She turned her head then and looked at him, hunching a little, as if he’d struck a body blow. Her amazing blue eyes always sent an electrical charge sizzling through his body. She blinked, drawing his attention to her impossibly long lashes. Before he drove straight into the bayou, he forced his gaze back onto the road.

“You jump around in the conversation, Remy. I’m havin’ trouble keepin’ up.”

“No, you aren’t. Now you’re just stallin’. I told you a long time ago, chere, you’re no coward, and it’s time you just told me what was upsetting you. I’m gettin’ the feelin’ you think our relationship is about sex and nothing else.”

He glanced at her again and just before her long lashes veiled her expression, he caught a flash of pain in her eyes. Instantly he felt as if a giant hand squeezed his heart hard. Upsetting her was one thing, but genuine pain was another. He didn’t like ever being the cause of that. She’d had enough pain in her life and he would bet his last dollar she was facing more.

He was positive her agent and his murky friend were up to no good. And he knew Bob Carson was. The man followed her everywhere taking photographs and selling out her privacy. He couldn’t yet prove that Carson was stalking her and destroying her property, even frightening her, but he would find the proof. She knew all three men, had known two of them for years, and it would hurt to find out that they really cared nothing for her . . .

The moment the thought entered his mind, he cursed himself. Of course. What an idiot. His brothers were right. Bijou had never been important to her father or her nannies. She’d never been loved by anyone. She probably had no idea what it felt like to have someone caring for her. He’d talked about the sex and little else.

“I think our relationship is about your leopard bein’ crazy about mine, as well as the great sex,” Bijou stated. “I think that because you said it. More than once.”

Remy tightened his fingers around her hand, keeping her palm pressed tightly against his heart. “Then I’m a moron if I made you believe that.” Looking back, he realized he had said just that. He shook his head.

Bijou shrugged. Her lower lip trembled and she bit down with her small teeth. “It’s all right, Remy. I’m not askin’ anythin’ from you. I’m a grown-up. I was there, just like you were. I wanted to have sex with you. It’s not like you forced me. I’m well aware people have casual sex all the time.”

“What we had was not casual sex. Had you ever had sex before, believe me, chere, you would never even consider attaching the word casual to what we have together.”