Over the past two days, the parts of him that had lain dormant for so many years surfaced and burst free. When he was younger, he had hiked, sailed, danced, laughed and enjoyed life. Karen was the first woman who seemed to possess the same zeal for life as him. The other women he dated wouldn’t have been caught dead doing any activity that required more than lifting a wineglass to their lips. The other thing that crossed his mind was her calming presence. For as long as he could remember, he’d be lucky if he slept for more than two hours at a time. Last night he had slept five hours straight without any of the restlessness that usually plagued him.
Damian glanced over his shoulder at the clock. He still had a couple of hours before meeting his friends. He eased out of her embrace, slid off the bed and headed for the bathroom. She stirred for a moment and then turned over and settled down. While in the bathroom, he found a new toothbrush and toothpaste in a gift basket on the counter. After finishing, he returned to find Karen awake and propped on her elbow. She had pulled the sheet up, covering her amazing body.
“Good morning,” he said with a smile. “Did you sleep well?”
“Good morning. I did. How about you?”
“It was the best sleep I’ve had in a long time.”
She stared at him curiously, then asked, “Are you done in the bathroom?”
He nodded. His eyes were riveted to her lush curves as she passed him, and his body reacted in kind. He was sitting up in bed with the sheet draped across his lower body when she returned.
Flipping the cover back, he patted the space next to him. “Come join me.” She scooted next to him, and he wrapped his arms around her. Damian tilted her chin and kissed her. “Now, that’s a good-morning kiss.”
“Mmm, I agree.”
“Are you going to be busy tonight with your friends?”
“We didn’t really make any concrete plans. Why?”
“I want to have dinner with you,” he said while nibbling on the shell of her ear. “We only have a couple of days left on the cruise, and I want to spend as much time with you as I can.”
“In that case, okay.”
“Seven good for you?”
“Absolutely.”
Damian lowered his head and kissed her again. He had only meant it to be gentle—a kiss sealing the date—but the moment he touched her lips, he was lost. He tumbled her backward on the bed and deepened the kiss while his hands roamed possessively over her body.
“Don’t you need to meet your friends?” Karen murmured against his lips.
“Mmm-hmm. I have plenty of time for them. Right now I just want to concentrate on you and this beautiful body of yours.”
He reached for the last condom on the nightstand, quickly sheathed himself and slid into her sweet warmth. He wanted to take his time, but the way her muscles tightened around him and the sound of her calling his name in that sexy voice were his undoing. Afterward, they both collapsed against the pillows trying to catch their breath.
“That was...” she started.
“Yeah, I know. Beyond incredible,” he finished as he laced their fingers together. Everything about this woman turned him on, and he wouldn’t mind staying this way for the rest of the day. He wondered what Troy and Kyle would do if he backed out of their excursion.
“What are you thinking about?”
He laughed softly. “I was trying to come up with an excuse to back out on my friends.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He rolled his head in her direction. “Tired of my company already?”
“Not at all. I was thinking you just got out of the doghouse for being a bad friend. It would be a shame for you to be back in so soon.”
Damian stared at her in disbelief, then laughed heartily. Soon they were both laughing hard. “Wow. I don’t know if I should be offended or not. I’ve never been with a woman who wanted me to go out with the guys.”
Still chuckling, she said, “Don’t be. I just happen to think good friends are hard to come by, and it’s important to spend time with them when you can.”
He quieted, thinking about her words. “Yeah. I agree. So do you plan to go ashore?”
“Yes. Janae and Terrence are making an appearance, and we’re all going to lunch. Beyond that, I have no idea what we’re doing.”
He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. “I guess I should probably get moving.” He stood, retrieved his clothes and dressed quickly. He would shower once he got back to his room. But first he glanced back at Karen spread out on the bed looking sexy as hell—wild hair, kiss-swollen lips—with the sheet barely covering her body. She made an alluring picture. It was all he could do not to climb back into that bed.
She obviously interpreted his thoughts because she said, “Stop looking at me like that and go meet your friends.”
Busted, he dropped his head. He leaned down and kissed her. “I’ll see you tonight, sweetheart.”
She gave him a tiny wave and smiled. “Bye. Have fun.”
He stood there a minute longer, willing his feet to move. Finally, he forced himself to leave. Giving her one last look, he reluctantly opened the door and left with every detail about her imprinted on his brain.
Damian strolled down the corridor toward the elevator. He smiled. Yeah, he would enjoy the day with his friends, but his night—that would belong to Karen.
Chapter 7
“I wasn’t sure you’d show up,” Troy said when Damian set his plate on the table and lowered himself into the chair across from Troy.
“Believe me, I thought about canceling,” Damian muttered, spreading strawberry jam on his biscuit. In his mind, he replayed last night and this morning. His groin throbbed in remembrance of Karen riding him. Kyle’s laughter broke into his thoughts.
“You’re daydreaming, bro. It must have been a helluva night.”
“It was.” They ate in silence for a few minutes.
“You’re really feeling Karen?” Troy asked, forking up some scrambled eggs on his plate.
“I like her.”
Troy raised an eyebrow. “You like her? That’s it? As much time as you’re spending with her, that’s all you’re gonna say?”
Damian shrugged. “It’s only been a couple of days, so yeah, that’s all I’m saying.” He wasn’t ready to share his feelings because he didn’t quite understand them himself. They stared at him. “What?”
Kyle drained his glass of orange juice and shook his head. “You must really like her if you were thinking about canceling.” He cocked his head to the side. “Out of curiosity, what made you decide not to cancel?”
“Karen. She said good friends are hard to come by and that I should take advantage of the time.”
“Sounds like a wise woman.” They finished breakfast, and Kyle checked his watch. “We should get going.”
They all rose from the table and grabbed their backpacks. “You’re still not telling me what we’re doing?” Damian asked.
“We’re gonna have some fun. That’s all you need to know.” Troy clapped him on the shoulder. “It’ll be like old times when we used to go hiking or motorcycle riding.”
Ten minutes later, the three men headed into town. They stopped to do a short tour of the Atlantis Resort and ended up engaging in a car race on the Raceway, which Kyle won and couldn’t stop bragging about.
“It was only one race, and you barely won,” Damian said.
“The fact remains, I won. I knew that tactical driving course would come in handy someday.” Kyle was a former police detective.
“That wasn’t tactical driving. That was cheating. If you hadn’t cut me off, I would’ve won.”
Kyle laughed. “Like I said, tactical driving.”
“Whatever,” Damian muttered. “What else are we doi
ng?”
“We’re taking a short hop over to one of the private islands to do some snorkeling,” Troy answered.
They were shuttled to the dock area, where Troy had chartered a boat. The ride lasted less than an hour, and Damian could only stare at the island’s lush beauty—endless blue sky, powder-white sand and warm turquoise water. “This is amazing. How did you guys find out about this place?”
“My old buddy from the force, Joshua, told us about it,” Kyle answered. “He came with us four years ago. Troy and I come back every time we cruise this way.” He gestured around. “See all this beauty you’ve been missing?”
He surveyed the area again. “Yeah.” Four years ago would have been the first time they invited him to join them on the cruise. Back then nothing could pull him out of the deep funk he’d been in. The only thing he had wanted was to make it through the day.
Troy seemed to sense what was going though his head. “You’re here now, so let’s have some fun.”
They headed over to one of the three buildings on the beach, where they were outfitted with snorkeling equipment. For the next two hours, they explored the depths of crystal-clear waters and saw a variety of plant and animal life. Once they finished, the three men returned the equipment, showered and ate lunch at the small beachfront grill. There were about a dozen people inside, so it didn’t take long to get their food. Damian took his friends’ suggestion and ordered the steamed fish, baked macaroni and cheese, and potato salad. Troy ordered a side of johnnycake—a slightly sweet flavored bread. Lifting their glasses of planter’s punch, they toasted to friendship and dug in.
“Oh,” Damian said, “this is good.”
“Told you,” Troy said around a mouthful of macaroni and cheese. “This mac and cheese is better than my mama’s.” He glanced up and pointed his fork at Damian and Kyle. “And if either one of you two clowns mentions that to her, I’ll kick your asses.”
Damian grinned. “Man, I’m three inches taller, outweigh you by a good thirty pounds and, unlike you, work out regularly. It’ll be no contest.”
“Hell, I’ll just shoot you,” Kyle tossed out with a shrug.
They looked at each other and laughed. The trash-talking continued throughout the meal, and Damian realized how much he had missed hanging out with his friends. He downed the last of his drink, wiped his mouth and tossed the napkin on his empty plate. Leaning back in the chair, he groaned. “I haven’t eaten like this in ages.”
“Me, either,” Kyle said. “Let’s snag one of those loungers or a hammock and let this food digest.”
The men dragged themselves over beneath large palm trees. Troy collapsed onto a lounger, while Damian and Kyle chose hammocks. The temperatures hovered near eighty, and the peaceful surroundings immediately relaxed Damian. His mind automatically shifted to Karen. He wondered whether she was still on the island or back on the ship. He continued to be in awe of their chemistry in and out of bed. He would love to have her next to him cuddled in the hammock. His eyes slid closed, and with a smile on his face, he drifted off.
Troy’s voice startled him and interrupted an incredible dream he was having about Karen.
“Damian. Wake up.”
His eyes popped open, and he ran a hand over his face. “What time is it?”
“Five.”
He sat up so quickly he almost tumbled out of the hammock. Coming to his feet, he glared at Troy and Kyle. “What?” His heart started to pound in alarm. “The ship is supposed to leave at five.”
Kyle climbed out of the hammock near him, yawned and stretched. “We know. We’re staying overnight and catching up with the ship tomorrow in Key West.”
Damian cursed. “Why didn’t you tell me that?” he roared.
“Man, calm down. We just wanted you to experience a little Caribbean nightlife before we head back,” Kyle said.
Troy frowned. “We didn’t think it would be a big deal.”
“Well, it is a big deal,” Damian said through clenched teeth. “I told Karen we’d have dinner tonight.” He paced back and forth, imagining what kinds of thoughts would run through her mind when he didn’t show up at her door as promised. He stopped pacing, dropped down in a nearby lounger and cradled his head in his palms. All his plans...gone.
“Sorry, man. We didn’t know,” Troy said softly, regret coloring his words.
Damian met Troy’s gaze and heaved a deep sigh. “I know.”
“I’ll be happy to talk to Karen when we get back tomorrow and tell her it was our fault,” Kyle added.
A member of the crew came over to let them know it was time to leave. Collecting their belongings, they followed the man back to the boat, boarded and made the short trip in silence. Then they hailed a taxi to transport them to the hotel where they would spend the night. The lavish hotel had every amenity imaginable, along with activities for the single crowd unmatched by any other hotel. However, the only thing on Damian’s mind was Karen and how he would convince her to continue what they had started beyond the cruise.
* * *
Karen slept for another hour after Damian left, then got up and took a long soak in the Jacuzzi. Her muscles were a little sore from the intense workout they’d had. She leaned her head against the towel she’d rolled up and relaxed under the powerful jets.
A smile played around the corners of her mouth. The man knew his way around a woman’s body, and she was glad to be on the receiving end. She remembered him saying it had been a while since he was intimate with a woman and briefly wondered why. Had he gotten his heart broken, too? Although they were only enjoying each other’s company for the duration of the cruise, she wouldn’t mind keeping in touch with him. They seemed to have several things in common, and most important, he hadn’t ridiculed her career choice. Karen didn’t know whether he was on the same page, but she thought she might casually bring it up over dinner this evening.
She completed her bath, dressed and went to meet her friends. Only Donovan and Terrence’s two other friends, Audrey and Brad, had arrived at the designated meeting spot.
“What’s up, Karen?” Donovan said, leaning down to kiss her cheek.
“Hey, Donovan.”
“Terrence and Janae are going to be a few minutes late.”
“Surprise, surprise,” she said with a laugh. She spoke to Audrey and Brad. “Are you guys enjoying the cruise?”
“Most definitely.” Audrey stared at her husband, her blue eyes shining with love. Brad brushed his hand across her cheek and placed a tender kiss on her lips.
“All right, you two, knock it off,” Donovan muttered. “You’re as bad as Terrence and Janae.”
Karen laughed, but inside she wished a man looked at her with the love Brad had for Audrey. The look in Damian’s eyes when he wiped her tears at last night’s show surfaced in her mind. For a split second, she felt something, thought she saw something other than their obvious physical attraction. Probably just my imagination and wishful thinking. Devin’s voice broke into her thoughts.
“Morning, everybody.” There was another round of greetings. “I guess we’re waiting for the newlyweds, again?”
“Yep,” she said. The group chatted amiably for several minutes before Karen spotted Janae and Terrence approaching. “It’s about time.”
“Sorry. We sort of lost track of time,” Terrence said with a sheepish grin.
Karen met Janae’s smiling face and nodded knowingly. “Uh-huh.”
“Now that Mr. and Mrs. Campbell have graced us with their presence, let’s get this party started,” Donovan said.
Karen took pictures as they walked through the Welcome Center to downtown Nassau. “The kids are going to love these photos.” They entered a small shop.
“Girl, I know. Are you getting any souvenirs?” Janae asked.
She nodded. “I picked up somethin
g for them in Jamaica.”
“You bought something for all thirty-four students?”
“I did. I have such a good class this year. They’ve been working hard, and their test scores show it. So I decided to reward them.”
“And that’s why you’re the favorite teacher at the school...and why Nikki is always trying to one-up you.”
“Please don’t remind me about that woman.” Nikki Fleming taught another fourth-grade class, and for the past two years had tried to undermine Karen at every turn. If Karen suggested a strategy to improve test scores or ways to engage the students, Nikki made it her business to come up with a reason why it couldn’t work. “I don’t know what her problem is. She’s gotten even worse this year, if that’s possible.”
“Maybe she’ll get an offer to teach in another state,” Janae said wryly.
“I should be so lucky. I’d settle for one in another district,” she said, following the group out of the crowded shop and into another one.
In the fourth shop, she found a cute wrap skirt and a T-shirt. She conversed with Janae and Audrey, but her mind kept straying to Damian and secretly hoping she would run into him while on the island. They had lunch in a restaurant recommended by Donovan and Terrence that served local specialties. Karen ate conch fritters, cracked lobster, potato salad and plantains, and washed it all down with a mango daiquiri.
“I’m so full. I think I need a nap now,” she said with a groan.
Audrey laughed. “I hear you.” She pointed to the guys, who were still stuffing their faces. “I don’t know how they eat all this food.”
“If I ate like that for just one day, I’d gain ten pounds,” Janae said.
“Amen, sister.” Karen and Janae raised their hands for a high five, and all three women fell out laughing.
“It’s a good thing there are only two more nights on this cruise. Otherwise I might be needing a new wardrobe,” Audrey said. “Hmm...”
“You ain’t said nothing but a word, Audrey. All I need is an excuse. This one here,” she added, eyeing Janae, “is no fun when it comes to shopping.”
All of Me Page 7