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  The man dropped his arm, muttered something about stuck-up women and took off down the corridor.

  Damian glanced at the woman who barely reached his shoulder in her heels. “Are you okay?”

  “I... Yes. Thank you. Although I could have handled it.”

  He chuckled in faint amusement. “I have no doubt about that. Would you like an escort to your room, or will you be all right?”

  “I’ll be fine. Thanks again.”

  “My pleasure. Perhaps I’ll see you again.”

  “Perhaps.”

  Damian followed the sway of her hips until she was out of sight, then made his way back over to where his friends waited.

  “Please don’t tell me you made a move on that woman,” Kyle lit into Damian as soon as he returned.

  “Give it a rest, Kyle. I saw a guy harassing her and just made sure she was okay. I didn’t even get her name.”

  “What do you mean you didn’t get her name? Man, you’re more out of practice than I thought,” Troy said with a laugh.

  Damian rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Troy. Like I said before, I don’t know why I still keep you guys around. I have plenty of time to find out her name...if I want to.”

  Troy’s eyebrows shot up. “Sounds like you’re interested.”

  He glanced over his shoulder in the direction she had gone, then faced his friends. “Maybe.” Up close, she was even more beautiful, and damn if he wasn’t attracted to her. As Kyle noted, everything about her shouted relationship, not fling. But he wasn’t looking for either, or was he? At any rate, things were starting to look up. Coming on this cruise might not have been such a bad idea after all, especially if he got a chance to spend a little time with his mystery lady. Yep, things were definitely looking up.

  * * *

  Karen felt the heat of her rescuer’s gaze on her back, but she refused to turn around. The man was positively scrumptious with a rich, deep voice that poured over her like warm melted chocolate. From a distance she hadn’t been able to discern the color of his eyes, but with him standing so near, she could see the green flecks in his light brown eyes—eyes that reflected friendliness and something else she couldn’t identify. He didn’t seem like the usual guy on the prowl. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. Why did she even care? She didn’t.

  Or at least, that was what she told herself.

  Chapter 2

  Karen entered her cabin, locked the door, dropped down in the closest chair and kicked off her shoes. If she didn’t care, why was her heart beating faster? And why did the prospect of seeing him again send a shiver of excitement down her spine? She pushed off the chair and went to change into more comfortable clothing to get ready for the muster drill.

  She searched for him at the drill and during dinner, and experienced a twinge of disappointment at not seeing him. Devin and Donovan had invited her to hang out with them for the evening listening to a couple of performances. She particularly enjoyed the performance by Eric Darius. The young saxophonist had a way of infusing jazz and funk that had everyone in the room on their feet dancing, including her. By the time she made it to her room that evening, Karen was beyond exhausted. Rather than take Friday off, she had worked the full day and then taken an overnight flight to Florida. She slept as much as she could on the plane and had taken a short nap this afternoon, but the lack of sleep had taken its toll. She showered and brushed her teeth within fifteen minutes and crawled into bed. The lulling movement of the ship relaxed her, and she drifted off to sleep quickly.

  When she woke up the next morning, Karen felt no more rested than she had the night before. Images of a sexy stranger had kept her tossing and turning all night. Instead of going to the dining room for breakfast, she opted for a muffin and coffee from room service. After dressing, she went out on the balcony. Miles and miles of deep blue water stretched out before her, and a slight breeze blew across her face.

  She would have to thank Terrence again for the suite. He insisted on paying for her room as a thank-you for bringing Janae to the concert that night. She smiled, thinking about how reluctant Janae had been about dating a superstar, but Terrence had proven himself more than worthy of her love and devotion.

  Although happy for her friend, she couldn’t stop the pang of sadness that hit her. Automatically, Karen’s thoughts shifted to her spineless, cheating ex-boyfriend. One minute they had been looking at wedding rings, and the next she was reclaiming her single status. She’d given him her love and almost two years of her life, but obviously, it hadn’t meant anything. The old pain and anger rose to the surface, and she drew in a deep breath. She had given Andre Robertson enough of her time and energy and didn’t intend to waste another second on his trifling behind. She glanced out over the water once more before going inside.

  Today was a new day, and she looked forward to all the activities and concerts. And, despite the lecture she had given herself about not getting involved with another man, she couldn’t help hoping she crossed paths with the gorgeous hunk again.

  Grabbing her book and sunglasses, Karen left her room. She meandered around the ship for a while, then went out to the deck. She found an empty spot at the railing and braced her forearms on the dark, polished wood. This trip was exactly what she needed to clear her mind. She stood there a few minutes longer and noticed someone vacate a lounger near the pool. She quickly claimed it. Pushing her sunglasses higher up on her nose, she leaned back, closed her eyes and took a deep, cleansing breath. Opening her eyes again, she stared up at the cloudless blue sky and smiled. The sun shone and warmed her skin, funky jazz blared from speakers and people all around her danced and laughed. She felt the stress melt from her body as she picked up her book.

  Karen was so engrossed in the characters that she jumped when a hand touched her shoulder. Her head snapped up. A man stood next to her wearing swim trunks and holding a drink in his hand. She guessed him to be in his late fifties. He had on an ill-fitting toupee and really should have put on a shirt.

  “You look like you could use some company,” he said, leering at her with a gap-toothed smile that made her skin crawl.

  Keeping her features neutral and trying not to cringe, she said, “I’m just fine reading my book alone.”

  He continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “I think we could have a good time together. I’d be remiss in my duties as a man to let a beautiful woman like you sit here all alone.”

  She barely stifled an eye roll. “Thanks for your concern, but I’d like to get back to my book.” She picked up the book and started reading, hoping he would get the hint and move on.

  Finally, he walked away. Good grief. I must be attracting every loser on this ship! First the man in the hallway, now this guy. She took a discreet glance around to make sure he was gone. When she didn’t see him, Karen sighed in relief and shook her head. She turned back, and her gaze collided with the man who had invaded her dreams. He stood in the pool staring at her, his hazel eyes twinkling with amusement. The corners of his mouth kicked up into a sexy smile, and her pulse spiked. Someone bumped him and he looked away, breaking the connection. She shook herself and turned her attention back to the book.

  After reading the same page three times, Karen gave up all pretense of trying to read. Her eyes strayed back to the pool and searched until she spotted him again. Hidden behind her shades, she studied his broad shoulders, his sculpted chest and arms and the strong lines of his handsome face. He started across the pool, and she was fascinated with his powerful strokes and by the play of muscles in his back as he swam. Have mercy! She stared until he disappeared from her vision. Dropping her head, she once again tried to concentrate on her novel.

  She had finally managed to get back into the story when a shadow fell over her. She immediately thought Mr. Toupee had returned but went still when she heard the low, sexy voice.

  “I see you�
�re still fighting off the masses.”

  Karen’s head popped up. It was him. Her mouth went dry. Rivulets of water ran down his golden chest and sculpted abs before disappearing beneath his black trunks. The wet trunks clung to muscled thighs and drew her attention to the impressive bulge resting at his groin. He wiped at his face with a towel, glanced down and chuckled, bringing her out of her lustful thoughts. Gathering herself, she said, “Um, something like that.” His heated gaze burned a slow path from her face, lingered at her breasts and continued down to her exposed legs and back up. Her breath caught.

  “Maybe you should find yourself a bodyguard.”

  “Are you applying for the position?” she asked flirtatiously.

  His brow lifted. Before he could answer, one of the men she had seen him with yesterday called out to him. He held up a hand, signaling for them to wait, then turned back to her and angled his head thoughtfully. “You never know.”

  “Hmm, interesting.”

  “You have no idea.” Blessing her with another heart-stopping smile, he said, “I’ll see you around.”

  “That man is too fine,” she mumbled to herself as he sauntered off. Karen had no idea what had gotten into her, flirting with him like that. But she couldn’t help herself. Something about the man fascinated her. She had always been bold by nature, and when she was growing up, her mouth had gotten her into trouble more times than she could count. Her mother often said, Karen, one of these days your mouth is going to write a check your butt can’t cash! She wondered if this might be one of those times.

  * * *

  Damian was still chuckling when he reached Troy and Kyle. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d flirted with a woman, but their verbal play stimulated him and filled him with newfound energy. A bodyguard? He’d be more than happy to guard every inch of her sexy body.

  “Damian, didn’t we have this discussion yesterday? You need to find a woman who just wants a one-night stand. Don’t waste your time. She’s not interested,” Kyle said.

  “She’s not interested? How do you know she’s not interested?” She had seemed to enjoy their exchange as much as he did.

  Kyle threw his hands up in exasperation. “Trust me, she’s not. Remember—relationship, permanent, keeper? Not a cruise-week hookup.”

  “Kyle, you haven’t even spoken to the woman.” Damian turned to Troy. “I guess you have something to say, too?”

  Troy held up his hands in surrender. “Hey, I’ve decided that you’re a lost cause. You’ve smiled more in the last twenty-four hours since meeting her than you have in the last twenty-four months. Any woman who can draw you out of your funk that fast...I say go for it.”

  He shot a glare at Kyle, then clapped Troy on the shoulder. “Thanks.”

  Kyle folded his arms across his chest. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  “Your warning is duly noted,” Damian drawled. “I’m going to shower. I’ll meet you guys at the grill in half an hour,” he called over his shoulder as he headed for his room.

  Once there, he stripped, turned on the shower and stood under the warm stream. While he was washing, his thoughts wandered back to the woman on the deck. Yeah, she did make him smile, and laugh, too. He frowned. He hadn’t even thought to ask her name. Again. “I’ve really been out of the game a long time,” he muttered, shaking his head. Next time, he promised himself.

  * * *

  Karen woke up Monday morning, read over the list of ship activities and found a morning Zumba class. She didn’t make it to the gym as often as she liked, but so far, things were still holding firm. Since she planned to enjoy herself over the week, she figured she might as well offset some of those calories by taking the exercise class. She arrived on the crowded deck just as the class began, found a spot near the edge and jumped into the routine. Halfway through the session, she had second thoughts about her choice. The muscles in every part of her body burned, and she could barely catch her breath.

  “Lord, have mercy! I don’t know what I was thinking, interrupting my sleep for this torture session,” the woman next to her said, breathing heavily. “You can best believe I’m not doing it again. I’m gonna need an extra cocktail later on to make up for this.”

  Karen let out a tired laugh. “I hear you.”

  When class ended, Karen trudged back to her room and collapsed on the bed with a loud groan. Knowing she needed to shower, she lay there awhile longer, then dragged herself up and into the bathroom. In the shower, she let the hot water stream over her aching muscles until they loosened up. After washing up, she slipped on a robe and pulled out her novel.

  When she glanced up and checked the time, she realized it was almost time to meet Janae. Karen discarded the robe and put on her red halter dress. She used the flatiron to style her chin-length hair so that the strands fell in soft layers, framing her face. She told herself she wasn’t taking extra care with her appearance just in case she ran into Mr. Eye Candy again, but she knew it was a lie. At the last minute, she slicked her lips with gloss, stepped into her jeweled sandals and left.

  Janae was already waiting when she arrived.

  “Girl, I can’t believe you beat me here,” Karen said. “Your sexy husband let you out of his sight?”

  “Barely,” she answered with a chuckle. “He told me the rehearsal wouldn’t last more than a couple of hours and that he’d find me as soon as he finished.”

  “Well, let’s not waste time. I’m starving, and I know you need to eat. Gotta keep up your strength.” They burst out laughing and headed to the buffet.

  There were so many offerings that Karen had a hard time choosing what to put on her plate. She settled on a mixed green salad, baked tilapia with lobster cream and smoked Gouda macaroni and cheese topped with panko bread crumbs. She placed the plate on a table, then went back for a drink.

  “I see you got the tilapia, too,” Janae said when she returned.

  “That lobster cream smelled heavenly, and I couldn’t resist.” They ate in silence for a few minutes before Karen asked, “Do you miss San Jose and teaching?” Janae had taught a special education class at the same school where Karen taught, but she’d recently relocated to Los Angeles, where Terrence lived.

  “Not too much. So far, I like LA. Some days I miss teaching, but Terrence turned one of the rooms in the house into an art studio, and I’ve been painting.”

  “Girl, those landscapes are breathtaking. I know you don’t like the spotlight, but have you thought any more about a gallery showing?”

  “You know me too well. Terrence has been great keeping the tabloids out of our business, so it hasn’t been as bad as I thought. But, to answer your question, I have thought about it. I actually have an appointment with a gallery director when we get back—someone Terrence’s grandmother knows.”

  Karen’s eyes widened. “Oh, my goodness. Are you serious? That’s fantastic. You know I’ll be at your first show.”

  “She has to like the pieces first.”

  “Please. She’s going to love them. I’m so happy for you.” Karen’s and Janae’s family had been trying to convince Janae to pursue an art career for years.

  Janae shrugged. “We’ll see. Enough about me. What’s going on? You mentioned something about Andre. I thought you guys broke up a few months ago.”

  She set her fork down on the plate and expelled a harsh breath. “We did. Before I left Friday, he called wanting to talk.”

  “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.