It's Only You

by Sheryl Lister

  His head came up slowly. “I guess I know now why you never invited me into your house. So, when were you going to tell me?”

  Simona wrung her hands. “I don’t know.”

  “Simona, we’ve been going out for almost a month.”

  “I know and I tried to tell—”

  He jumped to his feet and cut her off. “When? We’ve talked on the phone several times. Not once did you mention that you have a child!”

  She ran a hand across her forehead. “Donovan, you have to understand. I was just trying to protect her.”

  “Protect her?” he yelled. Remembering Yasmine was asleep, he clenched his teeth and lowered his voice. “From what? Who?”

  “Yes, protect her. I didn’t want to start bringing strange men around her.”

  “So, that’s what I am, huh? A strange man.” He chuckled mirthlessly. “Thanks for letting me know where I stand.” He stalked to the door with her following closely on his heels.

  “No. Donovan, wait. That’s not what I meant.”

  He regarded her thoughtfully. “No? So, what...next you’re gonna tell me you have a husband hidden away somewhere?” He shook his head. “I hoped we had something special, but now I don’t know what to believe. See you around.” Donovan closed the door behind him without waiting for a response.

  Ten minutes into his drive, he realized he had been going at least twenty miles per hour above the speed limit and eased off the gas. The last thing he needed in his present mood was a speeding ticket. Coming to a stoplight, he briefly closed his eyes.

  Why are you so upset, Wright? Opening them again, he slammed his hand against the steering wheel and cursed under his breath. He didn’t have to search very far for the answer. There was only one reason why he would be this angry. Somehow Simona had gotten to him. Despite all his big talk of keeping a woman at arm’s length, she had managed to wiggle her way under his skin.

  * * *

  Simona stood staring at the space that Donovan had vacated. How could a day that started with so much promise end in such disaster? A vision of his shocked and angry expression continued to play in her mind, and the hurt in his voice caused a knot to form in her belly. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, feeling the beginnings of a headache.

  Walking across the room, she slowly lowered herself onto the sofa and laid her head against the back. She berated herself over and over. Why hadn’t she told him? Donovan was right. They’d been seeing each other for a month, and she’d had plenty of opportunities. But he hadn’t even given her a chance to explain before he stormed out. And that pissed her off. Nothing I can do about it tonight.

  Rising, she checked on Yasmine and gently touched her skin. Although she was still warm, Simona was relieved to find that the fever hadn’t risen. The doorbell rang as she exited the baby’s room. Thinking Donovan had returned, she quickened her steps. She opened the door to find Eve, not Donovan, standing there and tried to hide her disappointment. Simona stepped back to let her enter.

  “How’s Yasmine?”

  “The doctor thinks she has a virus. We got the fever down, and she was able to keep a couple ounces of the Pedialyte down.”

  “And Donovan?”

  Simona shook her head. “He’s really angry. He didn’t even give me a chance to say anything.” Tears welled in her eyes. “All I wanted was to protect my niece. I still have concerns about his job, and even more after today’s barbecue. You’ll never guess who his ‘friend’ is.”

  “Who?”

  “Monte.”

  “As in, the fine R & B singer with that sexy, deep voice?”

  “The one and only.”

  “So were there fans and groupies there?”

  “No. Just his family and close friends. And they all called him Terrence. His wife is really nice.”

  “So, help me out here—what exactly are you still concerned about? It seems as though Donovan has gone out of his way to show you that he’s just a regular guy who happens to have a job that requires him to make public appearances.”

  “He’s more than the vice president of the company. He’s Monte’s agent, manager, or whatever you want to call it, as well as another one of the label’s artists.”

  “And your point would be? Never mind. Don’t answer. Simona, stop using Yasmine as an excuse not to get close to Donovan. Honey, you can’t keep comparing him to your ex.”

  “I know, and I’m trying. But every time I think about what happened, it scares me to death. You have no idea how it feels to have cameras shoved in your face all the time.”

  “You’re right, I don’t. And I don’t want to,” Eve added. “But if you told Donovan, I think he’d understand.”

  “It’s probably too late now,” Simona said with a weary sigh. Up to this point, she hadn’t realized how much she liked being with Donovan.

  “Girl, please. He’ll be back. He was just shell-shocked.”

  “I don’t think so. You didn’t see him. Anyway, it’s probably better this way.” She said the words, but she knew they were far from the truth. She didn’t feel better. Not wanting to continue down the road to misery, she asked, “Do you think we should cancel the party next Saturday?” For Yasmine’s birthday she had invited Eve’s five-year-old niece and two-year-old twin nephews over for a small celebration.

  “She should be fine by then, and the kids are looking forward to coming.” Eve checked her watch. “I need to do some studying. Hang in there, and call me if you need something. The party’s at eleven, right?”

  Simona nodded. “Yes, I figure they can play, have lunch and cake, then be ready for naps.” She hugged her friend. “Thanks for everything, Eve.”

  Contrary to what Eve believed, Donovan didn’t come back. Along with her grueling work days the following week, Simona’s nights were filled with thoughts of Donovan—his touch, his kiss, his random text messages asking about her day, and his low, sexy voice that always heated her insides.

  She had called and left messages for him twice earlier in the week, and he never responded. On Thursday after work, she picked up the phone and tried again. She was so shocked that he answered the phone that she was momentarily stunned. Recovering her voice, she said, “Donovan, it’s Simona.”

  “What can I do for you?”

  His curt reply stung, but she plowed on. “I wanted to explain about Yasmine.”

  Donovan chuckled bitterly. “Oh, so now you want to talk. I think it’s a little late for that.”

  Simona sighed deeply. “I know I should have told you.”

  “Yeah, you should have told me. I need to get back to work. Is there anything else?”

  “No,” she said softly.

  “Goodbye, Simona.”

  She hung up and dropped the cordless back in the base. “I guess that’s that,” she said miserably.

  By Saturday, she was too tired to celebrate anything. But she forced herself to get moving. Yasmine was back to her usually happy self, and her appetite had returned. At least there’s one thing going well right now, Simona mused. What about the other parts of her life? Though she had known him only a short time, she missed Donovan more than she imagined. She tried to convince herself that it would be better this way, that he’d only disrupt her quiet life.

  There was only one problem with her theory: since meeting him, Simona had been happier than she could remember in a long time. And she wasn’t sure if the solitary life she had envisioned when she relocated a year ago was the one she wanted now.

  Chapter 11

  “You’ve been sulking all week,” Terrence said without preamble, pushing his way into the house when Donovan opened the door.

  Donovan expelled a harsh breath, closed the door and went into the family room, where Terrence was already sprawled out on the sofa.

 
“What’s going on? I’ve been trying to catch up with you for days.”

  “I’ve been busy. Remember, I’m the only one in the office.”

  Terrence cut him a look. “Look, D, instead of spending Friday night with my two favorite girls, my wife sent me over here to find out what happened with Simona. She likes her a lot and is concerned. As a matter of fact, so is Audrey. Oh, and did I mention Karen called yesterday to ask about her? So is she all right?”

  Dropping into a chair, Donovan scowled at Terrence. He didn’t want to have this conversation tonight...or any night, for that matter. He had spent the entire week trying to erase Simona from his thoughts and had failed miserably.

  “And Janae told me to get Simona’s phone number. She wants to call herself.”

  His scowl deepened.

  “You might as well talk, because I was instructed not to leave without answers. So what was the emergency?”

  He groaned. That sounded just like Janae. He and Terrence engaged in a stare down for several seconds before Donovan said, “Her eleven-month-old daughter was sick, and we had to take her to emergency.”

  Terrence’s face registered shock. “Daughter? She has a daughter?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Is she okay?”

  He shrugged. “Far as I know.” All week, he had been tempted to call or go over to check on the little girl, but his anger far outweighed his concern. He wanted to ask about her when Simona called yesterday, but just hearing Simona’s voice stirred up all the mistrust again, and he’d ended the call as quickly as he could.

  “What do you mean, ‘far as I know’? You haven’t talked to Simona?”

  “She called last night, but there’s nothing to talk about. She lied to me, T. Do you know how I felt walking into that house and seeing that little girl? I thought she was different, but I guess I was wrong. For all I know, she could be married.” Even as he said the words, he couldn’t believe Simona would do something like that.

  “Come off it, Donovan. You know damn well she’s not married. She doesn’t strike me as a person who would date one man while being married to another. I’m sure she had a good reason as to why she hadn’t mentioned it yet.”

  “I wouldn’t know,” he grumbled. “I didn’t stick around to find out.”

  Terrence shook his head slowly. “I can’t believe you acted a complete idiot. You’re behaving worse than I did with Janae.”

  Donovan stared at his shoes and remained silent.

  “You know I’m right.”

  So what if he was right? He looked up when Terrence laughed. “What’s so funny?”

  “You. With all the grief you gave me when I was fighting my feelings for Janae, I figured you’d have your stuff together once you met the right woman.”

  “What makes you think she’s the right woman?”

  “If she wasn’t, you wouldn’t be this upset. You’d move on without a backward glance.” Terrence stood and pulled out his phone. “I’m going home to my amazing wife and daughter. What’s Simona’s number?” When Donovan hesitated, he added, “You can give it to me, or I can have Janae, or worse, Audrey, get it.”

  Donovan cursed under his breath and tossed Terrence the phone.

  Terrence chuckled. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.” He input the information, handed the phone back and headed toward the front door.

  Donovan rose to his feet, pocketed the phone and followed.

  “We’ve been friends for a long time, D, and you, better than anybody else, know my history. I never thought I’d fall in love, but I gotta tell you, meeting and falling in love with Janae has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Going home and knowing that she and Nadia are there gives a new meaning to home. I hope Simona’s daughter is all right, and you should check on her. Let me know if there’s anything I can do. I’ll be in the office on Monday.”

  They shared a rough hug. “Tell Janae hi, and kiss Nadia for me.” Donovan closed the door behind his friend and leaned his head against it. Trust meant everything to him, and Simona broke that trust. He couldn’t be with a woman he didn’t trust.

  Then why couldn’t he stop thinking about Simona? Or Yasmine? His heart clenched with the remembrance of the little girl reaching up to touch his face then laying her head on his chest, and her tiny hand clutching his finger.

  Going upstairs to his bedroom, he flopped down on the bed. As much as he hated to admit it, Terrence was right. Donovan had never had a problem moving on from a woman, which forced him to stop and analyze his feelings for Simona. What he felt for her went beyond mere liking. He didn’t know how it happened, but in the short month that he’d known her, she had touched a part of his heart that no other woman had before, including Rolanda. Yes, he’d had strong feelings for Rolanda, they got along well and were comfortable with each other, but he held no illusions of a deep, abiding love—the kind he saw with his parents, Terrence and Janae, or Terrence’s grandparents.

  Simona was a different story. With her, he wanted more, and it scared him. If he were really honest with himself, he would admit to being a little jealous of the fact that she’d had a child with some other man. A man who, evidently, wasn’t owning up to his responsibilities. He frowned. Who was this guy, and more importantly, where was he? Donovan shook his head. Why did he even care?

  He showered and crawled into bed, preparing himself for what he knew would be another sleepless night. He tossed and turned, dreaming about Simona and all the ways and places they could make love. He woke up hot and hard. Groaning, Donovan threw the covers off and stomped downstairs to his gym to work off his sexual frustration.

  Two hours later, his body was under control, but his mind continued to race. Making a decision, he quickly downed a protein shake and went up to shower.

  * * *

  Before he could talk himself out of going over, Donovan hopped in his car and drove off. The closer he came to Simona’s house, the faster his heart thumped in his chest. What was wrong with him? Donovan parked in the driveway behind Simona’s Honda and was curious about the other cars in the driveway and in front of her house. You’re just here to check on the baby, Wright. Nothing more. He steeled himself and knocked on the door.

  “Donovan! Um...hi,” Simona said when she opened the door, clearly surprised.

  He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from hauling her into his arms and kissing her senseless. Her braids hung loose, spilling around her shoulders and down her back, and she had on a pair of shorts and a tank top that left her smooth, toned coffee-with-cream skin bare, sorely tempting him to explore every inch. “Hey.”

  She eyed him warily and stepped back. “Come in.”

  He had only planned to ask about Yasmine and leave, but his feet missed that memo and propelled him across her threshold. She closed the door and stood with her arms folded. His gaze zeroed in on her biting her bottom lip, and he wanted to soothe the spot with his tongue and...

  Shaking himself mentally, he lifted his eyes back to hers. “I wanted to see how Yasmine is doing.” He heard voices and laughter coming from the back of the house. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you had company. I’ll just come back another time.” He turned to the door.

  Simona caught his arm. “You don’t have to leave. Yesterday was Yasmine’s first birthday, so we’re having a little party. Why don’t you come see for yourself how she’s doing?”

  Was Yasmine’s father here? And did Donovan really want to know? Curiosity got the best of him...and he wanted to see the baby. He nodded. “Okay. Just for a minute.” She gave him a soft smile and his heart skipped a beat, reminding him how much he missed seeing that smile. Then he remembered her deceit.

  He followed through the living room and moderately sized kitchen to the sliding glass door that led to the backyard. He saw Eve talking with two couples, as a girl abou
t five or six, two younger boys who looked to be twins and Yasmine sat on a nearby blanket playing with toys. All eyes turned his way, and Eve smiled. Simona made introductions to Eve’s two younger sisters and their husbands. He didn’t want to examine the relief he felt upon finding out that neither of the men present was Yasmine’s father.

  “She looks like she recovered well,” Donovan said, watching Yasmine bang on a toy that lit up and played music.

  “She did.”

  He was itching to go over and pick her up, and Simona must have realized it.

  “You can go over if you want.”

  He slowly approached, and all four children turned his way. Donovan squatted down next to the beautiful little girl, marveling at the difference between the first time he’d seen her and now. Her big brown eyes were bright, and she babbled happily. When she looked up at him, she paused and stuck her lip out as if she would start crying at any moment.

  Donovan smiled. “Hey, angel. So now that you’re feeling better, you’re going to cry?”

  Yasmine stared at him for a long moment, seemingly trying to decide. Finally, she pushed herself up to a standing position and gave him a huge grin, showing off a mouth full of tiny teeth and stealing another piece of his heart. Unable to resist, he picked her up and kissed her forehead. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.” She patted his cheeks and babbled something. Donovan laughed. “Really? All that, huh?” He picked up the toy she had been playing with. “Make some music for me, baby girl.” She started banging on the buttons again, the sound warming his soul.

  * * *

  Simona stood off to the side, watching Donovan. She didn’t know which look she liked more, his usual business wear or the basketball shorts and T-shirt he had on now. The sight of his lean, muscular build, tight butt and strong calves made her mouth water. Her gaze was drawn to his smile as he interacted with Yasmine, who laughed at whatever he was saying. She had never seen the little girl take to anyone so quickly. Simona sighed inwardly. Seeing him again was hard, especially since he had clearly only come to check on her niece. He hadn’t kissed Simona, hugged her or even touched her.