The Risk: A Billionaire Romance (Wagered Hearts Series, Book 2)

by Calista Kyle

  “Don’t be,” I said. “You might change your mind once I tell you everything.”

  Candace’s face immediately lost its teasing manner and her lips turned down in a frown.

  “It sounds serious,” she said.

  “Chad’s back from Dubai,” I said.

  “How do you know that?” she asked.

  “Because he told me. And anyway, I’ve seen him.”

  “You’ve what? When did this happen? How?” she spluttered.

  “That’s what I was trying to tell you. He called me up on Saturday and asked me to meet him for lunch. Then when I got there, he told me he missed me and wanted me to give him a second chance. I’m so confused. I don’t know what to do,” I said.

  “What?!” Candace screeched. “That bastard had the nerve to ask you for a second chance?”

  “Can you please lower your voice,” I pleaded. “I don’t want the whole office knowing my business.”

  She brushed off my concern with a wave of her hand, but still lowered her voice when she finally spoke. “What did you tell him?” she whispered.

  “I said I needed time. I told him I’d let him know my decision when I had decided.”

  “You’re not really considering giving him another chance, are you?” Candace asked. “What about you and Ryan?”

  There it was in a nutshell. All I had been thinking about was Ryan, the only problem was, he didn’t seem to be thinking of me. If only I knew where things stood between us, I could build something around that, but if it was just casual sex, then I didn’t want to waste any more of my time.

  “I don’t know, Candace and that’s the problem. You should have seen Chad, he looked really miserable and I just didn’t have the heart to deny him outright. And I have no idea what’s going on with Ryan.”

  Candace shook her head slowly, giving me a sad, pitying look. “Your life is like a soap opera,” she said. “There’s so much drama.”

  “Don’t I know it!” I replied. “Why does everything have to be so hard?”

  “Because you make it that way,” Candace said.

  I shot my head up to stare at her in surprise. “What do you mean?”

  “All I’m saying is if it were me in your shoes, there wouldn’t even be any doubt. I’d kick Chad to the curb. He had his chance and he blew it.”

  “I know that, but we just have a lot of history together. And we did have some great times together too,” I said.

  “So, you’re just going to pick Chad over Ryan?”

  “I didn’t say that,” I shot back.

  “Well, what’s your heart tell you?”

  “My heart can’t be trusted. It’s led me down the wrong path before,” I said. “I’m trying to make this decision based on facts and thorough analysis.”

  Candace let out a snort. “This isn’t a book report, it’s your life. Personally, I wouldn’t even look at Chad if there was even a chance with someone like Ryan. He’s the real deal,” she said. “Guys like that are rare.”

  I remained silent, trying to process her words. It wasn’t something that I hadn’t already thought of before, but then the coward in me protested. What if Ryan broke my heart as well? I somehow knew I’d never recover if that happened.

  “I’m more confused than ever,” I said miserably. “I just wish there was some clear cut sign that would show me what to do.”

  ***

  Throughout the morning, Candace and I didn’t have another chance to discuss it any further. The phone kept ringing off the hook and the editors kept piling up more and more work for us to do.

  “Hey I’m heading to lunch now. Are you coming?” Candace asked as she stuck her head into the storeroom closet. I was busy making an inventory of all the items we’d need for a photo shoot later in the week, but looked up from my clipboard.

  “No, I’ve got to finish this. You go on ahead without me,” I said.

  Candace hesitated before she nodded her head. “Did you want me to pick anything up for you?” she asked.

  “Nah, thanks for the offer, though,” I said.

  After she left, I focused my attention back to work. It was actually a relief to be busy and to keep my mind occupied on things that didn’t have to do with my personal life. It was those quiet times when I was by myself that all the doubts and thoughts came rushing back at me. I knew as soon as I left work and got into my apartment, I’d have to deal with it all again. But for right now, it was a nice break.

  My ears perked up as I heard footsteps nearing the closet door. At first I thought Candace had forgotten something, but then I listened closer. They were quick, determined strides, each click of the heels sharp and precise. I knew that walk and it definitely wasn’t Candace’s. I braced myself for the encounter, and before I could wonder at why she was making the trek to the storeroom closet, she appeared at the door.

  “Melanie, come in to my office, please,” she said before turning around and marching back in the direction which she had come.

  It took a minute for me to get my bearings about me. That was odd. My mother had never acted like that before. If she wanted to see me, she’d either call me at my desk, text my cell phone, or have her new personal assistant come and fetch me. I wondered why she was going out of her way to seek me out personally. Could it have anything to do with the recent photo shoot we just did? I knew I made sure to have the insurance all set to go, all items were accounted for, and the photographer had been pleased with the shots. My stomach dropped at the idea that I’d still managed screw something up.

  I stood up from where I had been kneeling on the floor in front of a box of shoes, and brushed myself off nervously. Well, there was no point staying there wondering about it. I might as well go and find out, I told myself. Besides, the longer I kept her waiting, the nastier she would be. I made the walk back to her office with a feeling of dread hanging over me. Whatever my mother had to say to me, it couldn’t be good news.

  The door to her office was cracked open and I walked in, stopping just over her threshold. “You wanted to see me?”

  “Yes, have a seat,” my mother told me, pointing at the chairs in front of her desk.

  I sat down gingerly and scooted towards the edge of the seat, looking the picture of calm politeness, even though my heart was racing in my chest. “What did you want to speak to me about?” I asked.

  For a moment she paused and looked unsure of herself. It was such a rare occurrence, I sat gaping at her. But the moment didn’t last long and she regained her composure immediately. Then she went and smiled at me and I almost fell out of my chair. My mother never smiled. At me or at anyone.

  “I’ve heard Chad is back in town,” she said.

  Of all the things I thought she was going to bring up, Chad was the last of them. She never really took an interest in my personal life, so long as it didn’t affect hers.

  “Wh-where did you hear that?” I asked.

  “Oh, from people,” she said airily. “Have you seen him yet?”

  “Yes.” She nodded her head, patiently waiting for me to continue. “I saw him on Saturday.”

  “And how was that?” she asked. Her voice was kind and she had a sympathetic look on her face. I was so startled by her demeanor, I didn’t respond at first. I almost wondered if this was some sick joke, but then I looked at her again and she wore that same sympathetic expression and I found my doubt crumbling.

  “It was…interesting,” I said. “He’s asked me to give him another chance.”

  “And are you going to?” she asked. It was amazing the kind of transformation that overtook her when she lost that hard edge to her voice and her features were softened in interest and concern. She almost looked…nice.

  “I don’t know. There’s some other things as well that make it all a little more complicated.”

  “Such as?” she prompted.

  I didn’t know if I should mention Ryan to her. She didn’t know about my relationship with him and since he was technically her boss, I
wondered if that would be awkward.

  “You don’t have to hold back on my account,” she said. “I want to help you, Mel. I am your mother after all. Even though I can be a bit tough on you at times, it’s always with your best interest at heart. I care about you. You know that, right?”

  I felt a damn within me burst. Maybe it was because I’d been starved of her affection for so long that when she finally showed it, I grasped for it with both hands. I’d always wanted the kind of close relationship other girls had with their mothers, but never dared to hope for it since I knew it’d be like asking for a miracle. Now that she was actually showing me her nurturing side, I wanted to confide in her.

  “It’s just that I’ve sort of been seeing Ryan Marsden, and I’m just confused about what I want right now,” I confessed.

  “Ryan Marsden? Really, I had no idea,” she said. “How long have you two been together?”

  “Not long. It’s nothing official. I mean we’ve just gone out a couple of times…” I didn’t mention the fact that we’d had sex a couple of times either. There were still some things I wasn’t comfortable talking about with my mother, despite how kind and accepting she was being right now.

  “Do you have feelings for him?” she asked.

  “I-I think I do,” I answered.

  “And he reciprocates these feelings?” she asked, more shrewdly.

  I hesitated, not knowing how to respond. The truth was I had no idea how he felt about me. He desired me and he might even enjoy my company, but he never outright said that he wanted to be with me. It was always innuendos and light flirtation with him, nothing definite and concrete.

  “That’s what I thought,” my mother murmured after I’d remained silent.

  “What do you mean?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

  “Ryan Marsden is a handsome charmer, I won’t deny that. And I don’t blame you for developing feelings for him. You may even think you love him and that he feels the same way about you. But I’ve known the man for a while now, and I’ve also known many of his exes too. It’s no secret that he uses false promises to get girls in bed. You only need to ask around. In fact, from what I hear, he’s already got a girlfriend who doesn’t mind his philandering ways.”

  I looked at her stunned. This was news to me. Not once did Ryan even mention he had a girlfriend. “How do you know?”

  “I’m sort of acquainted with the woman. She runs a modeling agency. I don’t say these things to hurt you, Mel. I’m just trying to warn you so you don’t make the wrong choice and throw away something good for that man. Ryan Marsden is not the kind of man that will ever settle down with just one woman. And I know you, Mel. I know you need the security of a monogamous relationship.”

  When I remained silent, she continued on. “I’ve always liked Chad. He’s a good man and he comes from a good family and has a good job. He just made one mistake. Are you willing to turn your back on that for the likes of Ryan Marsden?”

  She said his name distastefully with a sneer on her face, but quickly schooled her features. “I can promise you he does not love you. It’s not in his nature.”

  When she saw the look of horror on my face, she actually reached out across her desk and patted my arm in sympathy. “I only tell you this because I feel like it’s my duty to warn you as your mother,” she added in a warmer tone. “Lord knows I’ve made enough mistakes with you, I couldn’t live with myself if I let you waste yourself on him. Ryan has cheated on every woman he’s ever been with and he can be exceptionally cruel.”

  I gasped out loud. “You don’t mean he—”

  “No, not physical violence,” she said hurriedly. “I’m just saying he’s very sweet when he wants something from you, but after he’s gotten it, he’ll throw you away like yesterday’s trash.”

  Hearing this account of Ryan left a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach. Was that what he was doing now? Tossing me out like garbage after getting what he wanted? But that wouldn’t explain why he came to see me after Vegas. He could have walked away then and I would have been prepared for that. Hell, I’d already accepted it and had even made it easy for him to wash his hands of the whole situation. But then he had sought me out again and told me he wanted us to get to know each other. He had raised my hopes so that I had expectations now. It would be cruel for him to just leave me after that.

  I didn’t want to believe it. There must be some other explanation, I tried to reason. But looking at my mother’s face and hearing the conviction in her voice shook my confidence. It seemed like she knew what she was talking about. It wasn’t surprising that she would know Ryan’s dirty laundry since she knew just about everyone’s dirty little secrets. Besides, why would she lie to me about him? I couldn’t think of any possible reason for her to go out of her way and interfere in my life like that.

  “I don’t know what to say right now,” I said miserably. “It’s a lot to take in.”

  “Don’t rush into any decisions yet. It’s not like Chad has asked you to marry him. You just need some time to build your trust back up and get to know him again. Maybe you will rediscover what you loved about him the first time. I’ll tell you what, why don’t you invite him to the Vivienne Cabot launch party tonight? It’ll just be a casual evening with no pressure. You can meet him there and see how things go,” she said reasonably.

  Even though I was distressed by her news of Ryan, I was grateful that she even bothered to warn me. She had never had anything good to say about any of my other exes, and half of them she didn’t even bother to meet. The fact that she thought so highly of Chad went a long way with me and I decided I could do worse than to go along with her advice.

  “I’ll call him later to see if he wants to go,” I said.

  “Good girl,” she said giving me a genuine smile. “You can have the rest of the afternoon off to get ready.”

  It was such a surprise to witness her smile at me and the small act of kindness in letting me leave early that I was momentarily taken a back. Who was this woman? I wondered, but then I tentatively smiled back. “Thanks…mom,” I said softly.

  Chapter 18: Ryan

  “I don’t know why I let you drag me to these God forsaken events,” I said, turning to my sister as we entered the room.

  “Oh hush, Ryan. You promised. Besides, it will be good for you to be seen out and about; keep your name out there,” Helen replied airily.

  I cocked an eyebrow at her, sure I had misheard. The last thing I needed or wanted was for my name to be “out there.” In fact this was the last place I wanted to be. I regretted promising Helen I’d come with her when what I really wanted to do was to see Mel again.

  It had been hard to leave her so abruptly that morning after our date. I remembered the way her eyes fluttered open as I traced light kisses around her face. She had looked so peaceful sleeping and I hated to wake her, but I wanted to say goodbye before I left.

  “Where are you going?” she asked, her forehead creased in confusion when she noticed I was dressed.

  “Something came up. An emergency at work. I have to leave now, but I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye,” I said.

  “Mmm,” she murmured, sleepily before she closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep.

  I smiled at the memory and half wondered if she’d even remember that conversation. The little work emergency had turned into a colossal nightmare that had taken all of my time and energy. The prototype version of one of our long awaited RPG games had been leaked. We’d spent the past five years working on and developing the damn thing, keeping all facets secret until we could unveil it to the public, and at the last minute, this had to happen.

  I’d spent the last couple of days in meeting after meeting, doing damage control and trying to figure out the best course of action. In the end, there wasn’t much we could do, except to go ahead and rush the launch of the game weeks earlier than I’d wanted. Just thinking about it raised my blood pressure and blackened my mood. I clenched my jaw tightly a
nd imagined what I’d do if I ever caught the bastard who leaked it.

  “You shouldn’t do that. It makes you look beastly,” Helen said in that exaggerated way of hers.

  I rolled my eyes at her and her affectations. She’d never talked like that before she arrived in New York, and now she was acting like she’d grown up with a silver spoon in her mouth spending her holidays in the Hamptons or St. Barths with the socialite crowd. It annoyed me to no end.

  “You shouldn’t talk like that,” I shot back. It was petty of me to engage with her in this way, but I was already in a bad mood and had a shorter than normal fuse.

  Helen walked off in a bit of a huff which was just as well. I wouldn’t be any good company for her tonight. I stalked over towards a far corner of the room to stand and brood by myself, partly hidden in the shadows. My eyes scanned the crowd absentmindedly, not even sure what I was looking for. There wasn’t any one here I was interested in talking to or being acquainted with. The only person I really wanted to see was Mel.

  I hadn’t spoken to her since early that morning after our date together. She had tried to call me, but there had never been a good time to talk. Truthfully, I wasn’t in any mood to talk and I knew I’d probably snap at her unintentionally due to all the stress I was under. I figured it would just be best if I dealt with the situation and seek her out once things had calmed down a little. It had only been two days ago and already it felt like an eternity. Funny how that happened.

  As if my mind had conjured her out of thin air, I spotted Mel across the room. She was standing there chatting to someone whose back was turned toward me. A sudden smile stretched across my face as I stood up straighter and headed across the room to her. Before I could make it five steps, I felt a light tapping on my shoulder and turned around. The smile instantly disappeared.

  “Cora,” I said in greeting.

  “Ryan,” she said airily. “I had no idea you’d be here tonight.”

  I narrowed my eyes at her. Cora had an annoying habit of making it her business to know who showed up where. That was what she was good at, digging up information. So it raised my suspicions to see her acting like she was in the dark. But the last thing I wanted to do was get stuck in conversation with her. My patience couldn’t deal with it right now, especially with Mel just feet away.