Page 125 of An Indecent Longing

“I’m not suggesting we get in bed with Antonoff. I want Dorrie in our bed and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep her safe. Are you?”

He didn’t answer right away, because he wasn’t sure he had an answer to that question.

He’d had a week to think about it, chew it over, and change his mind about a thousand times.

The only conclusion he’d come to was that he wanted Dorrie.

And maybe that was the only one that mattered.

“And if she doesn’t want to be with us? Have you thought about that?”

“Then we’ll just have to convince her we’re worth the trouble.” Ben shrugged. “You might have to work a little harder than me.”

“And if I can’t get over the fact that Antonoff’s her father?”

Ben didn’t blink. “Then you’re going to have to step aside so I can win her back. She’s not responsible for who her father is. If you choose to hold that against her, that’s your deal.”

Yeah, it was. “I’m not sure I’m ever going to be okay with her relationship with Antonoff. I just don’t know that I can do it.”

“Do you care for her?”

Ian’s eyes widened. “You want to talk about our feelings?”

Ben’s expression never changed. “I want to know how you feel about her.”

His jaw locked over the desire to tell Ben to fuck off.

“Because if you don’t care about her, stay home. But if you walk out that door with me, you’re agreeing to be okay with it. Because this isn’t about your relationship with Antonoff. It’s about your relationship with Dorrie.”

Each of Ben’s words hit him like a punch. “You do know I might have pushed her away completely.”

Ben shook his head. “I’m not ready to give up yet.”

“You played baseball in school. Three strikes, Ben.”

“By my count, you’re only down two.”

Ian just kept shaking his head as he got off the couch. “Sometimes that’s all you get ’cause life’s not fair. Fuck it, I’m driving. Let’s go.”

* * * * *

Antonoff sat behind his desk in his home office, reading through the information Ben had set in front of him.

Ian sprawled in the chair next to Ben, looking deceptively at ease. Ben knew Ian wasn’t anything close to being at ease. But Ian has the art of looking calm, cool and collected down to a science.

Ben was good at hiding his emotions. He just wasn’t at Ian’s level. So he shifted in his chair for the second time since they’d sat down five minutes ago.

Finally, Antonoff looked up, those striking blue eyes staring straight at Ben and then at Ian.

“Thank you for the information,” he said. “I appreciate your help in this matter. I’ll take it from here.”

Ben opened his mouth to protest but he snapped it shut a second later. This is why they’d come. This is why they’d passed on the information. For Antonoff to handle it.

This was business they wanted no part of. And Antonoff was a man Ian had spent most of his life despising.

There was no way they could get wrapped up in this.

“That’s not how this is going to work.”

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