“Last night... Look, I know people say things when they’re caught up in the moment, and—”
“And you think my saying I love you was a result of us being ‘caught up in the moment.’”
She nodded.
He cocked his head to the side. “I meant what I said, Karen. Think back to when I said the words.”
She remembered him carrying her to the bed, kissing her...and telling her before they made love.
He brushed his lips across hers. “Karen, I do love you. I know you may think this is all happening quickly—because it is. But also know that Joyce has been gone for five years now. Let me assure you that you are not a substitute for her. I fell in love with your intelligence, your zeal for life and your beauty—inside and out. I love everything about you.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “I love you, Damian.”
He raised an eyebrow and leaned back. “You sure? Because if memory serves me correctly, you were the one shouting ‘I love you’ in the throes of passion.”
Karen’s mouth gaped. “What?” She grabbed a pillow and hit him across the head.
“Hey!” he said with mock outrage. “I’m just saying.” Laughing, he snatched the pillow from her and pulled her across his lap, covers and all. “You are so good for me.”
She rolled her eyes and tried to conceal a smile. “Whatever.”
He smacked her playfully on the butt and placed her back on the bed. “I’ll let you get dressed so we can get some breakfast.” Damian leaned over and kissed her cheek, rose to his feet and walked out.
Still smiling, she threw the covers back and slid off the bed. Her bare feet were silent on the carpeted floor as she padded to the bathroom, stopping to pick out an outfit. Thirty minutes later, dressed for the cool weather in jeans and a sweater, Karen pushed her feet into a pair of low-heeled ankle boots. She got her jacket out of the closet, picked up her purse and went to meet Damian. He stood looking out of the living room window, but he turned at her approach.
His gaze slowly traveled down her body and back up. “Ready, beautiful?”
“Yes.” She followed him out and down the hall to the elevator. “Where are we going?”
“No idea. I’m sure we can find a breakfast buffet or something. I figured we’d start in the hotels on the Strip, unless you have someplace specific in mind.”
“No. That works.”
The elevator arrived, and they rode the fifteen floors down. He helped her into the car, slid in on the other side and drove down Las Vegas Boulevard. He parked in the Bally’s parking lot, reasoning that it was a good midpoint. They settled on a breakfast spot and went sightseeing after.
Hours later, Damian played and won a few hands at blackjack. Karen, who had never been lucky, won two hundred and fifty dollars when Damian put ten dollars in a slot machine for her. They ended the evening with the Eiffel Tower Experience at the Paris Hotel. From the glass elevator ride and breathtaking views, to the man holding her protectively against his heart, she couldn’t have asked for anything more.
Time seemed to accelerate, and before she knew it, they were back in San Jose and he was pulling into her complex. Both were quiet, lost in thought. He got out, grabbed her bag off the backseat and came around to help her. Their steps were slow; they were seemingly trying to delay the inevitable. She opened her door, and he deposited her bag inside.
“I’m not going to come in.”
She nodded in understanding.
Damian bent and breathed a kiss over her lips. “I love you. See you tomorrow.” He turned and ambled down the walkway.
She closed and locked the door. Picking up her bag, she shuffled down the hallway to her bedroom. Karen set the bag on a chair and lowered herself on the bed, suddenly feeling very alone. They had two more days before he moved on to another school, and a week before he went back to North Carolina. After this amazing weekend, things had changed between them—their relationship had deepened, and she didn’t know how she would handle him being so far away.
Her fears about their relationship magnified. By the time he left for home, she’d have an answer on the principal position. Karen wanted this position, but she wanted Damian, too. Were they on borrowed time? She sighed and stood. For now, her immediate worry was how to keep her feelings hidden when she saw him tomorrow at school. Especially with all the drama Nikki was determined to cause.