All of Me

by Sheryl Lister

  “The next best thing would be for your best friend to fly up and spend your birthday with you,” Janae said, spreading her arms wide.

  Karen screamed, and the two women laughed and hugged and cried. “Come in. Oh, my God! I can’t believe you’re here. I’m so happy to see you. Where’s Terrence?” she asked, leading Janae into the living room and offering her a seat on the couch. She started to ask how Janae got in but remembered Janae had the gate code.

  “He’s at home. He sends birthday greetings.”

  “How long are you staying?”

  “Just until this afternoon.”

  “I wish you were staying longer.”

  Janae nodded. “Me, too. Now, you need to change clothes. We’re going out.”

  “Where?”

  “Don’t worry about it, Ms. Nosy. We’re going to celebrate. Just dress casually.”

  Karen changed into jeans and a navy scoop-neck tee. She slid her feet into black ballet flats, picked up her purse and met Janae in the living room. “I’m ready. Did you rent a car?”

  “Something like that,” Janae said with a secret smile.

  She followed Janae out to the parking area and stood speechless when she saw a limousine. “I don’t believe it,” she whispered.

  Janae grinned. “Terrence thought your day should be special, and I agree.”

  Karen shook her head. “I’m so glad I dragged you to that concert.”

  “So am I.”

  On the way, Janae told Karen about her appointment with the art gallery director.

  “How did it go?”

  “She said she was excited about my work. She has a show coming up in December with the theme Great Escapes, and I have some pieces that would fit.”

  “Oh, my goodness!” Karen screamed. “That is fantastic. I knew she would love them. So, how does it feel?”

  “Exciting, amazing, overwhelming. I’m scared to death.”

  “I’m so proud of you, Janae. You know I’m coming. How many pieces is she allowing?”

  “Since I’m a new artist—five, with another five available just in case. If they sell well, she’ll let me do more for the next series.”

  “Make sure you email me the dates and times.”

  “I will. The first showing is sometime around mid-December.”

  “I’ll come down early so we can go shopping. Gotta have you looking good.”

  “Oh, no,” Janae groaned.

  Karen laughed. “Hey, you know me. Any excuse to shop. Ooh, Audrey might want to come, too.”

  “Great. I’m telling you now, whatever we don’t have in two hours, we’re not buying. So you’d better think power-shopping.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know.”

  The driver stopped in front of Burke Williams Day Spa a short while later. “We always said we would come here one day,” Karen said.

  Janae nodded. “Yes, we did. Let’s go get pampered.”

  The driver opened the back door and assisted them out of the car. “I’ll be waiting for you ladies. Enjoy.”

  They thanked him and entered the spa. The receptionist greeted them, then gave them a locker key and a tour. The spa was decorated in an old-world Moroccan theme with deep, rich earth tones, columns and arches. Karen and Janae changed into thick robes and spa sandals. They relaxed by the fireplace in the lounge, sipping warm tea and nibbling on fresh fruit while waiting for their treatments to begin. They privately enjoyed a massage and facial, then met up in the nail-care room for a manicure and pedicure. Afterward, they changed and sat in the lounge.

  “This is the best birthday present ever,” Karen said with a satisfied sigh, leaning her head against the back of the sofa. “I’m so relaxed I could fall asleep right here.”

  “I hear you. I needed that massage. I ordered lunch from a local restaurant, and it should be delivered shortly.”

  “You thought of everything. Thank you so much for this. I was feeling sorry for myself this morning.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “First of all, I thought I’d have to spend my birthday alone. Second, I went to a safety training conference Monday and Tuesday, and you’ll never guess who the presenter was.”

  “Who?”

  “Damian.”

  Janae bolted upright on the couch. “What? Damian, as in Damian from the cruise?”

  “The one and only. I couldn’t believe it.”

  “Did you guys have a chance to talk?”

  “Briefly. I told him we should just move on and leave things the way they are.”

  “And he said?”

  “For a minute, I thought he seemed upset, but I’m sure it’s just that he’s probably not used to women turning him down.”

  “I don’t know, Karen. But I guess it doesn’t matter now since he’s gone back to wherever he lives.”

  “His consulting firm is based out of North Carolina, and he’ll be back the week after Thanksgiving for at least a week working at the school revamping the safety program and doing assemblies for the staff, parents and kids.”

  “Wow. I can’t believe all this has happened since I saw you a month ago. I guess you really did need that massage. So what are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know. Seeing him brought back everything from the cruise, and it’s not going to be easy to ignore him when we have to work together. I’ve got a week to figure out how to deal with him.” Her mind warned her that he was another man looking for a good time, but her body didn’t care and wanted her to throw caution to the wind. Right now she couldn’t tell which part of her had the upper hand.

  Karen’s cell buzzed. She frowned at the display, not recognizing the number. “Hello.”

  “Karen, it’s Damian.”

  “Damian?” Her stunned gaze met Janae’s amused one.

  “Or not,” Janae said with a wry chuckle.

  Karen skewered her with a look. “What do you want, Damian?”

  “I need to talk to you, Karen.”

  “I don’t think—”

  “Please, baby. Just give me fifteen minutes.”

  Why couldn’t she resist this man? Sighing heavily, she said, “Fine. Fifteen minutes.”

  “Thank you. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

  She gave him the information he’d need to get into the complex and disconnected. She rested her head on the back of the sofa and groaned. “He’s coming over.”

  “I heard,” Janae said. “At least you’ll know why he stood you up.”

  “I guess.”

  She and Janae ate lunch quickly, and then the limo dropped Karen back at her place before taking Janae to the airport. Karen nervously paced while waiting for Damian to arrive.

  * * *

  Damian parked in an uncovered spot marked for visitors and sat in the car for a good ten minutes. Finally, he got out and walked across the lot. A limo pulled up in front of him, and the back window came down.

  “Hello, Damian.”

  He stared at the familiar-looking woman and searched his brain for a memory. Smiling, he said, “Janae, right? You’re Karen’s friend from the cruise.”

  She nodded.

  “It’s good to see you again.”

  “Same here.” She eyed him for a moment. “You must care about Karen a lot to try to find her.”

  “I do. I had no intention of leaving town without seeing her,” he responded.

  She smiled, seemingly satisfied by his answer. “Well, good luck. You’re going to need it.”

  He chuckled softly. “Thanks.”

  The limo started off, then stopped again. Janae leaned out the window. “Oh, by the way, today is Karen’s birthday. Thought you might like to know.”

  Damian grinned and stared after the li
mo as it drove off. Too bad he hadn’t had that information beforehand.

  He walked rapidly to her door, hesitated a beat, took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. His heart started pounding when he heard the rattle of a chain and the door opening. “Hey.”

  “Hi.”

  “May I come in?”

  She hesitated for what seemed like forever in his mind, then finally stepped back. They stood there for a lengthy minute staring at each other, neither speaking. He took in the sight of her dressed in a pair of jeans and a pullover top. The outfit accentuated every luscious curve that he remembered. He dragged his gaze up to her face, met her hostile glare and questioned whether he had made the right decision in coming.

  Karen opened the door wider, then turned and walked away, leaving him to follow. He closed the door and trailed her as they passed through a cozy living room and ended up in the kitchen. She gestured to a chair at the wooden table. “Have a seat.”

  He removed his jacket, draped it over the back of the chair and sat. She wrapped her arms around her middle and nervously chewed on her lip. He hated the mistrust he read in her eyes. “How’ve you been?”

  “Okay. You?”

  “Miserable as hell without you.”

  Her eyebrow lifted a fraction. “Um...can I get you something?”

  “Yes.” Without stopping to question his actions, he reached out, tugged her down onto his lap and kissed her. She resisted for a split second before he heard her soft sigh of surrender. Shifting her until she straddled him, he deepened the kiss as his hands traced a path up her thighs and over the curve of her hips.

  “Damian,” she whispered against his lips.

  The way she called his name made him lose all reason. He threaded his hand through her hair and held her head in place as he kissed her greedily, his tongue thrusting deep. Breaking off the kiss, Damian rested his head against hers. “I’m sorry.”

  Her eyes snapped open. She lifted her head and met his eyes.

  “That wasn’t supposed to happen. I—”

  “Let me up!” She struggled in his arms, but he held firm. “Let me go. I’m not playing these games with you.”

  He released a deep sigh. “Will you just stop squirming for a minute and let me finish?”

  Realizing her efforts to leave his lap were futile, she stopped and glowered at him.

  He shook his head and chuckled softly. “What I was trying to say is that wasn’t supposed to happen until we talked. But somehow, I seem to lose control each and every time I’m near you. I need you to know why I missed dinner. That I didn’t hook up with some other woman on the cruise.”

  His confession deflated some of her anger. “You didn’t?”

  “No. We took a boat to one of the private islands to snorkel and have lunch, or so I thought. However, Kyle and Troy neglected to tell me they made plans for us to stay in the Bahamas and rejoin the cruise at the last port. By the time I found out, I had no way of contacting you or getting back to the ship before it left.”

  “Oh.”

  “Believe me, I was not happy. As soon as we boarded the ship the next day, I came to your room. But you didn’t answer then...or the other three times I knocked. I think the couple across the hall thought I was stalking you.” He paused. “So now you know. Why didn’t you wait for me like I asked?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I left you a note.”

  “I never saw the note, Damian. I thought you found someone else.”

  He stroked her face. “Oh, baby. I’m so sorry. I couldn’t even look at another woman after meeting you. We spent two days and one incredible night together. And I don’t know about you, but I thought something special was happening between us.”

  “So did I. Now what?”

  “That depends on you. I’d like to pick up where we left off and get to know each other. I want to know what makes you happy and what makes you cry. What your favorite food is, what you like to do when you’re not teaching and everything else. What do you think?”

  She smiled. “It sounds really good, but how are we going to manage that when, if I’m not mistaken, you live in North Carolina?”

  His brow lifted. “We live in the twenty-first century. I’m sure we can figure something out. So what do you say?”

  “I don’t know, Damian. Even with technology, you’re still on the other side of the country.”

  “True, but I really want to get to know you, and I’ll do whatever it takes.”

  “How about we just go out while you’re here and see where things go?”

  It wasn’t the answer he wanted, but it was a start. “I can work with that.” He kissed her, long and slow. The kiss went from sweet and gentle to hot and all-consuming in an instant. He stood, placed her on the table, pulled the sweater over her head and removed her bra. Cupping her breasts in his hands, he reacquainted himself with their feel and taste before running a worshipping hand down her belly to unbutton and unzip her jeans.

  “Ease up a little, baby,” he told her as he pulled them and her panties off. “So beautiful.” She looked sexy, leaning back on her elbows with her legs spread. So sexy, in fact, he had to taste her. Damian reclaimed his chair and hooked her legs over his shoulders. He kissed his way up her inner thighs until his face was buried in her lush sweetness. He pressed the tip of his tongue to her warm, moist center, swirling and teasing and grazing her clitoris. Her hips flew off the table, and she let out a strangled moan. He lifted her hips in his hands and slid his tongue inside her, stroking deeper and faster. Her legs began to quiver uncontrollably, and he didn’t stop until she exploded around him, screaming his name.

  “Happy birthday, baby.” Carefully lowering her legs, he stood and quickly removed his clothes.

  * * *

  Happy birthday? How did he know it’s my birthday? Karen lay on her kitchen table, gasping for air, spasms racking her body. So much for that little speech she’d made about moving on. Something about the way Damian kissed and touched her melted her insides, and she wanted him buried deep inside her. In a matter of seconds he stood before her, gloriously naked and his condom-sheathed shaft fully erect. Her core pulsed in anticipation. “Make love to me, Damian.”

  “You don’t know how much I’ve wanted to hear those words, sweetheart.” He spread her legs wider, stepped between them and eased inside, throwing his head back and growling softly.

  He started moving, and it was so blatantly erotic that she was already on the verge of another orgasm. Karen opened herself wider, taking him in deeper. “Don’t stop.”

  “I won’t ever stop,” he murmured.

  Their lovemaking changed from slow and sensual to fast and wild. He thrust deep with rapid strokes, and she arched up to match his rhythm. A torrent of sensations coursed down her nerve endings, and she came in a blinding climax. Damian rode her hard, and moments later, he erupted with a hoarse cry of pleasure.

  “Karen. Sweet, sweet Karen,” he said, lifting her into his arms and kissing her tenderly. He collapsed onto the chair and held her close, the rapid pace of his heart beating against hers.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. How could this one man touch the very essence of her so effortlessly? It was going to take everything within her to keep things strictly physical. She could not fall for him, not when he would be leaving for good after another week. Her eyes drifted closed as their hearts and breathing gradually slowed.

  He stood with her in his arms, and a wicked grin covered his mouth. “Let’s go take a shower. I really enjoyed that last time. And since it’s your birthday, I have a few more gifts for you.”

  Karen laughed and pointed in the direction of her bedroom.

  An hour later, Karen walked Damian to the door. They were both smiling. “By the way, how did you know it w
as my birthday?”

  “I saw Janae as I came in, and she told me.”

  She shook her head and smiled.

  “I’ll be back at seven to pick you up for your birthday dinner.” He kissed her.

  “I’ll be ready.” She gave him a tiny wave and closed the door behind him. She danced back down the hallway to the kitchen and let out a loud, “Yes!” While she rinsed the few dishes in her sink and put them in the dishwasher, she replayed the afternoon in her mind. The man was magical when it came to lovemaking, and she still couldn’t believe he had found her. He apologized for going behind her back to get her number and address—he’d enlisted Kyle’s help—but told her he didn’t want to leave town without seeing her and explaining what had happened. Karen wasn’t mad at him. This birthday was turning out to be one of the best ever, she mused.

  As soon as she finished in the kitchen, she headed to her closet to find something to wear for their dinner date tonight. The temperatures had dropped by at least ten degrees since last week, and it now felt more like late-fall weather.

  After searching for fifteen minutes, she settled on her cream wool pants, chocolate-brown scoop-neck blouse and open-front cream cardigan. Karen sat down on the bed and smiled. She still couldn’t get over the fact that Damian had come to her house, or that they had made love again. Now that things were straightened out between them, she wasn’t ready for him to go home tomorrow.

  Another thought crossed her mind. They had to work together when he came back. How was she going to keep her hands off him or act as if she didn’t know him? They’d need to talk about it tonight.

  Chapter 12

  Damian arrived at seven with two dozen pink roses in a crystal vase. “Happy birthday, sweetheart.”

  “Thank you. They’re beautiful.” First his determination to apologize, and now the flowers. He was making it difficult for her to keep her emotions in check. She directed him to place the vase on a table in the living room, then followed him out to his rental for the drive to the restaurant.