Owning Corey (16 page)

I smile in spite of my misery. “I guess you do have a point there.”

“I know I do,” she says. “And I think there’s more to that breakup than him just realizing she was selfish. Ben’s no dummy; he’s probably known all along. As far as I’m concerned, it boils down to three questions you need to ask yourself. Number One, if he was upset enough about the threesome business to break up with her, why is he still hanging around with you instead of distancing himself from everyone involved? Number Two, why did he start that crazy game in the bar last night?”

“Um… to kiss you?” That explanation sounds a little thin, even to me.

“Yeah, right. He barely even spoke to me, Corey. There was only one person he was interested in at that table last night, and it wasn’t me. I tried my best to get his attention, believe me, but he hardly even knew I was there.”

“Okay, what’s the third question?”

“I’ve already told you that one… Does he know you’re in love with him?” She leans back in her seat, a smug smile playing at her lips. “Hell, does he even know you’re gay? That’s some pretty pertinent information.”

My head spins with the obviousness and utter brilliance of what she’s just said. “Allie, you’re a freaking genius. How could I not see that?”

She’s doing a little victory dance in her seat, and I laugh so loudly the hostess and several patrons glance over.

“Sweet, na
ï
ve Corey,” Allie says. “There’s no way a straight guy like Ben is going to be able to admit he’s into you if he doesn’t even know you’re gay. He’s probably going out of his mind right now thinking he’s got a forbidden crush on his new friend. Meanwhile, you’re waiting for him to give you a sign, which ain’t gonna happen as long as he thinks you’re straight.”

“Shit. I’ve been waiting for him to show me the exact thing he’s been trying to hide.”

“Bingo, sweetness. I guaran-damn-tee you that’s what’s going on. What I want to know is why I had to point this out to you? You’re supposed to be the
Stud Muffin of the Year
, according to Ben.”

“He called me that?” I grin and take a sip of coffee. “That’s got to mean something, right?”

“You really are clueless where he’s concerned, aren’t you? Don’t tell me you’ve never gone after a straight guy before.”

“I’ve never really gone after
anyone
before.”

She looks at me like I’m some sort of alien. “What do you mean, you’ve never gone after anyone?”

Before I can answer, we’re interrupted by a waitress who brings over two huge platters of food. There’s shrimp, oysters, fish, deviled crab, and a two skewers of grilled vegetables. “My treat,” Allie says at my confused expression. “One of the perks of owning a restaurant is being able to feed my friends.”

“It looks delicious, Allie. I don’t know how to thank you.”

“Well, for starters you could finish your story. Tell me why you’ve never gone after anybody… which I don’t believe for a minute.”

“It’s true,” I insist, popping a savory shrimp into my mouth and making a show of enjoying it even though it’s burning out the lining of my mouth. “There’s always been plenty of action if I wanted it. I guess I just never wanted anyone who didn’t come onto me first.”

“Of course. Because everyone you meet comes onto you. Jeez, you are a spoiled rotten, sexy son of a bitch, you know that? You really have no idea what we mortals go through for love.”

I dig into one of the deviled crabs with my fork. “I think I have some idea. Remember why I’m here? Ben, the hot doctor who treats me like I have bubonic plague…”

Allie laughs. “You mean he wears a creepy gas mask when he’s around you? Some folks get off on that kind of thing.”

We sit and talk while I eat, and I can’t stop complimenting her on the food. After a while, she winks and picks up the coffee pot. “I’ve got to go, darlin’. This place is starting to fill up. You sit here as long as you want and enjoy your meal. Order whatever you want.” She starts to walk away, then turns back. “Why don’t you stay with me tonight, since you say you can’t go home?”

“That’s very nice of you, Allie. I’ll definitely take you up on your offer if I can’t work up the courage to go home.”

If I still have a home.

“Okay, sweetie. Enjoy.” She bustles off to tend to her customers. The place is getting packed just as she promised, and I’m starting to feel a little guilty about taking up space and eating for free.

I continue picking at my food, wishing I had some sweet tea. Outside of this small section of Georgia, there’s not another place in the world that serves such delicious tea. Before I moved to Blackwood, I could never figure out why anyone liked the bland, watery mess. Then the waitress at the Huddle House near the hospital accidentally brought me a glass instead of soda, and I was hooked. The stuff is like liquid crack.

When a waitress comes by, I flag her down. “Could you please bring me a sweet tea in a to-go cup?”

“Sure, honey. Be right back.”

I scan the room while I wait. There are all sorts of people in here tonight. Some are scrubbed and sparkling like they’re on a date, while a few look like they came straight from the gym.

In a far alcove of the dining room, a flash of white-blond hair catches my eye, and I know who it is instantly. Christina sits across from a lanky red-haired man in a nice suit, and I think I recognize him as one of the doctors from the hospital. She reaches across the table with those thin, grasping fingers and touches him intimately on the arm. I’ve been around her enough to know what that means. She’s gaming him like she does everyone else.

I turn sideways in the booth and sink back into the corner, because the last thing I want is for her to see me. When I change positions, I’m looking straight at the podium at the entrance, and what I see there makes my heart leap into my throat.

Ben…

He stands in the doorway, his hair a sexy mess, eyes searching. He’s got his leather hoodie on, and a green sweater that intensifies the green in his eyes even at this distance. I’ve found plenty of guys attractive in my lifetime, but there’s never been one who affected me like he does. It’s not just looks, either. There are these little mannerisms he has, facial expressions, things I can’t even pinpoint. Every time I see him, there’s this strange weakness that washes over my whole body, and I get such a buzz of excitement I can hardly control myself. It’s getting worse every day. If I can’t tell him how I feel soon, I’m going to explode.

Allie comes out to the podium and hugs Ben warmly. I feel a twinge of jealousy when he doesn’t pull away like he does when I touch him.

She points in my direction, and when he turns and his eyes meet mine, there’s a hardness in them that freezes the blood in my veins. How can a man look so boyish and so intimidating at the same time?

Everything drops into slow motion as he crosses the room toward me. I stand to greet him, fighting the urge to wrap my arms around him like Allie did. Instead, I touch his shoulder with one hand, but he shrugs it off.

“What the hell do you mean riding off like that and staying gone so long? You don’t even have a damn phone. How am I supposed to know if you’re coming back, or even if you’re okay?”

“Ben—”

“I’ve called the hospital, the sheriff, and the coroner.”

“Jesus, I’m sorry. I had no idea you’d be worried about me.”

“If you’re going to live with me, we need some rules, or some boundaries or something, dammit.” He’s not yelling, but he’s obviously agitated, and some of the diners have begun to look our way. I chance a glance at Christina, who is watching with interest.

“Ben, let’s go home, okay? Let’s at least get out of here so that we don’t have an audience.” I jerk my head in her direction, and he turns to look. She waves demurely.
Bitch
.

Ben smirks. “She didn’t waste any time, did she?”

“That’s what I thought, too. Do you know that guy? Isn’t he a doctor?”

“Yeah, Dr. Frank Hannigan. That snake is living out half of his wet dream right now sitting there with my ex.”

“What’s the other half?”

“Getting my job. Come on, let’s go before they come over here.”

The waitress shows up with my tea just in the nick of time, and I grab the cup off the tray as I hurry to keep up with Ben.

He drives like a maniac all the way home, which is fine with me. I love driving fast. It makes me feel so damn alive, which is ironic because speeding is essentially begging for death. All you have to do is watch the news to know that.

When we hit an open stretch of highway with a dotted line, I pull around him, smiling and giving him a friendly finger as I move past his window. He’s going to have to do some fancy driving if he’s going to outrun me.

We race along the highway at almost a hundred miles per hour. Not as fast as they drive in the movies or on the race track, but it’s a nice clip for a curvy country road on Saturday evening. At the beginning of a short straightaway, Ben’s Porsche pulls past me to take the lead again, narrowly making it back into our lane before a pickup truck pops around the next corner, blaring its horn.

Jesus, that was close.

After a few seconds, my breathing starts up again, and I relax my butt cheeks. I can’t help but think it’s awfully irresponsible for a doctor and a medic to behave this way. We’ve dedicated our lives to saving people, and right now we’re about one swerve away from ending lives.

He doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, and I’m not about to let him get away from me. I’m gearing up to overtake him on the next straightaway, which I think is coming up in less than a quarter of a mile, when I see flashing blue lights reflecting off the Porsche’s shiny black finish.

Great... This is all I need.

For about two seconds, I consider making a run for it, but that would be stupid. And besides, Ben would never run, and I can’t leave him hanging to take the blame.

But he probably doesn’t have a record like you do, idiot.

I wonder what Ben will do when he finds out I have a police record. No doubt I’m about to be cuffed and chauffeured off to jail. I might as well move back to Atlanta if I can make bail. Either way, my life is over.

“Sit right here,” the cop orders as he walks past me on the way to Ben’s car. I’m not about to disobey, because he’s holding my future in his hands. If only he would speak privately with me about my record and whatever consequences I may be facing. Ben doesn’t need to know all that crap. No felonies, but enough misdemeanors to paint a nasty picture. If he does find out, especially this way, I think I’ll die of embarrassment. And he’ll hate me.

Ben has his window rolled down when the officer approaches. I can hear their voices, but I can’t make out what they’re saying. At least the cop isn’t yelling or snatching Ben out of the car.

After a moment, he heads back in my direction, and I steel myself for what’s to come.

“Slow it down, son,” he says as he passes me. I watch in my mirror as he gets in his car and drives away.

What the hell…

Ben sticks a hand out the car window and gives a quick thumbs up before pulling back onto the highway. I follow, though my head is reeling and I can’t wait to get home to ask him what just happened.

When I pull into his garage, he’s already inside the house, so I ring the doorbell. After a few minutes, the door swings open, and he’s standing there in nothing but a pristine white towel wrapped precariously low around his waist. I feel the heat rising in my face at the sight, and suddenly my imagination has me slamming his perfect body against the wall and violating him in several interesting ways.

Maybe I should have just gone to the pool house, because now I’m going to have to figure out how to hide my growing erection.

“Why are you ringing the bell?” He steps aside to let me enter. “The door was unlocked. You could’ve just come in.”

“Uh… last I checked, I don’t live here, Ben. I live in the pool house.”

He waves a hand dismissively. “Just come in. I was about to take a steam shower. After being out in the cold, I really need one.”

“Okay, but first tell me what happened with that cop back there. We were going over 100 when he clocked us. So why aren’t we both in jail with our vehicles impounded?”

Ben laughs. “Possum is a friend of mine. He didn’t realize it was me until he got close to the car, so he apologized. That’s all.”

“Wait. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Did you just say that a cop apologized for pulling you over for racing on the highway?”

“Corey, I told you everybody knows everybody in a small town. Sometimes that can be bad, and sometimes it can be very good. Especially if you’re a doctor.” He winks and strolls back to his bathroom. “Make yourself at home.”

I hear the shower come on, and that’s when I realize he’s left the bathroom door open. My breathing stalls as I stare at the open door. Ben unwinds the towel from around his waist, tosses it onto the counter, and steps naked into the enormous glass-
and-stone shower. The only opening is the vent at the top of the door, and the shower quickly fills with thick, white steam, obscuring my view of his body. I’m sure it’s for the best, because I feel awkward playing Peeping Tom out here.