“You sure?” he asked quietly.
She nodded again, more certain this time. “Yeah.” Relief hit him so hard it almost made him dizzy. That probably wasn’t normal.
Jonnas brushed one final thumb across her cheek before stepping back slightly. “Good.”
Dani immediately looked flustered again. “You always look smug after I listen to you,” she muttered.
“Because you’re adorable when you pretend you don’t want to be taken care of,” he admitted. Her mouth dropped open slightly, and Jonnas smirked. “See—adorable.”
“You’re impossible,” she breathed.
“And you’re avoiding the fact that you agreed to come home with me,” he said. Heat flooded her cheeks instantly, and his cock twitched. This woman was going to kill him.
A sharp knock interrupted the moment before Elias shoved the office door open without waiting. “Hey, Jess said Dani looked like she was about to cry in here, so naturally I came to—” He stopped abruptly. “Oh.”
Jonnas sighed heavily. “You really need to stop entering rooms like a raccoon.”
Elias ignored him completely, grinning as he looked between them. “Why does this feel emotionally significant?”
“Get out,” Jonnas shouted.
“Nope.” Elias leaned against the doorframe casually. “I want gossip.”
“There is no gossip,” Jonnas insisted. He felt about ready to pummel his best friend when Dani snorted softly. Traitor.
Elias immediately pointed at her. “See—that noise right there means there’s absolutely gossip.”
“We’re busy,” Jonnas deadpanned.
Elias’s eyebrows shot up. “That sounded sexual.”
“It wasn’t,” Jonnas insisted.
“It could’ve been,” Dani mumbled under her breath. Both men looked at her instantly, and Dani froze. “Oh my God,” she whispered, seeming horrified with herself. Jonnas bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to hurt, because if he laughed right now, she might actually combust.
Elias burst into violent laughter immediately. “Oh, this is incredible,” he wheezed.
“Leave,” Jonnas ordered flatly.
Elias pointed at Dani again while still laughing. “You’re in over your head with him.”
“I’m pregnant and emotional!” she shouted.
“That’s not a denial,” Elias said. Dani covered her burning face with both hands.
Jonnas was honestly considering homicide. “Elias.”
“Okay, okay.” He raised both hands in surrender before grinning at Dani. “For what it’s worth, I’ve never seen him like this before either.” That caught Jonnas off guard.
Dani slowly lowered her hands. “Like what?”
Elias’s grin turned knowing. “Terrified.” Jonnas glared at him. Unfortunately, Elias wasn’t wrong, because this woman scared the absolute hell out of him now. Not in a bad way, but in a permanent way. Before Dani could respond, her pager suddenly beeped loudly at her hip. She jumped slightly before looking down at it.
“Oh crap.” She sighed. “I have to go.” Disappointment hit Jonnas immediately, which was ridiculous. He’d spent years avoiding emotional attachment, and now he was irritated because a nurse had to return to work at the hospital where they both worked. He was pathetic.
Dani looked back up at him, uncertainly. “I get off at seven.”
“I’ll pick you up,” he said. The words came automatically, like there’d never been another option.
