Seducing Simon by Maya Banks Page B

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?”
    -60-

    Seducing Simon
    “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.”
    -61-

    Maya Banks
    “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,