Page 154 of Simon Says

He was no longer a part of her, but he was aroused. From the beginning, he’d loved Dakota’s strength, her courage. Even now, with her lies exposed, she heaved and struggled, cursing him.

And he wanted her. Again.

Simon raised her arms above her head. “I’ll let you up if you can contain your violence.”

“Go screw yourself.”

So vehement. “I just screwed you. I’m sated. But thanks.”

Her beautiful eyes narrowed. “You’re going to regret that.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah.” She jerked one hand free and with the speed of a professional, used her forearm to clip him hard in the side of the jaw.

Seeing stars, Simon lowered all his weight on her. “Damn it, woman, that hurt.” He flexed his jaw.

“Poor baby.” She damn near head-butted him next.

Yanking back just in time, Simon stared at her in awe and disbelief. “That’s an illegal move.” He cautiously contained her. “You fight dirty.”

“Turn me loose and I’ll show you how dirty I can fight.”

He shouldn’t have been surprised, not with Dakota. “You actually think you can take me?”

“No, but I can hurt you.” Her eyes glittered. “Right now that’s good enough for me.”

Simon could tell she meant that, and for some reason, it bothered him. “I just realized something.”

“That you’re an obnoxious ass? I could have told you that two weeks ago.”

“You’re not afraid.”

Dakota stilled. She was breathing hard and fast—and looking stunned with his disclosure. Her mouth tightened. “No, I’m not.”

“Was that a lie, too, then?” God, he didn’t know what to believe anymore.

“Everything was a lie, Simon. You have it all figured out.” She jerked again, trying to get free. “Now let me up and I’ll be out of here before you can count to ten.”

“Why would you leave? We’re in your motel room.”

“I’ll leave the motel. I’ll leave Harmony.”

Simon began to wonder just how little he had right—and how much he had wrong.

“I’m not afraid of you right now because I’m too mad to be afraid.”

“That wouldn’t have helped you before.”

“Before I didn’t…I wasn’t…” Her mouth pinched.

“What?” If she said she was in love with him, he’d laugh in her face.

Instead she whispered, “I stupidly trusted you. I guess I’m an idiot after all.”

She had every reason to trust him. He wasn’t the one making up stories. “Why did you come for me in the first place?” She started to give another smart answer, and Simon said, “The truth, please, and I swear I’ll let you up.”

Even flat on her back, she looked independent and capable. “In the beginning, it was because I felt I owed Barnaby. He’d ignored my mother’s wishes and let me come home when she got hurt. Later, when you refused to see him and I wanted to give up, he said he had letters written to me by my mother. I thought he might be telling the truth about that. I’ve lived with the idea that my mother died disliking me. But if she wrote to me, maybe it was to forgive me. Maybe it was because she still loved me.” She turned her face away from him. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

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