All of Me

Several times over the week he asked himself why he hadn’t camped out at her door instead of leaving a note. But he knew the answer. He didn’t want to risk her rejection. More than once, he wondered whether they kept missing each other or if she had chosen not to answer her door, as well as not to respond to his note. What if she hadn’t felt the connection as deeply as he had, or worse, she’d moved on? Somehow, in those few short days, Karen had made an impact on him. On his heart. And he had no idea how to deal with that, especially since there was the possibility that he would never see her again. Again he asked himself, why her? Why now? And would their paths ever cross again? Damian rotated his chair toward the door upon hearing a knock.

“What’s up, Kyle?”

Kyle handed him a sheet of paper. “Here’s the schedule for November and December. There’s going to be a little more back-and-forth because of the holidays.”

Damian accepted and scanned the sheet. “California?”

Kyle smiled. “Yep. West Coast. We’re branching out. The first week and a half we’ll be in LA and San Diego—just a couple of schools and a company wanting emergency preparedness training.”

Damian glanced back at the sheet. “Looks like we’re going to be spending more time in the Bay Area.” There were schools in Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose. Some wanted one-or two-day train-the-trainer workshops, and others wanted that in addition to a full-scale school site overhaul. “We start there before Thanksgiving and go back in December,” he murmured.

“I haven’t been to Cali in a while. We’ll have to schedule some fun time.”

“I’m all for a change of scenery.” Damian was tired of looking at the same walls every day. Although they wouldn’t leave for another three weeks, maybe the trip would help him forget Karen.

“How’ve you been since we’ve been back? Are you still thinking about Karen?”

“Yeah, man. I can’t get her off my mind. I don’t know...there’s just something about her.”

“What’s her last name?”

“I have no idea.”

Kyle gave a shout of laughter. “What do you mean you don’t know? You spent what...two, three days together, and you don’t know her last name?”

“I know it sounds crazy, but we seemed to talk about everything except ourselves. I don’t even know where she’s from or where she lives.” He gave Kyle a sidelong glance. “You used to be a detective. Can’t you use some of that legendary expertise I keep hearing about to help me out?”

Kyle leaned against the door frame and folded his arms across his chest. “A detective...yes. God...no. Last time I checked, He was the only one who’s all-knowing. Now, if you had a last name, and possibly the state, I may have been able to help you out.” He chuckled. “Man, how could you not get the woman’s last name? That’s like Dating 101.”

“At first, it didn’t matter—you know, dinner and nice conversation.” He hadn’t planned on anything past the first night, didn’t count on the explosive chemistry between them or the passion she ignited in him.

“Obviously, you didn’t count on falling for Karen,” Kyle said, reading Damian’s mind.

“No. I didn’t.”

“Maybe this was a sign that you’re ready for love again.” He pushed off the wall. “See you later.”

“Later.”

Damian stayed way past closing. He made it home in record time, parked in the garage and entered the house, not bothering to turn on the lights. He knew every square inch with his eyes closed. His footsteps echoed loudly on the wooden floors in the otherwise silent space. In his upstairs bedroom, Damian shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it on a chair. He dropped down heavily on the side of the bed and removed his shoes.

His gaze strayed to the nightstand, where he had placed the photo of him and Karen taken in front of the falls. They looked good together. He picked it up, and his body automatically reacted as he remembered the heated kisses they’d shared while they climbed, opening a floodgate of memories. This time, instead of fighting them, he let them come—the texture of her velvety smooth skin beneath his hands, the sweetness of her kiss as their tongues danced and the scorching passion they shared that left him wanting more.

But it wasn’t only about the physical connection. She stimulated him intellectually and enjoyed some of the same things he did. He studied the picture. He thought keeping busy would help him forget her, but Karen wasn’t the type of woman a man could easily forget. Truth be told, he didn’t want to. Although he had no idea how he would accomplish it, Damian hoped to find her again.