It's Only You

by Sheryl Lister

  As he leaned back in the chair, a vision of Simona in that blue dress floated through his mind. It had hugged every luscious curve. And those high heels accentuated long, firm legs. His body reacted with lightning speed, and he shifted in the chair. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about that encounter in his office or their last kiss. If he ever got her in his office again, all bets were off. He glanced over at the clock and picked up his cell.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey, beautiful,” he said when Simona answered. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

  “No. I’m just putting away some laundry. What’s up?”

  “Nothing much. I just wanted to hear your sexy voice.”

  She laughed softly. “I already agreed to go with you to the barbecue, so there’s no need to try to butter me up.”

  “I’m not. You have this low, husky thing going on. It’s sexy as hell.” When she didn’t comment, he spoke her name. “Simona?”

  “I’m here. I don’t know what to say. No one has ever said that before.”

  “I’m glad to be the first.”

  “Donovan, I...”

  “What?” he asked when she trailed off.

  “I...I was just going to say that you’re one of the most thoughtful men I’ve met.”

  His gut clenched. “Thanks. You’re the first woman who’s told me that.”

  “Well, I’m glad to be the first.”

  Donovan closed his eyes and tried to force down the emotions swirling in his gut. “So, are you working tomorrow?”

  “No. What about you?”

  “Yep. I’ll probably get to the office around six-thirty.”

  “That’s early. It’s after ten, so you should probably get off this phone and go to bed.”

  “Probably. But what I’d really like to do is come over and kiss you good-night.”

  “You can get that kiss when I see you next week.”

  “You don’t want me to come over? I promise it’ll be worth it.”

  “I’m sure it will be...next week,” Simona said with a laugh.

  “Okay, okay.” He could listen to her voice all day and night. He sat up abruptly. Where had that thought come from? He was getting way ahead of himself. “I’ll call you later this week.”

  “That’s fine. Have a good night.”

  “You, too.” Donovan disconnected, tossed the phone on his desk and drew in a deep breath. Simona was quickly getting under his skin. He had never thought of listening to a woman day and night, yet with her, he would do it in a heartbeat.

  * * *

  On Thursday during her lunch break—the first one she’d had all week—Simona sat with her cell cradled in her palm. She’d had the perfect opportunity to tell Donovan about Yasmine when he called on Sunday, and she’d chickened out. Since then, she had tried to get up the nerve to call him. Here it was, four days later, and she still hadn’t said anything, even though she’d had plenty of opportunities. He had called her on Monday, and again last night, and the words stuck in her throat. She had been able to avoid inviting him inside her home so far, but it would be rude not to at least let him get a foot in the door. She was running out of time.

  Glancing at the phone in her hand, Simona blew out a long breath. She scrolled through the contacts and found Donovan’s number. Her thumb hovered over the display for several seconds before she changed her mind. Again. She bit into an apple slice.

  “Well, if it isn’t my favorite nurse. Mind if I join you?”

  Simona managed to bite back the retort poised on the tip of her tongue. The last person she wanted to talk to was Lionel Harris. She had managed to dodge him for the past couple of weeks, but it looked as if her luck had run out. She glanced around the cafeteria. There were plenty of empty tables.

  “Are you going to make me stand here all day?” he asked, giving her his most charismatic smile. “People are starting to stare.”

  It would serve him right if she did. “Fine. Sit.”

  He lowered himself into the chair across from her. “Thanks.” He immediately picked up his burger and took a hefty bite.

  Simona continued to nibble on her apple slices and waited for him to start in on his campaign. Three...two...one...

  “Simona,” he started.

  Right on cue.

  “When are you going to let me take you out to dinner?”

  “Never.”

  “Why? I’m educated and a well-respected physician.” He leaned closer and lowered his voice seductively. “And I’m pretty good-looking, if I have to say so myself,” he added with a wink.

  She sighed heavily. “How many times do I have to tell you no before you stop asking?”

  “I can promise you we’ll have a good time together,” he continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “I’ll take you to my mountain retreat in Lake Tahoe or my villa in Spain...wherever you want to go.”

  “The answer is still no, Dr. Harris,” Simona said through clenched teeth. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to work.” She gathered the remnants of her meal, stood and pasted a smile on her face. “Enjoy your lunch.”

  Instead of going back to the break room for the last five minutes of her break, she went outside, hoping to cool her temper. Taking a seat on one of the benches, she drew in several deep breaths. Finally her calm returned. Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Frowning, she pulled it out, thinking it was Eve. She was surprised to see a text message from Donovan.

  Hey, beautiful. Sitting here thinking about u. Hope ur day is going well. D

  No matter how stressful her day was, Donovan always found a way to make her smile. She typed back: Thanks for thinking of me. Hope ur day is going well, too. S

  Rising to her feet, Simona went back to the emergency room to finish her shift, praying she could get through the rest of the day without having to deal with Dr. Harris again. On her way, a registration clerk grabbed her arm.

  “Can you check on a car outside the front door? I think there’s a baby on the way.”

  Simona gave the clerk some instructions and rushed out the door. By the time she reached the car, a nursing assistant was behind her with supplies. She donned a pair of gloves, quickly wrapped the baby girl who hadn’t waited to be born in a hospital, clamped the cord and noted the time for the birth certificate. On the heels of her statement, a gurney arrived. As soon as she got back to the emergency room, a passing doctor asked if she had given a second dose of morphine to the patient in room four. Simona explained that she hadn’t logged on to the computer yet, but would do so now and catch up with the orders.

  Hours later, Simona dragged herself wearily to her car. Since that thirty-minute lunch break, the ER had moved nonstop, and she hadn’t been able to catch her breath or take a bathroom break. All she wanted to do was go home and fall out, but Simona knew Yasmine would be up for at least an hour, until her bedtime. Before she made it out the door, one of the nurses called to her. She seriously thought about pretending not to hear, but she couldn’t do that.

  “What do you need, Betty?”

  “Nothing. These came for you a few hours ago, but you were so busy I didn’t get a chance to tell you.” She handed Simona a bouquet of pink roses in a glass vase.

  Her eyes narrowed, thinking that Dr. Harris was up to his tricks again. But they were gorgeous. “Thank you. These are lovely.” She spied a small white envelope in the center. Simona was anxious to read the card, but didn’t want everyone in her business, so she held off.

  “Looks like you hit the jackpot. Whoever he is, you’d better hold on to him. I wish some man would give me flowers like that.”

  “Thanks, Betty. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Okay. Oh, wait. Here’s the box so you can bring them in the car.”

  As soon she was in the driver’s seat, Simo
na plucked the card off and opened it. They were from Donovan.

  Because you’re you. Donovan

  At that moment, she lost a piece of her heart.

  She waited until after she had put Yasmine to bed before calling Donovan.

  “Yeah,” came the clipped greeting when he answered.

  “Donovan?”

  There was a pause, and then he said, “Simona?”

  “Yes, it’s me. Am I interrupting?”

  “No, no. Sorry about that. I was reading something.”

  “You’re still at work?” she asked incredulously, peeking at her watch. “It’s almost ten.”

  “I know. I’m going home soon.”

  “You sound exhausted.”

  “So do you. Long day?”

  “Yes. I wanted to thank you for the roses. They’re beautiful.”

  “I’m glad you like them.”

  “Donovan, I...”

  “Did you change your mind about going on Saturday?”

  “No, but—”

  “But what?”

  Simona tightened her grip on the phone, trying to force the words past her constricted throat. What if he decided throwing a child in the mix was too much?

  “Simona, are you feeling a little unsure about what’s happening between us?”

  “A little.”

  “Sweetheart, I understand where you’re coming from, but let’s just take things one step at a time. We’ll talk more about us on Saturday.”

  “Okay.”

  “I need to finish up so I can get out of here.”

  “Of course. Be careful going home.”

  “Always.”

  “Coward,” she muttered after disconnecting. Simona knew she was only prolonging the inevitable. Saturday, she told herself. She had to come clean, and hopefully he would understand. What’s the worst that could happen?

  He could walk away, that nagging voice inside her head reminded her. She didn’t think he was that kind of man, but in another week, she would know for sure.

  Chapter 9

  It had been exactly two weeks since he had seen Simona, and Donovan missed her. Excitement filled him when he pulled into her driveway. The only thing he wanted was to kiss her again. Truth be told, he wanted much more, but he’d settle for the kiss as a start. But he continued to be bothered by their last conversation. She wasn’t telling him something. And in the back of his mind, signals flashed, warning him to proceed cautiously. Donovan shoved the warning aside and got out of the car.

  When Simona opened the door, his mouth went dry at the sight of her wearing a pair of white shorts, a red sleeveless blouse and low-heeled sandals.

  “Hi, Donovan. Come in.” Simona stepped back to let him enter.

  His brow lifted in surprise. This was the first time she had invited him into her home. “Hey.” As soon as they reached the living room, he draped an arm around her waist, lowered his head and kissed her the way he had been dreaming about all week. She captured his tongue and sucked gently. Blood rushed straight to his groin. He pulled her closer, and her soft breasts pressed against his chest, forcing a low moan from his throat. Donovan trailed kisses along her jaw and the scented column of her neck as his fingers deftly unbuttoned her top. “Very sexy,” he murmured, transferring his kisses to the exposed portion of her breasts above the black lace bra.

  “Donovan,” Simona whispered breathlessly.

  Donovan reclaimed her mouth once more, then reluctantly lifted his head. If he hadn’t promised Terrence and Janae he’d be there today, he would strip Simona slowly and make love to every inch of her sexy body. Not bothering to hide the desire in his eyes, he told her, “We’re going to finish this later.” He redid her buttons.

  “I...I’ll be right back.” She turned and fled the room.

  He was sorely tempted to call Terrence and tell him they’d be late. He wanted Simona...badly...now. Donovan scrubbed a hand down his face and tried to get himself under control.

  “I’m ready.”

  He spun around at the sound of Simona’s voice. She ran her tongue across her bottom lip, and her gaze drifted to his mouth.

  “Baby, don’t look at me like that. I promised my friend I’d be at this barbecue, and I’m a man of my word. But if you keep that up, we’ll never make it out of here. I won’t leave until I know every part of your body inside and out.”

  Simona gasped. “Um...I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble, so we should go.”

  Donovan glanced around the room once more. “I like your place. It reminds me of you.”

  “How so?”

  “Warm and inviting.”

  “I think we need to leave.” She grabbed him by the hand and dragged him to the front door.

  “I’m just saying...”

  “Uh-huh. Out. You are too tempting.” She locked the door and followed him to the car.

  Donovan started the car and turned the air on full blast.

  Simona laughed. “A little warm?”

  His gaze slid over her bare thighs in those shorts and back up to her face. “Blazing.” He gripped the steering wheel tighter.

  She gave him an amused glance. “Well, let’s hope you cool off by the time we get to your friend’s house.” He grunted, and she laughed harder. “How far is it?”

  “About half an hour.” He debated telling her just who his “friend” was, but decided to hold off. He wanted Simona to meet Terrence Campbell, not R & B superstar Monte, especially after what happened last weekend at the concert. Donovan didn’t buy that she was just camera shy.

  They conversed about everything from politics to sports, and he found out that she was a huge NBA fan. When they drove up to the gate, he lowered the window and typed in the code.

  “You didn’t say we were going to a home that could be featured on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. I feel way underdressed.”

  “You look fine. I have on shorts and a T-shirt. Trust me, everybody else will be dressed the same.”

  He parked in the circle driveway behind Brad’s Mercedes, got out and came around to assist her. They skirted the three other cars and walked up three steps to double doors. Donovan rang the bell. While waiting, he observed Simona. She shifted from foot to foot and nibbled on her lip. Before he could comment, the door swung open.

  “What’s up, D? About time you got here,” Terrence said. “And who is this lovely lady?”

  “Hey, T. Terrence Campbell, this is Simona Andrews. Simona, Terrence.”

  “Nice to meet you, Simona,” Terrence said. “You guys come on in. Everybody’s out back.”

  Behind Terrence’s back, Simona slapped Donovan across the arm and mouthed, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  He shrugged and smiled. She rolled her eyes. Holding Simona’s hand, they followed Terrence through the house and out to the backyard.

  * * *

  Simona nearly had a heart attack when she realized Donovan’s friend was R & B singer and producer Monte. She tried not to stare as they walked through the house, but failed. The tastefully done rooms were the perfect combination of luxury and comfort. But what held her attention were the amazing paintings of landscapes hanging on the walls. She made a mental note to ask Donovan about it later.

  As they rounded a corner, a petite woman carrying a very young baby intercepted them. Terrence stopped walking and placed his arm around the woman. “Simona, I’d like you to meet my very beautiful and talented wife, Janae. Janae, this is Simona.”

  “Nice to meet you, Simona. I’m glad you could make it,” Janae said.

  “Nice to meet you, too, Janae. Congratulations on the new addition to your family. She’s adorable.”

  “Thank you,” Terrence and Janae chorused. The two shared a look of adoration, then Terrenc
e placed a tender kiss on his wife’s lips. Simona felt a twinge of jealousy.

  “All right, all right, you two. Knock it off. You have guests,” Donovan said. “Hey, Janae.” He bent to kiss her cheek. “How’s my goddaughter doing?” He reached for the baby. “Simona, this little angel is Nadia Elise Campbell.”

  She smiled at the little bundle. Simona watched in fascination as he gently cradled the baby as if it was second nature. A memory surfaced of the nurse gushing over Monte being at the hospital. Putting two and two together, she realized Nadia must have been born the night she met Donovan.

  Outside, Donovan introduced her to several more people, including Janae’s parents and Terrence’s grandparents. She found out immediately that what Donovan had told her about Terrence’s grandmother was true. The woman was a serious matchmaker.

  Holding Simona’s hands, Mrs. Campbell smiled. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Simona. Call me Miss Ellie or Grandma.”

  Donovan stood behind Miss Ellie, frantically shaking his head and mouthing, “Don’t call her Grandma. Don’t do it.”

  Simona bit her lip to stifle a laugh. When Miss Ellie turned his way, he quickly composed himself.

  “Donovan, she’s a lovely girl,” Miss Ellie said.

  “That she is, Miss Ellie.”

  Facing Simona again, Miss Ellie asked, “What do you do?”

  “I’m an emergency room nurse.”

  “Really?” A huge grin blossomed on the woman’s face, and Simona felt the urge to flee.

  “Grandma, are you over here trying to play matchmaker again?” Terrence asked, placing an arm around his grandmother’s shoulders and winking at Simona. “Simona, you’ll have to excuse my grandmother.” He kissed the elderly woman on the cheek. “Come on, Grandma. Stop scaring Simona, or she won’t want to come back.” He led her away.

  When they were out of earshot, Simona said, “She is scary.”

  Donovan laughed and placed a quick kiss on her lips. “I told you.”