What the hell. “Fire away.”
“Do you always wear lipstick?”
AFTER SEARCHING FOR HER MOTHER and oddly not finding her anywhere, Renee made her way to the den. She leaned against the doorframe and surveyed the scene—one dark-haired little boy, stretched out on his belly on a blanket, a hand curled beside his face on the miniature pillow. And next to him, a redheaded little girl sprawled out on her back, her limbs askew and her eyes closed against the light. A cartoon played on the television, the volume entirely too loud, yet obviously not loud enough to disturb them.
Renee hated to wake Adam since he looked so peaceful, but she owed it to Pete before he suffered much more of the queen’s wrath.
A touch on her shoulder startled her so badly she spun around, only to find her mother, not Pete, standing behind her. Renee gathered enough composure to signal her into the hall. “You nearly scared me to death.”
“I’m sorry, bébé. I was trying to be quiet so I wouldn’t wake the children.”
“Where have you been? I looked everywhere but I couldn’t find you.”
“I was helping a neighbor find his dog.”
Renee suspected she knew the identity of said neighbor, but she had to ask anyway. “Would the dog’s owner happen to be the dashing William Armstrong?”
“As a matter of fact, yes. And I prefer you not mention that to your grand-mére.”
“Why not? I thought she liked William.”
“She does, but she doesn’t need to know what I’m doing every moment of the day. Her overprotective behavior is driving me insane. And she might make more out of my relationship with William than it is. We’re only friends.”
“Are you sure about that, Mother?”
Anne looked incensed over the conjecture. “Don’t you start, too.”
Renee eyed her mother, searching for any signs that she’d been engaged in questionable activities with her neighbor, and found none. No smeared lipstick, no glassy love-struck look in her eyes. “Did you find the dog?”
Anne frowned. “Excuse me?”
“You said the dog was lost.”
“I meant we went to walk the dog.”
“At midnight?”
“Give it a rest, Renee.”
Renee couldn’t suppress her smile. “I’m sorry. It’s just so unlike you to do that sort of thing.” Very unlike her mother to keep company with a man since her beloved husband’s death. But she deserved some happiness, and companionship.
“Again, William’s only a friend,” Anne said with a good measure of defensiveness. “A very good friend. And a good listener. He’s been very helpful when I’ve told him about my concerns with the hotel.”
Renee patted her mother’s cheek. “You shouldn’t worry about that. Things are picking up. We’re going to be fine.”
“But I do worry, especially after everything that happened last weekend with that horrible blackout. I’m afraid we might not recover if people don’t believe the hotel is prepared for emergencies. Or if they think it’s not safe to stay there.”
“Just let me handle it. That’s my job. But right now I need to get Adam back to the hotel. And rescue Pete from the queen’s clutches.”
Her hazel eyes went wide. “He’s with her now?”
“Yes. Didn’t you see them when you came in the front door?”
Anne didn’t bother to hide her chagrin. “Actually, I came in the back door.”
Renee pointed at her. “Aha! You’re afraid of Grand-mére.”
“I told you, I’m tired of her watching over me like a warden.”
Nothing Renee hadn’t experienced herself. “Grand-mére is so overbearing. And she’s always been too stubborn.”
Anne pushed Renee’s hair away from her shoulder. “I hope that one day you and your grandmother will finally get past your rift. It’s been almost twenty years, chère. It’s time.”
Renee wasn’t certain she could ever forget how her grandmother had insisted she wouldn’t make it in California when she’d decided to attend college there, and eventually remain after obtaining her marketing degree. Celeste had belittled her for even trying. “Maybe someday, Mother.” A prospect Renee didn’t embrace just yet.
In order to avoid any more talk of the past, she strode back into the room and knelt at Adam’s side. When she lifted him into her arms and stood, his eyes drifted open and he yawned. “Where’s Uncle Pete, Renee?”
“Just down the hall, sweetie. Let’s go find him.”
Once in the hall, she found her mother still hanging around. “You look so natural, holding that little one, Renee.”
Which interpreted meant, “You should have a baby, chère.” At one time Renee had wanted that, but several years ago, she’d begun to believe being a mother wasn’t in the cards. Yet spending time with Daisy Rose had resurrected a deep-seated longing, one she’d tried desperately to ignore. But with Adam in her arms, his cheek resting on her shoulder, his tiny arms circled around her neck, that yearning tried to make itself known again.
She reminded herself a baby wasn’t in her future. Neither was a life partner. Not unless someone came along who could treat her as an equal, respected her for who she was. Loved her with everything in him.
“Should we go see about your young man now?” Anne whispered.
“He’s not my ‘young man’,” Renee said a little louder than she’d intended, causing Adam to stir.
“Whatever you say, bébé. Whatever you say.”
PETE COULDN’T HAVE been happier to be back in the limo than if he’d just been liberated from a POW camp. Run by a hundred hulking guards. With beefy arms, big guns and bloodlust. They’d be nothing compared with Renee’s menacing granny.
Adam was stretched out on the seat, his head on Renee’s lap, his legs draped over Pete’s thighs. “He must’ve played hard today,” Pete said as he watched Renee stroke his nephew’s hair, thinking he’d enjoy a little bit of that himself.
“I’m sure he did,” she said. “Daisy Rose can be a handful, but somehow my mother manages her fine, although I do worry about her taking care of a three-year-old in light of her health.”
“I don’t think you should underestimate your mother’s strength.” A strength that Renee obviously inherited.
She sighed. “You’re right. She’s one of the strongest women I know. And she has raised four children. I guess that’s something you never forget how to do.”
“No, you never forget.” Pete never would.
Adam lifted his head and looked around, his eyes still heavy with sleep. “Where are we?”
“Almost at the hotel, sweetie.”
Adam worked his way up into a sitting position between them. “Are you sleeping over at the hotel, Renee?”
Pete stifled a laugh when Renee sent him a helpless look. “It’s that ‘from the mouths of babes’ thing,” he said.
“No, Adam,” she said. “I have to go to my apartment. But I’ll probably see you tomorrow at the hotel since I have some work to do.”
The woman was more fanatical than he’d realized. “You’re not even going to take Sunday off?”
“I’m already behind.”
“I want you to show me the cruise ships,” Adam said.
“We’ll see.”
That wasn’t exactly a refusal, and that pleased Pete. Having her “sleep over” would please him even more. Ain’t gonna happen, he decided, for several reasons, including the one sitting between them.
When the limo stopped in front of the hotel, Pete acknowledged he would have to let Renee go without even a good-night kiss. Probably just as well. Otherwise, he’d have one helluva time going to sleep tonight.
But right when Luc opened the door, Adam climbed into Renee’s lap. “Will you come tuck me in like Uncle Pete does, Renee?”
She shot another forlorn look at Pete. “I wouldn’t want to take away your uncle’s job, honey.”
“Uncle Pete tucks me in all the time,” he said. “I want you to do it tonight
.”
Pete could see a war waging in her expression, and right when he was about to step in and run interference for Renee, she said, “I guess I could do that.”
Adam kissed her cheek. “Will you carry me like you did at the house?”
Score another heart won by Renee Marchand. “She doesn’t need to do that, kiddo. If you can’t walk, then I’ll carry you.”
Adam scooted off her lap. “I can walk. I’m a big boy.”
He sounded so adultlike, Pete almost laughed again. “Good. Let Renee go first, then you and I can get out.”
Once they climbed from the limo, Adam took his place between Pete and Renee, holding both their hands as they headed toward the entry. Several people still walked the streets and Pete was only mildly aware of the group of men hovering at the front door. Then one of them yelled, “Hey, man, it’s Pete Traynor,” before countless cameras began to flash, sending Pete into action.
He scooped Adam into his arms and took Renee’s hand, practically hauling her into the hotel. Fortunately, one of New Orleans’ finest and a few security guards stopped the small throng of paparazzi before they moved in behind them.
“This way,” Renee said, guiding them up the wide staircase centered in the lobby. By the time they reached the appropriate floor, they were both winded.
Pete set Adam on his feet, retrieved the card key from his wallet and muttered, “Damn them.”
Adam looked up at him, his expression as stern as a headmaster’s. “You’re not supposed to say damn, Uncle Pete.”
Do as I say and not as I do wasn’t going to work this time. “Sorry, bud.”
Once inside the living area that adjoined the bedrooms, Pete began to pace while Renee and Adam stood back and stared at him. “I don’t know where the hell they came from.”
“Uncle Pete, you’re not supposed to say—”
“I know, Adam.” He hated the anger in his tone. Hated this aspect of his life. “I’m not really happy right now.”
Adam looked at Renee, then back at Pete. “Why were those men taking our pictures?”
“Because they can,” Pete said.
Renee caught Adam’s hand and started toward the bedroom. “I’ll get him ready for bed while you calm down.”
Adam tugged from her grasp and sprinted back to Pete. “Can I have a good-night hug even if you’re mad?”
Pete felt like the worst of jerks. In a matter of days, he wouldn’t have the privilege of telling his nephew good-night anymore. He picked Adam up and gave him a long hug before setting him on his feet again. “I’m not mad at you, kiddo. I just don’t like people taking pictures when I didn’t give them permission.”
Adam looked almost afraid. “They won’t hurt us, will they?”
They very well could, if they learned Adam’s identity and uncovered Trish’s problems. They could also hurt Renee by plastering her face all over the tabloids. But he saw no sense in worrying either one of them. “No, they won’t hurt us, Adam.”
Seemingly satisfied, Adam returned to Renee and took her hand again. “See you in the morning, Uncle Pete.”
“Sleep tight, buddy.”
Only when Renee and Adam had disappeared into the bedroom and closed the door, did Pete let go a string of curses that would have his sister stuffing his mouth with a sock—a dirty one. He strode to the in-room bar, opened a miniature bottle of whisky and dumped it straight up into a glass. He welcomed the liquid as it slid down his throat. Welcomed the taste, right down to the last drop.
He considered having another drink then nixed that idea. He didn’t need alcohol to calm him down. He didn’t need to get drunk; he’d discovered a long time ago that only temporarily masked the problems. When you sobered up in the morning, those problems were still there, compounded by a skull-breaking headache. He needed to stay on guard for the sake of his nephew. He needed to protect him while he was still in his care. But right now, what he really needed was Renee.
RENEE PULLED THE DOOR closed as quietly as possible and turned to discover Pete stretched out on the sofa, one arm laid across his face, an empty glass on the coffee table. Apparently he’d gone to sleep, which allowed her the chance to sneak out before she was tempted to kiss him again. Tempted to do more than that.
She’d barely reached the door to the hall when she heard, “Where are you going?” in a voice that was both gruff and innately sensual.
With her hand on the knob, she turned to find Pete sitting up. He’d unbuttoned his shirt, leaving the placket parted, supplying Renee with a major view of his chest, something she did not need to see. “I’m going home.”
He pushed off the sofa and stood. “You can’t go home. The media vultures might still be hovering outside.”
She leaned back against the door, clutching her purse to her chest as if it were Pete repellant. “I’ll have to take my chances. Besides, they’re not interested in me. You’re their target.”
“And because you were with me, that makes you their target, too. If they identify you, and start digging, then they could release the details of your situation at the studio. Maybe not even the real details, and that wouldn’t be good press for the hotel.”
Renee recognized the truth in that, but she refused to hide away like a fugitive. “I can handle it. After all, that’s my job, public relations.”
Pete looked highly frustrated. “They don’t give a rat’s ass about your job now, Renee. It’s also not safe for you to be out this late while they’re still hanging around.”
“I can stay in the living quarters above the bar. My mother’s in the process of moving back there soon, so it’s set up by now.”
“Do you have to go through the lobby to get there?”
“Yes, I do. But—”
“It only takes one of them disguised as a guest to get to you.”
She sighed. “Then what do you suggest I do?”
He dropped back down on the sofa and patted the cushion beside him. “Stay with me for a while.”
Good judgment told her to get out while she still could, despite the possible presence of paparazzi and having the world think that she and Pete were an item. The prospect of spending a little more time with him spoke louder. Only for an hour or so, then she would find some way to sneak out of the hotel without being detected. After tossing her bag on the antique table near the door, she crossed the room and sat, leaving ample space between them.
Pete ate up that space when he scooted flush against her side and laid his arm over the back of the sofa. “Did you have any trouble getting Adam to stay in bed?”
“Not at all. He’s an angel.”
“He can be a little devil at night, sometimes getting up one or two times before he finally goes to sleep. For the past year, Trish has had a battle on her hands to get him into bed early and make sure he stays.”
“Unless he was playing possum, as my mother likes to say, he’s already out.”
“Good. That gives us some more time to be alone.”
Renee didn’t ask what he intended to do during that time. She didn’t have to. He answered the question by framing her face in one palm and kissing her again. And he made his plans quite clear when he lifted her up and draped her across his lap.
“We can’t do this,” she said when he left her lips and went on an all-out assault on her neck with his skilled mouth.
“Yeah, we can. We are.”
She lifted his head in both her hands. “Adam’s in the next room, remember? You said yourself he’s been known to get up several times.”
Pete collapsed against the sofa and draped both arms over the back of the cushions. “You’re right. If he walked in on us, I’d have to explain it to my sister after swearing I’ve never expose Adam to that kind of thing. And to this point, I haven’t.”
“You haven’t?” She was surprised by the level of surprise in her tone.
“No, I haven’t. I’ve walked the straight and narrow. Behaved myself…” He stopped and took a long look at her. “God,
you’re beautiful. It’s killing me not to take you down right here, get those clothes off you and get inside you.”
Renee could picture that in graphic detail, and if she didn’t move, she might end up with the reality instead of the fantasy.
When she worked her way out of his lap, Pete released a frustrated groan. “That didn’t help matters any.”
She rebuttoned her jacket and adjusted her skirt back to the point of decency. “You’ll live.”
His expression looked pained. “I might not. I might just keel over now from lack of oxygen in my brain since all of the blood has traveled down south.”
Don’t look, Renee. But she did. A fast look, but enough to know that Pete wanted her in a major way.
She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. “I’ll leave so you can breathe again. All of you.”
When she tried to stand, he caught her hand and tugged her back down. “In case I haven’t made myself clear, I want to make love to you again. Before I have to leave.”
Before he left. To Renee, that about said it all. A quick roll. A temporary tumble between the sheets. And then what? A repeat of the past three years? No phone calls. No sign of him. Nothing left but more memories, and a shattered heart.
Yet when she stopped to consider it, making love with him again could be a sure way to get him completely out of her system. This time, they could say goodbye for good. She would say goodbye for good. “If I agree, and I’m not exactly saying that I am, how do you propose we manage that?”
“I’m sure Ella and Evan wouldn’t mind watching Adam for a while when they get back tomorrow. It doesn’t even have to be at night.” He kissed her again, softly. “I’d like to make love to you during the day, where I can see every inch of you.”
The images came to her in great detail, and so did the sudden jolt of heat. “I think I better go now, before I can’t leave.”
“That’s not necessary.” Pete leaned forward, grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. “We’ll watch a sitcom, or maybe the national news. We can talk about old times. In a couple of hours, you can probably go home. In the meantime, I promise I won’t touch you.” He sat back and grinned again. “Much.”
Kristi Gold - Hotel Marchand 04 Page 9