“You worry about me constantly,” she pointed out.
“Yeah.” He didn’t even pretend otherwise. “I do.”
Her breath caught. “You don’t have to,” she whispered.
That pulled a frown from him instantly. “Baby girl, you really still don’t get this.”
“Get what?”
“You matter to me,” he growled. The words came out rougher than he intended, because she did matter to him, more than she probably understood yet. Dani stared at him silently while emotion climbed slowly into her eyes again. The woman cried every time he said something sincere, and instead of scaring him away, it made him want to hold her tighter.
“You know what’s dangerous?” he murmured softly.
“What?” she asked.
“The fact that you look at me like nobody’s ever loved you gently before.” He saw the truth in her eyes before she hid against his chest. Jonnas wrapped both arms around her instantly, holding her close while she breathed shakily against him.
“I’m okay,” she whispered.
“I know,” he said, kissing the top of her head.
“No, I mean it,” she insisted.
His hand moved slowly up and down her back. “I know, baby girl.” But okay and cared for weren’t the same thing, and Dani was only just starting to learn the difference.
Jonnas kissed the top of her head again before glancing toward the clock. “You need breakfast before your stomach mutinies again.”
A muffled groan came from against his chest. “I hate that you’re right all the time.”
“I’m older and wiser,” he pointed out.
“No, you’re just a smug ass,” she teased.
“I think you like me this way,” he said.
Dani lifted her head just enough to glare at him weakly. “Unfortunately.” He laughed softly. God, he loved that answer. He loved that she was slowly stopping herself from hiding the truth from him.
Jonnas slid carefully out of bed before reaching for her hand. “Come on.”
Dani blinked up at him sleepily. “Where are we going?”
“To feed you,” he said.
“You sound very confident that I’ll actually be able to keep food down,” she grumbled.
“I am.” One corner of his mouth lifted slightly. “And then I’m putting you back in bed for at least another hour.”
Her eyes widened. “Bossy.”
“You’re pregnant and need some more rest,” he demanded. That immediately silenced her. Jonnas tugged her gently toward him until she stood barefoot in front of him, wearing only his shirt. His breath caught slightly because no matter how many times he looked at her, it still hit him hard. She was beautiful, and she was carrying his child.
Jonnas rested one hand low against her stomach instinctively. She wasn’t showing yet. Hell, she was so tiny, he couldn’t imagine her carrying his baby, but he knew that he or she was there and real. Dani looked down at his hand before looking back up at him, emotion flickering across her face again.
“You do that a lot,” she whispered.
“I do what? He asked.
“You touch me there.” His chest tightened painfully because he hadn’t even realized how instinctive it had already become. Jonnas brushed his thumb lightly against her stomach through the shirt.
