Just to Be with You

by Sheryl Lister

  Incredible was the only way Terrence could describe how her kiss made him feel. He lifted her until she straddled his lap, and continued to pursue her mouth. His hands caressed her back and moved around to massage her breasts. He left her lips to trail kisses over her jaw, along her throat and the bared portion of her chest. Reaching up, he cupped her face and reclaimed her mouth. He was losing control and needed to slow down. Although he wanted to make love to her, he didn’t want her to think that was why he came.

  By the time the kiss ended, he felt the trembling in her body and closed his eyes tightly to rein in his rampant desire. When he opened his eyes, he saw that she struggled with the same thing. Terrence stared into her eyes—a stunning warm brown—and tried to keep his runaway emotions in check. Everything about this one woman called to him. He hugged her to him and set her gently on the couch beside him.

  “Do you have any more paintings?” They needed to get off this couch.

  “Yes.” She stood and tried to smooth back her hair. “Follow me.”

  Terrence walked silently behind her, admiring the furnishings and the warm, comfortable feeling of her home. “I like your place. How long have you lived here?”

  “I grew up here. My parents moved to New Mexico and didn’t want to sell the house. My two oldest brothers live out of state, and Devin has his own house. I was rooming with Karen, so it made sense for me to stay here.” She opened the door to the studio and gestured him in.

  Terrence said nothing for several minutes. His gaze swept across the many paintings in wonder. “You are truly gifted.” He picked up a painting of the beach sunrise and stared in fascination. “This is magnificent.”

  “Devin said I should call that one New Beginnings. I think it fits. Each sunrise is a new beginning.”

  He couldn’t take his eyes off the painting. He heard her talking, but didn’t understand a word.

  “Since you seem to like it so much, it’s yours.”

  That brought him around. “What did you say?” She repeated it. “I can’t take this. It’s—”

  “Please. I insist. I’d like for you to have it. If you don’t want to take it on the plane, I can wrap it and ship it to you.”

  Terrence couldn’t stop staring at her. Janae had offered to give him a piece of artwork that he knew would sell for thousands of dollars. No other woman had ever given him a gift of any kind. Well, Audrey had, but she didn’t count. She was practically his sister.

  “That’s not it. Outside of my father and grandparents, I’ve never been given such a precious gift. It’s no problem getting it home. I took the corporate jet.” He carefully returned the painting , then brought her into the circle of his arms. “Thank you. I’ll cherish it always.”

  She wrapped her arms around his waist. “You’re welcome.”

  When he released her, she crossed the room, opened a drawer and removed a roll of glassine paper, bubble wrap and a roll of tape. She carefully wrapped the painting then placed it against the wall.

  “Do see another one you’d like to have before I put away the wrapping supplies?”

  Terrence’s eyebrows shot up. “I don’t think so, sweetheart. This one is more than enough. I may want to buy some of your pieces for gifts, though.” He took another glance around. There had to be close to thirty finished pieces. “You really should see about having these in a gallery. They would fly off the shelves.” He held a spectacular snowcapped mountain scene in his hands. The scene looked so real that he gently touched the snow, expecting to feel the cold.

  She started putting the supplies away.

  He replaced the painting then came up behind her and put his hand on her shoulders. “What is it? You seem uncomfortable.”

  “I’ve secretly thought about it, but don’t want all the attention that might follow. I don’t like being in the spotlight.”

  “Neither do I, but you get used to it because you’re doing something you love.”

  She turned around. “You look like a natural when you’re onstage, like you enjoy it.”

  “I enjoy singing and playing music.” He shrugged. “I’d rather be away from the limelight most of the time, but I’ve gotten used to it. You have a true gift, one that should be shared with the world. Think about it.”

  She nodded.

  “Good. Now, is there somewhere we can go to hang out for a little while?”

  “I thought that’s what we’re doing.”

  “Yeah,” he said slowly. “Remember the incident on the couch?” he asked with deliberate emphasis. “It might be safer if we got out of the house for a while.”

  Color rose in her cheeks, and she lowered her head. “Oh.”

  Terrence lifted her chin and smiled tenderly. “As much as I want to make love to you, and I do...badly, I don’t want you to think that I came here for that. I’d like us to get to know each other better. You’re a special woman, and I would never treat you like you’re a booty call. There’s something happening between us, and I won’t lie—it scares the hell out of me. But I still want to see what that something is. Is that okay with you?”

  “Yes, and...thank you.”

  His brows knitted in confusion. “For?”

  “For what you said about me...not...”

  “Being a booty call?” he asked laughingly.

  “Yeah, that.” She smiled.

  He groaned and held her tightly to him, thinking how comfortable he felt with her. “So, where’s a good spot?”

  “Well...there’s a nice coffeehouse not too far from here. They serve other drinks and light snacks, and have great background music. Does that sound okay?”

  “Sounds perfect. Let’s go.”

  “I need to change clothes first,” she said as they left the studio. “I’ll be right out.”

  * * *

  Janae changed her clothes, brushed her hair and redid her ponytail. She thought about what had happened on the couch. She felt as if she were coming out of her skin and was two seconds away from begging him to make love to her—something she would never do with a man she had just met. When he called her special, she could see the sincerity reflected in his eyes. She could see herself falling for him, and falling fast. But she couldn’t afford to let herself succumb to his charms.

  Despite what she heard about him not being a playa in the traditional sense, she couldn’t take any chances. He said he didn’t mistreat women, but he clearly wasn’t the settling-down type, either. The man was a popular musician and fine enough to have a woman in all fifty states and abroad. She really needed to show him the door and tell him not to contact her again. But somehow, she couldn’t force herself to say the words. She stood there a few minutes more, took a deep breath, then went out front.

  Chapter 6

  While Terrence waited for Janae, he thought about what he’d told her. They shared a definite physical attraction, but something more drew him. It was the “more” he needed to discover. Only Donovan knew where he’d flown; he hadn’t even told his grandparents. He’d simply told them he would be out of town for a day or two. He chuckled softly. If his grandmother found out he was visiting a woman, she probably would have gotten on the plane with him. His cell phone vibrated in his pocket.

  “I’m sorry to bother you, baby. I know you’re busy,” his grandmother started when he answered.

  Speaking of. “Hey, Grandma. You’re not bothering me and I’m not busy. What’s going on?”

  “Nothing. I wanted to let you know that your grandfather and I are going down to San Diego with some friends, and we won’t be back until sometime tomorrow evening.”

  Terrence shook his head. His grandparents had a more active social calendar than he ever had. “Okay. Thanks for letting me know. You guys have fun.” He turned at the sound of Janae’s voice saying she was ready.

  �
�I have to go, Grandma.”

  “Is that a woman’s voice I hear?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is she a client?”

  Terrence paused. “Um, no.”

  “Hallelujah! Is she a nice girl?”

  “Yes, Grandma. I have to go. I’ll talk to you when you get back. Tell Grandpa I said have fun.”

  Her tinkling laughter came through the line. “All right. I can take a hint. Let me know if she’s a potential granddaughter. Love you, baby.”

  “Love you, too, Grandma.” He stood.

  “Oh. I’m sorry,” Janae said. “I didn’t realize you were on the phone.”

  “It’s all right. I was talking to my grandmother.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “She’s fine. She wanted to let me know she and my grandfather were going out of town this weekend with friends so I wouldn’t worry.”

  “Good for them. Let’s go. Do you want me to drive?”

  “I don’t think so, sweetheart. I can follow directions just fine.”

  The drive to the coffee shop didn’t take long. When they arrived, Terrence opened the door to the SUV and assisted Janae. Taking her hand, he led her up the walk and opened the door. The intimate atmosphere and sound of soft jazz flowing from concealed speakers immediately enveloped him. “This is nice. Where do you want to sit?” The two-story building had tables with seating for four, sofas and smaller love seats. People sat in groups, worked on laptops and read books.

  “We can sit anywhere. There’s probably more room upstairs. I suggest we order first, then find a seat.”

  * * *

  After getting their drinks, Terrence and Janae found a vacant love seat upstairs. They sipped and talked quietly, but were interrupted when Janae’s cell rang.

  She looked at the display and sighed. “Excuse me, Terrence.” She answered. “Hey, Erik.”

  “Who’s the guy?” Erik asked without responding to her greeting.

  “I’m fine. Thanks for asking. How are you?” she asked with annoyance.

  “Hi. Now answer the question. Devin said his name is Terrence, but doesn’t think that’s his real name. You need to be careful. What’s his last name?”

  “Devin needs to mind his own business, and so do you,” she responded tersely.

  “What do you know about this guy? Where did you meet him? And I’m still waiting on a last name.”

  “None of your business, and I’m not telling you his last name. I’m busy right now, so I’m hanging up,” she said through clenched teeth. “Goodbye.” Janae disconnected, leaned back on the love seat and rubbed her temples. “I am so gonna kill Devin,” she muttered.

  Terrence placed his arm around her and pulled her close. “What does your brother want to know about me?”

  “He wants to know your last name. Apparently, Devin didn’t waste any time calling him.”

  Terrence chuckled. “I don’t have a problem with you telling them my last name.”

  She sat up abruptly. “I do.”

  His smile faded. “Are you ashamed to tell your family about me?”

  “No, no, no. It’s nothing like that. My brother Erik works at the Pentagon. If I tell him your last name, in ten minutes he’d know everything about you, including the type and color of your underwear. All three of my brothers would make your life and mine a living hell, and we’d never get a chance to know each other.”

  “That would be a real shame because I really, really want to get to know you.” He leaned close to her ear. “By the way, they’re boxer briefs...black.”

  Her face mirrored confusion. “What?”

  “My underwear. I want you to know before he does.”

  Janae gasped, covered her mouth, then burst out laughing. “I can’t believe you.” She tried hard not to imagine him wearing anything but those black boxer briefs.

  Terrence grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. “So...” He leaned near her again. “What color are yours?”

  Her face tinted, and she shook her head. “You are too bold for me.” She picked up her glass, tilted it to her lips and took a long sip.

  “You look cute when you blush. We’ll save that question for another time...when we know each other better.”

  “Ah, yeah. That’s probably a good idea. So, tell me more about yourself.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  She shrugged. “Anything you want to tell. Where did you grow up? Where did you go to school?”

  He nodded and took a sip of his drink. “I grew up and went to college in Los Angeles.”

  “Did you get a degree in music?”

  “Yes, undergraduate and graduate. I minored in business.”

  “Do you play any other instruments besides piano?”

  “I play percussion, bass and guitar well, and am somewhat competent on the saxophone.”

  “Wow. I wish I could play an instrument.”

  “You’re quite accomplished in another area of the arts. I’m surprised you didn’t choose that as your field of study. What made you want to become a teacher?”

  “When I was in second grade, there was a girl in my class who had cerebral palsy. Sarah Ferguson was in a wheelchair, and every day, the teacher would push her chair to the back of the room and never include her in the class activities. Whenever she would cry, the teacher would turn her chair backward. I asked my teacher why she always left her in the back of the room, and she told me not to worry about Sarah—that she didn’t understand what was going on anyway.”

  Terrence shook his head. “That’s so sad.”

  “It was, so I decided to do something about it. We were doing an activity where we had to match words and pictures. After I finished mine, I cut out another set of words and took them and the picture sheet back to Sarah. I asked if she wanted to do one and she nodded. I found out that, although her body didn’t work well, her mind did. I held up the word, and she pointed to the matching picture. I was so excited that I ran to the teacher and told her.”

  “Was she as excited as you?”

  “On the contrary. Mrs. Douglas didn’t believe me, even when she saw Sarah point to one. She said it was a lucky guess. I was so mad that I went home and told my mother, who was a university professor.”

  “What could your mother do?”

  “My mother called Mrs. Ferguson and told her I had been helping Sarah. Sarah’s mother told my mom that Sarah could, indeed, recognize words. Sarah’s parents had been having the same difficulties with all of Sarah’s teachers, and she and her husband were at their wit’s end.”

  “Did she ever get help?”

  “Yes. My mother connected her with an agency that helps children with special needs. After that, I decided that I wanted to become a teacher to make sure special students weren’t ever left out again.”

  * * *

  Terrence studied Janae. The love and passion for her field was evident in her voice, and he knew that she was a phenomenal educator. “You are incredible.”

  She gave him a shy smile. “Not really. I just love what I do.”

  “It shows.”

  “What about you? Why music?”

  “Music has been part of my life since birth. My father was a gifted jazz musician, and he introduced me to instruments and music before I could walk.” He smiled at the recollection.

  “My parents have a huge jazz collection, but I don’t recall seeing one with the name Campbell.”

  “He wrote most of the music for and played piano in a band called Topaz. The music was phenomenal.”

  “Why didn’t they ever record?”

  He’d never talked about his father to anyone except Donovan. “My father was a twenty-year-old engineering student at the time and played on the weekends. He met, fell in love with
and married an eighteen-year-old woman all in the span of six weeks. I was born a year later. My father graduated and got a job in his field to support his family, but continued to play some weekends. The band was in the midst of recording their first album when my father was diagnosed with a brain tumor.”

  “Oh, no,” she whispered. “How old were you?”

  He took a deep breath. “It was a month after my eighth birthday.”

  She reached over and squeezed his hand. “I’m so sorry. Were doctors able to remove the tumor?”

  He nodded. “But he had to learn how to walk all over again and needed help with dressing, eating, bathing...everything.”

  “That had to be hard for you, being so young,” she said emotionally. “What about your mother?”

  His gaze hardened. “She walked out.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Terrence remembered that day clearly as if it had happened yesterday....

  * * *

  “I can’t do this anymore, Ray.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “This...this whole thing. I’m only twenty-seven years old. I’m not cut out to play nurse to an invalid husband.”

  “You act like I asked for this. How do you think I feel? I’m a twenty-nine-year-old man who is supposed to be in the prime of his life. I can’t even play with my son. And you know the doctors said I would regain full function of my limbs.”

  “Yeah, but that could take months. I don’t know if I want to spend months waiting for something that might not happen.”

  “What’s this really about, Dana? You’ve seemed unhappy for a while now.”

  “I didn’t bargain for all this when we got married.”

  “Then why did you marry me?”

  “I fell in love with a musician. I wanted that life.”

  “What are you talking about? I never stopped my music.”

  “No. But you didn’t pursue it, either. You could have been huge. Instead, you settled for being an engineer.”

  “In other words, you wanted fame and glamour. What about your dreams? I’ve tried encouraging you to find your passion.”

  “I wanted to travel all over the country, live in a huge mansion and go to parties. That was my dream...my passion.”