by Maya Banks
She let her keys slide from her fingertips and hit the counter with a clatter. Simon’s head jerked up, his eyes flashing in surprise. “Toni…”
“Am I interrupting anything?” she asked acidly, not moving from the bar.
Starla turned red-rimmed eyes to Toni, then looked away, refusing to meet her gaze any longer. “I have to go,” she mumbled, breaking away from Simon and shuffling past Toni.
Toni stared at the door until she heard Starla’s car drive away. She swiveled back to Simon who was still standing in the living room wearing a grim expression. What the hell was going on?
He looked at her, his expression bleak, then he walked over and slid an arm around her shoulders. “I’m sorry you came home to that.”
“Was that you giving her the brush off?” she asked, daring to hope.
He shook his head, quickly dashing her enthusiasm. “She’s sick, Toni.”
She lifted an eyebrow waiting for him to expound.
“Cancer.”
“Oh.” Her mouth rounded in shock. “Really?”
He squeezed her shoulder and pulled her into his arms. “Yeah. Cervical cancer. Her last visit to the gynecologist was her first clue. The tests just came back positive.”
Realization dawned on Toni. “Was that what the trip to Houston was about?”
He nodded and suddenly Toni felt about an inch tall. “But why didn’t you just say so? Why did you let me think…”
“That I was getting back with her?” he finished.
“Yeah.”
He smiled. “Maybe I wanted you to be jealous. Ever think about that?”
She elbowed him in the gut, eliciting an “oof” as he moved away from her. “Well you did a bang up job,” she said, glowering at him.
“She’s going to go stay with her mom in Houston so she can be close to the hospital where she’ll undergo treatment,” he said as he pulled Toni back to him.
“Well, I wished her gone often enough, but this isn’t the way I envisioned her going,” she said softly.
“I know.”
With effort, Toni slipped from Simon’s embrace. “Where are the guys anyway?”
“They got called in,” he said with a grin.
“And you didn’t?” she asked in surprise.
“Well…” he drawled out the word, making it two syllables. “I did, but I said I had something important planned.”
“Such as?” she asked raising her eyebrows.
“An evening with you,” he murmured.
She moved closer to him again, raising her lips to his. “I like the way you think.”
He swatted her on the butt. “Go get changed so we can go get something to eat.”
She grinned at him and headed for her bathroom.
Thirty minutes later, they drove into Beaumont and went into a restaurant just off the interstate. They talked casually over the meal, but Toni felt his eyes on her the entire time. Delicious chills spread down her back as his gaze caressed her. Had she been successful? Did he want her as badly as she wanted him?
She had to tell him about the baby soon. She wouldn’t wait until the last minute. She wanted him to get used to the idea before she gave
birth.
Face it, Toni. You want the fairy tale delivery complete with proud papa coaching you through the contractions
.
It wasn’t bad as fantasies go and she desperately wanted the three of them to be a family. But first, she wanted to make damn sure Simon wanted her separate from any obligation he had to their child.
She blinked as Simon paid the check then held out a hand to help her up. He tucked her fingers into his and led her out to the truck.
“What now?” she asked, surprised at how breathless she sounded.
“We can do whatever you want, but I thought an evening with the house to ourselves might be great. We could rent some movies or watch some TV. I give a mean foot massage,” he said, winking at her.
“Sounds heavenly,” she murmured. But she was fixated on home and alone. She gulped nervously and slid into the truck. She remembered all too well what happened the last time they were home alone.
They drove home in silence. As they walked into the darkened house, Simon flipped on the kitchen light, leaving the living room still in the shadows. “Go have a seat. I’ll fix us something to drink.”
She trudged over to the couch, her feet the weight of led. Anticipation bubbled and swelled in her stomach. She was terrified.
Simon set a glass of juice on the coffee table in front of her then settled down next to her. Silence loomed over them like a heavy fog. She sipped at the juice then suddenly found it taken from her grasp.
She looked over at Simon in surprise as he removed the glass and returned it to the table. “Toni…” He paused for a long moment. “I think it best if I’m up front and very honest with you about what I’m feeling right now. I don’t want you to think I’m sneaking up on you or something.”
Her puzzlement growing, she gave him a blank stare, wondering at his hesitancy. But what she saw in his eyes gave her the most pause. Desire. Warm and liquid. Burning brightly in the emerald depths.
She sucked in her breath feeling curiously lightheaded. He had only looked at her like that one time before and tonight there was no way he could confuse her with Starla.
“More than anything,” he began softly. “I want to make love to you, Toni. I’ve thought of little else in the last few weeks. You’ve haunted my dreams, and I’ve gone crazy wondering what it would be like to touch you, love you.”
Her heart pounded wildly and her chest tightened almost unbearably. Only in her wildest dreams had he said such words. She didn’t trust herself to speak so she did the only thing she could manage. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him with all the need, desire and longing she had felt for so long.
He groaned deep in his throat and tore his lips away. “Are you sure?” he asked hoarsely.
“I’m very sure,” she said softly.
He pulled her to him, tangling his hands in her hair as he took possession of her lips once more. Gently, he curled his arm underneath her legs and stood up, sweeping her into his arms. Never taking his lips from hers, he walked into her bedroom and kicked the door shut with his foot.
At the bed, he laid her on the covers and stood staring down at her, his eyes blazing with need. She swallowed as he pulled his shirt over his head, his muscles rippling with the effort.
She couldn’t tear her eyes from him, his large arms, his broad chest with just a hint of hair in the hollow of his breast plate. She followed the line of hair down to his navel, resenting the waistband of his pants for preventing her gaze from dropping lower.
As if sensing her chagrin, he unbuttoned his pants and slowly unzipped them. Her breath caught in her throat as he slid his jeans
down his legs. Her eyes yanked back up to meet his, and she shivered under his intense stare. There was not a single part of her that felt untouched by his penetrating gaze.
Finally, he hooked his thumbs in his underwear and pulled them down. She stared unabashedly at his erection. If she had any doubt before that he wanted her, it was now hastily removed.
