An Indecent Longing (3 page)

She nodded. “The keycard’s in my purse. I dropped it by the door.”

“Then let’s get this parade moving.”

Getting them out was easier than Ben had expected. The cops were all busy and there were still enough people in the room to give them cover. Dorrie walked to the door first, black bag in hand. She walked with a purpose and no one gave her a second look, probably because she’d been seen helping the EMTs.

Ben and Blank followed at a slower pace. Ben had to give it to the big guy. He managed to look perfectly fine as he made his way to the door, Ben at his back.

Dorrie had retrieved her purse and had the keycard in her hand, ready to wave it in front of the reader. She did the second they got there and they slipped into the hall without anyone stopping them.

Then Ben wrapped his arm around Blank’s waist, dragged the guy’s arm around his shoulders, and started to book it.

They needed to be out of here now before anyone noticed they were missing.

Dorrie apparently agreed. She rushed for the back door, using her keycard again and waiting for the click that signaled the door had opened.

She already had her hands on the bar, ready to push it open. Her urgency made Ben look up at Blank. The guy looked ready to pass out.

“Shit. We better hurry.” Ben tightened his arm around Blank’s waist. “If he goes down, I’m secure enough in my manhood to say I’m not gonna be able to pick him up.”

Dorrie shoved the door open, and Ben hurried forward with Blank. Then the three of them made their way to the private entrance to the parking garage below their feet.

Somehow they managed to get Blank into the car. Then Ben took the keys from the big guy’s coat pocket and got them the hell out of Dodge.

* * * * *

Two hours later, when she was sure Blank was out of the woods and would have no more complications, Dorrie let her head fall back on her shoulders and closed her eyes for a few seconds.

The silence in her office helped her brain reset, but she really wanted a bath. Wanted to soak for hours with a glass of wine in her hand and her Halestorm playlist pumping through her apartment.

But for now, she’d have to settle for a shower here.

Pushing away from her desk, she headed for the bathroom, peeling off clothing with each step. No one would walk in on her. Her two nurses would only disturb her if something happened to Blank, but that wasn’t going to happen. He would be fine. She was damn good at her job.

By the time she reached the full bathroom behind her office, she was naked and a little cold, her nipples hard and peaked. Flipping the switch for the room heater, she felt warm air rush from the vents in the wall as she twisted the handles for the water.

Her dad had spared no expense when he’d built these offices for her, and for some unknown reason, this shower could fit three people.

Right now, she’d settle for one other person. Someone who would hold her and make her forget the past few hours. Preferably with lots of hot sex.

Maybe a certain man named Ben?

The thought sent a little thrill through her body as she stepped under the spray, which was somewhat surprising, considering she hadn’t been attracted to a man other than Ian since she’d met him.

Then again, Ben had a connection to Ian, so maybe that explained her attraction.

Or maybe Ben was just that fuckable.

She didn’t usually go for redheads. But the auburn scruff on his jaw combined with the slightly darker waves on his head and those copper eyes… Maybe she’d been missing out all these years.

The guy certainly wasn’t lacking in looks either, from his dimples to his strong jaw, sharp cheekbones, and that mouth…

Or maybe Risa was right and she just needed to get laid. Sex would be a great way to wind down.

Too bad Ben had probably left hours ago.

A shudder rippled through her, and she shut her eyes tight against the tears that wanted to spill over. Stupid tears she’d never allow herself to spill anywhere but here, all by herself.

She could’ve died tonight. She could’ve taken a bullet and bled out on the floor of that hotel. And there were three people in the world who would care.

Three.
How pitiful was that?

Damn it, she wanted to talk to her sister, wanted to hear Risa’s voice tell her she was being stupid and to suck it up.

But she couldn’t call Risa now because Risa would hear the unsteadiness in her voice and come running. And then Risa would find out about Blank and Risa would totally freak out and Blank would get pissed off and—

Ugh.
She couldn’t deal with it. Not tonight.

For fifteen minutes, she stood under the shower, hands pressed against the wall as the water poured over her body.

She’d hoped the heat would loosen her muscles and make her sleepy, but she was still wide awake and jittery when she stepped out. A quick glance at her phone showed it was close to midnight.

She’d kill for a drink right now. Something highly alcoholic and guaranteed to make her brain fuzzy. And she didn’t want to drink alone, damn it. Blank would have her head if he found out she’d gone to a bar by herself, but she didn’t want a babysitter while she drowned her sorrows.

But Blank won’t find out. Not if you’re smart. Not if you go somewhere no one knows you.

No one would have to know. And it wasn’t like she wasn’t a grown-ass woman who could go to a damn bar by herself whenever she wanted.

Too bad Ben had left. Maybe he would’ve joined her for a drink. Which was a stupid thing to even be thinking about.

Shaking her head, she rubbed a towel over her hair, hoping to rub out thoughts of that damn man. Both men. She didn’t need any damn men in her life right now.

Then why are you so damn lonely all the time?

She took her time dressing in the worn jeans and faded Washington Capitals shirt she kept at the office, realizing too late that she’d forgotten to replace the extra bra she kept here.

Didn’t matter. Wasn’t like anyone was going to see her anyway.

Unless she did stop for that drink. The bar on the other end of the street from her apartment building was open until two a.m. It never seemed all that busy. Maybe she could have a quiet drink there without having to deal with a bunch of drunk businessmen or college kids.

Then again, maybe she should just go home and drink alone.

Might as well add pathetic to your list of accomplishments.

Huffing out a sigh, she grabbed her purse off her desk and headed for the front door.

And stopped short in the waiting room.

Ben sat on the long couch against the wall.

As she blinked, his head popped up and he tossed the magazine he’d been reading on the coffee table. Then he stood and she found her eyes tracking his every movement.

“Hey. How’s Blank?”

Ben looked alert and none the worse for wear, although his reddish-brown hair looked like he’d been running his fingers through it.

His copper-colored eyes assessed her from head to toe in seconds flat then latched on to hers, making her blink at his steady regard. She found she couldn’t look away.

“What are you still doing here?”

His mouth quirked into a grin and his brows, a shade darker than the hair on his head, rose. And, wow, was the guy handsome. His masculine features were a little more boyish than Ian’s, but Ian’s and Ben’s mouths held the same appeal for her. Full. Kissable.

Was he a good kisser? Would she ever get to find out?

Dangerous thoughts in her needy, horny, jittery state.

“Thought I’d see if you needed a ride home.” Then he shrugged. “Actually, I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

A rush of heat swept through her and she wanted to say thank you. Wanted to smile and let him wrap her in his arms and take care of her.

The rational part of her brain said she should send him on his way before she offered herself up on a platter.

“Why?” She finally got her mouth to work. “You don’t know me.”

As his smile grew so did her confusion.

“Because I’m a decent guy. You just need to give me a chance to prove it.”

Damn, now this is a woman I’ll gladly take to bed.

In worn jeans and a faded t-shirt, Dorrie Haverstick made Ben’s dick hard, a fact she’d notice if he didn’t get himself under control.

Sure, the dress she’d had on earlier had made him take a second look but this was the real woman.

Her dark hair hung damp, the shoulder-length waves surprisingly sexy. And she hadn’t reapplied her makeup, which she didn’t need anyway.

She looked much younger and so much less like the polished sophisticate he’d seen at the club.

Was this the woman Ian dreamed about at night? The dreams that kept his cousin awake most nights and made Ian grumpier than a teething toddler the next morning?

Ben had been meaning to ask Ian about his worsening mood but hadn’t found the right time. Ian probably would’ve blown him off anyway.

Since they’d bought into Adam Oleksy’s private security firm six months ago, Ian had thrown himself into his career change with the zeal of a recent religious convert. But now Ben had to wonder if there was something else behind his single-minded focus.

Like maybe he was trying
not
to think about this woman, who continued to stare at him as if he was an alien from another planet.

“Excuse me?”

The question seemed to escape without her conscious knowledge, as if she had no idea what the hell he’d said. The absolutely baffled look on her face amused the hell out of him.

This brilliant woman had no idea how much he wanted to strip her naked and see how flustered she could get when he put his mouth between her legs.

He was about to open his mouth and flirt like hell when he noticed her eyes. Not as bright or sharp as they’d been earlier. How her lids drooped. The lady was practically asleep on her feet.

“Or maybe you just need to let me buy you a drink. You look like you could use one.”

He figured she’d turn him down immediately. When she didn’t…

Well now. Isn’t that interesting?

Then again, maybe she was just too damn tired to come up with a response.

Then she blinked. “And where would we go for that drink? I’m not exactly dressed to go out in public.”

As she swept her hand down her front, he felt justified in letting his gaze follow her hand.

And realized she wasn’t wearing a bra. Not that she needed one.

Well, fuck. He probably shouldn’t dwell on that fact. But he couldn’t make himself drag his gaze away until he’d had a damn good look.

Probably not a good idea to get your hopes up, asshole. Ian has dibs.

At least, that’s what he suspected.

Too bad, because the longer Ben stared at her, the more he wanted to get to know her.

“Would you like to come back to my place for a drink?”

She didn’t answer right away, and he could practically see her going through every pro and con.

“How do you know Ian?”

He’d been expecting that one. “We work together.”

The fact that they were cousins wasn’t exactly a secret, but his Spidey sense warned him not to disclose that fact just yet.

Dorrie and Ian had history. And Ben found that fascinating because Ian didn’t do relationships. He had one-night stands.

And Dorrie didn’t seem like a one-night-stand kind of girl.

At the moment, she didn’t seem like an any-night-stand kind of girl because the look she was giving him could shrivel balls from across a crowded bar.

She wasn’t tired enough not to realize he wasn’t giving her the whole truth.

And then, amazingly, she dropped it.

“Yes.” She looked him straight in the eyes. “I’d like a drink and I’d prefer not to be alone when I have it.”

Holy shit. Well, okay then.

“I’ve got a town house on Christian. We can go there or—”

“That’s fine. Are you ready to leave?”

Another shock. “Yeah, sure. Absolutely.”

“Then let’s go.”

She headed for the door, and he got the impression she’d made up her mind to do something but she wasn’t looking forward it.

Then why the hell did she agree to come home with you?

He wanted to ask but knew he’d break whatever fragile truce they’d made between them.

The walk to his car was quiet, though not silent. He kept the conversation going by asking questions, all of which she answered. Some with only a single word, occasionally with a longer response. Once he got them on the street, though, she began to open up a little and ask her own questions.

“So, you’re a personal security guard?”

“Yeah.” He almost said “we” but bit it back just in time. “I work with Adam Oleksy’s firm.” Technically true. “They want to expand and I’ve got the skills they were looking for.”

“And what skills are those?”

“The ability to shoot straight, think fast, and not be afraid to put myself between the client and a bullet without hesitation.”

From the corner of his eye, he saw her glance his way. “That sounds foolhardy.”

“Not if you know what you’re doing. Then it’s a calculated risk. And some guys get off on the adrenaline rush.”

“Do you?”

He had a private laugh about that and answered truthfully. “Sometimes, yeah.”

“Like tonight?”

He looked to find her watching him closely now. Those arctic gray eyes had sharpened since they’d left the building. She still looked tired but much more focused.

She’d keep him on his toes. He liked the sound of that.

“Tonight was unexpected so the rush was a dump, not a steady build. Both have their charms. Make sense?”

After a second’s hesitation, she nodded. “I suppose so. If you like dodging bullets.”

“I take it you don’t.”

Her expression flattened. “I’ve seen the damage bullets do. I don’t want to be anywhere near them. Of course, I had no idea that would happen tonight. I’ve never been in the line of fire before. It’s…not at all exhilarating.”

Ben huffed at the dry wit in her tone. Maybe he should be the one wary of being charmed.

He hadn’t really known what to think of Dorrie, had only seen her in doctor mode so far. Physically, yeah, she was a looker but that didn’t always do it for him. He had to be attracted to a woman’s mind or he got bored. Fast.

He didn’t think he’d be bored around Dorrie.

You’re forgetting about your cousin.

Yeah, for a second he had forgotten about Ian. And he was beginning to think Ian might have a lot more invested in this woman than his cousin would ever admit.

“You seem to have held up pretty well.” Ben gave her another once-over, noticed how she looked down at her hands as if avoiding his gaze. “You did what you needed to do to save those people.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her shrug. “It’s what I’m trained to do.”

“So what kind of doctor are you?”

“GP and Trauma. How do you know Ian?”

He should’ve expected the question, but she’d lulled him into a false sense of security. Whether on purpose or not, he wasn’t sure. But he heard something in her voice, something that sounded…tentative. And, from what he’d seen so far, this woman was not tentative. Quiet, thoughtful, and maybe a little shy. But not tentative.

“We’ve known each other for years. Go way back. Spent some time together in the military.”

All true. Just missing a few details. Like the fact that they’d grown up together, sometimes lived in the same house with their grandmother if Ben’s mom went on a bender or Ian’s dad ended up in prison.

“What branch?”

“Army.” At least, they’d both started there.

“Special forces?”

He’d caught her attention now, but the military was a door Ben didn’t want to open. Too many land mines.

“Yeah. Ian had a head start on me. What about you? You look kinda young to be a doctor with your own practice.”

Another shrug. “I’ve always been an overachiever. I graduated high school early, got my pre-med degree in three years, and passed my boards a year ahead of schedule.”

“And that big fancy office? Where’d that come from? You must’ve done a hell of a lot of babysitting in your spare time to afford that.”

For the first time, she actually looked uncomfortable but the expression passed quickly and her voice held steady.

“Family money. It came in handy.”

He waited a beat for her to elaborate, but when it became clear she wasn’t going to, he forged ahead.

“Well, you made good use of the money. Did you always want to be a doctor?”

“Yes. Except for a short time when I wanted to be a paleontologist.”

“Is that the one that hunts for dinosaur bones?”

He glanced over to catch her quick smile and… Holy fuck, when she smiled…

Yeah, he had no doubt Ian wanted this woman. What he hadn’t figured out was what had happened between them to make Ian treat her like a leper. And something had definitely happened.

“Yes. What about you, Ben? What did you want to be when you grew up?”

“Useful.”

He felt her gaze on him like a laser. “That’s an interesting response.”

He shrugged. “Guess I’m just an interesting guy. Get to know me a little better and maybe you’ll think so, too.”

She fell silent again but they’d reached his townhouse. Driving around to the alley, he parked in the garage, silently breathing a sigh of relief that Ian’s car wasn’t there already.

Ben had a vague outline of a plan, and it hinged on Ian not being home first. He just hoped like hell that he wasn’t throwing gasoline on an already flammable situation. And if he was… He’d figure something out. He always did.

They fell silent again as she followed him through the small backyard and into the house. He almost expected her to balk at the back door, but she walked straight through when he opened it.

“Let’s go into the living room.” He didn’t wait for her to follow, just led her through the kitchen and dining room to the front of the house. “What can I get you to drink?”

She didn’t answer right away. She’d stopped in the middle of the room, taking everything in with those sharp eyes.

He wondered what she thought of the bare, sky-blue walls. He and Ian had never gotten around to decorating. Mainly because they didn’t really care if there were pictures on the wall or not.

Hell, it’d taken them three months to settle on a color to paint the walls, mainly because it’d been pretty much an afterthought. He couldn’t imagine trying to pick out artwork.

If it’d been up to Ian, the walls would be floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. And they probably would be eventually. They just hadn’t gotten around to installing them yet.

So far, they’d done nothing more than fix the holes in the walls, make sure the plumbing worked, and pull up the carpets so they could install hardwood flooring.

And since Ian had a thing about strangers being in their home, they’d done all the work themselves.

“Do you live alone?”

“No. I live with my cousin. We’ve got scotch, bourbon, rum, tequila… We’ve got pretty much anything. What can I get you?”

“I’ll have bourbon on the rocks.”

“Good choice. My cousin stocks the bar and he’s a bourbon drinker so you’re in luck.”

Ben walked to the vintage Art Deco bar Ian had found in some secondhand store in England and had paid some ungodly amount to have shipped over here. But Ben loved the damn thing, scars and all. It gave the room character.

“How long have you lived here?”

Glancing over his shoulder, he found she’d taken another few steps into the room.

“We moved in about two years ago, have been working on the place ever since. Still have a lot to do. What about you? Where do you live?”

“I have an apartment in Rittenhouse Square. It’s…nice.”

Ben huffed out a laugh. “I’m sure it’s a lot more than nice.”

When he turned, he found her grimacing, her nose wrinkled in a way that made his blood flow a little hotter.

Damn, better watch that. He hadn’t brought her home to hit on her. He’d brought her home for Ian.

And if Ian doesn’t see the light, all bets are off.

“It’s a place to sleep. I don’t really spend a lot of time there.”

He held out her drink. “Where do you spend most of your time?”

Their fingers barely brushed as she took the glass from his hand. Didn’t matter. He still felt desire spark along his nerves.

Maybe they could share her.

The thought didn’t shock Ben as much as it might have a year ago. Not since they’d been working with Adam and Tristan. Their relationship with their partner, Katrina, worked. Their office manager, Mary Alice, also had an unconventional relationship with Max Burdanov and Jesse Kanatawa.

So what would Ian think if Ben suggested they share her? Would Ian even consider it?

Better not get your hopes up. Probably won’t ever happen.

Her gaze dropped away from his to look at her drink, as if she’d been able to read his mind. Or at least correctly guess that he was thinking about sex. She’d probably never consider the threesome a viable option.

Too bad.

“At my office,” she finally responded. “I’m growing my practice and it’s not easy to do that on your own.”

Waving her toward the huge sectional couch in front of the equally huge television, he waited until she sank into one of the sections before sitting next to her. Just not too close. Probably a good idea to keep a few feet between them.

Which probably wouldn’t matter a damn bit because he still had a hard-on that wouldn’t quit.

“So why aren’t you working at some fancy office with twenty other doctors?”

She blinked, the only outward sign that he’d hit a nerve. Then her back stiffened as if she were about to defend herself.

“I’ve never been much of a team player. I work better on my own.”

Now why didn’t that ring true?

Still, he didn’t press her. Everyone was entitled to their secrets. He had his. Ian had a shit-ton, which, apparently, included this woman.

“What about you?” She turned the tables. “Do you enjoy working with Ian?”

Laughing, he saluted her with his glass of rum and Coke. “I guess ‘enjoy’ is one possible word I could use. You know him. Is that a word you’d use to describe working with Ian?”

A blush colored her cheeks bright red. “I don’t really know him that well.”