Midnight Kisses Page 6

  Not tonight.

  The atmosphere in the restaurant was perfect. The food was great, the music was seductive, the company was appealing. Daniel couldn’t keep his eyes off Renée.

  He wasn’t sure what was going on. Maybe it was the two glasses of wine, maybe it was the fact that all night long he’d inhaled her sweet scent until his blood boiled with a passion he had not felt in a long time. He knew he was attracted to her, but he’d been able to control his feelings in her presence…until tonight.

  Across from him, she lifted the spoon to her lips, sipping the spicy West Indian soup. He enjoyed watching her eat. She didn’t play around with her food but savored every morsel that passed her lips.

  “You going to have dessert?” he asked, handing her the menu.

  Renée browsed it for a while and then handed it back to him.

  “Peach cobbler, right?” he asked again. “I can see you have a sweet tooth,” he said. “One only has to see the look of utter satisfaction on your face. It’s a…”

  “It’s a what?” she asked, an eyebrow lifted.

  “I think maybe it’s best if I don’t say.”

  “Chicken,” she teased.

  “I was going to say, it’s a real turn-on.”

  She looked at him, and he could tell he’d shocked her.

  “I didn’t expect that to come from you.”

  “Why? Because I was a pastor?”

  She hesitated. “Yes, forgive me, but I find it so hard to visualize you standing in front of a congregation preaching the good news.”

  “If you’d known me a few years back, you definitely wouldn’t have liked me that much. I wasn’t the nicest of people. Definitely a little too self-righteous. I believed that I could do nothing wrong, but condemned everyone, even my own family. But I loved the work I did. I’m a lot more human these days.” He leaned forward. “But let’s change the subject. I’ve been watching you eat all night and wishing your mouth were on me.”

  He watched her gasp. But he wanted to be honest.

  “Right now, I want to take you back to my apartment and make love to you all night.”

  She finally spoke. “You are very direct, I must say.”

  “Maybe I am. But life is too short to waste time beating around the bush. Not that I do this often. In fact, I don’t do this at all. But I’m attracted to you and I want to make love to you. I promise you it won’t be a one-night stand. I don’t do one-night stands.”

  “That’s good to know. I guess I’m going to be getting dessert after all,” Renée said with a wink.

  Dessert indeed.

  “I’ll get the hostess so we can get out of here,” Daniel said.

  Outside, the wind blew gently. The moon, at its fullest, glowed in the night sky.

  Daniel unlocked the car and opened the door for her. Before she stepped inside, he pulled her against him. He needed to kiss her and couldn’t wait until they arrived at her apartment. Heat raced through him as he kissed her hard and deep, not wanting to stop. Her heart beat rapidly against his chest. Reluctantly he pulled away, breathing as deeply as she did.

  “Come on, let’s go,” he said, his voice husky with his desire.

  Renée nodded, unable to speak. Desire flamed in her eyes.

  The drive back to her apartment took longer than he wanted, and the thought of what was about to happen kept him on edge. He didn’t say much, instead focusing on the road ahead. There was no need for idle chitchat. Instead Anita Baker continued to set the mood for the unfolding seduction.

  Daniel felt alive with anticipation. He could already feel himself deep inside her, and he did all he could to stop himself from groaning with desire.

  Daniel practically kicked her door in, his mouth still covering hers. He didn’t want this to stop. He knew he might regret it in the morning, but tonight he wanted her and that was all that mattered.

  The light came on, illuminating the room.

  “Where’s the bedroom?” he asked, feeling empty when he took his lips from hers.

  “The door to the left,” she replied.

  She uncoiled from around him, held his hand and he followed. In the bedroom they stood in the darkness.

  “Turn the light on.”

  She did and then turned to him. She stood bold, the initial uncertainty gone. He moved to the center of the room and she followed him. He stopped, looked down at the bed and noticed its pink frilliness.

  She came up behind him, her body barely touching his, but he could feel her heat.

  He turned to face her.

  He wondered for the hundredth time if he was doing the right thing, but then he felt her hand on him, cupping his erection through his pants, and all his reservations faded.

  “Yes, touch me. I want your hands on me,” he groaned.

  Her hands tugged at his zipper, slowly easing it down. His pants fell to the floor, revealing the loose boxers he wore, but they did little to hide his arousal. Those, too, slipped to the floor.

  She cupped his length in her hands again, and then gently stroked him.

  He reached down, stilling her movement. “Hold on,” he said. “First let’s get you out of this.”

  He removed her dress with a quickness he didn’t realize he had, and she soon stood naked before him. She was beautiful, more than beautiful. Renée had lovely breasts. Not too big, not too small. Just right.

  He reached out and touched them, loving the way her body trembled and her nipples perked.

  She wanted him. He could tell and there was an unexpected pride in that knowledge. A flash of guilt stuck in his throat, but the sight before him was too much to ignore and the feeling lessened to a nagging somewhere in the background of his consciousness.

  Daniel sat on the bed, moving her to stand between his legs, her breasts at eye level. He cupped one breast and one stiff nub into his mouth, his teeth tugging, pulling and giving rise to sweet groans of pleasure.

  His other hand too found the gentle mound at the parting of her legs, and he slipped his hand inside, his fingers working magic as she trembled from head to toe.

  He heard her whisper, “I want you,” and knew he could not contain himself anymore.

  He placed his mouth on hers again, slipping his tongue inside, wanting the intimacy that came from contact with a woman. But he didn’t want any woman.

  He wanted Renée.

  He hoped this encounter would quench his thirst for her, but immediately he knew he wouldn’t be satisfied with a one-off solution to the problem. He wanted more, needed more.

  For the briefest of moments, his late wife’s face flashed in his mind, but he dismissed her. He didn’t want this to be about her. He wanted to do this without any guilt, without a sense of dread.

  He groaned. Her mouth had found its way to one of his nipples.

  His body responded immediately as he felt a bolt of heat rush through him as his penis hardened further still, until the pain of his erection was almost unbearable.

  He pulled away, lowering her to the bed, then he poised himself above her.

  She reached into her nightstand for a condom and placed it in his hand.

  “Put it on for me,” he commanded.

  She complied. Her hands were gentle on him. He’d loved the sensation that soared through his body. There was an intimacy about a woman rolling the cool latex on him that turned him on. The feel of her hand on his length evoked a groan, but he breathed in deeply, gaining control again.

  When she was done, he positioned himself between her legs, slowly guiding himself inside her. Her slick wetness drew him in, allowing him to slip smoothly inside. She felt perfect.

  He remained still for a while, trying to gain control. He wanted to savor the moment, the incredible feel of her body. She wiggled beneath him, trying to get accustomed to his size and hardness.

  “Please,” she said.

  Daniel didn’t need any more encouragement. He moved slowly inside her, stroking her long and deep. Her legs widened, allowing hi
m more access to her, a deeper penetration, until he felt they were completely joined and her body had become a part of his.

  Her body moved under his, a slow, circular movement completely in sync with his actions, almost as if their bodies already knew each other intimately.

  When her legs moved and wrapped around his waist, he lost all control and he increased his pace. He needed release. He shortened his strokes, moving quicker and harder inside her, her moans urging him on. And then it happened, as he expected, the sudden clenching of his abs, the tingling along his spine and the tensing of his legs. He felt his release even before it started. His manhood expanded and then spasm after spasm of pure pleasure ripped through his body.

  He heard a howl and realized it was his voice. She followed him with her own cry of ecstasy; her legs gripped him tighter as she joined him. Finally, control restored, he held her tight as she shuddered and convulsed against him, her eyes opened wide with the wonder of what she was feeling.

  When she finally relaxed, he continued to hold her, afraid to let her go, afraid that this was all a dream, afraid he’d wake up to the cold hard reality of his life.

  Chapter 6

  During the night, Renée woke to a sense of stillness and loneliness. Outside, the sounds of Chicago at night comforted with their familiarity. She turned to the man who lay next to her.

  What had she done?

  She wasn’t sure how she felt, but she did know she’d experienced the best sex she’d ever had in her life.

  Renée slipped out of the bed. She needed to get away from him. Fear like nothing she’d ever experienced before held her tight in its grip and she stumbled out of the bedroom, turning the light in the living room on to erase the darkness.

  She moved toward the balcony, sliding the door open when she reached it. She stepped outside, inhaling the cool night air. Her heart was still racing and she slowly brought it under control. She was afraid.

  She couldn’t explain her feelings for him. Every time she thought of him, she felt even more confused. He was definitely not her usual kind of man. She’d always been attached to the more outdoorsy type or the witty extrovert. Daniel was the strong silent type.

  But acknowledging that didn’t negate how attractive and sexy she found him. His calm, controlled demeanor masked a man holding his passion in. She knew it…knew that there was something profoundly deep and emotional within him. She’d caught a glimpse of that man tonight. She’d caught a glimpse of the heat he tried to keep dormant inside.

  Not that she was complaining. Their lovemaking had been wonderful, yet she could tell he’d been holding back, and she found herself wanting all of him.

  In the distance, the night lights of Chicago flickered. She loved the city—its vibrancy and its atmosphere. Though she’d considered jobs elsewhere, she could never leave. When Vincent Memorial had offered her the job, she had jumped at the chance, even though the pay would have been lower than some of her other offers. Being happy wasn’t always about money.

  She closed her eyes, soaking in the feeling of the Chicago midnight. She needed to get back to bed. She had to work the early shift in the morning, and she hated to be late.

  Renée returned to the bedroom. Daniel was still sleeping. She laughed. She’d tired him out. She felt the same; he had been a demanding lover.

  She slipped between the sheets, drawing closer to him. She loved the feel of his body next to hers…the hardness, the strength, the way her heart rate quickened with excitement and anticipation. She was madly attracted to him and that alone scared her.

  And then she realized he had stopped breathing, and two eyes flaming with fire stared at her. Instinctively, she reached up and kissed him on the nose, and gasped when he responded by capturing her lips.

  Under the covers, she felt his arousal against her stomach and she reached out, holding him in her hands. His penis jerked and she felt pride in knowing that he responded to her. He was large and she was amazed that she’d accommodated him so well. She loved the fullness of him inside her and her body ached to feel him again. She ran her hands along his thick length, loving the feel of its ridged texture. He moaned, a vulnerable sound that made her know she was in control.

  She felt the gentlest of touches at her womanhood. Her hand covered his, and she widened her legs, giving him the access he wanted, that she wanted, too.

  A finger slipped inside her tenderly, finding her sensitive nub. His finger teased it and she released him, her palms folding and opening with the sensation that washed over her. She bit her lips trying to keep the sound in but with every flick of his finger she knew the sweetness of pain.

  Daniel removed his hand and she almost screamed in protest, but when his head moved between her legs, she stopped, knowing what was to come would be even better. He placed his mouth on her, his tongue slipped between the delicate folds, and he made love to her in a way she’d never experienced before. All she could do was give in to the thrill surging through her body and enjoy the skillful way he pleasured her.

  And then he stopped and raised himself above her and prepared to enter her for the second time that night. Again she almost screamed with the impact of his entry. But her body was ready and when he pulled back and stroked her again, she met him halfway, joining him with a fervor of her own. She groaned and cried at each firm, hard stroke, wrapping her legs around him, and drawing him closer.

  She clenched her muscles around his penis, wanting to give him as much pleasure as she could.

  While they made love he whispered to her. Words of pleasure, naughty words that teased her, urging her to do what he wanted. And she responded willingly, titillating him in her own way.

  Then she felt it…that awesome sensation that started deep inside and worked its way to the surface. Her body begged for release and then he screamed her name as his body shuddered with the chill of his orgasm.

  Seconds later she joined him, unhappy that it was over, but allowing the waves of pleasure to take her floating on a cloud before she found herself falling once again into sleep.

  When Daniel awoke he was disoriented for a moment, but the woman next to him brought back images of the night before. He glanced toward the window. The sun, barely awake, cast its pale rays of soft shades of orange and yellow across the morning sky. A glance at the dull neon glow of the clock on the wall confirmed that it was just after seven o’clock.

  Renée sighed in her sleep and drew closer to him. His arousal was immediate.

  He wanted to make love to her again, and knew if he woke her, she’d melt in his arms. He liked lying next to her, but he needed to go to the bathroom. He slipped out of the bed, trying to make sure that he didn’t wake her. He wasn’t sure where the bathroom was, but he suspected it was the door on the left. He was right, and it took a bit of fumbling to find the light switch. And then he saw it…glistening on his finger.

  His wedding ring.

  The ring he’d worn for the last ten years. The ring his late wife had placed on his left hand. He felt a guilt so strong and so heavy, he could sense the telltale prick of tears.

  He reached to take it off, but found he couldn’t. Taking it off would be to break the final link to Lorraine. He knew immediately he’d made a mistake and promised himself that he’d never do this again.

  And yet, while his love for Lorraine still existed, his feelings for Renée went deeper than he expected, than he wanted. It was too soon. He felt as if he had cheated on his late wife and she was looking down at him from above.

  To love again was a definite no-no, and this “thing” with Renée was definitely heading that way. He didn’t want this. He’d already lost his wife and his daughter. He couldn’t lose anyone again. He couldn’t deal with the pain. Lorraine’s and his daughter Chelsea’s deaths had devastated him and he couldn’t tell what the loss of someone else would do to him.

  He had to leave.

  He went back into the bedroom. She was still asleep. He searched for his clothes on the floor, disentangle
d them from hers and slipped them on. He stood staring down at her for a long time, then he turned and exited the apartment. Instead of going directly home, he drove until the sun peeped over the horizon, until it was high above him.

  Had he done the right thing? He wasn’t sure, but for now he knew that he couldn’t be with her. Despite the progress he had made in the past few years, he was not a whole man yet. He would be the first to admit that.

  Until he’d dealt with his hurt and his pain, he couldn’t love again and Renée deserved better. She deserved someone who could truly love her. He couldn’t give her that yet, when memories of his wife still lingered.

  When Renée opened her eyes, she immediately noticed that Daniel was gone. Somehow she’d expected it. Her life seemed to unfold like the scenes from one of those melodramatic soap operas that so many women loved to watch during the quiet afternoon hours.

  She rose from the bed, her body still alive with the lingering touch from his hands. She looked around for her clothes. They were neatly folded on the sole chair in the room.

  She headed to the bathroom, needing to take a shower. Her body ached, weary from the passionate exertion. But she felt good, alive. If Daniel had wakened her and made love to her again, she would have welcomed him into her body without hesitation.

  And therein lay the problem. Or, therein didn’t lay the problem, more appropriately.

  She was falling in love with Daniel Buchanan. She didn’t want to. She knew that she shouldn’t. She’d only met him a week ago. Things were moving much too quickly.

  He was still in love with his wife. That much she knew. She’d noticed again the ring on his finger, evidence of his devotion to a woman who’d died.

  And she could do without relationships. Love was the stuff in romance novels that ended happily ever after. In real life, love could be there, but so many factors existed that challenged its chance of survival.