Page 131 of Simon Says

“No.” Simon grinned. “Actually, he’s a good fighter, and from what I can tell, a good man. I believe Mallet and Gregor are friends with him. They’ve trained at the same camps, sparred, that sort of thing. Harley’s had some rough breaks that’ve kept him from getting the title belt, but he’s due. It should be a good fight.”

“So what did he want with you?”

Simon pulled into the motel lot. “Back when he slept with Bonnie, he didn’t know she was living with me.”

“And?”

Shrugging, Simon said, “He wanted me to know that he hadn’t sought her out on purpose. She was in a bar and, according to him, she gave the come-on, not the other way around.”

“Does it matter?”

Turning toward her, Simon smiled. “Not really.” He leaned forward and kissed her lightly. “Let’s go, woman. My patience is running thin.”

Simon took her gym bag and, after escorting her from the car, locked it. No one paid them any attention as they entered the motel and went to her room. Once inside, Dakota said, “I’ll make it quick.”

But Simon caught her hand. “I’ll shower with you.”

She looked down at her grungy clothes, thought of her sweaty hair, and said, “Wouldn’t you rather—”

“I’d rather be inside you right now. It’s all I’ve been able to think about for three damn days.”

Her mouth went dry. She could almost feel him pushing inside her, and it excited her unbearably. “Well, if you put it that way…Sure. Why not?”

In minutes, Dakota had the shower adjusted, her hair out of the ponytail, and her sweatshirt and sneakers off. Steam swirled around her as she wrestled with her socks. She heard a noise and looked through the open bathroom door to the sleeping area in time to see Simon toss his slacks and boxers on the bed. He’d already removed his sweater, shoes, and socks. He straightened, and then just stood there, totally naked, looking at her—mostly at her bared breasts—and she almost melted.

She’d never survive this. Still balanced on one foot, she whispered, “Lord have mercy.”

Simon’s expression darkened even more. “Finish undressing.”

“Yeah.” Dropping down to sit on the side of the tub, unable to take her gaze off Simon, Dakota peeled off the socks. She stood again—and felt a twinge of shyness.

Simon stepped into the minuscule bathroom with her, but he didn’t reach for her. “Take them off, Dakota.”

She nodded. “It’s good that the lights are on. I mean, I don’t think I could do this in the dark because my mind would start thinking ignorant things. About Marvin, I mean, and what he did. But I wouldn’t want to miss seeing you anyway. And the light in here is pretty bright, don’t you think?”

Simon frowned. “Don’t be nervous, honey.”

“No.”

“I don’t want anyone else occupying your thoughts but me.”

Looking at his body, Dakota raised a brow and said, “I think that’s doable.”

“Get naked.”

“It comes back to that, huh?” She firmed her mouth, hooked her thumbs in the elasticized band of the jogging pants, and pushed them down, taking her panties with them. She stepped out of them and glanced at Simon.

Breathing deeply, he looked her over from head to toes, lingering everywhere in between.

“Do I pass?”

“Yeah.” He sounded hoarse. “You pass.” Then suddenly he was there, pushing back the shower curtain and lifting her into the tub. Seconds later, when her back flattened against the icy tile wall, Dakota gave a small shriek. Simon smothered the sound with a deep kiss, at the same time turning so that it was his back to the wall and she had the dominant position.

One of his big hands held the back of her head, keeping her there for his kiss, for the teasing of his tongue and the nip of his teeth. His other hand went down her back to her bottom. He gave a gentle squeeze—and groaned about it.

Wow, he was impatient. And with his erection pressed solidly against her belly, she knew he was more than ready, too.

He was so tall and hard all over that he overwhelmed her, and little by little, the ruthlessness of his touch and kiss eased into a tender exploration. Dakota ran her hands over his shoulders, loving the bulk of his muscles and the sleekness of his skin. She trailed her fingers through his dark chest hair, over his pecs, and down to his tight abdomen.

---