The Risk: A Billionaire Romance (Wagered Hearts Series, Book 2) by Calista Kyle Read Free Book Online Page A

her in a lie. “So uh…how did you and Roman meet?” she asked. She was clearly trying to change the subject and rather than embarrass her further, I let her off the hook.
    “We met in college,” I said. “He was in the same fraternity as me.”
    “I didn’t take you for a frat boy.”
    “Sigma Chi,” I said proudly. “I take it you weren’t in a sorority? No slumber parties or mixers?”
    “When did you go to college again?” she laughed. “I think those went out with the sixties.”
    “I’m only thirty six,” I said rather defensively.
    “I see.”
    “You make me feel old.”
    “You are old.”
    “You’re cruel,” I said.
    “I’m sorry,” she said, not sounding sorry at all. “You’re just being so silly.”
    “I have never been accused of being silly in my whole life,” I said severely.
    She burst out laughing and I couldn’t help but laugh with her. It was all too ridiculous. There was something about her that brought out that side of me. I thought I was past all that, but I guessed not.
    “Ok ok,” she said, holding up her hands. “Let’s really try to be serious now.”
    “Where’s the fun in that?”
    “Behave,” she said.
    “I can’t make any promises”
    “You’re nothing like I imagined you’d be,” she said.
    “How did you imagine I was?”
    “Oh, you know. Your typical male—conceited, arrogant, thinks he is God’s gift to women.”
    I lifted a brow, clearly amused by her assumptions. “You don’t think too highly of men.”
    “Most men haven’t proven me wrong.”
    “I’m glad you think more highly of me than that,” I said.
    “I didn’t say that now,” she teased. “I mean, you do have a cockiness about you. And there’s just a certain amount of ass in your personality that slips out from time to time.”
    “About that,” I began. I knew she was referring to the engagement party and my stupid verbal diarrhea. Even though Cora Abelgard wasn’t on my list of favorite people, that didn’t excuse my rude comment about her daughter. A daughter I was finding was the total opposite of her in every way. Mel was the least arrogant, conniving woman I’d met, and I’d met a few.
    “Don’t bother to apologize,” she said holding up her hand to cut me off. “I know what my mother is like and quite honestly, I’d like to strangle her sometimes too. Today for example. If she’s ever done or said anything to put you off of her, I’d understand.”
    “That’s very kind of you, but that still doesn’t excuse my rude remarks about you. I had no right to say it since I’d never met you before. And now that I have, I feel even more foolish for uttering those words.”
    “Well, if it makes you feel any better, I accept your apology.” She held out her hand across the table and smiled at me in that guileless way she had. “Friends?”
    I reached over and took her small slender hand in mine. “Friends.”
    I held her hand in mine for longer than was probably necessary. Her touch ignited something in me. I couldn’t explain it or understand it. I just knew I didn’t want to let go.
    She finally pulled back, a strange expression on her face. She fumbled with the table linen before taking a sip of water, her eyes looking anywhere but at me. I knew she felt that connection or spark or whatever it was when we touched.
    “So, tell me about yourself, Ryan?” she asked a bit unsteadily.
    I looked at her for a moment, trying to gain my footing. Something about her was throwing me completely off balance. It scared me because it was all so unfamiliar. She looked at me expectantly, her fingers drumming the table.
    “What would you like to know?” I said. “Ask away.”
    “Hmm…Tell me about your childhood,” she said after a moment’s reflection.
    “There’s not much to tell. It was a pretty typical childhood. Next question.”
    “Oh come on. That’s not fair. Tell me what you were like as a kid, about your family….unless that’s a sore topic for