Page 1 of Five Midnight Moment
Chapter 1
Valencia Townsend shivered as she entered her condo and dropped her tote on a chair.
“Cold?”
She smiled. “Coming from those eighty-degree temperatures in Puerto Vallarta back to barely sixty here in Sacramento is enough to make anybody cold.” She usually programmed the heating system, but when Dwayne Albright had asked her to go away with him for the weekend to Mexico as his Christmas gift, the only thing on her mind had been how fast she could pack. She walked over to the thermostat and cranked up the heat. “I wish we could’ve stayed longer,” she said, rubbing her hands up and down her arms in an effort to warm up. After two and a half days of sunshine, pristine beaches and sumptuous foods, she loathed having to return to the real world.
Dwayne left her suitcase next to the sofa and wrapped his arms around her. “So do I. We’ll have to do it again in the new year. I can’t ever remember enjoying a trip so much.”
“Neither can I.”
He nuzzled her neck. “I especially liked that moonlit beach walk.” Tilting her chin, he stared at her intently. “I will never forget the kisses we shared, the passion in your eyes when we made love.”
Her body heated with the remembrance. She wouldn’t either. It had been the first time since they’d started dating four months ago that they could be seen together freely, which was part of her concern. Valencia backed out of his hold.
He frowned. “What’s wrong?”
She pasted a smile on her face. “Nothing. I’m fine.”
Dwayne viewed her skeptically, obviously not believing a word she said. “It’s notnothing. You don’t think I know when something’s bothering you?” He closed the distance between them. “Tell me what’s going on, sweetheart.”
“Dwayne, I really like being with you, but I’m tired of hiding and I don’t know how much longer I can do this.” She scrubbed a hand across her forehead. The only person who knew about Valencia’s relationship with Dwayne was her best friend, and she’d sworn Leah Ward to secrecy. She’d only told her friend that they worked together. Valencia hadn’t even shared his name.
He sighed. “I know. It’s hard on me, too.”
“I want to be able to go to a movie or out to dinner without having to drive miles away. Or go out to lunch with you occasionally like regular couples do.”
“So what are you suggesting?”
Valencia threw up her hands. “I don’t know. Maybe we should just…end things before it’s too late and start the new year as friends. Sooner or later, someone is going to see something and—”
Dwayne silenced her with a kiss. “Is that what you really want? To end things between us? Because I don’t. We both knew what we were getting into when we started this relationship.”
“No, I don’t,” she said softly. He was everything she could ask for in a man—intelligent, compassionate, hard-working, and a sexy hard rock body that belied the fact that he sat behind a desk all day. All six-foot plus inch of his coffee-with-cream colored body had called to her from the moment they’d met. And his smile made her weak…everytime. But he was also her boss. The year was almost over and she was about to end it the same way it started—in a relationship headed to nowhere. Albright Financial Group had a no-fraternization policy, and sleeping with the man whose family issued her paycheck definitely topped the list of what not to do. She’d only worked there for six months and would be the only one at risk of losing her job.
“Baby, don’t know how much you mean to me?”
She figured he cared about her—the way he treated her said so. But did she really know how he felt? Sure, he’d thrown out those three little words in the throes of passion, but she had yet to hear them in the light of day. On the other hand, Valencia knew exactly how she felt about him. She’d fallen in love with Dwayne.
He palmed her face. “I don’t want to lose you, Lyn.”
“I don’t want to lose you, either, but I can’t see any way for this to work.”
“It can, and it will. Trust me. You mean everything to me.” Dwayne slanted his mouth over hers, kissing her deeply and seemingly trying to communicate just what that meant.
Her arms slid up the hard wall of his chest and circled around his neck. She moved closer to him and heard his deep groan. Every stroke of his tongue pushed her doubts further and further away, until nothing remained excepthimand the pleasure he always delivered. It was her turn to moan when he pulled her against his rigid erection. His hands roamed over her body, singeing her in every spot he touched. Valencia didn’t realize he’d unbuttoned her blouse until she felt the heat of his tongue on the tops of her breasts. “Dwayne,” she whispered.
“Yeah, baby.”
“I thought you said on the plane that you had some work to do tonight.”
Dwayne chuckled. “It can wait. Right now, my focus is on you.” He swept her into his arms, strode down the hallway to her bedroom and placed her on the bed. His eyes never left hers as he stepped back and removed his clothes and donned a condom.
He came back to the bed and slowly finished undressing Valencia, kissing and licking his way up her body. Desire raced through her body and she trembled as his tongue made sweeping, swirling motions inside her mouth. He brought his hands up to frame her face, holding her in place and delving deeper. Without breaking the seal of their mouths, Dwayne shifted their bodies and guided himself slowly, inch by incredible inch, inside her. They both groaned.
He held himself still. “You said you wanted to start fresh in the new year. I want what you want—a fresh start, but with us. Together. That means I have five days, five nights to prove to you that what we have is more than an affair.”
Valencia gasped when he withdrew and thrust deep inside her. She wanted more, too. She just didn’t see it happening. But for now, tonight, she’d savor this time with him.
