Susan sought her out before the start of the afternoon seminar. Karina perked up at the sight of the other woman. She hadn't come purposely looking for new friends, but was delighted by the developing bond that was being created, particularly as Cat and Serena's futures were up in the air at the moment, too. Who knew where they'd all end up?
"Hi there, you look better," Susan remarked. "John's holding a couple of seats for us. I'm going to grab a coffee to take back in with me. Do you want one, too?"
"Are you kidding? Just point me in the right direction."
They found John easily in the crowd and slipped in with a few minutes to spare. John laughed when he saw what the women were carrying. "You can't even make it to break time, can you?" he teased Karina.
She smiled at him before inhaling deeply, closing her eyes in sensual delight as the rich, dark aroma smoothed over her senses.
"Now that's a smile to wonder about! I'd love to know what you're thinking?" asked a dark, velvety voice.
Karina opened her eyes to Mark's warm, brown ones smiling at her.
"It's a secret. Don't use your Barry White impression on me."
Mark chuckled. "Brian's about to start and you definitely want to listen to this part." He continued down the aisle to where Brian sat at the front of the room.
Brian stood to greet them.
"Good afternoon. Is everyone rested and ready to go again? Good. Let's get started."
For the remainder of the afternoon, Karina sat entertained and fascinated with the man in front of her. He led the audience where he wanted them, yet kept them well informed on their way. Instead of finding aspects of his personality to not like, she was falling quickly from infatuation into attraction. He was a dynamo.
Still relaxed when the talk ended, Karina allowed herself to go with the flow of people, naturally becoming part of a group of people heading into the workshop portion of the afternoon. This sense of belonging stopped her old insecurities from intruding during the next set of exercises. As she settled, her body language opened and her natural chutzpah showed. Her sharp wit wove through the conversation, placing herself firmly at the center of attention.
Susan said, "I'm really looking forward to this next session. It's on our innermost desires."
Karina laughed. "I'm so not sharing mine!"
"Come on, please Karina," said Rob, one of the younger single males. He waggled his eyebrows back and forth.
Quick repartee flew back and forth, keeping their group in giggles. Their enjoyment attracted envious glances from the other seminar members.
It also caught Brian's attention, bringing him up to their hysterical group.
"Well, I'm glad to see everyone is enjoying themselves," he commented, curiosity in his voice. "Karina, as I recall you always did have a great sense of humor. Care to share the joke?"
Karina couldn't answer for the mirth that bubbled through her. Tell Brian that she'd jokingly compared sex with her dream man to being the ultimate goal of her life? Nope, she so didn't want him to hear that. He just might make the connection. Hoping to prevent anyone else from spilling the beans, she spoke up quickly. "Sorry, our humor ran away with us. We'll try not to disrupt the rest of the class."
She grinned, inviting him to join into the fun.
Pure male appreciation gleamed in a familiar response as their gazes caught and held. A bolt of awareness shuddered through Karina. The answering glint in his eyes spoke volumes and offered an invitation of his own. Full and aristocratic, the energy of attraction surged once again between them.
Memories of skin sliding across heated skin, lips caressing hers and whispered murmurs raced through her psyche. God.
Flustered, Karina broke the connection first. Heat bloomed on her cheeks and her heart jumped inside of her chest. My God. She didn't dare look at him, afraid of what she'd see…or not see. Damn. What was happening here?
Susan smoothly stepped in to cover the awkward silence. "Karina's a natural comedian. Her one-liners have kept us in stitches for the last half hour." She added, "We're working on the assignment as well. We promise."
Smiling back at the other woman, Brian said, "Good. It's nice to see everyone having fun. Carry on the good work." With one last lingering glance at Karina, he headed over to check in with a different group.
***
Brian forced his legs to move him away from the woman that had been driving him crazy all morning. Jesus. He'd never thought he'd see Karina again. And damn if that chemistry wasn't exactly the same as it had been years ago.
Still tiny with wild, untamable blond curls, she was a delight with her ready smile and quick wit. And a torment.
His body didn't give a damn about explanations. It wanted to play…and how. Karina was a trip down memory lane, and a difficult one in many ways. His relationship with Breanna had just ended—a relationship he'd thought was going to last through time. He'd planned on drinking himself into oblivion at the pub when Karina had walked in. Available. Interested. And so alive and caring, he hadn't been able to resist.
That one night had blown him away. Two years of memories with Breanna—gone in a heartbeat. It had been a hell of a lesson. A lesson that had scared him into backing off. He hadn't planned on leaving without speaking with her that last morning. He'd gone into the bedroom to say his good-byes. She'd been so beautiful. So exhausted. Perfection.
And it had shaken him.
But her declaration of love had terrified him even more.
He'd seen an opportunity to avoid the situation, her, even his own overwhelming emotions, and especially the incredible shift in his world…and he'd taken it. Coward.
There. He admitted it to himself. He'd been scared of the emotions coursing through him. The speed of the disintegration of his relationship with Breanna. The speed of the developing relationship with Karina. He hadn't been able to trust his emotions or the lightning-quick shift in his perception.
And now, she was here. At his seminar. Deep inside, his soul shook with change—again. Last time change had rocked his world, Karina had rocked his soul.
What was the universe tossing at him this time?
He'd almost cancelled this seminar after the rash of threatening phone calls and letters he'd received recently. The police hadn't explicitly told him to, but had asked him to seriously consider it.
As a concession he had doubled his security, warned the hotel to stay extra vigilant and had proceeded with careful watchfulness.
Now he was glad he hadn't cancelled.
Look what he'd have missed if he had.
***
Karina basked in the warm glow of heightened self-confidence for the rest of the afternoon. Even as the exercises took her through some heavy storms in the emotional arena, the glow stayed. Approval could do that for a person. She finished the afternoon in high spirits, her hopes restored and her heart singing. There was…something…still there between them. It was just a matter now of finding out what that something was. The chance she'd taken in coming to the seminar had proven positive—at least, so far.
"Wasn't this afternoon great?" she asked, as she and Susan made their way to the hotel's revolving doors. "Working together the way we did, sharing. It was wonderful."
"Absolutely. I really felt like I belonged in our group." Susan paused on the sidewalk outside of the hotel, and the two women looked at each other. "So. Where to?"
"Ladies. Could we join you for dinner?" John joined them on the sidewalk, accompanied by Andrew, another member of their afternoon group.
"Of course," Karina said with a smile. "We're just trying to make a decision on where to eat."
"How about a vote? Who wants Chinese? Italian? For myself, I'd love some Thai food." Susan suggested.
"Thai or Chinese works for me," John offered. Andrew nodded agreeably.
"Does anyone know the city well enough to point us in the right direction?" Karina asked.
"I do," supplied an amused voice behind them.
Brian and Mark had walked up to the group during their discussions. "We'd just decided to head for an excellent Thai restaurant around the corner. Would you care to join us?" Mark suggested cheerfully.
With a genial smile, Brian seconded the invitation, his gaze lingering on Karina. She met his gaze confidently, and the warmth in his eyes grew more heated.
It took mere seconds to reach total agreement. Karina's heart bubbled with happiness. Falling into step between Brian and Mark, she stuffed her hands in her pockets and tossed back her curls. Good friends, good food, and a chance to spend more time with Brian. Life was good.
The group hurried along under a rapidly darkening sky. A heavy downpour had been promised, but that in no way dampened the spirits of those rushing into the busy restaurant, even as heavy drops began to fall.
"Just in time," remarked Brian as he removed his overcoat, gently shaking off the raindrops. He hung the garment on a large coat rack then turned to help Karina with her coat. Not meant for the rain, moisture had suctioned the material to her blouse, and her jacket was attempting to stay where it was. The touch of Brian's fingertips on her shoulders sent tingles down her arms, and Karina's heart pounded in her ears. In an attempt to keep the mood lighthearted she laughed as they struggled with the unruly lining. Brian's soft chuckle thrilled her to her toes.
The others were already following their hostess to a table. When Karina and Brian reached the group, she eyed the three empty chairs in a row before grabbing the middle one. She smiled impishly across the table at Susan, the only other female in the group.
"If we sit opposite each other then we can share the men between us."
"With such handsome men along, I think that's a fabulous idea," Susan said with a grin.
"In that case, I'm sitting beside Karina," Mark interjected with a wink. "We should have invited a few other women to balance things out."
"But as this isn't a matchmaking service and as some of us aren't single, it won't matter." John took the seat next to Susan. "The 'attached' ones are here, making yours the 'unattached' side."
"Works for me," said Brian as he took the seat next to Karina.
Andrew just smiled and took the last seat on the married side.
"Are you married, Andrew?" Karina asked, trying to include the shy gentleman in their conversation, all the while doing her best to ignore the overwhelming presence on her right.
"I was for ten years, but we divorced three years ago. Then I got lucky and met up with my current partner, Pam. What about you? You must have a boyfriend, don't you?"
"No, there's no one special in my life right now," she said, flushing. She turned her attention to Susan across the table, who appeared to be watching Brian very closely. The quick, secretive grin that flashed across Susan's expressive face sparked Karina's curiosity.
"Where do you live, Mars? Obviously, not here. Our men aren't so foolish," joked Mark. His hand was in the air trying to get their waitress's attention.
"I gather you're hungry, Mark," Brian teased. "Did you even take a lunch break today?"
"I'm starving. My stomach remembers this place. Have you all decided what to have?"
"No point in even looking, when I don't know what the dishes are." John nodded at the still-closed menu in front of him.
Karina opened her menu and saw what he meant. There was no shorthand explanation to go with the names of the entrees. Nor were there pictures of the dishes.
Brian turned to Mark. "I have an idea. You know the food. Why don't you pick six dishes for us to share? That way, everyone can try a little bit of everything."
"Easily done." Mark tilted his head towards the tiny woman now standing beside him. Together, they discussed the choices. The strange sounding names combined with the musical accent added a touch of far-off magic to the evening. Karina appreciated that they were in for a treat.
"Mark lived in Thailand for several months," Brian said. "He's quite a connoisseur."
"Wonderful! We're so lucky that we get to enjoy his expertise." Karina rubbed her hands together in anticipation. Always willing to try new foods, she'd only had Thai cooking a couple of times before, so to have an expert advise them on their meal was fun.
She glanced sideways at Brian and caught him staring back. At this distance, she couldn't help noticing how square his cheekbones were, matching his chin perfectly. God, those dimples. She didn't remember those. She turned away before she could reach over with her fingertip to stroke the natural recesses. She caught Susan's observant eye. With a toss of her head in the direction of the back of the restaurant, Karina silently suggested a trip to the Ladies' room.
Susan jumped up at the idea, her expression smug, bursting with the effort of holding back a secret. Karina followed closely behind.
"What are you smirking about?" Karina asked, certain she already knew the answer.
"Don't worry. I don't think anyone else noticed."
"Noticed what?"
"The attraction between you two. You obviously think he's cute."
"God, he's gorgeous. But I have to tell you, we have a history. Not much of one, but it seems like time didn't dull the attraction." Karina collapsed in an exaggerated swoon against the counter. They both burst out laughing.
When she'd regained control, Susan said, "And he's available. In many ways you complement each other."
"Really?" Karina said, her voice sounding a little desperate to her own ears. Disbelief warred with hope in her voice. Did Susan really see something? And more importantly, did she want to go down that path again? "He's confusing the hell out of me."
"Duh, meeting him again has obviously stirred things up. Let it develop." Susan bent closer to the mirror to check her makeup. "You two would be good together," she reiterated firmly. "See where it goes."
Karina wasn't so easily convinced. The pain of their last night together couldn't be so quickly dismissed.
"Let's head back before the men eat everything." With the door half open, Susan motioned Karina to move in front of her.
"Then we'd be hungry and have to find another way to appease our appetites." Karina leered comically, waggling her eyebrows as her ribald sense of humor made an appearance. "Instead of sharing dinner with the men, let's have the men for dinner."
Susan chuckled and lightly elbowed Karina in the side. "I'm on a diet, remember?"
"That's okay. I wasn't sure I wanted to share anyways!"
Still giggling, Karina retook her seat.
Mark sighed. "Now what are you two laughing about?"
The women shook their heads, grinning madly at each other.
Brian leaned in close. "Karina, I've listened to your laughter all afternoon, but nobody's let me in on a single joke. So, come on—give over. Please?" A wheedling tone entered his voice.
Susan jumped in to answer. "She was just commenting on having a man-sized appetite." Then she burst into peals of laughter at her inside joke.
"Well done, Susan." Karina smirked. "We'll make a comedian out of you yet."
The men just watched and shook their heads, before everyone turned back to the meal.
By the end of the evening, the warm cozy atmosphere of the restaurant had affected the ambience within the group itself. They strolled back to the hotel, replete and relaxed. Karina barely noticed that the light drizzle had turned to rain.
The street around them was quiet, devoid of both traffic and pedestrians. Empty storefronts seemed to wait for them in the gloom, watching them with dark, fathomless eyes. Despite the pleasant chatter happening around her, Karina felt a chill of nervousness run up her spine. She chided herself silently for being foolish; their group was large and fairly noisy. Nothing bad was going to happen to them. But then why did she feel such a sense of misgiving?
On the way up the long path to the hotel's entrance, Karina noticed a man on the opposite side of the street, standing motionless in the downpour, staring up at the front of the well-lit building. Rain pattered off his hat, dripping from the brim in a steady stream. His face was hidden in shadow, but something about him made Karina hesitate.
"I wonder what he's doing?" Karina jerked her chin in the man's direction. At that moment he turned his head, and she caught a glimpse of his profile. There was something familiar about it. Almost. The others, only intent on making it inside, barely glanced his way. "Maybe he's lost," she suggested, squinting into the darkness. "Do you think we should go and ask him if he needs help?"
"If he's lost, wouldn't he'd go and ask at the front desk?" Brian held open the door for her. "Come inside and get dry." He cast a glance at the stranger then shrugged. "If he bothers you, you can mention it to the hotel staff, but he's not actually doing anything. Besides, he'll probably be gone before they even get out there." His palm landed gently on her back, ushering her in out of the rain.
Looking one last time over her shoulder, Karina realized that she could no longer see the man.
The creepy stranger had already moved on.
***
Anger flashed, old and sharp, scraping Ian raw as it rose to the surface.
That had been Karina. From university. How could he forget her? He couldn't.
The same old bitterness choked him. She was another thing Brian stole from him. He snorted. The two suited each other. Both had made his life miserable.
And both appeared to be happy.
That just brought Mary to mind. His stomach twisted. She even refused to talk to him now. Said she needed more time.
His pain burned. He slammed it down deeper.
And sneered. Brian and Karina, huh? His research hadn't brought any hint of a relationship in Brian's life. No mention of Karina anywhere, and he certainly would have noticed.
He had a score to settle with her, too. He'd dig deeper now that he realized she was here with him.
The thought of the two of them being happy together twisted in his gut.
He'd wanted her something fierce back in university. She wouldn't give him the time of day back then. Wouldn't even give him a decent chance. Especially that last night when she'd left the pub with Brian. He'd watched them leave, had followed them to Brian's place and had stayed outside and waited.
But she never came out.
Apparently that relationship hadn't worked out back then. And Brian had married and divorced in the meantime. And didn't that thought bring a smile to his face.
He'd hated her back then. Hated Brian, too. But the emotions then were nothing to what he felt now.
But it wasn't enough.
Brian had taken Mary, his wife of seven years, away from him. There's no way Ian could let Brian have Karina too. Not again.