Page 54 of An Indecent Longing

Chapter Five

The drive back to their house had been quiet.

Ben had considered trying to get Dorrie to talk to him but figured he’d wait until she and Ian got whatever the hell was caught between them out in the open. Then he would move to phase two of the plan.

And that phase would be a whole lot more pleasurable than this.

Because this sucked.

Dorrie sat next to him, stiff and silent. So different from the woman he’d picked up tonight. And, damn it all to hell, he wanted that woman back.

Ian had better not fuck this up or I’m going to beat the shit out of him.

Saturday night traffic crawled through the city, and the tension in the car climbed with each passing minute until, by the time they got back to his home, he really thought she’d tell him to take her home, that she was done with both of them and to fuck the hell off.

Frankly, they probably deserved whatever hell she rained down on them.

So when she got out of the car and followed him into the house from the garage, he breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Half the battle won.

“You want a drink?”

She’d stopped in the middle of the living room, hands clenched at her sides. But as soon as he started to speak, she’d shaken out her hands and turned to face him.

“Why did you ask me out tonight?”

“Because I want you.”

She shook her head, and the confusion in her expression made him close the distance between them to take her hands in his.

“Listen to me very carefully, Dorrie, and hear me. No matter what comes out of Ian’s mouth tonight, believe me when I say you never have to doubt the fact that I want you. I look at you and I want to kiss you, strip you naked, and let my hands touch you all over.”

Her eyes had widened with each word. He’d shocked her. Good. He wanted to keep her off center because he wanted her to have to concentrate on what he was saying.

“I think you’re smart and pretty and a little sarcastic, and that’s a dangerous combination for me. It makes me hot for you. Just remember that when he snarls at you.”

Seconds later, the back door slammed shut, and before she realized what he was going to do, he leaned forward and kissed her.

And not some soft brush of his lips against hers.

No, he pressed his mouth against hers and kissed her with every ounce of desire coursing through his veins.

Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he dragged her against his chest, resisting the invitation of her parted lips as she gasped to deepen the kiss. But he made sure she realized exactly how he felt about her.

Her taste made him want to linger, but he knew she and Ian had to hash out whatever Ian had done to hurt her.

And when he found out exactly what Ian had done to put that look on her face, he’d make sure he kicked Ian’s ass the next time they were in the ring together.

When he pulled away, he nodded with satisfaction at the surprise on her face.

“I’ll be in the kitchen. He,” Ben nodded over his shoulder at Ian, who he knew was standing in the doorway between the dining room and the living room, “gives you any trouble, you only need to say the word and I’ll take you home.”

Then he turned and walked toward Ian on his way to the kitchen.

“Don’t fuck this up.”

Ian’s jaw clenched with the effort to stay quiet.

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