He took a sip of the hot brew. “Is Delores here yet?” She and Laurie, the other office assistant, alternated taking care of the administrative duties when they traveled. Laurie had done the first half.
Troy was filling his own cup. “Yeah. She stopped at the ladies’ room first.”
Damian powered up his laptop at the front of the room, then lowered the projection screen. He fished his flash drive out of the bag and brought up his presentation. After hooking up the projector, he went through the slides to make sure everything was in order.
“Morning, Damian,” Delores said.
“Morning, Dee. How was the flight?”
“Not bad. Kyle is picking up the handouts from the business center right now. Do you need anything before I start setting up?”
“No. Thanks.” He thoroughly enjoyed his job. Keeping kids safe was a priority for him. Everyone had their roles and performed them to perfection. Troy handled the business side of things—contracts, payments and such—while he and Kyle tag-teamed with the presentation. Damian focused on bullying and communications training, while Kyle handled the security, emergency preparedness and response training.
He was finishing up his coffee when the first participants arrived. Soon the room filled with people talking in small groups and taking advantage of the continental breakfast. Damian glanced down at his watch and caught Kyle’s attention. They believed in starting and ending on time. He picked up one lapel microphone and handed Kyle the other one, before clipping the mic to his suit jacket and the battery to his belt. He tested it and then, satisfied, he turned to the crowd.
“If everyone would take a seat, we can get started. We have a lot of material to cover today.” He waited for them to find seats and settle in before continuing. “My name is Damian Bradshaw, and this is Kyle Jamison. We’re from DKT Safety Consultants and will provide you with the information you need to keep your schools safe from the inside out.” He paused. “How many of you are from high schools?” Hands went up. “Middle schools?” A few more hands were raised. “Elementary schools?” Almost half the people in the room raised their hands.
Damian pushed the button for the first slide. “Let’s talk about bullying. Thirty-three percent of elementary students report being frequently bullied, and twenty percent of kindergartners. It peaks in middle school, which is often the worst period for victims of bullying.” He gave more statistics and launched into a discussion of the seriousness of cyber-bullying.
He scanned the room to let his words sink in. He opened his mouth to speak, and his heart stopped and then started up again. In the middle of the room sat Karen. His Karen.
Damian promptly lost his train of thought, and it took everything in him to stand there, when all he wanted to do was rush back to where she sat, sweep her into his arms and kiss her the way he had been fantasizing about for the past month.
Excitement filled his heart. Their eyes connected, and she gave him an icy stare. But he didn’t care. All he cared about was that he’d found her.
Chapter 10
The moment Damian opened his mouth to speak, Karen’s head snapped up. She’d recognize that sexy drawl anywhere. Thankfully, she was already sitting, because the way her body trembled, she doubted she’d be able to stand. What on earth was he doing here?
Their gazes fused, and his eyes widened in surprise. The corners of his mouth inched up in a brief smile before he continued with his presentation. Not wanting him to know how much he affected her, she met his stare with a frosty one. As soon as he turned away, Karen lowered her head and breathed in deeply in an effort to slow her pounding heart. He wore a dark suit that caressed his tall frame as if it had been made expressly for him. With his height, build and that black-magic voice, he commanded the room with ease. Every woman had her eyes glued to him. She forced down the surge of jealousy that rose within her.
“Are you okay?” Melissa whispered.
No! She nodded quickly and tried to focus on the information and not the timbre of his voice. She tried not to remember how it sounded close to her ear. She glanced down to read the note Melissa slid in front of her.
Did we get lucky or what? Those brothers are fine, fine, FINE! And they’ll be coming to the school after the holiday for at least a week to work CLOSELY with us. And isn’t it funny that his name is Damian, too? Just like the guy on your cruise. What are the odds?
Yeah, what were the odds? Karen reached for the pitcher of water and poured herself a glass. Her hands shook so badly, she barely avoided a spill. Bringing the glass to her lips, she took a hasty sip. She had to see him not only these next two days, but another week after the holiday, too. She managed to get through the morning and felt a sense of relief when he announced the lunch break. Karen had hoped she and Melissa could make a quick getaway, but Melissa had other plans.
“Hold on a minute, Karen. I want to speak to somebody before we leave. I’ll be right back.”
She groaned inwardly. Searching the room, she spotted Damian and one of his friends she remembered from the cruise talking with a small group of people. She kept one eye on him and the other on Melissa, hoping the woman would hurry up. Her shoulders fell in disappointment when someone else snagged Melissa’s attention. Karen glanced quickly to the front to make sure Damian was still there. Panic flared in her gut upon not seeing him. And then behind her, she felt him before she heard him.
“I never thought I’d see you again,” he said softly.
She slowly turned to find him staring at her with a blazing desire that sent heat skittering down her spine. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does.”
“Why? You obviously found something else to occupy your time.” She cut him off as he started to speak. “You don’t need to explain. We had a great time, but it was nothing more than a physical attraction. We got caught up in our surroundings and acted on it. It happens. No regrets. So let’s leave it at that and be professionals.”
His jaw tightened, and his nostrils flared. “Is that what you think?” His tone was hard.
She lifted her chin defiantly, but he didn’t give her a chance to answer.
“You’re wrong. Give me a chance to explain.”
“There’s no need. What we shared is over. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get some lunch.” She stepped around him and rushed over to where Melissa stood talking. “Excuse me. Melissa, we’d better get going. We only have an hour.”
Finally, Melissa said her goodbyes. On the way out, Karen noticed Damian watching her with a grim expression. She had never considered how she would respond if she ever saw him again. Part of her wanted to turn cartwheels, but the other part was decidedly wary and reminded her that he stood her up.
During lunch, she toyed with the food on her plate and thought about her encounter with Damian. He seemed upset by her description of their time together as insignificant. Could he possibly have thought of it as more? Should she have given him a chance to explain what happened? No. She was just imagining things. Clearly, she was the only one who considered their time special. The one who, despite her protests, wanted more.
Several times during lunch, she started to mention it to Melissa, but changed her mind. Karen wanted to keep their prior relationship a secret, especially since she and Damian would have to work together. When they returned from lunch, she lingered in the bathroom until it was time for class to start. And she left as soon as he dismissed class.
Karen did the same thing the second day, hoping to avoid another confrontation. With Kyle leading most of the presentation, Damian stood off to the side. He appeared to be listening, but every time she glanced his way, he was staring at her.
During a group activity, he came to her table. “How’s everything going? Do you have any questions?” He leaned close to read the answers the group had come up with and brushed his hand across her shoulder
. Their eyes met. “Looks very good.” With one more pass of his hand, he moved on to the next table.
That simple touch had stimulated every nerve cell in her body, forcing her to remember just how good it had been between them. She didn’t know what kind of game he was playing, but she wanted no part of it. At the end of the day, she made up an excuse about not feeling well to Melissa and all but fled the hotel.
The saving grace was that she had the rest of this week and the next before seeing him again. She needed some distance.
* * *
Damian unclipped the microphone and placed it on the table. It was Friday evening, and their last conference before the Thanksgiving holiday. He shut down the computer and packed up everything. An image of Karen floated in his mind. A smile curved his lips. He still couldn’t believe he’d found her. At first her cold demeanor put him off, but he’d caught her looking his way more than once. And for a split second, he saw it—desire. The same desire that had overtaken them on the cruise that night.
His plan had been to invite her to dinner at the end of the second day, but she lit out of the room as if it were on fire. Since then, there had been back-to-back conferences for the rest of the week. Tomorrow would be his last night in town before heading home, and he didn’t intend to leave without seeing her again.
After packing up their equipment, Delores, Kyle, Troy and Damian ended up at a nearby restaurant suggested by the hotel staff. Over dinner, they discussed how the conferences and workshops had gone, as was their practice. In their opinion, there was always room for improvement, and they strove to give their clients 100 percent. When they got back to the hotel, Delores went up to her room. She had a morning flight home. Troy excused himself to answer a phone call.
“Everything all right, Damian?” Kyle asked. “You’re pretty quiet tonight.”
“I’m fine. I need a favor.”
“What’s up?”
Damian pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to Kyle. “You said you needed more than a first name. I did one better.”
Frowning, Kyle took the card and read, “‘Karen Morris. San Jose, California.’” He seemed puzzled for a moment, then his eyes widened in recognition. “Is this...? It can’t be. How did you...?”
“She was at the conference Monday and Tuesday.”
“Damn. I don’t believe it.” He grinned. “Did you talk to her?”
“For a minute. She’s pretty pissed. Wouldn’t give me a chance to explain. But I’m not leaving until I talk to her.” He gestured toward the card. “I need an address and phone number. Sooner rather than later.”
“You sure you want to do this? It sounds like she’s not interested in starting up again.”
“More sure than I have been about anything in a long time.”
Kyle nodded and tapped the card against his finger. “Then I’ll find her.”
“Thanks. It’s been a long week. I think I’m gonna head up and relax.”
“I hear you. I’ll probably do the same.”
They got Troy’s attention and motioned that they were going upstairs. He nodded. Damian and Kyle walked over to the bank of elevators and pushed the button.
Kyle laughed and shook his head. “I still can’t believe you found your girl.”
“Imagine how I felt. I lost my train of thought and was grinning like an idiot. It’s a good thing I know that presentation like the back of my hand. Otherwise it would have been pretty embarrassing.”
The two men stepped into the elevator when it arrived, and they rode to their floor. “I’ll let you know when I have the information,” Kyle said before they went into their separate rooms.
“I’m counting on it.” Damian closed his door behind him and kicked off his shoes. Stripping, he went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Twenty minutes later, clean and relaxed, Damian padded across the room to stand in front of the window. Looking out over the city, he vividly recalled Karen’s warm smile and infectious laughter. Had she missed him as much as he had missed her? And how would she react when he showed up at her house?
After standing there for who knows how long, he crossed the room and stretched out on the bed. He picked up the remote, turned the television to a sports channel and watched highlights until his eyelids grew heavy. Damian clicked off the TV, turned off the lamp and slid beneath the covers, falling into a restless sleep.
Two hours later, he was wide-awake. He flipped through the television channels and caught the last thirty minutes of an old movie. Still unable to sleep, he pulled on a pair of sweatpants, a Carolina Panthers T-shirt and his tennis shoes. Damian stuck his wallet and room key in his pocket and went downstairs to the bar. He didn’t want any alcohol, and coffee would definitely keep him up. In the end, he settled for a cup of decaf. He slowly sipped the steaming liquid and tried to keep his mind from speculating on how long it would take Kyle to find Karen’s address. Time was running out. Although he’d be back after the holiday, he couldn’t wait that long. He finished his coffee, walked wearily back to his room and fell across the bed.
Damian woke up the next morning fully clothed. His first inclination was to call Kyle, but he resisted the urge. Instead he pulled out his laptop and checked his emails. He deleted the junk mail and then clicked on one from his mother. She wanted to let him know that a woman who had come into her art studio asked whether he had remarried, and suggested that her niece might be perfect. He shook his head and quickly replied: No, thanks.
Done with the emails, he opened his presentation and made a few minor changes based on feedback and questions that were asked over the past two weeks. His cell phone chimed, and he snatched it up. He opened the text from Kyle, and he felt his heart thumping in his chest upon seeing Karen’s address and phone number. He sent back a text: I owe u one. Damian saved the file and shut down the computer.
* * *
All hopes Karen had of distancing herself from thoughts of Damian were dashed, as Melissa spent the remainder of the week at school gushing about how handsome the trainers were. She brought them up at every turn, putting Karen in a foul mood. When Friday arrived, she packed up and left soon after her students.
She spent a quiet evening reading until her eyes would no longer stay open. Placing the book on her nightstand, she turned off the lamp and scooted down beneath the covers. It seemed as if she had just closed her eyes when the phone rang. She glimpsed over her shoulder and read the blurry numbers on the clock. It is seven-thirty on a Saturday morning.
“You have got to be kidding me,” she said with a groan, rolling over and blindly reaching for the cordless. “Hello.”
“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, darling daughter, happy birthday to you!” her parents’ chipper voices sang, her father’s slightly off-key.
She sat up. “Hey, Dad. Hey, Mom. Thanks.”
“We wanted to catch you before you started your day,” her mother said. “Are you doing anything special?”
“Nope. Just some cleaning.”
“That’s no fun,” her dad said. “You should at least have a special meal.”
“I may take myself out to dinner or something. How are you guys?”
“Just fine. Can’t wait to see you at Thanksgiving.”
“Me, too, Dad.” Although her parents lived less than an hour away in Oakland, Karen’s schedule often kept her from making frequent visits. “I’ll probably drive down Wednesday and stay until Saturday.”
“Sounds good, baby. You can get your birthday present when you come.”
“Okay. Thanks, Mom. I love you guys.”
“Love you, too,” they chorused.
Karen disconnected and lay back looking at the ceiling. No sense in trying to go back to sleep. Truthfully, she wasn’t too excited about her birthday this year. It would be the first year since college
that she had celebrated alone. She allowed herself another fifteen minutes for her pity party, then, determined to make the best of the day, got up, showered and dressed in comfortable sweats and a T-shirt.
Over the next hour, many of her family members, including her favorite cousin and grandmother, called with happy birthday wishes. As usual, her grandmother asked if Karen was dating. Her thoughts instantly went to Damian. She asked herself for the hundredth time if she had done the right thing by not hearing him out. She reassured herself she had done the right thing, and that some things were best left in the past. But seeing him again brought back every caress, every kiss and the emotional connection they shared on the cruise.
Somehow, Karen had to find a way to keep from falling for him.
Chapter 11
Karen had just finished cleaning the bathroom when the phone rang again. Every time it rang, she tensed, thinking Andre might be on the other end. He’d called several times wanting to talk, but she always let it go to voice mail. She toyed with changing her number but didn’t want to deal with the hassle. Smiling, she answered the phone.
“Hey, girl,” she said to Janae.
“Happy birthday!”
“Thanks.”
“What are you doing today?”
“Nothing much. I’m cleaning right now.”
“Girl, that’s no way to celebrate your birthday. You should be living it up.”
She laughed. “Melissa was busy and my best buddy ran off, got married and moved to the other side of the state. So who am I supposed to be living it up with?”
“I know. I’m sorry I deserted you,” Janae said contritely.
“I guess I could make the drive to my parents’, but I’ll be seeing them next week.”
“Or you could do the next best thing.”
“What’s that?” Her doorbell rang. “Hang on, Janae. Someone’s at my door.” Karen walked down the short hallway leading to her front door and peered through the peephole but didn’t see anyone. The bell rang again, but she couldn’t see the person. Irritated, she snatched the door open. Her mouth dropped.
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