A Lesson on Love

by Sharon C. Cooper

  Rayne arched into him, loving the feel of being hugged up against his muscular body. If she didn’t know how much he desired her before, she knew now. His erection pressed against her stomach as their hunger for each other grew. And with every powerful thrust of his tongue, she wanted him that much more.

  Rayne was panting when they finally came up for air. She wasn’t alone. Jerry pressed his forehead to hers, breathing just as hard.

  “I love kissing you, but I’d better leave now before I go too far.” He straightened to his full height and started to move away.

  “I changed my mind,” Rayne blurted, surprising even herself.

  Jerry froze, then his left brow lifted in question, but he said nothing.

  With her heart pounding hard against her rib cage, she could barely think straight. A mixture of excitement and fear consumed her. “Maybe we can um…hang out a little more often.”

  A slow, sexy smile tugged up the corner of Jerry’s mouth, and Rayne’s pulse thumped a little faster.

  “You mean like…we can officially start dating? Because if that’s what you’re saying, I want it clear that you’re mine,” he said with authority, reclaiming his spot right in front of her. “I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding about that. So is that what you’re saying?”

  Rayne lowered her gaze and bit her bottom lip. What was she doing? Was she ready for a commitment? What about his playboy past? Hell, what about her past? Could she really trust a man again? Would she end up worse off than she’d been before if this relationship ended badly?

  Just moments ago, she was still fighting her feelings. How could a kiss make her change her mind that quickly?

  “Hey. Look at me,” Jerry insisted, and Rayne met his gaze. “I know you’re scared, but baby I’m not going to hurt you. Give me a chance to prove to you that I’m not Kirk

  Rayne knew he wouldn’t intentionally hurt her, but it was the unintentional harm that he could do that concerned her. What she felt for him was stronger than she’d felt about anyone in a long time and that scared her to death. But if Rayne didn’t leap…if she didn’t take a chance and open her heart, she might miss out on the best thing that ever happened to her outside of giving birth to Stormy.

  “So, what do you say? Wanna be my woman?” he asked, his baritone deeper than usual.

  “Yes,” she responded more breathily than intended. Before Rayne could form her next thought, Jerry kissed her. The slow, drugging kiss was even more intense than the previous one, and her worries melted away. They were replaced with an excitement Rayne hadn’t felt before tonight.

  When the kiss ended, Jerry brushed long strands of hair away from her face. “I’ll let you set the pace in our relationship. As long as you’re mine, we can take things as slow as you want.”

  Rayne nodded. “Okay.”

  The saying, this is the first day of the rest of your life, came to mind, and she couldn’t wait to see what came next.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Rayne moaned. Her hammering heart beating double-time like the wings of a hummingbird as Jerry hovered above her, sending tingles of delight pulsing through her body. The mere touch of his lips on her heated skin, tracing a path down her neck and between the valley of her breasts, while he thrust in and out of her, had Rayne on the edge of her release.

  “Jerry,” she panted, unable to finish a complete thought with him moving inside of her. She gripped his perfectly firm butt and rocked her hips in tune to the pace he had set. She knew they’d be good together, but the way he made her body hum exceeded anything she could have imagined.

  “Oh,” she whimpered, and her eyes slammed shut as ripples of pleasure consumed her.

  Jerry slid in and out of her tightness with more force, his momentum picking up with each thrust of his hips. This was their second round and it was even more intense than the first, and Rayne knew she couldn’t hold on much longer.

  But when he slowed, her eyes flew open. “Don’t stop. Please don’t stop,” she begged, her breathing ragged as her body vibrated, wound tight enough to snap.

  A sly smile lifted the right corner of Jerry’s mouth before he lowered his head. “I can’t get enough of you,” he crooned, his words smothered on her breast.

  Rayne would never get enough of him either, especially with the way his tongue swirled around her sensitive nipple before he pulled the hardened peak between his lips. Licking, sucking, with each lap of his tongue, he drove into her deeper and harder, gradually picking up speed.

  Jerry lifted his head, and her nipple popped from his mouth. “Damn you feel good,” he moaned. With one hand gripping the headboard, he lifted her left hip off the bed and drove into her like he was on automatic pilot.

  Oh yeah, that’s it. She fisted the sheet as he drove in and out of her. He was the one who felt good, his thick shaft filling her completely.

  His fingers tightened on the back of her thigh, and he moved faster, their heavy breathing filling the room.

  “J—Jerry,” Rayne stuttered, barely able to breathe, an orgasm teetered on the edge of her control.

  “Come for me, baby,” he said through gritted teeth, moving frantically as if he too was on the brink of his release.

  “I-I…” Rayne’s words stalled in her throat and her senses short-circuited as a massive orgasm rushed through her body. “Jerry!”

  Rayne jerked awake, her pulse pounding in her ears as she scrambled into a sitting position in her bed. With her chest heaving, she glanced anxiously around the dimly lit bedroom, taking in the sparsely furnished space. The only sound was that of the ticking alarm clock sitting on the bedside table.

  Her gaze dropped to her damp tank top and the shorts she was sleeping in, as well as the disheveled bedding. But there was no Jerry.

  Crap. It was only a dream.

  Rayne loosened the grip on the bed-sheet balled in her hand and brought her knees to her chest, squeezing her thighs together to tap down the sensuous throb at her core. The dream had seemed so real…so intimate…so hot.

  She released a frustrated sigh and covered her face with her hands as her body continued to pulse. Disappointment lodged in her throat.

  Good, Lord. If dreaming about him got her that worked up, what would happen if…or when they finally came together? Rayne hadn’t had sex in years, and for the first time in a long time, her body vibrated with sexual energy. The foreign feeling was exciting and disappointing at the same time.

  As a single mom, with no immediate family to babysit, getting laid hadn’t been an option. But even if the opportunity had presented itself, Rayne wouldn’t have been interested. All that Kirk had done to her had ruined her desire to get with another man.

  Until now.

  But it had just been a dream. A fantasy. Would she ever have the pleasure of experiencing that type of heated passion? And if she ever did, she only wanted one person.

  Jerry Jenkins.

  Rayne threw back the covers, left the bedroom, and headed to the bathroom. She was too sticky from perspiration to fall back to sleep.

  After a quick, cold, shower, she slipped into a pair of pajamas and returned to her bedroom. Climbing back into bed, she felt refreshed but still a little wired.

  The night before, Jerry had told her they could go as slow as she wanted, but now she was tempted to call him. She didn’t want to go slow. If there was a chance that dream could become a reality, Rayne wanted to go for it.

  But she couldn’t.

  There was no way she would have sex with anyone, not even Jerry, while her daughter was in the house. How the heck were they going to date and keep everything rated G with Stormy around?

  Rayne huffed out a breath and snuggled deeper into her pillow, but as soon as she closed her eyes, her cell phone vibrated on the table next to the bed. She grabbed the device and glanced at the bright screen.

  Charlee.

  “Hello,” she answered.

  “Rise and shine, sleepy head. How was your date? Is Tall, Dark, and Han
dsome in bed with you?” her friend asked, humor in her voice.

  “Ha! I wish.” The words slipped through her lips before Rayne could pull them back. She hadn’t intended to share that thought out loud.

  “Hold the heck up. Is that disappointment I hear in your voice? Are you saying that you wanted to get a little something, something going last night and that dark chocolate hunk didn’t stay?”

  Rayne sighed, but then a slow smile spread across her mouth, knowing her friend was about to freak when Rayne told her the news.

  “Girl, you better say something.” Charlee’s tone grew louder with each word.

  “Let’s just say, Jerry and I are officially dating.”

  “Get the hell out of here! Are you kidding me?” Charlee screamed, and Rayne pulled the phone from her ear, laughing. “I don’t believe you. What happened to I’m not ready to date. He’s just a friend and all that other crap you were spewing?”

  “I—I, I didn’t think I was ready, but last night, something changed between us.” Or at least, something had changed within her.

  “Well, damn. What did Jerry do, get between those thighs of yours and give you some tongue action? Because I know you. He had to put it down real good to make you change your mind like that.”

  “It wasn’t like that,” Rayne said quietly, searching her brain trying to determine exactly what happened to change her mind. All she could recall was the intense need to spend more time with him and the peace that surrounded her while in his presence.

  “Then exactly how was it? He had to do something to make you do a one-eighty like that.”

  “He’s just…an amazing man,” Rayne said wistfully. She told her friend about the evening, getting a little misty as she thought about how sweet Jerry had been. Though she’d been looking forward to going to the fancy restaurant, Dave & Busters had been a better choice. She needed to relax and laugh some, something she hadn’t been doing enough of.

  Charlee remained silent, listening as Rayne told her about the conversation and the kiss that led up to her decision.

  “You didn’t wake up with a change of heart, did you?”

  No way would she tell her friend how she woke up.

  “No. Even though I don’t think Jerry would ever treat me the way Kirk did, I’m going into this relationship with my eyes wide open. I learned my lesson with Kirk. No man will ever get a chance to make a fool of me again.”

  “Well, I’m glad you’re giving Jerry a chance. I’m pulling for you guys. You deserve some happiness and some hot sex, and I think Jerry’s just the man for the job.”

  “Apparently, you have forgotten about your goddaughter. I have no idea how to date with a child.”

  Rayne had only met a few single moms since moving to town and none that she would take advise from. She wasn’t a prude, at least she didn’t think she was, but the way a couple of the women carried themselves at work told her that anything went when it came to dating. They had a couple of children each, but most of their conversations centered around what they wore to the club and the men they hooked up with.

  “I’m sure you and Jerry will figure it out. Besides, I’ll babysit whenever I’m in town.”

  “But you’re never in town.”

  Charlee sighed. She once loved her job and the travel, but lately Rayne sensed that her friend wasn’t as into either as she used to be.

  “That might be changing soon,” Charlee finally said. “I have a meeting with my father and a couple of his advisers in a few weeks. I’m thinking about cutting down on the travel, but I’m still working on a plan on how that will work.”

  “That would be great. I would love for us to hang out more, which reminds me. What was that all about with you and Liam?”

  The silence through the phone line was thicker than a concrete block, making Rayne even more curious.

  “Charlee, you know my deepest darkest secrets. There’s no way whatever happened between you and Liam can be any worse than what I’ve been through.”

  “No, it’s not. Liam and I were…together for a while before I messed up.”

  “What happened, and why haven’t you ever mentioned him?”

  “He and I were an item before you moved to town.”

  “But we’ve talked about the Jenkins family. You had plenty of opportunity to tell me about you two.”

  “I know. I guess I’ve been trying to forget and move on.”

  “But it sounds like you haven’t. Do you still care about Liam?”

  “Yes. Always. He was the best thing that ever happened to me, but I hurt him. I’m surprised he even said anything to me yesterday.”

  “I take it you guys haven’t seen each other in a while.”

  “Not since the day we broke up. Almost a year ago.”

  Rayne had never heard her friend sound so down. Charlee was like Stormy. An extrovert who loved life and people. Rarely was she ever down about anything.

  “I hear he’s single,” Rayne said. During dinner the night before, Jerry had mentioned that his cousin wasn’t dating anyone as far as he knew.

  Charlee released a harsh laugh. “Trust me. I’m the last person he would ever get with, and I don’t blame him. I don’t deserve him.”

  Rayne tsked. “Don’t say that. He’d be lucky to have you. Maybe—”

  “Rayne, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but Liam and I are history. And on that note, I’d better get off this phone. I’m using today to work on a couple of upcoming presentations.”

  “So how is Chicago?” Rayne asked, understanding her friend’s need to change the subject. One day when they were in the same city, she planned to revisit the conversation.

  “You know how much I love Chicago. It’s wonderful. I’ll be here a few days, and then I’ll be heading to Detroit.”

  They talked for a few more minutes before disconnecting. Rayne glanced at the time. Seven-thirty-five. If she was lucky, she might be able to get a little sleep before Stormy woke up.

  She reached over to set her phone on the nightstand.

  “Mommy! Mommy!”

  Rayne jumped and dropped her phone, ignoring it as it landed with a thud on the carpet. “Stormy, I’m in here,” she said, struggling to free herself from the covers so she could find out what was wrong. Stormy only screamed like that if she was hurt or excited.

  By the time Rayne untangled herself from the bedding and stood, Stormy tore into the room.

  “Mommy, I’m rich! I’m rich,” she screamed, waving her arms in the air with something in her hands. “Look. Look, I got two dollars.”

  Rayne looked at the two five-dollar bills and frowned. “Stormy, this is ten-dollars. Where’d you get this from?”

  “The tooth fairy. She put it under my pillow!” She jumped up and down with the energy of a person who had consumed a pound of sugar. “Did I get more than Anna?”

  Rayne groaned. On the one hand, she could kiss Jerry for remembering to play tooth fairy. He must’ve slipped the money under the pillow when he laid Stormy down the night before. On the other hand, her child was going to expect the tooth fairy and money with every tooth she loss.

  Rayne shook the thoughts free and focused on her daughter.

  “This is a lot of money. What are you going to do with it?” she asked, not bothering to answer the question about Anna. The last thing Rayne wanted was for Stormy to start bragging to the little girl about how much money she received.

  They both climbed onto the bed and sat with their backs against the headboard. Stormy looped her arm through Rayne’s. God, she loved this little girl.

  “I’m going to buy me and you some ice cream because ice cream makes us happy.” Stormy beamed and Rayne couldn’t help but smile. This child made her heart sing and was her everything. Rayne couldn’t imagine her life without her.

  “That’s so sweet, honey, but wouldn’t you rather buy a book?”

  A crease formed on Stormy’s forehead as she pondered the question. “Do I have enough to buy both?”r />
  “Maybe if we buy ice cream from the grocery store. Then you might have enough. If not, I might have a few dollars to add to what you have.”

  “Yay!” Stormy cheered, raising her arms and waving the money around. “Can I call Jerry so I can tell him?”

  Rayne knew that was coming. “It’s too early. Now tell me what you did at Mr. & Mrs. Jenkins’ house. Was it fun over there?”

  The excitement in her eyes grew more intense. “It was awesome!”

  Rayne laughed. Seemed her daughter learned a new word every day, but she couldn’t remember her using awesome. No doubt she’d be using it every chance she got.

  For the next half an hour, Rayne listened as Stormy explained the Jenkins’ family movie night. Pizza, home-baked cookies, a Disney movie, popcorn, and Mr. Jenkins teaching her how to play Go Fish were the highlights.

  Rayne’s heart swelled. Hearing how happy Jerry’s parents had made her little girl meant everything. There had been so many days when she questioned the decision to move to Cincinnati, but now it felt as if they were right where they were supposed to be.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jerry grabbed a beer out of his refrigerator and turned, but stopped abruptly. Rayne was sitting at his breakfast bar staring at him. Again.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  Her brows shot up, and he almost laughed at the startled surprise on her gorgeous face. She had been checking him out on a sly and then zoning out for the last two hours, ever since she and Stormy came over for dinner.

  She had also been quieter than usual. Not that Rayne was a big talker, but usually when they hung out, conversation flowed steadily. Not today. Today, she seemed deep in thought. He hoped she wasn’t having second thoughts about them. Last night she had shocked the heck out of him when she agreed to be his woman, and Jerry was excited about their future together.

  “Looking at you like what?” Rayne finally asked, her attention on his laptop screen that was sitting in front of her. After dinner, she had asked to use the computer to search for jobs.