Operation Revenge (25 page)

"All right." He pressed a kiss to her temple. "How are you feeling?"

"I'll admit I'm a little tired." She moved her hand from his bicep to his shoulder. "It's going to take a while before I'm feeling a hundred percent again." She caressed his face with her fingertips. "Don't insist that I sit down. I like dancing with you."

"And I like dancing with you, but after this song we're sitting down." She opened her mouth to object. "Do you want dessert?" She shut her mouth, giving him a filthy look.

Forty-five minutes later, Simon pulled into the driveway. He parked alongside Daniel's car, turned off the engine, and removed his seatbelt. Shifting in his seat, he glanced at Haley. She had her head back, resting it against the headrest. Her face was turned toward him and her eyes were closed. As he gazed at her, his heart leapt into his throat. He brought his hand up and tenderly stroked her face.

Haley's eyelids fluttered open and she stared at him. A smile slowly spread across her face. "It's nice waking up next to you," she murmured.

Simon smiled crookedly. "When you're ready we'll go in. Take your time."

"I'm glad you said that." She turned her head and nuzzled his hand. "I'm not ready to end our evening. By the way. I had a nice time tonight."

"So did I," he said. "We'll have to do it again soon."

With amusement shining in her eyes, Haley whispered, "I'll let your Gran know so she can start planning it."

Simon groaned. "That woman is a pain in my side."

She shook with laughter. "Do you think she and Daniel got along while we were gone?"

"No," he answered without hesitating. "Those two will argue over a piece of lint. I'm not-" The ringing of his cell phone cut off what he was going to say next. He took it out of his pocket and glanced at the display screen. "Speaking of the old woman." Instead of answering the phone, he turned it off and slipped it back in his pocket. "She's not intruding on our evening."

"She's going to be angry with you for not answering," Haley pointed out.

"I don't give a damn. She'll get over it." Simon moved as close to Haley as he could get and unhooked her seatbelt. He encircled her waist with his arms. "What do you say we just stay here for a while?" He lowered his head and nipped lightly at her ear. She shivered and he held her tighter. "Cold?"

"N-no," she stuttered.

"Good." He traced her ear with the tip of his tongue and she shivered again. "I had no idea your ears were so sensitive," he breathed, his breath tickling her ear.

"When I'm with you everything is sensitive," Haley croaked, her eyelids growing heavy. "Kiss me, Simon."

He didn't need to be told twice.

Chapter 26

"I have to go into work for a while," Simon informed Haley, after breakfast, the following morning.

Haley, who was standing at the sink rinsing off a plate, stopped what she was doing and turned to look at him. "All right. Just don't make a habit of working on the weekends." She winked at him. "You're mine on the weekends."

Simon smirked. "Is that right?"

"That's right." She turned off the faucet and grabbed a dishtowel to dry her hands. "Now give me a kiss and get out of here. The sooner you get to work the sooner you can come home."

"Someone is a little bossy." He leaned in close and kissed her on the mouth. "I like that."

Haley grinned. "Good." She touched his cheek. "Go on, honey, and please try not to be gone all day."

"I should be home by one." Simon kissed her once more and then left.

Haley went back to rinsing the breakfast dishes and placing them in the dishwasher. Once she was done, she ran a damp dishtowel over the table and the countertops. She had just turned out the light and left the kitchen when the doorbell rang. Wondering who was at the door, she hurried through the living room and into the foyer. She peered through the peephole, unlocked the door, and opened it. "Yes?" she said to the strange woman standing there.

"Is Daniel home?" she asked softly.

"Not at the moment," Haley told her, "but he shouldn't be gone too much longer. Would you like to come in and wait?"

"If it's not too much trouble."

"It's not." Haley stepped back. "Please, come in."

"Thank you." The woman crossed the threshold. "My name is Lindsay."

"Mine is Haley." She closed the door. "Let's go to the living room. Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thank you."

They moved to the living room and took a seat on the couch near each other. Intrigued, Haley gazed openly at the other woman. She was in her mid thirties with shoulder length blond hair, warm hazel eyes, and a heart shaped face. The only flaw in her appearance, and it wasn't that bad of a flaw, was a slightly crooked nose. It didn't take away from her beauty in any way.

"If you don't mind me asking. How do you know Daniel?"

Lindsay tucked her hair behind her ear. "We were engaged to be married." She averted her eyes. "Then something happened and he broke it off."

Haley's heart skipped a beat. She moistened her dry lips. "I know we just met and you certainly don't have to answer any of my questions." She cleared her throat. "Will you tell me what happened to make Daniel break off your engagement, quit his job, and shut out his friends and family? Simon worries about him. We all worry about him and we'd like to know why he's changed so drastically."

Lindsay sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "We had been engaged for two months when it happened. Daniel and I were supposed to have dinner at our favorite restaurant. Something came up at work and Daniel couldn't make it, so I went ahead and went to dinner by myself." She paused and took a deep breath. "After dinner, I was walking to the car when I was grabbed from behind. He - he dragged me into a nearby alley and r-raped me."

"Oh, Lindsay," Haley breathed, her heart squeezing painfully.

"I didn't know until I miscarried that I was pregnant." She lowered her head. "Daniel was devastated when he learned what happened. He blamed himself. He said if he had been with me it wouldn't have happened. He became so ridden with guilt and self-loathing. No matter how many times I tried to assure him that it wasn't his fault he wouldn't believe me. I couldn't reach him and that hurt almost as much as what that animal did to me."

Haley reached up and brushed a tear away. Her heart was breaking for Daniel and Lindsay and what they went through. "I'm so sorry," she croaked.

Lindsay leaned forward and grabbed a tissue for her and one for Haley from the box on the coffee table. "I never stopped loving him. I've tried to move on, but I can't let go."

"So you came here hoping he will take you back."

"Yes, I-"

"Lindsay," Daniel uttered quietly from the doorway.

She turned on the couch and looked up at him. His face was pale and his eyes held a haunted look. "H-hello, Daniel."

"I'll leave you two alone." Haley got to her feet and quickly left the living room.

It was after twelve. Simon was sitting at his desk, thinking about calling it quits for the day and heading home, when there was a knock at the door. He pushed back his chair and stood. Moving around the desk, he walked across the office and opened the door. To his surprise and delight, he found Haley standing there. His eyes traveled over her and he noticed she had a take out bag in her hand.

"Is this a bad time?" she asked. "Should I have called first?"

"No." He kissed her on the cheek. "I was thinking about heading home."

"Let's eat lunch and then we'll go." Haley shut the door and moved toward the small conference table in a corner of the room. "I brought tacos. I hope that's all right. I was in the mood for Mexican."

"It's fine." Simon joined her at the table and they sat down. He stared at her and saw she had a sad expression on her face. "Is something wrong?"

"Daniel's ex-fiancée, Lindsay dropped by the house." While she unpacked their lunch, she filled him in on what Lindsay told her.

"Damn," he muttered once she finished. "Now I understand why Daniel changed."

"He shouldn't blame himself." Haley unwrapped a taco. "What happened to Lindsay wasn't his fault."

"I agree that it wasn't his fault." Simon took a bite of taco, chewed for several seconds, and then swallowed. "But if I was in his shoes I'd probably feel guilty too."

"Let's say for the sake of the conversation we were in their shoes." She gazed into his eyes. "Would the guilt and self loathing be too much for you to bear? Would you leave me, knowing that I needed and loved you?"

"Honestly, I-" He hesitated, unsure of what to say. "I don't know what I would do."

"It should be an easy answer," Haley retorted, her eyes flashing.

Simon arched an eyebrow. "What would you have me say?"

"That no matter what happened you would stand beside me . . . that you wouldn't leave."

He laid the taco on the wrapper it came in and snatched up a napkin. "Listen, I get why Daniel left. He felt responsible for what happened. You and I both know if he hadn't cancelled on Lindsay the attack wouldn't have happened. She was alone and vulnerable. That made her an easy target. If Daniel had been with her, I don't think that sick bastard would have tried anything. I imagine he thought of that and I bet it ate at him until he couldn't take it anymore. He probably felt as though she deserved better than him and that she would be better off without him."

"She was raped, Simon," Haley snapped. "She was raped and she lost their baby. She needed him to be there to help her through it all. What did he do? He ran away like a coward." She sighed heavily. "Look, I know Daniel's suffering and hurting too. They both have been dealt a poor hand. I just think he could have handled the situation differently."

Simon laid his hand on the table, palm up, and waited until she took it before he spoke. "I'm sorry I upset you, but you asked me and I gave you an honest answer." He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed her soft skin. "You have to know, sweetheart, that leaving you would be the last thing I would ever want to do. Having you in my life, I can't tell you how happy you've made me. You're the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and the last thing on my mind when I go to sleep at night."

"Oh, Simon." With tears in her eyes, she leaned across the table and kissed him. "You make me happy too. I can't imagine my life without you in it."

"Good, because you're stuck with me."

Smiling, Haley sat back in her chair. "I'm sorry for snapping at you."

"Don't worry about it." He smirked. "If you want the truth I like your feistiness. Just promise me you won't ever beat me up."

She laughed. "I promise."