Page 142 of Simon Says

But she worked at it plenty hard.

Her low-key appearance cloaked beneath baggy sweat-suits and bulky layers couldn’t keep him from seeing the obvious.

Tipping a beer to his mouth, Harley recalled the noticeable swells of hips and breasts, and the long length of her legs. Sublime wanted her, and that alone meant she had to look really fine beneath the ugly duds. Not quite in the same way as Bonnie, but in some ways, better. Earthier. More real.

As he tipped his beer up again, Harley noticed a man standing across the street from the motel by an idling car. He had his back to Harley so he, too, could stare after Dakota.

Lowering the beer, Harley studied him. Medium height, decent build. So was this Dakota’s ex, the guy stirring up all the trouble and bringing up bad press?

Possibly.

While Harley tried to decide if he should investigate further, the man got in his car and drove away. Harley committed his license plate number to memory and headed back to the motel. He wanted to stretch out on the bed, watch a movie, drink another beer, and ponder ways to beat Sublime when they finally faced off in the spotlight.

WHENDakota reached Simon’s door, she lifted her hand to knock and it opened. Simon stood there in well-worn jeans and nothing else. His gaze went over her, from her hair pulled into a ponytail to her thick coat to her new jeans and boots.

“Come on in.” He held the door open, and once she was inside he reached for the buttons on her coat. Without a word he opened her coat, looked at her new figure-hugging thermal top and snug-fitting jeans, and bent to kiss her.

Dakota started to put her arms around him, but he stepped back. “I like the new look.”

“Dean helped me pick out stuff. I don’t think he likes shopping any more than I do.”

“Next time, I’ll shop with you.” He took her coat, tossed it on a chair, then turned and headed toward his kitchen. “I was just finishing up some dinner. You hungry?”

“I could eat.” Appreciating how very sexy Simon looked, Dakota watched his bum in the low-riding jeans as she followed him through the house. “What are you cooking?”

“Grilled chicken fillets, baked potatoes with salsa, and salad.” He opened a small grill and removed the chicken. “I made coffee for you if you’re interested. Help yourself while I get the potatoes.”

Seeing him bent at the oven, how his back and shoulder muscles flexed, Dakota couldn’t take it. She strolled up behind him, ran both hands down the long line of his back and then onto his behind. “If you really wanted dinner,” she whispered, “you should have worn a shirt.”

He didn’t jump, as she’d expected. He just forked the potatoes to lift them out onto a plate and stepped back from the oven. “Patience, Dakota. A man needs sustenance, you know.” He walked away to the table.

Dakota folded her arms. “I think you’re a tease.”

“And you’re a delight.” He winked. “But you had a hard workout, too, and you need to eat.”

“So this is about my needs, not yours? Because if it is, I’d say some needs take precedence over others.”

Acting very put out, Simon sighed, looked her over, and said, “You really don’t want to eat first?”

Put that way…what the hell. She didn’t care if she sounded irrational. “No. I’d rather have sex.”

Simon laughed. He gave a look at the food, shook his head, and started toward her. “I guess dinner can wait. It won’t be as good cold, though.”

Dakota opened her arms. “Maybe you should make it quick, and then we can manage both.”

“Whatever you say, honey.”

CHAPTER 19

SIMONtold himself to go easy, that Dakota didn’t know how her bold come-on affected him, or the tenuous way he’d held on to his control. Before she’d ever gotten to his house, he’d wanted her. With every minute that he waited for her, the need had grown.

When she showed up dressed so differently, looking hot and happy to see him, he’d had a hell of a time stepping back to focus on dinner. She did need to eat, just as she needed him to remember that this was all new for her.

But the second he reached her, she went on tiptoe for his kiss, her mouth open, her breath already coming fast—and Simon lost it.

He had her backed to the wall in a nanosecond, his kiss voracious, touching her everywhere, needing to feel her naked skin. He pushed up the thermal and fumbled at her front-closure bra. It opened and he cupped both breasts in his hands.

Dakota made a sound, but he had his tongue in her mouth and her nipples were tight and his impatience grew by the second. He released her mouth to suck at her throat as he struggled with the closure of her jeans. Her hands pressed on his shoulders, her nails biting into his flesh.

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