Sheryl Lister - All of Me

“Looking for someone?”

She turned slowly. Good grief. Every time she saw the man he looked better and better. Tonight he wore tailored dark trousers and a silk pullover that emphasized his well-defined arms, chest and abs. “Hey. I didn’t see you.” The heat from his body pressed against her ignited a slow burn. A shiver passed through her. She eased out of his embrace before she was tempted to do something crazy, like reach up and run her hands all over him to see if those muscles felt as firm as they looked. “Where are we sitting?”

Damian cupped her elbow and gently steered her to where he had seats saved near the front.

“Wow. How did you get such great seats?”

He chuckled softly. “It’s our first date. I wanted to impress you, so I got here early.”

First? The tone of his voice and the intensity of his gaze suggested there would be more than one date if he had anything to say about it. “Well, consider me impressed.” The lounge had a mixture of theater chairs, semicircular booths for six or eight, tables with chairs and love seats for two. Of course, he had chosen the love seat. If it unnerved her how close he stood, she had no idea how she would manage to get through one or two hours with him sitting so near.

Damian gestured her to the seat, then sat next to her. He turned and reached for her hand. “Karen, I want to thank you for agreeing to come tonight.” He lifted her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on the back.

Karen stifled a moan at the feeling of his warm lips against her skin and melted into the seat. “Um. Thank you for asking.” She imagined those same lips trailing a path up her arm, over her shoulders...

Get it together, girl, an inner voice snapped, shattering the vision.

“And I’m really glad you have on another dress like that red one you were wearing yesterday. You look absolutely stunning.”

“It’s one of my favorites.”

“Now it’s one of mine.”

Typically, she had no problem engaging in a little harmless flirtation with men, but Damian was messing with her equilibrium. Even with the lights low, she saw the fire in his eyes, and the flirty comeback poised on her tongue died a swift death. Earlier he had mentioned being out of practice with women. If he defined this as “out of practice,” what would he be like with practice?

He leaned over to say something else, but before he could open his mouth, the lights went down in the theater, Marcus Johnson came up on the stage and the music began. Thank goodness. She needed a minute. If she had any doubts that he had more than a passing interest in her, the look in his eyes cleared it up. He was definitely interested. Just some casual fun, someone to pass the time with—that was what she told herself. She hadn’t planned on this. She hadn’t planned on him . And Lord help her, she was interested in him, too.

She glanced down at his long fingers tapping out the song’s rhythm on his thigh. He had large hands, making her speculate about the size of certain other parts. Her pulse jumped. Karen Lynette Morris, you stop it right now! she chastised herself. Get your mind out of the gutter. Karen reached up and discreetly wiped the moisture gathering on her forehead. She needed to get a grip. She was sitting here fantasizing about a man she’d met two days ago, or actually yesterday. Whenever. The point was, she had no business thinking about him in those terms. She pushed the sensual thoughts to the back of her mind and focused on the music, letting the smooth piano jazz sounds take over.

Soon, Karen found herself rocking to the beat along with everyone else. She and Damian shared a smile, their heads bobbing in time with the music. By the time the concert ended, she felt more relaxed and in control.

“He’s really good,” she said as they filed out with the crowd. “I don’t have any of his CDs, but I’m definitely adding him to my collection.”

Damian nodded. “Marcus is very good. I have a couple of his CDs.” Once they made it to an open area, he pulled her to the side. “It’s still early, and I’m not ready for the evening to end. How about we go check out the club? Do you like to dance?”

“I do, but I haven’t in a while.” She checked her watch. It was only ten. “Sure. Let’s do it.” He reached for her hand and entwined their fingers as if it was the most natural thing to do. She felt the same heat as she had when they shook hands at lunch.

They heard the music as they rounded the corner. Damian immediately pulled her onto the dance floor. Karen swayed her hips in time with his, her eyes glued to every move he made—slim waist, washboard abs, muscular thighs and arms. She loved dancing, and it had been a long time since she allowed herself to be free and uninhibited. After a few up-tempo grooves, the music changed to a ballad. He moved closer and wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her flush against his hard body.

She trembled when his hand came in contact with her bare back. Any calm she previously felt fled. His fingers moved slowly across the exposed area, searing a path on her skin. She glanced up to see his gaze locked on hers. Karen’s breath caught, and her heart hammered in her chest. His eyes darkened, the green flecks more evident. His gaze drifted to her mouth, then back up to meet her eyes. She wanted him to kiss her. They’d only been together a few hours, yet the only thing on her mind was having his lips on hers. She turned away and rested her head on his shoulder, hoping he didn’t see the longing in her eyes.

* * *

Damian couldn’t stop the rampant desire flowing through his body. Sensations coursed through his veins, the likes of which he’d never experienced. Holding Karen in his arms and running his hands over the smooth expanse of her bare skin—it was softer than he anticipated—had him on the verge of doing something totally out of character, like tossing her over his shoulder and carting her off to the nearest bed. Her gloss-slicked lips appeared soft and inviting, and he wanted nothing more than to taste and nibble on them. Before she dropped her gaze, he read the same thing in her dark brown eyes.

The guilt he had felt earlier rose, but he pushed it down, reminding himself those feelings had no place here. He wasn’t married anymore or in a relationship. He was free to explore this attraction between him and Karen. Damian closed his eyes, held her closer and inhaled the seductive scent of her perfume, letting the powerful sensations take over. He liked the way she fit in his arms, as if she belonged there. Though the thought scared him, he couldn’t move away. He wanted to hold her this way all night.

As if by some unspoken communication, the DJ played three slow songs in a row. Damian offered up a silent thank-you and tightened his arms around her. Too soon, the music changed again. Karen lifted her head and stepped out of his embrace, and he instantly missed the closeness.

“Can I get you something to drink?” he asked.

“Yes, please.”

He quickly claimed the table a couple had just vacated, and she sat. “What would you like?”

“A cosmo.”

“Coming right up.” He squeezed in at the black-and-white marble bar and gave their order. Several minutes later, he returned, drinks in hand. Damian placed her drink on the table in front of her and then sat in the chair across from her.

“What did you get?”

“Jack and Coke.” His brow lifted when she took a long drink from the glass. “Good?”

She nodded and tilted the glass to her lips again before setting it on the table with a trembling hand.

He chuckled inwardly, thinking she might want to slow down. He picked up his own glass and took a small sip. “What brings you on the cruise? Vacation?”