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

“We’ll need to grab sleep when we can, and hopefully, the visit will go smoothly.” Rico rested his arms on the table. Nobody said a word: they all knew what the next week would hold.

Francesca enjoyed the moment of quiet. She’d been working sixteen-hour days for the last week and was trying to rest whenever she could.

Remington Cooper’s face flashed into her head. His smile had given her goose bumps the first time she’d seen him. She’d thought he was hot—over six feet tall, with short blonde hair and eyes as blue as the sky on a bright winter’s day. His body was thick and muscular, and he knew how to use it. They’d attended a conference in Chicago, and …

She wasn’t sure what to call it. From the start, Remy had made it very clear he didn’t think of that weekend as a hook-up. The sex had been off the charts, and he was a really great guy. She didn’t want to label it as anything more. He worked in Indiana, and she was across the continent in Las Vegas. She didn’t believe in long-distance relationships. However, she was looking forward to her upcoming trip to see her cousins who lived south of Indianapolis— and Remy. Especially Remy.

At the Chicago conference, she’d run into a man who’d believed Jimmy O’Haire, and by extension, her, had screwed him in a business deal. He had caused a disturbance during Remy’s panel, and then vandalized Francesca’s hotel room. Although they had just gotten together, Remy had stood by Francesca’s side throughout the ordeal. They’d bonded over it. He was naturally protective, and yet allowed her to be in charge. Well, there had been some negotiation because he was an alpha male, but she’d liked that he’d listened to her.

“I think he’s directing that comment to you specifically,” Hadley’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

“What? I’m sorry, I was thinking about something else.” She blinked her eyes several times to help her focus.

“I think she was thinking about a certain someone,” Blade teased.

Her team members had become her close friends over the course of the last eighteen months. She could feel her cheeks warm with a blush.

Hadley was eyeing her critically. They’d met when Francesca moved to Indiana for grad school and had become instant friends. “I’m being totally honest here. You came back from Chicago with a glow. I’m happy for you. But I worry that you’re working so much, and you won’t be able to connect with him. A guy like that isn’t going to wait around for you to find a good time to see him.”

Francesca felt her throat tighten. She was working too many hours. As it was, she barely had time to sleep. How could she keep up a relationship? Her ex-husband had thrown in the towel after just eight months. He’d felt ignored because she was too involved with The Red Rose.

“Babe, something’s got to give.” Hadley’s voice was full of concern. “You’re not getting enough sleep, and as much as I respect him, Jimmy will continue to work you so hard you’ll end up in the hospital nearly dead from exhaustion.”

Francesca felt her body’s exhaustion—mental, physical and emotional. “I know. I’m trying, but keeping the business running smoothly falls onto my shoulders. Jimmy has high expectations.”

Hadley’s gaze locked with hers. “Then you’re going to have to start saying ‘no’ or let us do that for you.” Francesca tried to speak, but Hadley held up her finger to silence her words. “You like this man from Indiana. Don’t let this job push him out of your life before you know what could be. We have great jobs, but I think you want something more. You deserve a chance. Francesca, don’t fuck this up.”

***

Remington Cooper stifled the urge to look to the heavens for assistance. The big boss had summoned him into his office. So Remy had dropped everything, and was now masking his impatience while their leader got to the point.

Bennett Zike was very successful. He had many political allies and his name was synonymous with the Indiana Commission for Gaming and Betting. He’d survived three governors and didn’t seem to have any plans to retire.

Remy straightened in the chair positioned across from the executive’s desk. “I appreciate your praise sir, but after a considerable amount of thought, I have no interest in staying on.” He had notified his immediate boss and Bennett six weeks earlier that he would be leaving their employ.

Bennett waved a hand in the air. “Yes, Remington, I read your letter. I called you in to ask if there is anything that we could do to change your mind.” The man continued to stare at Remy.

Not the least uncomfortable with a tactic that would have made a lesser man squirm, Remy maintained eye contact. “No sir, I fully intend to leave.”

Bennett leaned forward in his chair. “I was afraid you’d say that, so I’m going to be straight with you. We have a situation, something in your skill set, and I need you to work swiftly and below the radar. I know that you have hundreds of connections that will talk to you either officially or not. I need to know what really happened. We can’t afford the publicity of a lawsuit stating that two of our on-site supervisors have been trading sex for looking the other way regarding infractions. That would kill me politically and cause an upheaval within the ranks.”

The sales pitch went on and on. Remy tried to look interested, but the truth was, there were plenty of people who could take over his position. Hell, there were five he could name today that would probably do a better job. This government agency had an overabundance of men and women who were more than qualified to advance, but there were simply too few options for promotion. “I appreciate your confidence in my work, Mr. Zike. But I stand firm. I am leaving, but this is what I’m willing to do—I’ll stay until September first. That’ll give the agency time to find my successor, and I can take care of this special project.”

Bennett flashed a quick smile. “Thank you for the extra time. I wish it could be more, but a man’s allowed to make up his own mind. I’ll let the necessary parties know.”

“Thank you.” After shaking hands with the boss, Remy made his way back to his office. Once there, he glanced at his watch. Now was about to be the best part of the day.

He pulled out his phone and sent Francesca a text. Call in 10?

A minute later, he felt his phone vibrate. Give me 15. I need to get to my office.

They had fallen into a schedule for calls, and when their busy days allowed, FaceTime chats. “Fuck,” he grumbled as he adjusted his timetable in his head. He could tie up loose ends in about two weeks here, and then he’d stop in Florida to visit his mother. After that, he could do whatever he needed to do to woo Francesca. He’d known he wanted to call her his woman the first day he’d met her. Sure, he’d been aware of her before, having read a lot about her and The Red Rose Casino, but he hadn’t been prepared for her impact until she’d walked into the his office two years ago.

He had interviewed Jimmy O’Haire and Francesca, personally, for their application to become casino owners in the state of Indiana. It was part of his job to meet those that might become involved with gaming. His people would forward background checks and the applications that the parties had completed. God, the submitted photo attached to her file had not done her justice. At first sight, he’d been a goner.

She’d been wearing a purple dress and moved gracefully in her heels, no clomping as so many women who wore killer heels were prone to do. Her brown hair had been in some intricate roll at the back of her head. Francesca had exuded confidence and proceeded to impress him with her intellect. She’d answered every question concisely and with no apparent nervousness, her brown gaze never wavering. Jimmy O’Haire had sat in the conference room chair relaxed, watching her with pride written all over his face. She’d been amazing.

When the meeting had ended, he’d stood to escort them to the elevator, but the conference room door had stuck. During Francesca’s second attempt to force it open, it gave, and she lost her balance. Remy caught her against him. He ran his hand down her back and grasped her soft hips. Surprisingly, he’d felt a tremor pulse through her body. Even then, it had taken all of his self-control not to wrap her in a tight hug.

Jimmy O’Haire clearly adored her and respected her intelligence. The file had contained copies of the news clippings telling the story of the attempt on O’Haire’s life that left Francesca’s father dead and her seriously injured. Her mother had abandoned the family right after the baby’s birth, and apparently hadn’t tried to reconnect after the death of her husband. Rose and Jimmy adopted Francesca, and from all indications, loved her dearly.

After their time together in Chicago, he knew she carried too much weight on her shoulders. She worked too many hours, and her hands-on approach exhausted her. Her father relied on her heavily. The timing wasn’t right to address that problem, not yet. For now, he would be patient and continue getting to know her.

He checked his watch and hit the button on his phone. It rang twice, and he heard her talking as she picked up his call.

“Out. This is my time,” Francesca ordered.

“I do like it when you go all bossy and bark commands,” Remy teased.

“Yeah, like you would ever let me be the Domme.”

He loved her voice, it was a deep and smooth, like a good scotch. He felt his cock harden. “We could try.” He leaned back in his chair and loosened his tie.

“I’ve had a bitch of the day, so I’m hoping that talking to you makes it better.”

He smiled. “Your day’s just starting. What’s happened to screw with it already?” He knew she kept crazy hours, but she should have been at her office for only a couple of hours.

“Jimmy’s lost it over this group of Chinese visitors set to arrive in about an hour. He called an emergency meeting. I got a couple of hours of sleep, and I’ve been fighting fires ever since I arrived this morning.”

“He should know by now that Team 2 has everything well in hand.” He knew that she was proud of her hand-picked team. They were prepared to handle every type of crisis at The Red Rose.

“One would think, but Jimmy got a call from a connection at the State Department. They want to make sure we’re fully prepared for this contingent arriving today.”

He smiled to himself and lowered his voice. “It’ll go smoothly, or you’ll see to it that it does.”

“You say the nicest things,” she said, her voice purring. “Honestly, I can’t wait for them to land and get settled, so that I can grab a cat nap.” She yawned audibly.

“You’ve been putting in a lot of hours. You need some relaxation and uninterrupted sleep.”

“Maybe I should take a trip, like to Indiana, a break to get away from this craziness.”

He smiled at her comment. “The problem with that is, I don’t think there’d be much sleeping.” He had to adjust himself. His zipper was digging into his cock.

She quickly changed the subject. “Tell me about your day.” “Your bossiness makes me hard, Frankie,” he growled.

“That came out sharper than I intended.” She sighed. “I told them no interruptions, but I keep thinking someone is going to pound on the door any minute.” She paused, and then spoke softly, “This is the best part of my day.”

He knew the last part was hard for her to admit. “I miss you,” he murmured, and he meant that.

“Yeah, me too.”

“I just got out of a meeting with the big boss, that’s why I’m calling so late.”

“I figured you were busy. So what did the honorable Mr. Zike have to say? If you can tell me...”

“He wanted to discuss extending my exit date and assigned me a project. I can’t discuss it.”

“Got it. Did he offer you more money to stay? I know how good you are at your job, Remy. You’re an asset to the agency, and he has to know that.”

He grinned because her tone had turned fierce. “Thanks. We agreed to a firm exit date, and he’s clear on that.” Remy felt his body release some of the tension he’d been carrying.

“I’m happy for you, if you’re satisfied.”

He grinned. “I am. I just might plan a trip to Vegas to celebrate my retirement.” His cheeks hurt from smiling so much.

“Sounds...perfect,” she said, her voice huskier now. “Late summer is lovely here—if you like temperatures that make you feel like you are being baked alive. Think you can handle that?”

“I was in the Gulf, Frankie. I survived that so I think I can handle Vegas.” He tried to keep the terseness out of his voice.

“Yeah, you can handle it,” she answered quietly.

“I plan on seducing a casino employee, and hopefully get an upgrade on my room,” he teased. He didn’t like to talk about his time in the Gulf, but he disliked that he had been short with her.

“I happen to work for a very nice casino with a hotel, and I have a very nice place. Maybe you should try to seduce me?”

Definitely. “I’m counting down the days until you come back to Indiana. Then I’ll get to the seducing,” he promised.

“I’m looking forward to that.”

As he settled deeper in his chair, he could hear the smile in her voice. He yearned to touch her, to laugh with her, and to talk to her. The sex was great, but her intelligence was his favorite thing about her. 

Chapter Two

Francesca turned on her phone as soon as the plane’s wheels touched the ground. Her heart pounded as she scanned the twelve messages. She tapped on Remy’s first.

Delayed at work. Will be a little late.

Perfect, the entire day had been nothing but problems. She had marked herself out last night so that she’d have a full night’s rest to travel on. The plan had gone well until the mayor’s sixteen-year-old son had been found in the one of the casino’s bars, and then he’d gotten into a scuffle with security. She’d had to pull in Jimmy to sort through the mess. Then a freak thunderstorm delayed takeoff, and she’d barely made her connection in Minneapolis. She’d jogged to her gate, and just made it inside before the doors closed. Now Remy was running late. She was bone tired and wanted only to go to bed. To sleep.

She typed a reply. No problem, I’ll grab a cab and get a room nearby. We can get together tomorrow.

She rode the escalator down to the lower concourse and looked for the signs for ground transportation. His ringtone sounded. She didn’t even get her words of greeting out before he started.