Page 14 of Five Midnight Moment
Dwight nodded. “You two have a good evening.”
“You, too,” Valencia said. As soon as she and Dwayne got into his car, she said, “I don’t think your brother likes me.”
Dwayne laughed as he pulled out onto the road. “Quite the opposite. Yesterday, he told me I was lucky we’re brothers, otherwise, he’d make a play for you.”
Her head whipped around. “What?”
“Apparently, he was pretty impressed with the way you handled Shawna, not to mention, the fact that you didn’t back down when he thought you were the culprit.”
She waved a hand. “That’s…I mean how? He barely even talks to me.”
“That’s because he’s more of an introvert. He barely talks to anyone, so don’t take it personal. If he didn’t like you, you’d know.Trust me.”
“If you say so,” she said, staring out the window and rubbing her hands together. The early evening temperatures hovered around fifty degrees and she longed for the warm, sunny weather in Mexico.
Dwayne must have noticed her shivering because he said, “The heat will be up in a minute.” They rode in companionable silence for a few minutes, then he spoke again. “I went out at lunch and got a new battery for your car.”
“Aw, you’re so sweet. Thank you, baby.”
He smiled. “You’re welcome.”
After a couple more miles, she realized they weren’t going in the direction of either of their homes. “Where are we going?”
“I thought we’d go out for dinner.” He slanted her a quick glance. “In town.”
She didn’t know what to say. Over the past few days, he’d made a point of focusing on the things she wanted in a relationship. This would be the first time they’d be seen in public together. “Where are we going? With it being New Year’s Eve, we might have problems getting a table.”
“Not if we already have reservations.”
For the past three nights, he’d been showing her in every way how much he cared about her. And when he said he loved her after they made love the last time, she’d felt it. Tonight would be her turn to tell him how much she loved him, too. The upscale steakhouse with its low lighting provided the perfect backdrop for lovers, but all she wanted at the moment was him. Preferably naked and buried deep inside her.
“You need to stop looking at me like that or we aren’t going to be able to finish dinner.”
Valencia gave him a sultry smile. “We could always take it to go.”
Desire lit his eyes. “We could, but I have plans for us tonight, so eat your food and quit tempting me.”
She slipped off her pump and slid her foot up his leg. “I have a few plans, too.”
Dwayne choked on his wine. “Behave.”
Giving him a mock pout, she said, “You’re no fun.”
“I’ll give you all the fun you can stand later and that’s a promise.”
“Oh, alright.” Dwayne made a point of whispering just what that fun entailed throughout the meal and the heat between them steadily rose. By the time he escorted her to the car, she was ready to straddle him right there in the back seat. With all the people milling around, she figured it wouldn’t be a good idea, so she stifled the urge.
“What do your parents usually do on New Year’s Eve?” Dwayne asked as he drove.
Valencia rolled her head in his direction. The question was so out of the blue, it caught her by surprise. “Um…the same thing they do every year—sit in front of the television waiting for the ball to drop in Times Square. Why?”
“I think it’s time I met them. See if they’re up for a visit.”
She felt her eyes widen. “Now? You want to meet my parents tonight?”
Dwayne gave her that patented grin that make her weak and tossed her a bold wink. “Yep. So go ahead and make the call…unless there’s some reason you don’t want me to meet them.”
“I…ah…no, there’s no reason.” Still staring at him and trying to figure out what he was up to, she pulled out her phone and hit the call button next to her mother’s name. She hadn’t even told her parents anything about him other than they’d gone out a few times.
