Sydney motioned for Ben to follow him down the hall.
“Alexa is waiting for you in her office. Her fiancée is there as well. Careful though of him,” Sydney warned, “he’s a former Marine. Watch out for the cane. He knows how to use it for more than just a prop.”
Ben blew out a breath and hoped like hell he could handle this.
Chapter 6
Alexa stared at the very attractive man Sydney deposited in her doorway with something close to glee. She was thrilled beyond words Regina had drawn this handsome man to her.
He was definitely an alpha male, very good looking, and had eyes as deep as the sea. Alexa could completely believe this man had walked across the room to Regina and had his tongue in her mouth before she even knew his name.
No wonder Lauren had given him Regina’s seminar schedule. She’d have done it too.
Casey pinched her leg under the small conference table Sydney had commandeered for their lunch. The pinch brought Alexa’s attention to Casey’s frown that said she was paying too much attention to Ben Kaiser.
Reaching over, Alexa squeezed Casey’s thigh in response, refusing to return his look because she didn’t trust herself not to laugh. Instead, she rose from the table gracefully and walked across to the man in the doorway.
Alexa was so completely happy for Regina all she could do was smile like a silly girl.
“Alexa Ranger,” she said, holding out a hand to him.
“Ben Kaiser. Nice to meet you. Thanks for seeing me.”
Ben took her hand in his, working hard to hold her gaze as he shook it. It wasn’t hard because Alexa was incredibly beautiful, which she certainly was. It was hard because Ben remembered this was the woman Regina loved enough to defend.
And it was hard because this was a woman almost as notorious as Regina.
“Thank you for seeing me on such short notice,” Ben said sincerely. Releasing her hand, he turned away from Alexa’s interested gaze.
“I appreciate the tip about the tailor, Sydney. Thanks,” Ben said, waving the business card in answer to Sydney’s parting wave.
Alexa bit her lower lip until she knew Sydney was completely out of earshot. Then she closed the door behind Ben and motioned him over to the table.
Ben complied without a single shred of resistance. Alexa Ranger exuded something that made you want to do anything she asked.
“Sydney gave you the card for his shop? Oh my god, Ben. What did you do to impress him?” Alexa teased. “Sydney never gives his card out until he has a person investigated. I keep telling him he can’t hand pick all his clients.”
“Sydney has his own shop and works for you?” Ben asked, surprised.
Alexa smiled. “Sydney is a wonder, more family than employee. He needs to move on, but I haven’t been able to kick him out of the nest yet. My life will be very different without him.”
Ben looked at the man across the conference table. He reached out a hand, noticing the man didn’t stand.
“Ben Kaiser,” he said, feeling a return grip surprisingly strong for a seated man.
“Casey Carter. I’m Alexa’s fiancée. Good to meet you,” Casey returned.
Regina hadn’t said Alexa was engaged, but then he hadn’t really shown an interest in the details of her friend’s life.
He was going to have to work on handling Regina’s revelations better.
Casey liked Ben Kaiser’s handshake. It was strong and unapologetic. He also picked up that the man was nervous, but yet had still come to seek Alexa’s approval—or whatever. The guy must have it bad for Regina. He wasn’t even ogling Alexa, not that Casey would have let him do it for long, but ogling was just what happened to all men until their eyes and brains adjusted.
“I guess you’re both wondering why I’m here,” Ben said as he sat, not sure how to begin the conversation.
“Not really,” Casey denied easily with a grin, watching to see how Ben would react, pleased when he laughed.
“Casey’s lying. Of course we want to know, but first let’s eat. I’m afraid if I don’t eat first, I’ll never get a bite down,” Alexa said. “This is my favorite deli. Tell us about your work while we eat.”
So Ben told them about his business and how much family was involved. Casey asked him several questions with Alexa chiming in now and again.
Then Ben asked what Casey did for a living.
Casey sighed long. “I supposed I’m retired, but it’s boring as hell. I end up coming to see Alexa during the day to have something to do. I’ve thought about starting my own business but haven’t come across anything I’m willing to commit all my time to doing.”
“I’ll tell you a business this town needs,” Ben said conversationally without much thought. “We need a security company. When the economy shifted, we started getting a lot of thefts at our warehouse. We bought into a very expensive program with a company out of DC. You’d think that would be top notch. We have had several break-ins and can barely get anyone on the phone to even discuss it. We’d go local in a minute if there was anything available in Falls Church.”
Casey nodded. Interesting coincidence, he had been thinking about doing some sort of security work. “I might give you a call sometime to talk about it some more.”
“Come by the warehouse and I’ll show you our setup,” Ben volunteered. “Maybe you can help pinpoint what’s wrong with what we have.”
Alexa leaned back and looked at Ben. She only liked him better for the gleam he had put in Casey’s eyes.
“Okay, I’m ready to talk about Regina now,” Alexa told him, wiping her hands with her napkin.
Ben studied the table for a few moments before answering. “I actually came to ask about you,” he said finally.
“Me? Okay. I’m intrigued,” Alexa replied, and it was truth.
“I saw Regina defend you during her TV interview,” Ben said simply. “She defended me too. I’m not used to other people protecting me.”
Alexa crossed her arms as she listened. Knowing he’d made her friend cry, it was hard to give Ben the benefit of the doubt, even though she wanted to badly. If he turned out to be a wimp, it was going to be terribly disappointing.
“Does it hurt your masculine pride to have Regina throw her notorious reputation under the media bus so it won’t run over your nice one?” Alexa asked, noticing the deepening green in Ben’s eyes when he talked about Regina.
Ben smiled, turning his full wattage beam on Alexa, who blinked at the male power it held.
“No, pride isn’t the problem. Regina and I have already determined that her balls are bigger than mine,” he admitted. “She proved it conclusively during the interview.”
Casey spit his drink on the table as he laughed. Ben looked at him, grinning as he spoke.
“I’m here because I’m trying to grow a bigger pair,” he told them sincerely, which had Alexa laughing at well. “I want you tell me how to deal with the bad publicity without going nuts.”
Sighing in relief, Alexa decided Ben Kaiser was as good as he looked. He was super attractive, but not stuffy at all, despite the perfect clothes and manicured appearance. Regina was going to have a great time loosening him up, she thought.
“I guess from a media point of view, I’m probably as notorious as Regina,” Alexa said, tossing her hair back as she lifted a bottle of water from the table and took a long drink.
“If a man dates a lot of different women, he’s a stud. If a woman dates a lot of different men, she’s a slut. It may be different in other places, but that’s how it still is in this conservative town. No one would believe I had some damn good reasons for moving from man to man. I was raising a daughter and building a business. I knew I was doing the right thing by being picky,” Alexa explained.
“Doesn’t sound like notorious behavior to me,” Ben said. “It sounds damn reasonable.”
“Try doing it over the course of several decades and in front of a town full of judgmental people. The press loved making me seem like a terr
ible woman. I’m sure it sold a lot of papers,” Alexa said.
Ben nodded, his gaze not missing the pain passing through Alexa’s as she talked about her experiences with the press. He wondered how often Regina was hurt by what was said about her.
“Oh, I eventually learned not to care so much. Having had her fair share of negative public opinion almost from the moment she started her career, Regina helped me come to terms with my own public life. In the process, I learned to care more about what I thought than about what other people thought,” Alexa told him. “Regina is very good at helping people.”
Ben smiled and nodded. “I’m starting to see just how good she is at many things.”
He frowned remembering his own initial judgments about Regina—and about Alexa, based on seeing her with different eyes. He wasn’t much better than the people who read the crap published about Regina and Alexa.
“I admit I’ve kept how well I know Regina from everyone, except Lauren—well, and now you two. The company I head is all family, a family I’ve been a part of for most of my adult life. I don’t know if I could see my family hurt because of my dating choices,” Ben said honestly.
“Life is messy, Ben, and public life is messier. My daughter Jenna was often hurt by the public criticism of my life. She’s in her late twenties now. When she was younger, she used to ask me why I couldn’t be more normal,” Alexa confided. “The comment stung even when I understood what she meant.”
Ben’s comment to Regina about being normal came back to haunt him. Now he knew for sure he’d deserved the retaliation she’d dished out.
“How did you choose being true to yourself over trying to be what your daughter wanted?” Ben asked. He could tell by looking at Alexa that was exactly what she had done.
“I don’t blame you for worrying, Ben. But doesn’t everyone have at least one person in their life that doesn’t approve of them? Whether it is one person or the public at large, it can hurt a lot to be criticized all the time,” she told him.
“Regina decided long ago that living her life honestly was worth the public pain. When you know more about her work, you’ll understand why. It’s true I was her patient, but I learned a lot just from watching Regina live with her own choices,” Alexa told him.
“The media hears ‘sex therapist’, and everyone laughs like someone is telling a dirty joke,” Ben said, thinking of Alfred and Daniel. “I’m an honest guy by nature and tend to just say what passes through my mind. I don’t have Regina’s wit or her ability to just tell people to go to hell.”
“Oh that comes with time,” Casey chimed in, his eyes darkening. “You don’t want to know what I’ve been asked about Alexa. I’ve perfected the art of scowling and refusing to comment. You can choose not to answer and it gets easier with practice.”
Ben nodded. “I’ve thought of that. It still helps to hear you confirm it.”
Alexa pleated her napkin. Casey reached a hand across to place it over hers.
Ben noticed the bond between them was very strong, despite their challenges. It had been worth the trip just to see them together. It gave him hope about his relationship with Regina.
Alexa smiled at Casey, and then back at Ben. “Talking about sex is Regina’s life’s work. She’s not afraid of being uncomfortable herself nor of passing the discomfort along to others if she thinks it’s necessary. It’s one of the things I like best about her, even though it scares the hell out of me most of time.”
“I know what you mean. She’s the most honest woman I have ever met,” Ben agreed, “but she scares me, too. I imagine she has that effect on everyone.”
“None of this is really helping you, is it?” Alexa asked, raising her eyes to the ceiling instead of looking at Ben. “Let me think. You need to know how people stay in Regina’s life without getting mauled by the media on a regular basis. Okay, Saint McCarthy—I mean Lauren—does it by living a pristine life. Lauren has the whitest, mildest reputation I know. Regina and I are her only black marks. As for me, well frankly people expect Regina to be friends with a woman like me.”
Ben felt a guilty flush, but covered it with a sigh and nod.
Alexa narrowed her eyes and took a slow trip checking out Ben’s entire body. “Frankly, I don’t know how it would work if Lauren or I were sleeping with her. She’d have to be really good for Lauren to get involved with her. I have lower standards.”
Ben smiled again, his perfect white teeth sending Alexa into a delighted sigh.
Casey pinched Alexa again under the table, making her jump in alarm before patting his thigh. He would pay for that one, Alexa concluded. She was teasing, not flirting.
“Regina and I haven’t gone public yet with our relationship, but the one picture of us in the paper told a lot more story than most know. I didn’t run screaming from Regina’s bed, during or after the fact,” Ben said flatly, wanting Alexa to understand how important Regina already was to him. “I have no intention of ever doing so. That’s why I have to figure something out about handling her notoriety.”
“Good for you,” Alexa told Ben sincerely. “So when are you planning on going public with your relationship to her?”
“From what you’re telling me, looks like it’s the next step. So soon, I guess,” Ben said, deciding he would never know what would happen with the media otherwise. “I think I’ll ask her out for a date.”
Alexa laughed, thinking it was interesting that a public date seemed far more intimidating to Ben than whatever he’d found in bed with Regina Logan. She couldn’t wait for Thursday night to find out the truth about it from Regina.
“Casey and I are having an engagement party next month. Want to come and bring your notorious woman? ” Alexa asked. “It will give you a reason to check out Sydney’s clothing line.”
“Sure,” Ben said grinning, wondering why Regina hadn’t asked him to go with her.
The thought was immediately followed by a mental slap on the head about his prior comments about Alexa. He had some ground to mend there.
“Thanks for inviting me, but I think I need to work my way up to your party. Besides, I don’t think I can stay away from Regina so long anyway. I would miss her fire too much.”
Alexa sighed and patted her heart, recognizing a euphemism for sex when she heard one.
Ben and Casey both just laughed.
Chapter 7
Though he still owned the home he had lived in with Catherine, when she died Ben had felt the need to buy a place and make it just his. The condo was small, but tasteful. It was sparsely furnished, but gave him a sense of sanctuary. It was also a small step toward starting over.
Ben figured one day he would sell both the old house and the condo and buy something new. Now when the thought crossed his mind about future homes, he thought about sharing them with Regina. In fact, a great many of his decisions were starting to factor in adding her to his life.
Ben was just picking up his cell phone to call her when the doorbell rang.
Not expecting company, Ben checked the peephole first. Outside the door stood a dark-haired girl wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses, a short black leather skirt, and ankle boots. She was holding a steaming pizza box. It was so fresh Ben could smell it through the door.
He opened the door a crack, leaving the safety chain in place.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
“Pizza delivery for Kaiser,” the girl said, her voice impatient with him.
“Sorry. You have the wrong address. I didn’t order pizza,” Ben told her, alarm bells going off inside him.
“Order was from a Logan to deliver to a Ben Kaiser at this address,” she explained tersely. “It’s already paid for, mister. You want the pizza or not?”
“Just a minute.” Ben couldn’t imagine why Regina had ordered a pizza for him, but he closed the door and slid the safety chain away.
When he opened the door again, the girl barged passed him to get inside.
“Excuse me—,” Ben began, only to be in
terrupted.
“Close the door,” she demanded, whipping off her glasses.
It took Ben a couple of beats to recognize the pizza delivery girl was Regina in disguise. He smiled and shook his head as he took in her outfit.
“Nice skirt. Black leather looks good on you,” he told her as his gaze dropped to her legs before coming to rest on her face and hair. “Being a brunette definitely does not suit you though.”
“You’d be surprised, Benjamin. No one recognizes me in this outfit. I can go anywhere,” Regina told him, pushing the still hot pizza into his hands. “Hungry?”
Ben answered her by claiming a searing kiss before heading to the kitchen with the pizza.
Regina tagged along behind him, pulling off the cap and attached wig as she paused in the doorway of his tiny kitchen.
Ben put the pizza on the counter and started setting a small table for two.
“Aren’t you going to grill me about my disguise? Question me about why I’m here?” Regina asked before grinning at the don’t-be-ridiculous look Ben gave her.
As she watched Ben set the table, Regina unpinned her hair and let it fall to her shoulders, finger combing the waves. She needed a mirror, but she didn’t want to give Ben too much time to dwell on why she had shown up at his house uninvited.
“No. We’re going to talk about this incognito stuff over dinner and decide what we’re going to do about it,” Ben said rationally, proud of himself for not instantly trying to wrestle her out of the skirt.
His noble thoughts about just talking lasted for the three seconds it took Ben to notice her messed up red hair and agitated hands.
“I really don’t like cold pizza,” Ben told her, striding back to where she stood. He put a hand in her hair and tugged her head back roughly to peer into her face. “You look like some guy had his way with you already. Keep in mind I’m supposed to be the only reason you look this way.”
As Regina laughed, Ben greedily fastened his mouth to hers. She put her arms around him and went up on her toes to meet him evenly. He pressed Regina against the door jam and kissed her thoroughly until she started to melt against him.
Dating Dr Notorious Page 9
