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Buzz. Buzz.
“You should get that.” She turned and moved past him.
She picked up the silver ornaments and moved to the tree. She forced her thoughts to the work before her, because every time she recalled the way his lips had moved seductively over hers, her stomach dipped and her face flamed with heat. She couldn’t let him see how he’d gotten to her.
By the time Simon finished his call, she’d placed all of the silver ornaments strategically on the tree. Truth be told, she might have put more thought into their placement than was necessary.
“Pepper?” Simon’s voice came from behind her.
Her breath hitched in her throat.
Just pretend like the kiss didn’t happen. Because it was a mistake. One not to be repeated.
She turned to him. “Do you need something?”
He approached her and then, as though he realized that wasn’t a good idea, he stopped. “I’m sorry about that.”
“No problem. I know you’re an important businessman.”
He shook his head. “I meant the kiss. I shouldn’t have done it.”
“Don’t worry. It’s already forgotten.”
Liar. Liar.
For a moment, neither spoke. It was as though each of them was trying to find their footing once more.
This whole situation was a lot for them to deal with. They didn’t need to complicate matters more than they already were. Her hand moved to her still-flat abdomen. It was best for all of them.
CHAPTER TWELVE
SHE’D MADE IT.
The next morning, Pepper stepped through the doorway of Helping Paw. She glanced at the clock, finding she still had some time before lunch. Not as early as she would like, but considering she was beginning to think she’d have to forgo her impromptu visit, she was pleased.
This day had not started as she’d hoped.
Pepper sighed as she ran a hand over her hair, which was pulled back in a messy ponytail—very messy indeed. The day began with her sleeping in and then being hit with a serious bout of morning sickness. She’d hoped it was just a one-or two-time thing, but it appeared it was going to hit her every morning of her first trimester.
But it’d be worth it in the end. She resisted the urge to place a hand on her still-flat abdomen. With every day that passed, her excitement about the baby was growing.
After telling herself that she was done caring for people because the price was too high, she couldn’t imagine not loving this baby. It was such a powerful attachment. And though at times it scared her to think how precarious life could be, her love for the baby trumped her fear.
Life right now was challenging enough with the aftermath of a fire to deal with, a very sexy roommate who was off-limits and a penthouse that seemed to grow smaller with each passing day. She supposed she could have given up
on volunteering at the shelter—even temporarily. But she knew the shelter was hard-pressed to find people willing to give up their time to help out. And there were so many animals that needed love and support. She couldn’t turn her back on them. Not even if it meant her life wouldn’t be quite so hectic.
And then there was Daisy. Pepper looked forward to seeing her as much as possible, even on days when she wasn’t scheduled to volunteer. They still hadn’t been able to put the pup up for adoption, but shy little Daisy was making progress.
“Hey, is everything okay?” Stephanie gazed at her with a worried look on her face.
Pepper forced a smile, hoping it would alleviate her friend’s concern. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.” Stephanie gestured to a stool. “Maybe you should sit down.”
Did she really look as bad as she felt? Maybe she should have paused and fixed her makeup before rushing over here. She hadn’t even thought of stopping for a second look in the mirror before rushing out the door, and that wasn’t like her. Not at all.
“Now that you’re expecting, you’re going to have to slow down,” Stephanie said.
