Burning Desires, page 26
“You’re still a rock star, Rem.” Rex grasped her hand as they lifted off. “And don’t you forget it.”
She gave him a weary smile, and grasped Drew’s hand, holding them both on her legs.
Rex and Drew exchanged glances and sat like that all the way back to the city.
A half hour later, they touched down on the police helipad and saw several officers waiting for them. They climbed down and helped Remi inside to a standing ovation.
Sisco ran over and enveloped her in a big bear hug, not wanting to let go.
“I can’t wait to get home, have a hot shower, a hot meal, and go to bed for a week,” she said, finally letting go.
“Can’t do that yet, I’m afraid, Ms Steele.” Waylon shook her hand. “We need a statement about everything that happened from the hospital.”
Remi physically deflated. She was worn out and had little energy. “Then I’m going to need Pepsi Max and a chocolate bar, unless someone has pizza or burgers on them.”
“Someone order twenty pizzas?”
They turned around and saw two pizza guys holding ten boxes a piece.
Remi grinned at the superintendent. “Perfect timing.”
“Help yourself to whatever you want,” Waylon told her. “You deserve it.” He paid for them while Drew set her up at his desk.
In five minutes, she finished her third piece and washed it down with an ice cold Pepsi from the drink machine. “I need another three pieces and another Pepsi, and then I’ll be ready to give that statement.” Fifteen minutes later she started her statement, and was ready to go home thirty minutes after that.
“I’ll take you.” Drew stood up and stretched his back, hearing it crack.
“No. Sisco called my driver, he’ll be waiting downstairs. You stay here and wrap up this case, and Rex”— she cut them both off with a warning finger— “you need to go home too. I don’t want to see either of you for a few days because I need rest, and there’s clearly still shit you two need to resolve. So, deal with it and I’ll see you both in a few days. Sisco, let’s go.” She left them staring after her.
“I get the feeling it’s going to be her picking one of us,” Drew muttered.
“Because she’s an independent woman with a mind of her own. That’s Remi Steele. And that’s why we love her.” Rex sighed. “Looks like I’m headed out too. But as for what she said, I think we’ve dealt with all we need to. There’s nothing left. We were best friends, once. Em was your girlfriend. I fucked up by bringing drugs into the mix and we all paid for it. I’m sorry, Drew. I truly am.”
Drew’s lip quivered. “So am I. I always have been. But about not saving her. It was never about you. My hate is what’s for you and I have nothing more to say except I will fight for Remi and I will win. It’s time for you to leave, Rex.” He turned and walked away.
Rex watched his retreating back, sorrow for the past washing over him.
*****
A week later, Remi called both of them to her apartment. She’d made up her mind about a few things, and had come to a decision about both men.
They both arrived at her door at the same time and she invited them in.
“So, who’s it gonna be?” Rex demanded.
“Geez, you don’t wait,” Remi remarked dryly, closing the door. “I have something to say and I want you both to be quiet until I’ve finished.” She led them to the living room and offered seats. When they refused, she sat on the chair opposite the couch and pulled a blanket over her legs. “Sit your arses on the couch.” She watched as they obeyed. “Now, I have a proposal. I have no idea what went on between you two decades ago, but I’ve come to the conclusion that I want you both and want to know if you’d be happy to share?”
Their frowns were identical. “What?”
“You two really do look like you’re related. Cousins, brothers. Maybe that’s why I’m so attracted to you both and you’re both so hot and horny you could have me a week on, a week off, or month on, month off. Depending on when you’re actually in town, Rex. We could set up a schedule.”
“Wait.” Drew put up his hands to stop her. “Are you asking us to share you? To both sleep with you and have a relationship with you?”
She shrugged. “Sure, why not? I’m crazy about both of you. You look so much alike and it’s my type. I don’t want to give up either of you and I’ll be exclusive to both of you. No more fucking musicians, just the two of you. Exclusively.”
“Oh, aren’t we lucky and so special,” Rex said sarcastically.
“Yeah, you are, so if you can both grow up and get along, you wouldn’t even see each other if I do a schedule. So, no fights will happen.”
“Are you suggesting a threesome?” Rex asked.
“God no,” she exploded. “My body can only handle one of you at a time. I couldn’t handle two.”
“No,” Drew said. “You’re suggesting an open relationship. Suggesting we share you. No. I don’t want to share you, Remi. I want you for myself. Just you and me in a relationship.”
Remi watched him fidget, watched Rex shift uneasily, and listened for the words she wanted to hear. But she only heard them from one man. “Rex?”
“What do you actually want, Rem?” he asked. “Because I want to keep having fun with you. Drew wants a relationship. I’ve known you for over four years. He’s known you for over four weeks. I love you, Remi. I want to keep seeing you and fucking you and having fun with you. But I just got this feeling”— his clenched fist lightly pounded his chest— “in here, that something’s wrong. Something’s different. You’re different. The situation’s different.”
“It is different, Rex.” Her voice was quiet. “Very different. I’ve done a lot of thinking in the last couple of weeks, especially since the explosion, and I’ve come to the conclusion about what I want. Some bastard blew up my club, tried to kill me, and I had to figure out what I wanted so it could actually come to fruition. After everything that happened, and since Teeth is dead, my club is gone, my career’s over, it’s time to change how I do things.”
“What do you want, Remi?” Drew asked. “Which one of us do you want, because I want you? I want us.” He waved a finger between her and himself. “Not us.” He waved a finger between all three of them.
Her smile was soft as she looked at Rex. “And you?”
“Ah, Rem,” he growled. “I’m getting the feeling you’ve chosen.”
“I want a relationship,” she said. “After everything that’s happened, I’ve realised it’s time for me to have a relationship with a man. I want to play house. I want to know he’s there when I get home, whether his or mine. Or I’m there when he gets home, whether his or mine. I want to know he’s there, that I can rely on him, and not wait weeks if not months for him to come home.”
“Ah, Rem,” Rex gasped and lurched to his feet. “Ah, fuck. I fucking love you, but it’s not me and I know it’s not me and I am so fucking sorry.”
Remi saw a stunned Drew out of the corner of her eye as she got up to embrace Rex. “I love you. The fire, the passion, the sex. You are an incredible man, Rex Titus.”
“But not relationship material.” He reddened and gasped back tears. “I’m so sorry.”
“No, don’t be. Sorry for what?” She wiped his tears away. “We’re two adult human beings in our forties who were free to have fun with each other. That’s now come to an end because neither of you wanted to share, but that’s okay because I needed to know.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I know. I think I’ve known it from the start. Sex was all it was ever going to be. But that doesn’t stop me loving you, Remi, and wanting you.”
“And I’ll always love you and the times we’ve had together.” She kissed him. “Be happy Rex. Go and find the woman who has the same life as you, or can go with you so you’re always together. She’s the one for you, not me. And I hope you’re happy.”
“Maybe one day I will be, but I’m certainly not now.” He pulled her into his arms for a tight hug. “And it’s going to take me a long time to get over you.”
“I know. I’m hard to forget or get over,” she murmured into his curly beard. She ran her fingers through it. “I love you. Go and be happy.”
“I’ll try.” He nodded. “But it’s going to be hard to replace you.” He let her go and walked for the door, only stopping when he’d opened it. “Bye, Remi. Be happy. Drew, you’re a lucky fucker, take care of her or you’ll have me to answer to.” He walked out of the door. The click reverberated in the silence.
“What the fuck just happened?” Drew slowly rose to his feet. “What just happened?”
“I chose,” Remi said. “I chose you.”
He stared at her, his brows furrowing, his head shaking slowly. “You what? What was all that about sharing and setting up a schedule of when we could have you?”
“I wanted to, believe me, that was definitely my first option,” she said with a small laugh. “But my second was my choice. I knew which one of you I wanted, and I saw which one of you fought for me.”
The light dawned on him. “And Rex didn’t tell you, didn’t fight for you.”
“Nope.” She shook her head. “Besides, I want a man who’s actually here and not travelling. A man who actually wants a relationship and not just a good time. But just know this, Drew Reilly.” She moved into his arms and kissed him. “If you decide you don’t want a relationship, then he’s my backup. So, you’d better man-up and be the man who actually wants me.”
“Is that so?” He kissed her passionately. “Believe me, Remi Steele, you don’t need a backup. I’m all the man you need.”
“Is that so?” she remarked and kissed him passionately in return.
EPILOGUE
One year later, on the exact date of the explosion, The Cavern Club re-opened with a massive bang. It was such a bang; they were going to be open for twenty-four hours with twenty-four bands and artists playing an hour each for twenty-four hours straight.
Everyone Remi knew offered their time, talked it up on social media, and the re-opening was bigger the second time around.
Sisco was back as manager; the staff who’d survived the bombing had moved on or stayed. The private rooms were back, the basement kitchen was safety fitted, the band area separated from it. Fire doors and walls were everywhere, and the no drug policy was back in full force. The Golden Ring hadn’t been replaced, but another private area was under the mezzanine.
Not replacing The Golden Ring was something Remi was absolute about. She didn’t want memories of what Teeth had done spoiling her business, or her life. They hadn’t found out his actual reason for everything he’d done to Remi. Surmised it was because she was trying to stop his drug business from succeeding in her club, so he’d tried to take her down for her interference.
His disciples had given up almost nothing. They were drug users, doing his bidding, but didn’t know what his actual business was, or the reason behind it. The ones the police caught scored ten years in prison. Teeth, whose real name was Marcus Holmstead, was dead and buried, with no one showing up to his burial except for his lawyer. He’d had a will, and the lawyer proceeded to execute his wishes. That included closing down the business he had, which turned out to be a very lucrative drug business in the millions. As the money was made from illegal means, the government seized it and it disappeared.
Remi glanced around the club and thought about Rex. He’d called in his apology, unable to make it due to his latest band travelling overseas, but he’d be watching the livestream on the club’s YouTube channel. He’d also met someone and was happy fucking her exclusively.
I can see why, Remi had thought when he texted her a photo. The twenty-three year old up-and-coming singer was fucking gorgeous. “Just as long as she’s not using you to climb her way to the top,” she told Rex.
“She’s got a long way to climb to my top,” he’d quipped in return.
Remi’s gaze came to Drew, who was watching the band on stage, and she smiled at how lucky she was to have him beside her. Her pregnant hips and baby bump couldn’t help but sway to the music, and her hands were protectively over it. The pregnancy had come as a complete surprise to both of them and she was about to drop any day. She’d made the decision to take time off once their daughter arrived, and Drew had as well, but he was looking into another job, so he wasn’t in the line of gunfire all the time.
That was fine by Remi, she liked having him home. He’d moved into her apartment and rented out his townhouse for extra income. She’d also played house with designing the baby’s room and buying a ridiculous amount of clothes and toys, reasoning it might be her only child, so it was being spoilt.
And now, her first baby had finally re-opened and it was all coming back together.
She swayed her hips into Drew’s and he gently bumped back, his hands sliding around to her swollen belly, his hips swaying with hers. Her hands slid over his.
He grinned and nuzzled her neck, leaving a kiss on her shoulder. He felt his baby kick inside of her. A joy he’d never known had gripped his heart the day she’d announced her pregnancy, and he’d been in a panic ever since. Between trying to find a calmer, safer job, he’d been worried about her every day. The health of the baby, Remi’s age, whether he would be a good father, a good partner.
They had discussed marriage, but figured that would come when ready, just like the baby would. And they had discussed names, but Remi was firm that she’d already picked one out, and she’d tell Drew once the baby was born.
A pain ripped through her stomach and fluid poured from between her legs. “Fuck!” she growled, gripping her stomach. “The baby’s coming.”
“What! You’re not due. We’re not due. She’s not due.” Drew panicked. “What do we do?”
“You’re the cop, you tell me,” she snapped.
Sisco came up behind them with a mop and bucket. “Either way, get the hell out of here. You’ll disgust the clientele.” He shoved her bag at her. “Go.”
With a pained grin, Remi set off with a worried Drew, ready for the next grand opening of her life. The one that was going to make them a family of three.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
L.J. has been writing since 2006, when her first of many novels, The Road To Vegas, was born. In 2016 she created the Porn Star Brothers series about three sizzlingly hot Australian born Greek Island raised brothers who became the hottest porn stars in ’70s America.
L.J. lives in Australia, loves ’80s music, disaster movies, and collecting Jackie Collins books as Jackie is her inspiration and mentor.
L.J. Diva is the adult pen name for author Tiara King. You can find more about Tiara on her website; follow her on social media, or visit her publishing house, Royal Star Publishing.
ljdiva.com
tiaraking.com.au
royalstarpublishing.com.au
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OTHER TITLES
Novels
Burning Desires
Anything for You
Falling for London
Hollywood Dreams
The Road to Vegas
The Billionaire’s Dirty Little Secret
Porn Star Brothers Series
Carlos: Book 1
Pedro: Book 2
Tomas: Book 3
Retribution: Book 4
Porn Star Brothers (e-book collection)
Porn Star Brothers (paperback omnibus)
Forever
Love Never Dies
Stefan: The New Generation
DeLuca
Spiros & Jenny
And Always
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Thank you very much.
COPYRIGHT
Chances is an imprint of Royal Star Publishing
www.royalstarpublishing.com.au
All Rights Reserved, Copyright ©L.J. Diva 2024
Cover design: Royal Star Publishing and Designed with Grace
All photos from Depositphotos
The moral right of L.J. Diva to be identified as the author of her work has been asserted.
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to real people or real locales are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, published, performed in public or communicated to the public in any form or by any means without prior written permission of Royal Star Publishing. Requests to publish work from this book should be sent to: authors@royalstarpublishing.com.au
L.J. Diva, Burning Desires
