* * *
Damian barely let Karen open the door to her condo before he lifted her in his arms. He kissed her with a hunger that bordered on obsession. His feelings for this woman intensified by the minute. Without breaking the kiss, he carried her to the living room and sat on the couch with her in his lap. He fed himself with her kisses, explored the scented column of her neck and caressed her soft breasts.
As much as he wanted to make love to her again, he couldn’t. He had an early-morning flight and would miss it for sure if they went anywhere near her bedroom. So he contented himself with just kissing her until it was time for him to leave. Pressing one last kiss to her lips, he leaned his head against hers, closed his eyes and held her against his heart.
“I don’t want to leave you, but I have to go,” Damian said with a heavy sigh.
Karen lifted her head. “I know.”
He trailed a finger down her cheek. “I’m going to miss you.”
She smiled. “I’m going to miss you, too. Thank you for making my birthday one of the best I’ve had.”
“My pleasure. I only wish I knew about it sooner so I could have planned something more.” He stood and placed her on her feet, then took her hand and walked to the door. “I’ll call you when I get home tomorrow.”
“Okay. Have a safe trip.”
He dipped his head for one more kiss and slipped out the door. Driving back to the hotel, Damian took some time to dissect the riot of emotions swirling around in his gut. This was more than a physical attraction. He tried to pinpoint when it happened, but somehow, it seemed as if the feeling had always been there. Could he have started falling for her that first day on the ship when she smiled at him, or the night he held her in his arms on the dance floor? Was it after the first mind-blowing kiss or the night of explosive passion they shared? From the moment he’d seen her, he felt different. She had touched him on all levels—physically and emotionally. He parked in the hotel lot, cut the engine and leaned his head against the headrest. Now that he had acknowledged his feelings, the next week was going to be pure torture. But when he returned, his mission was clear—get her to fall with him.
* * *
“Man, you’ve been smiling for the past two days,” Troy said, lounging in the doorway of Damian’s office Monday morning.
“Is something wrong with me smiling?” Damian shifted his gaze from the computer screen as he sat answering emails and, yes, smiling. He and Karen had talked for over two hours last night after he got home. A little while ago, he had sent her a text telling her how much he looked forward to seeing her again and, in explicit detail, what he planned to do when he saw her. Her response had sent a jolt directly to his groin and had him contemplating searching airlines for a flight out tonight.
“Not at all. I’m glad things are working out with Karen. I am curious about something, though.” He entered the office, closed the door and sat in a chair across from Damian. “This thing with Karen...are you sure it’s not some kind of rebound affair?”
Damian leaned forward and pinned Troy with a glare. “Hell no! It’s been five years. I know Joyce isn’t coming back, and it’s not like I haven’t dated other women. Karen is not a replacement for Joyce. She never could be. They’re two very different women. Karen makes me feel like I’ve been given a new lease on life. She’s... I...I don’t know.” He leaned back and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Sounds like you might be falling in love with her.”
“I don’t know. Maybe. But we’re only going to be in California another week, so it may come to nothing.” He blew out a long breath. “All I know is I have deep feelings for Karen that I’ve never experienced with any other woman.”
“Including Joyce?”
Damian nodded and waited for the guilt to rise. To his surprise, it didn’t happen, and he realized his heart was truly ready to love again.
Troy shrugged. “It happens to some people like that.” He chuckled. “For others, they have to be dragged into it kicking and screaming.”
Damian laughed. “Are you in the kicking-and-screaming category?”
“No. I’ll have no problems settling down with the right woman. Now, Kyle, on the other hand...”
They both laughed harder. “Definitely.” Kyle loved his bachelor status and often said he didn’t plan on settling down anytime soon.
“So, have you told Karen how you feel?” Troy asked when he stopped laughing.