As Midnight Loves the Moon Read Online Free Page B

ma’am.”
    The connection clicked off and
Daphne waited for a few minutes until a knock came at the front door. She
opened it and saw a tall, handsome man holding up a badge. She blinked, quite
stunned at his rugged beauty. Wayde was the epitome of a refined gentleman,
complete with nice manners and a caring nature. But this man’s looks reminded
her of a sexy bad boy come to ravish her, and her imagination went into
overtime. He had shoulder-length, dark hair, honey-colored eyes, and a goatee
that made her want to rub her face against it to see how soft it would be. In
fact, the only thing that marred his beauty was a bandage on his chin.
    Their eyes met and held, and a
thousand butterflies fluttered in her belly. Good Lord. Her mouth went bone dry,
even as moisture collected between her thighs. How could this man turn her on
with just a look? She thought that reaction had been reserved for Wayde, but
this policeman also had magic power over her libido.
    “Hello, Ms…?”
    “Oh,” she said and felt a blush
heat up her cheeks. “Daphne Sabella . Please come in, Detective.”
    She swept her hand into the condo.
    “Please, call me Alex,” he murmured
as he moved into the large home. She saw he was looking over the place, taking
in the expensive décor and even more expensive furniture.
    “Wayde is asleep,” she said as she
closed the door. “He works at night and sleeps during the day.”
    “Of course,” Alex muttered and she
detected a hint of mockery in the tone. “Would you mind, then, if I asked you a
few questions?”
    “I suppose not. Would you care for
something to drink?”
    “Water would be great.”
    She smiled and walked into the
kitchen to pour him a glass of ice water from the refrigerator. A moment later,
she handed it to him.
    “Would you like to sit?” she asked,
as she gestured to the living room.
    “After you.”
    They sat, and she was keenly aware
of every movement he made. It was like knowing there was an electrical wire
spitting sparks and she was unable to escape from it.
    “How can I help you?”
    He took a drink of the water and
then sat the glass aside.
    “Two women were murdered a couple
of blocks away,” he said. “We’re questioning everyone in the neighborhood to
see if they saw or heard anything suspicious.”
    “Oh, my gosh ,”
Daphne whispered, appalled. “No I didn’t, but I’ve been sick. I was out of it
for a while with pneumonia.”
    “And Mr.
Wallace?”
    “He nursed me back to health. I
don’t think he left the condo for a week. Everything was delivered.”
    “And you’re…okay?”
    She cocked her head to the side.
    “Your pneumonia,” he added. “Are
you all right?”
    “Oh, yes. Thanks for asking. I’m
improving every day.”
    “Good,” he said, with a small smile
that seemed to sucker-punch her.
    She inhaled sharply, wondering how
he managed to make every one of her nerve endings supercharged with
electricity. “Are you staying with Mr. Wallace for a while?”
    “Oh,” she said, sadness settling
over her once more. “No. I probably will be leaving as soon as I’m back to full
health.”
    “Do you live nearby?”
    “No,” she answered, shaking her
head. “I live in South Side.”
    He frowned. “That’s not a very good
area.”
    She shrugged, not bothering to
reply. She’d heard it all before. Yes, South Side was an area of Shade Rock
that catered to more of the low income lifestyle, but that was no reason to
flat out call the residents criminals. She knew lots of nice families that
lived there out of necessity.
    “Sorry,” he said with a grimace. “That
sounded incredibly prejudice. I assure you, I didn’t mean it like that. You
just seem like a very delicate woman for such a rough neighborhood.”
    “Oh, and that didn’t sound prejudice
at all,” she teased.
    He laughed and held up his hands. “I
better shut up now, before I really dig myself into a hole.”
    “It’s all right,” she murmured. “I
understand.”
    The