Only Yours (Fool's Gold #5)(34)

The former had taught her that a man saying he loved her didn’t mean he would keep his promises. The latter had convinced her she would never be good enough. So it made sense to be wary around Simon. Only she wasn’t.

Standing in front of her closet, trying to figure out what to wear for a date that was pretty much about sex, she knew she probably should be concerned. Simon was well traveled, sophisticated, emotionally distant. Not exactly a great bet. She wasn’t sure what he was looking for in a woman, but she doubted the female in question would be a small town dog trainer.

But Simon was also kind and when she stared into his green-gray eyes, she found herself wanting to get lost in him. Nothing else mattered. She liked his smile, his attention to detail, the way he kissed, how he’d apologized for having a stick up his ass. She wanted to know about his past, his scars and what he most regretted.

She knew she was taking a chance—she’d never given her body lightly. What made her think she could hand it over to a man who’d made it clear he was leaving? Shouldn’t she try to protect herself more? But she couldn’t seem to muster the least bit of self-preservation.

If she was into fooling herself, she would say that making love with him was a way to get to know him better. Maybe that was true, but in reality she wanted Simon in her bed because she had a feeling he was going to take her places she’d never been, and didn’t a girl deserve a little of that in her life?

Which led to her current dilemma. What to wear? Even though they were going to end up in bed, and probably fairly quickly, showing up naked was too aggressive for her. Silky lingerie was an obvious choice, but she didn’t have anything remotely sexy or silky. Her nicest nightgown had been a Christmas present from her mom, and she didn’t think Simon would be blown away by white cotton covered with cartoon dogs. She did, however, own one black lace matching bra and panty set. The panties were actually more G-string than brief, but she could survive that for a couple of hours.

Some kind of dress would be good, she thought, looking through her options. She had a simple blue one that was sleeveless and slightly fitted. The long zipper down the back would make the undressing part of the evening simple. Although, based on how Simon had managed her bra with a quick touch of his fingers, she probably shouldn’t worry about clothing complications.

Still smiling at the thought, she dressed, then checked her makeup. She was wearing enough to make her eyes look bigger, but not so much that she would smear it all over him. Shoes weren’t going to be a problem. She would be barefoot.

A quick glance at the clock confirmed she still had an hour to wait. Anticipation danced in her stomach. Maybe she could call him and suggest he arrive earlier. Or she could—

Her cell phone rang. As she grabbed it, she saw Simon’s name on the screen.

“I was just thinking about you,” she said by way of greeting.

“Montana, I can’t come over. There’s been an accident.”

She sank onto her sofa. “Not with you.”

“No. A guy on a motorcycle. He’s going into surgery now. He has internal injuries. When they’re done, I need to work on his face.” He drew in a breath. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too.”

“I wouldn’t have canceled except—”

“Simon, you don’t have to explain. This is what you do. Saying you have to help someone isn’t unreasonable.”

“You’re not angry.”

“No. Wildly disappointed, but not angry.”

“Good. I didn’t want you to think I was trying to get out of our evening.”

“Sex,” she teased. “You mean sex.”

“I do mean sex.”

She thought about how he’d touched her. “I’m pretty sure you were looking forward to that. I’m okay with waiting.”

“As long as it’s not too long.”

“Sooner would be better than later,” she told him.

There was a pause. “I have to go. I’ll call you when I can.”

“I hope he’ll be okay.”

“Me too.”

Then he was gone. Montana sat there for a few seconds and then stood. It looked like this wasn’t going to be a G-string night after all.

She walked into her bedroom and changed her clothes. She’d barely slipped on sandals when the phone rang again. She saw a different man’s name on the screen.

“Is it time?” she asked breathlessly.

“It’s time,” Raoul shouted. “It’s time. She’s in labor.” His voice was thick with panic. “She’s too damn calm. We’re going to the hospital. You’ve got the list, right? There’s a list. You know what to do?”

“Breathe,” she instructed. “We all know what to do. I’m calling my mom first. She’ll be there in less than ten minutes. If I don’t get her, I’ll come over and stay with Peter until she’s available.”

Pia and Raoul weren’t just expecting twins—they’d also adopted a ten-year-old boy. Denise had promised to stay with him when Pia went into labor.

“Okay. Good. One of the neighbors will be here until then.” He swore again. “I gotta go. Pia’s in labor.”

Montana grinned. “I got that part. Go on. I’ll make the calls and we’ll all meet you at the hospital. Oh, and tell her I love her.”