Page 36 of Simon Says

Simon dropped the water bottle back into the corner and gave all his attention to Dakota.

Right off, he’d noticed the signs of exhaustion on her usually animated face. Now he also saw the dark circles under her eyes, the paler complexion, and the slump of her proud shoulders.

He didn’t like it, damn it, any more than he liked her dogging his heels like some determined puppy.

He laughed. Puppy, hell. More like a pit bull.

Dripping sweat, soaked through to his jock, red faced and fed up, Simon stormed over to Dakota. He could hear her deep, even breathing.

Why come here to sleep?

Why was she so damned tired that she couldn’t stay awake?

Simon nudged her foot with his and she stirred. “How much is he paying you?”

At his raised voice, she jerked awake with a start. Her long legs shot out, almost kicking him. She gasped, looked around in alarm, and finally focused on Simon’s knees. Her chin tucked in and she did a slow visual trip up his body, pausing over his groin, then his navel. She visually tracked the line of dark body hair up his abdomen to where it spread out over his chest and finally, she met his gaze.

Her eyes looked dazed. “Hey, Simon.”

Having just awakened, her husky voice sounded even more mesmerizing. “How much is Barnaby paying you?”

“Barnaby?”

Impatiently, Simon swiped his wrist over his temple to remove a trickling bead of sweat. “You don’t remember Barnaby? He’s the reason you’re here, right? Or was that a lie, too?”

“I remember Barnaby.”

“So tell me, how much will you earn for this job?”

Taking a moment to get her bearings, Dakota straightened, stretched, rubbed at her eyes. Then she looked up at him. “He’s not paying me anything.”

“Bullshit.”

She laughed, apparently too tired to be insulted. “Believe whatever you want, but Barnaby probably won’t even cover my expenses—and they’re adding up pretty quick.”

Simon tamped down on the surge of anger. “Thenwhy?”

Resting her head back against the wall, Dakota stared up at him. Simon knew the moment she decided to give him a small truth.

“We’re on the barter system.” She turned her face away from him and shrugged. “I give him you, and he gives me something I want in return.”

Simon dropped to a crouch and caught her chin. “What is it you want?”

“That’s for me to know.”

“Then maybe I’ll have Dean refund you and ban you from the gym.”

“He’d do that?”

“In a heartbeat.”

Scowling, she scooted away from him and pushed to her feet. “Look, I’m sorry, really I am, but it’s none of your damn business.”

Simon stood, too. “And that’s supposed to stop me from asking, when what I want doesn’t matter to you at all?”

She made no apologies. “Since you won’t go, it’s a moot point anyway, isn’t it? Without you, he won’t give me what I want.”

“Sounds like a hell of a guy.”

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