Kristi Gold - Hotel Marchand 04 (14 page)

He managed to spin her around, as if they were engaged in a battle of one-upmanship to see whom could drive who more insane. Right now, Renee was winning. If he didn’t relocate them immediately, he’d take her right there, in the same place they’d made love the first time.

Through sheer will alone, he managed to guide her into the bedroom, tear back the covers, then follow her down onto the bed.

The parted curtains bathed Renee in muted light, and only then did Pete pause to take a long look at her. Her hair framed her face in a red-gold halo against the pillow, her almond-shaped blue eyes alight with the same need he was experiencing.

When he continued to study her, she stared at him a few moments, blinked, then asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to look at you for a while.” He surveyed her face, then planted a few light kisses on her forehead, her cheeks and finally her lips. “But I need to get in a little closer to appreciate the view.”

He divided her legs with his thigh and guided himself inside her, eliciting a slight gasp from Renee and a low groan from him. “It’s damn good between us,” he whispered as he moved at a slower pace despite his primal need to drive harder, go deeper. When Renee failed to verbally respond, he said, “Tell me it’s good, damn it. Tell me you want me as much as I want you.”

She breezed her hands down his back and continued on to his butt. “I want you,” she said, her voice little more than a rasp.

He held her close, but he couldn’t seem to get close enough. He also sensed she was holding back, both physically and emotionally, and he wasn’t going to let her.

Rolling onto his back, he took her with him and positioned her straddling his thighs. “You’re calling the shots. Do your best.”

He watched her transform into the woman she’d been that first night they were together, bent on pleasing him as well as herself. He appreciated this sensual side of her, the fiery independence, the air of mystery she still retained, even now. He felt the pull of her orgasm the same moment he witnessed the signs of its impending arrival—Renee’s sharp release of breath, the flush on her face and her breasts, the tightening of her frame. He wanted to go on watching her, but he was already too far gone. And right before his own body’s demands took over, he had one last thought. He didn’t want to let her go.

S
AFE IN
P
ETE’S ARMS
, with the first pale light of morning seeping into the window, Renee felt as if she had been thrust back in time. Not only because they had made love through the night, but because in a matter of hours, he would be gone again.

She refused to think about that now, not when they still had some time left. And she planned to make the best of that time.

On that thought, she slid her hand down the thin path of hair on his belly, only to have him catch her wrist. “You’re going to do me in, Renee. I’ll be so wasted, I won’t be able to walk for days.”

She looked up to find his hair stuck out in several places and his jaw covered in a heavy blanket of whiskers. He was a mess, and he’d never looked so irresistible.

Renee moved atop him and smiled. “Can you blame me for taking advantage of the situation? Who knows when the opportunity—” she wriggled against him “—will arise again.”

He worked his way from beneath her and scooted up against the headboard. “As much as I want to make love to you again, right now we need to talk about what happens next.”

Here it came, the “it’s been great, Renee, but I gotta go” speech. She collapsed back onto the pillow and sighed. “There’s nothing to say, Pete. You’re leaving. I know that. I don’t expect any explanation.” She didn’t want one.

“Yeah, I’m going to leave. But I don’t want this to be over between us.”

That
she hadn’t expected. Worse, she was totally un-prepared, which was why she remained focused on the ceiling and not Pete. “We both know we can’t maintain any kind of real relationship living thousands of miles apart.” She hadn’t had any successful relationships with men whom she’d seen on a daily basis.

He shifted until he faced her, forcing her to finally look at him. “You could spend some time with me in California, and we can go from there.”

“I can’t do that. Not now. We’ve already been through this. I have to take care of the hotel, and you have to make a movie.”

“A movie I’ll be shooting here for part of the time.”

She turned her attention back to the ceiling. “Only for a short period of time, then you’ll return to the back lot to film the rest. And then comes the editing process and—”

“You don’t think I realize that.” He bolted upright and sat on the edge of the bed, his back to her. “I have to finish this movie. I don’t have a choice. I’ve already signed the contract.”

And once upon a time, he’d broken a contract for someone he loved. Renee didn’t expect him to do that for her, because to this point, he’d said nothing about love. Or any real commitment. He hadn’t made any reference about a future other than “we can go from there.”

Renee didn’t want to be his weekend girl, waiting patiently for him until he breezed back into town. She couldn’t fly off to California on the off-chance they might actually have a future. She couldn’t afford to fail again, as she had with her own career. As she had with other relationships.

Feeling downhearted and depressed, Renee pushed off the bed and walked into the living area to retrieve her discarded clothes. She’d managed to put on her bra, panties and skirt before Pete joined her.

Wearing a pair of ragtag jeans, his feet and chest still bare, he leaned against the doorframe. “Where are you going?”

She snatched her blouse from the floor and slipped it on. “I’m going to the apartment to shower and change.”

“Will you at least come to the airport and see me off?”

Every instinct she had screamed no. Self-protection told her to refuse. Her love for him spoke above the noise.

She faced him with a shred of a smile. “I suppose I could do that. I still need to say goodbye to Adam.”

The crestfallen look on his face let her know that the reality of seeing his nephew off for what could be years was affecting him greatly. “Yeah. I could use some moral support in that regard.”

So could she, but who would be there for her when Pete boarded that airplane bound for California, and a life that didn’t include her? “That’s what friends are for.”

He was on her in a flash, pulling her against him, kissing her without the least bit of hesitancy. When he pulled away, he nailed her with a resolute gaze. “We’ve gone past the friendship stage, Renee, and you know it.”

Yes, she knew that, but did it really change anything? “What time do you need to be at the airport?”

He dropped his arms from around her and stepped back, looking defeated. “Around noon, but if you have something better to do, don’t bother.”

She had plenty to do, but she couldn’t let him go without seeing him one last time. “I’ll meet you there.”

Renee finished dressing and practically sprinted out the door, fearing that if she stayed any longer, she would have to admit that she was still vulnerable to him.

“W
HERE’S
R
ENEE
, U
NCLE
P
ETE
?”

Obviously she’d changed her mind about meeting them, Pete decided as he guided Adam to a waiting area immediately inside the terminal. Trish and Craig’s flight was due in at any time, and he’d then join them inside the gate to board his plane to California, an hour after their flight left for Tokyo.

He dropped down into the chair next to Adam, tugged his baseball cap low on his brow and kept his sunglasses in place, hoping to thwart recognition. He’d escorted Adam down the back street behind the hotel before they grabbed a cab two blocks away, and as far as he knew, he’d escaped detection by the paparazzi. But that held no guarantees.

Pete kept his eyes trained on the sliding glass doors leading outside, twice thinking he saw Renee, only to discover he’d been mistaken. Maybe it would be best if she didn’t show, then he wouldn’t have to endure two goodbye scenes with the people he cared about more than he could express. The people he loved.

No doubt in his mind, he was in love with Renee. And he didn’t know what the hell he was going to do about it. She’d been right about problems with long-distance relationships. And he recognized his notoriety could create havoc on their privacy, but only if he let it. Renee had been dead wrong when she’d claimed it couldn’t work. He wanted to prove that to her, although he didn’t know how, and time was running out.

“There she is!”

Pete looked toward the direction Adam was pointing to find Trish walking through the door exiting the gate area. As glad as he was to see his sister, he couldn’t tamp down the disappointment that she wasn’t Renee.

When Pete stood, Adam wriggled off the chair and ran to his mother in a rush. “My baby boy!” Trish said as she knelt at his level and held him close.

When she pulled back, Adam held up his cast. “See, Mama? I broke it.”

Her gaze snapped to Pete. “What happened?”

He realized he’d made a grave mistake by not notifying Trish earlier, and he most likely would pay for that mistake. “He was in a car accident a couple of days ago. Where’s Craig?”

She straightened, anger flashing in her brown eyes. “Craig’s waiting for us at the gate, and stop trying to change the subject. Why didn’t you call me when this happened?”

“I didn’t want to worry you while you were on your honeymoon. If it had been more serious, I would’ve let you know. But he’s fine. He does need to have the cast removed in about four weeks.”

Trish rummaged through her purse and handed Adam a candy bar. “Why don’t you sit down and eat this while I have a little talk with your Uncle.”

“Okay. But hurry. I want to see Craig.”

After Adam returned to his seat, Trish signaled Pete to join her a few feet away. “You didn’t think I could handle it, did you?”

She was right, but he didn’t want to admit that. “I thought you’d trust me to handle it, Trish.”

“Of course I trust you, but I am his mother. As much as I appreciate what you’ve done for him, for us both, you’re going to have to accept that.”

In other words, his duties as Adam’s surrogate parent would end today, just as the guardianship had ended a year before when Adam had gone to live with his mother again. “I know, Trish. I was wrong, and I’m sorry.”

Adam returned within a matter of moments, nothing left of the candy except a streak of chocolate across his chin. He looked at Pete, then looked at Trish. “Don’t be mad at Uncle Pete, Mama. He took care of me fine. I didn’t hurt much.”

When Pete felt the tap on his shoulder, he turned to find Renee standing behind him. “Sorry I’m late,” she said. “The cab got stuck in traffic.”

He’d never been so glad to see anyone in his life for several reasons, the least being that she could save him from Trish’s grilling. “Renee, this is my sister, Trish.”

Renee held out her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Trish. You have a wonderful son.”

Trish smiled as if she’d forgotten her anger, at least for the time being. “Hi, Renee. Are you Pete’s friend from California?”

Pete recalled all the times he’d spoken of Renee to Trish while she’d been hospitalized, although he’d never known for sure if he’d been getting through to her back then. Obviously, he had. “Yes, this is
that
Renee.”

Trish’s grin expanded. “Then it’s definitely good to meet you. I’m glad you two have finally gotten together again.”

“We’re friends,” Renee added, making it quite clear to Trish, and to Pete, that nothing more existed between them.

Pete took a quick check of his watch, pulled Adam’s passport from his jacket pocket and handed it to Trish. “Why don’t you take Adam through security and I’ll meet you at the gate in a few?”

She sent him a knowing look. “Of course. Come on, Adam. Daddy Craig brought you a surprise.”

“Can I have a goodbye hug, sweetie?” Renee asked Adam.

After dropping the handle on his rolling backpack, Adam threw his arms around Renee’s waist. She bent and kissed him on the cheek. “You have fun in Japan, okay? And maybe one day you can bring your mom and new dad to New Orleans.”

Adam looked up at Renee and grinned. “Can I play with Daisy Rose again?”

“I’m sure she’d love that.”

“I love you, Renee. You’re a good mommy, just like Uncle Pete’s a good daddy.”

If Pete didn’t know better, he’d swear Renee was on the verge of crying. He felt a little misty himself. “I love you, too, sweetie. You have a good flight.” She regarded Trish. “Congratulations on your marriage, Trish. I wish you the very best of luck.”

“And good luck to you, Renee.” She sent a quick glance at Pete. “I hope we’ll be seeing more of you in the future.”

Pete hoped the same, but his hope was fading fast in light of the intangible wall that seemed to surround Renee at the moment. A wall he wanted to plow through, and soon.

Adam took his mother’s hand and gave Renee a sad smile over his shoulder as they walked away, as if he didn’t like leaving her behind. Pete could relate.

Once Trish and Adam had taken their place in the security line, Pete guided Renee into a small alcove away from the milling crowd waiting by the luggage carousel. “Thanks for coming. I thought for a minute—”

“That I wasn’t going to come? I promised I would, and I don’t like to break promises.”

That was a definite dig. “Neither do I, Renee. But sometimes that can’t be helped.”

“I know that now.” She gave him a brief hug. “I need to go. Luc’s waiting for me.”

“Not yet.” Not until he made one last stand. He took her hands into his, and when her gaze faltered, he said, “Look at me, Renee.” After she complied, he continued. “If you think I’m going to give up on us, then you’re sorely mistaken. I don’t know what I’m going to do yet to convince you that we could make this work, but I’ll come up with something. You can count on that.”

He kissed her then, a long, thorough kiss, not caring who might find it inappropriate. Not even caring if some nosy reporter happened to recognize him and snapped a few photos. Renee didn’t seem to mind, either, and responded to him as she always had. As he knew she always would, as long as they were together. If they were together after today.

When they finally parted, he studied her face, taking it to memory. Like he could ever forget even one tiny detail. He never had. He never would. “I’ll call you when I get in to L.A.”

She took a step back. “That’s not necessary, Pete. Again, I think it’s best if we end it now.”

If he didn’t think he’d alert security, he’d yell at her. Instead, he lowered his voice. “Well, right now, I don’t give a damn what you think is best. I’m going to call you anyway. And you’ll have a few hours to think about what I’ve said. A few hours to miss me.”

She frowned. “There’s that ego again.”

“It’s not ego, Renee. You’re going to miss me, and I’m going to miss you. In fact, I already do. And I know you still don’t trust me, but I’m going to give you one good reason why you should.”

Time to spill it. Time to lay it out there and give her something to think about. He drew in a long breath and let it out slowly. “I love you, Renee. And since I don’t throw that word around often, you damn sure should realize I’m dead serious.”

Without giving her a chance to respond, Pete grabbed up his bag and walked away, hoping that she might call him back. That she might call out to him that she loved him, too. But after he took his place in the security line, he turned to find she’d disappeared from his view.

R
ENEE SATALONE
in her office, mulling over what had transpired less than an hour ago. This wasn’t at all fair. How could Pete just toss that “love” statement at her without any warning? But Pete wasn’t known for playing fair, at least in her experiences with him. He’d rushed back into her life, throwing her emotionally off-kilter, causing her to question her sanity, and worse, her feelings. But then she’d been too big of a coward to tell him she felt the same.

“Saying goodbye to someone you care about is rough.”

She looked up at Luc, who was now standing at her open office door. “Goodbye is all a part of life, Luc. At times it’s inevitable.”

“And so is regret.”

She immediately noticed his expression matched his wistful tone. “You sound as if you’re speaking from experience.”

“I’ve done a few things I regret. I’ve had to say goodbye to someone I cared about. Sad thing is, I didn’t really know him all that well before he died.”

“Is this a friend?”

“My father. I was a little older than Adam when he left me and my mom. We lost touch and he didn’t come back until I was grown. By then, he was sick, and I didn’t have the opportunity to spend much time with him. I regret that.”

“You were only a child when he left, Luc. It sounds to me like he should have made more of an effort to see you.”

Luc’s hands tightened into fists at his sides. “I’ve forgiven him for that. He wasn’t completely responsible for his actions.”

Renee’s curiosity rose. “How do you mean?”

He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m sorry I brought it up. I’m just saying that sometimes people let their fear of rejection and mistrust guide them. And that leads to regret.”

Oddly enough, Luc Carter had nailed it. Renee was afraid to trust Pete, afraid that ultimately he wouldn’t follow through. If he found a way to prove to her that he was committed to her, then she might be able to trust him, and more important, trust herself to take the ultimate leap of faith.

Only time would tell.

“Y
OU’RE IN LOVE
with her, aren’t you?”

Pete looked up from the magazine he’d been skimming to find Trish staring at him. “Is it that obvious?”

She sent a quick look at Craig, who was seated in the waiting room chair across from them with Adam planted in his lap, while Craig read to him from a book about Japan. “Probably only to me, but then I know you too well.”

Pete tossed the magazine aside, stretched out his legs and stacked his hands behind his head. “Yeah, well, love’s a bitch.”

“I beg to differ with you, Peter. It’s a blessing.”

“I guess it can be, if both parties feel the same.”

She patted his knee. “I have a sneaking suspicion that you didn’t give Renee a chance to tell you how she feels. And I doubt you’ve told her, either.”

“Actually, I did tell her, right before she left.”

Trish raised an eyebrow. “And?”

“She didn’t say a word. I figured that’s my answer.”

“Not necessarily. She could be afraid. I was at first, with Craig. I didn’t think I could love anyone the way I loved Sean, but then I realized I wasn’t letting myself feel it. Maybe that’s the way it is with Renee.”

Pete hoped that was the case, but he might discover differently in the next few months.

When the attendant announced the preboarding call for Trish’s flight, Pete realized the moment he’d been dreading had arrived. He straightened but didn’t stand, as if by remaining in the same spot, everyone would ignore the summons. And that was beyond illogical.

“Well, this is it.” Trish leaned over the armrest and hugged him. “But I refuse to say goodbye.”

Avoiding the actual word didn’t prevent the inevitable. He would be telling his sister goodbye, as well as his nephew. And even now, as he watched Adam with Craig, knowing that the man would treat him well, didn’t stop the overwhelming sadness.

After Adam scooted out of Craig’s lap, Pete rose from the chair and crouched down. “Come here, kiddo.”

When Adam moved quickly into his outstretched arms, Pete held him for a long time, probably too tightly, but he couldn’t find the strength to let him go. It took the attendant announcing the second preboarding call for Pete to loosen his grasp. “You be good, buddy.”

Adam’s eyes filled with tears, and Pete’s heart took a dive. “I want you to go to Japan, too, Uncle Pete.”

“I can’t, Adam. But maybe I can come visit you some day. I’ll definitely call you a couple of times a week. And if you ever want to talk, just ask your mom. She’ll find me, no matter where I am or what I’m doing.”

A single teardrop slid down Adam’s cheek. “Okay. You can call me at night and pretend we’re playing airplane.”

If Pete didn’t get away soon, Adam wasn’t going to be the only one crying.

He straightened and shook Craig’s hand, then gave Trish another hug. “Take care of yourself and Adam. And don’t give Craig too much grief.”

Trish playfully slapped at his arm before she laid a hand on his palm, her eyes misting with unshed tears. “I could never have made it through these past few years without you, Pete. You’ve been a wonderful father to Adam, but now it’s time for you to consider settling down and having a family of your own.”

Pete had never even considered that possibility before he’d had to care for Adam. Before he’d met up with Renee again. “It’s probably too late for that.”

“It’s never too late, Pete. But it will be, if you don’t take some action now.”

“I hear you, Trish. Now get on the plane.”