Read Online Midnight Kisses by Wayne Jordan - Free Book Online

something I don’t talk about much. I’ve learned to deal with it.”
    â€œYou’ve been working at the Center for how long?”
    â€œAbout two years. Before that I did a bit of drifting from city to city.”
    Renée wanted to ask more questions but suspected that she shouldn’t. The tension in the car was like a pall, so she decided against pushing the issue. She didn’t want the evening to be over before it even started.
    His reaching over to turn on the radio only confirmed her suspicions. His past was definitely off limits.
    â€œWhat’s your pleasure? R & B, jazz, pop?” Daniel asked.
    â€œJazz, definitely.”
    â€œMy thoughts exactly.”
    Soon the sultry voice of Anita Baker filled the car. Maybe something so romantic was not the best choice, but it did take her mind off their brief conversation. Someday she’d really have to press him if she planned on helping him deal with whatever has affected his life so much.
    They remained quiet for the rest of the drive, the music helping to soothe their troubled thoughts, but both very aware of each other. Tension crackled in the silenceof the car’s interior. While he drove, she couldn’t keep her eyes from straying in his direction.
    When the car pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, Renée exhaled deeply, trying to hide her relief. If she’d stayed in the car for another minute, she was sure she would have begged him to take her right there in the car. Her attraction to him continued to startle her with its power. Her whole body felt alive. The woodsy scent of his cologne tempted her with its masculine subtlety and she ached to draw near to him, bury her head in his chest and inhale deeply. She closed her eyes. If she wasn’t careful, she would probably end up in bed with him. But she was smarter than that. She may be attracted to the sexy ex-minister, but she was strong and determined not to make love to him.
    Not tonight.
    Â 
    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.
    â€œYou going to have dessert?” he asked, handing her the menu.
    Renée browsed it for a while and then handed it back to him.
    â€œPeach 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…”
    â€œIt’s a what?” she asked, an eyebrow lifted.
    â€œI think maybe it’s best if I don’t say.”
    â€œChicken,” she teased.
    â€œI was going to say, it’s a real turn-on.”
    She looked at him, and he could tell he’d shocked her.
    â€œI didn’t expect that to come from you.”
    â€œWhy? 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.”
    â€œIf 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