Page 103 of Worth the Risk

Taking in everything she has said, I allow my thoughts to revisit the past. Amber was acting differently that summer when she was around Kylie and me. She told me she loved me in New York shortly after I returned. And she came on to me when I was at my lowest with what she claimed was proof that Nash and Kylie were a couple. Could she have really tried to break us up? Did she drug them? Or am I just wanting to believe it’s possible to stop blaming them for betraying me?

“I can’t tell you I believe you, Kylie.” Her face falls. “But I’m also not saying that I don’t. I’m willing to think about everything you’ve told me, but finding you and Nash like that destroyed me.” Outside that one time with Beth, I’ve always been honest with her.If she had her accusations wrong about Beth and me, was I wrong all this time too?

“That’s all I ask, that you take it in and think about it. But with that being said, you also kept me in the dark about Beth. I’m not blaming you when I say this, but if you had just been upfront with me about her, this whole scenario wouldn’t have happened the way it did. I can’t just blame you, but you can also not just blame me. We both contributed to the events of that night. I also should have talked to you about what Beth said instead of losing my shit. We both made mistakes where she is concerned.”

Kylie places her hand on top of mine on the table, and a spark flies through my body and straight to my groin. I tense from the familiar feeling. She removes her hand as though she should not have done that, or maybe she felt that it’s still there for her too.

But this dinner isn’t just about us and that night. This is about Riley.

I want to spend time with my daughter.

“I took the rest of the week off work, and I’d like to spend time with Riley. Would you be open to that?”

She frowns. “We planned to leave tomorrow.”

What? No. I want my time with Riley. I need to get to know my daughter.

“You don’t have to be at work until the end of summer. Please, stay at least the week. I want to get to know Riley. Please tell me you’ll allow me that time, Kylie.”

She must take pity on me because she says she will speak with Sierra about staying with her longer.

Not good enough. This next thing I ask will be a harder sell.

And harder for me as well.

“No need. You can both stay with me. I have plenty of room, and I’d like to wake up to her there and put her to sleep at night. I’ve missed too many years, Kylie. I need this time with her.” Right or wrong, I use the only hand in my arsenal to play—a father wanting time with his daughter.

“That’s not a good idea, Leo.”

Is she thinking what I’m thinking, how hard it will be to be in each other’s vicinity for that long?

“Separate rooms. My penthouse is more than big enough. I promise you will have your space.”

I see her fighting herself on what to do, but she finally relents. “Okay. But I’m doing this for Riley. She deserves to know you, and I won’t take that away from her. But yes, there will be separate rooms involved.”

She still has a big heart to be willing to do this. It’s one of her greatest qualities and why I loved her, besides the sex. I admit that was phenomenal, but it will be hands to myself, or at least I’ll do my best. I still have a lot to process, and sex would simply confuse things. Not that she would let me, but I’d like nothing more than to bend her over this table and fuck her now that my thoughts have wandered.

Focus on Riley.

“You’re right. It’s for the best. And I promise not to sneak into your room at night either,” I joke to lighten the mood.

She laughs. “Yes, that will not be happening. But just in case you need help staying out, Riley will stay in a room with me. Trust me, there’s no way anything will happen if she’s there.”

I take in her words, and maybe I’m looking into them a little too closely, but she said if Riley is there, it will not happen.But what if she wasn’t? Would she give into this need that still lies between us?A spark of electricity still simmers around us, and I think she feels it too. Sure, I want Riley in my life, but what does that mean for Kylie and me? We ended badly five years ago. If I hadn’t blocked her, where would we be today? Would we be married and raising Riley together?

I still have to wrap my head around the Nash situation, but if they didn’t sleep with each other, did I throw away four years of my daughter’s life that I could have been involved with?

That’s a bitter pill to swallow.

* * *

All day, I’ve been nervous. Kylie and Riley are due here at any moment. What will it be like to have them in my home all week?My thoughts have been all over the place. To say having Kylie in my personal space will be difficult is an understatement. I’m still unsure of what to believe about the past, and I wish I knew exactly what happened that night. I’ve been going back and forth in my mind about it. I want to believe neither of them would betray me, but that would mean I believed the wrong person, and because of that, I truly fucked up. I’d also have to believe Amber is so obsessed with me that she would be willing to drug people.

How does one even reconcile all this?

Kylie is still in my blood. I wish I could look at her and see only the mother of my child. But I don’t. She’s still the girl I loved five years ago. She could have denied my request to stay here so I could spend time my daughter, but she didn’t. She’s doing this for Riley’s sake, but I can’t thank her enough for allowing me this time.

The doorbell rings, and I head to the door. Kylie has arrived, and more importantly, my little girl with her hair in cute pigtails is smiling at me.

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