Queen of Hearts

by Jami Denise

  His eyes cut to mine. “And what happened to leaving the business? What happened to doing something else? Starting over?”

  I shrugged and narrowed my eyes. “Some asshole came and interrupted me.”

  “You want to go back to some dirt town and flip pancakes, be my guest. There are a lot of other things you can do that don’t involve me, Janie. Think about it.”

  Oh, he was hiding something for sure. That was one of the main reasons why it was imperative for me to get inside and dig around for answers.

  “What? Cocktail waitress, card slinger? Not likely. I need to do this to get back on my feet. I need familiar, and I need a lot of money—fast. This is the best way to go. Why are you fighting me on this so hard?”

  “Because I don’t want you around it,” Flynn yelled. “Why are you such a pain in the ass?”

  That made all of us laugh. “When have you known me not to be a pain in the ass, Flynn? You once told me that you always get what you want. So do I. I want this, so you two will give it to me. If not, I’ll just take it. Take your pick.”

  His jaw ticked as he stared me down, but something in my expression told him I wasn’t backing down. He wasn’t one to lose gracefully, but I could see in his eyes that he was throwing in the towel.

  “As long as you’re not taking clients, I can set you up. If I hear one word, Jayne—one—I will shut it the fuck down. Do you feel me?”

  “Trust me. I have no intention of entertaining. I want to move on, but first things first. There’s still that sticky little situation with your father. I want to know what you intend on doing.”

  “My hands are tied. I’ve pretty much pushed him out of everything. My mom has plenty of pull—more than my father. She made sure she had her name on everything legitimately. All the other business dealings she was left out of. She’s smart. Everything is mine. He can’t touch shit.”

  I held up my hand. “So, wait a minute. I’m confused. If you have everything, why bother holding on to the rest? You’re putting yourself in danger, Flynn. That’s idiotic.”

  “Don’t worry about me,” he said, smirking. “The Feds are watching everything. I am not going to implicate myself in his business. His associates are running things the same as usual. I’m pulling strings, but no one can trace me. Don’t worry about that.”

  I waved them off. Again, they were keeping the details tight. It didn’t matter. I’d get the facts my own way.

  “Whatever you say.”

  He took me in for a long moment and then smiled. “So what else did my mom tell you?”

  “Lots of things. Like I said, it was a very enlightening visit.”

  He was more than curious, but I wasn’t about to tell him that his mother unloaded all his dirty little secrets. That information was all mine. If they didn’t want to give up Kristine, then I wasn’t giving anything up, either.

  Vince’s phone vibrated, and he lifted the screen to see who it was. “I need to take this.” He gave me another tight look and nodded. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

  I nodded and gave him a small wave. “Good night.”

  Once he was gone, there was a moment of awkward silence between Flynn and me. He was staring at me, but I couldn’t bring myself to look him in the eye. I was dreading the talk.

  There was no avoiding it, but I was good at diversion.

  Flynn finally made his move, sliding across the soft velvet seat, his thigh brushing mine. “You left.”

  I sighed. “What did you expect? That I’d stay for breakfast? It wasn’t like that, Flynn. We’re not going back there. Not now, at least.”

  He brushed my cheek with the back of his hand and smiled. “You’re playing hard to get. It’s my favorite game, Jayne. I win every time. Remember?”

  Running his finger over my face, his expression turned serious. “I’m not willing to wait. I gave you a year to come back to me. I think that’s long enough.”

  “I didn’t come back to you. I just...” I took a deep breath and looked away from him, afraid to look him in the eye while I lied. “I just came back.”

  His fingers wrapped around my chin and brought my face close to his. His eyes implored me to give him something, and honestly, I wanted to. I was taking baby steps, and I’d taken quite a few already that night.

  “You keep telling yourself that. If I believed you, I wouldn’t be sitting here. But I don’t believe you, my sweet little Janie. You’re a liar. You’ll figure it out.”

  His arm snaked around my waist and he pulled me so that I was pressed tightly against his chest before putting his lips on mine. My blood absolutely boiled over every time he touched me. It was beyond reason, and I was sick of fighting it, frankly. I’d been there before; I’d burned and fallen like ash at his feet. I’d come out worse for the wear, but I’d survived. I just hoped that I’d make it out once more.

  I abandoned all thoughts and moved so that I was on his lap. The dress was forgiving, so I easily maneuvered myself to straddle his thighs. Those thighs. A deep growl vibrated in his chest as he clutched me against him, one hand on the small of my back and the other wrapped around the back of my neck. I let myself get lost in the kiss in him. Kissing him was complete and utter bliss. The way he demanded my attention and took charge was exactly what I needed and wanted. Men like him were few and far between. They acted like they were in charge, but they were doing just that—acting. You couldn’t fake the kind of arrogance and confidence. You definitely couldn’t fake that kind of kissing.

  It was his lips, his taste, and his touch. In his arms, I was precious. Even the tiny crack I’d allowed him to crawl into was full. I was already consumed by him, but I had to keep my head.

  As his lips moved from my already swollen lips to my neck, I sighed, letting my chin rest on his shoulder as he peppered my throat with soft, warm, wet kisses. He was a little braver with his hands, and suddenly, I was aware of our surroundings and decided it was time to stop.

  “Flynn, we’re getting carried away.”

  He chuckled into my neck and the vibrations tickled. “That’s not a bad thing, Jayne.”

  I pushed away from him and found myself pinned between him and the tabletop. His tongue swiped across his lip, and he smiled, savoring the taste of the two of us. He looked gorgeous—happy.

  “I have a game tonight. Come with me,” he asked.

  I tipped my head to the side and planted both hands on the sides of his face. “Sorry, Flynn. I already have plans. But I wish you all the luck in your game. You won’t need it, though. You’re the best, aren’t you?”

  His eyes turned dark, full of a look I knew all too well. I’d been on the receiving end of those looks several times, and the memories flooded me. Before I threw myself at him and mounted him right there at the table, I leaned forward, giving him a soft kiss on the lips, and slid off his lap. It took every bit of willpower to do so, but I reminded myself that we were still swimming in murky water. I didn’t completely trust him, and we had yet to siphon through what we went through before I left a year before. It wouldn’t do either of us any good to jump right in with both feet when we were in such a limbo.

  I grabbed my purse, doing my best to avoid the heated stare he was throwing me, and tried to leave the table. He wasn’t having it. Of course. It was Flynn.

  “What do you mean you have plans?” he snapped, grabbing my arm and pulling me against him again.

  “I have plans with a friend. We’re meeting for dinner, and then we’re going to hit the tables. It’s girls’ night, Flynn.”

  He blinked, obviously confused. “What girl? Your girlfriend?”

  I scowled. “Don’t ask me questions you have no right to ask. I do what I want, with whomever I choose. You lost the right to keep tabs on me when you lied and broke my heart. You’re not my husband, or my boyfriend for that matter. Don’t screw up the progress we’ve made, Flynn. If you want me the way you say you do, you’ll have to trust me.”

  He chuckled and shook his head. “Looks like
I’m in for a hell of a lot of trouble,” he grumbled.

  I kissed his cheek and pulled my arm from his grasp as I stood. “Nothing worth having is easy, sweetheart. You, of all people, should know that I don’t come easy, and I don’t come cheap. Good luck tonight.”

  I didn’t spare a second glance as I left the table, but I could feel him watching me the entire time I walked through the club. He was looking, and he was wondering. I just hoped he’d take my words to heart and grow up a little bit.

  EIGHTEEN

  It had been a few days since I’d met up with Flynn and Vince, and not surprisingly, I’d gotten a surprise visitor to my bed every night. That night, I almost expected it after our display in the nightclub. We were both worked up, and he was disappointed that I left without him.

  The talk we’d had, as brief as it was, must have jolted something in his brain. He hadn’t tried to fuck me once. He held me, showered me with kisses and sweet words, and fell asleep. That was it. Each night was the same thing, and there was no denying that I was addicted to having him hold me at night.

  It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but I felt that thread of trust winding itself around us, thicker and thicker. I trusted him to be a gentleman and not push me, and he trusted me to be there when he showed up and when he woke the next day. It was a routine I could get used to.

  I still hadn’t approached the girls, but I wasn’t in a big hurry, either. My strategy was more about getting the boys to fold and give up information. I really had no interest in going back to work—at least not as a Madam. That was a lot of stress and bullshit I wasn’t really looking forward to. Instead, I wanted to dig a little deeper inside and figure out what Jayne was really good at and explore what was out there for me.

  Flynn left the room just before six that morning with a kiss on my cheek and nothing more. We hadn’t really delved into profound conversation after waking up in each other’s arms. Instead, it was a casual dismissal of all the problems we had yet to figure out, and the avoidance of where our relationship stood.

  All in good time.

  Again—baby steps.

  I pulled my hair into a ponytail and grabbed my sheer cover-up from behind the door and slid it over my bikini. It was one of my favorite recent purchases. After moving into the Maguire, I’d spent a lot of time at the private pool on the roof. I’d attempted to sit by the pool at the other hotel, and that was a huge mistake. The place was full of families and hyper kids I wanted to kill. I just wanted to relax and tan.

  But the private pool... it was more like aqua heaven. It was a brilliant blue infinity pool, tiled with iridescent pearl tiles. It was remarkable the way it shined when the sun hit it. It positively glowed.

  I found a lounger toward the back edge of the pool area and laid down my bag. A pool attendant was quick to run over and provide me with a towel and a chilled glass of sparkling water. I smiled, took it gracefully, and sat down to remove my dress. There weren’t many people out there, but I could feel every eye on me as I stood and adjusted my bikini. It left little to the imagination, and I smiled as I sat back and bent one knee.

  With the oversized sunglasses I wore, I could inconspicuously watch the other guests. Since it was VIP only, it was like we were old friends. It’d been the same crowd for days.

  “Can I get you anything else, Miss King?” the boy asked.

  I smiled and lowered my glasses. “No thank you, sweetheart. All I need is sunshine.”

  He nodded and walked off, and I pulled the lever to lower my lounger. The sun was high, right above me, and hotter than hell. I slathered on my sunscreen and then pulled out a book I’d borrowed from Pamela. It seemed that I was finding out a lot more about myself, being so bored. I’d never been interested in reading before, but I’d found I liked it. Sitting in the sun was also new for me, but that I could blame on Jackson. I had a renewed appreciation for being outdoors.

  I dozed off at some point and was in the middle of a fantastic dream when a squealing voice calling Flynn’s name startled me awake.

  I sat up, blinking away the drowsiness, and was blessed with one hell of a view. He was shirtless, donning a pair of long red swim trunks that hung low on his hips. His phenomenal physique had me breathless as he walked toward me. His sculpted abs, the ropes of muscles that sloped down, and his strong chest and shoulders demanded the attention of everyone within a hundred feet.

  A pang of memories shot through me, remembering the evening we spent in the pool at his home. I’d managed to push those memories aside for a long time, mostly because they were so special. So intimate. It had been the most amazing weekend of my life, until it all shattered around me.

  He had a mischievous smirk on his lips as he approached, flagging down the pool attendant before sitting on the edge of the lounger next to me.

  I pushed my glasses on top of my head and sat up, unable to hide my smile. “What brings you out here with the common folk?”

  He leaned forward and pursed his lips, begging for a kiss. I couldn’t help it. I gave in without a fight. I sat up on my knees, placed the palms of my hands on his thighs and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

  “Mmm,” he hummed. “I was looking for you. Vince told me you were out here.”

  I sat back on my bottom and crossed my arms over my chest. “Are you following me, Mr. Maguire?”

  He laughed, and the way his eyes crinkled in the corners had me swooning. Did he have to look so damn good all the time? It really made things more difficult to stand my ground.

  “I wanted to talk to you. I had some business this morning, and I didn’t want to wake you.”

  I laid back to get more comfortable, curious about what he had to say. “What about?”

  He stood, came to the side of my lounger, and sat back, pulling me next to him. “You have your own chair, Flynn,” I laughed.

  “This is cozier. I don’t want you running off on me.”

  I turned to my side so I didn’t fall off, and the way I molded against him had me on fire. His arms were warm and so strong. They were thick and steady, and I realized that there was nowhere else I wanted to be. I fit there, and I liked it. A lot.

  “Are you going to tell me something that will piss me off?”

  He ran his finger over my nose and tapped the end. “I hope not. I want you to spend the weekend with me. I want to take you away.”

  My heart thumped in my chest like a stampede of wild elephants. My first instinct was to jump up and down and say “yes, yes, yes,” but the skeptical side of me questioned his reasons. Why did he want to take me away?

  “Why?” I finally asked.

  “Can’t I just want to spend time with a beautiful woman without having a reason? You’re the reason. I want to get out of here, away from all the bullshit, and get reacquainted.”

  I sighed. “I don’t think it’s such a good idea. Can’t we start off small, like a date?”

  Wrapping his arm around me, he slid his knee between my legs and pulled one of my legs over his hip, bringing us as close together as possible. “No problem. We’re going on a date tonight. So, do you have any other reasons to put this off, or are you going to shut up and let me do this?”

  “I don’t remember agreeing to a date, Mr. Maguire.”

  He cupped the back of my head and slid his other hand down to squeeze my ass. “You’re going. I just told you.”

  Again, our conversation was cut short by his lips, and I happily fell in line. Maybe it was the sun, or maybe he was just hot as fuck, but I wasn’t going to deny that I wanted all of the above. Dates, getaways, making out on pool loungers... all of it. We were good at games, but I figured the best way to go was a little game of give and take for once.

  I was willing to give him a shot, to open up and soften my heart. In turn, I hoped he was willing to do the same.

  “Flynn,” a woman snapped from in front of us. I groaned, pissed off that I was finally enjoying myself and in the middle of a damn epiphany. It figured.
/>   Flynn pulled away and turned, looking up at the rude bitch. “What do you want?”

  I took a peek at her and rolled my eyes when I realized it was the same blonde I’d seen him with numerous times. She was quite a battle-ax of a broad—tall, blonde, and a pain in the ass.

  “I haven’t seen you in weeks, and you’re not answering my calls. I think you owe me an explanation.”

  She cocked her hip, throwing the sarong she had tied across her hips to the side and exposing the barely there bikini she had on. I wasn’t impressed.

  He turned to look at me again with a regretful smile and gave me a solid kiss on the lips. “I just need to deal with this. I’ll be right back.”

  I tried to act nonchalant, but the truth was, I was furious. It was always one step forward and two steps back with him. I knew exactly who the girl was—I’d done lots of research since being back in Las Vegas. One thing, probably the worst thing Doyle said to me, had stuck. The day I stood in front of him while he tried to slaughter everything I had, he took his final, and most brutal shot at me.

  The blonde was the woman Doyle wanted Flynn to marry. She was also the same bitch I’d seen on his arm countless times before. As much as I’d gathered, I still wasn’t completely sure where their relationship stood. Having her walk up and him walk away from me to deal with her pissed me off, and obviously, whatever it was between them was not over.

  That made me even madder.

  My pride wouldn’t allow me to let it show. We were still teetering, and watching her beg for his attention only gave my instincts the not-so-subtle kick in the pants they needed. I’d been wavering on what to do for too long. Long weeks of playing touch and go had me in knots, and it was time to put my cards on the table and play.

  And I was playing to win.