kate had led them into the living room and turned a light on.

  Kate paled. “About what?”

  Gavin continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “I will always be here for RJ.” No one could misconstrue his meaning. “At reasonable hours unless it’s a real emergency. But I want you to know that this is the woman I am with.” He tugged Bryah to his side. “I’ve never met anyone like her. She’s sweet and beautiful, and I want to see where a relationship with her can go.”

  His last words were said with him focused on Bryah. She shivered in his hold, almost forgetting they weren’t alone.

  He turned back to Kate. “I know as my best friend, you’ll respect the boundaries we set in place as she and I get to know each other better.”

  When he paused, Kate swallowed. “But…but I thought…I made a mistake long ago, and now…” She pinched her lips so tight, they were red.

  Compassion filled Gavin’s expression, but he was still firm. “I’m sorry, Kate, but we can’t go back. No more games. No more acting like you can’t handle every day things with RJ on your own. I’m with Bryah. I can see myself falling in love with her. She doesn’t like policemen, but I’m going to change her mind one date at a time.”

  He faced Bryah and took her hands. “What do you say, darlin’? Give me another chance to prove my feelings?”

  Bryah gasped, embarrassed. “Gavin, we can talk about this later…somewhere else?” She glanced at Kate who had begun to look more angry than hurt. Not giving Gavin a chance to argue, Bryah pulled him toward the door, and soon they were back in the truck. She thought he was taking her back home, but at the turnoff that led to her neighborhood, he took the opposite direction. Gavin didn’t answer any questions until they had pulled up in front of another unfamiliar house. Bryah’s stomach knotted. Don’t tell me there’s another woman to convince.

  Gavin stopped at the door and unlocked it. “Welcome to my home. If we have to stay up all night talking it out, we’ll do it. But we’re not leaving here until we start learning to love again.”

  Chapter Seven

  Bryah opened the letter she’d just received and sighed with relief and joy. She’d gotten the new position. Returning to the school she’d worked for just didn’t feel right, so she’d been searching for something else. Now, she would be working for a small tutoring center where she would help kids on a one on one basis. The hours were better as well as the pay. Best of all, she could be comfortable and feel like she was making a difference.

  “From that self-satisfied expression, I assume you got the job?” Gavin quipped.

  She rolled her eyes. “I’ll have you know this isn’t a self-satisfied expression. It’s just happy.”

  Gavin hauled her up to her feet and into his arms. His mouth descended on hers before she could say another word. He pushed his tongue between her lips, and soon, Bryah was lost in his sensual exploration of her mouth. She moaned against his lips and pushed herself closer, but Gavin broke the kiss to grin down at her. More and more, the man took on that lovesick puppy expression that made her heart soar. Of course, when he realized it, he went back to the “Me Tarzan, You Jane” routine. But Bryah knew how to handle him.

  She twisted in his arms and turned her back to him. Gavin immediately bent so that he spooned her butt. Bryah tried not to show how wet he already had her with just one move. “I thought you were pulling a double and wouldn’t be in until after three.”

  “I had a craving.” He pinched open the button on her pants and slipped a hand down into her panties. When his fingers met her wetness, he grunted knowingly. She could have smacked him. Gavin played with her tender nether lips, and she bit her lip to keep from moaning. He nibbled her earlobe. “I also had a question.”

  Bryah wrapped her fingers around his wrist to keep him from delving deeper inside of her. If he did, she would not be able to focus on what he was saying. “What qu
estion?”

  “I was wondering if you’d marry me.”

  She squeaked and tried to face him, but he held her in place. She slapped his arm instead. “Gavin, you’re not serious. We’ve only been dating a short time. Let me go so I can look at you.”

  He tightened his hold and kept his face alongside hers. She imagined she felt his heartbeat pounding against her back. Bryah closed her eyes. Tears flooded them. She spent a long time trying to get her racing pulse to calm down.

  “I love you, Bryah. We exchanged keys a while ago, but it’s not enough. I want to wake up with you in the morning and come home to you every night.” His words were music to her ears, but also invoked extreme terror. They’d discussed his and her past countless times, just trying to work through their hang-ups. The one constant was that Gavin knew what he wanted and wasn’t taking no from her just because she was scared.

  “Darlin’, I know you’re still scared that something will happen to me, and if it meant I could keep you in my life, I would walk away from my job today.”

  When he released her, Bryah stumbled to the bed and sat down. The employment letter slipped from the comforter to the carpeted floor. She felt like following it down. “I…” she began.

  Gavin dropped to his knees, and she gasped when he whipped out a diamond ring from his pocket. The rock was enormous. When had he purchased it? How could he take such a chance when they never discussed marriage? It was way too soon.

  “Tell me you don’t love me too, Bryah, and I won’t bring it up again. We’ll just continue as we are.”

  She swallowed. “I can’t tell you that. The problem is I love you.”

  He chuckled. “That’s not a problem.”

  “Gavin, I…” She wanted to say she was scared, but was fed up with that broken record. Yes, she was still terrified of losing him to some idiot with a gun, but damn it, he was fine and sexy, and wonderful, and a million other great qualities. She would love to just toss away all her worries and live an amazing life as his wife.

  He waited patiently for her response, his hands poised to pop the ring on her finger. Bryah shook from head to toe. Her gaze skittered from his handsome face with intense blue eyes to the bulge under his shirt—the imprint of his gun. Her heart thundered in her chest. If anything happened to Gavin, she’d be much worse than she’d been when she lost her fiancé. She was sure she loved Gavin more deeply. Yet, she couldn’t turn him down. No, she wouldn’t! Even if their time together lasted a month or less, it was mounds better than what it felt like to be alone.

  Bryah sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Gavin paled, probably thinking she was preparing a letdown speech. She didn’t want to torment him, so she smiled and laid a hand on his cheek. The prickly hairs tickled her palm.

  “You are everything to me, Gavin,” she whispered. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  Gavin let out a whoop of joy and slid the ring on her finger. He grabbed her by the waist and tossed her on the bed. Bryah laughed when he climbed above her, his clear eyes twinkling with mischief.

  “What are you doing?” she asked him.

  His grin deepened. “You know what. Finishing what I started.”

  He lowered the zipper on her pants and freed her from them before going after her panties. Bryah sat up and pulled her blouse over her head. She thrilled at the look of lust in Gavin’s eyes as he watched her new leopard pattern bra come into view. “You like?” she asked, running her hands over her breasts, giving them a squeeze and then playing with her nipples. Gavin, almost salivating, came toward her.

  “Woman, the things you do to me. Of course I like it.” He landed on her, flattening her on her back again. Through the thin material, he nibbled one nipple. Bryah arched up into his touch. He leaned back and tugged the bra down to free her breast. When his lips descended a second time, she cried out with need.

  Gavin laved at her nipple, pulling at it with his mouth, sucking until she whimpered and squirmed under him. His other hand roamed over her belly until he came to the thatch between her legs. Without looking, he shoved her thighs wider and plunged toward her heat. Bryah raised her knees. Desperate longing took over. She couldn’t wait for him to tease and play with her until she begged to be filled.

  Bryah stripped Gavin’s work clothes off. When he was ready, she pushed him on his back and climbed over him to straddle his hips. Leaning forward, she grabbed hold of his hard shaft and guided it between her folds. Gavin grunted as his head slid past her entrance. His fingers bit into her sides as he drove her down on him.

  “Ah, Bryah, you feel incredible, and you’re so wet. I’ve never seen you so aggressive.”

  She sat up straight to watch his expression while she gyrated her hips and twisted her nipples. Gavin’s eyes darkened, and he pulled her down to his chest to flip her onto her back. Without losing the connection between the two of them, he raised one of her legs and hammered his shaft deep inside of her. Bryah mewled out in ecstasy. She’d known he wouldn’t let her lead for long, but any way Gavin made love to her was mind blowing.

  Just to stir things up like he often did, he jerked out of her, slid down her body and began to lap at her drenched heat. Bryah screamed his name and knotted her fingers in his hair. He closed his lips over her nubbin. He didn’t stop until an orgasm slammed through her core, making her jerk and whimper. Then, he moved back up her body to satisfy his own need.

  Gavin didn’t let up until he shouted and emptied his hot seed far up her channel. He closed Bryah’s legs together and rolled her to her side to curve himself behind her. After he worked his shaft until it was hardened again, he made her arch so she pushed her rear toward him. He entered her once again and encircled her in his arms. He teased her earlobe while he pinched her nub. Bryah couldn’t catch her breath before another orgasm took hold. Gavin rode through it with her, all the while thrusting deep and rough.

  When he had brought her to three or four more orgasms, he found a second release of his own, and they settled in silence cuddled into each other’s arms. Bryah sighed her contentment and breathed her lover’s scent. If she could stay here forever with him, where it was safe, she would.

  Gavin seemed to know where her thoughts strayed, and his embrace tightened. “I’ll do everything in my power to be here with you, Bryah. I promise you that. But no matter what, let us enjoy every second, every day we have together. Will you make that commitment to me?”

  She didn’t hesitate this time, having already decided she’d do just that. “Yes, without a doubt.”

  They held onto each other, at last able to let the old hurts go. For a minute or a lifetime, Bryah knew that nothing would come between them—not past loves, not criminals, not even her fears.

  The End

  About the Author

  Tressie Lockwood has always loved books, and she enjoys writing about heroines who are overcoming the trials of life. She writes straight from her heart, reaching out to those who find it hard to be completely themselves no matter what anyone else thinks. She hopes her readers enjoy her short stories. Visit Tressie on the web at:

  www.tresslock.webs.com

  Sugar and Spice Press

  Where romance is everything nice.

  www.sugarnspicepress.com