All In (Casino Nights #2) (7 page)

“Bruce knows what he’s doing,” Remy stated flatly.

“I sure as shit hope so.”

Francesca’s eyebrows rose as she stared from one man to the other. Then her gaze slipped past his shoulder. “Oh look, there’s Jennifer and Linc.”

The couple made their way to their little group.

After greetings were exchanged, Trevor took the drink orders and headed to the bar.

“I can’t wait to see what Lacey will be wearing,” Jennifer said. “Bruce’s mother said it was a Stella McCartney.

“I’m sure she will be lovely.” Francesca smiled at Jennifer. “That jumpsuit was made for you.”

Jennifer stood taller and did a little turn for Francesca. “I wasn’t sure about it. Looks like most everybody stuck to black.”

Remy smiled. Francesca was trying to make friends with the woman.

“The purple will make you stand out,” Francesca pronounced.

“I like your dress, too. I think I saw one like it at Macy’s.”

Remy watched his date to see how she would handle Jennifer’s barb. He knew from the shopping trip in Chicago that Francesca wore expensive clothes. He was sure the dress she was wearing tonight was designer and probably cost more than most people’s mortgage payment.

Francesca took a sip of her drink and turned to Linc. “Today, Remy was telling me a little about the hunting trip that you’re planning. So, how cold will it be in North Dakota?”

Linc chuckled. “Cold enough for the city boys to complain, I imagine.”

Remy shook his head at his friend who was totally full of shit. They had been in temperatures that ranged from over one hundred-ten to minus ten. They weren’t pussies.

“I’ll just bring my electric blankey to keep me warm,” Remy teased.

“Fuck you. I expect you to help me with these pretty boys,” Linc said. “Trev and Bruce will probably want to do each other’s nails or something like that.”

“Linc, shhh.” Jennifer elbowed her husband.

“Let’s dance,” Remy said to Francesca, taking her drink from her hand and setting it down on a nearby table. He led her to the dance floor and pulled her into his arms. The band was playing a slow number. “This is much better than listening to Linc bitch about the others.” He nuzzled her cheek.

“I think he might have had a drink before coming down.” Francesca relaxed into his arms. “I don’t care what he says, when I look at you guys, I see men who can take care of themselves.”

“Linc has always been the leader of our little group. He always seemed more mature, and we all followed his lead. He seems different this trip, tense, a little bit on edge. I hope he’s okay,” Remy glanced at his friend who seemed to be in a heated discussion with his wife.

“Sometimes travelling can be stressful, or maybe he’s having a bad week. I thought he was very nice.” Francesca ran her thumb back and forth along the back of his hand holding hers.

“Even Jennifer’s different this trip. She’s been a little short.” Remy glanced at Francesca to gauge her reaction.

She shrugged in his arms. “In a group, we all have to figure out the hierarchy. I don’t necessarily want to be the leader, but I’ve taken enough jabs to have had my fill of Jennifer.”

“She’s been the only woman in our group for a long time.”

“Now that’s going to change. Lacey is young and will either fall in line or avoid you all. I’m a different story. I’ve played these games since I was a kid. I don’t care that she and Linc are the leaders. She needs to treat me with respect and cut out the digs.” Francesca’s tone was serious. “I won’t put up with it.”

“God, you’re making me hard, talking all tough. If there’s a cat fight, can I please watch?” Remy tightened his arm around her.

She arched an eyebrow. “Of course you can watch, because after I kick ass, I’ll need to do something to burn off the adrenaline.” She laughed. “I’ll be jazzed.”

He moved closer to her ear and whispered. “You’re making me crazy, you know that, right?”

She canted her hips so that she was rubbing against his hardening cock. “We could go up to our room, and I could help you with that.”

Before he could answer, the orchestra leader stopped the music, and the trumpets blew a fanfare. He stepped to the microphone and announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, friends and family, Lacey and Bruce have arrived.”

The drummer beat out a rhythm, and the room erupted in clapping as the couple walked through the doorway, across the dance floor, and climbed onto the bandstand.

Bruce took the mic from the man. “Thank you all so much for coming. Dinner will be served in about ten minutes, so you might want to find a chair, then after, there will be more dancing and drinking. Lots of drinking.” Lacey smacked his arm, but Bruce only grinned. “Enjoy!” He handed the microphone back to the band leader and helped his fiancée from the platform.

“I guess we’d better find a place to sit.” Francesca started to walk from the dance floor.

Remy saw Trevor waiving in their direction. He tugged on her hand and herded her toward his friend.

Dinner took forever to be served, no surprise when there were a hundred people to serve and only five waiters. Francesca struck up a friendship with a couple from Idaho who owned a B&B and were Lacey’s mother’s cousins. They talked about hotel woes and the joys of taking care of guest requests.

“We had a man who had a run of good luck a few months ago with us. At midnight on a Thursday, he wanted to spend some hands-on time with a wolf.” Francesca laughed as she recounted the story. “My people were going crazy trying to find a place that offered that experience. We finally found a rescue park that offered observation and limited access to wolves in Oregon. We flew the man and his son up there and back down the next day.”

The gentleman sitting across from Francesca leaned toward her. “We get the nuts that think they can order up specific weather. I don’t even try to explain anymore that I can’t change the weather. Fresh snow fall is not within my power.”

Throughout the conversation, Remy watched Trevor continue to have Francesca’s wine glass refilled. He knew that she wasn’t paying attention, and her cheeks were flushed. He shot Trevor a glare. He didn’t mind a tipsy Francesca, but he knew she would not want to venture past that mark.

The music restarted, and Trevor held out his hand to Francesca. “Dance with me and make all of my dreams come true.”

She turned to Remy. “Does he think that line works?”

Remy chuckled. “Sadly, yes, he does.” Remy shook his head at his friend. “Watch your hands, because I will.”

Francesca looked over her shoulder as Trevor led her to the dance floor. Remy flashed a smile at her. His friend was a flirt, but he knew that while Trevor might push against the line but he would never cross it with his woman.

Remy caught glimpses of Francesca throughout the night. She had danced with Bruce, his father, and the other men at their table. He thought Trevor had snuck in another. He had been busy dancing with Jennifer and the ladies at the table, plus Bruce’s mother had pulled him aside for a chat. He liked the woman too much to cut her off as she told him about the wedding plans.

He had just left the bar when he saw Trevor leaning against the wall. “You done dancing with my woman?”

Trevor gave him a huge smile. “She the one?”

Remy nodded. “Yes, she is, but she doesn’t know it yet. We have some things to work out.”

“Well, don’t take too long getting to it. A woman like that—smart, successful and beautiful—won’t be available for long.”

“You like her,” Remy said.

“What’s not to like?”

They watched her on the dance floor with Lacey’s father.

Trevor turned to Remy with a knowing smile on his face. “My offer still stands, I’d be into it.”

Remy felt the muscle in his jaw jump. In the past, he hadn’t really given a shit about sharing a woman with Trevor, because he had never cared enough about the woman. “I told her about it last night.”

“Let me guess, she begged you to call me, and you said no.” Trevor chuckled.

“I also told her about that night, when it was you and me.”

Trevor stared at the dance floor for a few moments. “That bother her?”

“Don’t think so.” Remy watched her also.

“I like her, and I’d like to.” Trevor smiled as Francesca rearranged Mr. Haviland’s hand that was moving too close to her ass.

“I’ll keep that in mind. But Trevor, I’m not pressing her,” he said, his tone holding some heat.

“Gotcha.” Trevor bumped his shoulder against Remy’s. “I like that you’re serious. Good luck with her.”

“Thanks. Some days I really need it.” Remy returned the bump.

As the party wound down, Remy could barely wait until they got into the room before he pulled up Francesca’s skirt and tore off her panties.

“Remy,” she shrieked, and then giggled.

“Gotta have you, Frankie.” He took her hard against the wall.

Afterward, they slowly undressed and fell into the bed. Francesca was draped across his chest. He had his arm under her and his hand palming her ass.

“Tonight was fun,” she said, circling his nipple with her finger.

“You were the most beautiful woman in the room.” He squeezed her ass harder.

“No, Lacey was. I thought she looked fantastic.”

Lacey had chosen a dress that was very short and covered in silver and white stones. Remy wasn’t sure where to look when he danced with her. He worried that her boobs would pop out at any moment, or they would all get a look at her ass if she kept dropping it to the floor.

“I think Trevor is half in love with you,” he said as he ran his fingers through her soft hair.

She paused her hand. “Trevor would burn through me in about two days. I know his type. Hell, I see it with Rico daily.”

He kept quiet for a bit, and she kept touching him. “Are you okay with what I told you last night?”

“About you and Trevor?” She shifted over to lean on her arm so she could see look him in the eye.

“Yeah, did that freak you out?”

“No,” she shrugged. “I guess I see sex a little differently than most. I think people can be attracted to others for a myriad of reasons. I don’t think it makes them gay or straight. I think it’s about wanting to feel good, and the other person can make that happen.”

“Plus I was drunk.” Remy gave a one shouldered shrug.

“Drunk or not, you both are really hot, and I bet that woman would kick herself to Paris and back if she knew she’d missed the show.” There was a look of hunger and excitement on her face.

“Trevor’s offer is still on the table.”

“Is that something that you need?” She stumbled over her words as if her mind raced to grasp everything that he was saying. “I mean… is that something that you want all of the time?”

“Years ago, I fucked around. Out of the group, Trev and I were the biggest players. I’ve slowed way down. I’m with you and only you.” He was totally focused on her, watching her responses. Emotions played over her face. She was being open and honest with him. Her walls weren’t up. She was being his Frankie not the polished, professional Francesca.

“But is having a ménage, something that you would need to stay satisfied with me?” Francesca chewed on her lip then drew her brows together in anticipation of his answer. She was worried.

“I don’t need it. But if that would be something you’d like to try, then I’d say we could invite Trevor for a onetime deal.”

“You’d want me to be with another guy?” She said the words softly as if she was trying to fit the pieces into the puzzle. She was quiet and he could see her thinking, analyzing. “I mean, I’ve been curious, but there’s a big difference between fantasizing about it and acting on it.” Her eyes searched his face as if she was searching for the answer to be tattooed on his forehead.

He pulled her closer, because he could feel her confusion. “First of all, there doesn’t have to be any fucking. It could just be foreplay or oral, only. Secondly, it would be Trevor, our friend, not some random guy. But most importantly, I want to give you everything that you could ever want. If you want to try it, I would share that with you for one time only.”

“I don’t know how to rationalize this with our agreement that we’re exclusive.” Her gaze searched his.

“We are exclusive. I watched you with Trevor. You two hit it off and seem in tune with one another. Last night when I told you about sharing a woman in the past, I saw the heat in your eyes. I know it turned you on.” She started to move away from him, but he held tight.

“I think it’s a common fantasy for both a man and a woman.” Her body was tense and her tone was two clicks beyond defensive.

“Francesca, this would be about you,” he said calmly. “This would be about giving you two times the pleasure, fulfilling a fantasy for you with someone that we trust.”

“This is a lot for me to take in. It’s obvious you have a lot more experience than I do. I know that we enjoy being together, but I’m not ready for everything that you want to share with me.”

He could feel her body tense. He held her gaze with his. “I shouldn’t have brought this up tonight. What you just said is accurate. I also think you trust me to push your boundaries but to also respect them. I don’t want to do anything that would hurt you or hurt what we’re building between us. I put the offer out there, and I can’t make you forget it, so I’m going to leave it like this—if you ever want to discuss this again, I’m open to it, but when I put a ring on your finger, the offer is revoked.”

She shook her head, confusion clouding her eyes. “Oh Remy, I don’t know what to say. You tell me these things that are so deep they blow me away.” She kissed him on the check and nuzzled his neck.

“When you think back on this weekend, always remember I’m working toward putting a ring on your finger. This isn’t casual or a temporary thing for me. I waited two years to kiss you, and now I’m still moving ahead with my plan.”

Chapter Five

Francesca raked her fingers through her hair and blinked her eyes hard, hoping to clear them so the lines of figures on the computer screen wouldn’t go fuzzy again. She’d been back from Denver for five days, and her head was still a mess.

Rico knocked and entered her office, not waiting for her reply. “Hey, it’s quittin’ time, and you need to get out of here.”