Love 101: Box Set (Love 101 #1-4)

by J. Nichole

  “Too ready. A home cooked meal, my own bed, a guaranteed warm shower.” She hugs herself, closes her eyes, and shakes her head as if she is in a state of euphoria. “They may have to force me to come back in January.”

  “It’s bitter sweet for me. Thanksgiving was tough. Going to the doctor with Tanya was mind blowing. Watching her life change so drastically is hard. I think I’ll also miss Chris.” I look away. “But I’m with you, after being home for that long it may be hard to come back to the dorms. I won’t mind being back at school, but next year can’t come quick enough.”

  “I’m sure Tanya is getting pretty big now. I feel so bad for her. Is she ready, though?”

  “She’s embracing motherhood. Being ready, I don’t know if she can be ready for what she has coming. She’s changed — matured — handling her business. I think she will do a good job. Thankfully, her parents are on board and she has a good support system.”

  “Like they say, it takes a village.”

  I feel like I’m part of Tanya’s village. Although I won’t be there when she needs help with the baby, I plan to encourage her to finish school. She knows that the best way she can truly provide for the baby is to finish school and start a career. Without knowing who the father is, she can’t rely on anyone but herself.

  My phone vibrates, and it’s a text from Chris.

  “Speak of the devil, Chris is texting me. Looks like he wants to pick me up soon.” I leap up from my seat.

  “Go get it!” Jennifer stands up and walks me to the door. “Just make sure your ass has time to study for finals.”

  “Without a doubt. Books first. You won’t see this chick flunking out over a dude. Besides, Chris makes sure I have time to study when I need it. I usually bring books over to his place.”

  “If you are getting out of here, I might as well bounce too.” She looks around the room for her phone. “Let me text Mark. We need to coordinate in advance. I hate being on campus when you leave, especially since Nicole is pretty unpredictable.”

  “Promise, I’ll try to be more predictable and let you know when I’m going to leave.”

  We hug, and I walk down to my room to get my night bag ready to leave.

  Chapter 16

  “What’s up sexy?” Chris looks me up and down while he licks his lips like LL Cool J.

  I look at Chris out of the corner of my eye as I throw my bag in the back seat, then get situated in the front seat of his car. As I smooth down my messy ponytail, I say, “You’re the only one who finds me sexy in sweats.”

  “Something about a woman in sweats turns me on. If you can look sexy in the least sexy outfit with no make-up, I just know you are killing it when you try.”

  “I guess you have a point.” I smile as I relax in the seat. “What have you been doing all day besides thinking about me?”

  “I had a frat meeting, studied a bit, then slept most of the day.” Chris perks up as he pulls off. “Are you hungry?”

  I give Chris a skeptical look with a slight grin. “Every time we see each other you are trying to feed me.”

  “If you haven’t noticed. I love to eat. Not that I’m trying to feed you more than I’m trying to feed myself.”

  “In case you haven’t realized, I can always eat. What do you have in mind?”

  “What I’d really like to eat we already have.” He looks me in the eye. “Whether or not it’s ready is another thing.”

  Chris sure has a way of making me wet. I don’t know how much longer I can hold out. If he had said that while I was in my room alone, my hand would be sliding into my panties.

  I calm my beating heart, then say, “How about some hot wings?”

  Chris brakes at the red light, then leans over and whispers in my ear. “What I want would be better than hot wings.”

  I take a long, deep breath, and bite my lip. Thank God, the light turns green. “In due time, Chris, in due time.”

  “Respect.” He nods his head. “I’ll stop for some hot wings. Although I’d rather let you make me sweat.”

  “You are on one tonight.” It’s almost as though Chris knows I’m ready to pick up the pace with him; he hasn’t been this sexual in the past weeks. I love knowing I turn him on as much as he turns me on.

  “We are about to leave for break.” He leans on the armrest between us. “I want to give you something to think about while you’re out of my reach.”

  “I hear you. We’ll see what happens.” If only I knew I was the only one he was sprinkling his love on before break.

  The smile fades from Chris’ face. “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Always.” I turn to him and watch as his lips form the question.

  “What’s holding you back?” he whispers.

  A closed mouth doesn’t get fed. I have to tell him my fears. If nothing else, he’ll know why he won’t be getting any. “To be honest. Unless I’m the only one, I can’t give you the pleasure.”

  He looks at me with dull eyes. “I won’t lie. You aren’t the only one I’ve been kicking it with.” His brows wrinkle and his jaw tightens. “I know you’ve been kicking it with someone else too.” The air feels like it’s been knocked out of my stomach. I jerk my head and turn towards the window. The reflection staring back at me looks shocked, my eyebrows are raised, and I touch my lips, which are slightly parted.

  Chris reaches over and touches my leg, I turn to face him. “If you are ready to be the only one, you can say the word. I told you when we first met that I felt you were different. It’s about time for me to chill out.” He narrows his eyes. “I don’t want you to miss out on anything though.”

  I cock my head to the side. “What do you mean miss out?”

  He gives me a half smile. “I won’t be the one to keep you from having fun. But being in a relationship, I would expect that you wouldn’t be entertaining any of these dudes.”

  “Do you think we are talking about this too soon?”

  “If I did, I would have changed the subject.” I search his face for a sign, any indication that he is full of shit. I find nothing.

  We pull into the apartment complex. “I’ll just order the wings.” Chris climbs out of the car and I follow him into his apartment.

  Before I can settle into his room, Chris pulls me on the bed and starts kissing me. As much as I want him, I don’t want to go beyond my limits with him. My mind is telling me to slow it down, but my body has betrayed me, and before I know it, I am straddling his lap.

  He pulls off my hoodie, slips his hand under my shirt and bra, then starts rubbing my nipples. I feel his erection growing between my legs and I start grinding.

  Between kisses, he whispers in my ear as he thrusts his manhood towards me. “Could you handle all of this?”

  I moan in response to his question. His hands start roaming south, sending tingles down my spine as he reaches my ass. I start planting kisses on his neck. The heat between us is unbearable, and beads of sweat begin to form on his forehead.

  With the back of my hand, I wipe away the sweat. “I thought we were supposed to let the hot wings make you sweat?”

  He gives me a lustful look and says, “I told you what I preferred.” Grabbing a handful of my ass, he says, “Hot wings aren’t even on my mind anymore.”

  I should have worn jeans; they would have been less accessible. We continue kissing, and his hands trace the rim of my sweat pants. Damn, my hand has never given me this much pleasure, and he hasn’t even touched my cookies yet.

  I pull my body away from him as I move his hands from my ass. “We should order those wings.”

  He puts his hands above his head and smiles. “If you want me to stop, hop up.”

  Damn, he would put it on me. Of course, I don’t want to stop. At least not yet, not before my body tenses and releases. I don’t move.

  He smirks. “I didn’t think you wanted me to stop.” He moves from under me and stands up.

  I glance up at him.

  “Laila, I could go on, but I
don’t want you to make a decision in the midst of all this passion.” He paces in front of me. “I want you to be completely sure.”

  He has a point, but why does he have to be concerned now? I’ll need a cold shower, better yet, a minute alone to finish what we started. I stare at him and sigh.

  “I’ll go order some wings. Give you a minute to calm down.” I look down at his erection and smile.

  When he leaves the room, my hands wander and my fingers are quickly inside my wetness. My clit is pulsating like never before. I put my head back and enjoy the moment.

  I hear Chris move and I open my eyes. Obviously he has already seen me but I move my hand and hide my face under the pillow.

  “Damn girl, please don’t stop.” He lays beside me pulling my pants down, then my panties. He takes my hand and puts it back between my legs. He starts kissing me while I continue to explore my womanhood. My fingers begin to quicken to match the rhythm of my breath. Before I release, I slow my fingers down to enjoy each second.

  Chris’ kisses become deeper as his hands join mine between my legs. My body tenses while my toes curl, and I release a moan. As I relax my body, a smile spreads across my face.

  Chris takes my hand and sucks each of my fingers. “Better than any hot wings I could ever have.” He lies beside me and strokes my head as he plants kisses down my neck. He stops and stares lustfully into my eyes. My breathing returns to normal as we sit in silence. He reaches for my panties and says, “We better get you dressed before either of us gets too excited.”

  I pull my panties and sweats back on, trapping the generated heat between my thighs.

  “To think I was the one who wanted to leave you with something to think about over the break.” He puts his hand on his erection while a wide grin spreads across his face, showing his near perfect white teeth.

  “I’m pretty sure you’ll invade my thoughts while we are on break. There isn’t much you need to do to stay on my mind.”

  We lie with little room between us. His arms easily wrap around my body and I feel at ease. I take him all in, committing each moment to memory. From each gentle touch, the whispers in my ear, the cuddling, to each passionate kiss. Although I’m trying not to get lost in his world, I will miss him over the break.

  Twenty minutes later, we are interrupted by a knock at the door. Chris rolls out of the bed to grab the wings, and I meet him at the dining room table.

  “These wings are good, but my appetizer was better.” Chris winks at me. I smile coyly, then I slowly lick the sauce off of a wing, looking at Chris intensely as I take a bite.

  Chris shakes his head. “Christmas break will be too long.”

  I laugh to myself. “Aren’t you excited to have a home cooked meal though?”

  Chris sits back, and a look of bliss crosses his face. “You have no idea. My mom is a great cook.”

  I smile broadly. “Mine is too, but her baking is far better. She could compete with the best bakeries. That pound cake, makes my mouth water just thinking about it.”

  “When will I get to taste what you’ve learned from your mom?”

  I raise my eyebrows and muffle my laughter. “I’ll see what I can pull together for you one day. What’s your favorite dessert?”

  “Nothing beats chocolate chip cookies. But I’ll take your specialty.” My specialty? I’ll have to spend all vacation in the kitchen with my mom to learn her recipes.

  “Okay, when we come back from Christmas break I’ll come over and make that happen.”

  “I can’t wait. Do you have big plans for the break?”

  “My mom throws an annual Christmas dinner, but other than that I’ll just be spending time with the family and catching up with Tanya. What about you?”

  “I’ll be skiing. Our family meets up with a few other families each year for a trip to the mountains.” While he is bundled up on the slopes, I’ll be in a light sweater, at the most. I wouldn’t mind being bundled up with him in front of a fire. The thought of Chris bundling up with someone else barges into my fantasy. What if he has a girl back home? Someone patiently waiting for him to come back?

  My smile crumbles, and I look at Chris with a straight face. “Chris. Tell me more about your ex-girlfriends.”

  “What do you want to know, other than the fact that you’ll never need to worry about them?” He shrugs and continues to eat his wings.

  “I’ve told you a great deal about my ex. You know there isn’t anyone at home waiting on me to return.”

  “Other than breaks and summer, I’ve been away from home for the past four years. If anyone was waiting on me for this long I think I’d owe them the respect not to be falling...” Chris pauses.

  Falling? In love? He doesn’t mean that. Not now... not this early. I quickly respond, letting the comment get buried until it’s ready to return. “You have a point. You have been away for a while. Which brings up another topic. You’ll be graduating soon. Are you ready?”

  Chris sits up, and his eyes gleam. “Sixteen years of school. I’m definitely ready to be done with classes.” He shifts in his seat. “But don’t worry. I’m here for an extra year for the master’s program.”

  “I could ask you a million questions.”

  “The journalist in you, right?”

  I nod my head. “Natural curiosity.”

  “You’ll have plenty of time to evaluate my life. I’ll grant you full access to whatever it is you want to know.” He grabs my hand and kisses my palm, and again I feel the heat rising. I have to control myself.

  “Do you need to study tonight? As always, don’t let me be a distraction.”

  “We can both open the books, but I’d much rather open your legs.”

  I raise my brows. “Like I said, don’t let me be a distraction.”

  “We should probably avoid the bedroom then.” He tilts his head towards the living room. “Let’s sit on the couch.”

  As we sit on the couch, both of his roommates and a few other people pass through. Chris makes sure he introduces me to the extra people. Chris amazes me, especially after the Sean debacle.

  After an introduction to some random guy, he looks at me. “One day I’ll be able to introduce you as my girl.”

  I turn my head to get a good look at his face. “Is that right?”

  He nods. “All you have to do is say the word.”

  Chapter 17

  “This study lounge should be year round.” Nicole takes a bite of pizza, and with a full mouth, she says, “I’m just saying, just to have it during finals week is a tease.”

  I grab a few bite size candy bars and stash them in my purse. “A few snacks for later when I actually study.” I wink at Jennifer and Nicole.

  Jennifer laughs. “That’s what this study lounge is for, shame on us for not even bringing a damn notebook.” She shakes her head as she nibbles on chips and salsa. She pats her thighs and says, “This shit isn’t good for my girlish figure.”

  Nicole leans over the table. “Look, our bodyguards, coming this way.”

  The three of them post up around the table. “Damn, we thought y’all dropped out.” The tallest one says with a deep voice, “It’s been a minute since we last saw you. What’s good?”

  “It has been a minute. What type of friends are y’all though? Didn’t even check up on us,” Jennifer says, laughing.

  They all look at each other. “Damn, we’re slipping.” The tallest one crosses his arms. “But shit … last I checked my phone, we didn’t have a call from you checking on us either.”

  Shit, they sound a little bitter. “You’re right.” I gently smile. “We all need to do better next semester.”

  “Fa’sho. Y’all ready for Christmas?”

  Nicole answers before we can even think. “Hell yeah. I need a break to just re-lax.”

  We all look at her; she says relax like she has been doing manual labor all semester. I guess when you fuck for a hobby it gets like that.

  One of the guys looks around the study lounge,
then nudges his friend. “Y’all ready?”

  “Yeah. Ladies, it’s been real. We’ll catch y’all next semester.”

  Nicole and I smile and wave. Then I say, “Have a good break.”

  Jennifer stops them before they walk away. “Next semester we’ll do better.” The guys nod their heads and walk away.

  On our way back to the room, I look at Nicole. “Nicole, what was up with your response? Sounds like you are too ready for break.”

  “It’s been a good semester, but I’ve been a little out of control. I need this break to get it together and come back next semester a new girl.”

  I wasn’t expecting that response. “Wow, Nicole. Like they say, the first step is admitting you have a problem.”

  Nicole rolls her eyes. “Hush.”

  “Really though, Nicole, I’m glad you are going to settle down next semester. You’ve definitely done more this semester than most do in their entire four years.”

  “Shut up, Laila. Damn. I know I’ve been wild. But thank God I’ve been spared from getting pregnant, hurt, and hopefully, any diseases.” Her eyes grow wide. “I guess I took enjoy your college years a little too seriously.”

  “I’m not judging at all. To each her own.” I shrug.

  As we settle into their room, I catch Jennifer in a daze. “Jennifer, are you okay? You don’t look like you are here with us.”

  “My bad y’all. I’m just thinking about some things.”

  “You look like you need some love.” I narrow my eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Sometimes I just think about how I would have been if the incident never happened.” Jennifer throws her head back and looks into the air. “I wonder if I would have been a free spirit like Nicole or if I would still be like I am now.”

  “I was a free spirit before Tanya got pregnant. Now, not as much. I do miss living carefree.”

  “I feel for you ladies.” Nicole stands up and twirls around the room. “Maybe I should continue being a free spirit. Then you both can live through my stories.”