Damian recounted the confrontation he witnessed.
“Please don’t tell me she stood out there arguing. What if this hadn’t been a drill? Someone could’ve gotten hurt,” Melissa said with annoyance.
“So I can expect this teacher to be very vocal tomorrow?” Kyle asked.
“Exactly,” Melissa answered, sharing a knowing look with Karen.
Kyle cut the meeting short so he and Damian could work on the presentation. With the impromptu drill, they needed to alter some material.
Karen tried to hide her disappointment, knowing her dinner plans were about to be canceled. She went back to her class to retrieve something she’d left and found Damian waiting beside her car when she came out.
“I take it you’re going to need a rain check on dinner.”
“Yeah. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You have a job to do.”
“I’ll make it up to you this weekend.”
“I’m looking forward to it. Oh, before I forget, my interview is tomorrow at three, so I have to leave early.”
A smile lit his face. “I know you won’t need it, but good luck.” He leaned down and brushed a kiss across her lips. “I’ll call you tonight.”
“All right.”
He held the door as she got in and stood there until she backed out. As she drove, Karen’s thoughts traveled back once again to the latest confrontation with Nikki, her threat to call the superintendent and what would happen if Karen were selected for the position. She couldn’t see having a long-distance relationship for two or three years. One of them would have to make a life-altering sacrifice.
She forced the thoughts from her mind, not wanting to think about it. For now, she would concentrate on enjoying her time with him and looking forward to their weekend.
Chapter 16
Karen’s heart beat double time in her chest when she opened the door Friday evening to Damian. Excitement filled her with the prospect that they would have the entire weekend together. She’d had a difficult time paying attention during the training earlier that day, especially when they were paired up for one of the tabletop crisis scenarios. Even Melissa had noticed and asked her about it. “Hi. Come on in.”
“Hey, baby,” Damian said, bending to kiss her cheek. “How did the interview go?”
“It went well. They’ll make the decision next week.”
“I’m confident you’ll get it. Are you ready?”
“Yes. My bag’s right here. Let me grab my jacket and purse and we can go.”
Turning her way once they were seated in the car, he brushed the back of his hand over her cheek. “I’ve been waiting all week to have you to myself.”
Karen gave him a winning smile and ran her hand up his thigh. “And now that you have me?”
He sucked in a sharp breath and grabbed her hand before it reached its destination. “Baby girl, you’re playing with fire.”
“I’m not afraid of a little heat. Are you?”
Damian pulled her into an intoxicating kiss. “Just wait until later. I’ll show you heat.” He drove out of the complex toward the airport.
Karen collapsed against the seat and tried to control the rapid pace of her heart. One kiss, and he had her body on fire. When her heart rate finally slowed, she opened her eyes and focused on the passing scenery, trying to guess where they might be going and how long it would take to get there. They ran into traffic but made it to the airport and through security with twenty minutes to spare.
“Las Vegas?” she asked, looking at the sign above the gate.
He nodded. “I really wanted to take you to my home, but we’d end up spending most of our time in airports, so Troy let me use his time-share. It’s far enough that we can have some privacy, but close enough to maximize our time.”
She had wondered if they were going to North Carolina and wanted to ask if he still lived in the same house he had shared with his wife, but she held on to the question. If and when the time came, she’d find out, although she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. Yes, he’d said he was no longer in love with his late wife, but Karen knew that some people who’d lost a spouse had a hard time letting go of their past lives and kept everything from pictures and furniture to clothes—almost like a shrine. Was Damian one of those people? A touch on her arm cut into her thoughts.
“Karen?”