Talking to your best friend is sometimes all the therapy you need.
-Author Unknown
On Wednesday, Mark flew with Don to Pennsylvania to meet with a couple of leasing companies about warehouse space. At lunchtime, Lisa cornered Karma, and there had been no way she could keep all the wonderful, sexy details of the night before to herself.
“Oh girl, I am so jealous,” Lisa said over their bowls of lobster bisque. “You are going to have so much fun, and when he’s through with you,” Lisa snapped her fingers, “you will be a whole new woman. I just know it.”
“We’ll see.” Karma couldn’t deny that Mark made her feel things she had never felt and do things she’d never done. But would that really translate to a whole new her? Or would she fall back into her old ways once Mark was gone?
“This isn’t a permanent relationship, you know.”
“What do you mean?” Lisa scraped the last bite of soup from her bowl.
“Well, when his work here is done and he goes back to Chicago, that’s it. No more relationship.”
“He told you that?”
“He said he’s not a long-term kind of guy.” She raised her shoulders in a small, quick motion as she dipped a chunk of bread in her bowl. “But,” she held up an index finger, “he said that while we’re together, there won’t be anyone else. Even though he’s not into long-term relationships, he’s very committed. He won’t see anyone else and doesn’t want me to, either.”
“Well, that’s good,” Lisa said. “At least you know he won’t screw you over.”
“Exactly.” Karma liked that everything was laid out up-front. There was no pressure to behave a certain way so she didn’t chase him away. No wondering whether or not he was seeing someone on the side, no fear of being hurt. She knew what this was and what it wasn’t, which alleviated a lot of oppressive mental weight.
She pushed her empty bowl aside.
“So, the two of you will have a good time while he’s here.” Lisa sipped her drink. “You’ll have a good time, he’ll show you what you’ve been missing…” A mischievous smile played over her mouth. “And he’ll give you the best four to six sexual months of your life.”
“Lisa! Sshh!” Karma gasped and quickly looked around to make sure no one had overheard.
Lisa giggled. “Oh, hush. Nobody heard me.” She leaned over the table and whispered excitedly, “But, oh my God, Karma! Mark is the hottest guy ever, and he wants you. And not only does he want you, but he wants to make you feel things you’ve never felt before.” She giggled again. “This is so freaking awesome!”
Lisa sounded almost as excited as Karma felt. “I know. Maybe you should pinch me to make sure I’m not actually dreaming.”
“Oh, you’re not dreaming, sister. But you’d better make sure you don’t forget your best friend here. I expect all the juicy details, so don’t even think about holding out on me.” She hunched against the table and snickered.
After spilling the rest of the details of her Tuesday night, she and Lisa returned to the office. To the bleak dreariness that was her world with Mark out of town.
Thursday wasn’t much better. Uneventful, if not slightly torturous. She had gotten used to Mark’s presence, and the space felt a little empty without him there.
After returning on a late flight Thursday, he was back in the office on Friday morning.
As she worked on Don’s expense report, she glanced toward the closed conference room. Mark was in another meeting. This time with Don and the director of sales. But then, that came with his job. He had a lot of meetings and sat in on a lot of conference calls.
“How’s your boyfriend today?”
Karma’s head snapped around, and a cold chill swept down her spine as Jolene slinked up to her desk. “W-what?”
“Your boyfriend? Mark?” Jo sneered and gestured toward the closed conference room.
For a second, Karma thought Jolene had found out about her and Mark, and that sinking feeling of pure terror—the one you get after watching the original Amityville Horror and hear a noise like footsteps but it’s really your heart beating in fear—doused her gut.
Then she saw the snarky, cat-claw look in Jolene’s eyes. Ever since Mark had shunned Jolene last Friday when she invited him for drinks, Jo had become downright mean. Not only had she begun making snide comments to her in passing, but she also stopped by Karma’s desk and snapped about one sales report or another on a regular basis.
Same ol’ Jo. Just like in school, only older.
The best thing Karma could do was play Jo off, even though her bullying was mentally exhausting. “Ha ha,” she said flatly. “Funny, Jo.”
“You know you like him.” Jo’s perfectly shaped eyebrow spiked over her eye, as if she was daring her to deny her feelings.
“No, I don’t.” Karma didn’t like lying and instantly cringed on the inside. It felt like Jo could see right through her, just like back in junior high.
“Sure you don’t. But you are his little coffee fetcher.” Jo’s taunting knew no bounds. She leaned forward and rested her arms on Karma’s counter. The gesture mashed her boobs together and showed off cleavage ample enough to make a Kardashian jealous. It was as if Jolene was purposely flaunting her impressive bust in a show of supremacy over Karma’s smaller one. As if bust size translated to seniority. “I see how you get his coffee every morning. You’re trying to get his attention, aren’t you?” Her words uncoiled like a scorpion’s tail, full of sting.
Karma shriveled under the onslaught. “No, I’m not. I’m just—”
“Don’t waste your time.” Jo’s crystal blue gaze snaked over her. “He would never be interested in someone like you, anyway. You’re too…plain.” She smiled sweetly as if what she’d said was meant to be a compliment instead of a slap in the face. “Someone like Troy is more your speed. You should set your sights on him. I hear he’s available.”
Troy worked in IT and wore what looked like seventies retro plaid button downs every day, and his hair always looked like it needed to be washed. He was a nice guy, but awkwardly quiet and not at all attractive. Jolene’s comments were meant to be cruel—to both her and Troy—and Karma felt bad for him.
“That’s not nice, Jo,” Karma said meekly, looking away.
“Whatever.” Jolene pushed off the counter, tossed her hair off her shoulders, and crossed both arms over her chest. She huffed and turned up her nose. “I really don’t care.” She waved her manicured hand dismissively. “But that’s not why I’m here.”
That’s exactly why you’re here.
“I need the reports from last quarter.” She refolded her arms and tapped her index finger impatiently against her skinny biceps. No “please.” No “when you have a minute.” Just, “I need them.” As if she expected Karma to stop everything this instant and get them.
“Right now?” Karma said, glancing toward the conference room. “I was right in the middle of—”
“Gawd!” Jolene sighed and rolled her eyes as if Karma were the stupidest person on the planet. “I thought you could multitask, Karma. But if it’s too much for your little brain to handle, I’ll just tell Jake—”
“No. Just give me a second.” Karma minimized the expense report application and opened the folder of quarterlies.
Old memories of Jolene picking on her at school crept into her mind, along with all the old feelings of inadequacy, failure, and shame. Karma may have gotten a haircut, she might be wearing new clothes, and for the first time in her life a hot man wanted to go out with her, but that didn’t mean that everything had changed just-like-that. She couldn’t expect to snap her fingers and let go of the past as easily as she’d let go of six inches of hair and a bad wardrobe. Some pains ran too deep to dismiss without a fight, and right now, Karma’s miserable childhood memories were definitely fighting back. As if no matter what she did, she couldn’t shed the past, or the sinking feelings of inadequacy. Her younger self cowered in her mind against Jolene’s vicious onslaught. Would Karma ever be able to let go of the past and set her bruised, younger ego free?
“Today would be nice,” Jolene quipped then huffed out an exasperated sigh.
Karma dug up the soft copies of the last batch of quarterly reports then pulled a hard copy from her files. “Here.” She handed the spiral-bound booklet to Jo without looking at her. If she did, Jo would see the tears stinging the backs of her eyes and tease her even more. “I’ll e-mail you the soft copies.”
“Good.” Jo snatched the booklet out of Karma’s hand and strutted away.
After Jo was gone, Karma pushed away from her desk and darted to the bathroom, where she spent the next five minutes huddled in the handicapped stall crying. Damn it! Just…DAMN IT! She knocked the side of her fist against the wall. Why did she let Jolene get to her? If Jolene would do her own damn work, she wouldn’t need to come and interrupt Karma’s day and turn her inside out. That’s what Karma should have said to Jo. She should have gotten in Jo’s face and told her that from now on, she could do those damn quarterly reports herself. Who did Jo think she was, getting snarky with Karma when running quarterlies wasn’t technically Karma’s job? If anyone had a right to be angry, it was Karma. She did her job and she did Jo’s, but did she get any thanks for saving Jo’s ass on an almost daily basis. Hell no.
God, when was she going to put her foot down and tell Jo to do her own damn job if she wasn’t grateful for the help?
Karma frowned and batted the tears off her cheeks.
And what business was it of Jolene’s whether or not she got Mark’s coffee? Why did Jo even care? It wasn’t like Mark was asking Jo to get his coffee. No, he asked her to do that. And she was fine doing so, especially since it gave her a chance to flirt. So, Jo could go screw her—
The bathroom door squeaked open, and the lava flow of thoughts shut off in Karma’s head as if someone had closed a spigot.
“Karma?” It was Lisa. “You in here?”
Karma sighed. “Yes.” Before she could stop herself, she sniffled then immediately closed her eyes and cringed. Great. Lisa would know something was wrong.
“You okay?”
The jig was up. No sense lying. “No.” She reluctantly opened the stall door and stepped out, certain that her face was blotchy from crying.
“What happened?” Concern washed over Lisa’s face.
“Jolene happened.” She whipped a paper towel out of the dispenser and blotted away her tears before looking in the mirror. Her eyes and nose were red, and she had cried away some of her mascara and under-eye concealer. “How did you know I was in here, anyway?” She ran cold water over the towel, wrung it out, and pressed it under her puffy eyes.
“I’ve been trying to get ahold of you for ten minutes,” Lisa said. “Mark called me and asked if I knew where you were.”
How long had she been in the bathroom? She checked her watch. Oh God. She had been in here for almost twenty minutes. “Mark called you?” Mark knew she and Lisa were friends and that she had told Lisa what was going on. He’d been a little concerned at first, but then Karma reassured him Lisa wouldn’t rat them out.
Lisa nodded. “I figured if he was calling me, something was wrong, so I came looking for you.”
Great. Not only was she a big crying baby, but now Mark would ask her where she’d disappeared to the next time he had a chance. And she wouldn’t be able to lie. Karma turned and plopped her butt against the counter.
Lisa touched Karma’s arm and nodded toward the door. “Come on. Let’s go to lunch, and you can tell me what happened with Jo.”
Karma cringed and shook her head. “I don’t want him to see me like this.”
“He and Don left for lunch about five minutes ago.” Lisa gestured toward the door. “So come on. I’ll take you to Olive Garden and feed you garlic bread and salad and get you good and happy again. He’ll never know. We can chalk it up to feminine mystique.” She smiled cautiously.
Thank God for Lisa and her glass-half-full mentality, because Karma really needed to talk. Lisa had always been her sounding board, and between what was happening with Mark and how Jolene had taken to bullying her again, Karma’s ends were frayed.
Karma smiled tightly and followed Lisa out of the bathroom.
On the drive to Olive Garden, Karma relayed what had happened with Jolene. By the time they were seated at a table, Lisa was cussing Jolene’s name.
“As a member of Human Resources,” Lisa said, “I want to tell you to file a complaint against that bitch.” She nabbed a warm breadstick from the basket. “But as your friend, I know it’s not that simple. I know you don’t want to do that.”
“No, I don’t.” Karma picked off a piece of her breadstick and popped it in her mouth. “I don’t want to cause any more problems than there are already, and filing a complaint will just make Jo more crafty.”
“And this all started the day you said she asked Mark to drinks and he said no? And paid you more attention than he paid her, I might add.” As an afterthought, Lisa added, “Good for him.” Then she held her hands up innocently. “I mean, at least from what you’ve told me, that’s how it sounded.”
“Yeah. So?”
“It sounds like Jolene’s jealous.”
Karma let that sink in for a moment. “Jealous? Of what?”
“Not what,” Lisa said. “Who.”
The waiter brought their salad and two bowls of Pasta e Fagioli. He grated Parmesan over the top of Karma’s then departed.
Karma leaned forward. “Are you saying that Jolene is jealous? Of me?”
Lisa dipped her head to one side as if the answer was obvious. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“Oh come on. Look at me. What does Jolene have to be jealous of?”
Lisa set her spoon down and frowned. “Seriously, Karma?” With a huff, she wiped her hands and sat forward. “Yes, let’s look at you for a second. Have you looked in a mirror lately? You’re stunning. Ever since you got your hair cut and started wearing makeup and girl clothes, you’ve been turning heads all over the office. You haven’t just caught Mark’s eye. You’ve caught the eye of every available man in the office…as well as the eye of a few of the unavailable ones. Haven’t you noticed?”
Dumbfounded, Karma could only shake her head.
Lisa smiled patiently. “Karma, Karma, Karma. Sweet little innocent Karma. You need to open your eyes and look around.”
“I don’t get it. I—”
“There’s nothing to ‘get,’ Karma. You’re finally embracing your sexuality, and men are taking notice. That’s why Jolene is jealous. She’s no longer the hottest commodity on the market, so of course she feels threatened by you. You’re disrupting the natural order of things, and she’ll do whatever she has to do to put you back in your place. At least, in the place where she thinks you belong. Are you going to let her do that to you? If you want this new you that you’ve discovered, you have to own it, and you have to let Jolene know you’re owning it.” Lisa snapped her fingers.
Karma had never been in the spotlight or considered a “hot commodity,” so she couldn’t wrap her mind around what Lisa was telling her. “I do want to own it,” she said with a nod. “I don’t want to let Jo bring me down, but I don’t know how to stop her.”
“Stand up to her.” Lisa whooshed her hand into the air then dropped it back to the table. “Don’t let her push you around. Tell her to do her own damn job if she doesn’t like having to ask you for those stupid quarterlies. She’s only asking you for them to get under your skin. Ten to one she doesn’t even need them and only uses them as an excuse to harass you.” Lisa lifted her spoon and pointed it at Karma to add emphasis. “Mark my words, she’s just going to keep being a bitch until you put her in her place.”
Karma stirred her soup with a breadstick. “This just sucks. Why does life have to be so hard?”
“Hey, nobody said changing was going to be easy. In fact, it never is.” She stabbed her fork into a black olive on her salad plate and briefly pointed it at Karma before popping it in her mouth. “Any time you try to change, forces push back. They don’t call them growing pains for nothing. As you grow and change, it hurts more, because you’re putting out a new message that those around you aren’t used to. They’ve grown accustomed to seeing you a certain way, and now you’re trying to show them something else. Some will embrace it, and others, like Jo, will fight it. She doesn’t want you getting stronger. She doesn’t want you to break out of the mold she’s put you in, because then that means she’ll have to face the fact that she’s still the same bitch she’s always been and that she no longer has control over you, which will shine a spotlight on how incredibly lonely and inadequate she is.” Lisa bobbed her head. “Think of it that way and you kind of feel sorry for her.”
Karma thought about what Lisa had said for a second then shook her head. “Nah. I still don’t feel sorry for her.”
Lisa laughed. “That’s the spirit. Now you’re coming around.”
What Lisa said had merit. Jolene was one big spotlight hog. If Karma was, in fact, taking that spotlight away, Jolene’s recent behavior made a lot more sense.
“I didn’t ask for this,” Karma said. “I didn’t ask for the guys in the office to notice me more than her.” That still baffled Karma, but if Lisa said it was true, then who was Karma to question her. Lisa had her finger on the pulse of the office better than Karma did. If something was going on, Lisa knew about it.
“Of course you didn’t,” Lisa said. “You’re too busy being a good employee. Karma, the ‘worker bee.’” Lisa tucked the handle of her spoon into the palm of her hand and made air quotes with her fingers. “But that doesn’t change the facts. You’ve turned heads, and now you’re a threat. You’re pretty. You’re smart. And you’ve got Mark’s attention, which Jo wants. True, she may not know exactly how much you’ve got Mark’s attention, but in the office, you’re with him all day. Jo would kill to get that kind of time with him, and you’re the one who has it. So, not only are you stealing the spotlight, but you’re also the ‘lucky bitch’—Jo’s words, not mine—who gets to be around Mark.”
“Wait. What? Are you saying she said that?” Karma scowled at what sounded like evidence that Jo had been talking about her around the office.
Lisa held up her hand. “Not to me, but I overheard her talking to Nancy earlier this week.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“I didn’t want to upset you. I’m sorry. Maybe I should have told you sooner, but I didn’t want to ruin how happy you’ve been.”
A weak smile played over Karma’s mouth as she thought about Mark, the source of all her happiness. “It’s just hard to hear, that’s all. I don’t like being talked about.”
“Who does? But take it as a good sign she’s treating you like this, Karma. It means she sees you as a threat. And if she sees you as a threat, then you’re moving in the right direction. You’re moving forward. But like I said, change isn’t easy, and the way Jo’s acting is proof of that. You just have to ignore her as best as you can, stand up to her when given the opportunity, and understand that her behavior is more about her, not you. It’s about her insecurities, her feelings of inadequacy. Isn’t that the truth of all bullies?”
Karma nodded and smiled. “You always know how to make me feel better.”
“That’s because I’m awesome,” Lisa joked, finishing the last bite of her soup. “And because I’m your friend,” she said more seriously.
“And I love you for it.”
“And I love you.” Lisa reached across the table and patted her hand. “I love seeing you finally spreading your wings, Karma. You deserve to be happy more than anyone I know.”
Karma blushed and looked away, never good with compliments.
Lisa snagged the last breadstick. “And I’m glad you decided to see Mark outside the office. He’s really good for you.” She bit off the end before aiming the rest at Karma like a wand. “But don’t forget, you have to tell me everything.”
With a laugh, Karma shook her head. “How can I forget? You won’t let me.”
* * *
At four thirty, Mark’s last meeting of the day finished as Karma was putting the final touches on a presentation for Don. Thankfully, Mark hadn’t asked where she had been earlier. She really wanted to get through the rest of the day without thinking about what happened with Jolene.
Her phone vibrated on the desk, and she checked the screen.
Mark. You and me? Dinner tonight?
Five simple words, but the impact they had was similar to receiving notice that she had just won the Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes. Her heart rate ramped up, a tingle zipped down her back, and an uncontrollable urge to send a fist pump into the air splattered her self-control against the wall like it had been shot with a bazooka. She barely contained the squeal that rose from the pit of her stomach. Barely. Instead, she cleared her throat and typed a reply.
I have yoga until 6:30 with Lisa, but will be home after.
Yoga? At the gym we share?
After reading his text, her eyes narrowed. Why did she get the feeling he had something up his sleeve? She texted back. You got a membership there?
Yes. So maybe I’ll bump into you tonight.
She glanced into the conference room. Mark’s face was buried in his tablet, his phone in his left hand, a grin on his face. She typed out another text. You’re going to the gym tonight?
She looked up in time to see him lift his phone as it vibrated. He read, and without acknowledging her, he started typing.
I will now. Maybe I’ll even be in your yoga class.
Goose bumps instantly sprang up all over her body. How could she perform Downward-Facing Dog, Extended Puppy, and Happy Baby Pose if he was watching her? Heaven forbid he would set his mat behind hers.
I thought you only used the weights, she sent back.
Afraid for me to see you in your yoga attire performing a sun salutation that will make your perky breasts the center of my attention?
She gasped, and when she looked up, he was grinning wider than before, but he still wasn’t looking at her. Were her breasts perky? She wasn’t entirely sure how to handle the flattery.
I was more worried about my bare feet now that I know of your foot fetish. She fought back a giggle.
Ah, yes. There is that, isn’t there? I’m definitely going to be in your yoga class now.
Well, if he wanted to play, she would play. Fine. I hope you’re an advanced student, because I’m not carrying you out when you pull a muscle.
He actually chuckled as he read her message.
So little faith in me, but you’re right. I don’t do yoga. You win. I’ll stay safe in the free weights.
Good idea. She stole a glance at him as he typed.
I think you just don’t want me staring at your assets—and your bare feet—in class.
That stinker. Damn right. I knew you had ulterior motives.
Guilty. Did I mention that I’m a hot-blooded man? ;) Now go home. It’s 5:00. I’ll see you and your assets around 6:30.
You’re bad. I’ll see you then.
She gathered her things, cast another glance into the conference room at Mr. Sexy, then headed out.
As far as she was concerned, the day had just started.
* * *
At six thirty, Karma rolled up her yoga mat, put her gym shoes back on, said good night to a couple of her classmates then headed into the bowels of the gym’s fitness area with Lisa, Daniel, and Zach. Machines, treadmills, stair climbers, and ellipticals crowded the floor, and the place was busy. Looked like all of Clover had decided to get in a workout before their Friday night dates. All the equipment and people made it hard to find Mark.
“Do you see him?” she said to Lisa while she stretched. As if she hadn’t already done enough stretching in yoga class.
“No, but I’m not surprised. God, what happened? Was there a weight lifting convention here we didn’t hear about or what?” Lisa joined her in a stretch.
“I am dying to meet this guy,” Daniel said beside her. “Just so I can see what all the fuss is about. You two make him sound like Adonis.”
Zach snickered as he finished putting his yoga gear in his duffel bag. Then he glanced up and arched one brow as he slowly stood. “Hello. Who is that?”
Karma turned and looked into Mark’s intoxicating eyes as he joined them.
“Hello.” He appraised her in your yoga pants and tank top.
“Hi.” And there was the heat in her cheeks again, right on schedule. She turned toward Daniel and Zach and introduced them. “Daniel, Zach, this is Mark.”
Mark seemed to have the same effect on men as he did on women, because both Daniel and Zach looked a little starstruck. They took turns shaking hands.
“I’m glad to finally meet you, Daniel,” Mark said. “Karma’s told me a lot about you, and it seems I have you to thank for allowing me to meet her in the first place.”
“Well, it wasn’t all my doing.” Daniel wrapped his arm around Zach’s waist. The gesture seemed as much a reassurance to Zach as it was a way of bringing him into the discussion. “If Zach hadn’t gotten sick, I never would have taken Karma to the benefit.”
Mark bowed his head toward Zach. “Well, thank you for being sick…I guess.” He laughed and flashed Karma a glance before turning his attention back to Zach. “I hope it wasn’t too serious, though. You look fine now.”
Zach practically swooned. “Oh yes, I’m fine. Thank you. It was just a touch of food poisoning.”
Mark frowned. “Oh, I’m sorry. That’s never fun.”
The three men talked among themselves a moment, and Lisa caught Karma’s eye with a smile so wide she was beaming. It was clear how much Lisa liked Mark.
The five of them chatted a couple more minutes, and then Karma turned toward Mark and said playfully, “So, what are you doing here?”
“Admiring the view.” He winked, and Karma’s face burned.
The devil.
“And that’s our cue to leave,” Lisa said, glancing between Daniel and Zach. “Now that we know Karma’s in good hands, our work here is done.” She patted Karma on the shoulder. “Go forth and have fun, my child.”
“I’ll call you later,” Karma said.
Lisa looked from Karma to Mark. “Make sure she does not call me later, okay? The girl needs to get her priorities straight.” She gave Karma a pointed look.
“I’ll see what I can do.” Mark met Karma’s gaze. “You heard the lady. No calling her tonight. You’re stuck with me all evening.”
She liked how that sounded.
“Care to take a walk with me to cool down?” he said once her friends were gone.
“Sure.” She followed him out, dropped her bag in her car, and met him at the entrance to the trail that surrounded the property, which, at one time, had been a combination of farmland and wooded terrain. Now it served as a large recreational park.
It was almost seven o’clock, but the sun was still hanging on, well above the horizon.
A spring storm had rumbled through after lunch, leaving cool, crisp air in its wake, and now a breeze flowed out of the northwest as the remaining clouds cleared. Karma zipped up her hoodie against the slight chill in the air. Thin banks of high clouds striped the sky to the north and west, creating the start of what promised to be an impressive sunset, and moisture glistened the blades of fresh, young foliage that painted the landscape bright green. Puddles of water dotted the pavement.
In spring, Clover lived up to its namesake. With its dense foliage and the conservation of green space, the city of Clover transformed into an emerald paradise every May.
“I call this the perfect night,” she said. A gentle gust lifted the tendrils of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail.
“What makes it perfect?”
She held out her hands. “It’s the perfect temperature. Not too cold, not too hot. Cool enough for a jacket, but not cold. And there’s a nice breeze that makes everything feel alive. Makes me feel like I’m on the beach or something…just without the water, except after it rains, of course.” She gestured toward a puddle. “But that doesn’t count. And who doesn’t love a sky that gorgeous.” She pointed toward the peach-colored clouds that would eventually turn deep orange as the sun crept lower. “Perfect.” As if she had just described the definition of the word.
“I see what you mean.” He walked alongside her, both of them silent for a bit, enjoying the evening. Then he said, “What happened to you today? At work? You disappeared for a while.”
Karma’s gaze dropped to the pavement. She had hoped what had happened with Jolene wouldn’t come up tonight, but no such luck. “It was nothing.” She sighed. “I just had a little run-in with Jolene that upset me, but I’m better now.” She darted a cautious glance at him. “Jo and I go way back. I knew her in school, and we haven’t had the smoothest history.”
Mark gave a slow, single nod. “I see. But everything got worked out?” He lifted his eyebrows questioningly.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say that.” She smiled sheepishly. “But Lisa took me to lunch and helped give me some perspective.”
“Well, I’m glad.” He slid his hand into hers, weaving their fingers around one another. The gesture made Karma’s heart do a little flip. “Lisa seems like a good friend.”
“She is. The best.”
About a quarter mile into their walk, they came to the ornate terra-cotta bridge that was the highlight of the trail around the property. It bowed above a gurgling creek, which had been fed by the earlier rain.
Mark stopped and looked over the railing at the rushing water below. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to you since Tuesday. How have you been?”
“Good.” She shyly averted her gaze, worried he would see in her eyes all the torrid thoughts she’d had about him the past few days, or that she had read every single Truth or Dare card from their game and pondered how she would have answered the questions that hadn’t been asked. Of course, the dares from the game had fed her fantasies. There were quite a few she hoped they could try someday.
“I know I laid a lot on you,” he said, “and we haven’t seen each other for a couple of days. Do you have any more questions?”
She looked at him and realized she did. “Just one.”
“Okay.”
“Why me?”
They began walking again, leaving the romantic bridge behind.
“Why not you?” His voice massaged the syllables the way his fingers took that moment to twine more securely between hers.
She thought about that for a second then laughed when she couldn’t come up with an answer. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just not used to attractive men asking me out. I’m more the girl guys like to hang out with, be friends with, but not date.”
He squeezed her hand. “Being friends with a man is the perfect stepping-stone toward something more meaningful.”
She laughed. “So far, that hasn’t happened.”
“Why do you think that is?”
Mark seemed to like asking her questions that made her think, even when it sounded like he already knew the answer. She got the impression he would make an excellent teacher, because he had a way of making you figure things out without coming right out and telling you what the answers were.
She considered his question then said, “Because until a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t look or act like I wanted more?” She inflected as if asking a question instead of answering one. Just the way she’d done in school when she was called on in class. Maybe Mark really was a teacher.
He smiled but didn’t speak.
“I wasn’t putting out the right signals,” she said, elaborating. “I’ve enabled men to think that being friends was enough. That I would always be there…as a friend. I put my personal feelings aside to make them comfortable. Aaaannd...I didn’t take into consideration that men are visual creatures. I thought that if they really liked me I wouldn’t have to change my appearance. But…”
“Yes?”
“Men are visual. They see the wrapping paper before they see what’s in the package.”
He barked out a laugh. “That’s a great analogy.”
“Is it true?”
After a short pause in which he seemed to think about it, he said, “More or less. You’re right. Men are very visual. Even I noticed your dress and how you looked before I noticed the little nuances of your character. And I like to think of myself as someone who looks past appearances at the person inside.” He shrugged. “I guess I’m not as unique as I’d like to think.”
“Oh, you’re unique,” Karma said with a giggle.
He glanced at her. “So are you.” He spoke with such conviction that she stopped laughing.
She bit her bottom lip and averted her gaze. “I guess I’ve always just seen myself as average.” Lisa’s words at lunch still echoed in her thoughts, about how men saw her differently now. She still couldn’t wrap her mind around the idea that maybe she wasn’t so average after all.
“Average is underrated.”
“Most men would disagree with you.”
“I’m not like most men.” He squeezed her hand. “And I happen to think you’re not average at all. In fact, I think you’re pretty extraordinary.”
The trail led them into a grove of tall, full trees.
Karma gazed up at the bright-green canopy. “Before I met you, I would never have considered myself your type.”
“And what do you think is ‘my type’?”
“Oh, modelesque, tall, blond, beautiful—”
Mark stopped so suddenly that what she was about to say caught in her throat. He backed her against the trunk of a silver maple hidden in the shadows and took her face in his hands, gazing intently into her eyes. “Karma, you are all those things…and more.”
“But—”
“Ssshh.” He let go of her face, took her hand, and settled it between his legs.
Her eyes popped open and she sucked in her breath. He was hard. Not fully erect, but definitely hard. Because of her? Did simply being with her arouse him that much?
“I can assure you, you are my type.” He held her hand against him for several seconds, revealing nothing in his expression except the gravitas of sincerity. Dignified and intense, his eyes searched hers for any doubt she didn’t believe him. His gaze dropped to her mouth. “You…are…my…type. Are we clear on that?” He arched one brow as the corner of his mouth lifted seductively.
Awareness connected him to her like a tether. This was real. In that moment, all her doubts vanished. “Yes,” she said quietly.
He gently pushed her hand away, curled his fingers around hers once more, cleared his throat, and moved as easily as the breeze as he pulled her back onto the trail.
He seemed to know her scrambled mind needed a minute to collect itself, because they walked in silence for a while. His hand felt good around hers. His fingers were thick and strong, with smooth callouses at the bases. Probably from lifting weights. She liked his warm, firm hands. They made her feel secure.
What kind of life had Mark led? What of his love life? He had hinted at his past, but they had never discussed it. At least not beyond the superficial, surface stuff.
Mark’s phone buzzed in his pocket, and he retrieved it with his free hand then smiled at the screen.
“What?”
He shoved his phone back in his pocket. “Oh, just a little surprise.”
The way he said it implied it was a surprise for her. “What kind of surprise?”
He laughed. “One that will definitely turn your face red.” He glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes. “Which I love, by the way. You’re such an obedient blusher.” He tugged her toward the parking lot and picked up his pace. “Come on. Let’s go.”
“Where?”
He paused, looking much too pleased with himself. “When you get home, you’re going to have a couple of packages waiting for you.”
“Packages? For me?”
He nodded. “Yes, but don’t open them until I get there. Promise?” The wicked glint in his eye made her wonder what exactly she had waiting on her doorstep.
* * *
After parking her car, Karma rushed inside and up the stairs to her apartment. Just as Mark had promised, two boxes sat outside her door. One from Amazon and one from a company called Cārvāka.
Cārvāka? She had never heard of it.
She unlocked her door, carried the boxes inside, and set them on the dining room table, where she studied them as if doing so would somehow reveal their contents.
Amazon could be anything, but Cārvāka?
She tugged her tablet from her bag and set out to see if she could get any hints from their website.
A chill zipped down her spine and her eyes flew wide as soon as Cārvāka’s page loaded.
Sex toys. Mostly glass dildos. But they sold other items, too.
What the hell was inside that box? Being that she couldn’t open it until Mark arrived, all she could do was stare. And not just stare, but S-T-A-R-E. As if the top would fly open and an army of Chuckie dolls would burst out wielding tiny sex toys instead of knives.
But then the fascination crept in, and she turned back to the website. She had never played with sex toys, never owned a vibrator or a dildo or…anal beads? She blinked at the strand of beads that popped up on the rotating window on the site’s home page.
Did Mark use this stuff? Better yet, did he want her to use it?
With a rushed check of the time, she realized she needed to get cleaned up. After taking a lightning-fast shower, she briskly dried her hair and pulled it into a damp ponytail before brushing on a bit of face powder and blush. She was just whipping on a touch of mascara when a knock came at her door. She shut off the bathroom light and dashed into the living room with a furtive glance toward the mystery boxes.
“Hi,” she said, standing aside so he could come in.
“Hi.” Mark kissed her cheek, catching her off guard, and carried in a bag from Café Nine. His dark hair was still damp, and he smelled faintly of Irish Spring, the same soap her dad used. “Ah, there they are.” He spied the boxes. “You didn’t peek?”
“No.” Technically, she hadn’t peeked. Just investigated. But now she was more curious than ever about what he had bought her. “Can you give me a hint?”
“Nope,” he said, sounding a little smug.
“You’re evil.”
“But it’s a good kind of evil, right?”
“I’ll tell you after you show me what’s in the boxes.”
“You say that as if you already have some idea.” He set the bag on the kitchen counter. Then he spied her tablet and grinned. “Have you been researching?”
She picked at the groove in the molding surrounding the entrance to the kitchen. “Maybe a little.”
“I’m not surprised. You’re resourceful. I’ve noticed that about you.” He began unloading the food. “So, what did you find out?”
“Not much.” She busied herself grabbing glasses from the cabinet.
“You visited Cārvāka’s website, didn’t you?” He laughed softly.
“Maybe.” She shrugged and grabbed the iced tea from the fridge.
“So you know what they sell.”
“Maybe.”
The empty bag crinkled as he set it aside. “Ah, but do you know what Cārvāka stands for?”
Other than being the name for an online sex shop? “No.”
“Cārvāka was an Indian hedonistic school of thought. According to the Cārvākas, there was nothing wrong with pleasure and sensual indulgence. They didn’t believe in an afterlife and believed that pleasure should be the aim of living.”
Well, that explained it.
“I see.” She poured their tea and avoided making eye contact as she set the glasses on the counter beside their food.
“Thank you,” he said, taking his glass and sitting down before continuing. “Cārvāka is what I would refer to as a provider of classy, high-end intimate items created specifically for pleasure in all its pursuits. Some are even custom made to order.”
She sat down next to him, her mind reeling. She’d seen a documentary once about the sex industry. There were companies that could mold a man’s erect penis and create a dildo that replicated his member. Was Cārvāka one of those companies? Was there a replica of Mark’s penis sitting on her dining room table right now? Was that what he meant by “custom made to order”?
Not six feet away, God only knew what was inside that box, waiting for her, ready to give her Cārvākian pleasure. About a dozen competing thoughts splintered inside her mind, making it hard to think and separate one from another.
Then she noticed that he’d brought her a turkey artichoke panini and tomato bisque—her favorite—and all other thoughts ceased. “How did you know I like this?” She turned toward him as he was about to take a bite of his own sandwich.
Pausing, he lowered his panini and looked at her. “I saw you eating it for lunch one day last week. Actually, I had to make my best guess about the sandwich, but the soup was pretty obvious.”
“You noticed? And remembered?” Once more, he had surprised her. The men she knew didn’t notice such things, and if they did, they certainly didn’t remember them.
“Of course I did.” He gave her one of his patented crooked smiles, one that showed his single dimple. “A man who is genuinely interested in a woman remembers what she likes. He notices what she eats, what she reads, how she wears her hair.” He smoothed his fingers over her hair. “He takes care of her. That’s his job. Well, maybe not his job, but certainly his responsibility.” He gestured toward her food. “Now eat.”
He takes care of her. That’s his job. What an unusual yet refreshing perspective.
“Yes, sir,” she said dramatically, digging in. “So bossy.”
“Sir?” His browed twitched. “We’ll see if you’re still calling me that after you see what I got you.”
The boxes on the table practically flashed like a beacon. Blink…blink…blink. It was a tad unnerving…and yet utterly, undeniably exhilarating.
After eating, he helped her clean up then gestured for her to have a seat at the table. “Do you have a knife?”
She pointed to a small drawer under the dish rack. “There’s a utility knife in there.”
He retrieved it and joined her. “Are you ready?”
Her wide-eyed gaze swept from his face to the boxes and back. With a nervous nod, she said, “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
He sliced through the tape on both boxes and flipped open the flaps. From Karma’s vantage point, she couldn’t see the contents, and when she tried to sit up and peer inside, Mark slid the boxes farther away.
“No peeking.”
Defeated, she dropped back into her chair with a perturbed sigh.
He fished around, knocked what sounded like books and smaller packages against the insides of the boxes, smiled, made a contemplative noise or two, and then looked at her. “Okay, before I begin, let me explain why I bought you these things.”
Of course there was a reason. This was Mark, and it was becoming clear that he had a reason for everything he did.
“Talking to you over the past couple of weeks, I’ve learned quite a bit about you.”
She nodded, remembering their encounter in the parking garage and everything else they had discussed. “Yes.”
“We don’t need to go into all of that, but my concern is that…well…it’s been a while since you’ve been with a man. I, uh…” He glanced down and pursed his lips as if choosing his words carefully. “I don’t want to hurt you.” He met her gaze again. “Do you understand?”
It took her a few seconds to catch his drift, but then she drew in her breath. “Ooohh…uumm…” And there went her blush response again.
He cleared his throat and glanced back inside the box, his face red. This was only the second time she had seen him blush, and goose bumps prickled her skin at the reminder that Mark was only human and could be affected by what was happening between them as much as she could. And she certainly received the message he was sending without him having to spell it out. Some men took pride and bragged about the size of their manly parts, but Mark seemed more self-conscious—or maybe self-aware was a better term—as if he knew that size could be a detriment. Too big and, as he’d warned her, it could hurt.
She didn’t want it to hurt with Mark.
“Should I be scared?” She had felt him with the sole of her foot and the palm of her hand, but only through his clothes. She had never actually seen how big he was, so she didn’t exactly know his full length and girth.
He grinned. “No, but we should be careful. And you should prepare.” He lifted a brown leather case from the Cārvāka box and set it on the table. It looked like an oversized jewelry box, like the kind that holds expensive necklaces. “Have you ever heard of dildo training?”
“No.”
He smoothed his palm over the top of the case. “Well, it’s when a woman uses progressively larger dildos to prepare for intercourse. That way, when she finally has sex, it doesn’t hurt. Do you understand?”
“Uh-huh.” With that explanation, she had a pretty good idea what was inside the case.
He reverently opened it as if he were unveiling a sacred artifact. Inside, nestled in a black, satin-lined pillow, were four glass dildos in graduating sizes. The first was simple and slender, with a small tapered protrusion on one end, a slight bulge about two-thirds down, and with a round handle on the other end. The next was a thicker version of the first, with two bulges and a heart-shaped handle. The third, which was rose colored, was thicker still, with a large egg-shaped tip, a shaft with rounded nodules along the exterior, and two large knobs at the end to use as a handle. The fourth, a deeper shade of rose than the third, was shaped like a penis, slightly curved, with a bulbous head, a thick shaft, and ridges swirled candy cane style at the other end.
“That’s about how big I am,” he said, pointing to the fourth. He gave her an impish smile.
She could see his concern. Brian the wonder stud had been nowhere near that big, and it had still hurt like hell.
He closed the box and placed his hand over hers. “You’ll start with the smallest and work your way up. I’ll help you.”
Exactly what kind of help would he be?
The question must have shown in her expression, because he smiled and held out his hand. She took it and stood.
His arm immediately encircled her waist and pulled her close as his lips brushed over hers.
Heat instantly bloomed between her legs.
He caressed her hips with both hands as he kissed his way down to her neck.
She didn’t know what point he was trying to make, but he could make it all night if he wanted to. He was damn near melting her.
After several more seconds of his persuasive lips on her skin, his tongue peeked out and licked a fiery trail up to her ear. “Are you wet?” he whispered.
She could feel the slippery sensation in her panties. “Y-Yes.”
“That’s how I plan on helping you.” He pressed his lips against the tender place just under her ear. “When you’re aroused, it’s easier to slide the dildos inside you. The same way it makes it easier for a man to slide inside you.” He paused, and his cheek rose as if he were grinning. “I plan on making you very wet.”
“Oh.” Now she understood. She liked his definition of help.
Pulling away, he guided her back into her chair then reached back inside the box. The evidence of his own arousal pressed against the seam of his jeans, and now Karma was even more curious. If his penis was anything like that largest dildo, it had to be pretty damn impressive.
When he pulled his hand out of the box, he held another case, similar to the first, only much smaller. Small enough to hold a bracelet.
“These are Ben Wa balls.” He popped open the lid. The hinges crackled.
Inside were two metallic black balls that looked like large marbles. He lifted one and let it roll in his palm. Soft, musical chiming rang from inside.
“What do I do with those?”
He handed the ball to her. It was cold and shiny and just a little on the heavy side for its size. “There are a lot of uses for Ben Wa balls. Pleasure, feminine health, that sort of thing. Many women use them to increase the strength of their vaginal muscles, and that’s how I want you to use them.” He grinned. “Well, at least at first. We can explore their pleasurable side later.”
Her face heated, and she placed the ball back in its indent on the satin pillow. “Okay, so how do I use them to ‘increase the strength’ of my muscles?”
Mark reached into the Amazon box and pulled out a book. A Woman’s Guide to Pelvic Health. He handed it to her. “By doing Kegels. This book explains how.”
“Kegels?”
“Yes, you’ll thank me later.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll see.” His wry expression sent a thrill through her body.
Mark lifted more books out of the box. One had a papaya on the front. Another a red chili pepper. Another was a massive, yellow tome that looked like a softcover encyclopedia on all things sexual.
“What’s all this?” she said.
“An education.” He sat down again. “Remember how I said I was going to build you a reading list? Well, this is just the beginning. If you read these, you’ll know more about sex than at least seventy-five percent of the population.”
Karma looked at her pile of booty, feeling a little overwhelmed but excited nonetheless.
“How do you know so much about…” she waved her hand at her gifts. “All this.”
He sat back in his chair. “Are you asking how it is that I know so much about sex? Or about a woman’s body…her needs? Or how I knew where to buy all these things?” He glanced at her stash.
“Take your pick.”
With a contemplative dip of his head, he said, “I was once in your shoes.”
“What do you mean?”
He sat forward and crossed his forearms on the table. “I didn’t know what I was doing. I thought I did, but it became clear I was pretty clueless. I thought I was Casanova, but I was just a bumbling fool.”
“You? Bumbling?” Karma found it hard to believe that Mark could ever have “bumbled” when it came to sex. The guy looked like he knew his way around a woman’s body the way a running back knew his way around a football field.
A beguiled expression crossed Mark’s face. “Is that so hard to believe?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Why do you think that?” Ulterior motives laced his tone.
She gestured toward him. “Well, I don’t know. I guess you just don’t strike me as the bumbling type.” Her mind replayed their moments together. “You seem like a man who knows what he’s doing.” A nervous spat of air burst through her lips. “And the way you kiss…” Heat flushed her face. “You just…you’re definitely not a bumbler.”
He reached for her hand. “And how do you think I got this way?” He played his fingers over hers.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Experience maybe?” And lots of it. She couldn’t meet his eyes.
“No.” He shook his head. “Experience only takes a person so far. If experience was all it took for a man to know what a woman wants and to become an expert lover, then all those idiots out there who’ve slept with scores of one-night stands wouldn’t be idiots, but fabulous lovers.”
He had a point. “Okay…?”
“Remember when you told me how awful your first time was?”
Of course she did. But what did that have to do with him? “Yes.”
“My first time wasn’t quite that bad, but it was pretty damn close. I was an idiot, but I got better as I went along. Not great, and certainly with a lot to learn, but better.” He hesitated, and a ghost of dark emotion flitted across his face. “Then I got into a serious relationship. By then, I thought I knew what I was doing, but I was still so ignorant. It took losing her to realize I needed to change. If I was going to become the kind of man women felt could take care of them, I needed to learn what they wanted, and I needed to learn what I wanted, too.” Shadows passed over his face as if he was remembering a time from his past. “I couldn’t continue being ignorant about women, and I couldn’t continue being selfish in the bedroom.” His face marginally brightened as if he had cast aside whatever memory had briefly haunted him. “So, I started reading. A lot. I devoured every book I could find on the subject. I even began reading women’s magazines.”
The mystery that was Mark began to unfold. So, this was how he was so attuned to her.
“I don’t like being a failure. At anything.” He met her gaze. “I refuse to be a failure, and that’s what’s driven me.” A moment of silence passed between them before he continued. “You’re changing like I did. This very moment, you’re changing. I can see it in your eyes. I’ve seen the change since the benefit in Chicago. You’re not the same woman you were two weeks ago.”
Karma’s mouth went dry. Once again, he pegged her, because she had felt the change, too. And not just with her clothes. She felt the change on the inside. “I know. I’ve felt it.”
“And the more you learn, the more changes you’ll make.”
Meeting Mark felt almost preordained. How else could she describe it? He had entered her life at the exact moment she had needed him to—at the very point in time when she had realized there was more to life than she was living—and now he was becoming her personal guide to the sexual universe.
“Now,” he said, “I have one more gift to give you, but you’re not allowed to use it until I say so, which should be about the time you’ve gotten comfortable with the second dildo.”
She leaned forward, trying to sneak a peek.
He lifted a velvet drawstring bag from the box, opened it, and pulled out a purple contraption that looked like some high-tech, phallic tool from Star Trek.
She ricocheted backward. This was not a glass dildo, but something else entirely. The thing had a bulbous head and ridges down the side like a real penis, and it had this protrusion that curved up and away from the main unit with what looked like little ears on the end. And there were all sorts of bumps along the exterior, with silver beads inside
“It’s just a vibrator.” He held it toward her.
At first, she shook her head. That was not “just a vibrator.” And how do you hold something like that? The thought of wrapping her hand around the shaft was pure humiliation, even after the conversation they’d just had.
“Oh come on, take it.” He laughed at her bashfulness.
Tentatively, she wrapped her fingers around the base and pulled it out of his grasp.
“I take it you’ve never used a vibrator?” Mark sounded amused.
She shook her head, staring at the purple gadget in her hand. “No.”
“Okay, well this is called a G-spot Rabbit vibrator.” He pointed to the little ear things. “That stimulates your clitoris, and when you turn it on…” He switched the power on and the whole thing began vibrating in her hand, and the penis head began rotating.
“Oh God!” She dropped it on the table. “What the hell! What’s wrong with it?”
Mark nearly fell over laughing as he picked up the squirming, churning, appendage of death. “It’s supposed to do that.”
“What? Turn into Linda Blair from The Exorcist?”
He laughed harder and shook his head. “No, but yes. It stimulates your G-spot when it rotates.”
“G-spot?”
This conversation was getting beyond out of control. What the hell was a G-spot?
Appearing bewildered, Mark stopped laughing. “You don’t know about your G-spot?”
Had she missed something? The way he continued staring at her like she had something between her teeth made it clear she had.
Mark’s stare intensified, morphing into concern. “Haven’t you ever learned about your G-spot?”
“Um…” She searched for words. Obviously, he knew something she didn’t, and it was important, or he wouldn’t be looking at her as if she had just told him she didn’t know how to drive a car. “I don’t…well…”
Mark set down the vibrator and leveled her with a look so full of compassion it nearly took her breath away. “And I receive yet another piece of the curious puzzle that is you.” He glanced down briefly before looking at her again. “Let me try and explain what your G-spot is.” He took a breath. “Inside your vagina, along the front wall, is where you’ll find your G-spot. It’s part of your clitoris. Or rather, your clitoris is part of your G-spot. When stimulated, it gets hard and a little rough. Like it has ridges on the surface. Once it’s stimulated, it provides a woman with a great deal of pleasure, and it creates a more intense orgasm than with just clitoral stimulation. Women who experience G-spot orgasms say they’re incredible.” He looked at her expectantly, as if prompting her to fill in a blank.
All she could do was frown. Clitoral orgasms and G-spot orgasms. Wasn’t an orgasm just an orgasm? She had always thought so, but now here comes Mark Strong—Mr. Sex Ed—and he turns her sexual universe on its head. Was he saying that there was more than one type of orgasm and that clitoral orgasms were only the beginning? That G-spot orgasms were the crème de la crème? Hell’s bells! The only way she had come before was by playing with her clit, and those orgasms were fabulous.
She gave him a frustrated glance. “Are you saying they’re stronger?” This was so much to take in.
He frowned and tilted his head curiously to the side. “Haven’t you ever had a vaginal orgasm? Haven’t you ever given yourself one?”
Vaginal orgasm? Was this a third type of orgasm? She had to be the most pathetic, inexperienced, naïve woman on the planet.
He sat down and scooted closer. “A vaginal orgasm is another name for a G-spot orgasm,” he said. “See, there are two types of female orgasm.” He spoke matter-of-factly, as a teacher would to his students. “Clitoral and vaginal, or as some call it, a G-spot orgasm.” He lifted his hands as if they were scales and he was presenting each to her. “Obviously, both feel good, but a vaginal, or G-spot, orgasm is much more intense. Deeper.” He lifted one of his hands higher than the other as if to show that one held the vaginal orgasm. Then he dropped both hands into his lap as he sat forward. “Let me put it this way: A vaginal orgasm is to a clitoral orgasm the way a fresh-from-the-oven, chocolate chunk brownie drizzled in warm caramel and vanilla bean cream is to a piece of Dove milk chocolate. Both are good, but one makes you moan while the other just makes you smile.”
Chocolate chunk brownie versus a square of Dove milk chocolate? There was an analogy she understood. Yes, she would definitely enjoy the brownie the way he described it much more than the milk chocolate, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t devour a whole bowl of Dove squares if given the chance.
“Have you ever had a chocolate chunk brownie drizzled in warm caramel and vanilla bean sauce, Karma?” Mark took her hand.
She thought about it for a moment, still flushed and feeling deer-in-the-headlights. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
She hadn’t even known what a G-spot was. How would she know if the thing had given her a chocolate chunk brownie?
“How would I be able to tell?” She self-consciously dropped her gaze.
When she glanced back up, his wicked grin stirred the warmth between her legs back to life. “Trust me. You’d know if you had.”
His thumb caressed the backs of her knuckles.
She took a deep breath. “Obviously, my love life has been pretty pathetic. I think you know that because of what I’ve told you.”
Tender strokes of his fingers lent silent encouragement. “I wouldn’t say pathetic. You’ve just had poor lovers. They didn’t know how to make love to you. I’m going to change that.”
“You’ve got your work cut out for you.” She felt so small.
“Do I look intimidated?” His gaze locked to hers like a promise.
“No,” she said.
“That’s because I’m not. I like a challenge. And I know what you’re capable of.” He looked at the items on the table then pulled her onto his lap and locked his fingers at the small of her back. “I’m so glad your friend’s husband was sick the night of the benefit.”
It was an odd thing to be happy about, but she understood how he felt. Grinning, she bit her lip and covered her face with her hands as she shook her head. Was this really happening? She still couldn’t believe it. She dropped her hands to his shoulders. “So am I.”
He inhaled then exhaled slowly, gazing at her mouth. “We’re going to have so much fun together, Karma.” His gaze lifted to hers. “I’m going to teach you things about your body you never knew…show you things you’ve only ever imagined.” His hands glided up and down her back. He leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to the corner of her mouth then one on her cheek, and several more as he drew a line to her ear. “I will take care of you,” he whispered. “You can count on that.”
And for the third time that night, heat fired low in her belly. Every moment with Mark, every breath she took, and every secret glance led her one step closer to the woman she wanted to become. And further away from the uncertain, naïve girl she wanted to leave behind.