Free Midnight Kisses by Wayne Jordan Page A

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.
    Â 
    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 orangeand 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 withthe 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, disentangled 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.
    Â 
    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. Butshe felt good, alive. If Daniel had wakened her and made love to her again, she would have welcomed him into her body without