Page 81 of Auctioned to the Billionaire Stalker

She took a long, thoughtful sip of her champagne.

I squeezed her hand. “Then what happened?” Even though I already knew from spying on her, I still wanted to hear her tell me.

“Oh, it’s nothing great. When Keith left, Mom fell apart. Hyand Ola couldn’t manage both Mom and the triplets alone. Keith took them whenever he was home, but he rarely was with his schedule as a truck driver. I started going home on the weekends to help. My grades suffered. I lost my academic scholarship.”

She took a deep breath. “I needed money. Not just for me, but for my sisters and to help keep Mom’s shop open. I saw a flyer on campus for one of Carmen Salazar’s interest meetings. I showed up, and she offered me a job on the spot.” She laughed a little bitterly. “I thought things were turning around for me. But they weren’t. Someone told my dance team sponsor where I was working, so she kicked me off the squad. There went my athletic scholarship. Then my sorority found out. They kicked me out, so I lost housing.” She looked up at me, pain still in her eyes. “And when I went to Myers’ place to tell him and hopefully stay with him for a couple of days?”

“You found him in bed with one of your friends,” I filled in.

She nodded. “I did. So that ended my relationship with my boyfriend and my relationship with my closest friend. We’d come to West Bay U. together from Crosston.” She shook her head. “We went to school together all the way back to pre-K. I found out later it was her who told my dance team sponsor and my sorority about me working at Sugar. I guess she was never really my friend.” She got a wry smile on her face. “Of course, Myers cheated on her almost immediately afterwards, and she tried to reconnect with me.”

“Did you talk to her?” I asked, hoping that she hadn’t. The girl didn’t deserve Daisy’s kindness.

“No. I wasn’t mean to her or anything, just firm. I told her our friendship was over.” She shrugged. “I don’t need friends like that. The women I work with at Sugar are much better friends than my sorority sisters ever were.” She took a sip of champagne. “That girl he’s with? Hannah?”

I nodded.

“She slept with him while I was still with him. He cheated on her, too. I guess he’s gone through the wholesorority and gone back to her for a second time.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe she’d take him back. Maybe they all would. But not me.”

“I’m so sorry all of that happened to you,” I said, wanting to pull her close and cuddle her in my arms. “I’m glad you didn’t go back to him.”

“It’s in the past now,” she said dismissively, as our food was delivered to the table. I could tell, though, that it still bothered her a great deal. I could only hope that wasn’t because she’d had any deep feelings for Myers. That it was because of all the other awful things that had happened to her in quick succession.

She changed the subject, and the rest of the meal was spent in comfortable ease, talking and laughing, sharing about each other’s lives and trying to forget any of the bad parts.

“What about you?” she asked over dessert.

“What do you mean?” I asked with a slight frown.

“Have there been any epic betrayals in your past? Girlfriends who cheated on you, friends who deserted you, that kind of thing?”

I thought about it. “No,” I finally said, bewildered.

“Sorry,” she shook her head. “I shouldn’t have asked that, anyway. It’s not any of my business.”

“I don’t mind answering,” I assured her. “I think I’m just surprised that nothing like that has ever happened to me. It’s probably because I’m not around tons of people. I have a pretty tight inner circle.” I explained to her that I only had a couple of good friends, and Tallon was by far the best of the ones I did have. “My family helps run my business. They’ve helped make it what it is today.”

“And women? No one has ever broken your heart?”

I looked at her across the table from me, the moon shining off her tanned skin, shiny hair, and highlighting how her eyes sparkled. She was the only one who’d ever held that power in her hands, but I sure as hell didn’t want to tell her that.

“No. To be perfectly clear, I’ve never cared very much about the women I, um, dated.” I put my hand over hers. “Until now.I really care what you think. I care about you very much, Daisy.”

She looked both shocked and pleased. “Really?”

I nodded. “Definitely.”

Our waiter came to collect the check I’d already taken care of. I reached out a hand to her. “Ready to go?”

She nodded, smiling shyly. “Tonight has been special. Thank you so much for planning a nice evening.”

“It’s not over yet.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Daisy

I caught Myers’ eye as I walked down the stairs with Jack. I felt his hand on the small of my back, and it was the only thing that kept me from being afraid. Myers had tried to contact me enough over the past few years that it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if he was my stalker.