Page 43 of Simon Says

Instinctively, Dakota lurched forward, trying to see into that other vehicle. She cursed as she half crawled over Simon, reaching for the door handle to open the door. Her heart pounded in dread, but she refused to sit inactive like a coward.

Taken off guard, Simon stared at her in concern.

Then the SUV gave one small blast of the horn and drove away. With another curse, Dakota retreated back into her seat.

Simon swiveled around to see the car driving away. He looked back at Dakota, and though she tried to wipe all expression off her face, she knew too many emotions were there for him to see.

“All right, Dakota. Who was that?”

Furious with herself, she shook her head. “How the hell should I know?”

“Who do youthinkit might have been?”

“A Peeping Tom?” She forced a scratchy laugh. “You do seem to have a propensity for public displays.”

Simon exploded. “Damn it, can’t you ever give me a straight answer?”

She pulled back in surprise and affront. “Don’t yell at me.”

He got himself under control with an effort. Jaw tight and eyes narrowed, he said, “Then try giving me a straight answer for a change.”

Insulted, troubled, and unsure what to do, Dakota tried to come up with a suitable story, but her mind felt too numbed with apprehension to think clearly. “I hope it was just someone Barnaby hired to see if I’m being successful with you or not.”

Doubtful, Simon asked, “He’d actually do that?”

“Probably.” She shrugged. “Who knows? He does seem to have plenty of money to play with these days.”

“He’s well-to-do?”

“I wouldn’t go that far. It’s just that he’s bought stuff lately, things for…his home and yard. He lives comfortably.”

Simon absorbed that. “Since he saw me kissing you, will he assume you’re successful?”

She snorted. “I have no idea how Barnaby’s mind works.”

Bracing one hand on the steering wheel and his other on the back of her seat, Simon caged her in. “And if it wasn’t someone sent by Barnaby, then who else might it have been?”

Dakota sized him up, decided what the hell, and shrugged again. “You’ll think I’m nuts, but I have an odd suspicion that it might have been my husband.”

CHAPTER 6

SIMONwent so stiff that he could have broken with just a touch. Beyond a red-hot rage, he wasn’t sure what he felt, but he felt it a lot. “You’remarried?”

She flapped a hand toward him. “Divorced.” She added, “And you’re yelling again. I don’t like it.”

His anger deflated. So she was free for the taking. Not that it should matter, since Dakota could be no more than a fling, and as such, having her or not shouldn’t have such an impact on him.

But it did matter, he realized, and that made his tone harsher than he intended. “That’d make him yourex-husband, woman. Get it straight.”

Anger replaced the apprehension he’d seen in her gaze, relieving Simon. “I have it straight, damn it,” Dakota snapped right back. “He’sthe one who conveniently forgets.”

Simon wanted her, and issues of Barnaby aside, he now planned to have her. Marriage would have changed everything, because honorable men did not poach.

But a disgruntled, bothersome ex he could handle. Gladly.

“Why? Is he still in love with you?”

And just that easily, Dakota’s anger vanished, too. She covered her face and laughed. “God, no. Definitely not love.”

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