Coming Back To You

by Lynne, Donya

  Three weeks later, Mark officially started at Solar as the new director of operations. The time in Chicago—all the packing, preparations, reassigning his projects at Carter Mitchell, the good-bye dinners with his coworkers, friends, and family—helped sidetrack his mind from dwelling on his Karma dilemma. But the moment he turned the corner and saw her as he began the familiar walk down the hall, which led to his new office, his desire to have her rushed back.

  “Good morning, Karma.”

  “Good morning.” She met his gaze then quickly glanced away.

  They had a meeting first thing this morning to discuss expectations and his schedule.

  “Give me five minutes and we can get together.” Maintaining a measure of professionalism was challenging when what he really wanted to do was sweep around her desk and plant a kiss on her heart-shaped mouth.

  He settled into his new leather chair behind the L-shaped mahogany desk he’d inherited from Don and pulled up his e-mail and calendar, which was already packed with meetings. Personalizing his new space would have to take a back seat. Work first.

  Karma knocked a few minutes later. “You ready for me?” She sounded like she was forcing herself to remain professional, too.

  “Yes.” He swiveled around and gestured for her to take a seat.

  In her cream-colored pencil skirt and peach, short-sleeved sweater, she looked good enough to lick. The diamond flashing like lightning on her ring finger killed the mood, though.

  She entered, leaving the door open, and approached his desk to set a mug of coffee on the coaster beside his left hand. “One sugar, right?” She averted her gaze and sat across from him, her cheeks flushed.

  He glanced at the coffee then back at her. “Yes, thank you.” He hadn’t asked her to get his coffee. And she remembered how he took it. One sugar, no cream.

  She met his gaze in the silence, and her cheeks burned a deeper shade of crimson when she caught him staring. He knew exactly what that pink-cheeked expression meant, as well as her flustered demeanor. Maybe Rob had been right about her. Maybe her anger masked something more profound, something deeper, emotions she didn’t want to acknowledge let alone allow him to see. In a blink, she’d revealed everything, and his observant eye missed nothing.

  Karma was still attracted to him. And not just a little, but a lot. The truth lay in the telltale flutter of her eyelashes as she blinked away from his gaze, in the way she smoothed her palm down her thigh, the way she tucked her auburn hair behind her ear and licked her lips. It was in the fact she had brought him his coffee without him asking.

  How interesting. He wondered if she was even aware of her own response to him. Perhaps he wasn’t out of the game just yet.

  “What?” she said a moment later, fidgeting under his gaze.

  He grinned and broke off his stare, turning back to his calendar. “Nothing. I just…” Instinctively, he knew he couldn’t let on that he’d caught her foible. That would send her running and throwing up her defenses. “I’m just happy to be getting back to work.”

  She tapped her fingers on her notepad and glanced around his office as if trying to look at anything but him. “Are you all moved out of your apartment?”

  He forced himself to keep a straight face when what he really wanted to do was laugh. A few weeks ago, she had vehemently denied she felt anything for him. She had sat across from him in the conference room, seething, insisting in her own way that she had moved on, and yet, it was becoming clearer by the second that nothing could have been further from the truth.

  “Everything’s in storage,” he said. “All I need is a house to put it in.” For the time being, he had signed a short-term lease for a modest, two-bedroom apartment.

  “Well, I found a few more listings for you. I’ll e-mail them when I get back to my desk.”

  She had been feeding him home listings for the last three weeks. Some hadn’t appealed to him, but he had asked her to set up appointments with his realtor for several. He was set to view them this weekend.

  “I’d appreciate that.” He inhaled and snagged his Montblanc pen from beside his laptop. “If it’s not too much to ask, I’d really like your opinion. Would you mind joining me this Saturday as I view the properties?” Asking her to join him in viewing houses was a risky nudge to see if she would respond as more than just his assistant, but he couldn’t help himself.

  “I can’t.” She glanced down and ran the tip of her delicate index finger across her eyebrow. “Brad and I are spending the day at the zoo.”

  Disappointment clouded Mark’s previous good mood. “That sounds fun.”

  “Yes, we’re finally going to tell his daughter about the engagement. We were supposed to go a few weeks ago, but…” She paused and took an unsteady breath as if she were suppressing an uncomfortable thought. “Brad’s been busy.”

  “His daughter?” He hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but the fact that Karma was involved with a man who had a daughter surprised him. “How old is she?”

  “Twelve.” There went the jaw clench again.

  What was Karma holding back? Clearly, she and Brad’s daughter didn’t get along, and from her reaction, the rift between them was more like a chasm. Mark’s gut told him that Karma was entering into a situation that would make her miserable if it wasn’t already.

  He sat forward and folded his arms against his blotter. “You two don’t get along?”

  Karma released a sharp sigh. “I don’t want to talk about this with you. Can we get back to the meeting?”

  Straightening, Mark shifted back in his chair. Whatever frustrations Karma had with Brad’s daughter would remain hers. At least for now. But if he had any chance of winning her back, eventually he would need to get her talking about her relationship. That was the only way he would be able to convince her she was making a terrible mistake.

  * * *

  Thirty minutes later, Karma returned to her desk with a lengthy to-do list to help Mark get set up and hit the ground running as Don’s replacement.

  But one thing had become clear during their meeting. She needed to start putting out feelers for another job. No way could she continue to work at Solar if Mark was going to be her boss. There was too much history between them. Just being alone with him in Don’s—his—office had caused old feelings to stir in her heart. Feelings of longing, desire…love.

  God, she didn’t need to fall in love with him again. That was a one-way ticket to heartache. Hell, screw that. She already was in love with him. Being around him simply reminded her of that. Her one-way ticket was already punched. Heartache, here I come.

  But wasn’t she happy now? With Brad? They were engaged. She should have been happy. She had a future with Brad. What would she have with Mark? Nothing.

  Oh sure, with Mark she would feel alive again. Desirable. Mark wouldn’t make her take a rain check for sex. If nothing else, she had learned from her time with Mark that he was an exceptional lover. A connoisseur of sensuality and foreplay. He would always factor in sexual playtime. Even if he had to work, he would set the stage to pique her arousal so that when he finished whatever task required his attention, he could come to her with the breathtaking intensity of a spring thunderstorm…to wash her away on a deluge of heavenly stimulation so mind-blowing, it could bring her to tears. And it had once. Her first time with Mark had moved her beyond any emotional capacity she had ever experienced, leaving her crying cleansing tears of joy.

  And Mark didn’t come with snarky adolescent children, either. After enduring Jade’s rude behavior for months, being with a man who she could share the experience of becoming a first-time parent sounded appealing. Refreshing even.

  However, Mark had plenty of other baggage that set off warning sirens in her head, and right now, those bells and whistles were the only things keeping her from marching into his office that very second, shutting the door, and climbing onto his lap.

  Which was why she simply couldn’t see a future at Solar. How could she do her job and
work for a man who tempted her heart? Every day would be a test of wills. An exercise in self-control. How long could she last against such temptation? She’d begun to think she and Brad were making a mistake, but she wasn’t giving up what they had without a fight, and she refused to jeopardize her relationship with Brad for a man who could give her nothing but a euphoric roll in the hay. If she and Brad didn’t make it, it wasn’t going to be because of Mark.

  Resolved to update her résumé and begin sending it out, she turned to her computer and e-mailed Mark the property listings she had promised him.

  Around three o’clock, as she was compiling data from the project managers for Mark, Jasper swung by her desk on the way back from a meeting with his team. As the others continued on to the war room, Jasper made a beeline for her desk. She had gone out on a couple of casual dates with Jasper last fall, but nothing had come of them. She hadn’t been ready to date. A few weeks later, Jasper had met his current girlfriend, a physical therapist, after the last softball game of the season.

  “Hey, do you think Mark would want to join us for softball tonight?” Jasper set his iPad on her counter. “We need a second baseman. Tom can’t make it.”

  The fall softball season had started last week. Finding players in the spring and summer was easier than in the fall, when parents had to tend to their kids’ after-school events. Tom had three kids, and Karma had no idea how he kept all their activities straight. From the moment the school year started until the second it ended, those children were more active in sports and extracurricular activities than she thought was humanly possible. When Tom’s kids did homework, ate, and slept, Karma had no idea.

  “Um…” The last thing she wanted was for Mark to join the team. Brad already played as their shortstop, and she really didn’t want Brad and Mark to meet, least of all in the field. Talk about awkward.

  Mark took that moment to come out of his office, coffee mug in hand, heading toward the coffee station.

  Jasper flagged him down. “Hey, Mark. How’s it going?”

  “Hey, Jasper. Everything’s good? How are you doing?”

  They shook hands.

  “Great. Just had a meeting with my team. Looks like my top customer is going to be giving us another project soon. A big one.”

  “That’s good news. Sounds like you’re doing good things on that account.”

  They chattered about business and projects for a couple of minutes as Karma looked on. Please don’t ask him to play. Please don’t.

  But God wasn’t answering her prayers today.

  “So, do you play softball?” Jasper said.

  Karma cringed inwardly. Please don’t let him say yes.

  “I’ve played a little softball. Not much, but enough. Why?”

  “Solar has a team in a local league and we need a second baseman. Tom usually plays, but now that school’s started, I think he’s going to drop out.”

  Wait a minute. Karma thought this was just for one game. Now Jasper was making it sound like he wanted Mark to play in Tom’s place for the rest of the season. Not cool.

  “Sounds like it could be fun.” Mark set his mug on her counter. “Are we talking fast-pitch? Slow-pitch? How serious are we talking here?”

  “Oh, we’re not that serious.” Jasper gestured toward Karma. “We’re a co-ed team. Slow-pitch. Just for fun.”

  Mark turned toward her. “You’re on the team? How did I not know that?”

  She didn’t like the mischievous gleam in his eyes.

  Before she could answer, Jasper did for her. “Yep. Karma’s on the team. So is her fiancé. So, if you have a girlfriend or anything, she’s free to come, too.”

  Mark’s mouth curled into a benign smile. “I’m not currently dating anyone, so it’ll just be me.”

  So, Miss New Year’s Eve had been dismissed, too. Welcome to the long list of Mark Strong heartbreaks, sister.

  “So, you’ll come?” Jasper sounded hopeful.

  Mark lifted his shoulders. “Sure. Why not. Sounds like fun.”

  “Great.” Jasper turned back toward her. “Can you give him all the details? I’ve gotta jump on a call with a customer.”

  “Uh…”

  “Thanks, Karma.” Jasper darted off.

  She turned and looked up into Mark’s sexy, dark gaze. “I’ll e-mail you the details.”

  He only stared back at her, saying nothing, but Karma could see his wheels turning. After a long pause, he said, “I’m looking forward to meeting your fiancé.” With that, he grabbed his cup and disappeared around the corner.

  Damn Jasper.

  * * *

  At five forty-five, Brad pulled into the softball complex. Mark’s BMW was already there, causing an odd, conflicted yearning to overtake her. Part of her—the part who wanted to take Mark into the nearest storage closet and strip him bare—perked up in excitement. But her practical side—the one devoted to Brad and all things reasonable—scowled. That side of her detested the intrusion on a physical outlet that had helped distract her mind from her depression last year. And now, here he was, infiltrating and inserting himself into yet another facet of her life.

  “It’s a little chilly tonight.” Brad grabbed his duffel from the backseat.

  Karma hefted hers over her shoulder, thankful she’d brought a sweatshirt. It was the end of September and the weather was growing cooler. Soon, it would be sweater weather. She loved sweater weather. Or, rather, she loved the idea of it. The thought of snuggling into a soft, fluffy, oversized sweater on a trip to the local orchard to buy homemade apple butter, cider, and search the pumpkin patch for the perfect pumpkin to make a jack-o’-lantern filled her soul with warmth and left a nostalgic grin on her face. Unfortunately, the reality was that the trip to the orchard would be on a dreary, rainy day too bone-chilling cold for just a sweater. If late September’s weather was a temperamental mix of hot and cold, October’s was notorious for overcast, drizzly autumn days.

  As they approached the softball diamond, Karma spied Mark warming up with Lisa and frowned. Her best friend was consorting with the enemy. Lisa should know better than that. They tossed a ball back and forth, and Mark looked as at ease with softball as he had playing basketball when she’d visited him in Chicago last summer. The guy was built for sports. And damn, his arms were ripped. Looked like Mark had been seriously working out in his year away.

  Jasper and several other members of the team were already warming up, too. As usual, she and Brad were the late arrivals. Brad could never seem to pick her up on time. There was always some last-minute crisis at work he had to tend to.

  “Hey, Karma!” Lisa waved.

  Mark turned, caught her eye, and then his gaze quickly jumped to Brad.

  Let the awkwardness begin.

  “Hi.” She waved back at Lisa, briefly met Mark’s gaze again, then knelt beside her bag along the dusty sideline.

  She fished out her mitt, grabbed one of the balls from the equipment duffel, then she and Brad trotted out to the field, setting up a few feet away from Mark and Lisa. Standing about twenty feet from Brad, she tossed the ball his direction.

  The white ball landed in his leather mitt with a familiar thwack.

  Back-and-forth, they tossed the ball, getting a good, easy rhythm going. Thwack…thwack.

  For five minutes, she focused on the flying white orb, forcing herself not to look at Mark. But she could feel him. He was right there, barely ten feet away. It was like the guy had invisible tentacles, and they were caressing her from head to toe, sending her awareness into the stratosphere.

  With only a couple more minutes until the game started, all the players made their way to the bench.

  “Looks like tough competition.” Mark nodded toward the opposition.

  “They’re from Methodist Sports Medicine.” Jasper dropped his mitt on the bench and grabbed his water.

  “That explains it.” Mark glanced at her and held her gaze a second longer than necessary as he sat beside her.

  Bra
d sat on her other side. He reached across her body, hand outstretched toward Mark. “By the way, I’m Brad.”

  Mark hesitated for a fraction of a second as if sizing up his competition. “I’m Mark. I’m Karma’s new boss.” Karma didn’t miss the possessive tone in his voice, even if it passed right over everyone else’s head. But she knew him more intimately than the others, and right now, he was a rooster strutting around the hen, trying to intimidate the other roosters.

  “Karma didn’t tell me she had a new boss.” Brad gave her a quizzical look.

  She felt her cheeks flame to life and waved her hand dismissively. “It just happened. Besides, it’s no big deal, and you’ve been busy.” She rubbed her arm against his affectionately. Probably too affectionately. “Mark worked at Solar last year as a consultant, so it’s kind of like he never really left.” She shot Mark a pointed glance. Because, clearly, he had left. And when he did, he’d given up any right to stake a claim over her, which he was clearly trying to do now by preening his feathers in front of Brad.

  “I’m here to stay this time,” Mark said, his gaze boring into Brad’s in a way that sent all kinds of my-dick-is-bigger-than-yours vibes.

  And, honestly, Mark’s dick was bigger than Brad’s, but jock size wasn’t how she measured the worth of a man.

  Brad looked between her and Mark then narrowed his eyes and smiled. “I see. Well, it’s too bad my fiancée hasn’t mentioned you.”

  Uh-oh. Sounded like Brad had picked up on the verbal challenge. The way he slid his hand into hers and wove their fingers together proved it. Brad wasn’t into displays of public affection, but faced with what he perceived as another suitor vying for her attention, he must have cast aside his aversion to make clear exactly who she belonged to.

  Thankfully the umpire called the first batter to the plate, ending the covert cock fight she was smack in the middle of. The first two up to bat got base hits, then Jasper got a double. Then three outs in a row. But they had scored two runs. Not bad for a first inning at bat.