Gift of Fire

or any other time we made love. I may have my faults, sweetheart, but I’m good at details. Especially those kinds of details.”
    Verity smiled tremulously and swallowed tears that seemed to have welled up out of nowhere. “My whole life is undergoing a massive change. It’s scary, Jonas. I never thought much about having children. I think that somewhere along the line I just came to the conclusion that I wasn’t the type or something.”
    “I think this must be the first and only time I’ve ever seen you unsure of yourself,” Jonas remarked.
    “You’ve recovered from the shock a lot faster than I have. I still feel strange. I’ve been feeling that way for days.”
    “Just leave everything to me, boss. I’ll take care of business for you. All you have to do is sit back and get fat.”
    “That’s not funny, Jonas.”
    “I’ve been telling you for months you need to put on a little weight.”
    “This is a rather drastic way to do it,” Verity muttered.
    Jonas chuckled softly as he picked her up and carried her to the bed. “One of these days you’re going to have to learn a few facts of life.”
    “Such as?”
    “Such as the fact that there are some things even an independent, assertive, bossy little tyrant like you has no control over. I can’t wait to watch you get nice and round with my baby.”
    ***
    Jonas lay quietly studying the ceiling an hour later. Verity was dozing in his arm, her soft, inviting body relaxed and warmed from his lovemaking. Intermingled with the faint, womanly fragrance that teased his nostrils was his more pungent aroma. The primitive part of him always took satisfaction in the combination of scents that hovered in the air after he had made love to Verity. It was a subtle but absolute confirmation of his recent possession of her.
    He took enormous pleasure in the knowledge of what he could do to Verity. He could make her turn to fire in his arms—sweet, hot fire. He was thoroughly addicted to the way she made him feel, hooked on the satisfaction he got from satisfying her. He didn’t even want to think about facing the hard, lonely world without her by his side. Verity had brought him the only peace of mind he had known in more years than he wanted to count.
    And now she was pregnant with his baby.
    The knowledge gave him an odd, almost euphoric rush. Soon there would be three of them—a family. He was going to have all the responsibilities and obligations of fatherhood.
    It was a role he knew little about. His own father had walked out on his mother before he was born. But Jonas figured he knew what he had missed as a kid. A father’s love, a firm hand when he’d needed it, someone to talk with about life. Someone to help him prepare for the world.
    Thus, Jonas knew what being a father was going to entail. It meant giving his kid the things he had never gotten from his own father. No sweat, he could handle it.
    But first he had to give Verity what she needed.
    He had been blind, deaf, and dumb not to realize how insecure and unstable their relationship had appeared to her. He had been so content with the situation that he hadn’t bothered to consider how Verity felt.
    The fact that she had delayed so long in telling him about the baby was proof enough that he had been inexcusably remiss in making her feel secure. Emerson Ames loved his daughter dearly. He’d taught her to look after herself and had given her a fine, albeit unusual, education. He had given her a lot, but the one thing Emerson had not been able to provide Verity was a stable home life.
    Jonas chastised himself thoroughly for not having realized weeks ago that after the rootless upbringing she’d had, Verity would need a strong sense of security before she would feel comfortable about having a baby. No wonder she had been distant and withdrawn. She was nervous, even scared, probably.
    Jonas had invaded and taken over the neat, orderly, home-bound little world Verity had created for herself. Then, before she had fully adjusted to having him in her life, he had given her a baby.
    The lady who had planned to be alone and independent all her life had suddenly had her whole world turned upside down, in the span of a few short months. Jonas mentally ticked off the things Verity now needed from him.
    She needed reassurance.
    She needed security.
    She needed to know she could count on him.
    She needed a last name for the baby.
    She needed a husband.
    Jonas rolled onto his side and gently shook Verity