Seducing Simon

by Maya Banks

  As Toni bent back over the paperwork she was filing, she cursed under her breath. Simon was coming by after work and they were supposed to go eat. She’d just have to bring him along. His opinion might be worth having since sooner or later he’d have to look for a place to live as well. And maybe, just maybe… She wouldn’t count her chickens before they hatched.

  “You ready to go?” Simon asked as he barged through the front entrance.

  Toni looked up from the desk and smiled welcomingly. “Yeah. Let me grab my purse.”

  As they walked out together, she turned casually to him. “Mind if we skip dinner tonight?”

  He opened the door for her, and she slid into the truck. “Sure, but what’s up?”

  She waited until he walked around to his side and climbed in behind the wheel. “I want to go look at a house that’s coming up for rent.”

  She held her breath, waiting for his reaction.

  He turned in surprise. “But I thought you weren’t going to move out until after the baby’s born?”

  “That was the plan, but Marnie told me about this house and it sounds perfect. And if I wait, I’ll lose out.”

  He started the engine and backed out of the parking lot. “Okay, I’ll go with you.” But he was still frowning.

  They drove toward their house but turned down the gravel road just before the entrance to their subdivision. A quarter mile down the dusty road, he pulled up in front of a small frame house.

  The yard encompassing a half-acre at the most was quartered in with a chain length fence. Green shutters stood out against the white painted wood of the house. It looked well kept and clean even it resembled a matchbox. But then she didn’t require much space for her and the baby.

  John came out on the front porch as they got out and motioned them inside. Simon tucked an arm around her waist and guided her up the steps.

  Once inside she looked around the small living room. Beyond, she could see the eat-in kitchen, and she moved in that direction. The space was adequate, and it had all the necessary appliances. Stove, refrigerator, microwave and dishwasher.

  “There’s a small laundry room off the kitchen,” John said pointing to the doorway by the pantry.

  As they walked toward the other end of the house, John spoke up again. “There’s two bedrooms though one is about half the size of the other.”

  “Perfect for a baby’s room,” she said, beaming up at Simon. And it was perfect. The master bedroom was smaller than the one she currently had, but it would fit her furniture with no problem. And the second bedroom would easily fit a crib and a changing table.

  The house was perfect for her, of that there was no doubt. She glanced over at Simon who had worn a perpetual frown since their arrival.

  “What do you think?” she asked even though her mind was already made up.

  “I don’t know,” he said doubtfully.

  “It’s perfect and you know it,” she teased. “Can you tell Ms. Jameson that I’m interested?” she asked John.

  “We can run over there if you like,” John offered. “She lives a mile down the road.”

  She nodded. “Let’s do it.”

  Simon followed her out, still frowning, but he remained silent.

  Thirty minutes later, she signed a simple one-page lease and wrote a check for the deposit and one months rent. She hadn’t wanted to start paying rent so soon, but it was a small price to pay if it guaranteed her a house in Cypress. And with the money she was making working part time at dispatch, she could afford it.

  As she and Simon drove home, he looked over at her. “So when do you plan to move?” His voice sounded oddly strained.

  She frowned, pursing her lips in thought. “Well, it doesn’t make sense to pay rent and not use it, so I suppose I should move pretty quickly.”

  His expression darkened and she laughed. “Come on, Simon. Surely you can see the benefits.” She grinned evilly at him. “Think of all that time we’ll have to ourselves…” She let the thought trail off suggestively.

  His eyes darkened. “You minx. I see your point.”

  She laughed and waggled her eyebrows at him. “Privacy has its advantages.” And if she had anything to do with it, she wouldn’t be alone in the house for long.

  Matt and A.J. weren’t thrilled with the idea, but then neither was Toni if the truth be known. When it had come down to it, she had been sad to leave the house she’d lived in for so long. But she knew it was

  inevitable, and it would provide her and Simon more time to work on their relationship.

  Even though she had no complaints, she was still very much in the dark about how Simon felt about her. He continued to go with her to her appointments, and he seemed as excited as she was about the baby’s development. They made love with an intensity that took her breath away. But he’d never really said how he felt about her.

  She sighed as she packed yet another box for one of the guys to take to Simon’s truck. She only had a few weeks before her self-imposed deadline for telling Simon the truth was up, and she had hoped they would have things resolved between them by then.

  “You about done?” Simon asked as he stood inside the doorway to her room.

  “Last one,” she announced, shoving the box across the floor to him.

  He hoisted it up in his arms and walked away, leaving her sitting on the floor of her empty room. She glanced around it, trying not to feel melancholy about leaving. She should be excited. For the first time since she’d gone off to college, she was striking out on her on. And frankly, she was long overdue.

  She struggled to get up, stretching as she stood. A quick glance around told her she’d gotten everything.

  “You sure this is what you want?” Matt asked from the door.

  She looked over to see him watching her in concern. She smiled at him. “I’m sure.”

  He closed the distance between them and hugged her tightly. “I’m going to miss you.”

  She snorted even though I’ll miss you too strained to spill from her lips. “I’m just a mile away. You aren’t getting rid of me that easily.”

  “The door is always open here, Toni.” He stared at her, his eyes serious. “You’re moving out changes nothing. This is your home. You are always welcome here.”

  “I know,” she said hugging him again. “And I won’t be a stranger. I promise.”

  “Better not be,” he said gruffly. “I’ll come drag your ass out of your house kicking and screaming if I have to.”

  “Y’all ready?” A.J. shouted from the door.

  “Be right there,” she called back. “Well. That’s it.”

  Matt threw an arm around her and guided her toward the door. “Let’s go get you unpacked.”

  The three guys stayed to make sure Toni didn’t handle any of the larger boxes. Toward dinner, Matt and A.J. made their escape but Simon stayed behind, helping Toni put away the new dishes she had bought for the kitchen.

  “Want pizza? I called in an order awhile ago,” she asked coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around his back.

  He turned in her arms and pulled her tight against him. “Sounds good.” He bent to kiss her. “Like your new house?”

  “I do actually,” she said with a smile. “It feels homey. And it’s mine. It’s a neat feeling.”

  “Want company tonight?” he asked innocently.

  “Hmmm, sounds like a proposition to me,” she said, snuggling deeper into his chest. This would be a perfect time to tell him. She faltered, finding it suddenly difficult to breathe.