“I hate eighties music,” I said, giving her an eye roll.
She laughed out loud. “I know, but we can laugh at songs by Rick Astley.”
I laughed. She always knew how to cheer me up. When my cat passed away last year, she took me out shopping, and we both bought a ridiculous number of shoes. God, I was glad she was my best friend. I needed Sarah when I felt like this.
The rest of the evening flowed well. Sarah danced her butt off in my bedroom until eleven, and we ate way too much ice cream as we laughed and joked like kids. It felt good to be silly, to be ridiculous and free. A girls’ night was the perfect way to spend the evening together, even if it was on a weeknight. I’d probably laugh about our times together when I was eighty-nine, although I hoped I wouldn’t become a spinster looking after an array of cats. A man to share my life with was something I really wanted one day. Yes, a beautiful man and a family to call my own.
“Good night, gorgeous Karly. I bet you’re going to dream about Mr. Handsome CEO.”
I giggled. “Uh-huh. He is drop-dead gorgeous. You can’t really blame me, can you?”
“Nope. Oh my goodness, I bet he’s hung like a horse. And I bet he’s a total stallion in the bedroom!”
I laughed at her vision of Damon. “I need to get some sleep.”
“I know, but it’s super fun thinking about it, isn’t it?” she asked, giggling madly.
“Uh-huh.”
Chapter 9
Damon
A virgin? No wonder she seemed shy and timid.
I walked into the office with the thought wedged firmly in the front of my mind, never mind in the back of it. I slumped into the black recliner behind my desk and toyed with my cell. I had refrained from making any more moves on Karly, and not because I was scared or didn’t want to. Fuck, I’d have been all over her like a rash given half a chance.
I dialed the number. “Hello?” Mom’s voice crackled on the other end of the line.
“Hi, Mom. Are you doing anything this evening?”
Mom said she was at a loose end. She was always at a loose end, apart from Thursdays when she met her group of friends for chats over a glass of red and some book club reading or stitching for an upcoming charity event.
“I’ve given the nanny the night off, but I’ve got an important dinner meeting.”
“Of course. It’ll be nice to spend some time with Alexis again.” I thanked Mom and told her to be ready in an hour or thereabouts. That’d give us both enough time to get ready and get motivated.
“Is it a work meeting?”
She nearly caught me out. “Yeah! It’s something like that.”
I wanted—needed—to know Karly’s limits. It was okay that she was a virgin, but should I stay away or tread carefully and approach her? Hell, I didn’t know.
“Its business I need to get to the bottom of. Nothing more.”
Mom ended the call abruptly, and I could see where I got that habit from. I headed out of the office feeling as perplexed as I had when I’d walked in that morning.
**
“What’s wrong?” Karly asked.
“You can take the night off,” I replied. My mind was in another place.
“Have I done something wrong?” she asked, a confused look washing over her perfect face.
I lifted my gaze to Karly and smiled. “Far from it. I’m taking you to dinner—that’s if you want to go to dinner. I think we need to talk,” I replied.
Her face lit up and made me feel warm. “I’d love to go to dinner.”
Karly finished putting the dishes away in the kitchen. I walked alongside the counter and smelled her faint perfume. Damn, her aroma drove me wild.
“Where’s Alexis?” I asked.
“Brushing her teeth upstairs.”
I put my hand on Karly’s hip and stepped forward. Her eyes widened as I leaned in and placed my lips on hers. She shuddered, and I sure as hell felt my body wanting her. There was a spark of chemistry that was so raw and inviting. Karly was like putty in my hands. Her plump lips drew me in. I felt intoxicated by her entire persona. Her body warmed to me as I pushed closer to her. Our tongues slid together as I caressed her cheek and her beautiful, bared neck. Our breathing grew quicker.
I stepped back, sensing her need to move away. Karly pushed her hands against my chest and licked her lips. Her wide eyes gazed into mine. “What about Alexis?”
“Taken care of. My mom’s coming over in a while to watch her. As soon as she arrives, you can head off home and get ready. You do have something to wear, right?”
“For a date? Yeah, sure!”
A date? Okay. My mind would allow it.