Midnight Kisses (9 page)

It took twenty minutes to reach Gloria's home, the sterile concrete of the city soon giving way to residential suburbs. Tall trees lined the streets, children played on the sidewalks.

When Renée indicated an open gate, he pulled in and drove slowly down the wide driveway. The gardens were magnificent, with well-tended hedges and rows and rows of flowers.

From the backseat, he heard Jamie's cry of surprise. “Wow, this lady must be loaded. What would she want with delinquent children like me?”

“Oh, she'll tell you her whole story before the end of the day, I'm sure,” Renée said.

Jamie did not respond. Instead, like Daniel, she stared at the massive colonial mansion they'd driven up to. Daniel parked the car and waited, unsure of what to do.

“You can park the car over there,” Renée instructed.

Daniel followed her instruction and parked the car
next to a new BMW, the kind of car he dreamed of as a child. He got out and headed to the back where he helped Jamie out of the car.

Renée watched him. Ever gentle, he took Jamie's bag making sure she was fine before he followed them toward the house and up the marble steps. Before they reached the door a well-dressed, older woman stepped out.

Not in keeping with the ladylike image, she screamed at the top of her lungs and opened her arms to embrace Renée.

“Renée, it's so good to see you. You haven't been by in ages. I was getting ready to send the cavalry out.”

“I'm sorry. I've been so busy the past few weeks. But I'm here now.”

“So this is the young gentleman who's been keeping you so busy,” Gloria said, her gaze focused on Daniel.

“No,” Renée responded quickly. “He's just a colleague who's working on a case with me.”

“It's nice to meet you,
colleague,
” she replied. “I'm Gloria. And since Renée hasn't given me a name, the honor is yours.”

“Daniel Buchanan. I'm a counselor at The Hope Center. Renée and I have been working with this fine young lady here together.”

“Oh, that's wonderful. I had a child from Hope Center before. You do good work for children.” She turned to Jamie. “And this beautiful young lady must be Jamie. Welcome to my home.”

Jamie smiled shyly.

“I'll get Delores to take you up to your room and introduce you to the other girls,” Gloria continued.

The young girl who was standing at the door stepped forward and took Jamie's bag.

“Hi, I'm Delores,” she said to Jamie. “The other girls can't wait to meet you.”

Daniel noticed that Jamie relaxed physically. She was going to be fine. There was just something about this place that spoke of love and security. He was glad Renée thought about placing her here.

“I like what you're doing here for the girls.”

“Oh, Daniel Buchanan, it's my life. Someone has to help save these girls. Somebody helped and saved me. I have no choice but to do my part. God saw it fit to bless me after a bad start in the world. He deserved no less from me.”

“I wish everyone in the world thought like you do. Maybe the world would be a better place.”

“Isn't that the truth. Now, would you like to come in to have a cup of coffee or tea?” Gloria asked.

Before Renée could respond, Daniel answered. “I'm sorry. Renée and I have some business to discuss. And I've learned that it's best when introducing a child to a new situation that it's best to let them discover things and meet people on their own.”

He could tell from the look on Renée's face that she was not happy. He was sorry he had to do this, but they needed to talk before their already fragile relationship deteriorated any more. Plus, he wanted to make sure Jamie really did get a chance to bond with the other girls without their interference.

Daniel watched as Renée took Gloria in her arms and hugged her tightly.

“I love you,” she told her old friend.

“Love you, too,” Gloria replied. They moved apart and Gloria turned to him.

“It was nice meeting you, young man. You take care of my Renée and be sure to come back and see me. I'm sure we'll have a lot to talk about.”

Gloria paused for a moment. “I think I'm going to like you, Daniel.” She turned to Renée. “You take care of him and don't let him get away.”

Renée blushed and looked uncomfortable, but she did not respond, only smiled.

“Well, enjoy the rest of the evening. I'm going in to have a chat with Jamie. And don't be a stranger.” With that, she turned and walked in the direction they'd taken Jamie.

Minutes later, Daniel drove out into the busy downtown street. He turned to Renée. “Want to get something to eat? We can talk, as well.”

She nodded. “That's fine.”

“My apartment or yours?” he asked cautiously.

“I'd prefer mine. I have a lot of work to do at home.”

“Renée, I know you're still annoyed with me, but we need to talk. If after we talk you want to go your merry way, then that's what will happen. Is that fine with you?”

He could feel her eyes on him, long and hard.

“Okay, I'll go with you. And we'll
talk.
” She made a point to emphasize the word.

They rode in silence, both troubled by their individual thoughts. Tonight they'd talk and that was all. For him, it would be difficult, especially with that dress Renée wore that highlighted her curves. He had no intention of letting its subtle seductiveness tempt him. He planned to be on his best behavior.

Tonight he planned on sleeping in his own bed, alone.

 

The dinner sparked with tension. Renée wondered how this was all going to end. A large bucket of extra crispy chicken, biscuits, mashed potatoes and gravy, were spread out on the table on the balcony, which provided a view of the city that was made for romance. Autumn was in the air, but it was not chilly enough to remain indoors. In fact, the slight chill only served to invigorate.

Daniel placed an unfinished chicken breast on the plate, rubbed his stomach and sighed with contentment.

“I must admit, I love this chicken and there is nothing like these biscuits.”

“I know what you mean. I try to avoid junk food, but there is just something about the Colonel.”

She bit another piece of the chicken and placed her fork on the plate. “I can't eat another bite.”

He wiped his mouth. “So, can we have our little talk now?”

“Yes, that's fine,” Renée replied.

“I just wanted to say how sorry I was about the other night. The attitude and all,” he said.

“It doesn't matter,” she replied.

“You know that's not true, Renée. I can't continue this conversation if we can't be honest with each other.” He paused for a moment. “Look. I like you. You're the first woman I've had any interest in since my wife died. I'd like to explore what we have. I've been thinking about you all the time. I mean, the sex is great, but I want what we have to be much more.”

“I know what you mean,” Renée replied. “I like you, too. But what I don't want to feel is that I'm a substitute for your wife. Or that you're going to feel guilty each time we make love.”

He nodded. “I promise you. It won't be about my wife. I'm dealing with that. I did feel guilty at first, but one of the things my wife made me promise when we first got married is that we were to make sure that we were both happy no matter what, whether we were together or not.”

Renée continued to look him in the eyes.

“I'm not sure if I'm ready for serious commitment yet,” he continued. “But I know that I want you and I want to be with you.”

“I'd like that,” she said softly. “That's how I feel, too. But I'm not sure I have the time to be in a serious relationship right now.”

She stopped talking and reached across to him. She wanted to kiss him. Had wanted to all day, but she'd kept her need under control. Giving in to the craving would be to admit that she was weakening.

He kissed her, cautiously at first. But soon the kiss
deepened, his tongue slipping inside her mouth, teasing her and causing her to moan softly. Her hands reached out to grip him, drawing him even closer. She wanted to feel him against her. She shifted, indicating that they should move inside. He complied, picking her up and carrying her back inside, then putting her on the couch and climbing on top.

The kissing continued the entire time, and she wanted it to continue, to never stop. With every probe of his tongue, she felt shivers run along her spine and the ache and yearn of the heated spot between her legs. She could feel the force of his erection against her. The pulsing and the occasional jerk only served to increase her excitement. She wanted him inside her and though she knew she'd be making a mistake, she allowed her body to succumb to the desire.

The kiss deepened until the heat inside was too much to bear. She felt hot all over, and arched her body against his, wanting the physical contact that could give some relief to her boiling need. Renée placed her hand between his legs, gripping the proof of his desire. She eased him off of her, forcing him to stand between her legs, unbuttoning his jeans and letting them fall to the floor. His boxers followed, exposing his impressive erection. She wanted to pleasure him, to taste him.

She placed her mouth on him, delighted when his penis jerked lightly. His body tensed when she took him deeper inside her mouth, using her tongue to tease him, until his legs started to tremble with his excitement.

She stopped, wanting to take things even further.
Standing, she took her dress off and tossed it on a nearby chair. Then Daniel took control.

He lifted her, carrying her toward the desk in the corner of the room. He swiped the books on it onto the floor and sat her down, legs opened. He slipped a condom on and spread her legs wider, entering her.

The force of his entry surprised her, but she welcomed him with a wild animal cry. She curled her legs around his buttocks until she could feel the full length of his penis throbbing inside her.

Daniel thrusted into her hard, and she took each thrust with her own gyration. She placed her hands behind his back, feeling the firmness and force of his movement. She wanted to urge him on with words, but the only sounds she could make were cries of pleasure that made him move faster and thrust even deeper.

And when she thought she could take no more, her excitement intensified and white heat surged through her body. Her muscles clenched, and she screamed as spasm after spasm wracked her body. Seconds later, Daniel's body stiffened, and he growled as his penis contracted and jerked deep inside her, his body trembling powerfully with his own release.

Daniel held her tightly as they rode out the waves of their passion, until their breathing slowed and they regained some measure of control.

He kissed her again. A gentle, tender kiss that seemed so in contrast with what had just happened between them. While their tongues entwined, he lifted her tenderly and headed to the bedroom.

She wanted him again, but knew that they needed time to recover. She wasn't worried. She knew they'd make love again…and again…before the night was over.

D
uring the night, Daniel woke to the sound of gentle breathing. He looked down at the woman who'd fallen asleep in his arms. The moon cast a single ray of light which caressed Renée's face, making her appear even more beautiful. The contrast of light and shadows seemed in keeping with the nature of their relationship. However, he was sure that their relationship would move to another level after tonight.

Only three weeks and he was already falling in love with her. He didn't want to acknowledge the word, but there was nothing else that it could be.

Under the covers he hardened again. This woman had the ability to control him. She worked her magic and he loved it. He loved what she did to him and he loved what she made him do. The passion he shared with his
first wife had been incredible, but with Renée things even went further.

Renée stirred and her eyes opened slowly. She smiled up at him.

“Thank you,” she said.

“No, thank you,” he responded.

“Mutual admiration,” she said, laughter in her voice.

“I'm serious,” he said. “I haven't felt like this in years. It's like a heavy weight has finally been lifted and I can breathe.”

“It's healing,” she replied. His fingers ran along her arm. She shivered. He knew how to arouse her.

“No, it's you,” he repeated.

“Not really. I may have just come at the right time, but you were ready for this.”

“At least I've made a start. Hopefully, I don't have too much further to go.” His fingers had traveled upward and now trailed along one firm breast. “I know I need to make a trip back home to where Lorraine and Chelsea are buried. I need to say goodbye to them. I have to do that before I can move on.”

“And what about the rest of your family? That's part of your healing. You won't be complete if you don't talk to them.”

“I know how you feel about this, Renée, but I know my family. I'm not sure if I want to see them yet. They didn't even try to find me.”

“But isn't that what you wanted? For them not to find you,” she replied.

“I don't know. I may have wanted them to find me.
The past three years have been crazy years for me. Sometimes I'm not even sure what I wanted in that first year.” She could hear the sadness in his voice and she ached for him.

“But your family is important.”

“Let's not talk about my family anymore. I'll call them. Soon. But not now. I'm not ready.”

Renée didn't reply. It wasn't that he didn't want to see his family. He did. But he was ashamed. He'd left them without one word…and maybe they were annoyed with him. He'd take his time…He'd get around to calling them. Maybe at Christmas. Or Thanksgiving. He knew he now had a lot to be thankful for.

His life was still a good one. He had a good job and even though he was no longer in the ministry, he made a difference. He'd loved counseling before the tragedy, but he loved his work now just as much.

He worked before to bring people to salvation. He'd been one of those ministers who called down fire and brimstone. His focus had been enforcing the rules, his rules. Today he offered them love, compassion and healing. That alone made him proud of what he did.

He drew nearer to Renée, placing his arms around her, her back curved into his stomach. She felt good next to him. He could see himself waking each morning with his arms around her. Fanciful thinking. Or was it? It was strange that even a few months ago he'd vowed that he would never marry again. But things had definitely changed. He'd changed. Now the future suddenly didn't look like a long, narrow, empty road. Tonight, the images he saw painted in the canvas of his imagination bloomed
with flowers and vibrant color. And he owed it all to this beautiful, generous woman, who touched people's lives and had certainly touched his.

Her breathing slowed and soon she was fast asleep. Daniel stayed awake, thinking about her and how he'd changed long into the early morning hours and it was only when the sun peeked between the curtains that he finally fell into a quiet, untroubled sleep.

 

The next morning after Daniel left, Renée opened the paper to see Alana Buchanan, the artist, and her husband, Taurean, staring out at her. She immediately saw the resemblance. Daniel and Taurean could easily pass for twins, and only a discerning eye would be able to distinguish the subtle evidence of an age difference.

While Daniel's eyes concealed all his thoughts, Taurean's eyes sparkled with life, and from the way he was looking at his wife in the photo, Renée could tell he adored her. Renée's envy surprised her. But she knew why. She wanted that for herself. She wanted Daniel Buchanan to look at her with that same adoring, devoted look.

Renée read the article slowly. The show was scheduled for the next day at the Alan Koppel Gallery. She had to try to reach them. A part of her knew that she was intruding where she didn't belong, but she was encouraged by her need to help Daniel. He needed to be with his family and an opportunity like this couldn't be passed up. She knew he was going to be angry, but she could deal with him. She had to do this because she was thinking about him.

She picked the phone up and dialed the Marriott where they were staying. She asked to be connected to their room. “Hello,” said a deep male voice, so similar to Daniel's.

“Hello, may I speak to Taurean Buchanan?” she asked.

“Yes, this is he.”

“I'm sorry to call you at this time, Mr. Buchanan. I'm calling you about your brother, Daniel.”

“Daniel? Who is this? This had better not be a joke!” Renée could tell he was annoyed.

She tried to calm him by reassuring him that the call was legitimate. As quickly as she could, she explained who she was and why she was calling.

Ten minutes later the call came to an end. Taurean had asked for Daniel's address. He promised he'd go there that night when Daniel was home. Renée hadn't expected things to move so quickly and experienced a slight feeling of dread.

Tomorrow, or later tonight, would tell how he would respond to her intrusion. She knew he'd be angry, but she was convinced she'd done the right thing.

 

Daniel stood, water cascading around him. He'd taken a well-deserved bath, and soaking himself within the soppy suds seemed to bring relief from a stressful day. Now that he was showering off, he thought back to the evening he had had.

Jerome had got into an altercation at school and had been sent home on suspension. The boy had refused to fight back, remembering that Daniel had told him how
proud of him he was. Daniel was torn up when he'd rushed over to Jerome's grandmother's home. He had seen the tears in the boy's eyes. So much for the bravado Jerome tried so hard to show when the other boys were around. He kept saying, “See, I didn't fight back. I didn't fight back.”

Daniel swelled with pride and only left the apartment when Jerome had finally fallen asleep. He promised he would return in the morning.

Now, he strolled out of the bathroom, drying his skin as he contemplated aimlessly.

The doorbell rang.

Damn, who could it be at this hour?
he wondered. He wrapped the towel around him and rushed to the door. There was no one there. He eased the door open and peeped out, only to see a back that seemed familiar, but he couldn't place the person immediately.

The man turned around at the sound of the opening door.

Daniel's heartbeat accelerated.

Taurean.

He was at a loss for words.

Taurean hesitated for the briefest of moments, uncertainty scrawled across his face. Then he moved quickly, at a speed that belied his size. He wrapped his arms around Daniel, almost desperately. Daniel felt the moisture on his cheek and wondered if it was his brother's or his.

Never in his imagination had he expected his reconciliation with Taurean to be like this. He wondered how Taurean knew where to find him, but in time he'd
find that out. Now, he just wanted to feel the comfort his brother's arms offered.

“I really think we should go inside before your neighbors get the wrong idea.”

Daniel withdrew, glanced around, and they both laughed.

He placed his arm around his brother's shoulders and dragged him playfully into the apartment, closing the door behind them.

There was silence, as if after the show of affection they were both unsure of what to say.

“So, how are you doing, Daniel?” Taurean finally asked.

“I'm doing fine,” he replied, his voice filled with emotion.

“You know I'm pretty angry with you.”

“I suspected that much,” Daniel said, knowing. “And you're still not worried about saying what's on your mind, I see.”

“Yeah, one of those things we have in common,” Taurean said, then paused. “You've changed,” Taurean commented, “in a good way. You're not as stiff as you used to be. You're more relaxed, softer.”

“Well, I can't argue with that. Come, sit down so we can talk. We have a lot of catching up to do.”

“Give me a minute. I need to call Alana and let her know I found the place or else I'm sure my cell phone is going to ring soon.”

Taurean pulled his BlackBerry out and made a quick call. Again, Daniel saw the spark of happiness in his eyes and heard the gentleness in his voice.

“Love you,” were the last words he heard his brother say before he disconnected the call.

“Okay, Alana is a lot happier now. When I get back to the hotel we're going to call Melissa and Joanne.”

“They must be a handful by now.”

“Oh, yeah, both of them. Melissa is at one of the leading high schools on the island, The St. Michael School. And Joanne is just Joanne—smart, energetic and a handful.”

“You don't need to say any more. If she has taken after any one of us, especially you, I can imagine.”

They both laughed and then they were silent again.

“So when did you plan to call, to contact us? I was worried. I mean, it's been
three years.
”

Daniel sighed. “I'm sorry, Taurean, but I needed to do what I did. Lorraine and Chelsea's deaths devastated me. I needed to save myself.”

“I know, but I could have been there for you. You didn't let me,” Taurean said.

“You mean like I should have been there for you? When I left, I hated myself. I hated the person I'd become. Now I look back, I didn't know how you all dealt with me. I was horrible.”

“You were, but that doesn't mean we weren't worried. I was worried. A night hasn't passed when I haven't thought about you, wondered if you were all right. At least now I'll be able to get a comfortable night's sleep.

“I'm sorry,” was all Daniel could say.

“Life for me has been wonderful. I have a beautiful wife who loves me and two of the greatest kids any man
could want. But I need my brothers.” He looked directly into Daniel's eyes. “Each one of my brothers.”

“If it's any conciliation, I was planning to call some time soon.”

“Well, I'm glad your girlfriend called.”

“Girlfriend? Renée? Renée called?”

So she had done the calling.

“Yes, about an hour ago. She sounded worried about you. Is there something to worry about?” Taurean asked.

“No,” he said quickly.

Taurean stared at him. “Okay, I'll trust you. If she would call me, she must be someone special. I know you, and you still can't lie to me.”

“She's beautiful and I'm attracted to her but she confuses me.”

“Sounds just the way I feel about Alana.”

They laughed.

“So what are you doing in the Windy City?” Daniel asked.

“Alana is having a show at the Alan Koppel Gallery,” Taurean replied.

“That's great. She must be doing really well to have an exhibition there.”

“Oh, yeah. She makes more money on one painting than the resort does in months, and it isn't doing too badly, so that should give you an idea of the kind of money she commands.”

“That's good. You must be so proud of her.”

“I am. You have to come to the opening tomorrow
night…and bring your girlfriend. We'll go out to dinner afterward. Alana will be glad to see you.” Daniel hesitated.

“You can't
not
come,” Taurean insisted. “Alana will be disappointed. I have no intention of losing you for another three years. I already lost you for those seven years I was in prison and your recent time in exile. You owe me.”

“If you put it like that. I'll call Renée and let her know.”

“Good. I wish I could stay longer, but I should really get back.”

Taurean stood and Daniel followed suit.

“It's been good to see you, Bro. I missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” Daniel replied.

They gave each other one of those warm, brotherly hugs that had been so much a part of the Buchanan household.

“I love you, Bro,” Taurean said. “We're going to talk. We have so much catching up to do. And you know Alana will be showing you all the photos of the kids tomorrow night.”

“I look forward to seeing them. I didn't even ask how you got here.”

“A hired car. Renée gave me the directions so it wasn't difficult to find the apartment building. I haven't been in Barbados that long, so I still remember the city.”

When Taurean left, he picked up the phone and dialed Renée's number.

“Hi,” she said timidly. “Everything okay?”

“Yes, everything's okay.”

“You're not too angry with me, I hope?” she asked, uncertainty filling her voice.

“I should be angry, but I'm not,” he reassured her. “I didn't realize that I wanted to see my family so much. Seeing Taurean makes things different. Of course I'm a little annoyed that you called them even though I told you not to, but my brother is my brother.”