Kristi Gold - Hotel Marchand 04 (6 page)

He pushed away from the wall and strolled toward her. “Let me refresh your memory. It comes just above your knee and has thin straps. It’s peach-colored, a shade lighter than the sweater you have on now, and it leaves very little to the imagination.”

True. In fact, it had provided little cover at all. And it no longer hung in her closet. She’d given it away, even though she hadn’t been able to hand off the memories. “I’m sorry, but I don’t own that dress any longer. And even if I did, I wouldn’t wear it. It’s going to be in the low fifties tonight. I’ll choose something a bit more appropriate for the season.”

He moved toward the desk with slow, stalking steps. “I wouldn’t mind keeping you warm.”

She stood and wagged a finger at him. “Let’s not start this now.” And that sounded as if she wanted to start it later, which she didn’t. Did she?

Ignoring her attempts to discourage him, Pete walked right up to her and pushed her hair back from her shoulder. “Fine, but we will finish it later.” He rested one hand lightly at her waist. “Tonight, I’m going to take you out for a drink. And after that, we’ll just have to play it by ear.” He feathered a kiss across her cheek. “But I tell you one thing, lady. We’re going to have a good time.”

Renee didn’t have time to cultivate any kind of argument or comeback before he’d left the room without even a goodbye.

In a matter of hours, she would serve as the bridesmaid for a woman who was practically a stranger. She would dress in her best and pretend that everything was rosy, when in fact she would worry the whole time about how she would handle Pete following the ceremony. Easy. She’d simply refuse to spend more time with him than necessary. She might agree to his drink, but she didn’t have to respond to his innuendo. She’d leave him with a polite good-night and refuse his kiss. She’d ignore his aura, reject his appeal—and most likely forget all those strategies the moment she saw him again.

Lowering her head, Renee pinched the bridge of her nose and muttered a mild oath. What had she gotten herself into?

W
ASHED IN THE GLOW
of candlelight, the small chapel carried the scents of polished wood and fragrant roses. The perfect, intimate setting for a wedding, Renee thought as she took her place beside Ella. Evan stood next to his bride, looking proud and handsome in the tuxedo that had arrived a half hour before they were scheduled to leave. And Pete, who flanked Evan’s other side, looked much too luscious for words.

Heaven help her, she’d barely been able to keep her eyes to herself the entire way to the inn. Her only saving grace at the moment was the groom blocking her view of the best man.

The minister happened to be a woman, a widow and the owner of the inn. She appeared to be in her sixties and radiated a kindness that was second only to the bride’s glow. Dressed in a tea-length, cream-colored lace gown, Ella seemed incredibly serene in light of the momentous event. Definitely a woman in love, and Renee wondered what that would be like. To be so sure of your feelings that you would commit to a man for life.

She’d spent her adulthood living the cliché of “always a bridesmaid.” Not once had she been serious enough about anyone to considered taking any vows. Not once had anyone asked. She’d had the misfortune of dating men who viewed her as a fragile flower, only to be disappointed when they discovered she was anything but. She demanded to be an equal partner, not simply arm candy. So far, finding those traits in the opposite sex had been elusive—except for Pete.

For a little while, she’d allowed herself to hope that he could come up to her ideal. That he could love her the way her father had loved her mother, with an intensity that had always left Renee awed. She’d been a fool to have hoped. A fool to believe that she would ever find that soul-deep, undeniable love.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

So deep in her thoughts, Renee realized she’d basically missed the vows, but she could never miss the look that passed between Ella and Evan right before he bent his head and kissed her. An indisputable look of love.

The kiss went on longer than most post-nuptial kisses, prompting the minister to clear her throat. “Congratulations, and may you have a happy future.”

Thankfully taking the hint, the couple finally parted, and as Renee and Pete followed them into the lobby, Renee noticed Evan didn’t look the least bit self-conscious. Poor Ella did, particularly when Evan clasped her wrist and began tugging her away from the front entrance.

“Where are you two going?” Pete asked, voicing Renee’s question before she could get a word out of her partially open mouth.

Evan continued up the staircase without missing a beat. “I figured you were going to tell us to get a room, and I already did. Besides, you guys don’t have much time to be alone. You don’t need us ruining your party.”

Evan was definitely on the matchmaking track, Renee decided. It seemed everyone was bent on throwing her and Pete together, including her own mother.

“Where are your bags?” Pete asked.

“We bought toothbrushes.” He grinned. “Who needs clothes on their honeymoon?”

Pete sent a glance her way before calling to Evan again. “How long are you going to be holed up here, Pryor?”

“We’ll be back at the hotel tomorrow.” Evan finally paused and faced them. “You have the whole suite to yourself tonight, Pete, so take advantage of it.”

With that, Ella sent them a wave and a smile, and the couple disappeared up the staircase and out of sight.

Renee stared at Pete for a few moments before she said, “What now?”

He loosened his bow tie. “Looks like it’s just you and me sharing that limo back to New Orleans.”

To quote what had been one of her father’s favorite sayings, she’d be
motier foux
—half crazy—if she agreed to get into an otherwise unoccupied vehicle with a man whose sexuality was so toxic, he should be registered with Hazmat. But then, where Pete was concerned, she’d often lost sight of her sanity. And what choice did she have? Walk the twenty or so miles back into the city? Try to hail a cab in this tiny town that could barely be designated as a bend in the road? Not hardly.

Renee smoothed a hand down her winter-weight green suit, firmed up her resolve to resist him and motioned toward the door. “Let’s go.”

“W
HERE TO NOW
?” the concierge asked as he opened the limo door.

“Back to the hotel,” Pete answered for Renee, earning him a cutting glare from his date for the evening. At least that’s how he saw this—as a date—even if she didn’t. “We can have that drink we discussed earlier,” he added, expecting a protest but surprisingly receiving none. Instead, she slid inside the limo without saying a word. So far, so good.

Before Pete could climb in behind Renee, Luc asked, “Are the bride and groom on their way out?”

“They’re staying here tonight before they return to the hotel.”

“Is there something wrong with their accommodations?”

Pete didn’t like the guy’s defensive tone one bit. “They decided to honeymoon in a place where they don’t have a four-year-old hanging out in the next room.”

Luc mulled that over a moment. “Makes sense. You said they’ll be back tomorrow?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“I need to make sure the car’s available to pick them up.”

“I’m sure they’ll call you when they need to be picked up.” Pete wasn’t exactly buying his story. Luc Carter seemed just a little too concerned, maybe even a little too slick.

Once in the limo, Pete took the seat across from Renee, opting to give her some space for the time being. She hadn’t worn anything that remotely resembled the dress he’d reminded her of that afternoon. In fact, her outfit would be considered conservative—a green, long-sleeved tailored suit that came below her knees and practically buttoned up to the neck. Not that her modest attire discouraged his libido, even if that had been her plan.

After fifteen minutes of silence, Pete’s tolerance began to wane, so he moved beside her and pushed the button that raised the partition separating the driver from the passengers.

Renee sent him a sidelong glance. “What are you up to?”

He knew exactly what she was thinking—that he wanted to put a few moves on her. That wasn’t exactly his plan, although the thought had crossed his mind. “I wanted to have a private conversation with you about your concierge.”

“What about him?”

Pete pulled off his tie, stuffed it in the inside jacket pocket and released the top button on the nooselike collar. “I could be wrong, but my instincts tell me you should keep a close eye on him.”

Renee leaned her head back and sighed. “You’re imagining things.”

“Maybe so.” But he honestly didn’t think so. Something wasn’t quite right about the guy.

For the sake of keeping the mood light, and keeping her in his company for a few more hours, Pete decided to change the subject. “I still can’t believe Evan actually went through with it. For years he’s been committed to bachelorhood.” Something Evan had once had in common with Pete.

“That’s what love does to people.” She lifted her head and smiled. “It was a beautiful wedding. I’m honored to have been a part of it.”

“Now let’s just hope it lasts.”

“Any reason to believe it won’t?”

“You and I both know what it’s like in the business. Crazy hours, moving from town to town. Too many temptations.”

“Is that what happened with your marriage?”

Pete was amazed that she’d mentioned his marriage after she’d been so determined to avoid the topic before. “I guess you could say that. Cara did a movie in Malaysia and fell for some guy who was an extra. I told her she should have at least gone after the leading man.”

“You don’t sound that upset over it.”

That’s because he hadn’t been, then or now. “Cara and I had a fast courtship, and not a hell of a lot in common aside from the industry. We weren’t together more than a few weeks in the two years we were married.”

“Well, if you don’t get married, then you don’t have to worry about getting divorced.”

“Now who’s being cynical?”

She shrugged. “I only know that my parents had a solid marriage, and I haven’t seen that kind of relationship too often in my experience.”

“You sound like you’ve given up.”

“Let’s just say that at my age, most men are looking for younger women. And it’s hard to find someone you can trust.”

That trust thing was no doubt directed at him. “Not all men are looking for a younger woman.”

She tipped her head back again and focused on the line of muted blue lights overhead. “Come on, Pete. You’ve been known to date your share of starlets.”

He couldn’t deny that, although he wished he could. “Most of the women I work with happen to be younger, and yeah, I’ve been involved with a few. But they eventually move on, and that’s okay.”

She shot him a look that was less than friendly. “Then you’re saying they’re nothing more than a diversion?”

Damn. If he kept digging himself a deeper hole, he’d never be able to climb out. “I’m saying I get lonely, Renee. Everyone does now and then.”

She sighed. “I’ve never been so lonely that I’ve settled for casual sex for the sake of sex.”

He wondered if that meant she hadn’t considered their lovemaking casual, but then neither had he. “Believe it or not, it’s been a long time since I’ve been involved with anyone.” Only a couple of times since he’d been with her, and as she’d said, only for the sake of sex, something he wasn’t necessarily proud of. And something he definitely wouldn’t confess.

Time for another topic, before he said something else to completely alienate her. “Should we have the drink in the hotel bar, or do you have another place in mind?”

She stared straight ahead. “I don’t remember agreeing to a drink.”

“But you didn’t nix the idea, either.”

She managed a small smile. “True.”

He draped his arm over the back of the seat and checked his watch. “It’s only eight-thirty. We still have a couple of hours left before I need to pick up Adam.”

“We could pick him up now, but he’s probably having a good time with Daisy Rose. So I guess we could have a drink.”

“Good, because I could use some adult company.” Namely hers. He toyed with a lock of her hair, twining it around his finger. “We can have one drink and go from there. If you want to leave early, then I won’t argue with you.”

“Okay.” She pointed at him. “But only one drink.”

A small victory, and hopefully only the first of many tonight. “We could go to my suite, where we could talk.”

“I don’t think that’s wise.”

Pete wasn’t surprised by her reaction, but he wasn’t ready to give up yet. He traced a line with his fingertip up her neck and along her jaw. “Why not?”

She released a slow breath and closed her eyes. “We both know that you and me in close quarters with a bed nearby leads to disaster.”

Just the mention of the word “bed” prompted several recollections, and physical reactions, that Pete couldn’t ignore. “I don’t remember it being a disaster at all. I do remember it was wild, and hot. You were hot.”

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. “You still remember, too. You remember how we almost didn’t make it out of that damn elevator.” He brushed a kiss over her cheek. “You remember how we’d barely made it inside your apartment before our clothes went flying.” He pressed another kiss at the corner of her mouth. “And I don’t have to tell you what happened after that, because you were definitely there, right where I wanted you, before we even hit the bed.”

Renee’s eyes snapped open, as if she’d jolted herself out of the memories. “I also remember the morning after, and the way you disappeared after that. I can’t forget that I never heard a word from you until you suddenly showed up at the hotel.”

Pete sat back and scrubbed a hand over his jaw. In order for her to learn to trust him, he had to make a few revelations. He didn’t want to disclose all the details, but he would tell her enough and hope that she’d finally understand why he’d left the project behind. Why he’d left her behind.