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“Um. Hi. Sorry. I didn’t think you would still be asleep.”
He folded his arms and waited for her to speak.
“I remembered something about my first day in Vegas. Can you please put some clothes on?”
He cracked a smile and dragged a hand through his hair.
Turning, he ambled to the dresser, making sure she caught a glimpse of his muscular backside. He was proud of his ass. It occurred to him he didn’t show it off nearly enough.
He tugged on a pair of lounge pants and a black t-shirt and motioned her inside.
“What did you remember?” he asked.
“Andrew said something while you were away from the table when I commented on your surly mood. It didn’t strike me as odd until you told me last night that he might be involved in your current predicament. Did he bring Miller Holdings to the negotiating table?”
Memphis shook his head and sat on the edge of his bed. “No. To my knowledge, they approached us out of the blue, which is part of why I was so skeptical.”
Rylee nodded. “OK. So, when we were playing, and you stepped away for a phone call, he commented on your mood and that he was sad you couldn’t even enjoy his bachelor weekend. Then Evan said we all knew the mess you were in was bullshit. After that, Andrew said he felt bad for bringing Miller in and starting this mess, and when Evan said he thought Miller came to you, Andrew got pretty shifty and seemed uncomfortable. Even told Evan not to mention it to Kimberly.”
“God Damn it.” Memphis stood and paced in front of his bed while Rylee leaned against his door and watched him.
“I really appreciate your help with my family,” she murmured after a few minutes of silence.
“And I appreciate you hearing me out last night. I get how hard this is on you, Rylee, but I’m grateful you’re here. I’m grateful Hunter hired you and I got to meet you. Allow me to apologize that it’s under such awkward circumstances and that I’ve fucked this up so badly.”
He wanted her to come to him, touch him, kiss him again, but it would take some time to earn back her trust.
“So, is that helpful?” she asked, sidestepping his confession of his feelings.
“It is, lover,” he whispered, then cleared his throat. “It’s extremely helpful. I’m certain I’m looking in the right direction now. Smug of him to take the blame in front of you. I guess he didn’t realize who you were either, though.”
“He was here yesterday, wasn’t he? Did you suspect then that he might be involved?”
Memphis nodded. “I did. My attorney advised me not to confront him just yet. I’ll meet with Jeremy this morning and then with Andrew again this afternoon, and at that point Iwillconfront him. Hopefully, the State Attorney can be convinced to drop the charges against me and transfer them to him instead.”
“If I can help, let me know.”
“So, you’re not leaving?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know where we stand sexually, but I’m willing to stay if it keeps you out of jail. I just need you to understand how fucked up it is that you tell me blatant lies are a deal breaker for you and then you pull a stunt like this. I’m conflicted.”
He wanted to pull her into his arms, but he resisted. “I get it. I swear. And I’ll spend as much time as you need making this up to you.”
“You can start by paying for a suite at the Pink Sapphire for my friend Carla. She gets in at three. And Hunter wants me to come sit in on a high roller tournament on his dime later today or maybe tomorrow. Is that something I could do or will that cause you problems?”
He hated the idea of her leaving. If she did, she might not return. But he couldn’t keep her here against her will. Rylee wasn’t the one on house arrest.
“I’m sure we can work it out. They warned me not to use you to bring in contraband, but you should be free to go to the strip. I’ll call about the suite now. Did she already make a reservation?”
Rylee nodded. “I think so. She just told me she was coming last night. If I have her sign an NDA, can I talk to her? She’s my best friend.”
Memphis waved his hand. “Yes, please. No NDA needed. I trust you.”
She quirked an eyebrow up and gave him an awkward shrug. “OK. Well… I’m going back to bed.”
When Rylee was gone, he jumped into action on his phone. It was time to get this damn chip out of his skin and get on with his life.
He just hoped that life could include a certain professional poker player.
