His eyes narrowed slightly before shifting back to Dani. “You ready to go?” The question shouldn’t have made her nervous,but it did, because going home with him suddenly felt bigger now—more intimate, and real.
Still, Dani nodded slowly. “Yeah.” Jonnas reached for her bag automatically before she could grab it herself. That tiny act of care hit her embarrassingly hard.
“Bye, Dani,” Brenda sang smugly. “Have fun tonight.”
“Oh my God,” Dani hissed. Jonnas looked far too amused as he guided her toward the elevators. The second the doors closed behind them, Dani covered her face with both hands.
“I can never come back here,” she insisted.
“You work here,” Jonnas reminded.
“Not anymore. Brenda knows everything,” she said. Jonnas laughed softly beside her, and warmth spread through her chest instantly. It still surprised her how much she liked hearing him laugh.
“You’re cute when you’re flustered,” he whispered in her ear.
Dani peeked at him through her fingers. “You’re making fun of me.”
“No.” His mouth twitched. “You make it easy.” The elevator doors opened into the parking garage before she could think of a comeback. Jonnas kept one hand lightly against her lower back as they walked toward his SUV. Everything about him felt safe lately, which honestly scared her more every day.
He opened the passenger door for her automatically, and Dani paused. “What?” he asked.
“No one’s ever opened a car door for me before,” she admitted.
Something unreadable crossed his expression before he said quietly, “That’s a shame.” The sincerity in his voice nearly undid her. Dani climbed into the SUV silently while her emotions tangled into a complete mess all over again.
The drive started quietly as Jonnas rested one hand on the wheel while soft music played through the speakers. Dani foundherself relaxing despite every instinct telling her not to. “You’re quiet,” he murmured after a few minutes.
“I’m thinking,” she said. She was running through all the pros and cons of going home with him tonight, and she was finding more cons than pros.
“Dangerous hobby,” he teased. She snorted softly.
Silence settled again before she blurted suddenly, “Did you mean it?”
Jonnas glanced over briefly. “Mean what?”
“What Elias said about you being in love with me. I heard him say that through the door, and you didn’t deny it,” she said. The second the words left her mouth, tension filled the SUV instantly. Jonnas went quiet—too quiet, and Dani immediately regretted asking. “You don’t have to answer that,” she said quickly.
“Yes, I do,” Jonnas said. Her pulse jumped as he exhaled slowly before speaking. “I think—” He tightened his grip on the steering wheel slightly. “I think I started caring about you the second you walked into my office, terrified and still somehow trying to protect everyone else’s feelings.”
Emotion tightened painfully in her throat. “That’s not love,” she whispered.
“No,” he agreed quietly. “But I think watching you trust me little by little is getting dangerously close to becoming love.” Dani stared at him helplessly. No one had ever spoken to her like this before—like her feelings mattered.
“I don’t know what to do with that,” she admitted softly.
Jonnas’s expression softened. “You don’t have to do anything tonight.” That should’ve made her relax, but it didn’t. Instead, disappointment flickered low in her stomach, because a dangerous part of her wanted more tonight. She wanted closeness and comfort. She wanted his hands in her hair whilehe called her baby girl in that deep voice of his. God. Pregnancy hormones were ruining her life.
Jonnas suddenly reached over and took her hand, and the simple touch nearly shattered her. “You’re spiraling again,” he murmured.
“I do that a lot around you,” she whispered.
His thumb brushed slowly across her knuckles. “Good thing I plan on sticking around then. That way, I can pick up the pieces.”
Dani was in trouble—real trouble. It was the kind that settled low in her chest and made her feel warm and shaky every time Jonnas looked at her too long. Because somewhere between him bringing her soup and promising not to disappear, she’d started wanting things she had no business wanting from him. Things that felt terrifyingly close to forever.
“You’re thinking too hard again,” he whispered. Dani blinked and realized Jonnas was watching her from the driver’s seat while stopped at a red light.
“I’m pregnant,” she defended weakly. “My brain is legally allowed to be weird. Plus, brain fog is a real thing.”
