Five Midnight Moments: New Year Bae-Solutions

by Lister, Sheryl

  “Just one.” Dwayne shared the details of what happened. “I fired her and sent the memo out the next day. But this is different. She’s different, and I have no idea how to make this work. She’s worried about losing her job and I can’t let that happen.”

  He shook his head. “Come on, bro. It’s simple. You’re the boss and you have the final say on all matters. Change the damn rule.” Dwight fell silent for a moment. “If you care about her, don’t wait. You don’t want to end up where I am,” he added softly.

  Dwayne contemplated the advice. No, he didn’t want to end up in that same place. Though Elena had passed away from complications of Leukemia, if he lost Valencia, he imagined the loss would feel the same. “You’re right, I don’t.”

  “Who is she?”

  “You’ll find out soon enough.” Tonight would be the second night of his plan and by the time New Year’s Day came around, he intended for everyone to know. He decided to change the subject. “Let’s order dinner and you can tell me how you plan to get Dad over to your side.”

  Laughing, Dwight said, “By doing the same thing I did the first time—outright telling him I’m going back to construction.”

  Over dinner they laughed and talked about everything. Both had been so busy that it had been over two months since they’d hung out together and Dwayne missed him. He had a couple other buddies, but he was closest to his brother. Once they finished eating, the two lingered over their drinks a while longer before going their separate ways.

  Dwayne showered when he got home, then spent time catching up on his personal and business emails. By the time he glanced up, it was time to leave. He grabbed the small gift bag and drove over to Valencia’s house. He rang her doorbell at exactly midnight. When she opened the door and smiled at him, he knew he’d be changing that policy, sooner rather than later.

  “Hey, handsome. Come on in.”

  “Hey, baby.” He lifted her in his arms and kicked the door closed. “I missed seeing you today.” He slanted his mouth over hers and immediately tangled his tongue with hers, wanting to absorb her taste into every fiber of his being. Whether coincidental or by design, every time he sought her out, she’d been away from her desk.

  Valencia laughed. “Serves you right for what you did to me yesterday. Leaving people all hot and bothered. You’re lucky I didn’t come to your office and do you the same way,” she added with a roll of her eyes.

  Smiling, Dwayne wiggled his eyebrows. “Any time you want to come to my office, just let me know. I’ll be waiting and ready.”

  She playfully punched him in the chest. “Whatever.” He carried her over to the sofa and sat with her in his lap. “You know I kind of like these midnight rendezvous. It’s sexy and the gifts have been out of his world.” She fingered the bracelet.

  “I agree. Every one of these midnight moments are aimed at keeping you by my side. Speaking of gifts…” He held up the bag.

  “Dwayne, you don’t need to buy me things to show you care.”

  “I know, but humor me, please.”

  Valencia accepted the bag, took out the small box and opened it. “A compass charm?”

  “Yes. It means past, present, future…infinity. I drifted in and out of relationships looking for my right woman and my heart’s compass led me to you.” He’d never bared his soul to a woman before and had to pause to steady his emotions. “As long as you’re with me, I’ll never be lost. And I want to be the compass for your heart from now on.”

  She wiped the tears from her cheek. “You’re killing me here. I’ve never cried so much in my life. I don’t know what to say.”

  Dwayne used the pad of his thumb to swipe away a lingering tear. “It’s easy. Say you’ll stay on this journey with me, that we’ll keep having our moments.” When she opened her mouth to speak, he placed a finger on her lips. “Not yet. I have three more days. Right now, I want to do something I couldn’t a couple of weeks ago at the firm’s holiday party.”

  “What?”

  “Dance with you.” He stood and placed her on her feet. In the eighteen years he’d worked at Albright, he hadn’t cared one bit about dancing, but watching Valencia with a few of the male employees almost made him lose his mind. The songs had all been up tempo, but the jealousy he’d felt didn’t care. He took out his phone. searched for the song he wanted and hit the “play” button. Eric Benét and Tamia’s Spend My Life With You flowed into the room and he pulled Valencia into his embrace. She rested her cheek on his chest and he heard her soft sigh.

  “I wanted to dance with you, too,” Valencia said, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I had a hard time ignoring you all night.”

  “Ditto.” He rested his head on the top of hers, closed his eyes and swayed in time with the music. The lyrics expressed exactly how he felt—he wanted to spend his life with her. He’d been afraid of what she might say earlier and wanted her to wait until his days were up. Until he’d spoken every word that lay in his heart. Valencia lifted her head and stared up at him. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to. He heard her loud and clear, and he wanted the same thing. She came up on tiptoe and kissed him, tasting and teasing. The sound of her low moans in his ear and the way she returned his kiss with equal fervor fueled his passions, and he grew harder with each sensual moment. Without breaking the seal of their mouths, he strode down the hallway to her bedroom and lay her on the bed. After undressing them both and donning a condom, Dwayne took his time kissing, stroking and touching every part of her body, lingering on her round breasts, the sweet curve of her hips and her toned thighs.

  “Dwayne,” she whispered.

  He loved hearing her soft sounds of pleasure and the way she called his name. “What, baby?”

  “I need you inside me.”

  “I’ll give you everything you need, everything you want, but we’re not going to rush this.” He lowered his body on top of her hers, being careful not to place all his weight on her. His hand traveled down her left leg and back up her right to her center, where she was already wet. Her legs parted to give him access, and he used a finger to circle her clit. Her legs trembled and she opened wider. Dwayne slid one finger in, followed by another, moving them in a steady rhythm. She cried out and arched against his hand. A moment later, she screamed his name as she came. Dwayne withdrew his fingers, shifted his body and guided his erection inside her. Her tight walls tightened around him and he shuddered. He withdrew and plunged deep, swiveling his hips in fine, subtle, circling movements. She gripped his shoulders and raked her nails down his back, causing him to shudder.

  “I love how you make love to me.”

  Dwayne groaned and kept up the measured pace as he watched the play of passion across her features.

  Valencia dug her nails into the flesh of his back and she arched higher to take him deeper. “Don’t stop.”

  The pressure of her holding him so snugly made him increase the tempo, delving deeper into her with each rhythmic push and she matched his fluid movements. He gripped her hips and ground his body into hers. Her body began to shake and he buried his face in her throat and held her tightly against him, needing to be as close and deep as he could when she came. As spasms racked her body, it triggered his own release and the climax shot through him with a force that left him weak and panting. “I love you.” And he couldn’t lose her, no matter what.

  * * *

  Valencia nearly sprinted up the steps to her office building. She had slept straight through her alarm clock, then her car wouldn’t start and she’d had to call Uber. She glanced at her watch again. Fifteen minutes late. Her night with Dwayne had been something out of a fantasy and she’d planned to send him a text this morning to tell him that she didn’t need five days to decide what she wanted. She wanted him, all of him—policy or no policy. But right now, she didn’t have time to savor her memories. She needed to get her butt in her office and pray no one had noticed her tardiness. Valencia pushed through the doors and hurried toward the elevator, her heel
s clicking on the marble floors.

  She jabbed the button. “Come on, come on,” she muttered. The doors opened and a man barreled out, almost knocking her over and spilling his coffee down the front of her gray silk blouse. Valencia cursed under her breath. The man apologized profusely and she snatched the napkins he offered and stepped into the waiting car. She selected her floor and tried to blot the coffee stains from her top. This day couldn’t get any worse.

  As soon as the doors swished open, Valencia started down the hallway, but was intercepted by two security officers.

  “Ma’am, you need to come with us,” one of them said.

  “I’m already late and I need to get to my office.”

  The second man gently took her arm and steered her in the direction of a private conference room. “The boss wants to see you now.”

  What could Dwayne want with her first thing? And why send security? He could’ve just as easily waited for her in her office…or his. They escorted her into the office and gestured for her to sit. She met Dwayne’s cold eyes. A stark contrast from the previous night’s passion.

  “Ms. Townsend.”

  The deep voice that had been filled with so much emotion when he whispered in her ear last night now held none. “What’s going on?”

  Dwayne leaned forward. “You tell me. Last night one hundred and fifty thousand dollars of Mr. Smith’s money has been diverted out of his account an into a dummy account linked to your computer.”

  Valencia was wrong. Her day had not only gotten much worse, it had just been shot to hell. “I didn’t to this. And I was nowhere near my computer last night,” she snapped. She had been with him, so she didn’t understand why he was pretending not to know her whereabouts.

  He lifted a brow. “No? The only person who’s logged onto your computer in the last twenty-four hours is you. I have to hand it to you, you’re good. We might not have ever found it had it not been for the new security system we put into place this week.” He slid two photos across the table. "You didn't even bother to change clothes."

  “You mean the one I put in place,” Valencia corrected, her anger mounting. She snatched up the pictures and her blood ran cold. The first one had been taken earlier in the day after she'd returned from taking a walk on her break. The other one was time-stamped at 12:15 a.m. The woman in the photo had on an identical outfit, but a large hat and dark glasses obscured her face. She had no idea who the woman was, but Valencia knew it wasn't her. "This isn't me. And I have a solid alibi from midnight last night until five this morning. Remember?”

  “Ms. Townsend, I have no idea what you’re talking about or what I’m supposed to remember. All I know is you’re fired and you have fifteen minutes to clear out your office.”

  Valencia leaped to her feet, leaned across the desk and pointed her finger in his face. “I don’t know what kind of sick game you’re trying to play, but I’m not going anywhere because I. Did. Not. Steal. Anything!” She’d spent all night and damn near all morning with this man and now he had the nerve to act like it never happened, but oh, nooo, she wasn’t having it. Not today. Not ever.

  Dwayne nodded toward the two officers and they grabbed her arms. “Please see Ms. Townsend out.”

  She struggled against the two men. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell the truth!” Valencia did her best to get away from them, but she was no match for their combined strength. She just wanted two minutes to rearrange Dwayne’s face, then she’d gladly leave.

  The door burst open. “What the hell is going on? Everybody on this floor can hear all this shouting.”

  If Valencia knew how to faint, she would have at that moment.

  He fully entered the office and seemed to notice her for the first time. His eyes widened and then he frowned. “Dwight, why are they holding Valencia like that?”

  Dwight? She divided her surprised gaze between the man still fuming behind the desk and the one who had just entered. “Dwayne?”

  He smiled. “Of course. Baby, are you okay?”

  “I’m…yeah.” Their height, facial features and even the sounds of their voices were the same. Valencia shook her head in an attempt to clear her confusion and shifted her gaze back to Dwayne…or Dwight and waited while he explained the whole sordid tale again.

  Dwayne shook his head. “She didn’t do this, bro. Lyn was with me all night.”

  She snatched away from the men still holding her and glared at Dwight. “I told you I didn’t do it. So, I’m guessing there should be some sort of apology on your part about now, right?” She folded her arms. “I’ll wait.”

  Dwayne chuckled and turned to the two officers. “We can take it from here. Thanks.” The men nodded and left, and he closed the door behind them. “Since we know Valencia didn’t do it, we need to find out who did.”

  Fuming, Valencia said, “You’d better believe I will.” She shifted her gaze to Dwight. “Still waiting on that apology and my job.”

  “My apologies, Ms. Townsend,” Dwight said. “And you’re good on the job front.”

  Sending him one more icy glare, she spun on her heel and stalked across the room toward the door. Halfway there, she stopped, came back and snatched the photos off the desk. “When I find out who did this, it’s gonna be on,” she muttered.

  Dwayne reached out and touched her arm. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I’ve been accused of stealing from my employer, some crazy coworker is impersonating me, and I found out that your brother is actually your identical twin. Why wouldn’t I be okay?” Her voice rose with every word, but she couldn’t help it. She pushed past him and stormed out. A few people loitered in the hall and a couple stuck their heads out of their offices, no doubt curious about what had happened, but she didn’t slow. Valencia had one goal—finding the person who had the audacity to impersonate her. And when she did…she was kicking somebody’s ass.

  Chapter 4

  “So that’s who you’re screwing.”

  Dwayne shot his brother a dark glare. “That’s not how it is and you know it,” he gritted out.

  Dwight folded his arms. “So you’re not screw—”

  “If you say one more word, I swear I’m going to knock the shit out of you.”

  “You’re really feeling her, aren’t you?”

  “I said that last night.”

  He laughed softly and shook his head. “She is something, though. What is she, five-two or three?”

  “About that.”

  “I’m a foot taller and she didn’t back down for one minute. She seriously looked like she was ready to do me bodily harm.”

  “You deserved it for the way you came at her.”

  Dwight shrugged. “Hey, the info came from her computer, what was I supposed to think? And if you’d told me last night who you were in a relationship with,” he emphasized, “I would’ve known she didn’t do it. And are you sure she was with you the entire time?”

  Dwayne lifted a brow. “I got to her house at midnight and I didn’t leave until five this morning, so yeah, I’m sure.” It had been hard to leave her and the only reason he had was because he didn’t have a change of clothes. He wouldn’t make the same mistake again. “Now that we know Valencia didn’t do it, we need to find out who did and get that money back quick.”

  “Whoever did it, used the computer in Valencia’s office. The only thing we have to go on are the photographs. The woman was dressed the same.”

  “Someone’s going through a lot of trouble, but why target Lyn?” he murmured. “She’s only worked here six months and gets along with everyone. Well, except Ingram.” At his brother’s puzzled expression, Dwayne took a few minutes to explain how Valencia had put the man in his place during a staff meeting.

  Dwight burst out laughing. “She does not play.”

  “Not at all. It took everything I had to keep a straight face. I think I fell in love with her that day.”

  His laughter faded. “Wait. You’re in love with her?”

  �
��Yeah, I am. She’s everything I want in a woman—intelligent, tough, beautiful inside and out.”

  Dwight clapped Dwayne on the shoulder. “I’m happy for you, bro.”

  Dwayne stared at the face so like his own. “Thanks. I should probably go talk to her. I think she was a little pissed at me, too.”

  “Let me know how it goes. I’ll be working on finding that money, although, I suspect Ms. Townsend might beat me to it. I’d hate to be in that person’s shoes when she does.”

  “For real,” he agreed. Another reason why he needed to check on her. “Let me know if you find something.” He stood and left. On his way to her office, he racked his brain trying to figure out why someone would steal from the accounts. Out of the thirty-five employees who worked at Albright Financial, twenty were women. He could rule out a few because of their height, but that still left far too many. He did not need this right now.

  Dwayne poked his head in Valencia’s partially open door. She sat at her laptop muttering under her breath and tapping the keys with such force, they’d cry for mercy if they could. If she kept it up, she might need a new keyboard soon. Clearly, she was still angry. He couldn’t blame her because if someone had impersonated him to steal money, he’d be out for blood, too. He stood there watching her for a few more seconds before making his presence known. “How mad are you with me?”

  “Still deciding,” Valencia said, not taking her eyes off the screen.

  “Hey, I’m not the one who accused you. In fact, I came to your rescue.” He walked over to her desk and propped a hip on the corner. “The way I see it, I shouldn’t be on your hit list.”

  She finally looked his way, her anger plain. “Why didn’t you tell me you were a twin?”

  Dwayne scrubbed a hand down his face. “No one was supposed to know we’re dating, so I didn’t really think it was an issue. And we really hadn’t gotten into each other’s family trees. I don’t know much about your family, either, so, it’s not fair for you to hold it against me,” he added with a grin.