by Maya Banks
“So will you stay?” A.J. asked, directing the attention back to Toni.
“Yeah, I’ll stay,” she replied. “For now, at least.”
Chapter Three
Despite the fact she had been exhausted when she went to bed, Toni couldn’t sleep. After tossing restlessly for an hour, she shoved aside the lacy covers and swung her feet to the floor. Running a hand through her hair, she sighed and got up.
She shuffled to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of juice. Then she tiptoed into the living room and sank into the couch with the remote. She turned the volume down low so she wouldn’t wake the guys.
To her delight, Lonesome Dove was airing on a cable station, so she settled down to watch it. She’d been up an hour when she felt a kiss on the top of her head.
“Can’t sleep?”
She turned at hearing Simon’s voice to see him standing behind the couch in just a pair of boxers. He walked around and sat down beside her.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, couldn’t sleep.” And she hadn’t a prayer of ever sleeping now. The muscles rippled across his bare chest as he sat back and stretched an arm over the back of the sofa. He propped his foot on his knee, giving her a great view of his tanned legs. Gulping, she quickly turned her attention back to the TV.
“Wanna talk?” he asked.
She glanced back over at him and let out her breath in a long shaky sigh. “Not really.”
“Now why don’t I believe that?”
“I’m just scared,” she admitted. She never could resist him. He had a way of coaxing words from a mute.
“Come here,” he said, gesturing for her to lean into his arms.
He pulled her to his chest, and she snuggled against him, loving the comfort of his embrace. “I won’t tell you not to be scared. Heck, I’d be petrified, but the important thing is, you aren’t alone. There isn’t anything me or the others won’t do for you. You helped me through a rough time in my life, and I am going to be here every step of the way through your pregnancy.”
She turned her face into his chest and curled her arms around his neck. “Thanks, Simon. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” She hugged him fiercely, tears slipping down her cheeks as the stress of the past few days came rushing out.
He stroked her hair and hugged her just as tightly. When her sobs quieted, he pulled her away and wiped her tears with his thumb. “Feel better?”
She sniffed and shook her head.
“You know you can talk to me anytime.”
“Yes, I know,” she whispered. Except she couldn’t. Not this time. And it made her want to cry harder.
“Want some more juice?”
She smiled. “Yeah, I’ll take a glass.”
He got up and went into the kitchen to pour her juice then returned to sit by her. He held out his arm for her to lay her head back on his chest, and the two turned their attention back to the TV.
“Simon?”
“Hmmm?”
“Do you think I screwed up?”
“No, sweetheart. Do you?”
“No. I don’t regret it. It wasn’t the right thing to do, but I don’t regret it.”
“That’s all that matters then.”
She snuggled back into his chest and closed her eyes. If he knew the truth, his answer would probably be different, but for now, it felt good to have his support.
“When do you go back to the doctor?”
“Not for a month.”
“Want me to come with?”
She rose up and looked at him in surprise. “You’d do that?”
“Sure, if you don’t want to go alone, that is.”
“I’d like that.” She smiled at him. “Thanks, Simon.”
He winked at her. “No problem.”
Simon opened his eyes and yawned widely. He looked down to see Toni still fast asleep on his chest. He smiled and gently eased from beneath her and placed a cushion under her head.
She looked so innocent in sleep. Just like the same Toni he’d known for years. Only she was pregnant. It was hard for him to comprehend. But then she was twenty-five years old. Not like she’d stay a bright-eyed eighteen-year-old forever.
He sauntered into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Taking out the ingredients for an omelet, he began preparing breakfast. A few minutes later, A.J. came stumbling in, bleary-eyed and looking like hell.
“Rough night?” Simon asked with a raised brow.
He grunted in response. “Hey, what’s Toni doing on the couch?”
“Shhh, don’t wake her. She couldn’t sleep last night.”
“You stay up with her?”
“Yeah, I just woke up.”
A.J. frowned and looked at his watch. “She’s gonna be late for work.”
“I wasn’t planning on waking her. She’s exhausted. She needs the rest. The girl is completely stressed out. I was thinking about calling Doc Johnson and telling him she wouldn’t be in today.”
“Yeah, she looks like she could use the shut-eye. You fixin’ breakfast?”
“For me, I am.”
“Oh, come on, you know I can’t cook for shit. Have a heart and make me an omelet.”
Simon rolled his eyes, but good-naturedly complied.
“So did she tell you who the guy is?” A.J. asked around a mouthful of egg.
“We didn’t discuss it.”
“What did you talk about then?”
“Nosey this morning, aren’t we?”
He shrugged. “Just curious. I’m as worried about her as you are.”
“I offered to go to her appointments with her.”
A.J.’s brow shot up. “Seriously?”
“You have a problem with it?”
