“Good afternoon, ladies.” He fixed his stare on Karen. “We meet again,” her dream hunk said with a wink. “Any more problems?”
Janae leaned back in her chair and gave Karen a sidelong glance. A smile tugged at her lips.
Karen cut her a quick look, then said, “No. None.”
“Glad to hear it.” He stood there a moment longer, as if he wanted to say more. Finally, he stuck out his hand. “I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Damian.”
She reached for his hand. “Karen.” His large hand engulfed her smaller one. Warmth spread up her arm and through her body. She withdrew her hand and pulled her gaze from his. “This is my best friend, Janae.”
He nodded politely and shook Janae’s hand. “Hello.”
“Nice to meet you, Damian.”
“Well, I don’t want to interrupt your lunch, but I just wanted to make sure Karen hadn’t had any more trouble.”
“Oh, you’re not interrupting,” Janae said. “Have a seat.” She pushed back from the table and stood. “I’ll be right back. I want to check out the dessert table.”
Karen stifled a laugh when Janae mouthed, Yummy, behind his back. She looked up to where Damian still stood, seemingly waiting for an invitation to sit. She pointed to the empty chair next to her. “Please have a seat, Damian.” A strong name for a tall, strong-looking brother.
He folded his body into the chair, and they both fell silent for a few moments.
He chuckled nervously. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in the company of such a beautiful woman. I’m way out of practice and not real sure what to do anymore.”
She laughed. “Well, no time like the present to find out.”
He nodded. “So, are you traveling with a companion? I noticed the men you were with.”
“If you’re asking whether I’m single, the answer is yes, I am. Those were Janae’s brothers. And you?”
“Same.” He paused. “Would you like to join me for dinner this evening?”
“I’m sorry. I’ve already made plans.”
His face fell.
“But I’m free tomorrow night.”
A smile lit his face. “Marcus Johnson is performing tomorrow night. Would you like to go with me to the concert?”
Karen hesitated. She had planned to attend the show anyway and didn’t want to go alone. But she was supposed to be taking a break from men, and in her head, she listed all the reasons why she should tell him no. However, something about Damian had captured her attention. Why not throw caution to the wind and have a little fun? Besides, after this week, she’d never see him again. “I’d love to.”
He came to his feet. “Great.”
“What time is the show?”
“It starts at eight, but I’ll get there early to save us a seat.”
“Sounds good. I’ll meet you there.”
“I’ll be waiting. Enjoy the rest of your day, Karen.” He pivoted and sauntered off.
“Okay.” She slowly lowered her trembling hand to her lap and stared after him, remembering how good he looked from the back in those swim trunks—broad shoulders, tapered waist and tight, muscled butt. That sexy stroll had several women stopping to watch. She smiled. Tomorrow, he would be all hers.
“So I guess you won’t be instituting that dating hiatus after all,” Janae said, dropping into her chair.
“I might be willing to make an exception just for him,” she said absently, still staring at Damian’s retreating back.
“Wow. That must be a new record for the shortest dating hiatus ever.”
Karen slowly turned her head and glared.
Janae checked her watch. “It lasted all of...four and a half minutes.”
“Ha-ha. So you got jokes now.” She tried to hold on to her scowl, but lost the battle when Janae started laughing. They laughed so hard, people at nearby tables turned to stare. When they were finally able to regain some semblance of calm, Karen said, “I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time. I really miss hanging out with you.”
“Yeah, so do I.” Wiping tears of mirth from her eyes, Janae asked, “What did Damian mean by you having trouble? Did something happen?”
“Not really. On the way to my room after seeing your parents off, some drunk fool tried to grab me, talking about keeping him company for the cruise. I was two seconds from knocking him on his butt when Damian intervened. He even offered to walk me to my room. Then yesterday, he happened to be at the pool when another jerk tried to hit on me.”
“Hmph. Fine and a gentleman. Are you guys going to meet up soon?”
She smiled and nodded. “We’re going to Marcus Johnson’s show tomorrow night.”
“You go, girl. And if he turns out not to be a gentleman, we can toss him overboard.”
They shared another laugh, remembering the time Karen had said the same thing about Terrence when he first showed an interest in Janae. But something told her that Damian was every bit the gentleman she thought him to be.
* * *
Damian couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he left the dining room. Karen. He had thought about her all night but figured he probably wouldn’t see her again so soon. He couldn’t remember the last time he had anticipated going on a date so much. Excitement hummed in his veins, something no other woman in the past five years had been able to elicit. He made his way out to the deck, where an up-and-coming band was playing.
I wonder if she’ll wear something like that red dress. He hoped so. The tasteful halter dress revealed the smooth skin of her back and shoulders, reminding him of whipped chocolate mousse. A vision of him trailing his hands and mouth along the expanse of her neck, shoulders and back flooded his mind, sending an unexpected jolt of lust to his groin, and shocking him in the process.
The parts of him he thought had died with his wife suddenly roared to life, followed by an immediate stab of guilt. His chest tightened. Damian threaded his way through the crowd crammed on the deck, moved to the railing and stared out over the water. His guilt was irrational, he knew, but he couldn’t help following the flash of memories as they arose. The music and voices faded as his mind traveled back to Joyce.
He had taken her under his wing and helped her adjust to a new school after she moved in with her grandparents across from his house when they were fifteen. Her father’s job had relocated to another state, and rather than uproot Joyce, her parents had allowed her to stay in North Carolina and finish high school. Their relationship had just sort of developed over time, and what started as friendship gave way to a gentle love ending in marriage. Pain settled in his chest. He would never forget the day he came home from work and found her unconscious at the bottom of the stairs. She had sustained a severe brain injury in the fall and died two days later.
He squeezed his eyes shut to block out the memories. He drew in a long breath and released it slowly. Damian repeated the process until the pressure in his chest eased. He had been grieving for five long years. Karen’s face shimmered in his mind’s eye. Joyce would always hold a place in his heart, but she was gone now. Maybe it was time for him to stop merely existing and actually start living. Someone bumped him, shattering his reverie. Slowly the music and voices came back into focus. People all around him clapped,