Seducing Simon(70)

Uncertainty flashed in her eyes.

“Are you ready?” the nurse asked gently.

Toni nodded, and Simon wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He could feel her shaking and he tightened his hold on her. She felt unbelievably fragile, like she would break into a million pieces with the slightest touch.

He shepherded her down the hall and punched the button for the elevator. She’d dressed in a loose fitting shirt and sweat pants. He frowned when he realized he had forgotten to bring her a coat.

Thankfully, he’d parked under the awning at the front entrance, and he’d left the heat running.

They walked slowly through the lobby, and as the door slid open automatically, cold air blew over them. She shivered, and he hurried her around to the passenger side. After she was belted in, he closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side.

He drove away, chewing on the inside of his lip. Everything rode on today. He’d planned meticulously, covering every angle, but the difficult part lay ahead. Convincing her to forgive him and give him another chance.

Toni stared out the window, glad to be going home, but surprised Simon had been the one to collect her. A.J. had left saying he’d return to pick her up when she was discharged. Had something come up?

To her surprise, they drove past her road. She turned to look at him.

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise,” he said, glancing over her.

She sat back, not sure what to say in response. Surprise? The only surprise was that he was still speaking to her. Maybe the guys were waiting for her at the house. A welcome home party of sorts.

But then he turned into the driveway of a house a block down from the guys’ house.

“Why are we here?” she asked.

“I’ll tell you in a minute,” he said as he got out. He came around and helped her down, keeping a strong arm around her.

He unlocked the door and swung it open. She glanced around the empty house in total confusion. The house had been vacated for months, the previous owners transferred to Dallas. The house had been on the market nearly as long, but she didn’t remember seeing the for sale sign when they’d driven up.

He took her right hand and pulled her tightly against his chest. His hand smoothed over her hair, mindful of her bandage. “I don’t even know where to start, sweetheart.”

Her chest tightened and she closed her eyes, enjoying his arms around her.

He pulled her away and looked intently into her eyes. “But let me start by saying I love you. I love you more than anything. And I am so sorry for the awful things I said. The terrible way I treated you.” His eyes shone with regret, pain reflected deeply in their depths.

“But—”

“No buts,” he said, effectively shushing her with his lips. He kissed her gently, lingeringly.

“I was an ass. A first class jerk, and I don’t deserve you. I’ll never forgive myself for you being out on the road when you should have been safely at home waiting for me to come home to you.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” she said softly. “I lied to you.”

“Yes, you did,” he said forthrightly. “But nothing you did was worth the way I responded. I took advantage of you, just as much as you took advantage of me. You were afraid. You should have never been in that position. I put you in that position,” he said angrily.

She remained silent, not knowing how to respond to all he had said.

Hope beat a steady rhythm in her chest, but she didn’t dare give free rein to it yet.

“I brought you here because this is the house I was going to buy as a Christmas present,” he said. “I planned to ask you to marry me the night you told me about the baby. I wanted to give you your dream. The perfect house. Perfect husband—or as perfect as I could be,” he added with a grin. “Children, love, happiness. The whole shebang.” He blurred before her as tears sprang to her eyes. She wiped hastily at them not wanting to miss anything in his expression.

“I’ve put in an offer now because I want to marry you more than anything, Toni. I want to raise our children here. But most of all, I want to spend the rest of my life loving you.” She opened her mouth, but no words would come. She stared at him in shock. Wonder.

“Can you ever forgive me, Toni?” he asked softly, his eyes pleading with her.

“Oh my God,” she cried, launching herself into his arms. She began to sob noisily as his arms wrapped around her like bands of steel. He held her tightly, his face buried in her neck. She could feel warm tears slide down her neck, and her heart clenched. God, how she loved this man.

“Yes, yes, yes!” she exclaimed. “I forgive you, and more than anything I want to marry you.”

He caught her lips with his, kissing her breathlessly, passionately, as if he’d never let her go. She wrapped her arms around him and clunked him on the head with her cast. She let out a giggle. “Sorry.” He released her, his eyes roving over her possessively. “Be serious about this, Toni, because I’m never going to let you go. I’ve waited too long for you. I think I’ve loved you forever, but was too stubborn to see it.”

She smiled up at him, her heart firmly in her eyes for him to see. “I love you too, Simon. So much.”

“Want to see the house?” he asked, grinning down at her.

Her mouth rounded in shock. “Oh my God, you really did it didn’t you?”