All of Me

by Sheryl Lister

  “There are plenty of handsome men roaming around here.” Janae folded her arms. “As a matter of fact, I don’t think you’ll have a problem finding someone to spend time with.”

  Karen arched an eyebrow upon seeing the sly grin on Janae’s face. “Really? And what makes you think that?”

  “For one thing, I noticed several guys watching you when you were fixing your plate.” A smile played around the corners of her mouth. She leaned forward and whispered, “For another, there’s a positively gorgeous specimen of a man headed this way.”

  Karen whipped her head around, and her gaze collided with the man who had invaded her dreams for the past two nights. He looked good, wearing a pair of black linen shorts with a matching button-down shirt and black leather sandals. The muscles in his arms and calves were on prominent display, flexing with every movement. Mouthwatering. Her heart thudded in her chest as he came closer and stopped at their table.

  “Good afternoon, ladies.” He fixed his stare on Karen. “We meet again,” her dream hunk said with a wink. “Any more problems?”

  Janae leaned back in her chair and gave Karen a sidelong glance. A smile tugged at her lips.

  Karen cut her a quick look, then said, “No. None.”

  “Glad to hear it.” He stood there a moment longer, as if he wanted to say more. Finally, he stuck out his hand. “I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Damian.”

  She reached for his hand. “Karen.” His large hand engulfed her smaller one. Warmth spread up her arm and through her body. She withdrew her hand and pulled her gaze from his. “This is my best friend, Janae.”

  He nodded politely and shook Janae’s hand. “Hello.”

  “Nice to meet you, Damian.”

  “Well, I don’t want to interrupt your lunch, but I just wanted to make sure Karen hadn’t had any more trouble.”

  “Oh, you’re not interrupting,” Janae said. “Have a seat.” She pushed back from the table and stood. “I’ll be right back. I want to check out the dessert table.”

  Karen stifled a laugh when Janae mouthed, Yummy, behind his back. She looked up to where Damian still stood, seemingly waiting for an invitation to sit. She pointed to the empty chair next to her. “Please have a seat, Damian.” A strong name for a tall, strong-looking brother.

  He folded his body into the chair, and they both fell silent for a few moments.

  He chuckled nervously. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in the company of such a beautiful woman. I’m way out of practice and not real sure what to do anymore.”

  She laughed. “Well, no time like the present to find out.”

  He nodded. “So, are you traveling with a companion? I noticed the men you were with.”

  “If you’re asking whether I’m single, the answer is yes, I am. Those were Janae’s brothers. And you?”

  “Same.” He paused. “Would you like to join me for dinner this evening?”

  “I’m sorry. I’ve already made plans.”

  His face fell.

  “But I’m free tomorrow night.”

  A smile lit his face. “Marcus Johnson is performing tomorrow night. Would you like to go with me to the concert?”

  Karen hesitated. She had planned to attend the show anyway and didn’t want to go alone. But she was supposed to be taking a break from men, and in her head, she listed all the reasons why she should tell him no. However, something about Damian had captured her attention. Why not throw caution to the wind and have a little fun? Besides, after this week, she’d never see him again. “I’d love to.”

  He came to his feet. “Great.”

  “What time is the show?”

  “It starts at eight, but I’ll get there early to save us a seat.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll meet you there.”

  “I’ll be waiting. Enjoy the rest of your day, Karen.” He pivoted and sauntered off.

  “Okay.” She slowly lowered her trembling hand to her lap and stared after him, remembering how good he looked from the back in those swim trunks—broad shoulders, tapered waist and tight, muscled butt. That sexy stroll had several women stopping to watch. She smiled. Tomorrow, he would be all hers.

  “So I guess you won’t be instituting that dating hiatus after all,” Janae said, dropping into her chair.

  “I might be willing to make an exception just for him,” she said absently, still staring at Damian’s retreating back.

  “Wow. That must be a new record for the shortest dating hiatus ever.”

  Karen slowly turned her head and glared.

  Janae checked her watch. “It lasted all of...four and a half minutes.”

  “Ha-ha. So you got jokes now.” She tried to hold on to her scowl, but lost the battle when Janae started laughing. They laughed so hard, people at nearby tables turned to stare. When they were finally able to regain some semblance of calm, Karen said, “I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time. I really miss hanging out with you.”

  “Yeah, so do I.” Wiping tears of mirth from her eyes, Janae asked, “What did Damian mean by you having trouble? Did something happen?”

  “Not really. On the way to my room after seeing your parents off, some drunk fool tried to grab me, talking about keeping him company for the cruise. I was two seconds from knocking him on his butt when Damian intervened. He even offered to walk me to my room. Then yesterday, he happened to be at the pool when another jerk tried to hit on me.”

  “Hmph. Fine and a gentleman. Are you guys going to meet up soon?”

  She smiled and nodded. “We’re going to Marcus Johnson’s show tomorrow night.”

  “You go, girl. And if he turns out not to be a gentleman, we can toss him overboard.”

  They shared another laugh, remembering the time Karen had said the same thing about Terrence when he first showed an interest in Janae. But something told her that Damian was every bit the gentleman she thought him to be.

  * * *

  Damian couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he left the dining room. Karen. He had thought about her all night but figured he probably wouldn’t see her again so soon. He couldn’t remember the last time he had anticipated going on a date so much. Excitement hummed in his veins, something no other woman in the past five years had been able to elicit. He made his way out to the deck, where an up-and-coming band was playing.

  I wonder if she’ll wear something like that red dress. He hoped so. The tasteful halter dress revealed the smooth skin of her back and shoulders, reminding him of whipped chocolate mousse. A vision of him trailing his hands and mouth along the expanse of her neck, shoulders and back flooded his mind, sending an unexpected jolt of lust to his groin, and shocking him in the process.

  The parts of him he thought had died with his wife suddenly roared to life, followed by an immediate stab of guilt. His chest tightened. Damian threaded his way through the crowd crammed on the deck, moved to the railing and stared out over the water. His guilt was irrational, he knew, but he couldn’t help following the flash of memories as they arose. The music and voices faded as his mind traveled back to Joyce.

  He had taken her under his wing and helped her adjust to a new school after she moved in with her grandparents across from his house when they were fifteen. Her father’s job had relocated to another state, and rather than uproot Joyce, her parents had allowed her to stay in North Carolina and finish high school. Their relationship had just sort of developed over time, and what started as friendship gave way to a gentle love ending in marriage. Pain settled in his chest. He would never forget the day he came home from work and found her unconscious at the bottom of the stairs. She had sustained a severe brain injury in the fall and died two days later.

  He squeezed his eyes shut to block out the memories. He drew in a long breath and released it slowly. Damian repe
ated the process until the pressure in his chest eased. He had been grieving for five long years. Karen’s face shimmered in his mind’s eye. Joyce would always hold a place in his heart, but she was gone now. Maybe it was time for him to stop merely existing and actually start living. Someone bumped him, shattering his reverie. Slowly the music and voices came back into focus. People all around him clapped, danced and sang along with the band.

  He glanced up to the sky, smiled softly and let the music seep into his soul. Today was a new day, a new beginning with a beautiful and intriguing woman in his future, and he planned to enjoy both.

  Chapter 3

  Karen and Janae had a little while longer to hang out before it was time for Janae to meet Terrence, so they sat in on a question-and-answer session with a jazz artist.

  “Is Terrence doing a Q & A, too?”

  “Yes. The show is Wednesday night, and he’ll do the Q & A and autograph signing the following afternoon. Knowing Terrence, he’ll probably sing a couple of songs, too. We’re going to do a little sightseeing when we get to Nassau earlier in the day, then get back in time for the session.”

  “You guys aren’t getting off in Grand Turks tomorrow and Jamaica on Wednesday?”

  “No. He doesn’t want to be too tired for the concert, so we’ll hang out in the room. But he promised we’d take a trip to Jamaica soon.”

  Karen chuckled. “Locked in an exquisite suite aboard a luxury cruise with his new bride, yeah, I’m sure he’ll be well rested.”

  “I’ll go easy on him,” Janae said with a laugh. “Are you coming?”

  “Of course I’m coming to the show.”

  “Hmm. You might be otherwise preoccupied,” she said with a smirk.

  “I don’t think so. If we happen to hit it off, he’s welcome to join me, but I’m not missing that show. And you tell Terrence...well, Monte, I’d better get my autographed CD.”

  Janae laughed. “I’ll make sure to pass the message along. It’s really good.”

  “Wait. You’ve already heard it?” At Janae’s grin, she frowned and folded her arms. “See, you just ain’t right. I thought I was your BFF.”

  “You are. Gotta go find my hubby, before he comes looking for me.” She gave a little wave and started off.

  Karen stared with her mouth hanging open. “I am so going to get you, you little traitor!” she called after Janae. “You weren’t even a big fan of his until I dragged you to that concert.”

  Janae just laughed and kept going.

  Karen shook her head and headed for her own room.

  * * *

  Once the ship reached Grand Turks the following day, Karen disembarked only long enough to take a picture in front of the welcome sign and pick up a souvenir. Back in her room, she pulled out her novel and read on the balcony until it was time to leave for dinner. Knowing she wouldn’t have time to change between dinner and the concert, she toyed with putting on something else.

  Standing in front of the mirror, Karen glanced at her profile and decided against it. The turquoise halter dress was similar to the red one she’d worn the day before and made her look and feel sexy. She smoothed down her hair and touched up her makeup. Satisfied with her appearance, she picked up her small black leather cross-body purse with a braided jewel and leather strap and left.

  Devin had insisted she have dinner with him and Donovan, so she wouldn’t have to eat alone. Tonight, Janae’s oldest brother and his wife, along with two of Terrence’s other friends, joined them. During dinner, she laughed and conversed, but her thoughts were never far from Damian. Sure, the man gave new meaning to good-looking, but she hadn’t come on this ship for some meaningless fling. Her goals were clear: see her best friend get married and refocus on her career. However, if that were truly the case, why had she agreed to meet him tonight? Because I’m drawn to him in a way I can’t explain.

  Nervousness took hold, and she took a huge gulp of her wine. By the time dinner concluded, she had downed two glasses, hoping they would calm the marbles rolling around in her belly. They didn’t. She stood to excuse herself and had to endure Devin’s inquisition. She used to think Janae was kidding about his overprotectiveness. Now she knew better. After assuring him she didn’t need him to check out her date, Karen made a quick getaway.

  A crowd had already gathered by the time Karen arrived at the theater. How in the world would she find Damian? She had no clue where to begin. She scanned the left side, squinting in the jam-packed space. Taking a step farther into the room, she leaned forward to see if he was sitting on one of the lower levels. A warm hand circled her waist, and she turned to give the offender a blistering retort, but froze when she heard the seductively familiar voice.

  “Looking for someone?”

  She turned slowly. Good grief. Every time she saw the man he looked better and better. Tonight he wore tailored dark trousers and a silk pullover that emphasized his well-defined arms, chest and abs. “Hey. I didn’t see you.” The heat from his body pressed against her ignited a slow burn. A shiver passed through her. She eased out of his embrace before she was tempted to do something crazy, like reach up and run her hands all over him to see if those muscles felt as firm as they looked. “Where are we sitting?”

  Damian cupped her elbow and gently steered her to where he had seats saved near the front.

  “Wow. How did you get such great seats?”

  He chuckled softly. “It’s our first date. I wanted to impress you, so I got here early.”

  First? The tone of his voice and the intensity of his gaze suggested there would be more than one date if he had anything to say about it. “Well, consider me impressed.” The lounge had a mixture of theater chairs, semicircular booths for six or eight, tables with chairs and love seats for two. Of course, he had chosen the love seat. If it unnerved her how close he stood, she had no idea how she would manage to get through one or two hours with him sitting so near.

  Damian gestured her to the seat, then sat next to her. He turned and reached for her hand. “Karen, I want to thank you for agreeing to come tonight.” He lifted her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on the back.

  Karen stifled a moan at the feeling of his warm lips against her skin and melted into the seat. “Um. Thank you for asking.” She imagined those same lips trailing a path up her arm, over her shoulders...

  Get it together, girl, an inner voice snapped, shattering the vision.

  “And I’m really glad you have on another dress like that red one you were wearing yesterday. You look absolutely stunning.”

  “It’s one of my favorites.”

  “Now it’s one of mine.”

  Typically, she had no problem engaging in a little harmless flirtation with men, but Damian was messing with her equilibrium. Even with the lights low, she saw the fire in his eyes, and the flirty comeback poised on her tongue died a swift death. Earlier he had mentioned being out of practice with women. If he defined this as “out of practice,” what would he be like with practice?

  He leaned over to say something else, but before he could open his mouth, the lights went down in the theater, Marcus Johnson came up on the stage and the music began. Thank goodness. She needed a minute. If she had any doubts that he had more than a passing interest in her, the look in his eyes cleared it up. He was definitely interested. Just some casual fun, someone to pass the time with—that was what she told herself. She hadn’t planned on this. She hadn’t planned on him. And Lord help her, she was interested in him, too.

  She glanced down at his long fingers tapping out the song’s rhythm on his thigh. He had large hands, making her speculate about the size of certain other parts. Her pulse jumped. Karen Lynette Morris, you stop it right now! she chastised herself. Get your mind out of the gutter. Karen reached up and discreetly wiped the moisture gathering on her forehead. She needed to get a grip. She
was sitting here fantasizing about a man she’d met two days ago, or actually yesterday. Whenever. The point was, she had no business thinking about him in those terms. She pushed the sensual thoughts to the back of her mind and focused on the music, letting the smooth piano jazz sounds take over.

  Soon, Karen found herself rocking to the beat along with everyone else. She and Damian shared a smile, their heads bobbing in time with the music. By the time the concert ended, she felt more relaxed and in control.

  “He’s really good,” she said as they filed out with the crowd. “I don’t have any of his CDs, but I’m definitely adding him to my collection.”

  Damian nodded. “Marcus is very good. I have a couple of his CDs.” Once they made it to an open area, he pulled her to the side. “It’s still early, and I’m not ready for the evening to end. How about we go check out the club? Do you like to dance?”

  “I do, but I haven’t in a while.” She checked her watch. It was only ten. “Sure. Let’s do it.” He reached for her hand and entwined their fingers as if it was the most natural thing to do. She felt the same heat as she had when they shook hands at lunch.

  They heard the music as they rounded the corner. Damian immediately pulled her onto the dance floor. Karen swayed her hips in time with his, her eyes glued to every move he made—slim waist, washboard abs, muscular thighs and arms. She loved dancing, and it had been a long time since she allowed herself to be free and uninhibited. After a few up-tempo grooves, the music changed to a ballad. He moved closer and wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her flush against his hard body.

  She trembled when his hand came in contact with her bare back. Any calm she previously felt fled. His fingers moved slowly across the exposed area, searing a path on her skin. She glanced up to see his gaze locked on hers. Karen’s breath caught, and her heart hammered in her chest. His eyes darkened, the green flecks more evident. His gaze drifted to her mouth, then back up to meet her eyes. She wanted him to kiss her. They’d only been together a few hours, yet the only thing on her mind was having his lips on hers. She turned away and rested her head on his shoulder, hoping he didn’t see the longing in her eyes.