Page 134 of An Indecent Longing

“Same difference.”

“Hey, we’re kind of a small community.”

Pulling the ball out of the box, he held it in one hand and gave it a little toss into the air. “What community?”

“You know. The trio brigade.”

A laugh surprised him. “What the fuck is that?”

Mary Alice rolled her eyes at him. “You know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I guess I do.” He paused. “I just don’t know if we’re joining the club. There are…complications.”

Like the fact that he didn’t know why the hell she’d sent him—them—the damn ball. But he hoped like hell he knew what it meant.

“Oh please.” There went her eyes again. “There’re always complications. So what? She works for a drug lord? So did my guys. You either learn to live with it or you don’t.”

“Actually, I’m not the one with the problem with her, ah, employer.” Damn, he’d almost said her dad.

“Then what’s the problem?”

Mary Alice sat on the edge of his desk, bright red hair hanging over her shoulders, green eyes inquisitive.

Pushing his chair away from his desk, he leaned and thought about his response. “I’m not sure I’m anything more than a bonus.”

Mary Alice’s gaze narrowed. “Has she made you feel like that?”

He took a few seconds to think about his answer. “No. But I can’t shake the feeling. And I’m not sure she’d care if I was there as long as she had Ian.”

Her brows rose. “Sounds like someone has a low-self-esteem problem. Never expected that from you.”

Ben grimaced and gave the ball another toss. “Yeah. Amazing how women are able to do that to a guy.”

Mary Alice laughed and he had to smile. No one could be depressed when she laughed.

“We’re awesome like that.” Then she shook her head. “Ben, do you want her?”

He didn’t have to think about his answer. “Yeah, I do.”

“Then the three of you need to talk this out. If she’s smart, she’ll keep you both. Best damn thing I ever did.”

Ben only hoped Dorrie felt the same. And that the ball literally meant she wanted to play.

* * * * *

Ian had spent most of the day in the field, doing a blind security check on a recently installed system.

It’d passed his inspection, but he had to admit he’d been distracted and would need to go back another day to do it again, just to be sure he hadn’t missed anything.

He’d tried to keep focused but his mind had been on Dorrie.

When Ben had suggested wooing her, Ian had had his doubts. But when the flowers hadn’t elicited a response, he’d suggested the lollipops and the bandages. Ben had shaken his head and said they were perfect.

Guess they weren’t perfect enough to get a response.

By the time he walked back into their offices, he’d thought of a few other things they could send her and headed straight for Ben’s office to talk about it.

He found Ben sitting at his desk tossing a soccer ball in the air. It immediately made him think of Dorrie.

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