She laughed. “I think Lacey adores anybody who isn’t mean to her. She’s a very happy girl, uhm, I mean, woman.” She really had to stop thinking of Lacey as a girl.
Lu glanced at the huge hotel. “I hope she keeps that perspective as the big day approaches. Remy tells me the wedding’s going to be quite a production.
“Between her mother, her girlfriends, and the event coordinator, I think she’ll be in good hands.” Francesca had heard a little about the plans from the bride herself.
Remy grimaced. “Well, God help us all if something doesn’t suit. Bruce’s mom said she can pitch quite a bitch if she isn’t happy.”
“Remington, don’t talk about your friend’s fiancée that way,” Lu chided. “I’m sure she is a delightful woman, but all brides can be particular and emotional.”
Francesca shuddered. “In my experience, the rehearsal can be filled with many opportunities for drama and tears. Enjoy that. I’ll be sitting on my balcony with a cool drink and a book.”
“Smart woman. I approve of your plan. Stay as far away as you can, Francesca,” Lu said in a teasing tone.
Remy tsked. “Sorry to have to break this to you, baby, but you have to be there, too. You’re my date to the rehearsal dinner.”
“You can text me when you’re done rehearsing. I can meet you there.” She gave him a serene look. “See? Easy peasy.” She turned her head and gave Lu a wink to show that she was still teasing.
“No. I want you there with me.” He shot her a stern look.
She liked it when he got all alpha bossy. She rolled her eyes in Lu’s direction. “We’ll see.”
Lu chuckled. “Francesca, you make me laugh.” She leaned toward Francesca. “So Remy tells me that your family owns a hotel in Las Vegas. That sounds so exciting, but I imagine that it’s a lot of work. I want to hear more about what you do.”
***
As Remy waited for the elevator to arrive, he knew he had a smile on his face. The visit with his mom had gone really well. She adored Francesca, as he’d known she would. He had just left her room after having dinner with her. Francesca had insisted that the two of them dine alone on his mother’s last evening at the hotel.
The elevator doors opened, and he hit the “L” button. He was planning on packing up Francesca’s things tonight and moving her into his suite. He didn’t like having to hike to her room, but he did admit that she’d been right. She had scored an “A” by not staying in his room. His mother had said she “appreciated the consideration,” after he told her that Francesca had insisted.
These parental quirks made him smile. He had given his mom one last hug, and she had kissed his cheek.
“Now go. I know Francesca is waiting for you, and you are dying to spend time with her.”
He didn’t say anything because he didn’t like to lie to his mother.
His mother patted his cheek. “I really do like her. I know that you do, too. I hope you will have lots of patience with her, because that girl is a thinker.”
“What do you mean?”
“She thinks things through before she acts. She might even over-think things, and that might cause you a problem or two. Just be prepared.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You’re talking in riddles. Prepared for what?”
“I’m just saying, if she has the time on her hands, she might think of too many reasons to do or not to do something. You’re going to have to handle her with patience, show her that she can trust you and your judgment.”
“She trusts my judgment.” At least, he hoped that she did.
His mother held his gaze. “I know you, son. You’re the type that makes a decision and jumps in with both feet. Francesca is the type to wait and weigh the outcomes. Your different personalities aren’t a bad thing; you’ll just have to find the balance that works for you.”
Remy nodded. “And she likes you too, Mom. She told me.” Remy loved seeing the warmth in his mother’s eyes at his news.
“That’s good to hear, because the two of you are crazy about one another. You seem ready to drop to your knee and propose. She might not be ready for that just yet. You know she’ll need a little more time before making a huge decision.”
“I love her. She’s so smart, and she cares about things. She’s going to be there for the good and the bad.” He felt his heart swell as he listed the reasons why Francesca was so amazing.
“I’m so glad to hear that. In a marriage, you need to have that.” His mother’s eyes shone with tears.
“Mom don’t.” He gave her a quick hug.
“They’re happy tears. You know I loved your father, and we had a good marriage, but as good as it was, son, there were times when things got rough. There were days when I would look at him and think ‘what are we doing?’” She looked away for a moment.
“But you guys toughed it out, right?”
“Of course, we did. But even when I was mad at Rich, I knew he would always be there for me and I would for him. I made sure I fought fair, and so did he. We were considerate of each other. We had our share of arguments, but I tried to not hurt his feelings intentionally. We were loyal to one another, no matter what.”
“Gotcha.” He knew that Francesca would be there for him. There was no doubt he would support her and love her.
Finally, the elevator arrived, and it quickly took him to the fifth floor. He knocked on Francesca’s door.
“Who is it?” Francesca called.
“Who are you expecting?” He leaned against the doorframe. The lock snicked.
She opened the door and reached to put one hand on his chest as she rose up on her toes to kiss him. “I thought it might be Lacey.”
He followed Francesca into her room. “Didn’t you just go to dinner with her?”
“It was Lacey, her parents, and four of her friends. Dinner took forever, and now Lacey and her girls want to go out.”
Francesca’s purse was on the desk, and her suitcase was open on the bed. “Does she want you to go out to the bars with her?”
“Yes. I told her I had some work to do, and I shared a cab back with her parents.” She blew her bangs out of her eyes.
“Did you get enough to eat?” He was starving. His mother had decided on a sushi place she’d read about in a local magazine. He wasn’t a big fan and had picked at his plate. Now, he hoped to find food very soon.
“It was tapas style, so yes and no. You know you never get enough of the food you really want, and there’s always plenty of the stuff you don’t want. So I could eat.” She dropped onto the bed.
“So, I was thinking that you should get packed, and we can move you into my suite. Then we’ll find something to eat.” Although the thought of being alone with Francesca pushed all thoughts of food aside, his hunger for her was stronger than his need to eat. He felt the driving need to have her in his room.
“Give me a minute. I just have to grab my stuff out of the bathroom.” She moved to the smaller room.
They ran into Lacey and some of her friends in the lobby.
“There you two are.” Lacey threw herself at him.
He gave her a hug.
When she moved away, her eyes sparkled. “I was just going to come to your room, Francesca. You guys need to come out with us.”
Francesca smiled, but shook her head. “Thanks, but I’m pretty tired, and Remy’s starving.”
Lacey pointed to the bar across the lobby. “The bar serves food. We could party there.”
Now, it was his turn to try to get out of this, although he really did hate to curb the vivacious blonde’s enthusiasm. “We were on our way up to our room.” He looked down at Francesca’s suitcase. He felt a little silly moving it through the lobby, but she’d insisted on staying in a different wing of the hotel during Lu’s visit.
Lacey smiled and grabbed Francesca’s arm. “We’ll grab a table and wait while you move her stuff.”
Francesca gave him a look that said, “She’s got us.”
He looked
at his friend’s fiancée and found that he couldn’t tell her no. “Okay, but we’re having an early night.” He pointed his finger at her, smiling. “I heard about your exploits in Vegas, and we won’t be shutting down the bar.”
Lacey bounced up and down. “Yay.” She grabbed Francesca’s hand and towed her behind her.
He shook his head at this decision.
Lacey stopped and whipped around. “Hey, get a move on. I thought you were hungry.”
“I’m going, I’m going.” He gave them a grin and walked to the elevators.
Ten minutes later, he strode into the bar. The bar wasn’t busy, and the group had commandeered a table in the back corner. There were four more ladies sitting at the table. Francesca had saved the chair next to her. He pulled it out and sat down. Francesca leaned into him, which pleased him greatly.
“Hi,” she whispered, her breathe skimming across his neck.
“Miss me?”
She made a humming noise. “Well, I do like it better when you’re around.”
He draped his arm around her shoulders and relaxed into his chair. He glanced around the table and realized he was the center of attention. The ladies were watching him, and they all had smiles on their faces.
“You guys are so cute together,” Lacey spoke loud enough so that the entire bar could hear. “See? I told you, she’s next.” Lacey directed that comment to the rest of the table.
He felt Francesca stiffen for a moment, and he ran his hand soothingly down her arm.
“Lacey...” Francesca’s tone carried a hint of caution in her tone.
The tiny blonde turned innocent eyes on his girlfriend. “What?”
Francesca tilted her head and stared at the mischievous woman, clearly using the non-verbal signal for, “You certainly know what.”
Lacey wrinkled her nose. “I can’t help it. I’m getting married, and I want everybody to be in love.”
“Are you going to use the ‘I’m the bride’ excuse all week?” Francesca smiled as she teased the woman.
“Yes, I am.” Lacey crossed her arms under her breasts and gave the table a look.
He moved his lips closer to Francesca’s ear. “Give it up. She’s the queen of everything. Besides, we are cute together.”
Francesca’s body shook beside him.
The server arrived with six small glasses. “Here we go ladies—your Blow Jobs.”
Remy laughed out loud. God help him, this could get out of control.
“Sir, here is our menu, and what can I bring you to drink?”
“Guinness, bottle.”
The server nodded and headed to the bar.
He watched Francesca eye the glass in front of her.
“You gonna do that?” He meant take the shot in the traditional manner.
“Like I have a choice?” She rolled her eyes in the direction of Lacey. “Luckily, I am very good at this. This isn’t my first time with a bunch of party girls.”
Lacey tapped her glass with a spoon. Where the hell she found the spoon he had no idea, but the ladies quieted and looked at her. “Okay, on three,” she giggled. “One, two, three.”
He watched Francesca scoot forward to the end of her chair and loop her fingers behind her back. She leaned over the table, lowering her head, and covered the glass with her lips. She used suction to lift the glass as she tilted it back and swallowed the contents. He watched her swallow twice. She returned the glass to the table, never once using her hands. When she raised her head, she smiled at him.
He saw that her lips were wet from the concoction, and he pulled her closer for a kiss. He outlined her lips with his tongue, capturing the remaining droplets from the drink. He pushed his tongue between her lips, tasting her.
A low moan was torn from her throat, and she placed one hand on his jaw. He couldn’t tell if she was pushing him away or holding him close.
She broke the kiss. “Wow.” Her eyes were a little unfocused.
The server appeared at his shoulder, and she placed his bottle in front of him. He ordered the sliders, and then more quietly added, “Get the ladies another round of those shots.”
The server smiled as she collected the empty glasses.
Lacey checked her phone. “Remy, you won’t be our only male for long. Brucey is on his way.”
“Good, he can help keep you all in line.”
Francesca grinned then turned to the bride-to-be. “Lacey, do you need my help with anything? I know that your mother said she thought everything was handled, but if you need me, just let me know.”
The bride left her chair and ran around the table to throw her arms around Francesca. “I just love you. You are the bestest.”
He watched Francesca return the woman’s embrace. Lacey looked over Francesca’s head at him. “Don’t you just love her, Remy? I really want you to love her.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “You don’t have to worry, I do.”
Lacey gave him an even bigger smile, and then returned to her seat.
Francesca was watching Lacey. “I think I’m a little drunker than I realized.”
“Not even close.” She seemed relaxed and playful, but there were no usual signs of intoxication.
“I did have wine with dinner, and I think Lacey’s dad kept topping off my glass. I tried to go slow, but I think I had more than I realized.”
“So, should I expect skinny-dipping or table dancing?” he teased.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been naked in a pool. I don’t think I ever danced on a table, or a pole, for that matter.”
His cock had shown great interest in her sucking down her drink, and now he was so hard, his zipper was making an imprint. He liked the idea of Francesca dancing naked for him. “I don’t see a pole in here.”
She tilted back her head to meet his gaze. “I’m feeling the last drink, and I want to run my hands all over you,” she whispered.
“I like the sound of that.” He placed a kiss on the side of her jaw.
“I’m glad that you like me.” She put her hand on his thigh.
“I’m hoping that you like me, too.” He was fishing since she was in the sharing mood.
“Oh, it’s more than like.” She flashed a sexy smile.
The next round of Blow Jobs arrived. The server nodded in Remy’s direction. “These are courtesy of the gentleman.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet,” Lacey shouted. “I just love you, Remy.”
Francesca shook her head, but he noted she’d already assumed the position.
“Ready girls?” Lacey said. “One, two, three.”
He watched Francesca as she slowly returned the glass to the table and licked the rim.
“Christ, Frankie, you’re killing me,” he muttered.
She giggled, leaned into his body, and kissed his cheek.
He turned his head quickly and captured her lips. Typically, he wasn’t into public displays, but tonight, with this woman, he deepened the kiss. He could hear the ladies cheering in the background, and he felt Francesca’s body shake with laughter.
“Dude, get a room.” Trevor had joined the group.
Remy separated from Francesca and pushed his chair back to stand and wrap his friend in his arms. “When did you get in?”
“An hour ago. I ran into Bruce, and he said to meet here. First thing I see is you surrounded by the women and no other man in sight.” Trevor shook his head.
“Hey Trevor.” Francesca rose and stepped into Trevor’s arms.
“Hello beautiful. So, tell me which of these ladies is lonely.” He wiggled his brows.
Francesca scanned the table then lowered her voice. “Honestly, Trev, I think you’re too much for these girls. You might need to check out the women sitting at the bar. They look like they’re up for a little adventure.”
The two men glanced in the direction of the bar. There were several groups of women enjoying cocktails.
Francesca arched a brow. “These girls giggle about drinking a Blow Jo
b. I can’t imagine how they would react to the real thing.”
“What? You don’t think that I can handle innocence?” Trevor pouted.
“I’m sure that you can. I just don’t know why you would want to.” Francesca winked at Remy’s friend.
Trevor drew a deep breath and shook his head. “Damn, Cooper. You are one lucky bastard. She’s perfect.” Trevor bumped his shoulder into Remy’s.
“Remy, grab a chair so Trevor can join us.” Francesca said.
“Oh my God, are you ever going to say hello to me?” Lacey screeched.
Trevor looked at the ceiling for a moment then turned toward the bride-to-be. “Yes my love, and I see that you’re all alone. Where is that beast you want to marry?”
Lacey giggled as Trevor leaned in to kiss her cheek. “He texted he’s on his way.”
Bruce and more friends arrived, and everyone stood as another table was added and more chairs pulled close. The poor server was running ragged getting drinks while the group laughed and talked.
Remy was on his third beer when Francesca leaned into his side. He kissed her hair. “When I finish this, how about we head up to the room?” He took another drink, and she put her index finger at the bottom of the bottle, helping him to drain more quickly. He chuckled and placed the now empty bottle on the table. “What was that for?”
“I want you. So I thought I’d hurry things along.” Surreptitiously, she ran her hand over his crotch, following the outline of his cock. Then she gave him a seductive smile and pushed her chair back. “Guys, we’re going upstairs. See ya tomorrow.”
Remy laughed and grasped her hand as she started to walk away from the table.
She took the long route toward the lobby, passing Trevor who was sitting next to a very attractive redhead at the bar. Remy gave him a nod as he passed.
As they crossed the lobby, Remy pulled Francesca under his shoulder. She looped her arm looped around his back. “Are you tired?”
“Nope.” She wrapped her free arm around his abs.
“Was it getting too loud in there?”
“Nope.” She pressed the call button for the elevator, and the doors opened immediately. They were the only people in the car.
All In (Casino Nights #2) Page 10