Let it Ride (Casino Nights #1) (3 page)

“I’m sure that you’ve listened
intently to his ravings and would love to share them with me and my friends.
However, we have other things to discuss tonight.” Francesca gave the woman a
sweet smile. “Thank you for stopping by to say hello, but I don’t want to keep
you.”

Marie added just as sweetly, “Don’t
let us hold you up, sugar. Run along.”

Remy caught their server’s eye and
motioned her over.

Francesca watched the viper leave
and slowly let out a long sigh. “Well that was fun.”

“I thought you handled it very well.
She obviously wanted to stir things up and you shut her down very efficiently.”
Remy nodded his approval. “Now, would you like another drink?”

“I think I deserve one, especially
if I have to deal with Steven Blake and his ugliness this week.”

“Are you anticipating a problem?”
Blake was not the kind of man who was afraid to make a scene.

She paused before answering. “Yes
and no. I don’t know of any new trouble from Mr. Blake, but he isn’t shy. I’m
not planning on interacting with him and I’ll be extra cautious. He’s a bit of
a wild card.”

Remy ordered for both of them and
sent his credit card with the server to cover this round for the table.

“I saw that, Remy. You need to work
on your sleight of hand.”

“Well
darlin
’,
I can honestly say that I’ve never had any complaints about my hands.” He
watched her closely. In the darkened bar, he couldn’t tell if she was blushing,
but his instincts said that she was.

She took his hand into hers, running
her index finger across his palm. “They seem to be nice hands. You use them.”
Her voice turned husky. “You have callouses.”

He let her continue to stroke his
palm, although he wanted to grab her wrist and bring her fingers to his lips
and nibble on each one. “I might have a desk job but I don’t spend my free time
sitting around.”

“So would you say that you are
hands-on?” She winked at him.

“I think I’d need to show you and
let you decide.” There it was. He clearly signaled he wanted her.

Francesca continued to watch him.
“That sounds very interesting, Remy.”
 

The server had terrible timing. She
placed the black leather check holder in front of him and laid a pen on top of
it.

When Francesca finished her drink,
she started to gather her purse.

“Are you going someplace?” He was
having a good time flirting with her. “I’m getting sleepy and I want to get a
good night’s rest.” She scooted her chair backwards and stood.

“I’ll come with you.” He stood also.

They said their goodbyes and left
the bar.
 

The lobby was much quieter.
Francesca slowed to a stop. “Remy, you didn’t have to leave just because I
did.”

“I’ll walk you to your room.” Before
she could speak again, he continued. “Which wing?”

“The north.”

“Good, I’m in the north also, the sixteenth
floor.” He put his hand just above her ass as he steered her to the north
elevators.

“I’m on the same floor.” She smiled
a little.

“That’s convenient.” His smile grew
bigger. “In case I need to borrow something in the middle of the night.” Of course
he had arranged for them to be on the same floor. This was his opportunity to
get to know this fascinating woman and handling the logistics had been easy.

“Or I have trouble sleeping and need
somebody to entertain me.” She gave him a knowing smile. At the sixteenth floor
they exited the elevator.

“I know a better remedy to help you
sleep than a game of cards.” He gave a low chuckle.

“I’m in room 1615, this way.” She
veered to the right and he followed.

At her door she produced her
keycard. “Well, this is me.”

“I could come in and help you check
the room,” he offered half in jest.

“Appreciate the offer.”

“You’re serious?” He felt his
protective instincts flare. He was born with them but the military had honed
his skills.

Her eyes narrowed briefly before she
gave him a nod and ran the card through the lock. When the light showed green,
she pushed the door open.

It took all of his control to not
hold Francesca back so he could be the first through the door. She’d worked in
security and obviously knew what she was doing. He would let her go first but
he would be following closely behind her.

Francesca turned her head and caught
his eye, then pushed the door open and walked into the room. She motioned for
him to check the bathroom and the closet as she continued on deeper into the
room.

“Clear,” Remy stated after closing
the closet door.

“Thanks for your help.” Francesca
kicked off her shoes.

“No problem.” He stood in the small
hallway, making no move to enter the bedroom part of her room. “Will it upset
you if I tell you that I was teasing about doing a security check?”

“I’m cautious, it’s been instilled
in me by Jimmy and others. Checking my room and surroundings are second nature
to me,” she stated seriously. “You can sit if you want.” She motioned to the
large club chair as she dropped onto the corner of the king-sized bed.

“Thank you.”

“My staff wanted me to travel with a
security detail, so I couldn’t very well run into a problem on the first night.
They would never let me forget it.” She widened her eyes as small laugh
escaped.

“I imagine that Mr.
O’Haire
would like for you to have security with you
whenever you leave The Red Rose.” He had met Jimmy
O’Haire
through business on two occasions, one of which had included Francesca. It was
obvious that the man was fiercely protective of his daughter.

“For the last year, I’ve rarely
travelled anywhere without someone or a detail with me.” She looked down at her
feet.

“Steven Blake has stirred up a lot
of folks, caused a lot of work for people. He seems to have a real hard-on for
Mr.
O’Haire
and his company. I imagine that would
include you.” He had heard rumors of death threats against Jimmy.

“It was my idea.” Francesca was
still looking down. She didn’t elaborate.

“What was your idea?”

“For our company to be a stalking
horse in some purchase deals. When I was approached the first time, I saw it as
an easy way to make some money. A property is for sale, Rose Holdings goes in,
does a public walk through, applies to that state’s licensing board, and then
other buyers become interested. We get a negotiated fee if other buyers are
attracted. We check out most casinos that go up for sale, even the ones that we
have no interest in. I saw it as a way to stay current on the market and our
competition. I convinced Jimmy that since we were already doing the research,
we could get something for it.” She rushed the last sentence.

“That’s Business Acquisition 101.
Blake bought the property. He didn’t do the research or believe the due
diligence. He lost it all because he is a bad businessman,” Remy stated firmly.

“Well, that isn’t the way he sees
it. He blames Jimmy for leading him into a bad deal.”

“You feel guilty about that?” He
watched Francesca closely.

“Of course I do.” Her voice rose.
She licked her lips and continued. “Yes, the blame is misplaced. I mean, first
of all, The Phoenix hadn’t made a profit in six years, the building was in
disrepair, and the area surrounding it looked like a war zone. Blake made a
terrible business decision when he bought the place. Then he blamed Jimmy for
his loss. I’m the one who decided to work with the group that owned the
property. I’m the one who travelled to Ohio. I don’t think Jimmy has ever been
to Ohio.”

“So you feel like you should be the
target instead of your father.” Remy said softly.

“Yeah.” She met his eyes. “Jimmy
doesn’t mind taking Blake’s heat, but it’s a mess that I’m responsible for.”
Francesca shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know why I told you that.” She
blushed and looked away, hunching her shoulders.

“I’m glad you did.” He leaned his
forearms onto his thighs. “Francesca, I won’t share what you said with anyone.
I’m glad to hear that you see that Blake could be a threat. I’m not so sure
that he has all of his marbles. Some of his claims are pretty out there. They
don’t sound like something from a sane man.”

She relaxed a little and smiled.
“I’m careful. I’m always careful.”

Remy stood and stretched his back.
“It’s getting late and I know you need to go to bed. So I’m going to take off.”
This wasn’t the moment to try to seduce the beauty, even if she had given him a
green light by inviting him in.

She stood as well and walked to the
door. “I don’t know if I’ll make it to the breakfast tomorrow. I think I’d
rather do room service and then go to a panel.”

“I have to go to the breakfast.
Remember, we have a meeting at two. I promise it will be brief. I just want to
run through the presentation and make sure everybody is ready.” He tensed a
little, thinking about the panel. It was important. Now that his retirement
plans were in the works, he wanted a position on the Board of Casino Owners and
Operators.

“God, you are so demanding,” she
teased.

Remy pulled her into his arms and
she didn’t resist. “So if I demanded a kiss, you wouldn’t fight me?”

“Why don’t you try and find out,”
she purred.

He bent his head and took her lips.
They opened willingly and his tongue met hers. They continued kissing, as
Francesca’s hands traveled to his shoulders. She kneaded his thick muscles with
her nails.

After a few minutes, she slowly
pulled away.

“Wow.” She touched her lips with her
finger.

He couldn’t have made himself stop
grinning if there were a gun to his head. “I’m going to walk out that door and
head to my room. I don’t want to, but I also don’t want to rush you.”

Her eyes had flecks of gold mixed
with the caramel brown. “I might not be as tired as I thought.” She raised one
eyebrow.

She was tempting, but he pushed down
the urge to explore her offer. “Yes, you are, and I’m trying to be a gentleman
tonight. But tomorrow, Francesca, it’s going to be a totally different story.”
His voice had developed a rough edge.

“Tomorrow, I might need some
convincing. I mean, I’m not easy.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and
met his eyes with a challenging look.

“Believe me, I don’t think that easy
will ever be a word to describe you.
 
More like determined, brilliant, hard-working, and sexy as hell.”

She gave him another heart stopping
smile. “I’ll be around, Remy. I imagine that you’ll be able to find me.”

He kissed her briefly then opened
her door and walked through it. He waited outside until he heard her turn the
dead bolt. “Good night, beautiful.”

“’Night, Remy.”

He whistled as he walked to his
room.

Francesca was not opening her eyes
to check the clock. She knew that she had turned off the alarm earlier when she
had used the bathroom. A good night’s sleep was so rare in her life she wanted
to enjoy every minute of it. She couldn’t make herself get up to attend a
“Welcome Breakfast” that would have soggy muffins and self-congratulatory
speeches. Nope, lying on this excellent mattress, cocooned in a pile of pillows
was more important to her.

She dozed again and finally opened
one eye to check the clock. It read nine-thirty. Her brain kicked in; starting
to plan her day. There were panels that she could check out, and really she
should make an appearance at some of them, then the meeting with Remy about
their presentation.

She giggled out loud thinking about
Remy, who was totally in control at his desk in Indianapolis, showing some
nervousness about this panel. There was something going on there; she would
have to pay attention. She liked him, but more than that she was attracted to
him. The bonus was that he was attracted to her and not afraid to show it. He
was a head taller and had a big body, not soft, as far as she had felt last
night. He wore his blond hair in a buzz cut, a holdover from his days in the
Marines. She wouldn’t describe him as handsome, but he was striking.

She smiled as she rolled onto her
back and snuggled deeper into the covers.
 
Their kiss last night had been hot. His size made her feel delicate. Her
life didn’t allow for her to be soft. Just standing next to the man, she felt
her edges smooth.
I wonder if he uses
those powerful muscles in bed?
Her body shivered in response to that
idea.
 

He had a way of watching that made
her feel like she had his complete attention. He was smart and very good at his
job. During her dealings with the Indiana Casino and Gaming Board, he had been
serious and professional. She was delighted to learn that he did have a sense
of humor and when he laughed his eyes twinkled.

“Christ, I sound like a two-star
romance.” She did some stretches to wake her muscles. It had been a while since
she had been interested in a man. Who was she kidding? It had been over a year
since her last date. With Remy, it would be just a few days and then he would
go back to Indianapolis and she would be on the other side of the map. She was
not girlfriend material. Her ex-husband had made sure to list all her failings
in that regard in great detail. Too devoted to work, too devoted to her family,
and the killer, that she was a boring fuck. He had made her believe that she
was all of those things.

“Time to start the day.” She rolled
out of bed to escape the memories of her husband’s hurtful critique.
First coffee, then a shower.

An hour later, she walked down the
hallway of meeting rooms, searching for the panel on Staffing Issues. Every
casino had a high rate of turnover. It wasn’t all glitz and glamour. Most never
closed and the pay wasn’t that terrific for the sacrifices that had to be made
by the employees. In some states, companies had taken advantage of tax
incentives and built in small towns. The problem then was that they burned
through their workforce and then had a difficult time filling positions. They
piled more work onto their employees and didn’t raise their pay.

She walked into the medium-sized
conference room with about forty people already seated. She took a chair in the
next to the back row. She immediately checked her phone and turned off her
ringer. She saw a group text from Remy about the meeting. For a second she felt
a wave of disappointment that he hadn’t sent a personal message to her.
Slow down, girl
. She cautioned herself.

“Francesca is that you?” The man
sitting diagonally in front of her had turned in his seat.

“Marco. It’s nice to see you. How
are you?” She smiled. Marco Belding was the majority stockholder in a casino in
Reno.

“I’m doing well. Is Jimmy with you
on this trip?” She was sure that he was looking to escape the meetings and play
some golf.

“No, I’m here solo. I’m on tomorrow
night’s panel.”

“I’ll make sure to attend.” He
smiled.

“I’ll look for you in the crowd,”
she teased.

“What are you doing for dinner
tonight? I’m putting together a group and I thought we would go out and sample
some of Chicago’s best steaks.” He pulled his card from his shirt pocket.

“I have tentative plans with a
friend, but nothing concrete.” She took his card.

“Check with your friend and text me
if you’ll be joining us. Any friend of yours will be welcome.”

“I’ll do that Marco. Thank you.”

****

Remy looked at the three people
sitting at the small dining table in his suite.
 
Everyone had arrived early and it seemed
that they were settled and ready to do a run through for tomorrow. He was
thrilled with his selection of this group; they were professional and seemed to
complement one another.

“Let’s get started. I want to tell
you all that I appreciate how much time and effort you’ve put into the
preparation for this panel. I know that you’re very busy and I sincerely thank
you for your effort.”

Emma Clark was the first to speak.
“Oh, Remy, you’ve made it so easy.” She gave a flirtatious smile. She had been
messaging him for a month, making it very clear that she would not mind having
his personal attention during the convention. Emma was currently working with a
conglomerate and living in New York. She was a little too hungry and needy.

Able Mason, who worked with the
State of South Dakota, cleared his throat before speaking. “I think I can speak
for all of us. Thank you for your hard work and leadership. I think this has to
be the best group that I’ve ever worked with.” Able was the oldest of this
group and although most dressed casually for the convention, he wore a very
conservative navy suit, a perfect reflection of his personality.

All eyes turned to Francesca. She
chewed on her glossy bottom lip before speaking. “Yeah, what they said.” Then
she laughed. Francesca’s laugh was almost like a purr, it was deeper than her
speaking voice and it rolled through his body, igniting a spark of desire.

Remy fought not to stare at
Francesca. He had greeted her as she entered with Able. He’d needed to touch
her. And as he led them into the room, she’d looped her arm through his and
brushed against his body briefly. His cock had stirred at her touch. She looked
beautiful today. She was wearing a blue sweater that brought out the gold
flecks in her eyes. It was tight enough that he could make out the curve of her
tits. The killer was her skirt. It was long, but had a slit on one side that
flashed lots of leg and her shoes were high heeled. She was the type of woman
that could walk in heels without stomping like a Clydesdale or looking
unstable. She moved like a dancer getting ready to attack the pole. That visual
popped into his brain. His body caught fire and he discretely adjusted himself.
Nope, he was absolutely sure that Jimmy would not have his daughter dancing in
one of the Red Rose’s infamous late shows.

God, the thought of her curvy, naked
body moving seductively made his pulse pound.

He glanced quickly at the group.
They were shuffling papers or sliding the screen on their tablets, all except
for Francesca. She was leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed under
her breasts. Her smile said that she knew what he was thinking and she liked
it. Tonight he was going to have her. He fought the urge to go to her and kiss
that knowing smile off of her lips.

He gave himself a silent scolding to
get on with it. “So, the stage set-up will be like this.” He hit the clicker
and a drawing flashed on the plasma TV to his left. “I’ll start by introducing
you and share a brief list of your accomplishments. We then each present our
segment, which should last no more than ten minutes. I hope you all have timed
yourselves.” He gave them a look and in turn, everyone nodded.

“Remy?” Emma raised her hand.

“Emma, do you have a question?” She
gave him a sly smile. He made sure that he appeared patient. She always asked
for positive reinforcement, an irritating play for attention. She was
intelligent but her constant neediness weakened her value.

“I’m having a little bit of trouble
with my portion. You see, I tend to talk too fast. I was hoping that tonight
you might have some time to coach me.”

Oh fuck, he did not have time for
this. “You speak in front of groups as a part of your job and have done so for
years. I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Nobody could have missed the fall of her
shoulders after his rejection of the very public pass.

He continued and clicked to the next
slide. “During the discussion portion, please remember not to talk over one
another. I think that we’re all professionals, but I will say it. Respect the
attendees’ views.”

“How long is the discussion
allotted?” Able was making notes.

“Thirty minutes, unless we’re on a
roll, then forty. Then the Q&A from the attendees will be about thirty to
thirty-five minutes. I’ll do my best to keep them on topic, but I can’t make
promises. I’ll add a mention of staying on topic during my lead-in, and again
before I open up the floor to the audience. I’ll remind them that professional
questions are to be made in a polite manner.”

“Will we be able to hear the
questions from the attendees?” Francesca was doodling on her yellow legal pad.
The page was covered in smiley faces and suns. That seemed to be a good sign that
she was relaxed, like she had confidence in his leadership.

“There will be a microphone on a
stand placed in each of the two aisles. The people will have to walk to either
station.”

Able cleared his throat before he
interrupted, “You’d better check and recheck the microphones, Remy. The panel I
attended earlier had sound problems.”

 
He made a note. It was crucial that this
presentation go smoothly. The board members would be watching him closely. He
had been quietly campaigning to take over the open seat. That would lead to
consulting positions that he could accept or reject depending on his schedule.
He had been planning for his retirement for the last five years. Tomorrow was
an important step toward attaining one of his goals.

“I’ll speak with Sabrina, our
contact with the facilities here, and make sure the
mics
are triple tested.” He gave a reassuring smile. “I think that we’re in good
shape. Since I’ve reviewed the notes that you sent me and we rehearsed last
week, I feel like we’re ready to roll.” He smiled at his team, confident in
their preparations.

Francesca put down her pen and sat
forward in her chair. “Remy, could I bring up one concern?” She had a resigned
look on her face.

“Sure, go ahead.” Whatever she was
going to say, clearly she was uncomfortable with the topic.

“I have been told by several people
that Steven Blake is here. There have been a few occurrences in which Blake has
made a scene. I hope that doesn’t happen tomorrow. I need to ask about
security. I think it might be a good idea to have a few members of security in
the room, in case Blake decides to be a nuisance.” She dropped her eyes to her
pad.

“Are you worried about your safety?”
Able asked immediately. His expression was full of concern as his body leaned
in her direction.

“I’m careful. I’m more concerned
that he’ll disrupt our panel, since it is the featured event and should be well
attended. I don’t want his issues with Rose Holdings to ruin our hard work.”
She looked around the table.

God, he could see how much this
bothered her. For as brilliant as her work was, he had learned that Francesca
didn’t like to be in the limelight personally. He’d had to beg and enlist
Able’s
assistance in recruiting her for this panel.

“Didn’t you bring a bodyguard? I
can’t believe that your father let you out of Las Vegas without a guard or
two.” Emma threw in her two cents.

“There is a plan in place.” He could
see her leg pumping in aggravation.

“I’ve arranged for security in the
room. I think any time there is a large group that has the opportunity to
interact, it’s for the best.” Remy hoped he had put that subject to rest.

Francesca gave him a warm smile. She
dropped her back against her chair clearly relieved.

“Anything else? No? Then why don’t
we meet here tomorrow at four-thirty. If you have any questions, text me.” He
turned off his laptop and started to walk to the door. He wanted the group out,
especially Emma, so that he could have a word with Francesca.

The
group gathered
their things and were
nearing the door. Francesca seemed to be planning
to leave with the others.

“Francesca, would you like for me to
call the head of security? That way you could speak with him.” He pulled his
phone from his pocket.

She paused. “That would be great.
Plus, I can tell my people the plan.” She walked back to the table.

He opened the door and the others
left. Emma frowned at him as she passed. Clearly his message had been received
and she wasn’t happy about it. He walked back to the table and made the call.