Seducing Simon(56)

A.J.’s hand gripped her elbow as she passed him. “I’m fine,” she said brightly. “Really. I just need to use the bathroom. I’ll be fine.” Simon watched her go, a combination of worry and awe occupying his thoughts. “She loves me,” he said softly when she disappeared from view.

A.J. snorted. “You’ve only just now figured that out? Where’ve you been, dude? I think you suffered more than a knock on the head.”

“No, she told me. She said it. She loves me.” He couldn’t keep the incredulity from his voice. It seemed monumental. She loved him.

A.J. laughed. “You’ve got it bad. That little brunette has you twisted in knots.” His expression grew serious. “You scared the hell out of her today. You scared us all,” he amended.

“I hope she wasn’t too upset,” Simon said. Her tear-filled eyes were more than he could bear.

A.J. rolled his eyes. “Let’s see. The guy she loves is carried out of a burning building and rushed to a hospital. No. I don’t think she was too upset.” He paused and looked intently back at Simon. Simon realized then that A.J. had been just as worried.

“I’m okay, man. I swear it.”

“You took a few years off my life when I had to go back in after you,” A.J. admitted. “All I could think about was what if I couldn’t get you and Matt out. I sure as hell wasn’t going to leave you in there.”

“Thanks, A.J.” Simon reached out and grasped A.J.’s arm. A.J.

hesitated then he wrapped his beefy arms around Simon, nearly squeezing the breath out of him. “You’d do the same for me,” he said gruffly.

“Damn straight,” Simon said with a nod. He frowned. “Maybe you should go look for Toni. She didn’t look too good when she left.”

“Don’t mess this up, Simon,” A.J. said quietly. “You know how she feels now. Don’t wait too long to do something about it.”

Chapter Twenty-One

She loved him. It was only beginning to sink in on him. The enormity of what she had said. He remembered all too clearly her earnest declaration, her heart in her eyes. It had humbled in a way nothing else ever had.

Simon sat back on the couch, watching Toni and A.J. haphazardly decorate the Christmas tree. Since he and Matt had been released two days ago, Toni had all but moved back in to fuss over them. He liked having her back around. He’d missed her even though he had spent so much time at her new place. And in her bed.

She loved him. He marveled at how such a sentiment made him feel.

Starla had professed love for him, but it hadn’t made him feel like this.

He watched her every movement, how her shirt snuck up over her gently rounded abdomen when she reached to put an ornament high on the tree. A fierce wave of possessiveness stole over him with lightning speed.

She was his. Or was she? She loved him, but what about the father of her baby? Months after her shocking announcement, she remained as tight-lipped as ever about the father’s identity. Had he hurt her that bad?

Or had she screwed up that bad?

His mind swirled with questions. Questions he needed answers to if he and Toni were going to have a future. He grinned as she swatted A.J.

and scolded him for putting the angel on crooked. Yes, they had to have a future. He couldn’t imagine one—his future—without her. She’d become as integral to him as breathing. He loved her.

His chest tightened. God, yes, he loved her. Hadn’t he always? He frowned. Thinking back, there wasn’t a time he hadn’t felt deeply for her.

Even when he dated other women, he’d always imagined he wanted someone like Toni. And when Starla betrayed him, all he could think was that Toni would never have let him down like that.

Was he ready to put it all on the line again like he’d almost done with Starla? The answer was a resounding yes. Toni was very different than Starla. Toni loved him. Toni was the kind of girl every guy dreamed of having.

A slow smile worked the corners of his mouth upward. Soon his jaw ached from the wide smile he wore. Yeah, she was his future. He loved her, and he’d love her child. Their child. His mind went to work, pondering when the best time would be to put into action his plan.

Toni glanced over at Simon to see his face split into a silly grin. She paused hanging ornaments and arched her brow. “Are we that amusing?” she asked.

His face grew serious. “You’re gorgeous. I love watching you.” She flushed, feeling heat creep over her skin. He’d never been very demonstrative in front of Matt and A.J., though both knew a great deal about their relationship, including keeping quiet about the number of nights Simon spent at Toni’s house.

A.J. rolled his eyes. “Could you two cut it out? I just ate.”

“Why don’t you get back to hanging ornaments?” she said, scowling at him. “A woman can never hear she’s gorgeous too many times.

Especially when said woman is as big as a house.” She looked ruefully down at her full belly.

“Come here,” Simon said crooking his finger at her. His eyes were dark, his expression almost angry.

She walked over to where he sat on the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table. He caught her around the waist and pulled her down to him. “You’re beautiful,” he murmured. “Belly and all.” He brushed his lips across hers, nibbling at the corners of her mouth.