A Lesson on Love

by Sharon C. Cooper

Jerry walked around the breakfast bar and leaned on the counter. He kept his voice low when he said, “Looking at me like you want to rip my clothes off and have your way with my body.”

  With her fair skin, he couldn’t miss the blush coloring her cheeks. She bit down on her lower lip but didn’t say anything.

  Hmm… Okay, so he hadn’t imagined the lust in her eyes earlier. She wanted him as bad as he wanted her. But what Jerry wasn’t going to do was push Rayne into doing something she might not be ready for. He’d been serious the night before about them taking things slow. Even if it meant having to keep giving himself a hand job in the shower every day, he’d do it.

  Last night had been a true test, though. He had tossed and turned with her on his mind, and had been tempted to go back to her place and pick up where they’d left off. He had gotten a little carried away. One of their heated kisses had gotten out of control before he left. He had pinned her to the front door, kissing her senseless and caressing her luscious body.

  Rayne was a temptation he was finding hard to resist. Even now, he wanted to take her upstairs to his bedroom and make mad, passionate love to her. Or hell, taking her right there up against the counter would work too.

  But they couldn’t take advantage of either of those options. Stormy might not be paying them any attention, but she was in the family room. With the open concept floorplan, they could see her and vice versa. They had to be careful of what they said and did in front of her.

  Rayne turned to him, one arched brow lifted. “Now, who’s staring? Why are you looking at me like that?”

  Jerry leaned in close, inhaling her fresh scent as he put a lingering kiss on her neck. “I want to lick every inch of your body, and then sex you up so good, you won’t be able to walk straight for days.”

  Her mouth dropped open, then closed and opened again, but no words came out.

  “Now, are you going to tell me why you’ve been acting strange since walking into my place?”

  Her gaze dropped to his lips before returning to his eyes. “I want you so damn bad. I even dreamed that you screwed my brains out last night,” she whispered. “I woke up in a cold sweat, screaming your name, and now all I can think about is your hot, naked body joined with mine.”

  Now he was the one staring at her with wide eyes and doing the guppy thing with his mouth. How the hell was he going to take it slow knowing she was having those types of dreams? But hearing her speak those words to him, especially considering how reserved she usually was, had Jerry ready to strip her naked and turn her dream into a reality. Consequences be damned.

  But that was the old Jerry. He had to be smarter with Rayne. She was it for him. He didn’t see a future with anyone else but her, and he didn’t want to mess this up with a quick lay. Besides, it wasn’t just them they had to think about.

  He glanced back at Stormy, who was still engrossed in the video game, then turned to Rayne. Unable to resist any longer, he covered her mouth with his. Each kiss between them got sweeter and sweeter, and when her lips parted slightly, he slid his tongue in and savored her goodness.

  He had only intended the kiss to be brief, but Rayne fisted the front of his shirt, pulling him closer. His hand went automatically to the small of her back, and he held on. He didn’t know what had gotten into her, but whatever it was, he liked this assertive side of her. And sneaking in a kiss here and there only added to their new adventure.

  But as reality set in, Jerry loosened his hold on her. They hadn’t discussed how they would behave in front of Stormy, and until they did, he didn’t want to get caught making love to Rayne’s mouth.

  “Were we as good together as I know we’ll be?” Jerry asked when they pulled apart, still thinking about her dream.

  Rayne swallowed, her eyes as dazed as he felt. They were going to burn up the sheets whenever he did finally get her into his bed.

  She swiped her tongue across her bottom lip, making him want to kiss her again.

  “Well, were we?” he prodded.

  “I just told you I woke up screaming your name. What do you think?”

  His dick twitched, wanting so bad to be buried deep inside of her. But Jerry kept that thought to himself.

  “I think I’m going to have to put some babysitters on speed dial.”

  Rayne laughed and returned her attention to the computer screen.

  But Jerry was serious. There were several people in his family he could get to look after Stormy if needed. The only thing stopping him from dialing his parents right now, was that he wasn’t ready for him and Rayne to jump into bed, yet. This wasn’t one of his hit-it and quit-it flings. He planned to prove to her that he was serious about them being together for the long haul.

  Jerry adjusted himself, his semi-erection pressing hard against his zipper. He grabbed his beer and took a long drag of the cold brew before setting the bottle on the bar. For the last few months, his will-power had definitely been tested. He hadn’t gone this long without sex since he was seventeen, and who knew how much longer he’d have to go without.

  In the end, it will all be worth it, he thought.

  “How’s the search going?” he asked. Rayne had mentioned the other day that she wanted to find either another job that paid more or some part-time work.

  “A little slow.” She twirled a long strand of her hair around her finger, dividing her attention between him and the screen. “So many of these jobs require a college degree.”

  “What type of work are you looking for?”

  “I wouldn’t mind office work, but that would mean office hours. I have to have something flexible that I can work around Stormy’s school hours, and be able to take off at a moment’s notice. I don’t know if I’d get that flexibility with an office job.”

  “Well, keep in mind that you have a lot more support now with me and my family. All you have to do is let us know when or if we’re needed to help you out. Don’t worry so much about the work hours, find something that you’ll enjoy doing. Then we’ll figure out the rest.”

  She cocked a brow. “We?”

  “Yeah, we.” Jerry draped his arm around her shoulders. “That’s one of the perks of being my woman. You have me to bounce thoughts and ideas off of, and someone you can count on.” And once she got to know some of his cousins, she’d eventually find out the advantages of being a part of a large family.

  Jerry finished off his beer and stood. “Also, while you’re on the computer, pull together a resumé. I’ll see if we have any openings at J & S. And I can pass it along to some of my family members who have their own businesses or might know of some other available positions.”

  “Jerry, I can’t ask you to do that. Our relationship is new. What if things don’t work out between us? It could get awkward working for—”

  “First of all, you didn’t ask me to do this, but I want to. Secondly, you and I will be together forever. Even if things don’t work out, which I believe they will, we’ll always be friends. Besides, the best jobs are found through connections, and the Jenkins family is well connected.”

  She fiddled with the ink pen that was sitting next to the laptop. Jerry could almost hear the wheels in her head turning. She was a proud woman, and now that he knew about her past, he understood why it was so hard for her to ask for help. Until moving to Cincinnati, she had no one.

  “You’re not alone anymore, Rayne. I’m here for you, okay?”

  She swallowed and nodded. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

  Jerry didn’t know how long it would take for her to fully understand the lengths that he would go for her. Until she did, he’d just have to keep showing her.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Bye, Mommy,” Stormy said in a sing-song voice before she hurried into the classroom to join her friends.

  “She is such a sweetheart and so smart,” Mrs. St. John, Stormy’s daycare teacher, said. “Yesterday, I caught her helping one of her classmates with his ABCs, and I laughed to myself at how she sounded so much like m
e. I can already tell she’s a leader and a nurturer.

  Rayne glanced across the room and found Stormy in the kitchen play area with two other little girls. “She loves people, especially other kids.”

  Mrs. St. John nodded. “I can tell. She’s quick to comfort them, like the other day when another child accidentally ripped her art project. Stormy helped her fix it and then hugged her. It was the cutest scene. You have yourself a special little girl.”

  Rayne smiled, proud of herself and her daughter. “Thank you.”

  During Stormy’s first years of life, Rayne had been so afraid that she would fail her child the way her mother had failed her. She had overcompensated in every area out of fear, almost driving herself crazy trying to be the perfect mommy. After Kirk’s death, all that changed. She fell apart, nearly ruining her and her child’s life. It took a while to get herself together, and to this day, she prayed that the drama they endured had no long-term adverse effect on her child.

  After saying goodbye to Mrs. St. John, Rayne pulled her cell phone from her handbag to check the time and then headed to her car. She still had another hour before she had to be at work. She could make a couple of stops, including getting some gas, with a few minutes to spare.

  She climbed into her old Chevy and set the cell phone in the cup holder. Pulling out of the parking lot, thoughts of Jerry invaded her mind. A flutter of excitement swirled inside her gut. The last seven weeks with him had been some of the best weeks of her life. Rayne couldn’t ever remember feeling so alive, so happy, so invigorated. She had been cautiously optimistic when they first started dating, but now she wanted to spend every waking hour with the man.

  It was still early in their relationship, but so far Jerry was the perfect boyfriend. Funny, respectful, thoughtful, and the sexiest man alive.

  “Whew!” Rayne fanned herself, then laughed at the giddiness bubbling inside of her. She was behaving like a high schooler, crushing on the cutest boy in class. But who wouldn’t? Jerry was the total package. Just thinking about him made her all hot and excited.

  As she stopped at a traffic light, her cell phone rang. A smile spread across her face before she hit the speaker button.

  “I was just thinking about you,” she greeted.

  “Hey, beautiful. How you doin’ this morning?” Jerry’s deep baritone filled the car and washed over Rayne like a ray of sunlight on a cloudless day. Even his voice turned her on these days.

  “Now that I’ve heard your sexy voice, I’m great.” Rayne had never been a flirt, or talked sexy, but with Jerry, some of the stuff that came out of her mouth surprised even her.

  He chuckled. “I feel the same way. Is everything all set for Stormy tonight?” he asked.

  “Yup. I talked with your mom. She and your dad are going to pick up Stormy from my place by six-fifteen.”

  Rayne adored Jerry’s parents, especially his mom. Violet was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside, and they had developed a wonderful relationship. Growing up in foster care, Rayne had only had one foster mother who seemed to really care about her, but no one like that in her adult life. Spending time with Violet was a welcomed change.

  Jerry’s parents had also become their go-to babysitters, but Rayne tried not to take advantage of their kindness. Besides, Stormy was her responsibility. It didn’t seem right putting her child off on someone else. But tonight, she planned to have some alone time with her man.

  “In about nine hours or so, I’ll be all yours,” she said to Jerry.

  “And, baby, I’m counting down the minutes,” he crooned. “I can’t wait to have you all to myself.”

  Tonight, would be another turning point in their relationship. Despite the sexual tension growing almost unbearable between them, and their heavy petting sessions reaching explosive levels, they hadn’t consummated their relationship. They’d had some close calls, but were both always mindful of Stormy.

  Shortly after they started dating, Rayne had told Stormy that Jerry was her boyfriend. She wasn’t sure how much her daughter understood, but Stormy loved that the three of them were spending a lot of time together.

  “We have dinner reservations for seven, and then we’ll head to the hotel,” Jerry explained.

  Rayne gripped the steering wheel and did a happy dance in her seat. She could count on one hand, with fingers left over, how many times she had stayed at a hotel. Not only was she looking forward to a little R&R, but more than that, she was ready for her and Jerry to take their relationship to the next level.

  “But, Rayne, I need to know. Are you sure about tonight? We don’t have to—”

  “I’m positive. I want this as much as you do. I know it hasn’t been easy dating a single mom.”

  “Having you and Stormy in my life has been a gift. I’ve loved every minute of our time together, but I ain’t gonna lie. I can’t wait to get your fine ass into bed.”

  Rayne was cheesing so hard, anyone peeking into her car would think something was wrong with her. Something was—she was falling hard for Jerry Jenkins and could barely contain her excitement. Heck, Rayne didn’t want to contain it. Instead, she wanted to scream it to the world that she was falling in love with an amazing man.

  “All right, babe. I need to get back to work. Hit me up on my cell during your lunch break.”

  “Will do.” Rayne disconnected the call, thinking about how they had gotten into such a comfortable routine. They talked at least two times during the day, saw each other every evening, and spent most of their weekends together. This man had definitely worked his way into her heart, and she could barely remember how her life was before they started dating.

  A car horn blew, and Rayne glanced in the rearview mirror before realizing the traffic light had turned green. The person behind her blew again.

  “All right, all right, I’m going. Geez. Be patient.”

  She drove another block before turning into a gas station and pulling up next to one of the pumps. Just as she turned off the car, her cell phone rang again. She thought it was Jerry calling back until she picked up the device and saw the screen, recognizing her work number.

  “Hi, this is Rayne.”

  “Hey, Rayne. I’m glad I caught you.” Sandra Collier’s soft voice didn’t match her appearance. She was almost six feet tall and about Rayne’s size, but her voice sounded like that of a seven-year-old. She was one of the nicest people, but whenever she talked, it was hard to take her seriously.

  “What’s going on?” Rayne asked, hoping she didn’t have to work late. She didn’t want anything to delay her plans with Jerry.

  “I hate calling you like this, but I wanted to catch you before you came in.” Sandra’s voice drifted into a hushed whisper, setting off warning bells inside of Rayne. “Management has been doing some reorganizing, and unfortunately, we’re going to have to lay you off.”

  Dread spread through Rayne’s body. “What?” She heard her supervisor clearly, but couldn’t wrap her brain around how this could be happening.

  She sat stunned, barely listening as Sandra continued her speech about model employee, downsizing, seniority, layoffs, and a final check. By the time her supervisor was finished, Rayne’s head was spinning.

  “I—I can’t believe…” Rayne’s voice cracked. She had started looking for another job, but so far, nothing had materialized. The factory didn’t pay much, but at least it was keeping a roof over their head and food on the table. She needed this job.

  A couple of weeks ago, she had finally given her skimpy resumé to Jerry, embarrassed that she didn’t have much education or experience. So far, it hadn’t attracted anyone enough to give her an interview, but she’d been hopeful. But now…

  Thoughts of her financial responsibilities flashed through her mind. She also thought about Stormy and the daycare center they both loved. Without a job, Rayne wouldn’t get the childcare subsidy, and she couldn’t afford to pay out of pocket.

  Her chest tightened as anxiety clawed through her body. Ev
ery time her life seemed as if it was on the right track, something happened to knock her back on her ass. She couldn’t catch a break.

  “I’m so sorry, Rayne.”

  “I can’t believe you’re laying me off and with a phone call at that,” she snapped. “You could’ve at least had the decency to tell me face to face.”

  “Rayne…I’m sorry. I’m just following protocol. This is not personal. You’ve been a good employee over the last few months, but unfortunately, cuts had to be made.”

  Long after the call ended, Rayne sat numbly with the phone pressed to her ear. She had no idea what she was going to do.

  Laughing outside caught her attention. Two women, dressed in office attire and carrying coffee cups, talked animatedly as they walk to a shiny red BMW. Rayne stared long after they drove off, wondering when it would be her turn to have a good job, nice things and something to call her own. But that wasn’t going to happen as long as that proverbial dark cloud continued following her around.

  Rayne bit down on her bottom lip, trying to keep the tears at bay. Crying and feeling sorry for herself wasn’t going to help. At least that’s what she told herself as emotion clogged her throat.

  Why me? Why does this stuff always happen to me?

  What am I going to do now? played on loop inside her head. So many thoughts ran through her mind at once. How many times would she have to start over? How many times would she pull herself up only to be knocked down again?

  “I can’t keep going through this.”

  She shakily climbed out of the car and removed the nozzle from the gasoline pump before realizing she hadn’t paid for the gas yet. This was one of those times when a debit or credit card would come in handy instead of cash. She was in no condition to go into the gas station and face anyone, especially knowing that her eyes were probably red and puffy.

  I’ll do this later. Rayne replaced the nozzle. She needed to pull herself together before she did anything.

  “Excuse me,” someone called out before Rayne climbed back into the car. A young man, maybe in his early twenties with a white tank top and denim shorts that hung low on his narrow hips, headed toward her. He gave a slight wave.