All of Me

“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 was 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.

He’d chosen an expensive steak house, and they conversed quietly while dining on course after course of some of the best food Karen had eaten in a long time. As they finished dinner, she broached the subject that had been on her mind all afternoon. “Damian, how are we going to do this when you come back?”