Learning To Love Again (Book #1 In The Learning To Love Again Series

by Jessica Danielle

  “There are towels in the back. One benefit of having a kid, you always have to be prepared for messes and spills at every turn,” he said as Willow leaned towards the back, grabbing two towels and passing one to him.

  She toweled off her hair and started blotting at her shirt, noticing that Micheal was looking at her in her peripheral view, he had stopped the towel drying of his hair. And noticed that his brown eyes almost seemed to have gotten darker. Willow looked down and realized that her white shirt was almost transparent because of the rain droplets that got on it, and she could see more of the outline of her bra. She crossed her arms across her chest, breaking Micheal’s stare down as she smiled.

  “So, how did you keep the food hot, not knowing how long we would be at the shooting range?” she asked, curious. Micheal smiled, his eyes going to the rear-view mirror as he backed up the suburban out of the spot.

  “Oh, I had a little help with that,” he said in a knowing way, as they passed a car that was parked nearby.

  “Hey binocular hogger, give me!” Amanda said, as she punched Eric in the arm hard, as he winced against the pain. Passing the binoculars over to her in the backseat, as Tommy chuckled at his friend in the passenger seat.

  “I told you she would do that,” he said as he turned to watch Micheal and Willow’s interactions, as they were packing up the food to avoid the storm.

  “Yeah, well, you aren’t in the back like I am. I can’t see,” Amanda said, watching them fold up the tablecloth as the rain started up.

  “Oh, she is so getting laid tonight,” she said, pride in her voice as Eric and Tommy high-five each other at that and Amanda scoffed.

  “Why do you have to be so crude about it? Ugh, men,” she said, putting the binoculars down as they watched as the suburban backed up out of the spot.

  “So now what?” Eric asked as Amanda smiled.

  “We could either follow them or celebrate for a good first date for our friends. Oh, I know the perfect place, I’ll buy!” she said as Tommy smiled, starting up the car.

  “We’re going to need alcohol, I was thinking tacos and margaritas,” she said with a smile, as Eric turned in his seat to look back at her.

  “Really? Tacos and margaritas?” he questioned as Amanda rolled her eyes.

  “What are you expecting? A six-course dinner? I’m on a limited income. Plus, like you are so above having tacos and margaritas. Willow didn’t just follow Micheal on social media you know,” she said with a knowing smile as Tommy laughed at the expression on Eric’s face at Willow’s best friend.

  “Oh, now I know why Micheal insisted on bringing you along. You know you two would be cute together,” Tommy said, pointing between Amanda and Eric as they both looked at each other shocked.

  “Oh, after that I’m going to need more than one drink, me with Elf boy, that’s funny,” Amanda said, leaning back against her seat, as Eric smirked at her.

  “Just because I’m short doesn’t mean I don’t make up for it in other ways,” he said jokingly as the entire car erupted in laughter.

  Willow looked behind the passenger seat to see if there was another other than the towel to cover herself up. Besides the heater, the damp material of her shirt was making her feel cold. She noticed something familiar in the back, grabbing for it.

  “Why do you have my bags in your car?” she asked skeptically, noticing that Micheal was all smiles.

  “That would be Amanda's doing. She kind of slipped those to me the other day after I was leaving. She said that you needed to stay the weekend with me,” he said, as Willow’s eyes widened.

  “Why am I even surprised that she would pull this? Of course, she would,” she said, pulling the duffel bag in her lap and opening it to see what her roommate ended up packing in her bag. Her hands went through the bag and found an assortment of clothes, toiletries kit, lingerie, a box of condoms and other things that made her smirk. Micheal started chuckling as he noticed the items that were coming out of the bag.

  “Apparently, she had high hopes for this date didn’t she?” he asked, as she looked up and noticed that he had stopped to slide his card through the rfid reader, waiting for the audible beeping sound that signaled that the system accepted the card. As the gate opened up where his mansion was at.

  “That and other things as well,” she said, pulling things out that made Micheal’s eyes bug out and press his foot into the accelerator to get to the house faster, as Willow simply laughed.

  “What?” she asked, a smile on her face, putting everything back into the bag.

  “I’m going to have to have more than a few glasses of wine in me before you get that explanation out of me,” he answered simply.

  Chapter Twenty

  Micheal and Willow brought all the food containers into the house, as well as the bag that Amanda had packed up for Willow.

  “I’m going to take a shower, even though I find it counterintuitive. Since I think getting caught in the rain counts as a shower. But afterwards you are going to get drunk with me,” she said pointing at Micheal. He laughed at her, trying to not get the floor wet with her clothing, as she struggled to put her hair up in a messy bun.

  “Alright, I guess I’ll put a bottle on ice while I clean everything,” Micheal replied, hearing the shower start up.

  Willow walked out of the bathroom, wrapping a towel around her hair. Continuing down the hall towards the kitchen.

  “I put a bottle of wine in the freezer to speed it’s cooling time,” Micheal said, taking the food from the containers and throwing it in the trash.

  “Hey, I thought you put that food away in the fridge, not in the trash. I could’ve eaten that,” Willow said as Micheal smiled, shrugging his shoulders.

  “I didn’t want to risk getting us sick. Or Evan, if this was going to last when he comes back here next time. But I’m guessing with you it wouldn’t have lasted at all,” Micheal joked.

  Willow picked up a container and helped by throwing the contents into the trash.

  “You know I really had fun today,” She said, dropping the plastic container into the sink and picking up another.

  “Yeah, me too. It was nice having someone new at the shooting range, other than Evan of course,”

  “Thank you for the gun and the lesson. I appreciate it,” Willow added, starting up the water in the sink, and feeling Micheal’s hand on her arm.

  “You know, I think that can wait. Plus, I think the wine is cold enough now,” he said, turning off the water, and opening the freezer, grabbing the cold bottle.

  “Now you're going to tell me what some of the other things were in the bag, now aren’t you? I mean, if you have to be drunk to tell me it must be good?” Willow asked, noticing something in the freezer and grabbing it, a bottle of tequila hidden in the back of the freezer.

  “Didn’t think you were a tequila man, considering the wine,” Willow pondered, as Micheal was grabbing wine glasses from a top shelf, giving her a marvelous view of his ass. Just as Micheal turned and smirked at her.

  “Like what you see, sweetheart?” he asked as Willow grabbed the wine bottle in her other hand, as she looked him up and down.

  “Yeah, actually I do. You have shot glasses, or are we taking it straight from the tequila bottle?” She asked, hearing glass clinking together as she rounded the corner and continued on her walk to the second floor.

  Walking up the stairs with both bottles in hand, she stopped short of the master bedroom door and turned around, Micheal running right into her.

  “Forgot the salt. You have limes as well?” she asked.

  “There’s salt on the kitchen counter, but no limes.” he said as Willow bit her lip in thought.

  “Well, I guess we’ll have to figure out something else as a chaser then, won’t we?” she asked rhetorically, as she walked back down the stairs grabbing the saltshaker.

  Willow opened up the master bedroom to Micheal taking off his shirt, her eyes immediately going to his tanned exposed skin.

 
“Dear diary, today my dreams came true. I finally got to see Micheal Stanley without his shirt on. And for the first time no one else is going to be interrupting us,” She said, as Micheal walked to the bathroom to throw his shirt in the hamper. Then picked up the wine glasses that were full, handing one to Willow as he took a sip. With the wine glass tipping further, by Willow’s fingers tipping it up more, making Micheal drink it faster.

  “It’s as if you are trying to get me drunk quicker,” Micheal said as Willow took his glass and refilled it and handed it back to him.

  “Of course, I am. I want you to spill the beans on the stuff. Which requires you to be drunk,” Willow replied honestly, as she took a sip of her wine and went to open the tequila bottle.

  “I really don’t think you want to know, truly,” He commented as Willow smiled.

  “You realize that has the opposite effect, right? I want to know what it is now, more than before” she said, taking both of the wine glasses and putting them on the nightstand and filling up the shot glasses with tequila. Trying to distract herself from staring at his chest.

  “But I think first we need to be even, right? You have your shirt off so I should too,” she said, putting the shot glasses down and peeling off her t-shirt that she was wearing, and throwing it onto the carpeted floor, leaving her in just her sleep shorts.

  “You realizing you doing this means we are less likely to wait until the next date for sex,” Micheal mentioned, his eyes darting from Willow’s chest and back to her face as she smiled, grabbing for the shot glasses.

  “Second date? What are you talking about? The universal dating rule is sex after the third date. And after my comment earlier that would now make it waiting after the fourth date now mister,” Willow said, watching with appreciation at the shock that formed over Micheal’s face just for a second, before he rolled his eyes.

  “Fine, four dates.” he agreed, taking the shot glass into his hand.

  “First, salt,” Willow instructed as she licked her hand and shook the salt over her hand, waiting for Micheal to do the same and pouring salt over his hand. Then they both licked the salt and took their shots, grimacing against the harsh taste. Michael took a breath, wincing at the harsh taste.

  “And the chaser?” he asked, as Willow pulled his head down lower to her height and kissed him, tasting the mix of salt, tequila and wine on his lips, before pulling back.

  And seeing a surprised look on Micheal’s face, and then that flash of the smile that made her want to turn to mush.

  “Why am I not surprised that was your idea of a chaser? Which is a hell of a chaser, very addicting qualities to it,” he said, watching Willow fill up the shot glasses, the wine glasses completely abandoned.

  “Oh, just you wait,” she warned, as Micheal went to hold out his hand for salt again, as Willow shook her head, pushing him to sit on the bed and climbing onto his lap. Her lips descended onto his neck, kissing and sucking at the skin, as Micheal followed suit.

  Willow moved away, shaking the salt on his neck and passing Micheal the shaker for him to do the same, feeling the grains landing on her neck.

  Her lips landed back on the same spot on Micheal’s neck sucking the salt off, feeling his lips against her neck. Then clinked their glasses together, taking the shot, and ending with a kiss again.

  Willow put down the shot glasses on the nightstand, looking at the tequila bottle, and saw that it was empty and pouted. Her eyes went to the wine glasses that were sitting on top of the dresser with the wine bottle. Both were empty. Willow went to stand, seeing the room spin, as a muscular arm went around her waist to steady her.

  “Hey, come lay down,” Micheal said, patting the spot next to him on the bed.

  “But you haven’t told me about the things, either you aren’t drunk enough or you're avoiding the topic,” he said to her, getting up and opening her duffel bag that Amanda had packed for her. Hands fishing around until she found the offending object that was the whole point of getting drunk.

  “I’m not avoiding the topic, just getting up to get some water and aspirin to avoid a massive hangover tomorrow” Micheal commented, getting up slowly from the bed to walk down to the first floor. Leaving Willow still kneeling before the duffel bag, looking at all the things that Amanda put in the bag. Her eyes landed on the variety pack of condoms that had a post-it note on it.

  Sue me for not knowing but here, the note read.

  Willow laughed, putting the box back into the bag, hearing Micheal coming back up the stairs. Aspirin bottle in hand and two bottles of water. Stopping short at the object that was in Willow’s hand.

  Setting the waters and aspirin on the other nightstand, he took it from her hands.

  “Fine, you want to know what this is? I want to know when you are wearing this?” Micheal wagered, leaning down to fishing out a lingerie set with the tags still on it, wiggling his eyebrows at Willow.

  “Depends on when you're going to wear that? I don’t know, doesn't that go on your c–” she nodded at the metal object that was in his hand, as he went to drop it. And she caught the set of intricate metal rings, twirling them around one of her fingers.

  “You knew this entire time what that is?” Micheal questioned, as he dropped the lingerie back into the bag.

  “Pft, of course I did. Remember, Amanda is my best friend and roommate. I was waiting for her to pull something like this. And truth be told, I wanted to get you a little tipsy so you would be less nervous to talk about it,” she explained honestly, putting the lingerie and the rings back into the bag, feeling Micheal’s eyes on her.

  “Guess if it’s going to be torture waiting 4 more dates than at least I’m not alone,” he said, helping Willow up to stand as he pulled her to him and kissed her.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Waking up the next morning was agony for Willow. Her head was pounding, and her throat felt drier than the Sahara Desert. She squinted her eyes against the rising sun, moving the blanket to cover her head. Willow felt Micheal’s arm move across her body, his hand moving up her chest and cupping her breast that was covered by her bra.

  She leaned into his touch, resting her head against the pillow more comfortably and smelling the woodsy scent on the pillows. Willow moved the blanket from over her head, seeing her shirt on the floor, trying to remember what happened the night before.

  Her eyes scanned the bedroom, noticing the tequila bottle, shot glasses and the empty wine bottle and wine glasses. The feeling of movement beside her stopped her in her thoughts. Feeling Micheal’s lips against her ear.

  “Willow, what are you doing?” he asked, his voice husky from sleep. Willow thought she had never heard a question that could sound simply so sexy in her life.

  “Did we have sex last night?” she asked, feeling his lips go to her neck, kissing it.

  “Oh, if we did you would know, I wouldn’t have left anything on you,” Micheal said, as he placed his hand on her shoulder, as she stiffened.

  “Willow, understand I wouldn’t do anything to you, drunk or not, without your consent. Plus, I'm more than fine with making out for as ever long as you take to get comfortable. Even if it's over four dates. Especially if it's always like last night. Because that was fun,” he said, his finger grazing across her mouth. Causing her to move away at the touch with a laugh.

  “Really?” she asked, not convinced, as her eyes went to a mark on Micheal’s neck, as Willow’s blue-green eyes went wide at that.

  “I gave you a hickey last night?” she questioned, looking at the purple mark on his neck.

  “Well, I gave you one as well,” he said, as he grazed his finger against her neck where the mark was, smiling.

  “You know, I couldn’t have asked for a better first date. Especially coming out of my divorce a couple months ago and everything,” he said as Willow smiled.

  “I’m glad, yesterday was fun. Even if we got caught in the rain, literally,” she joked, as she played with the long dark strands of Micheal’s hair, weavin
g her fingers through them lightly.

  “There's something I’ve been meaning to ask. Evan is coming home this week. It’s my week with him. And well, I was wondering if you wanted to come by on the weekend. If you aren’t too busy? Or have plans already?” he asked.

  “I would love to come by next weekend and see him. Haven’t seen him in bit,”

  “Good apparently he has plans of his own, pending you coming over that is. I tried to ask for more details, but he wouldn’t budge about it,” he said, leaning over to kiss her, as her eyes went wide, not expecting the move at all.

  “Now you know how it feels, missy,” he said, touching the tip of her nose, before getting up from the bed.

  “I’m going to take a shower and then make us some good hangover food,” Micheal said, grabbing a change of clothes, headed for the bathroom door.

  Pouring the water into the coffeemaker, Willow heard the shower turn off, as Micheal walked down the stairs a couple minutes later. Wearing a t-shirt and lounge pants, and had slightly damp hair from the shower.

  “You put your shirt back on,” he said, disappointment laced in his voice.

  “Same goes for you,” she replied, pouring the coffee into two waiting mugs, passing one to him.

  “What do you want for breakfast?” he asked, taking a sip of the black coffee and opening up the pantry.

  “Pancakes,”

  “Bacon or sausage?” Micheal asked as he set the box of pancake mix on the countertop and opened up the fridge.

  “Both? And I was wondering if we could talk,” Willow asked, pulling up one of the bar stools up to the island, watching him crack eggs into a bowl and whisking them. As Willow took the bacon and sausage out of their packaging and placed them on the two pans.