Page 1 of An Indecent Longing

Chapter One

Oh, how that man hated her.

As Dorrie Haverstick made her way across the private gaming parlor secluded within the Lazarus Hotel, she tried not to notice the way Ian Keller watched her.

She’d had no idea he’d be here tonight, which made sense because she hadn’t spoken to him in six months.

She couldn’t imagine he was here to gamble. That didn’t seem like something Ian would do.

Then again, everything she’d thought she’d known about the man had been wrong so far, so how would she know if he liked to gamble? Or play golf or watch football. If he always drank scotch or if he ever wore jeans.

What she did know was that, six months ago, she’d met him at hospital fund-raiser. He’d walked over to her as she’d contemplated making a break for the exit and ending her suffering. She’d stuck her foot in her mouth several times already and had only been there an hour. She couldn’t imagine how much damage she could do in another half hour.

Which was why she typically smiled and nodded and let others carry the conversation when she had to suffer through those events.

That night, she’d been unable to hide behind a smile and the few items of small talk she didn’t find completely soul-sucking. Her mind had been overtaxed because of the long day and the small patient she hadn’t wanted to leave. She hadn’t wanted to spend hours of her time with self-important rich people with way too much money on their hands.

Of course, those rich people had the money she needed to continue to help patients like the one that day. She needed their donations to fund the free clinic where she volunteered when she wasn’t running her own practice. So she’d forced a smile and hoped she didn’t look like a rabid Chihuahua ready to rip someone’s leg off.

She’d had no idea who he was when he’d introduced himself. She’d honestly thought he’d wanted to garner her support for some hospital issue.

She only knew that after fifteen minutes of conversation, she’d wanted him to take her home so she could strip him naked and offer to do things to him she’d only read about in books. She read a lot of books. Romance, mostly. Erotic romance specifically, so she had a lot of ideas. Not that she’d ever tried them on anyone. Until that moment, she hadn’t met anyone she’d even remotely considered worthy of her fantasies.

That night, she and Ian had talked for hours. Before she’d left that night, he’d asked her to go out with him the next night.

They’d spent every night together for a week. He’d been a perfect gentleman. Hadn’t really kissed her until the third night, a kiss that had made her melt from the inside out. A kiss that had made her think maybe this was the man she could share her fantasies with.

And then…nothing.

It was as if he’d fallen off the face of the earth. He hadn’t called, hadn’t texted, hadn’t shown up at her door to apologize for missing their date.

She’d been stunned. And hurt. And so confused she’d spent several nights simply sitting in her living room waiting for her phone to chime, hoping to see his name appear on the screen.

A month after that, she’d boxed up all those emotions she’d had for him and stuffed them away in a dark corner of her brain.

And then she’d seen him at Max Burdanov’s home three months ago.

His expression when he’d looked at her had made her want to cry and scratch his eyes out at the same time.

His loathing for her showed so plainly on his face.

And she’d had no idea what had caused it.

“Dorrie. You okay?”

The man at her back touched his hand to her elbow. Anyone looking at them might think they were a couple.

It would be so far from the truth, it was laughable.

Turning her head, she glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “I’m fine.”

Shaking off the hurt and confusion that wanted to consume her, she focused instead on her destination, the door on the other side of the room. She’d be safe back there. And by the time she came out, hopefully he’d be gone and she could go back to not thinking about him.

But still, she felt his gaze on her and knew, if she looked over her right shoulder, she’d see him watching her with that cold, pale stare, his mouth a tight, flat line.

He’d had the same look three months ago when she’d patched up Jesse. She’d had no idea Max had called Ian to help protect Jesse and their lover, Mary Alice, after a home invasion that had left Jesse bleeding from a knife wound.

It wouldn’t have stopped her from making the house call but at least she would’ve been prepared.

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