“No. He said we could talk about a compromise.”
“Then what’s the problem? From what you told me about that Vegas weekend, I think Damian is fully committed to the relationship. Give him a chance. I’m sure you both can figure something out. Have you talked to him since then?”
“No. He called once when I got home that day, but I let it go to voice mail.”
“I really think you should talk to him. Good men don’t grow on trees, and I wouldn’t be so quick to toss him over. I’m sure there’s no shortage of women looking for a man like him. How long is he going to be in town?”
“He leaves tomorrow.”
“Promise me you’ll talk to him if he calls.”
“We’ll see.”
“Don’t let him get on that plane without talking to him. You’ll regret it. Promise me, Karen.”
“Fine. I promise.” So what if her fingers were crossed. “I need to go lie down. My head is killing me.”
“All right. Keep me posted.”
“I will. Tell Terrence hello.”
“Okay.”
Karen ended the call and tossed the phone onto the table in front of her. She stretched out on the couch, closed her eyes and massaged her temples again. After about half an hour, she sat up and started toward the bathroom to get something for her head. The doorbell rang. Snatching the front door open, she found Damian standing there. She felt a sense of déjà vu.
“May I come in?” he asked.
She stepped aside. He brushed past her and went to the living room. She closed the door and took a moment to compose herself, then followed him.
He gestured to the space next to him on the couch. “We need to talk.”
She chose the chair instead and waited for him to speak.
Damian expelled a deep sigh. “Karen, I don’t want to lose what we have. I realize you’ve been hurt before, but I’m not like him. I’m in this for the long haul and, like I said, would never cheat on you. Didn’t you hear anything I said last weekend? You’re the only woman I want. I love you. I gave you everything—my love and my trust—all of me, and I hope you feel the same. We can work through this. Trust me.”
Yes, she felt it. “I can’t give you what you want. We’ll be on opposite sides of the country, and I can’t expect you to...” Her heart squeezed and she trailed off, not able to finish the statement. “Maybe if we still feel the same way in a few months—”
His eyes pleaded with her. “Baby, you don’t mean that.”
She wanted to give in, but her heart was at stake, and she couldn’t take the chance. Karen stood and wrapped her arms around her middle. Tears misted her eyes. “I can’t,” she whispered. “Please don’t make this any harder.”
“So that’s it? Didn’t you tell me you loved me?” Anger clouded his expression. “I’m not him,” he gritted out. “Don’t punish me for something he did. Don’t punish us.”
Karen heard the words but couldn’t talk around the lump in her throat. She averted her eyes.
He slowly got to his feet, came to stand in front of her and tilted her chin. “My plane leaves tomorrow around one.” Damian placed a solemn kiss on her brow. “I know we had something special, and I think it’s still there, but I can’t force you to change your mind.” He gave her a look of patented regret, spun on his heel and walked out of her house, out of her life.
The click of the front door closing seemed to magnify in the space, symbolizing finality. Karen stood rooted to the spot, silent tears coursing down her cheeks, as she tried to convince herself that she had done the right thing.
Chapter 18
Damian slid behind the wheel of the car, leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Knowing she didn’t trust him shattered his heart into a million pieces. He reached into his pocket, pulled out the small Tiffany box and opened the lid. The brilliant stones caught fire in the sun and glittered all around him. Every day since purchasing the ring, he had imagined sliding it onto Karen’s finger and, later, her walking to meet him at the altar, where they’d pledge their love to each other for all time.
He snapped the lid shut and shoved the box back in his pocket. He started the engine and gripped the steering wheel. Some things weren’t meant to be, and it was time he accepted that fact.
He drove back to the hotel for what would be his last night in California. He paced the confines of his room and wondered for the hundredth time how he and Karen had gotten to this point. A week ago, his world shone as bright as those diamonds; now it was as dark as the approaching night.
His cell buzzed. Damian glanced over to the table where he had left it, thinking maybe Karen had changed her mind, but knowing in his heart she hadn’t. Walking across the floor, he picked it up and read a text from Kyle asking if he was ready to head downstairs for dinner. Truthfully, he had no appetite, but sent a message back in the affirmative.
Minutes later, Damian opened the door to Kyle. “Hey.”
“How did it go with Karen?”
“It didn’t.”
Kyle blew out a long breath. “I don’t know what to say. I thought for sure you two would be able to straighten out your differences. I’m sorry, man.”
No sorrier than Damian was. They didn’t exchange another word until they were settled in a booth at the back of the restaurant. Both ordered beers.
While perusing the menu, Kyle asked, “What happened?”
He glanced up from the menu. “In a nutshell, she doesn’t trust me.”
“Why? You haven’t had any problems with the distance so far.”
“I guess she never gave it much thought until now. All she sees is history repeating itself. Her ex cheated on her. Actually had the woman over to his mother’s house at the same time he was dating Karen. It didn’t help that I stood her up on the cruise and was still coming to terms with falling in love again. Now that she’s committed to this position, she believes I’ll get tired of the back-and-forth and start seeing someone else during the times we’re apart.”
Kyle shook his head with disgust. “Her ex was an ass. But this situation is completely different.”
“I explained that, but she still didn’t believe me.”
The waitress approached with the drinks and took their food order. “Your food should be here shortly,” she said with a smile, retrieving the menus and walking away.
“What are you going to do?”
Damian shrugged. “Nothing left to do. I can’t force her to be with me.”
“No, but you said you loved her. You’re going to give her up just like that?” Kyle said, snapping his fingers.
“What do you want me to do, Kyle? I told her we could work out a way for us to be together. I promised her I would never cheat on her. She doesn’t trust me, and she won’t even try,” he gritted out. He propped his elbows on the table and dropped his head in his hands. The ache in his chest intensified, and he struggled to draw in a breath. Lifting his head again, he said, “Look, I don’t want to give Karen up, but—” He halted his speech to gain control of his emotions. “I love her, but right now there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Kyle nodded.
Their food arrived, but Damian couldn’t summon an appetite. As a result, he left half of his meal on the plate and was more than ready to go up to his room when Kyle finished. They made plans to check out at ten-thirty and then parted.
Damian showered and packed. He picked up the ring and placed it in his carry-on bag, not wanting to take a chance on its being lost or stolen in his luggage. He only had fifteen hours left—fifteen hours to know whether the woman he loved would come to him.
After spending another restless night, he dragged himself to a sitting position and glanced at the clock—eight-thirty. He checked his cell to see if Karen had texted or called. Frustrated and disappointed, h
e tossed the covers aside and went to stand in front of the window. The gloomy picture outside matched his mood. Four and a half hours. Over the next two hours, he made preparations to leave. At exactly ten-thirty, he surveyed the suite one last time to ensure that he hadn’t left anything and tried to accept the fact that she wasn’t coming and they were over.
* * *
Karen rolled over Saturday morning and groaned. She scooted up against the headboard and pulled the covers tighter to ward off the chill. In less than twenty-four hours her world had collapsed. She’d lost the man she loved. Damian’s words kept coming back to her: “I would never cheat on you... I love you... You’re the only woman I want.” Every time she closed her eyes, she saw his tortured gaze and began to wonder if she’d made a mistake. In trying to protect her heart, she hadn’t considered his.
Deep down inside Karen knew Damian was not the same kind of man as Andre, yet she had treated him like one and the same. Damian had protected her from the first day they met, never ridiculed her job and was happier than she was about her promotion. Her heart hammered fast and furious in her chest. What have I done?
The past four days without him had been pure hell. She loved him, and suddenly the thought of not having him in her life was almost too much to bear. Her conversation with Janae popped into her head, along with her friend’s warning: “Good men don’t grow on trees, and I wouldn’t be so quick to toss him over. I’m sure there’s no shortage of women looking for a man like him.”
She’d be damned if she was going to hand over her good man. Karen had to go to him. He had said his plane didn’t leave until one. The clock on her nightstand read ten forty-five. She snatched up her cell and scrolled through the contacts until she came to the number of the hotel where he was staying.
“Yes, can you please connect me to Damian Bradshaw’s room?” Karen said as soon as the hotel clerk answered.
“One moment please.”
“Come on, come on,” she mumbled under her breath.
The clerk came back on the line. “I’m sorry, but Mr. Bradshaw just checked out.”
No, no, no. “Thank you.” She hung up, threw off the covers and dashed to the bathroom.
She brushed her teeth, washed her face and dressed in ten minutes. Grabbing the brush, she slicked her hair back and slid on a headband. After sticking her feet in a pair of running shoes and grabbing her jacket, purse and keys, she sprinted out to her car. Karen stuck the key in, gunned the engine and sped out of the complex toward the airport. She didn’t have a clue what she would say, but she couldn’t let him leave without at least telling him she loved him. On the drive, she realized she didn’t know the airline or terminal. Engaging her Bluetooth, she called Janae.
“Hey, Janae. I don’t have time to explain, but I need you to go online and tell me which airline has a flight out of San Jose to Charlotte, North Carolina, today leaving around one.”
“Is this about Damian?”
She choked back a sob. “Yes. I messed up, and he’s leaving.”
“Okay. Hang on.” Janae paused. “There’s a Delta flight leaving at one-twenty.”
“Thank you,” Karen breathed.
“Now go get your man.”
“I owe you.”
“That’s what friends are for. Later.”
Fifteen minutes later, Karen parked in the daily lot outside Terminal A and ran across the street. She searched frantically for several minutes at the counters and around the lower level. Her heart sank upon not seeing him. And there was no way to get through security without a ticket.
Pacing and rubbing her hand across her forehead, she muttered over and over, “Think, Karen, think.” She stopped and made a beeline for the counter. Maybe she could have him paged. Halfway there, she saw him and Kyle walk through the far doors, and her heart lurched.
“Damian! Damian!” she screamed, running toward him and not caring about the people staring at her.
He whirled around, and their eyes locked. His face was unreadable, and her steps slowed until she was standing in front of him.
“Hey, Karen,” Kyle said. “I’ll wait for you over by the café, Damian.” He gave Karen an encouraging smile and sauntered off.
She and Damian stood in strained silence. “Hi,” she finally said.
“Hey.”
She wrung her hands, not knowing how to begin.
“Why are you here?”
“I owe you an apology, Damian. I should’ve talked to you, tried to work it out, and I should have believed that you’re a man of your word.”
He cocked his head to the side. “And you do now?”
“Yes. I’m so sorry.”
Damian paused, then nodded. “Apology accepted.” He turned to walk away.
“Wait,” she called anxiously, latching on to his arm.
He tensed.
“Please, wait.”
He slowly faced her.
She dropped her hand. He didn’t plan to make things easy for her, and she guessed she deserved it. “I love you, Damian, more than anything. And I do trust you.”
He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Is that all?”
“No. I’m ready.”
He moved his hands down to her waist and pulled her closer, a smile tugging at his lips. “Ready for what?”
She took a deep breath. “To give you what you want.”
“And what’s that?”
“Everything. My love, my trust...all of me. I know it’s not going to be easy, but I need you in my life.”
He hauled her against the solid wall of his chest and wrapped her in a crushing hug.
“I love you, Karen. I love you, baby. I didn’t think you’d come. We’ll do whatever it takes to make this work.”
Tears of relief sprang from her eyes.
He leaned back, and she saw the sheen of tears in his eyes. Keeping one hand around her waist, he used the other one to tip her chin up. “Promise me you won’t ever push me away again.”
“I won’t,” she cried.
Damian lowered his head and covered her mouth in a tender but heated kiss. He peppered her face with kisses before claiming her mouth again and telling her how glad he was that she came.
Karen held him tight, not wanting him to leave.
“I don’t want to leave you,” he whispered against her ear.
“I wish you didn’t have to go.”
“Come home with me.”
She jerked back. “Come home with you? What? When?”
“Now.”
“Now?” She searched his face. “Are you serious?”
“Very. I want you to meet my parents.”
She glanced down at the oversize sweatshirt and old pair of jeans she had hastily thrown on and shook her head vehemently. “I can’t go with you. I don’t have a ticket, clothes...”
“I’ll get you a ticket, and we can shop for everything you need.”
“But—”
He put his finger on her lips. “Please. I want them to meet you.”
“I don’t know. This is crazy.” But at the same time, she didn’t want to be away from him. Then there was the curiosity about his house. “I have to go to work on Monday.”
“Give me twenty-four hours, baby girl. That’s all I’m asking.” He unleashed that captivating smile on her, and she caved.
“Okay.” The words were barely off her tongue when he grabbed her by the hand and dragged her over to the line to purchase a ticket. Everything happened so fast, her head spun.
“You okay?”
“It’s just that everything is going so fast. I’m trying to catch up, that’s all.”
They reached the counter, and he pulled out his travel documents. Luckily, there were seats available. She handed over her driver�
�s license, and a minute later she had a ticket. She would return on a 5:00 p.m. flight tomorrow. Smiling, they went through security and proceeded to the gate. When the time came to board, Karen was surprised to find herself seated in first class. She hadn’t bothered to look at the ticket, but guessed with Damian’s and Kyle’s height, they definitely wouldn’t be comfortable in coach.
Damian reached down for her hand. “You good, baby?”
She smiled and snuggled closer. “Better than good.”
Two planes, a taxi and over seven hours later, Damian opened the door to his house and moved aside so she could enter. Given the late hour, she could only tell that the house was brick and had a nice porch.
He set his bags down in the foyer. Bending, Damian swept her up in his arms and strode purposely from the room and upstairs. “It’s late. Let’s go get comfortable. You can see the house tomorrow. We’ll put your clothes in the washer tonight and go shopping in the morning.”
“I don’t have anything to sleep in.” She had bought a toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, brush and deodorant in one of the airport shops.
“You won’t need anything tonight. I’ll keep you warm,” he said, pressing a wall switch and entering his bedroom. He placed her on her feet.
She laughed. He was right. “Very nice,” she said, turning in a slow circle. Dark, heavy furniture dominated the space with a huge bed as the focal point, decorated in soft gray hues.
“Come on. You can get your shower first.”
She followed him into the bathroom done in gray and black marble.
He turned on the water and placed towels on the counter. “I’ll bring you a shirt.” He left and returned with a black T-shirt. “Enjoy.”
“Thanks.” She closed the door behind him, undressed and stepped into the heated space. She washed up, careful not to wet her hair, and contemplated her whirlwind of a day. At best, she figured they’d patch things up with a promise to visit in a couple of weeks. She never dreamed she would hop on a plane to go home with him or meet his parents. He promised to show her the house tomorrow, and Karen couldn’t help being apprehensive. So far, nothing in his bedroom indicated the presence of his late wife, but would that hold for the rest of the house?
All of Me Page 18