Regina turned then and walked to Ben. She grabbed his shirt with both hands and shook him a little. “You know damn well you’ve ruined me for all other men, Ben Kaiser. I’m asking you to trust me while I fix this situation.”
“Watching you go out with other men is too much to ask, Regina.” Ben pulled away from her grip to pace through her kitchen before coming back into her living room. “There must be some other way to fix the situation.”
“How did your family react to the pictures and stories today, Ben?” Regina asked. She already knew the answer. Ben had shown up at her door dressed all in black.
“We got a few calls,” Ben admitted, not willing to go into it more during this conversation.
“If I don’t convince the press pretty fast you were just a one shot date, you’ll get more calls at your company and more trouble. True scandal hounds will put a tail on you and follow you home from work.”
Regina walked to him again and put her hands on his arms, gripping hard to get his attention focused on what she was saying.
“I hate this, Ben. I also hate my job and my life right now because I can’t change either fast enough to save you completely. I can only think of one thing to do to help you and keep your family out of it as much as I can. If you don’t want me to see other men, then I’ll have to completely stop seeing you until the press thinks I’m no longer interested.” Regina gripped him harder, imploring him to understand. “And damn you, you have to at least promise to try not to hate me too much while I work this out.”
Snapping, Ben pulled Regina’s head back by her hair and plundered her mouth. He kissed her in anger and with his frustration not tempered. Regina cried out under his assault, and he kissed her even harder, until he realized she wasn’t going to protect herself. Regina would let him hurt her to prove her point. Ben knew he would hurt her to prove that she was his.
It shook him to the core to know the hard truth about both of them. The last thing in the world he ever wanted to do was hurt her.
Ben’s arms were fierce as he pulled her closely to him, his body shaking with his own frustrated emotions as he buried his face in Regina’s hair. “I don’t have any words strong enough to tell you how much I hate the idea of you and other men.”
Regina cried and buried her face against Ben’s shoulder. She wanted yesterday back.
She should have seduced Ben in the doorway, just kept him in the apartment. They should have never gone out to dinner. None of this fight would be necessary. They’d still be laughing and teasing.
If yesterday hadn’t happened, tonight he would have had her naked already. He would be moving hard and deep inside her, making her fantasies come to life as he always did.
When she felt his body shaking with angry sobs, she thought she would be ill from the pain his tears brought her.
“I love you, Benjamin Charles Kaiser. I think I’ve loved you since you walked across the dance floor to me. That’s why you have to let me protect you and your family. This is nothing I can’t handle as long as I know you won’t hate me.” Regina’s lip quivered when her bravery and her words ran out.
Ben pulled her hair again, but more gently this time. He looked at her face and as always saw only absolute truth and sincerity there. He already knew Regina loved him, but he hated this was the reason she finally told him.
“How am I supposed to live with this?” he demanded.
“If you have a better idea, I’m willing to try it, but Ben—this is the only thing I know that works,” Regina said quietly again.
Damn it. What solution did he have better than the one she offered? He had nothing, could think of nothing. It was the most helpless he’d felt in a long time.
He had no choice—no choice but to let Regina do what she thought was best, at least until he could come up with something better. Ben thought of Alfred, Daniel, Janet, and the livelihoods of the others in his company. He thought about giving Regina up, even temporarily. He couldn’t do it. He’d already lost too much in life. He wasn’t giving up Regina.
“I will not stop seeing you,” Ben said harshly when he could trust himself to speak.
“Okay.” Regina nodded and closed her eyes in relief.
“After your—dates, I will either be here when you get home or you’ll come to me,” Ben ordered, meeting her shocked blue gaze with his unyielding green one.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Regina said.
“Non-negotiable,” Ben said, tugging on her hair again. “You will do this for me. My insecurities are worse than yours.”
Regina nodded again. All Regina cared about was that Ben wasn’t leaving her. He wasn’t giving up. To keep him in her life, Regina would agree to just about anything.
“Okay,” she agreed weakly, hoping she’d find a way to manage it.
“I’m spending the night tonight. If I leave you right now, I might kill the first person I see with a camera or a cell phone. I’d hate for you to have to visit me in prison,” Ben warned, his attempt at teasing not really working when he meant every word he said.
“Okay,” Regina said quietly. “Stay. I want you to stay, Ben.”
Ben started dragging Regina by the hand to her bedroom, and then stopped.
“There’s one more thing. I love you, too. If any man you date even so much as tries to kiss you goodnight, I swear I will kill him,” he promised.
Regina laughed at little as she rubbed her eyes and nose, but stopped when Ben glared.
In the bedroom, Ben toed off his shoes and told her to do the same. Then he pulled Regina onto the bed with him and into his arms to just hold her.
He couldn’t bear the thought of losing another woman he loved.
Chapter 11
Tired of riding in taxis, Ben cruised into the parking lot of Regina’s condo on a black Kawasaki Daniel had reluctantly loaned to him. He left the helmet and sunglasses on until he got inside. Dressed in clothing Regina had suggested would suit him, he was wearing a snug-fitting tee shirt, black jeans, and boots.
Ben waved an access card at Marvin as he passed on the way to the elevator.
Marvin sighed and thought Mr. Kaiser looked like a man itching for a fight.
Ben swiped the card at Regina’s door and walked inside. It was just the first date night and already Ben was struggling to keep his part of the agreement. The idea of Regina getting dressed up to go out with anyone but him was driving him nuts.
Ben was sitting on her couch with arms crossed when Regina came out of her bedroom dressed in a pink suit and pearls. The skirt was knee length and conservative. The white silk top was simple and uncomplicated. Ben frowned at the clothes because they didn’t suit her vibrant personality, and he was upset with how vulnerable they made her look.
Regina saw the frown and assumed she knew what it meant.
“I promise I’m wearing underwear under the skirt,” she told Ben, crossing her chest with an X, hoping her teasing would put him a little more at ease.
Ben snorted, got up and walked to her. “Good,” he said, “keep your underwear on all evening. I intend to check when you get home.”
Regina laughed nervously, still not comfortable with him being there waiting on her, but not able to deny him wanting to do it. He looked like James Dean on steroids this evening. His hard, sculpted body did everything for a tight tee shirt she thought it would. She hoped like hell he’d still be here when she got back.
“Do you want to meet Alan?” Regina asked quietly.
“Only if you want your dinner date to have a black eye,” Ben answered logically.
Marvin buzzed to announce Regina’s company was waiting. Ben saw Regina out, but didn’t kiss her goodbye.
Regina sighed heavily as she took the elevator to the lobby
Marvin scratched his head at the handsome man waiting in the lobby, and then scratched some more when Dr. Logan took his arm.
As they left, Marvin thought Dr. Logan looked like she was going to a PTA meeting or something e
qually as strange with her arm tucked companionably into the man’s. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her in such conservative clothes before.
Marvin swore softly when they left the building and got into the man’s car together. And just where the hell was Mr. Kaiser, he wondered? What in blazes was going on?
A couple hours later, Marvin watched the man deposit Dr. Logan back in front of the lobby door, kissing her cheek and hugging her before he got back into his car and left. Marvin walked to open the front door for Dr. Logan as she came back inside the building.
“Did Mr. Kaiser leave?” Regina asked Marvin hesitantly, trying not to sound anxious.
“No. Not that I’ve seen,” Marvin replied, still perplexed. He watched Dr. Logan take a deep breath and head to the elevator.
Marvin shook his head. Famous people were just too strange sometimes.
*** *** ***
Regina swiped her key card and let herself quietly into her apartment. Ben was stretched out on her couch with the TV turned low. She raised his feet and brought them into her lap as she sat.
Ben had surprisingly big feet, she thought, for a man his height. Although, she conceded with a knowing laugh that they did match some other surprisingly big parts of him.
Regina pulled off a sock and rubbed his bare foot, trying to chase away her guilt by touching him. She pulled off his other sock and rubbed the other foot.
Regina sighed, oddly relieved as she touched him gratefully, glad now that Ben had insisted on being here when she got home. Alan was just a friend. It wasn’t really that she felt like she was cheating on Ben, but she was afraid Ben might feel that way about it. Either way, Regina acknowledged, she was spending time with someone else when she could and should be spending time with Ben.
“My feet are getting cold,” Ben complained, swinging his bare feet back and forth in her lap.
Regina opened her jacket and hugged his bare feet to her breasts, closing her jacket around them. It comforted her to comfort him.
Ben sighed, enjoying her warmth. He wanted it for the rest of his life. Regina hugged his feet tighter as if reading his mind.
“There should be pictures in the paper tomorrow,” she said. “We went to Sorlini’s. Alan’s life partner works there part-time as a Sommelier so we got a table right by the front window. Most of the town crowd caught the act. However, it’s a toss-up whether the article will be about me cheating on you or Alan cheating on Serge.”
“You went out with a gay man?” Ben asked before closing his eyes, pretending to sleep. He opened them just slightly to see if she was smiling yet. “I guess that means I can save the wild jungle sex for another night. Let me know when you start dating macho, straight guys.”
Ben felt her laughter against his feet. It made him feel a little better. Or maybe knowing Regina had been out with a gay guy made him feel better.
“If wild jungle sex is out, think you can muster up the energy for the old-fashioned kind? I’d even settle for missionary position tonight,” Regina said, kissing the tops of his feet and lifting them to stand.
“I might be able to help you out. You going to take off that anti-sex outfit?” Ben asked.
Regina inspected the front of the blouse, stretching it across her breasts, and then pulled the skirt fabric up in her hands. “Anti-sex? What do you mean? This is a great suit.”
“For dinner with the Pope maybe,” Ben told her, smiling up into her face.
Regina put her hands on her hips and glared down at him. “Alan liked the outfit. He said it was very 50’s housewife.”
“Then give it to Serge and let him wear it for Alan.” Ben was amazed he could joke since the urge to shake her and demand she stop dating was still festering under the amusement.
Regina laughed as she reached down to pull Ben’s feet off the couch to the floor. “Serge Barlinov is a six-foot-four former ballet dancer with biceps bigger than Vin Diesel’s. I doubt we wear the same size.”
Ben grabbed her hand before she could retreat and spun her to face him. He stripped off the jacket as she laughed, pulled the blouse over her head, and then unzipped the skirt, pushing it down over her hips. When the outfit below it was revealed, Ben swore and glared at her. Regina wore white lace everything, including the garter belt and thigh highs. She did have on panties, but they weren’t covering much.
“You lied to me again,” Ben accused, lustful eyes narrowing on Regina’s blushing face. “I’m going to start checking you before you leave the house.”
“Ben, this is what a lot of women call underwear,” Regina said, laughing, the chastisement dying as Ben nipped her bottom lip and then sucked it into his mouth.
“Regina,” Ben said pointedly, “buy some granny panties.”
“Oh God, I know you’re still upset, but don’t make me do that,” Regina begged, laughing until Ben splayed both hands over her lace-covered breasts and stroked their peaks.
Ben growled when Regina fell into him. He forced himself to release everything but her hand.
“That’s it. The missionary position is all you’re getting until you learn to tell the truth,” Ben scolded, dragging her behind him to the bedroom.
*** *** ***
Unfortunately, there were no pictures in the paper the next day.
Regina made some more phone calls. Four dates and a week and a half later, still no pictures had been printed of Regina and other men.
There was one speculation article about Ben and her, wondering what had happened to them. They had taken even more precautions during Regina’s dating-other-men period so no one caught them together.
Then for a while there were simply no more stories of Regina at all. And there were also no more calls to Ben’s company, and no more papers brought in by her staff or his. It seemed she and Ben were back to zero again, back to the point they were at before their date, back to when nobody knew about them or cared.
Regina sighed, not able to decide how she felt about the public silence, but still glad Ben had not given up on their relationship yet.
*** *** ***
A few days after they had mutually decided Regina’s dating-other-men-period had ended, Regina visited Ben again wearing the brunette disguise. She rang the doorbell, steaming pizza once again in hand.
A beautiful blond with sparkling blue eyes answered the door. “Can I help you?” she asked.
Regina fought panic and the urge to barge past the woman into the room, demanding to see Ben.
“Pizza for Benjamin Kaiser. Is this the right address?” Regina asked, forgetting to use her fake voice.
“It’s the right address, but we didn’t order any pizza. Sorry.” The blond smiled and shrugged, closing the door softly in Regina’s face.
Regina turned to walk away, and then stopped. What should she do? Kick down the door? Ring the bell again?
Think, she commanded herself. Do not scream.
*** *** ***
Daniel walked to the living room. “Who was that?” he asked his wife.
“Pizza delivery,” Stacey said. “I sent them away.”
“Hey, Ben,” Daniel asked with a laugh, heading down the hall to the bedroom. “You didn’t forget tonight and order a pizza, did you?”
“Pizza? Shit.” Ben came running out of the room at a full sprint, pants barely fastened and shirt completely undone.
“Brunette?” he asked, heading to the door.
Stacey laughed. She hadn’t seen Ben this animated in long time. “Yes, but isn’t that girl a little young for you, Ben?”
“No,” he barked at Stacey, yanking open the door, relieved to find a shocked Regina still standing in the hall, pizza box in hand.
“Thank God you didn’t leave. I wasn’t looking forward to jogging down the stairs half dressed. Get in here,” Ben said tersely, pulling Regina inside.
“Sorry,” Regina told him. “I didn’t mean to come at a bad time. I just—I didn’t think about—damn it, Ben! I wasn’t expecting to see a woman answer your door.”
“Later, I’m going to remind you about your reaction, and then I’m going to point out this is what I felt like when—never mind, forget it. Right now, I’m going be a nice guy and just tell you that you already know the woman and her husband.” Ben smiled and pointed to Daniel and Stacey. “Go ahead. Take a look. It’s been a few years.”
Regina took off her sunglasses and looked at the two people now openly staring at her in fascination. Eventually, recognition dawned for her even though they still looked clueless. She had told Ben the brunette disguise was the best one.
“I—oh hell,” Regina said, sinking down on Ben’s couch.
Ben frowned at her, hands on hips.
Regina finally noticed his clothes, or rather lack of them.
“You’re going out?” Regina asked, and then more realization dawned. “And you called, but I didn’t check my messages,” she finished lamely, finally realizing Ben was in the process of formally dressing up.
Ben nodded his head, and Regina sighed. She had it so bad for Ben Kaiser. She had been ready to either throw down with another woman over him or run away in tears. Only shock had held her back from both reactions earlier.
Regina put her head in her hands, feeling the cap when she did. And peopled wondered why she drank so hard so often? The stress of her life was definitely getting to her.
“Get rid of the brown hair,” Ben told her firmly. “Daniel and Stacey can be trusted.”
Regina pulled the cap and hair off. She took out pins until her red hair fell. Stacey drew in a breath and walked over to sit on the couch.
“Dr. Logan?” Stacey asked, smiling. “I love the leather skirt. It really suits you.”
Ben snorted, and bit his lip to keep from adding his own commentary about the skirt. He was already regretting he wasn’t going to be able to find out what was under it tonight.
“I wish like hell you wouldn’t cover your hair,” Ben complained instead, hearing Daniel snicker about his bossy tone.
Regina looked at Stacey and smiled. “If your sister was half as beautiful and nice as you, I can see how she kept Ben devoted to her all those years. I’m sure you’re wondering why I showed up in disguise at Ben’s door?”
Dating Dr Notorious Page 12
