Rem finished his coffee and shook his head. "I can't. It was an amazing night, but it's over. Too many ghosts are between us. If I screwed up once, I can do it again."
"Or maybe you've both learned enough to make it work."
Rem ignored Rome's Yoda comment. "It's better this way."
His brothers shared a meaningful look. "What if you run into her?" Rafe asked.
"Doubt it. Vegas is big, and we don't run in the same circles." Except the BDSM club she'd mentioned. That nugget of information had been bothering him like a grain of sand in his shoe, rubbing him slowly raw. "Hey, anyone know Paul at Chains?"
Rick and Rafe nodded. "Yeah, he's a Dom. Does teaching and introductory classes. You know him?"
Remington shifted in his seat. Fuck. The idea of going into Chains and finding Cara with another Dom filled him with frustration. And anger. He tried to swallow it back. "Seems Cara has been going to Chains to be trained. She said Paul is her teacher."
Rick waved his hand in the air. "Paul is very good at knowing what a sub needs to be comfortable. He usually doesn't have sex with his trainees unless they specifically request it. He's a good guy. Knows his stuff. Still, I'm surprised I haven't seen Cara before. She was probably receiving private lessons."
Rem relaxed. Cara had been telling the truth. She'd learned so much, he figured she had tons of Doms after him, but maybe it had always been just him. Damn, he'd loved being the man to give her multiple orgasms and push her limits. Making her come was addictive. "Thanks. Umm, if you happen to see her at Chains, just let me know."
Rick frowned. "So you can go apeshit on us? Rem, are you sure you're ready to give her up for the second time?"
Rem threw a few bills on the table. "I'm sure. I gotta go."
As he walked out of the restaurant, his brothers' stares called him a liar.
***
Cara stood on the edge of the casino and watched Rem work.
It had been two weeks since their night together. Two weeks of sheer misery and crying and regrets. She understood why he didn't want to try again. But last night, after talking to her girlfriend, the light bulb had switched on and blinded her with a startling revelation.
Years ago, she'd left him. She hadn't fought for their relationship, or tried to reach out to tell him the truth.
This time, she had to be the one to make a stand. For her. For him.
For them.
Deep inside, Cara knew she had the strength to fight. It was time for Rem to see she wasn't giving up. He was still under the illusion she was the type of girl to slink away after losing the battle.
But Cara was a full-grown woman now. And she was going to win the war.
She'd dressed carefully in a simple dark green dress in a stretchy knit that gave under her generous curves. A hint of cleavage was revealed with the V neckline, and a gold chain belt cinched her waist. Her heels were four inch black stilettos. Her hair was twisted up in a loose knot, allowing strands to frame her face and soften the severity.
His shift ended at midnight.
Cara would be waiting.
Right on cue, he switched out with the new dealer, shutting down his station and nodding to the players. His crisp black pants and white shirt hugged his lean figure, and as soon as he left the floor, his fingers were loosening the top buttons and rolling up his sleeves. His long strides ate up the casino floor, and Cara stumbled to catch up.
He had just turned around the flashing game of Sex in the City, when she picked up her speed and bashed right into a hard chest.
Uh, oh.
Her eyes widened as he stared down at her with chilly blue eyes. Damn, he was pissed. She probably should've yelled his name instead of trying to stalk him, and now he thought she was one of those crazy exes.
"What are you doing, Cara?" he demanded.
She swallowed, threw her head back, and went for it. "Coming to see you. Wanted to check if you'd like to grab dinner."
His eyebrow shot up. "It's midnight," he said mildly. "A little late for dinner, don't you think?"
"I know after work, no matter how late it was, you always craved a big meal."
"I don't think it's a good idea," he said.
Cara meant to give her rehearsed speech, but instead found herself babbling. "I don't want to make a pest out of myself, and I respect your decision not to continue our relationship. But I want to get to know you again. As friends."
"Friends?"
"Yes, friends." She stumbled over the word and heard her inner voice scream LIAR. She ignored it. "It's rare to have someone in your life who knew who you really were. God, Rem, I had dinners with your family, and hung with your brothers. I dragged you to art galleys and you forced me to sit through football games. But we were friends before we were lovers. Can't we just have a meal together and talk? No sex. No intensity. Just... talk?"
Her shoulders tensed as she waited. If this didn't work, she'd need to compose a plan B, but Cara hoped he'd be curious enough to give her this. She watched the mingle of emotions flicker over his face. Cara stood her ground. Kept her gaze on his. And waited.
"Okay?"
She jerked back. "Really?"
That half smile curved his lips and her heart did a slow flip-flop. "Really. But no trying to seduce me at the table."
She grinned back. "Deal. Pasta or steak?"
"Pizza. Lots of it."
"You still like ham and pineapple?"
"Damn straight."
She shuddered. "I still hate it."
They laughed and headed over to the fast food section, where a brick oven specialty shop served up personalized pies with a variety of toppings. Rem grabbed a Sam Adams Octoberfest, a Blue Moon for her, two Hawaiian slices, and one plain. They slid into a red vinyl booth with paper plates and drank beer from the bottle. Familiarity settled around them.
"Why'd you say yes?" she asked, taking a sip of the cold, citrusy brew.
He shook his head. "You're direct. I like that."
"You deserve that," she said softly.
Surprise flickered in his eyes. He nodded. "I said yes cause I'm hungry and you've been on my mind. I thought sharing a meal would be... nice."
"I'm happy you've been thinking of me. I've been replaying that night in my mind over and over these past weeks. But I haven't been feeling... nice."
His gaze narrowed. "You agreed no sex."
She bit her lip in guilt. "You're right. My bad. Tell me about your brothers. I've missed them. Are they all here in Vegas with you?"
Rem probed her face to make sure she really felt guilty, and then bit into his pizza. "Yeah, they came out here one by one until they finally recruited me a few months ago. It's nice working with them again, though. We're trying to get Mom and Dad out here for a long vacation."
&nbs
p; "How are your parents?" she asked. She still remembered the warmth and chaos in the household brimming with boys. Rem's mom ruled with an iron hand, and a lot of food. Sunday dinners were a staple, with football on in the background, crowded at the dining room table, hosting meatball eating contests. Cara always felt like she was truly home in the Steele house.
"Good. Dad retired so they're having fun being on their own schedule. Traveling."
"Are any of your brothers married?"
He shook his head. "Not yet. But they're all in committed relationships right now and seem happy. It's nice. Rafe got out of the military so it's good to have him home safe."
Cara sighed. "You have such a tight knit family. I'm glad you're all back together."
"Your turn. How'd you settle on Vegas? Or are you?"
"I am. Bought a little house outside of town. After I left Atlantic City, I headed down south. I craved the sun and the feeling of everything being a bit lighter. I did some odd jobs for a while, waitressing, book store clerk, and then finally I realized I really wanted to go back to school."
"For history? Teaching?"
"Special education. I love it. I always felt something didn't fit with being a professor, or even teaching elementary. But once I began working with special needs children, something clicked. I finished my degree, and decided to head for California to settle. But there were some great opportunities in Vegas, so I tweaked my plan, came here, and fell into the world immediately."
"Vegas isn't too much for you?"
She laughed. "That's what I love about it. You can come to the Strip and have all your desires met. But I have a great job, and live in a really quiet neighborhood, so it's like the best of both worlds."
"You always did hate the winters," he murmured. "You'd wear those godawful socks in neon colors. They were so thick they rivaled my grandmother's."
"Cold feet, warm heart," she recited.
They smiled at each other, and the crackle of electricity zinged in a crazy loop, pulling them a bit closer. She studied the carved features of his face, heavy brows, square chin, the spill of coal hair over his forehead. God, he was so beautiful. God, she wanted him so much.
Instead, she veered back to friendly topics of conversation. She needed him to learn to trust her again. Not the Cara from years ago, but the woman she'd become. They'd already bonded physically, but now, she needed to see if Remington Steele could also like her.