Free Simon Says by Lori Foster Page A

live entertainment.”
    Dakota shoved her empty food containers back into a bag. “I had thought we’d sit outside to eat. I was going to brave the cold for you, Simon. I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”
    â€œWhy?” He ate the rest of his meal in a few big bites. “Why go to all this trouble? You still haven’t told me what it is you want.”
    â€œI know.” She put her hands together. “I needed to talk to you, but not in a busy diner, and not at the gym. What I have to say…well, it’s better done in private.”
    Simon eyed her. “If we’d ever had sex, I’d think you were pregnant or something.” Her eyes widened. “But that sure as hell can’t be it since I haven’t touched you.”
    â€œNo.”
    He watched her, and added, “Yet.”
    Her mouth opened, but nothing came out.
    â€œSo what is it, Dakota?”
    â€œWell,” she hedged. “You know, it’s ironic that you’d mention fatherhood.”
    Enough was enough. Simon cleared away the empty containers with an edgy type of impatience. “Stop dancing around about it and just tell me.”
    She sucked in a deep breath and, watching for his reaction, said, “Your dad wanted me to fetch you home.”
    Alarm slammed into Simon. “My dad?”
    â€œYes. He wants…needs to see you.”
    But he’d just seen both his mother and his father not that long ago. Still, fear took over. Simon dug out his cell phone from his pocket and punched in the familiar number.
    Alarm brought Dakota upright. “What are you doing?”
    â€œCalling my dad.” She started to say something, and he held up a finger to silence her. “Dad? Hey, what’s going on?”
    His usual jovial self, Reid Evans laughed. “Not much, son. What’s up with you?”
    As briefly as possible, Simon explained Dakota. As he spoke, she shook her head at him and kept trying to interrupt, but Simon didn’t give her a chance. Finally, she threw up her hands and slumped back in her seat with a mulish expression.
    Reid Evans had never met anyone named Dakota Dream. He knew nothing about her. He had no idea who she might be or what she might want.
    He exposed her for a fraud.
    â€œThanks, Dad. That’s what I figured.”
    Reid didn’t let it go at that. “You know, she could just be trying to wheedle a date from you.”
    â€œMaybe.” But Simon didn’t think so.
    â€œIs she a looker?”
    â€œHard to tell,” Simon lied. “She’s not the best dresser I’ve ever seen.” Simon stared at her. Dakota frowned back in irritation.
    â€œSweet disposition?” Reid asked.
    Simon chuckled. “Somehow, I have my doubts on that one.”
    â€œYou should bring her home, let your mother meet her. She’s a good judge of character.”
    â€œDon’t count on it.” Before Reid started insisting, Simon said, “I gotta run, Dad. Take care, okay?”
    â€œYou, too, son. Keep in touch.”
    â€œWill do.” Simon disconnected the phone. He worked his jaw while studying Dakota. Obviously, she’d lied. But why? “You care to explain?”
    â€œIf you care to listen,” she snapped back.
    Simon chastised her with a shake of his head. “First you lie to me, and now you act surly.”
    â€œI didn’t lie.”
    â€œThat was my dad I spoke to, Dakota.”
    â€œReally? Your biological father or a stepfather?” Without giving him a chance to react to that, she said, “I’m guessing stepfather, since your filial father is the one who hired me.”
    Ice ran in Simon’s veins. He didn’t remember his father at all. According to his mother, the man had left when Simon was little more than a year old. Not once in the thirty years that had followed had he ever contacted Simon.
    Why would he contact him now? “You say he hired