All In (Casino Nights #2) (19 page)

Panic kept her jerking her body, trying to fight the men. “Make this stop Remy, please make this stop.” She started crying. She was in full panic mode, not registering that the scene had stopped.

“Trevor move away from her,” Remy ordered.

“God, man, I swear I didn’t hurt her. I wouldn’t,” he said, confusion in his voice.

Francesca dragged in a ragged breath. “I don’t want this. No more, please no more.” Tears rolled down her cheeks.

Remy’s jaw firmed. “No more, Trev. We’re done here,” he said, moving to block Trevor from her line of sight.

She threw herself against Remy’s body.

Remy didn’t know what was going on. Francesca was crying hysterically, begging him to make the scene stop.

He glanced in Trevor’s direction. His friend’s face was ashen as he watched Francesca burrow into Remy’s body.

He tightened his arms around her as he spoke to Trevor. “Get dressed and get gone.” He hated to use that harsh tone with his friend, but he had to make Francesca feel safe.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she chanted into his chest.

Remy disentangled one arm and grabbed a cotton blanket that was on the chair in the corner of the room. He wrapped it around Francesca, who was still shaking. He lifted her into his arms and carried her to the balcony. “Can you sit out here until Trevor leaves? Will you be okay?” He looked at her tear-stained face.

She nodded yes against his shoulder.

He placed her gently on her feet and unlocked the balcony door. He threw the door open and led her to a chair. After she sat, he tightened the blanket around her. “Give me two minutes. I’ll be right back.” He rested his hand on her shoulder.

“Okay.” She pressed her hand on top of his.

He pulled the door partially closed and walked back into the bedroom.

Trevor was sitting on the corner of the bed with his head in his hands.

Remy dropped down beside him. “I don’t know what happened.”

Trevor raised his head. His worried gaze met Remy’s. “I don’t know what I did. I thought she was into it.” He looked lost and upset. His shoulders were slumped, and he opened and closed his mouth a few times as if he was searching for the words he wanted to say.

“She was into it,” Remy said, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I know her well enough to tell you that.”

“Did she say anything? Tell you why?”

Remy shook his head, and then stood and looked around for a something to put on. He snagged a pair of jeans that were draped over the arm of the chair.

“I hope she won’t hate me,” Trevor said, staring off into space.

“She won’t hate you, and neither will I,” Remy said, trying to assure his friend and himself.

“The crazy thing is, I really like her Rem. I mean, as a person. Tonight was hot, but I knew it was a one-time thing. I wanted to make it good for her.” Trevor turned to look at his friend.

“If I can find out what happened, I’ll tell you.” Remy zipped his pants and walked to the bedroom door, clearly signaling that Trevor should leave.

Remy watched as Trevor moved around the suite, grabbing the rest of his clothes and hurriedly dressing.

When Trevor moved toward the door and unlocked the deadbolt, he turned, his eyes still troubled. “Man, I hope I didn’t fuck anything up for you. I mean, I want this for you.”

Remy rested against the wall. “Me too, buddy, me too.”

Remy watched Trevor go, and then made sure all was secure. He let out a long sigh and headed to Francesca.

She was curled up in the chair looking out into the night. She didn’t turn her head as he pushed open the balcony door.

He pulled the other chair closer to her and sat. Then he took her hand and held it, not saying a word.

Minutes ticked by and neither said a word.

Finally, she spoke very quietly, “I’m sorry I lost it. I ruined everything.”

“Can you tell me why, sweetheart?”

She licked her lips and squeezed his hand more tightly. “Everything was going good. All of a sudden, I didn’t want him touching me like that. It felt…it felt wrong.” She turned to look at him.

He chose his words very carefully. “Did he do something that felt wrong or hurt you?” If he had, he would kill him. Remy felt anger simmer in his veins.

She rushed to answer, tripping over her words, “No, no it wasn’t that.” She turned in her chair to face him. “He’s really skilled.”

He frowned at that information.

“Well, you said that he had a lot of experience.” She was pleading with her eyes for something, understanding maybe.

“Yeah, that’s true.” He gave her a small nod. He did it to reassure her and hopefully she would keep talking.

She looked toward the view again, and he let her be silent. He watched her staring out into the night. He knew Trevor was worried, and he made a mental note to tell him not to contact Francesca. Of course, Trevor’s way of apologizing to women usually came in the form of a box from a jeweler or a designer purse.

“I don’t want another man to come inside me. I don’t want another to touch me. Never again.”

He could barely hear the words over the sound of the surf. “Okay,” he said, quietly, hoping she would say more.

“I was watching you,” she said, “and a look passed over your face like you were upset. You covered it up really well, but I thought you didn’t want Trevor there with us.”

How much to say? “Before we even started, I knew he would be touching you. No, it wasn’t fun for me, seeing you respond to him, but it was also hot. Does that make any sense?”

She raised one shoulder in a shrug.

He continued, “I knew that you had wanted to try a three-way, and when I made the offer, I knew you would be with Trevor.” He glanced her way to find her staring intently. “It was a part of the deal, and it got easier the more turned on you got. I know you enjoyed part of it. I know how you respond, and you were into it. I made that happen. I gave you that.”

She nodded a few times. “You did, and you’re right. I was into it. It was hot. But then I started thinking and …” She started to cry.

Remy cursed softly under his breath then pulled her onto his lap. After tucking the blanket around her, he started to rock her gently. “What got you so upset? What went through your head?”

“I realized that you love me a lot.” She let out a small whimper. “So much that you would share me with another man, just to make me happy, to give me a gift.” She buried her face in his neck.

“And because of that, you suddenly didn’t want Trevor with us?” He was struggling to understand.

“It felt wrong. I didn’t want to be shared. I only want you.” She cried harder.

He had no idea why she was crying harder, but he’d just heard words that made his heart pump madly.

He held her a long time, letting her work through her tears. When she had been quiet for a few minutes, he shifted in his seat. “Frankie, let’s go to sleep. Sleep will help, I promise.”

He felt her nod slide against his chest, and he stood and carried her to their bed.

Chapter Eleven

The digital clock read 4:18. Great. Ten minutes had passed since the last time she’d checked the screen. Her flight left at eight-thirty, and she still needed to pack and shower. She forced her mind to focus on the task at hand and not about the events of the previous night.

“Might as well turn on the light and order breakfast. I know you’ve been awake for at least an hour.” Remy’s voice was scratchy this morning as he kissed her shoulder.

She reached for the bedside lamp and golden light shone in the room. “Sorry, I really didn’t want to wake you.” She plumped her pillows behind her back and sat up.

“I figure you have a lot on your mind, so I expected it.” He rolled onto his back and folded his hands behind his head.

“I’ll hurry up and shower then get packed, and you can go back to sleep.” She really didn’t want to discuss her freak out.

He raised a stern eyebrow. “This is what’s going to go down this morning, Francesca.” He continued looking at the ceiling. “While you shower, I’ll call room service and place our order. After we eat, you can pack, and I’ll shower. We’ll grab a cab to the airport.”

“You don’t have to go with me. Like I said, you can go back to sleep.” His kindness was making her uncomfortable. She wanted some distance from him and her feelings.

“Don’t,” he growled. “I know you’re trying to deal with what happened last night. I am, too. But don’t push me away. Now, I’m gonna take a piss, and then you get in the shower.” He got up and strode to the bathroom.

Terrific, now Remy was irritated, and she really didn’t know what to do. “Great, just great.” She let out a loud sigh as she heard the toilet flush.

Remy opened the door and walked to the chest of drawers. He pulled on a pair of navy fleece shorts. He turned to her. “Do you want anything special for breakfast?”

“Something light, like a muffin, and lots of coffee.” She got up and walked naked to the bathroom.

She was dressed in a red cotton tunic and black jeans. Her wet hair was wrapped in a towel on top of her head. She had pulled her suitcase from the closet, and it lay open on their bed.

“Food’s here,” Remy called.

She pulled the towel from her head and walked into the bathroom to toss the towel on the floor under the vanity.

The waiter rolled the cart to the table. They watched him unload their breakfast selections. He then handed the leather checkholder to Remy, who signed it, and walked the man to the door.

Francesca stood behind a chair at the table and waited for Remy to sit down. “Looks good,” she told him.

“Take a seat, babe.” His words were still clipped.

She pulled out the chair across from his and sat. Immediately, he handed her the coffee carafe. She had to smile, he did know her very well.

Later, Remy pulled a T-shirt over his head as she zipped her suitcase closed. “Are we going to talk about last night before you get on the plane?” He moved to the bathroom and started to finger-comb his hair.

She sat on the edge of the bed, her knees suddenly felt shaky. “I don’t know what you want me to say.” She honestly didn’t have a handle on everything that had happened. She just wanted him to stop pushing.

She saw him drop both hands to the vanity counter top as he bowed his head. She thought he mumbled something, but she couldn’t make out the words. A moment later, he strode to the closet, grabbed his topsiders, and slid his feet inside them. When he turned, his expression was neutral. “Ready?”

She couldn’t believe that he letting her off this easily. No discussion. No pressing for more explanations. “Uh, yes.”

He moved next to her, grabbed her suitcase from the bed, then pulled the retractable handle out and started walking to the door.

She watched his stiff back, not quite sure what to do. Did she want him to push her to talk? No, she wasn’t sure about what she was feeling, only that she’d wrecked last night, and he seemed irritated with her this morning.

“Remy,” she started, he stopped and turned around to look at her. “I’m glad that you want to go with me this morning.” She smiled weakly at him. It sounded lame to her own ears.

“I’m not sure when I’ll see you again, so I gotta make every minute count.” He waited by the door to the hallway.

She didn’t like his words. What was that supposed to mean? She opened her tote bag and stowed her purse. She placed her phone in the exterior pocket. She slowly looked around the large room, memorizing each detail. Tears pricked at the back of her eyes. Was this the end? She squared her shoulders and blinked quickly to battle the impending tears. She walked to the door.

***

As the cab pulled over to the curb in the departure area of the airport, Remy handed the driver cash. The driver moved to retrieve her bag from the trunk as she opened the door and stepped out.

Remy was right behind her. “I’ll walk you inside and wait while you check in.”

“Oh, uhm, good.” It was good. That gave her a little bit more time to figure out what to say to him.

The driver set her bag on the curb and thanked them. Remy pulled out the extended handle and placed his hand on the middle of her back. They headed into the terminal.

The check-in went quickly, and she watched her suitcase disappear on the conveyer belt. They exited the area, and he led her toward the food court in the atrium.

“Want something to drink?” He moved toward a table that didn’t have anyone sitting nearby.

She put her tote bag in the empty chair and sat down. “No, thank you.”

He pulled out the plastic chair and sat beside her.

She’d never felt this awkward with him.

He pulled his chair closer then he raked a hand through his hair. “Babe, I don’t know what to say. I’m not sure where your head is this morning.”

“I’m not sure either,” she said, feeling close to tears.

He slowly laid his arm across her shoulders.

She blinked away the tears and gave him a small smile. “I feel a little raw. And I think you’re mad at me.”

Remy closed his eyes for a second. “I’m not mad at you. Just a little frustrated. I wish you didn’t have to leave this morning. I feel like we need to hash this out, and we’re running out of time.”

She dropped her head to his shoulder. “I don’t know what more to say.” She tried to swallow back her tears.

He must have heard them or sensed them. “Babe, I’ll give you some time, but we have to work through this.”

“Promise?” she whispered. “You’ll give me some time?”

“Promise,” he answered.

They sat like that at the table for ten minutes. He said no more, and she tried to find the words to tell him everything that was going on in her head. She heard his phone ping, signaling that a text had come in.

“So early?” She watched as he pulled the phone from his pocket and checked the screen.

“Trevor’s been up all night. He’s worried about you.” Remy put his phone on the table.

“Oh.” She hated that her behavior might drive a wedge between them. “Can you tell him I hope he isn’t too mad at me? None of this is his fault.”

“Sure.” Remy picked up his phone and started tapping buttons. When he finished he put the phone back into his pocket. “I told him not to contact you.”