Read Online High Stakes by Cheryl Douglas - Free Book Online

when she
stole a glimpse of him as a doting father, her imagination kicked into
overdrive. She couldn’t help but fantasize about being the woman he showered
with his undivided attention and affection. “Your daughter’s very lucky to have
you in her life.”
    “I’m the lucky one.” He sipped his Merlot before
he said, “I didn’t know what love was until she came into my life.”
    Alisa smiled. “My dad keeps telling me that
I’ll know the meaning of unconditional love when I have a child of my own. When
we argue because of some of the choices I’ve made, he tells me that one day
I’ll understand how hard it is for him to stand back and watch while I make
choices that he knows will inevitably cause me pain.”
    “Like getting engaged to a man who wasn’t
worthy of you?” He smiled when he said it, but she knew he was serious.
    “My parents liked Nick at first. He and my
father travel in the same circles. That’s how we met. My Uncle Luc…” She
smiled. “He’s not really my uncle, but I call him that because he and my father
have been best friends forever. Anyways, my Uncle Luc signed Nick to his label,
Titan Records, and we met at a party Titan threw to welcome him to the label.”
    “How long ago was that?”
    “Four years.”
    Her mind drifted back to the day she met
him. Nick had been a rising star who’d swept her off her feet with promises of
how wonderful their life could be together. And it was, until the rumors
started circulating about his life on the road. The people who loved her warned
her that he wasn’t as devoted as he pretended to be, but it wasn’t until she walked
in on him and his lover that she finally told him it was over.
    “I’m sorry things didn’t work out the way
you hoped they would.” He reached across the table to take her hand. “It’s
never easy to let go of a dream, but sometimes it’s for the best.”
    She looked up and read the sincerity in his
eyes. “In this case, I know it was, but some days are harder than others. We
ended it a year ago, but he’s determined to make it difficult for me. He still
calls, sends texts and emails, drops by unannounced, sends flowers…” She
sighed. “I just want it to be over.”
    “I’m surprised your father hasn’t told him
to back off. I know if someone was hassling my daughter, I would.”
    “Believe me, he wanted to, but I told him I
needed to handle Nick on my own.”
    Liam waited until the waiter placed their
entrees in front of them before he said, “Maybe it would help if he believed
you’d moved on with someone else.” He winked. “I’d be more than willing to be
your decoy.”
    She laughed. “Thanks for the offer, but
I’ve already tried that. I went through a pretty crazy period after the
break-up, drinking, partying, getting my picture in all the tabloids…” She
reached for her utensils. “I wanted to send him a clear message that I’ve moved
on, but Nick’s one of those guys who doesn’t believe in taking no for an
answer.”
    “Maybe he just needs to hear it from
someone other than you.”
    Alisa smiled at him. She had no doubt Liam
was used to people complying when he issued orders, but so was Nick. It would
be a battle to the death between these two hardheaded men. Not that it would
ever come to that. Liam was just passing through her life, and Nick would
undoubtedly be a problem long after she returned home.
    “Do you mind if we talk about something
else?” She sliced the tender meat and forced herself to sample it. She wasn’t
hungry, but she knew it would upset him if she continued to drink on an empty
stomach. “Tell me about your business.”
    “I started it almost twenty years ago. My
father was in the resort business, so I learned a lot from him. And when my
grandfather left me a small inheritance, I saw it as an opportunity to take the
knowledge I’d gained and put it to good use by branching out on my own. I’d
just graduated from Yale…” He smiled. “I thought I