Seducing Simon Read online

  She punched him in the arm. “You’re lucky I don’t kick your ass for that remark.”

  He grinned. “You ready to go home? I wouldn’t want to keep you out too late. If I know your roommates, they’re waiting to pound me into the dirt.”

  “They won’t have to. I might beat them to it.” But she grinned over at him. “You know, you’re not near as bad as Simon says you are.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “Don’t be so sure of that, doll. I happen to like you more than most women, and then there’s the little matter of three men who would cheerfully rearrange my face if I didn’t walk a fine line with you.”

  “If you say so,” she said innocently.

  Chapter Six

  “So how was the date?” A.J. asked as she walked into the kitchen and laid her purse down on the counter. He was standing close to the fridge in a pair of cutoff shorts and a T-shirt. Vintage A.J. fashion. And barefooted of course. She was convinced he should have been a west coast surfer.

  “It was okay,” she said with a shrug. She looked warily around, expecting Simon and Matt to appear any moment.

  “Going to go out with him again?”

  “Don’t know. Maybe.”

  He leaned back against the cabinets and studied her. “You aren’t very talkative tonight.”

  “It went okay. Really. I’m just a little tired. Where’s everyone?” she asked changing the subject.

  “Matt’s over at Stephanie’s and Simon is in his room.”

  “So why aren’t you out on a date? Surely it isn’t because of lack of interest,” she teased. He was one guy who never had to look far for an interested party.

  A peculiar look crossed his face. “I uh, well, I cancelled at the last minute.”

  She arched an eyebrow and gave him a mock look of shock. “You cancelled with Mindy Sue? The hottest chick to ever throw herself at the feet of the Adonis A.J?”

  “Stop with the sarcasm already. I had other things to do.”

  “Oh, do tell.”

  “Nosey wench aren’t you.”

  “Ahh, holding out on me. I’ll remember that.” She chunked a dishtowel at him, and moved past him into the living room. “I’m going out on the deck. Want to come?”

  “I’ll pass. Think I’m going to turn in early.”

  She gave him a small wave and pulled on the sliding door. Closing her eyes as the gentle breeze tugged at her hair, she eased into the patio chair and leaned back. She gazed up at the clear, starlit sky, picked the brightest and made a wish.

  But wishing wasn’t going to get her what she wanted. She needed to get Simon to notice her. As horribly ignorant of dating and the general act of getting a guy to fall at your feet she was, it wasn’t likely going to happen without some serious guidance. Help. That was it!

  The ringing phone interrupted her mulling, and she got up and went to the door. She saw Simon walking toward her room with the cordless phone and tapped on the glass to get his attention. He looked at her and waved the phone.

  She let herself in and tried hard not to stare at his muscular frame clad only a pair of gym shorts. Even his bare feet looked sexy to her. His unruly hair curled damply at his neck attesting to a recent shower.

  “It’s Mike,” he muttered, shoving the phone at her.

  He turned and walked back to his room, leaving her to wonder about his odd mood.

  She shrugged her shoulders and turned her attention to the phone. “Hey Mike. What’s up?”

  “Hey Toni, hope you haven’t gone to bed yet.”

  “No, not at all, in fact I was just going to call you.”

  “Really? Was I that irresistible?”

  She laughed. “Um sure, if it makes you feel better. I have a favor to ask, Mike. It may sound crazy, but I could really use your help.”

  “I start a forty-eight tomorrow morning, so why don’t you come by the station around noon and we’ll talk about it.”

  “Thanks. I’ll see you then.”

  She hung up then stared at the phone in her hand for a long moment. “Or you could make a monumental fool yourself,” she mumbled to herself. She set the phone on the bar. It was Simon’s phone, but she didn’t want to disturb him to return it. He didn’t seem like he was in the best of moods tonight.

  Well at least she wouldn’t sit around tomorrow and be tortured by the sight of Simon. He and the others were off this weekend, so she’d be tripping over him the whole time.

  Before she took two steps toward her room, the phone rang again. With an exasperated sigh she yanked it up and said hello.

  “Is Simon there?”

  Toni froze. She knew this voice. Was quite familiar with it. Starla. What the heck could she want?

  “Just a minute,” she mumbled. She should have lied and said he was out on a date and maybe the twit would back off.

  She crossed the living room and walked down the hallway to Simon’s room. Tapping lightly, she waited for his response. Any other time she would have opened the door and gone in. But that was before.

  He opened the door, surprise written on his face as he saw her standing there. She shoved the phone at him. “For you.”

  She turned and walked back down the hallway, not wanting to hear any part of their conversation.

  Toni stood in the kitchen throwing in all the ingredients for a crock pot soup when Simon sauntered in rubbing his eyes.

  “Late night conversation?” she asked nonchalantly.

  “Yeah, sorta.”

  “So what did she want?” “Just wanted to talk,” he replied, going to the refrigerator and taking the milk out.

  He obviously wasn’t going to tell her. She frowned and began picking up the mess she’d made. What could that nitwit have wanted? And why wouldn’t Simon tell her? They’d never withheld anything from one another. Well if you didn’t count the fact she was pregnant with his child.

  Suppressing her irritation and undying curiosity, she concentrated on cleaning the kitchen. She checked her watch and saw it was almost time to meet Mike at the station. She just had time for a shower and change then she’d pack the lunch she’d prepared and head out.

  Twenty minutes later, she walked back into the kitchen and began packing the sandwiches into a small cooler.

  “Where you going, Toni?” Matt called from the living room where he and the others were watching TV.

  “To the station to see Mike.”

  She could have heard a pin drop in the ensuing silence.

  “Date went that well?” Matt asked as all three turned around on the couch to look at her.

  “I’m just going to bring lunch.”

  “Yeah, sure,” A.J said with a grin. “And you said maybe when I asked if you’d see him again.”