“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 was ready to take on the world. Needless to say, I was pretty naïve back then. A piece of paper from an Ivy League school doesn’t give you the tools you need to succeed in business. That comes with experience, making mistakes and learning from them.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t take over your father’s business.” The food was delicious, and Alisa found herself quickly digging in with more enthusiasm. “Wouldn’t that have been easier than starting your own company from the ground up?”
“I’m not interested in the path of least resistance. Ever.” He smiled as his gaze drifted over her. “I love a challenge.”
She returned his playful smile. “Good to know.”
“My brother and I encouraged my mother to sell the company when my father passed away. The company was struggling, and we were at risk of a hostile takeover if we didn’t act quickly. Fortunately, she was able to unload it, and it gave her the financial security to live the rest of her life comfortably. She deserves that after what she had to endure. Not that I wouldn’t have been happy to take care of her. I owe her… a lot.”
Alisa knew there was a story there, but she wasn’t sure if he felt comfortable sharing it with someone he’d just met. “If you want to talk about it…”
He raised his head, as though he seemed to be considering her offer. “My father was a lying, cheating, moral-less shark who’d have sold his own mother down the river if it benefited him. I was embarrassed to share his last name.”
Alisa knew her sharp intake of breath betrayed her surprise at his hostility, but he’d caught her off-guard. “I’m sorry.”
He sneered. “It was ten years before people in the business world started to take me seriously, before they realized that I was nothing like my old man.”
“That must have been difficult for you, having to pay for his sins.”
“It made me stronger, and I’m grateful for that.” He reached for his wineglass. “People expected me to be a chip off the old block. Take a different woman to bed every night, treat people like dirt, destroy businesses and families without a second thought whenever it suited my purpose.” He downed half a glass of wine before he said, “My father taught me a hell of a lot about the man I didn’t want to be.”
“That’s why you don’t sleep around?” It was becoming clear to Alisa that there was so much more to him than she’d suspected. She’d judged him because of his accomplishments, instead of questioning how much it cost him to achieve success, just like people had done to her.
“Yes, that and…” He closed his eyes for a moment before he said, “The incident with Abby’s mother. That’s when I realized that I could never have a normal relationship. Women stopped viewing me as a man when I made my first million. Now I’m just a walking ATM.”
“You’re selling yourself short.” She could already see this man had more depth than any of the other guys she’d dated, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to alter his perceptions in just one night. “I’m confident there’s a woman out there who’ll love you in spite of your wealth, not because of it.”
“You don’t know how much I want to believe that,” he said quietly. He bowed his head, as though he was afraid of revealing his vulnerability if he looked her in the eye. “I’m getting tired of being alone, but to tell the truth, I’ve pretty much given up hope of ever finding anyone.”
Alisa knew finding your soul mate wasn’t easy, but she’d just assumed a man like Liam would have his choice of potential candidates. “You’ve never been with anyone who made you think… maybe she’s the one?”
He looked at her a long time before he said, “If you’d asked me that yesterday, I would have said no. Now… I don’t know.”
She could barely breathe when he looked at her that way, as though she was the only person in the world who mattered. She didn’t know what was happening between them, but it was intense and terrifying and exhilarating, all at once. “Don’t say those things. Please.” She closed her eyes when she couldn’t stand to look at him anymore. This was too much. Tonight was supposed to be about having a good time, not falling for a man she may never be able to forget.
He stood up and walked around to her side of the table. He dropped to one knee and eased her around to face him. “Please believe me when I tell you that I’m just saying what’s in my heart tonight, sweetheart. I’m not trying to wear down your defenses or coax you into bed. I never asked for this,
I never expected this, but I’m not going to try and deny it’s happening, either.”
“This is an impossible situation.” She shouldn’t feel the weight of remorse weighing so heavily on her when she thought about never seeing him again, but she did. She liked this man, a lot, and she believed, with time, it could evolve into more, but their time together was running out and they both knew that. “We live thousands of miles apart. I have my family and business in Nashville. You have your daughter and your business in San Francisco. Tonight is the only night we have, so why waste time pretending this could be more than it is?”
“I’m not pretending.” He held her hand in his and bowed his head. “You think I don’t know this is crazy? I’m not supposed to feel this way about someone I just met. The thought of never seeing you again isn’t supposed to make me feel physically sick, but it does.”
Someone cleared their throat in the doorway and Liam whispered a curse. “You can clear now, Robert. Thank you.”
The waiter glanced at the food remaining on their plates as Liam stood up. “Was there a problem with the food, sir?”
“No, everything was fine. My apologies to the chef.”
Alisa was still reeling from everything he’d said to her when she reached for her wine glass again. How was she supposed to process the fact that she was falling for a man she’d just met and would never see again?
“Robert, wait,” Liam said.
The waiter turned toward him. “Yes, sir?”
“I want a blackjack table and dealer in here.”
“Of course, sir.”
Alisa smiled up at him. “What’re you up to?”
“Tonight wasn’t supposed to be like this.” He eased into his seat and tipped his head back. “I wanted to show you a good time. Instead, I’ve unloaded all my problems on you and made you feel sorry for me. The least I can do is try to salvage this night with a little fun.”
She loved that he was thinking of her, and she suspected that would always be the case with him. He’d put her first, and with that realization, she fell just a little deeper. “That’s so sweet, but…” She was surprised when she stood up, intent on reaching out to him, and swayed. “Oh, I guess I had a bit more than I thought.”
He glanced at the second empty bottle of wine on the table and muttered a curse. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you’d had so much.”
“It’s not your job to take care of me. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”
Liam reached for her, pulling her into his arms. “Just for tonight, will you let me take care of you?”
She laid her head on his chest and smiled when she heard the steady beat of his heart under her ear. “Fine, but just for tonight.”
Liam wandered through the lobby while Alisa slipped out to use the restroom and two of his staff set up the blackjack table in their private dining room. He glanced into the window of the jewelry store and saw the ring, her ring. He had this crazy, impulsive urge to give her something to remind her of him and the one night they’d shared.
“Excuse me,” he said to the neatly coiffed young woman behind the counter. He extended his hand. “I’m Liam Bryson.” He reached into the breast pocket of his suit and extracted an embossed business card. “My…” He faltered as he searched for a word to describe the woman who’d torn through his life. “Girlfriend was admiring that oval-shaped diamond ring in the window earlier. I’d like to get it for her.” He reached into his wallet and handed her his black American Express card. “I only have a few minutes.”
“Of course, sir. I’ll get it ready for you right away. Would you like me to gift wrap it and have it delivered to your suite?”
“No, I’ll take it now, thanks.” He glanced over his shoulder, praying Alisa wouldn’t pass by and catch him in the act. He knew she would never allow him to spoil her with such an extravagant gift, which is why he wanted to. Because she didn’t expect it, and it would put a smile on her beautiful face. And every time she looked at that ring from now on, she would think about him and… what they could have had, if things were different.
He cursed the fates for bringing her into his life only to take her away again tomorrow.
The sales clerk polished the diamond and slipped it into a black velvet box, holding it out for his perusal. “It’s five carats, total weight, and the center stone is VVS clarity—”
“It’s lovely. But I really don’t have a lot of time.” He took the ring out of the box and slipped it into his pocket while she processed the sale.
She passed him the handheld machine to complete the sale and smiled. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Bryson. Your girlfriend is a very lucky lady.”
“Thank you.” He strode out of the store and back into the private dining room, breathing a sigh of relief when he confirmed Alisa hadn’t returned.
The blackjack dealer, a uniformed man in his mid to late sixties, looked up at Liam, a genuine smile splitting his wrinkled face. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Bryson.” He extended his hand. “I’ve heard so many good things about you, and I have to say, my time with your company has been the best of my career.”
Liam glanced at the older man’s name badge as he accepted his hand. “Thanks, John, I’m glad to hear that.”
“You waitin’ on a lady?” he asked, his soft green eyes crinkling at the corners.
Liam nodded. “She shouldn’t be too much longer.”
John chuckled. “Reminds me of that song, ‘Waitin on a Woman.’ You ever heard that one?”
“Yeah, I think I have.” He caressed the ring in his pocket, trying to imagine Alisa’s reaction when he slipped it on her finger.
“Let me tell you,” he said, laying the cards out on the table. “Truer words were never spoken. I was married for thirty-nine years.” His eyes glazed over. “My Mary died of a heart attack just last year.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Liam said quietly.
“You ever been married?” John asked, looking up at him.
“No.”
“Best thing I ever did.” He smiled. “Sure, I was scared at first, but once we tied the knot, it made me wonder why the hell I ever had a doubt in my mind.”
Liam smiled. “Did you two know each other very long before you got married?”
“Just about two days.”
Liam threw his head back and laughed. “Come on, seriously?”
“Seriously.” He joined in Liam’s laughter and shook his head. “I was in Vegas for my older brother’s bachelor party, and she was home from college for the summer, working at the casino. We had one incredible weekend together, but she had to go back to school and I had to go back to work. We talked about tryin’ the long distance thing, but we both knew that would never work.”
Liam sat down in the chair on the opposite side of the table as he tried to process the older man’s words of wisdom. “So you married her, just like that, huh?”
“Sure did. Everybody thought we were crazy. Her parents, my parents, they were all mad as hell at first. They demanded we get an annulment, but we were determined to see it through. We loved each other, and we were gonna be together, no matter what anybody said. Our son Tommy was born right around the time we celebrated our first wedding anniversary, and two more after that.” He pulled a battered leather wallet out of his back pocket and, with trembling hands, offered Liam a wrinkled picture.
Liam’s gut clenched when he looked at John’s beautiful family. He and his wife stood proudly in the middle of the large group, surrounded by children, grandchildren, and in-laws. He realized he wanted that for himself. He’d spent so many years building a business and raising his little girl that he nearly let his opportunity for love slip past.
“You have a beautiful family, John,” Liam said, passing the photo back to him. “You’re a lucky man.” Though, it was difficult for Liam to imagine how the older man got through the day without his soul mate to share his life.
“Don’t I know it.” He smiled as he sli
pped the photo back in his wallet. “I still miss her every damn day.” He wiped his eyes with a white handkerchief and sniffled. “I keep thinkin’ it’s gonna get easier, but it doesn’t. Some days I just wish the Lord would take me too, so we could be together again.”
“You have a family who needs you,” Liam said, trying to fight back his own emotion. “You need to stay strong for them.”
“It was easy to stay strong with Mary by my side. I felt like I could face anything. But now, it’s a struggle just to get out of bed most mornings.” He blew his nose. “I’m sorry, Mr. Bryson. I didn’t mean to unload all this on you. It’s just that some days are harder than others, ya know?”
“Yeah, I do.” Liam watched the older man for a long time. “John, can I ask you a personal question?”
He chuckled. “Sure, you know my whole life story now anyways. Not much more to tell.”
“Did you know right away that Mary was the one?”
“Sure did, hit me like a ton of bricks.” He shook his head. “First I thought I was just imaginin’ it, but when I realized I couldn’t let her go back to school without me, I knew it was the real deal.”
“And you never once regretted that choice, huh?”
“No, sir. But I know if I’d let her get away, I sure as hell would’ve regretted it.”
In that moment, Liam knew without a doubt he’d never forgive himself if he let Alisa walk away without a fight.
Chapter Seven
Alisa sat on the edge of a gilded bench outside of the ladies’ room and dialed her best friend’s number. She and Lena had been like sisters since the wayward girl came to live with them as a teen. If anybody could talk some sense into her, Lena could.
“Hello?”
Her voice was groggy with sleep, and Alisa felt guilty for waking her, but this couldn’t wait. “Is James there?” Lena’s fiancé spent more time at her apartment than his own these days, so it was a reasonable guess.
“No, he had some things to take care of at his place. What’s goin’ on?”
High Stakes Page 6