Of course, you fool, he told himself. It wasn’t a shock that things were strained between them. That was a given. But still, he didn’t like it.
In fact, he had always hoped that if they were to ever bump into each other again, they would be able to leave the past in the past and be amicable.
Maybe that was all hogwash. Maybe it was the fact that seeing her now, and being struck by the force of her beauty just as he had been that day they’d started working at a community pool as lifeguards, was what was making him wish that things could be all good between them.
Looking down the long corridor filled with passengers, Damien saw the tail end of Kendra’s black wool coat before she rounded a corner and disappeared from his view altogether. He shook his head, still unable to believe that he had run into her. What were the odds?
And how was it that she was even more beautiful than she had been when they’d dated? Her chic, short hairstyle that was tapered at the front to be longer on the right side. The sophisticated aura she exuded with her stylish clothes and sleek leather boots. He had seen her traditional white blouse beneath her coat, buttoned up almost to the top. And her gray pencil skirt went to just below the knee. Her clothing was conservative, and yet she still exuded a huge amount of sex appeal. He had spent years trying to put time and distance between them, to forget her—but seeing her now made it clear that he hadn’t been able to get her out of his heart.
* * *
Kendra dillydallied as she made her way to no particular destination. She considered going to the food court, but her stomach was suddenly too anxious to eat anything.
Damien was here at this airport. And he had suggested they get in a car together and drive to Louisville.
As though he had never broken her heart.
Was he out of his mind?
Kendra felt like she was suddenly thrust into the middle of a nightmare.
She then rested against a wall, not sure of her next move. She kept looking around, wondering if Damien would show up.
But why would he? He certainly hadn’t chased her down back then. Why was she fool enough to believe that he might actually come after her now?
Kendra stood around for ten more minutes, watching the chaos around her. Crying babies. Passengers who wore stressed expressions on their faces. The food court, which she could see from where she was standing, was packed with people.
It was going to be an absolute nightmare to stay here and wait it out to see when she could get a flight to Louisville.
When a woman dragged two screaming toddlers over to the wall a few feet from where she was standing, Kendra started to have a change of heart. Given the current situation, maybe Damien’s suggestion wasn’t so crazy. She was hot and frustrated, so she knew this long wait at the airport was going to be awful for children.
Kendra glanced at the children, knowing that the misery would only get worse in the coming hours. As much as she didn’t want to, could she really turn down Damien’s offer of a ride to Louisville?
Her stomach was a complete ball of nerves as she turned back in the direction from which she had come and started to make her way back to the gate. Now that she did, she wondered if she had blown her shot to get out of here. Because Damien could have easily decided to leave.
But as she reached the gate, she saw him. He was sitting on the floor now, his back against one of the walls and an electronic tablet perched on his muscular thighs.
It killed her to even think of doing this, but she walked toward him. Ten years had passed since they’d been involved. Certainly she could be okay to spend time in a car with him. She wasn’t the eighteen-year-old girl she had been back then, completely smitten.
She was older and wiser.
Seeing her, Damien pulled his earbuds free and regarded her carefully.
“Were you serious about renting a car?” Kendra asked without preamble.
“Yes.” Damien got to his feet. “In fact, I already reserved one. I know it’s not smart to drive in weather like this, but we can go slowly, take our time. At least we’ll get out of the New York area tonight and hopefully tomorrow the storm will have passed and the interstates will be clear.”
Kendra nodded.
“I figure we try for three to four hours tonight, then pull off somewhere and stop for the night. Then we can get up early in the morning and keep going.”
At his words, Kendra’s heart spasmed. Stop for the night…She hadn’t even thought about that prospect. Of course they couldn’t drive from here straight through to Kentucky, not in this weather and not at this hour. They would have to spend the night in a hotel.
Kendra wasn’t sure she could do that.
“All that driving,” she said, once again uncertain. “Maybe we’ll make it to Louisville quicker if we just wait.”
“I doubt it. When you walked away, I went online and tried to see if I could get onto a flight for tomorrow, book a brand-new ticket. All the flights are full. Every last one.”
Kendra drew in a short breath. It was obvious that she had only one way out of this situation if she wanted to get to Louisville in time for her aunt and uncle’s anniversary celebration.
“Listen,” Damien began, “I understand your apprehension. I know you’re not exactly happy to see me. But you and me…that was a long time ago…” His voice trailed off.
Kendra steeled her jaw at his comment. A long time ago, yes. Although her heart clearly didn’t know it, not with the disappointment washing over her. Perhaps she wanted him to say that it had been ten long years and that he’d missed her. Which was completely stupid, she knew. Why should it bother her now to know that he had so easily moved on and put her in his rearview mirror?
“Yes, you’re right,” Kendra said. Ten years had passed. No need to act as though they’d broken up yesterday.
“I’m not trying to make light of our history,” Damien went on in a lower tone. He glanced around, clearly trying to ascertain if anyone was paying attention to their conversation. “I just think that we should both be able to handle a car ride to Louisville. It’s not like I’m some stranger you’d be getting in a car with.”
That’s exactly the problem, Kendra thought.
“For what it’s worth,” Damien went on, “I want you to know that I’m sorry about how things ended between us. But I think we were good enough friends before that we can still be friends now.”
Friends… “A-absolutely.” Kendra almost choked on the word. “I have no hard feelings over the past.”
The lie tasted bitter on her tongue. But obviously for him to talk this friendship nonsense, she hadn’t meant as much to him as she had thought.
Which had been all too evident ten years ago.
Suddenly, she was determined to prove to him that she was as over their relationship as he was. That she could be as dispassionate about what they had shared as he was.
“You think we’ll be able to make it to Louisville in a couple of days?” she asked.
“Yeah, definitely. It’s only about a thirteen-hour drive in good weather. If we take our time, we’ll get there with time to spare. The snow’s got to ease up some by tomorrow. At least I think so. And we can always see if another airport has an available flight along the way.”
Kendra felt a wave of relief. “Now that’s a great idea.”
They would drive west, and once they got out of the storm, there had to be airport that would have two seats on a flight to Louisville. Or one for her, at least. A smaller, less busy airport than JFK. It was certainly a better option than sitting here and waiting.
“Okay.” Kendra forced a smile. “Let’s do this.”
Chapter 4
Next came the task of retrieving their luggage, which thankfully didn’t take more than half an hour. The airline had already taken luggage off of the plane when it had decided all flights would have to be canceled.
Damien had only checked an average-size suitcase, but Kendra’s piece of luggage was quite large. And coupled with
her carry-on suitcase, plus a purse that was big and filled to capacity, she had her hands full.
“Let me help you,” Damien had offered as they left the baggage claim area.
“Nope, I got it.”
Of course not. Kendra wouldn’t want to take help from him because that would be akin to admitting she was weaker than he. She was once again asserting that she was an independent woman who didn’t need a man to take care of her. He’d heard the spiel ten years ago…and it was one of the things that had led Damien to believing that she wouldn’t even miss him being in her life.
At the car rental agency, Damien was happy when the midsize car turned out to be an SUV. The smaller and midsize cars had all been rented, which worked for him, because the bigger vehicle would give them more space to put their baggage not to mention more space for them to be comfortable.
“Here,” Damien said, reaching for her large suitcase at the back of the Ford Explorer. “Let me get that for you.”
“No, I can handle it.”
So Damien watched her struggle with the large, heavy piece. But when she couldn’t quite heave it up, Damien instinctively reached for it and helped her get it into the back.
“Thank you,” she said stiffly, not making eye contact with him.
Damien didn’t like this, not at all. He hadn’t been in touch with Kendra since their breakup and hadn’t known what to expect if he ever saw her again. But the fact that she was looking at him with disdain bothered him. Once, this beautiful woman had looked at him and smiled, as though he had brightened her entire world. And while he knew he couldn’t expect the same reaction now, he hoped that they would get past what he felt was clear animosity.
“You have the map?” Kendra asked once they got into the front seat. “I know there’s a GPS, and you’ve got the route mapped out on your tablet, but I still like to be able to look at an entire map of an area, see all the various roads. You never know if we’ll have to make a detour.”
Yes, she was the same Kendra he had known. The one who had to be in control.
Damien passed her the map from the rental car company, which he had shoved into his coat pocket. “Here.”
And then he started to drive, following the marked signs to the JFK Expressway.
“This is worse than I thought,” Damien said. “The snow’s still coming down hard.”
“You think we should head back?” Kendra asked.
“No, we’ll keep going. Slow and steady.”
“You planning on taking I-76?” Kendra flattened a section of the map against the dashboard. “Because there’s also a route that leads to I-64.”
“But we’ll have to take a lot of state roads and smaller roads to get there.” Damien had already studied the possible routes while sitting at the gate. “And in this weather, I think that’s a bad idea. Not to mention that it’s a longer way. I’d rather head to the New Jersey Turnpike and ultimately I-76.”
“Oh. Okay.” Kendra refolded the map.
And then silence filled the car, and it began to weigh down on Damien. So he turned on the radio and found a station that was playing smooth R&B.
He glanced at Kendra and saw that the she had her eyes closed and her hands folded on her lap. His chest tightened with the realization that she had no interest in talking to him.
He allowed his mind to drift backward, to that summer when he and Kendra had both been lifeguards. From the moment he saw her, he’d been attracted to her, and he had been fairly certain that the feeling was mutual.
It turned out that his feeling was right. Kendra enjoyed taking her breaks with him, sharing her dreams of working in politics, and even possibly becoming the first female president. Damien had been drawn to her, and found himself confiding in her his own dreams and disappointments. Unlike his teenage friends who’d been experimenting with bedding several women, Damien had formed a meaningful relationship with Kendra. They’d been able to talk and laugh. And ultimately, when they’d fallen into bed, his first time had been what he was always told it should be. Meaningful.
As had every other time they’d made love. Damien had been convinced that he would be with Kendra for a lifetime.
He glanced at Kendra again and saw that her eyes were still closed. But a moment later, they popped open.
Popped open and met his.
Damien quickly turned his attention back to the road. “Music too loud?”
“No, it’s fine.” She paused. “Maybe…maybe I should talk to you. Make sure you stay awake as you drive.”
“Sure,” Damien said. Though the one thing he had never done was fall asleep at the wheel. If he were ever tired during a long drive, he would make sure to pull off somewhere and get some sleep.
When Kendra didn’t begin the conversation, Damien did. “You still in Washington?” he asked.
“Yep. Ten years now.”
“On your way to becoming president?” Damien asked, referencing one of their conversations from that summer when they were young.
“On my way, I suppose. Maybe I will, one day.”
“Maybe?” Damien glanced at her again, surprised by the hesitation he had picked up in her tone. “Changed your mind?”
“Not necessarily. But it’s not so simple.”
“No, of course not,” he said. But that hadn’t stopped Kendra from dreaming big ten years ago. “Obviously, you’re involved in the political field…right?”
“Yes,” she answered. “I’m a senatorial aide.”
Damien waited for her to go on, but it was clear that she was going to make him ask questions in order for her to speak.
“Wow, a senatorial aide? For which senator?”
Kendra paused, and this time, Damien picked up on her discomfort. Finally she said, “Senator Morris Chambers from Maryland.”
Now Damien’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding.”
“Yes,” Kendra said stiffly. “The one and the same. I take it you heard about him on the news.”
Damien nodded. “Yeah, I did.” The whole misappropriation of funds allegation. No wonder she seemed uncomfortable. “Must be tough,” he went on. Sadly, nothing surprised him when it came to politics anymore. “Whether he’s guilty or not, that kind of scandal…”
“He’s not guilty,” Kendra said.
“I didn’t say he was.”
“People get crucified in the press, doesn’t mean they did anything wrong.”
“I get that,” Damien said.
“I’m just so tired of the media reporting salacious details without knowing all of the facts.”
“Hey,” Damien said softly, and Kendra met his eyes. “I’m not judging the guy. Just making conversation.”
Kendra released a long breath, noticing that her stomach had twisted in a painful knot. She was testy, she knew, and it wasn’t Damien’s fault.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I guess I’m a bit touchy on the subject.” Or maybe she was just tired of defending the senator. The scandal regarding his affair, and now this. And she couldn’t say with certainty that she was convinced of his innocence. She believed in it—but could she be naive enough to think that a man who would lie to his wife and lie about other matters would be truthful to the public?
The bottom line was, she was becoming jaded with all of politics.
“I don’t know what happened,” Damien went on in a gentle tone. “But I am sorry. This has got to be a stressful time not just for the senator, but also for you.”
Kendra met Damien’s eyes, grateful that he understood. That had been one of the things she’d loved about him when they’d dated. How easily he seemed to understand her.
“Yes,” she said. “It is.” In some ways it seemed as though those working for the senator were not allowed to express their own personal trials in terms of how they were affected by what happened to him. But there was uncertainty not just for Senator Morris Chambers. If Morris was forced out of office, what would happen to her career?
“What about you?” Kendra asked
, changing the subject because she didn’t want to think about the senator anymore. “Did your plans to become a doctor pan out?”
Damien nodded but didn’t take his eyes off of the road. “I’m doing my residency in oncology.”
“You are?” Kendra was impressed. “That’s great. But oncology… I remember you saying that you were planning on going into a different area of medicine. Didn’t you say you were always interested in neurology?”
“Yeah,” Damien said. “But…I changed my mind.”
He said nothing else, but Kendra noticed the way his jaw had tensed. It had tensed just the same way it had ten years ago when he was discussing something painful.
Though maybe she was reading into things because certainly Damien was entitled to have changed his mind about his field of medicine once he began to do his premed studies. But the fact that he was no longer speaking and his eyes were fixed on the road ahead told her that her instinct was right.
Kendra stopped thinking about their conversation when the opening melody to Deborah Cox and R.L.’s “We Can’t Be Friends?” began to play on the radio. It was a song that Kendra recognized immediately. And not only did her heart feel as though it had seized in her chest, but also a lump instantly formed in her throat.
This song…why this song?
She couldn’t look at Damien as R.L. began to sing. The lump in her throat got bigger. The lyrics captured exactly what Damien had done when she’d seen him only hours ago. Greeted her as though he hadn’t felt a day of pain after their breakup.
Kendra, however, had been devastated. And this song had been the sound track to her life back then. She had played it over and over again once it had become clear to her that Damien was no longer in love with her. Played it and sang while she cried her eyes out.
Hours ago, Damien had said that he wanted them to be friends. But Kendra wasn’t sure that they could be, a point driven home now by this song playing on the radio.
Merry Sexy Christmas Page 12
