Sheryl Lister - All of Me

“Did you talk to him?”

“No. I let it go to voice mail. I don’t have anything to say to him. He was the one who decided I wasn’t good enough for him and sought out someone more to his liking, so...anyway, I’ve decided to put men on the back burner and focus all my attention on getting into administration. Hopefully, an opening will come up soon.”

“You told me about that.” Janae angled her head. “With all the programs you put in place last year for the fourth-grade team, I can see you as a school principal. Didn’t you present district wide?”

She chuckled. “Yeah. But maybe I should start as an assistant principal or counselor first.”

“You know, you can have a relationship and still pursue your goals.”

“Look who’s talking. If I remember correctly, you were the same way before you met Terrence. Weren’t you always saying, ‘I have my teaching and painting and that’s enough’?”

Janae pointed her fork at Karen. “And you were the one telling me to get back out there and try again after Lawrence and Carter. Now I’m giving you back your own good advice.” She waved a hand. “You’re on a cruise ship with dozens of fine men, and I’m sure at least one of them will be more than happy to help you jump back into the saddle, so to speak.”

Karen’s mouth gaped. “What happened to shy little Janae? Being with Terrence has got you acting all wild.”

Janae laughed. “Hey. What can I say? The man knows how to—”

Karen held up a hand. “Stop. I do not need to hear this. You know I’ve loved Monte his entire career, and it’s hard enough not having lustful thoughts about him as it is without hearing details regarding his sexual prowess. The man is downright sexy.”

“Actually, if I remember correctly, your description of him went something like rich milk chocolate skin, dark brown eyes, full, sexy lips framed by a goatee and over six feet of rock-hard muscle.”

“I can’t believe you remember that,” she mumbled. “Anyway, now that you’ve ruined my fantasy, I’ll just have to concentrate on work. Besides, I haven’t met anyone who comes close to being that fine.” As the words left her mouth, an image of the man she had met the first day popped into her mind, along with a strange sensation that had her heart pumping. She wondered if he was married. He had been with two other men and she didn’t see any women, but that didn’t mean anything. What if he was single? Karen glanced around the room. With hundreds of people on the ship, she’d be lucky if she saw him again. Sighing softly, she resumed eating.

“There are plenty of handsome men roaming around here.” Janae folded her arms. “As a matter of fact, I don’t think you’ll have a problem finding someone to spend time with.”

Karen arched an eyebrow upon seeing the sly grin on Janae’s face. “Really? And what makes you think that?”

“For one thing, I noticed several guys watching you when you were fixing your plate.” A smile played around the corners of her mouth. She leaned forward and whispered, “For another, there’s a positively gorgeous specimen of a man headed this way.”

Karen whipped her head around, and her gaze collided with the man who had invaded her dreams for the past two nights. He looked good, wearing a pair of black linen shorts with a matching button-down shirt and black leather sandals. The muscles in his arms and calves were on prominent display, flexing with every movement. Mouthwatering. Her heart thudded in her chest as he came closer and stopped at their table.

“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.”