Lessons In Forever

By Julie Raust

Widowed at a young age, Rachel Halson has spent the last 20 years as the ultimate mother, volunteer and picture-perfect good girl—and she’s had enough. Now she wants to experience all things sexual. The only problem is that Rachel’s not sure she has it in her; fortunately, that changes the instant she meets Detective Mitch Lang.
Mitch is gruff, demanding and definitely not the type to break in a mild-mannered homemaker from Wyoming. However, after one taste of her, Mitch finds he wants nothing more than to teach the lovely Miss Halson all the naughty things he can do to her in his bed.
Luckily, Mitch and Rachel both want the same thing—sex. No strings, no emotions, just hot, wild sex . . . and lots of it.
But when casual begins to feel like commitment and a dirty cop threatens their relationship, Mitch and Rachel must decide if what they have is actually worth fighting for.
Warning: This book contains a mature sexy, alpha male hero who knows how to make a curvy woman scream in bed, on a table, against a wall, on the floor and anywhere else he pleases. Its spicy sex scenes may be too hot for some to handle, and there’s no lack of four-letter words. Luckily one of them is 'love'.

Read an Excerpt:

"You know that I can’t last longer than a few minutes when you decide to ride me. You know all you need to know, Rachel, because that’s what this is between us. Sex. Just sex, and you’ve been getting your fill of it.”
“Not for the past two days,” she snapped, before she could stop the words from spilling out.
A lazy, seductive smile transformed Mitch’s face.
“Is that what this is about, baby?” he asked, stalking slowly towards her. “You’re in a snit ‘cause your pussy’s feeling lonely? You don’t need Simpson for that, sweet thing. I can rectify that right now.”
The predatory gleam in his eyes had Rachel backing away, but he followed, stalking her.
“No, thanks,” Rachel insisted, placing her hands on his chest in an effort to keep him at bay.
Mitch was still angry when he effortlessly picked Rachel up and pinned her against the wall with his body weight. “You want to know more about me, sweetheart?” he growled against her ear. “Well, here’s something you might not know about me. I’ve fantasied for weeks about fucking you hard and fast against a wall—hearing you scream my name and begging me to let you come.” He tightened his hold on her. “It’s time to see if the reality lives up to my fantasy.”
Before she could object, Mitch had his mouth on hers, bruising her as he pushed past her lips and devoured every inch of her mouth. He leaned further into her, ensuring she’d stay pressed between his barrel chest and the wall, leaving his hands free to explore her body. He touched her everywhere all at once. He grabbed her hair, her ass, her hips, her tits, her legs, anywhere he could reach to bring their bodies in closer contact...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Julie Raust
• Release date: Apr 4, 2014
• ISBN: 9780991918225

Julie Raust

Julie Raust lives on a quiet street in the suburbs of Toronto. When she’s not reading or writing she’s a full time referee and problem solver for three crazy awesome kids. Julie loves a happily ever after and was lucky enough to find one of her own with her husband / best friend. Her favorite books include, sexy alpha heroes, blue collar men, shifters, wolves, cowboys and lots and lots of sexy dialogue.

Book preview

Lessons in Forever

By Julie Raust

~~~

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2014 Julie Raust

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

~ ~ ~

Special Thanks to JMW Editor and Cover It! Designs, for their insight and creativity. And to my wonderful beta reader, your help is priceless – thanks!!

Love to my always supportive family because of you I can follow my dream!

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Epilogue

About the Author

Other Titles by Julie Raust

Recommended Reading

Prologue

My portfolio is a mix of technology, oil and gas and experimental medical stock. I try to diversify while still sticking with medium-risk ventures. My financial advisor says high-risk investments aren’t worth the dividends, but sometimes I wonder if that’s just so he can keep his commission. While I’m at work, Mom watches the market for me in case there are any sudden changes. I’ve never lost more than a few hundred bucks in one day, which is great because blah . . . blah . . . blah . . . blah . . . blah . . .

Rachel Halson was bored out of her mind.

If she wasn’t forty-five pounds over her ideal weight, she’d seriously consider sneaking out the small window she’d spied in the ladies’ washroom. However, getting caught wedged halfway above the expensive Asian restaurant’s back alley was probably a worse fate than spending the rest of the evening with her balding, middle-aged dinner date, Elliot.

In her defense, for the first hour of their date Rachel tried to follow Elliot’s endless discussion on retirement planning, but when the two-hour mark had passed with no signs of him stopping, Rachel was ready to inflict physical pain on either Elliot or herself.

Sadly, this wasn’t the first disastrous blind date Rachel had experienced this month. First, there was Bryan the mortician who droned on for hours about the latest embalming trends. Rachel was sure he could drum up his own business simply by talking to people. Then there was Gene, the grocery store produce manager who took Rachel to a strict vegan restaurant and spent the evening educating her on the evils of non-organic produce. Thankfully, that date ended abruptly after Rachel had jokingly asked the waiter for the steak and eggs special. In her defense, she never thought they’d actually get thrown out or that Gene would ditch her in the parking lot, leaving her to find her own way home.

After a few minutes with Elliot, Rachel decided that tonight would be her last blind date. She’d had her fill of boring, middle-aged men who spent more time trying to impress her with the size of their retirement portfolios rather than with the size of their cocks.

She was thirty-nine, single and alone now that her son, Ryan, had gone off to university. Rachel wasn’t looking for someone to spend her retirement with; she was looking for sex, lots of sex, meaningless, raunchy sex with a man who knew his way around a woman’s body.

Rachel took another sip of hot liquid, carefully holding the tiny bowl-cup that matched the intricately designed teapot at the center of the table. At the very least, sipping the scalding liquid kept her from dozing off onto her plate.

Isn’t this green tea spectacular? The leaves are specially handpicked in Taiwan. I have some investments there too . . . blah . . . blah . . . blah . . .

How much damage could a jab with a chopstick do? Rachel wondered, as she twirled the wooden stick through her fingers like a baton. Probably not enough.

It was times like these when Rachel missed her son Ryan. He’d keel over laughing if he knew she was contemplating stabbing her date with a chopstick.

Ryan was the perfect son, and never once had Rachel regretted her decision to devote the last eighteen years of her life to raising him. But now that he’d left to study marine biology at the University of Nova Scotia, it was time for Rachel to do some living for herself. She couldn’t see any way that she could accomplish that and stay here in Wyoming. Rachel was at her sexual peak, but she wasn’t able to experience the joys of this time in her life under the close scrutiny of her lifelong family and friends.

Her brother-in-law Stephen had been harassing her for months now to move to Austin—a place where she could stop trying to please everyone else in her life and finally concentrate on pleasing herself. Stephen had lived in Austin for the last six years. He was her best friend and the closest person Ryan had to a father since her husband had died. He knew Rachel better than anyone, and he was adamant that it was time for Rachel to move on to the next phase in her life. It should have been easy enough for her to agree; Rachel worked as an internet marketing specialist, which meant she could take her business anywhere and still be successful.

The only thing stopping her from moving was fear, but after tonight’s tedious date with Elliot, Rachel realized Stephen had been right all along. She needed to take back her life, and if that meant moving to Austin to do so then she’d begin packing her bags tonight.

Now that Rachel had made the decision to move, it was like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She even put down the chopstick she’d been contemplating using as a weapon. Rachel would muscle through one more hour with Elliot, leaving him in the parking lot; thankfully, she’d brought her own car this time. She would go home, call Stephen and tell him to start house hunting for her.

It may have taken thirty-nine years, but Rachel Halson was finally ready for her very first one-night stand.

Chapter One

Promise me you’ll have fun tonight, Stephen implored from his seat on the edge of her neatly made bed.

I’ll try. I promise. But I don’t really know these people, she replied, removing the red silk scarf from her neck, deciding that it was a little too flashy for the outfit.

Who gives a shit? Sorry, Stephen apologized, when she frowned at him. But you need to let loose. Drink. Dance. Fuck.

Stephen! Rachel scolded playfully.

Don’t ‘Stephen’ me, her friend mimicked, handing her a set of sparkly crystal earnings. It’s been too long since you’ve acted like a woman instead of a mom. You deserve this. Just because you want to have sex doesn’t make you a slut, Rach, he said, as if reading her mind. It just means you’re human.

I’ve never had casual sex with a stranger before.

Stephen stood, took Rachel by the shoulders and turned her so that she faced him in the mirror. Don’t over-think things, Rach. If you see a guy who’s fuckworthy, just go for it. You’ll get what you want—and believe me, he’ll get what he wants, and you’ll never have to see him again. No one in this town knows you. There’s no PTA, no in-laws, no one to care about what or who you’re doing. Isn’t this the reason you moved here in the first place?

She dropped her head back onto his shoulder. Why do you make it sound so simple?

Because it is. Now, pass me your wallet and your keys so I can put them in that gorgeous black clutch I brought for you. And remember to put on the slutty black, peep-toed shoes I picked out for you too. You’ve got to get going. You’re already fashionably late. Now it’s time to get your freak on, girlfriend, he declared with a dramatic upwards snap in the air.

Rachel laughed. She wouldn’t know what she’d do without Stephen’s support over the years. Her late husband’s brother was the best ‘girlfriend’ she had, and his unwavering love and support meant more to her than anything.

Last month, Stephen helped Rachel move into a rented two-story home located on a quiet street in the suburbs of Austin. It was just close enough to Stephen that she’d have family if she needed him, but far enough to spread her wings and live a little with no one watching over her.

Tonight Rachel had been invited to a house party down the street at Kyle and Nadeen’s. She’d met the gorgeous Nadeen at the supermarket a few days ago. The much younger woman was tall, runway model thin, with exotic eyes and a deep gold skin tone. She had one eyebrow pierced, a full arm-sleeve of tattoos and in each ear she wore one of those metallic rings that stretched out her earlobes.

Rachel’s first instinct had been to politely decline Nadeen’s party invitation. Rachel figured the girl and her boyfriend were too young, too eclectic and too wild for her to possibly enjoy a night at their home. But then Nadeen mentioned that Kyle was much older than her and that there would be a lot of eligible men at their party, and Rachel figured, Why not. This would be her first opportunity for adventure since she’d moved here. Now the only thing left for Rachel to do was find the courage to make her move.

Chapter Two

Red dress, three o’clock? Detective Mitchel Lang asked his best friend, eyeing the chaos in the backyard of the notorious drug dealer’s estate.

Rachel Halson. New to the neighborhood. Renting. From somewhere in Wyoming. That’s all we know so far, came the succinct reply from fellow Detective Riley Monroe.

Mitch watched as Officer Simpson approached Miss Halson. The sexy woman couldn’t have been more out of place at than a kitten in a doghouse. Her sophisticated red dress stood out amidst the sea of ripped jeans and t-shirts worn by the drug-addled twenty year old partygoers. She had a good two decades on almost everyone in the crowd, not to mention the fact that she looked like she actually ate three meals a