Don’t worry about it.”
“And you got hurt. I’m so sorry.”
“Simona, there is no reason to apologize. It was an accident.”
She nodded and unlocked the door.
He reached around and opened it for her. “Do you need me to follow you home?”
“No, I’ll be fine.” Simona came up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Donovan...for everything. If you ever need anything, let me know.” She lowered herself into the car.
The warmth of her lips against his cheek sent electricity through his body, and he fought the temptation to turn into the kiss. “Are you working tomorrow?”
“No. I’m off until Tuesday. Why?”
“Just concerned. Make sure someone walks out with you, okay?”
“It won’t be dark when I get off at seven, so there shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Simona, promise me you won’t come out alone. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”
She stared up at him with a strange expression, then nodded.
“Thank you. Good night and take care of yourself.”
She smiled. “I will. Good night.”
Donovan closed her door and stepped back. He waited until she started the engine and drove off before heading across the lot to his own car. He unlocked the doors, climbed in and shut the door. Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes as a wave of fatigue hit him. It had been a long day and a crazy night. Sitting upright, he started the car, backed out and drove home.
Twenty-five minutes later, Donovan turned into his driveway and pulled into the garage. He dragged his weary body out of the car, entered the house through the side door and pressed a wall switch to close the garage door.
He tossed his keys onto the kitchen counter and reached into the refrigerator for a bottle of water. Unscrewing the cap, he took a long drink and wished it were something stronger. The mail sat piled up on one end of the island where his housekeeper placed it, but he was too tired to bother with it tonight. Instead, he trekked up the stairs to his bedroom, flipped on the nightstand lamp and dropped down on the side of the bed. Helluva night, he mused. He sat a moment longer, then went to shower.
It took some maneuvering, but he managed to shower, dry off and brush his teeth in a reasonable amount of time. Turning off the bathroom light and bedside lamp, he returned to his bedroom, pulled back the covers and crawled into bed. Donovan glanced over at the clock. It was nearly one in the morning, and he needed to be up and in his office by six thirty. Even though it was a Saturday, he had to take care of some tour logistics for Kaleidoscope’s concert tomorrow night on the East Coast. With any luck, he could take care of everything in less than two hours and be back home and in bed by nine thirty, ten at the latest.
He moved to a more comfortable position, making sure to keep his left arm free, and closed his eyes. Donovan made a mental note to call his doctor to schedule a follow-up appointment. He was beyond exhausted, but his mind continued to race with thoughts of Simona. True, she was beautiful, but something more appealed to him—her strength and compassion, maybe. Why hadn’t he asked her for her phone number?
Next time, he thought with a smile.
Two seconds after Simona entered the house, Eve rushed across the room and grabbed her in a hug.
“Girl, I was worried out of my mind. It’s going on one o’clock. I was about to call you again. What happened?” Eve released her and frowned.
Simona walked over to the couch and lowered her weary body down. “I was basically run over by one of the hospital volunteers pushing a coffee cart.”
“Are you all right?”
“I’m okay. Just a little shaken, and bruised where the cart hit my hip.”
Eve sat next to Simona. “If that’s all, what took you so long to get home?”
“I had to help Donovan. He got hurt.”
Eve lifted an eyebrow. “Donovan?”
“Yeah. He’s the guy who came to my rescue. I feel so bad because he got cut and burned in the process.”
Eve grasped her hand. “Is he hurt bad?”
Simona shook her head. “He had about a three-inch gash on his forearm that had to be stitched up, and the burn doesn’t look like it’ll be too bad, so he’s okay, thank God. I don’t know what I would’ve done if he’d been hurt seriously. The crazy thing is, even though he was still bleeding and in obvious pain, he was more concerned about having a doctor check me out.”
“Sounds like a real-life knight in shining armor.”
“He was—though I really wish he’d had the armor on,” she said absently. Memories of being held in his strong arms replayed in her mind. She should have at least gotten his phone number...to make good on her offer to replace his shirt, of course. His information was in the system, so she could get it that way. But...
A touch on her hand broke into her musings.
“Simona,” Eve called.
“I’m sorry. Did you say something?”
Eve smiled. “Mmm-hmm. I was asking about your knight, and you drifted off into fairy tale land. He must have been something.”
Fine as all get out, rock hard body, and seemingly an all-around good guy—yep, he was something.
Eve laughed.
“What?”
“You’re daydreaming again. What does he look like?”
“A little over six feet, handsome, muscles—”
“In other words, fine as hell.”
Simona smiled and nodded. “Yes, he is.” She pushed to her feet. “I’m wiped out. I need to hit the shower and go to bed. Did you have any problems tonight?”
Eve stood. “Not a one. She’s an angel. Woke up an hour ago for a few minutes but went right back to sleep.” She went over to the dining room table and gathered up her belongings. “I’ll see you later.”
Simona walked her neighbor to the door and waited until Eve went inside her house before closing her own door. Simona picked up the monitor off the table, turned off the lights and went down the short hallway to the first bedroom. A nightlight illuminated the baby lying in her crib. Simona stood staring at her niece’s small form for several minutes, the covers rising and falling in rhythm as she slept.
Yasmine had been born two months prematurely to Simona’s twenty-two-year-old younger sister—her namesake—who had died in childbirth as a result of injuries she’d sustained in
