A Bride for the Billionaire Bad Boy (The Romero Brothers, Book 2)

by Richards, Shadonna

  “Can I get you a drink?”

  “No. I’m good, thanks. Actually, maybe a glass of water.” The hot sun was making her mouth dry all of a sudden. Or was that Lucas? She was thirsting for a taste of his sweet lips. She hungered for his passion. But this was not the time, nor place, was it?

  Lucas took a glass of sparkling water from the tray of one of the waiters who happened to brush by them at the time.

  “So, how are you doing?” he asked as he handed her the glass. His gaze focused intently on hers.

  Maxine melted inside. He was inches from her with a glass of champagne in his own hand. “Thank you,” she said, taking the glass from him. “I’ve been…busy.” She lifted the glass to her lips and felt quenched by the cool water sliding down her throat. A naughty thought crossed her mind as she licked her lips after taking her sip. Lucas’s gaze was fixed on her mouth for that moment and she thought she caught a wicked grin from his lips.

  Okay. She would not be doing that again. The last thing she wanted to do was tease him. Or appear like some sort of flirtatious tease.

  “Good. How’s the Dream software holding up?”

  “Oh, it’s fabulous. Thank you again. We’ve had a few good prospects who have tried the online program and were happy to have us do the rest. It’s sort of some pre-screening for them. They love it and so do we.”

  “Glad to hear,” he said sincerely. He lifted the glass to his lips while his eyes stayed on Maxine.

  “I’ve missed you,” he said almost inaudibly when he’d finished taking his swig of alcohol.

  “What?”

  “Why does that surprise you?”

  “Um. Well, you haven’t even called me since you went out west.” She placed a hand on her hip.

  “Sorry. I’ve been busy.”

  Maxine rolled her eyes playfully.

  “No. Seriously. I wanted to call you but I’ve been working on this new project and trying to dodge the local media there, too.”

  Maxine’s heart squeezed. That scandal again. How could she have forgotten? It had been a while since things died down a bit but as she knew that could change in a heartbeat.

  “It’s still hanging over you, huh?”

  “You’d better believe it. We’re opening up a family-friendly center there and all they could keep asking about was my unborn child—the one I’m denying.” Bitterness crossed his handsome face.

  Maxine’s insides twisted. “How awful. I’m so sorry to hear that, Lucas. That’s the last thing you need. Why can’t they just drop it? You’re innocent until proven-”

  “Guilty?” He cocked a brow and grinned.

  “That’s not quite what I meant, you know.”

  “I know. I’m only teasing you, Maxi.”

  Did he just call her Maxi? Only her dear and close friends called her that. The few she had, anyway. The way he said it seem to resonate well with her. It felt so right. So natural. It was as if he was warming to her.

  “Anyway, enough about that. I trust everything’s been okay with that situation,” he said in almost a tone of finality. As if he knew everything was okay.

  “Yes. In fact, I haven’t heard or seen any more of those dreadful emails,” Maxine said with relief.

  “Good. You shouldn’t.”

  “Okay, everyone,” Shelly announced over a microphone from where Lucy was sitting. “Ladies…and gents. If you would like to make your way over to this area. We’re going to begin the games and opening gifts soon.”

  Murmurs rang from the crowd as everyone headed in the general direction of Shelly's voice.

  “You go on,” Lucas said to Maxine. Zack had walked over to where they were standing with a glass in his hand. He had on a dark suit, opened-up jacket. He looked as if he wanted to speak to Lucas eagerly. Brothers. Maxine guessed they had something important to exchange.

  “Okay, I’ll see you later then,” she said.

  Lucas’s focus shifted to Zack. “What is it, Zack?”

  “Well, brother dear, your suspicions were right about everything.”

  “Okay, let’s talk over here.” The two brothers moved over to the hedge and a corner of the garden where no one else was within earshot. “Okay, spill it out.”

  “Our men found out that it wasn’t the couple who was trying to sue Dream Weddings back when Lucy was CEO.”

  “You sure about that now? They seemed a little off, didn’t they?”

  “Yeah. They were all right. But as it turns out, they were running some sort of scam from the get-go. They travelled from down south and apparently they would plan these crazy weddings and try to get injured so they could blame the wedding planning agency.”

  Lucas grimaced. What sort of crazy people were these? “Very well. So what happened to them?”

  “They got caught. They’ve been detained for some other insurance fraud business. Anyway, our men have confirmed that they have indeed dropped the case against Dream Weddings. So Maxine is definitely in the clear about that. And no, they did not have anything to do with the notes or trashing Maxine’s apartment.”

  “Good.”

  “Bad.”

  “I don’t follow.”

  “It probably would have been a lot easier if they were the ones behind it.”

  “Oh, great. So you’re telling me you know who’s behind it and it’s someone close to Maxine?”

  Zack nodded bringing his glass to his lips. The two men were more focused on their conversation than on the laughing and clapping going on behind them at the other side of the garden where the baby shower festivities were going on.

  Lucas glanced over briefly and saw Maxine sitting on a chair in the circle enjoying herself. She looked so happy. He liked that. It killed him inside that any creepy person close to Maxine would want to hurt her. If he ever got his hands on the guy…

  “Was it her ex?” he said bitterly.

  “No.”

  “Then who?”

  “Betty.”

  “Betty? Who’s Betty?” Lucas sighed heavily. He wished Zack would just get on with it and not hold back.

  “Her receptionist.”

  Lucas froze.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “Okay, let's play the next game,” Shelly announced to the men and women gathered around Lucy as she sat with her swelled belly on the "queen's" chair. “What words of wisdom do you have for the baby or for the new parents-to-be?”

  The crowd murmured.

  “Now, now. We’re going to record this so the baby will know when he or she is older what messages you want to give to him or her or to the parents.”

  “Sounds cool,” Maxine chimed in. “I’ve heard of this game.” She directed a wink to Lucy who smiled back appreciatively. Antonio was sitting beside Lucy looking like the doting father-to-be. A longing seeped into Maxine’s heart wishing one day that could be her and Lucas. For a fleeting moment she had a fantasy play in her mind of being pregnant with Lucas’s love child. Yeah. If only.

  Still, the baby shower party was a fun and relaxing way for Maxine to spend this Saturday. Just what she truly needed. And yes, Lucas was there, too. She wanted more than anything else to see Lucas. She glanced around briefly and saw Lucas speaking with Zack. What on earth were they conversing about at a time like this? The two looked deeply engaged in some sort of tete-a-tete.

  “Maxine?”

  “Yes,” Maxine was caught off guard by Shelly’s voice.

  “It’s your turn. You need to write down a message for the baby. It could be funny, wise, or actually, anything you like.”

  Maxine took the square piece of paper Shelly handed to her and thought for a moment. She then scribbled down something cute on the paper along with everyone else who had wrote their messages and placed it inside an open basket to be drawn a bit later and read one by one.

  “Good.” Shelly was beaming. Maxine wondered how Shelly was feeling right now. She appeared as thrilled as everyone else for Lucy and Antonio’s new bundle of joy but truth be told Shelly loo
ked great for a woman in her forties yet she didn’t have any children of her own. Granted, she married the seventy-six-year-old, Toni. Were they planning on adopting? Or was Shelly content in having eight grown men as her step-grandchildren and now a step-great-grandchild on the way? Jeez! That was a lot to digest. Maxine was happy Shelly found love with Toni and she was even more glad that she had a hand in making their dream wedding come true with Lucy at the Dream Weddings, Inc. agency. Would Maxine ever know the joys of being a blushing bride? Ever?

  Moments later, Lucy picked the heartfelt notes from the basket and one by one read each beautiful message. “Thank you, Shelly,” Lucy smiled appreciatively at the gracious host who also left a soothing message for her.

  “And now, Maxine.” Lucy had picked out another note from the basket to read. All of this was being recorded. Maxine was stunned to see Zack had his camera on record. She looked around to see if Lucas was about but she did not.

  Maxine frowned but quickly shifted her expression.

  “This is beautiful, Maxine,” Lucy said, misty-eyed. She had read the note in her mind first then proceeded to read aloud.

  “Now you know we’re mind readers, Lucy, but we’re not that good,” Zack teased her. “Come on, read it out loud so that my video can pick up the non-telekinetic sound.”

  The crowd burst into laughter and Lucy scowled at him playfully as she rubbed her belly.

  “Learn to have fun. Lots of fun. Memories are what last forever. Love a lot. Laugh a lot. Spend a lot. A lot of time. Children spell love T.I.M.E. Cherish every golden moment and savor every precious day. And they’ll never outgrow a hug because it’s always one size fits all. Good luck to the lovely parents-to-be.”

  A boisterous "aww" rang out from the group. Lucy got up and gave Maxine a good squeeze and hug over her large belly. Maxine hugged her back tightly.

  “That was beautiful, Maxine,” Lucas said later in a low voice. He stood beside her and she spun around in surprise.

  “Wow, do you walk or do you just magically appear whenever you want to be near me?”

  Lucas grinned, his charming dimple appeared on his cheek. Maxine was whole again. She loved when he was near her. She loved the way he made her feel. All the time.

  “Thank you,” she then answered him back. By then, the group was already on to the next message and Lucas gently pulled Maxine away.

  “Come,” he said to her. “We need to talk.”

  “Can this wait?” Maxine said half-heartedly. She felt bad about leaving the shower, but God, she really wanted nothing more than to be alone with Lucas. She didn’t know why but she just did.

  “It is something you need to know about but if you want we can do this later.”

  “Oh no. It sounds rather important. Okay, where should we go?”

  “We can walk over to the guest house on the other side.”

  “Okay,” Maxine murmured. “I just need to speak with Lucy.”

  When the game had wrapped up, Maxine spoke with Lucy on the side.

  “Oh, please don’t worry, Maxine,” Lucy said. “In fact, the shower is pretty much over now. I’m really beat. I need to take my nap now. I’ve told the others to carry on without me.” Lucy then winked. “I insist on you spending some time with Lucas.”

  “Lucy!”

  “Seriously, Maxine. He’s a nice guy and well…he cares about you.”

  Maxine smiled sheepishly and hugged Lucy. “I will speak with you later, okay?”

  “Don’t rush,” Lucy said, smiling.

  Later, Maxine and Lucas strolled along the lawn while the partygoers were oblivious to their absence. What could Lucas want to talk to her about now?

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Lucas and Maxine arrived at the guest house—a cedar-sided cottage at the west side of the estate. It had its own cobblestone walkway and meticulously trimmed hedges in front of the main door.

  It was an extraordinary guest home with a breathtaking view of the hills. How Maxine loved the way the Romero family lived. It was an impressive estate for sure. The land seemed to go on forever. It must be nice to live like this. Heck, even if the family had bothersome guests staying over, they would not be affected at all since the guest house was far from the main house yet luxurious enough to keep the guests satisfied. And she noticed there were several other cottages nearby.

  Lucas opened the main door and led Maxine inside. “After you, beautiful,” he invited in a smooth voice that caused her to tingle inside.

  “Oh, this is nice,” Maxine commented as she walked inside. She was stunned. It was an ultra-functional environment. Spacious and cozy at the same time. She noticed the open area living room with ceiling-to-floor stone fireplace and sofas with a Persian rug in the center over a shiny hardwood floor.

  The kitchen area in the open concept design had marble countertops and stained oak cabinets with a marble-top kitchen island with brown leather backless bar stools around it—sort of like a breakfast bar in the middle of the kitchen nook.

  “It’s okay. It’s a place for guests to stay.”

  Maxine turned around in awe. She could not believe he was so casual about the opulence of his surroundings, especially since he started out life humble. “Aren't you ever simply amazed at what your grandfather has built?”

  “Of course, I am. I’m very proud of my old man. But his legacy is more important than his assets. My grandfather has instilled a lot of positive values and good work ethics in all of us. To tell you the truth, I’m more impressed with that.”

  “Of course!” Maxine smiled. She felt warm inside. That was one of the attributes that attracted her to Lucas. He wasn’t at all what the media painted him out to be. He was so much more—profound. “Well, he’s done a good job, Lucas.”

  “Thank you. It’s because of his work ethics why we are the way we are today. It’s all about helping others, leaving the world a better place than how we found it and making a difference. He always told us to never look for work, create it.”

  Maxine nodded thoughtfully.

  “Can I get you anything?”

  Just you.

  “I’m okay for now,” she murmured.

  “Come. I’ll take you on a tour.”

  He led her through the hallway and towards the back where there was a study and a view of the swimming pool outside.

  “Nice.”

  “Thanks.”

  Lucas looked deep in thought. Of course, he did not bring her there solely for a tour of one of their guest homes. They needed to talk.

  “Listen,” Lucas said, his hands shoved in the pockets of his dress pants. His lips were clenched slightly. “I have some news for you, regarding the notes you received.”

  “Oh?” Maxine’s stomach was squeezing uncomfortably inside. Did she really want to hear this? Was this about some crazy ex-client who wanted to get even with her for a wedding gone wrong?

  “There’s no easy way to say this but Zack had his men look into it and they found out the source. You're not going to believe it. It was Betty.”

  “Betty? No way. Why would she…?”

  “Exactly. Sometimes it’s the people closest to you who can do more harm and by that I mean the people who know too much about you.”

  Maxine was stumped. She sat down on the recliner chair by the fireplace in a daze. “But why?” she whispered almost to herself. She racked her brain trying to figure out why Betty would pull such a stunt but then it clicked. Betty knew her home address and everything else about her.

  “We had the emails traced. The couple who had that lawsuit have dropped it by the way. You’ll be hearing from their lawyer. So that’s good.”

  Maxine practically ignored the “that’s good” part of his conversation. Nothing seemed good right now. Nothing. Betty? Why would Betty want to hurt her?

  “It seemed as if Betty had some sort of grudge against you. She was a close friend of the former owner, Chris.”

  “Oh, my God! That’s right. She told me Chris wanted her
to run the business before Lucy came on board.”

  Lucas nodded. He also explained to her that Betty agreed to resign from the company and a temp would be in place come Monday. Arrangements were already made pending Maxine’s approval. He had connections with an admin agency that supplied temps to Romero Corp. and Foundation. She was at least relieved to hear that part. But she just couldn’t get her head around this chilling betrayal.

  “Well…I don’t know what to do now or whom to trust,” Maxine murmured, hugging herself.

  “You can always trust me, Maxine,” Lucas said in a soothing voice. He gazed intently into her eyes and shivers of delight ran down her spine.

  “I’ll never hurt you,” he whispered and the words resonated within her soul. Maxine didn’t know why but she felt something pull in her heart—a good thing. A connection.

  Maxine stood up and leaned on Lucas. She pressed her head into his chest and he hugged her so tightly with such a powerful emotion she felt so meshed with him. She snaked her arms around his firm waist and looked up into his dark, sexy eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “You don’t have to thank me, Maxine,” he dismissed her overwhelming gratitude. His silky voice caused a reaction inside her. A very delicious one.

  “But I want to. You’ve done so much for me. How could I ever…?” Her breath caught in her throat. Raw emotion washed over her. “I want you.”

  Her breathing grew heavy. The truth was she’d never desired someone as much as she craved for Lucas’s touch, his embrace, his presence. Her mind was going crazy and her head was spinning out of control.

  Kiss me.

  As if he could read her mind, Lucas lowered his head to hers and pressed his hungry lips to hers. His kiss was slow, deep, wanting. He sipped her lips and sucked them causing ripples of emotions to tingle inside her. Her nipples tightened when his lips kissed the silky skin on her neck. His soft lips caressed her neck and she let out a soft moan of pleasure. She could feel his arousal getting harder and harder behind his zipper while his body was pressed to hers.