The Risk: A Billionaire Romance (Wagered Hearts Series, Book 2) (29 page)

“You could have let me know, you know? So I wasn’t wasting my time waiting for you.”

“Bullshit,” I said. “I’m sure you found a way to keep yourself occupied.”

Rob smirked at me but didn’t say anything. I knew he’d been calling and texting Emilia since that weekend in the Hamptons. Once she made it clear to him that we were never together, Rob had no qualms taking up with her. I had to admire her spunk in going after what she wanted. I almost wished Mel had some of that initiative.

When she’d left so suddenly after our talk on the beach, I felt annoyed and upset—partly at her for running away, but mostly at myself. I knew I screwed up when she’d confessed everything to me. I should have told her then how I felt, but I was just so overwhelmed, I didn’t even know what to say. By the time I had collected myself enough to speak to her, she was already gone. I had half a mind to leave and follow her back to the city, but thought better of it.

She’d never outright said that she had feelings for me, just that her feelings for Chad had changed. Those doubts gave me pause, but ultimately weren’t enough to keep me away.

But there were things I had to do before I could even approach her again. There was still the issue of Cora. I knew she had to go, one way or another. Her actions were completely beyond the pale. I wasn’t so upset about what she had said about me or was planning, but more for Mel. It broke my heart to think she’d been so badly used by her own mother.

I knew I had to find a way to get Cora out of the picture for Mel’s sake. She’d always try to weasel, guilt, and force her way back into Mel’s life if she thought she could get something out of it.

It had been an ugly scene, as I’d expected it. She didn’t go down without a fight, and had actually threatened to drag Mel’s name through the mud if I didn’t back down. Her ruthlessness nearly took my breath away.

Luckily, Cora wasn’t the only one with spies who knew secrets. It seemed like she was keeping quite a few herself, mainly from Mr. IRS. It was only after threatening her with the release of all the information I had that she finally admitted defeat. She must have realized I was a much more powerful enemy than she’d ever dealt with before. I had no problems giving as good as I got, and I think deep down she knew she didn’t have many friends who would come to her aid if she were ever in trouble. In fact, there were probably people lined up who would have loved nothing more than to take her down.

I gave her a respectable way to leave so she’d at least keep her dignity intact. She’d resign from her position for “health reasons” and relocate to the south of France where she’d take up as editor of a smaller niche magazine specializing in horse breeding, a passion of hers. It was a mighty fall for someone like her but not nearly as harsh as she deserved.

I marveled at how different Mel was from her mother. It was hard to believe they were related, much less mother and daughter. Mel never looked down her nose at anyone and treated everyone with respect. She was gentle and yet there was an inherent strength and stubbornness about her. She had all her mother’s drive and determination, but none of the snobbery and viciousness.

When I thought about the way she looked at me when I approached her at the Otto club, I couldn’t help the smile that stole across my face. She looked surprised at first, but then her smile brightened her eyes and she looked genuinely happy to see me. I couldn’t remember the last time someone looked at me like that, so open and guileless. She didn’t want anything from me except me, and after 36 years on this planet, I knew how rare that was.

I escorted her back to my car to bring her home. There was no way I was letting her take a cab alone. I bristled at the idea. Who knew what could happen to her? She could barely keep her eyes open as I drove her home. Once I pulled up outside her building, I parked my car and gently shook her shoulder to wake her. She groaned and turned over, facing the window.

I ended up carrying her to her apartment and placed her down once we reached her door. She revived enough to dig into her purse and open her door, albeit groggily. I followed her in and took off her shoes and helped her get into bed. A part of me was tempted to help her change out of her clothes, but I stopped myself. I couldn’t take advantage of her in this condition and I knew that once I started taking off her clothes, I probably wouldn’t want to leave her.

She needed her sleep, especially considering tomorrow was Lily’s wedding. I could just imagine the state she’d be in when she woke up. Before leaving her apartment, I filled a glass with water and laid out two Advil’s on the nightstand by her bed. Hopefully she wouldn’t feel too haggard for the wedding, but I had my doubts.

“Ok, I think I’m ready,” Roman said, staring at himself in the mirror. He took in a nervous breath and exhaled slowly. He was shaved, his suit was clean and pressed and there was not a loose strand of hair out of place. I stood up off the ottoman I’d been sitting on and went over to grasp his shoulder.

“I’m proud of you, man,” I said.

“Thanks. It’s been a long time coming, huh?” he laughed.

“But worth the wait, I think,” I said.

“Oh, definitely,” he said. “Do you have the rings?”

I patted my breast pocket and nodded. “Good. That’s it then.”

“Wait, let me get a picture of us,” Rob said. “The last photo of the Three Musketeers as single men.” He set his camera on top of a dresser and set the automatic timer. The camera beeped five times before the flash went off.

***

I stood near the altar with Roman waiting for the procession to begin. When the organist started playing, the doors of the church opened and in walked Lily’s bridesmaids. Stella came in first followed by Candace. They took their places at the other side of the altar before the flower girls and ring bearer came down the aisle. Everyone in the church was waiting with bated breath for the bride to come, but I was much more interested in the maid of honor. Finally, Mel appeared, framed by the doors of the church, her figure silhouetted as the sunlight came streaming in through her back.

I found myself releasing a shaky breath and smiled as she made her way down the aisle. She wore a purple colored gown like the other bridesmaids but hers was strapless while the others had short sleeves at the shoulders. Her stride was a little wobbly at first but she corrected herself and made it down the aisle without any mishap. As she got closer, I couldn’t help but notice the slight grimace on her face and dark shadows under her eyes that her makeup didn’t hide. I was torn between feeling amusement and sympathy for her. She must have been feeling awful, but she put on a brave face and shouldered on.

When Lily finally came down the aisle, everyone’s eyes were on her, except mine. I looked over to Mel who stared straight ahead, almost as if she were concentrating on not spilling over. She peeked up briefly and our eyes met, but just as quickly, she averted her gaze and turned her attention towards Lily who was walking down the aisle escorted by her mother.

The next 30 minutes went by in a blur. I produced the rings without a hitch and soon Roman and Lily were kissing in front of all their friends and family as man and wife. As Roman and Lily walked back down the aisle to exit the church, I waited for Mel to escort her out. She looked almost hesitant to take my arm, but finally took it since she had no other choice.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

“Fine,” she said quickly, not making eye contact.

We lapsed into silence after that. She didn’t seem like she was in the mood to talk and I didn’t want to make her feel worse than she already did. Even though I was anxious to clear the air between us, it seemed like she was in no state to have a serious conversation. She seemed to just barely be holding it together as it was.

Mel and I separated once we had left the church to take wedding photos. She’d kept her, doing her best to be an attentive maid of honor. By the time we made it to the reception, I was frustrated that I hadn’t gotten the opportunity to have our talk. She’d been avoiding me the whole time, and when I did happen to catch her alone, there was always some interruption or other.

It wasn’t until after the first dance that I finally spotted Mel standing alone near the edge of the dance floor. I quickly made my way over, determined that I’d finally get her alone. She looked up startled when I stood in front of her.

“Would you like to dance?” I asked.

She chewed on her bottom lip a moment in thought before slowly nodding her head. I led her onto the dance floor and then pulled her close to me.

“Um…thanks for bringing me home last night,” she said after a moment of silence.

“So, you remembered,” I said. I saw the rush of color stain her cheeks as she averted her eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have teased you,” I added contritely.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “Honestly, I thought I had imagined the whole thing, but then I saw the Advil and water on the nightstand and I knew there was no way I would have had the foresight to have that ready. Thanks for that by the way.”

“My pleasure. How are you feeling now?” I asked.

“Like hell,” she answered.

I chuckled lightly. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah, well I deserved it. I don’t know what I was thinking getting drunk last night—the night before Lily’s wedding. I swear I would have never forgiven myself if I screwed it up for her somehow,” she said shaking her head.

“Don’t beat yourself up. You’re here, everything went off without a hitch and Lily and Roman couldn’t be happier.”

She turned her head to look at the happy couple chatting with Roman’s mother and cousin and smiled slightly. We slipped into another fit of silence, as our bodies swayed to the music. It didn’t feel awkward or uncomfortable like it had all those times before, and I could feel her finally start to relax against me. When the song ended, I led her off the dance floor and sat her down at an empty table.

“Would you like me to get you something to drink?” I asked.

“No, I’m fine. I don’t think I’m ever going to drink again,” she said, twisting her face into a grimace. I laughed and pulled out the seat next to her and sat down.

“Listen Mel—”

“I wanted to—”

We both stopped and smiled at each other sheepishly.

“You go first,” I said.

“Well, I just wanted to apologize for last night. Like I said I shouldn’t have gotten drunk and I shouldn’t have gone to that club with those girls. I hope Otto didn’t ban you or something because of me. I can’t help cringing about it every time I think about it,” she said.

I reached out and stroked her arm. “Don’t worry about it. You have nothing to apologize for. I was just glad I was there to see you home safely.”

“Thanks for that,” she said softly.

“Listen Mel, I think we should talk,” I said. I knew this was the moment and I couldn’t hold back my feelings anymore. Not when she was right here sitting in front of me, and not when she looked so sad and vulnerable. She lifted her head up and her big brown eyes watched me with interest. I ran my hand through my hair and blew out a heavy breath.

“Yes?” she said.

“I should be the one apologizing to you. After what you told me that day on the beach, I should have said something instead of just getting up and leaving you there without another word.”

“You don’t have to—”

“No, I do,” I said cutting her off. “The fact is that I care for you. Very much. I think I’m falling in love with you.” I heard her take in a sharp breath of air, but I continued on, my words tumbling from my lips without pause. “I should have told you that day, but I just…I was overwhelmed. I felt such joy and hope that you weren’t with Chad anymore, but then you never said anything about your feelings for me, and then you just left without another word.”

“But I did have feelings for you—I mean I do,” she said. “I just couldn’t be around you when I knew you were with Emilia.”

Mel’s face took on a frown and I could sense her mood slipping. I was so caught up in her admitting that she did have feelings for me that I nearly missed the second part of what she said. I stared at her blankly in confusion for a moment.

“Emilia?”

“Yes, you know the woman you were pictured all over town with?” she added.

My face cleared and I grinned at her. “I was never with Emilia,” I confessed. “She was just a friend.”

Mel looked like she didn’t believe me and narrowed her eyes. “A friend?”

“It’s the God’s honest truth. I never touched her. I couldn’t when all I could think about was you. It was actually her that came up with the plan to make you jealous.”

“I don’t know whether to thank her or hate her,” she laughed.

I reached across the table and covered her hands in mine as I stared into her eyes. She licked her lips and I had the sudden urge to kiss her. My head leaned forward, but she pulled back before I could make a move. “So, you’re not with her?” she asked.

“No, definitely not. I want to be with you.”

She looked up at me shyly and nodded her head. “I’d like that,” she said.

I’d kept my emotions pent up for so long that the joy and relief her words brought to me nearly took my breath away. I felt like shouting and punching my fist in the air. Instead, I stood up and pulled her up with me and spun her around. I didn’t care who saw or what they thought. Mel laughed as we spun and she pounded my back. “Put me down, Ryan, or I’m going to be sick all over you.”

I stopped mid-spin and placed her down gingerly. Grasping her face in my hands I leaned down and kissed her. She opened up to me immediately and pressed herself against me. I slipped my tongue into her mouth and soon we were lost in our own little world. It wasn’t until I heard catcalls from a distance that I finally pulled myself apart from her.

She looked up at me dazed, her lips red and swollen and looking so delectable. I had to give my head a tiny shake and looked over to where a small group of people had gathered to watch us. In the middle of the crowd was Rob, Lily and Roman. Mel blushed furiously and tried to hide behind me, but I pulled her forward and into my arms.