Page 22 of The Healing Touch (Manwhore #3)

“Why don’t you guys bring Becca your business cards, and she can contact you after the signing is over?

” Dimitri suggested. “That is, if I let her. She is my PA, after all.” He gave them all his sexy grin, and they reacted the same way most women did.

Their eyes widened and their cheeks pinked up.

And it got their attention off Becca. She was showing signs of stress, and he didn’t want her to have an all-out attack in front of everyone. She’d never forgive him.

Becca shot him a grateful look and slipped behind him to start working on the table, leaving him to chat with the ladies.

He noticed Sara Jane’s gaze followed her, her expression curious.

She did say something about her kid having anxiety problems. She might understand a little of what Becca was going through. He’d talk to her about it later.

Sara Jane’s phone rang, and she pulled it out, her face morphing into agitation. Now, that was curious. She excused herself to take the call. He hoped nothing was wrong. He kept up the conversation with the other authors, but his attention remained divided between Sara and Becca.

“Here, make yourself useful.” Becca shoved another banner at him. “This one is more important than your other one.”

“Why?” Why the fuck would she order two of the damned things?

“This one is your Hunter series banner. This is the series fans love. I couldn’t not design one specifically for it.”

He eyeballed the thing with as much hate as he could muster up. Damn banner .

Becca smiled when she saw his glare. “You need to learn to do it. Sara isn’t going to be at all your signings to rescue you.”

He took the box grudgingly. “Sorry, ladies, the boss is putting me to work. I’ll chat with you later when we come look around the room.”

They all laughed good naturedly, and he turned to find Becca with her back to the room once again. “Hey, babe, you okay?”

“Yeah.”

He didn’t like the quietness of her tone. It said no, she wasn’t okay.

He stepped up behind her, his head by her ear. “You aren’t a good liar, sweetheart. Do you need us to leave? I can come back later and finish.” Not that he knew what he was doing, but he was betting he could talk Sara into helping him, unless her husband was being an ass again.

She shook her head and stepped back, forcing him to do the same. “I’m fine, D. Really. I just need to finish this, and you’re in the way. Put the banner up, please, and let me get this done so we can get out of here.”

Instead of listening to her, he wrapped his arms around her, his lips ghosting over her jawline. Distraction was the key with Becca. Another thing he’d need to ask his mom about.

“What are you doing?” she hissed, and he grinned. She was getting all mad and embarrassed. Just the reaction he was hoping for.

“Kissing you?”

“Stop it!”

“What if I don’t want to?”

“Dimitri Kincaid, I swear to God, I am going to hurt you!”

He laughed and stepped back. “Fine, I’ll put up the damn banner.

” Several of the other tables were watching them, amused.

He winked at them and went about trying to make the banner stand up.

It kicked his ass so much it even had Becca laughing at him.

Hell, he’d let the damn thing do it all over again as long as it made her laugh.

“You still haven’t figured that thing out?” Sara Jane stood to his left, hands on her hips, laughing for all she was worth.

“No. Save me, please.”

“Don’t you dare do it for him!” Becca looked up from arranging the bins she’d put on the table. “He needs to learn to do it.”

“Or you need to learn to do it,” he grumbled.

“Nope. I’m doing all this.” She swept her hand at his table. “Your only job is the banners. Stop being a baby and get the shit done, D.”

“Someone’s not happy with you,” Sara whispered conspiratorially. “What did you do?”

“Kissed her.” He shrugged. People would know soon enough, including Becca.

Sara Jane grinned. “’Bout time you two figured it out.”

“Figured it out?” He watched her put the banner together and growled when she pulled it apart. “Why did you do that?”

“Becca said you needed to learn to do it, so you’re going to learn. As for your first question, I’m glad you figured out that the two of you are perfect for each other. I’ve known it for over a year, listening to you talk about each other.”

“It’s not that simple, Sara.” He kept a watchful eye on Becca as he lowered his voice. “I’m not the relationship kind of man, and she deserves that.”

“So, what? You’re just going to treat her like you do your other women, Dimitri? I thought better of you than that.”

The reproach in her voice was so like his mother’s he cringed. “No. I wouldn’t do that to her.”

“Then, what?”

“I don’t know. I just know I can’t get her out of my head. Maybe try the relationship thing for real? Go into it knowing something might come out of it besides amazing sex?”

“Make sure that’s what you really want, Dimitri, or you’ll hurt her. A hurt neither of you can come back from.”

“I know that, Sara.” He rolled his head, trying to ease some of the tension in the muscles, and changed the subject.

He didn’t want to talk about what was going on with him and Becca before the two of them had a chance to discuss it.

“What’s going on with you? You looked pissed earlier when you took that call.

Your husband throwing a fit over you being here? ”

She sighed like the world’s sorrows had landed at her feet. “That was Roger on the phone. He’s pissed I brought Delia with me. My mom’s here watching her, but he’s still mad. Said she doesn’t need to be around anything that promotes sex.”

“He’s fucking stupid.”

Her laugh came out hollow. “Well, considering I filed for divorce and a restraining order in the same breath, he’s doing everything he can to make my life a living hell right now.”

“Restraining order?” What had the fucker done?

“Yes.” Sara nodded. “Roger could be…abusive. He never touched Delia until three weeks ago when she didn’t put her toys away fast enough for him. He hit her, Dimitri. So hard it knocked one of her baby teeth out.”

“Motherfucker.”

“I slipped one of my sleeping pills into his dinner. Once he was out, I grabbed Delia and called my mom. She drove us to the ER. I filed the restraining order the next day. The judge took one look at Delia’s face and granted it.

The only problem is Roger won’t leave us alone.

He keeps harassing me, showing up and violating the order.

He does it when there are no witnesses around and I can’t prove he’s violating the order.

I don’t know what to do. I’m afraid he’s going to hurt us.

It’s why I brought Delia with me to this. I don’t want her out of my sight.”

“My brother owns a security company. He can provide you with a bodyguard, help you catch this motherfucker in violation of the order, and get his ass thrown in jail.”

“I can’t really afford private security…”

“No, you need this, Sara. I’ll deal with the cost.”

“You will not deal with the cost.”

“Yes, buttercup, I will. No arguments. That fucker needs to be taken care of. No one hits a kid and gets away with it.”

“Let him do this for you.” Becca made them both jump when her quiet voice startled them. “Sorry, your whispering carried over to where I was. Your soon-to-be ex sounds dangerous, Sara Jane. Let Dimitri help you and your little girl.”

Sara looked torn, but Dimitri was pretty sure the thought of her daughter was what made her agree. “Okay, thank you.”

He pulled out his phone and called his brother for the second time today.

“Hey, brat . Something happen?”

“I’ve got another job for you. A friend of mine’s ex is causing her problems. Motherfucker needs to be put in his place, and she can’t catch him breaking the restraining order where there are witnesses around.”

“Yeah, the police’s hands are tied in those situations. Witnesses have to see him. How dangerous is he?”

“Very. He likes to use his fists.”

The low growl that sounded over the line could be heard by both women standing next to him.

“Hit their kid. It’s what made her leave. Sara’s a friend of mine. You bill me with the cost. She needs the help.”

“She can’t afford us?” Viktor asked.

“No, that’s why I’m paying. She’s a good friend.”

“Tell me she’s not one of your exes.”

“Fuck, no. I don’t mess around with married women.”

“You said it was her ex…”

“She filed for divorce…how long ago did you file?”

“Two weeks. He’s fighting it tooth and nail.”

“That her?” Viktor asked.

“Yeah. Can you send someone out here to help her? Her ex is harassing her, and she’s afraid he’ll try something. She has their daughter with her.”

“Yeah. I’ll get the first flight out.”

“You?” Dimitri asked, surprised.

“I won’t charge you a damn thing since she’s a friend, and I can’t abide a man hitting a woman or child.

I won’t ask the other guys to work for free, either, so I’ll handle it myself.

Should only take a few hours to get down there.

I’ll book a hotel room and meet you and this woman for breakfast. Sound good? ”

“Sounds great. Thanks, Vik.”

He didn’t even bother to say goodbye, just hung up on him. A bad habit of Viktor’s. He’d learned it from Conner.

“Looks like you’re going to get the services of the CEO himself.

” Dimitri grinned, thinking about what Viktor was going to think of Sara.

The man was always after his forever kind of love, searching and testing the waters on a regular basis.

Sara Jane wasn’t his usual type, but he had this nagging feeling fireworks were going to soon explode.

Romance writer’s instincts kicking in and shouting, “New book idea coming soon!”

“I appreciate it, baby doll. Thank you.”

Dimitri gave her a quick hug. “You set up yet?”