Kyle shook his head with disgust. “Her ex was an ass. But this situation is completely different.”
“I explained that, but she still didn’t believe me.”
The waitress approached with the drinks and took their food order. “Your food should be here shortly,” she said with a smile, retrieving the menus and walking away.
“What are you going to do?”
Damian shrugged. “Nothing left to do. I can’t force her to be with me.”
“No, but you said you loved her. You’re going to give her up just like that?” Kyle said, snapping his fingers.
“What do you want me to do, Kyle? I told her we could work out a way for us to be together. I promised her I would never cheat on her. She doesn’t trust me, and she won’t even try,” he gritted out. He propped his elbows on the table and dropped his head in his hands. The ache in his chest intensified, and he struggled to draw in a breath. Lifting his head again, he said, “Look, I don’t want to give Karen up, but—” He halted his speech to gain control of his emotions. “I love her, but right now there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Kyle nodded.
Their food arrived, but Damian couldn’t summon an appetite. As a result, he left half of his meal on the plate and was more than ready to go up to his room when Kyle finished. They made plans to check out at ten-thirty and then parted.
Damian showered and packed. He picked up the ring and placed it in his carry-on bag, not wanting to take a chance on its being lost or stolen in his luggage. He only had fifteen hours left—fifteen hours to know whether the woman he loved would come to him.
After spending another restless night, he dragged himself to a sitting position and glanced at the clock—eight-thirty. He checked his cell to see if Karen had texted or called. Frustrated and disappointed, he tossed the covers aside and went to stand in front of the window. The gloomy picture outside matched his mood. Four and a half hours. Over the next two hours, he made preparations to leave. At exactly ten-thirty, he surveyed the suite one last time to ensure that he hadn’t left anything and tried to accept the fact that she wasn’t coming and they were over.
* * *
Karen rolled over Saturday morning and groaned. She scooted up against the headboard and pulled the covers tighter to ward off the chill. In less than twenty-four hours her world had collapsed. She’d lost the man she loved. Damian’s words kept coming back to her: “I would never cheat on you... I love you... You’re the only woman I want.” Every time she closed her eyes, she saw his tortured gaze and began to wonder if she’d made a mistake. In trying to protect her heart, she hadn’t considered his.
Deep down inside Karen knew Damian was not the same kind of man as Andre, yet she had treated him like one and the same. Damian had protected her from the first day they met, never ridiculed her job and was happier than she was about her promotion. Her heart hammered fast and furious in her chest. What have I done?
The past four days without him had been pure hell. She loved him, and suddenly the thought of not having him in her life was almost too much to bear. Her conversation with Janae popped into her head, along with her friend’s warning: “Good men don’t grow on trees, and I wouldn’t be so quick to toss him over. I’m sure there’s no shortage of women looking for a man like him.”
She’d be damned if she was going to hand over her good man. Karen had to go to him. He had said his plane didn’t leave until one. The clock on her nightstand read ten forty-five. She snatched up her cell and scrolled through the contacts until she came to the number of the hotel where he was staying.
“Yes, can you please connect me to Damian Bradshaw’s room?” Karen said as soon as the hotel clerk answered.
“One moment please.”
“Come on, come on,” she mumbled under her breath.
The clerk came back on the line. “I’m sorry, but Mr. Bradshaw just checked out.”
No, no, no. “Thank you.” She hung up, threw off the covers and dashed to the bathroom.
She brushed her teeth, washed her face and dressed in ten minutes. Grabbing the brush, she slicked her hair back and slid on a headband. After sticking her feet in a pair of running shoes and grabbing her jacket, purse and keys, she sprinted out to her car. Karen stuck the key in, gunned the engine and sped out of the complex toward the airport. She didn’t have a clue what she would say, but she couldn’t let him leave without at least telling him she loved him. On the drive, she realized she didn’t know the airline or terminal. Engaging her Bluetooth, she called Janae.