An Indecent Longing (23 page)

“Then suck it up, buttercup.” Risa leaned back into her chair, her expression pure challenge. “Make the call.”

“I am
so
going to laugh when you’re the one in this position.”

“Oh hon.” Risa shook her head. “I am
never
going to be in your position. It’s just not going to happen.”

* * * * *

Ben pulled to a stop in front of Dorrie’s office building, not surprised when Ian had his door open before the car stopped moving.

Ian was pissed, probably because Dorrie had called Ben—not Ian—to say she’d meet them here. One of Antonoff’s men would deliver her and wouldn’t leave until they arrived.

“I’ll check to see if she’s upstairs.” Ian held the door open long enough to speak. “She’s not answering my texts. If she gets here before I get back, bring her in and I’ll meet you upstairs.”

Then Ian slammed the door shut and took off before Ben had a chance to answer. When Ian was gone, Ben finally released the breath he’d been holding.

Ian was wound tighter than a ballerina’s bun, and if his cousin didn’t chill, Ben was going to punch him. He’d gladly pay the consequences for a few minutes of peace.

Shit, maybe this wasn’t the best idea. Maybe they were too close to her to protect her. But when he thought about anyone else guarding Dorrie, his eye started to twitch. And he knew Ian would’ve agreed no matter what Ben had decided.

Realistically, though… Probably the worst idea ever.

They’d slept with her last night and today they were supposed to make sure some unknown threat didn’t snatch her because he wanted leverage against the crime lord who paid her bills.

Hell, the writers of
Law & Order
would’ve rejected this storyline as too unbelievable.

Resting his hand on the steering wheel, he settled into a more comfortable position and cased the area. He didn’t expect to see anything out of the ordinary, but he knew never to make assumptions. They usually came back to bite you in the ass.

Seconds later, a car pulled up behind him. The driver got out and went around to the passenger side, where he reached in to help Dorrie out of the backseat.

Ben recognized the driver from this morning but now he saw the way Dorrie smiled at him. As if they were friends. It made his teeth clench.

Well, damn. Look at that. Maybe he was as bad as Ian.

Without moving, he watched Dorrie exchange a few words with the guy, who walked her into the building and disappeared. The guy returned a few seconds later.

And headed straight for Ben’s Patriot.

Ben waited until the guy knocked on the passenger window before he unlocked the doors so the guy could get in.

At a few inches over six foot with the build of a runner, he didn’t immediately identify as Russian thug, even with the nose that’d been broken at least once and the faint scar on his cheek.

And his blue eyes held an open warmth Ben hadn’t expected.

A second later, he held out his hand. “Gennady Marcov.”

No hint of an accent. If he hadn’t mentioned his name, Ben might not have pegged him as one of Antonoff’s men.

He took his hand. “Ben Shaw.”

“I understand you and Keller are taking on Dorrie until Blank’s back in shape.”

Fuck that. It wouldn’t only be until Blank was back.

And now who do you sound like?

“Yeah. I take it you work for Antonoff.”

The guy didn’t respond. Stupid question anyway. “Dorrie and I have been friends for a very long time. I would hate for anything to happen to her. If you need help, you call me.” He pulled a card out of his pants pocket and handed it over.

Ben took it, but only to be polite. Then he smiled so the guy knew it. “Thanks. I’ll keep it handy.”

The guy’s smile widened. “Yeah, I’m sure you will. A little advice? Anything happens to her, you better hope you get caught in the crossfire. Have a good one.”

Marcov got out of the car, shut the door behind him then walked up the street to his car.

Jesus, what the fuck did we get into here?

And did it really matter?

Ben had realized this morning that Ian loved Dorrie. The guy might never admit it but Ben knew his cousin. The way he looked at her, the way he touched her, his entire body language when he was with her. Ian loved her, no doubt in Ben’s mind.

So where does that leave me?

Damn good question. And one he couldn’t answer. And how about this one?

What happens when she decides two men are too much?

Would he step back?

He hadn’t known Dorrie as long as Ian had, but given the opportunity…

Hell, best not even to think about that.

Getting out of the car, he headed for the building, growling his name to the guard at the desk before heading up the elevator. But his brain wouldn’t shut down.

Get out now. Before it’s too late.

Everything in him rejected that idea. He’d made his military career out of stepping into situations, not stepping back.

And if Ian decides he wants her for himself…?

His jaw set as the elevator door opened. Taking a deep breath, Ben stepped off the elevator and shook his head, trying to clear it.

Get a grip.

Yeah, that would be a good thing. He’d like to get a grip on Dorrie, grab her by the hips, and pull her tight against him as he settled his mouth on hers. He liked the way she froze and then melted against him when he kissed her, as if she were giving herself over to him.

He wondered if she did the same with Ian, wondered if Ian felt that same surrender.

Shit.

Pushing through the door to her office, he followed the sound of voices to the back and found Ian resting against the wall outside a door marked private. Ian’s gaze narrowed when he caught sight of Ben. “Hey. Everything okay?”

Ben met Ian’s gaze. “Yeah. Is she ready to go?”

Ian knew him too well. “What’s wrong? Something happen?”

Yeah. I’m an idiot.
“No. Talked to the guy who dropped her off. Apparently she’s one of Antonoff’s favorites so we’d better not let anything happen to her.”

Which was absolutely the wrong thing to say to Ian. His cousin’s gaze narrowed and anger flared.

Goddammit. Should’ve kept my fucking mouth shut.

“What else did he say?”

“Nothing. I’m just ready to have her out of sight for the night.”

Ian’s brows rose. “It’s only two-thirty.”

“Don’t care. My neck fucking itches.”

Which didn’t mean he needed to scratch it. It meant something was going to happen. Years of military training had given him an extra sense where danger was concerned. He’d only been wrong a couple of times. And then only when a crisis had barely been averted.

Ian didn’t answer right away, just stared at Ben through narrowed eyes.

“Yeah, that’s not it.”

“Fuck you. I’m fine.”

Ian’s eyes widened even more. “Okay, now I know you’re
not
fine.”

Ben sighed. “Look, we can talk later, okay? Like I said, my neck’s itchy. Let’s get the hell out of here before I decide I need to pull my gun.”

“Ben—”

The door opened and Dorrie stepped out, followed by a slow-moving Blank.

Her smile when she saw them made the constriction around Ben’s chest ease. From the short time he’d known her, he’d realized she didn’t smile often or easily. That she did for them…

“Hi. I didn’t know you were here yet.”

“Just got here.” Ian nodded at Blank. “Glad to see you’re up.”

Blank nodded, his gaze going between the three of them. “Good to be up. Dorrie said you’re gonna be filling in for me for a few days.”

The way the guy said it made Ben’s back stiffen. Almost like a warning. What the hell was it about Dorrie that made the men in her life treat her like she was spun glass?

Then again, maybe he was projecting. How the hell had she managed to fuck with his head in only two days? And how the hell was he supposed to deal with this and keep her safe?

Ian shot Ben a quick glance before responding. Probably because Ben was usually the one to handle this part. The talking part. Not that Ian couldn’t. But when he did, he usually fucked it up. But Ben wasn’t sure he could think of anything to say that wasn’t “Fuck you” or “Fuck off.”

And that wasn’t like him.

“You need a ride back to your place?”

Blank’s mouth actually quirked into an almost-smile. “Nah, I got a ride. But thanks for the offer.”

“Are they waiting downstairs?” Dorrie frowned. “You can’t drive. Not—”

“Dorrie.” Blank stared at her. “I got a ride. I’ll be fine.”

Her lips and her nose wrinkled but finally she sighed. “Fine. We’ll walk you down.”

Ben restrained himself from throwing his hands in the air and crying, “Hallelujah.”

But just barely.

* * * * *

“And they haven’t touched you at all? Not once? All
week
?”

“I mean, other than brushing against me accidently, no. I don’t have any idea what’s going on.”

On the other end of the phone, Risa went silent but Dorrie could hear her sister tapping her perfectly manicured nails on something hard.

Dorrie looked down at her own hand, currently drawn into a fist and clenched around a pen. She’d been writing reports in longhand, which usually put her in a Zen state.

Not so much today.

“Risa?”

“Hmm. I’m thinking. You’re sure nothing happened? Did you say something that could’ve been misconstrued as you not wanting to have sex?”

“That would mean we’d actually have to have a conversation. I mean, it’s not like they’re ignoring me. They talk to me. They ask me how my day went and what I want to eat for dinner and what I want to watch at night. But then I go to bed at ten and they say good night and watch me walk up the stairs. It’s almost like they’ve decided I’m off limits. But then Ian stares at me like I’m a steak and he’s starving or Ben smiles at me and I think, ‘Oh, good, he’s going to make a move,’ but he never does.”

“Have
you
made a move on
them
?”

Dorrie was glad her sister couldn’t see her now, sticking her tongue out at her like a two-year-old. “Of course not. What if they’re done with me? What if they don’t want me anymore?”

Ugh, it even hurt her heart to say the words.

Risa huffed. “No way. It probably has to do with the fact that Daddy hired them for a job. They don’t want to get their hands caught in the cookie jar.”

“Huh?”

“I mean,” Risa dragged that last word out to at least five syllables, “they don’t want to be unprofessional. They were hired to protect your ass, not fuck it.”

Heat flashed through Dorrie and her brain started flashing images from the other night through her head. Then images from a night that hadn’t happened yet. A night she really wanted to happen.

“Dorrie? Did I lose you?”

“No, I’m here.”

“Why do you sound like you’ve swallowed a gallon of drain cleaner?”

She cleared her throat. “I have no idea.”

“You’re thinking about sex, aren’t you?”

“Well, yeah. That’s what we were talking about.”

“Maybe you just have to ask them for it.”

“Right. I’ll just say, ‘Hey, would you both like to get naked and have sex? Or maybe you could switch off nights?’ What if they don’t want me anymore? What if they had me and now they want to move on but they can’t because the local crime lord paid them to guard me? What if—”

“Whoa, sis. Slow your roll—”

“—they think I’m not worth the trouble? I’m not even sure they’d make a move if I stripped naked and spread myself out on the dining room table during dinner. They’d probably throw a tablecloth over me and decide to eat in front of the TV in the living room.”

Risa laughed. And couldn’t seem to stop. She laughed so hard, she actually snorted, which made her laugh even harder.

“I’m glad you’re so amused by my plight. Where are you, anyway?” Dorrie unclenched her fist from around her pen and dropped it onto her desk. “Obviously somewhere no one can see you.”

“I’m at home. Dad has me under lockdown. He hasn’t said anything since Sunday, but I’m pretty sure he’s gotten some pretty graphic threats about me.”

“Are you worried? I mean, if he’s this freaked out, maybe something’s really wrong.”

“I don’t have a clue. I only know that it makes him overly twitchy if I even hint about going out so I’ve spent most of the past three days stuck in the house. I’m going stir crazy so I want us to meet for lunch tomorrow. Can you make it? We can talk about your little problem some more and maybe come up with a plan to get at least one of those men in your bed.”

“Are you sure we shouldn’t wait until he gets this situation under control?”

“Absolutely not. If we wait until life is safe, we’ll never do anything.”

Risa had been telling Dorrie that variation on a theme for the past ten years at least. But for the first time in her life, Dorrie thought she actually might be tempted to take the advice.

“Tomorrow. The Lazarus?”

“No. I’ll get a suite at Haven. It’ll be safer. Tell your guys you’re meeting a private patient and make them wait by the door. We’ve gotten away with it before. We’ll be fine.”

“Fine but—” Her phone chimed in her ear and she pulled it away to look at the screen. And grimaced. “Hey, I gotta take this. I’ll see you tomorrow. Love you.”

As soon as she picked up the other call, a man said, “Incoming. GSW to the leg. ETA five minutes.”

She recognized the voice right away. One of her father’s oldest lieutenants, Matthew Kaverin handled the most dangerous aspects of the business. And the one aspect of her dad’s life she absolutely loathed.

The drug trade.

She also knew if her dad didn’t control it, someone else would. And that someone might not be as ruthless as her dad. He had strict rules for his dealers. No kids. No pregnant women. No dealing near schools or hospitals or churches.

“Acknowledged.”

The call cut off and Dorrie closed her eyes, shoving all the stuff in her brain into little compartments to deal with later.

Then she headed out to patch up the drug dealer headed for her back room.

* * * * *