The Billionaire's Proposition (The Romero Brothers, Book 4)

by Richards, Shadonna

  “It’s okay. I’m…I have to find another hideout.”

  “No. Venus, please don’t do anything rash. Now, the last time we spoke you told me that you have a wonderful job and career and a safe home. The worst thing you could do is make any drastic changes. There is no way he can find you.”

  “No way? How can you be sure?”

  “We’re keeping a very close eye on this situation, Venus. Think about it. He is all the way in Murumba. With the way the new international laws and flight security has been since 9/11, I doubt very much that even if he tried to use his connections to change his identity, he could not receive a valid passport to travel.”

  Venus slumped to the floor. She held her head down. Amber had a point. What was she worried about? She would be more paranoid than ever and do everything to protect her son but she would not do anything too rash. At least not now.

  “Just continue to keep a low profile and everything should be fine. I’ll keep you posted on any new developments. Okay?”

  Venus nodded. “Okay.”

  Venus could do this. Eduardo had ruined her life before as well as Tristan’s. She was not going to give him the opportunity to do it again. No way! She had to be brave. She couldn’t keep running. She would not have any quality of life. What would happen to Tristan?

  After Venus hung up, she dried the tears from her face and drew in a deep breath. She was going to march into work and do her job to the best of her ability and carry on as if nothing out of the ordinary just happened. As if her life was still okay. Working for Carl was one of the only things she had to look forward to every day, outside of her miracle son, Tristan.

  She wasn’t about to give it up now. Eduardo was thousands of miles away across the Atlantic Ocean. He couldn’t hurt her. Not anymore.

  Off to work, she would go.

  To a normal day at the office.

  CHAPTER THREE

  She’s perfect.

  The words slid into Carl’s mind as he glanced out of his office window at R.M. Fitness Center, his sweet, unsuspecting assistant Venus was on her way to the building from the parking lot. What would he say to her? How would he say it? He had to be very careful about his proposition to her. If it came off wrong, it could blow up in his face and cost him a valuable employee and trustworthy ally and supporter. That was the last thing he wanted. But oh, he wanted Venus. Her long, dark, silky hair rustled in the summer breeze as she strolled up to the main entrance of the facility, her rounded hips wiggling as she walked. She looked so damn cute in her pencil hip hugging gray skirt and white blouse. So professional and neat, yet sexy as hell. A subtle type of sexiness, not in your face. She had class and style. Yet, she was soft in her mannerism and her speech. Damn, she would make a fine political wife. Quiet, polished, discreet yet charming. She was refined in every way. His body always reacted to her when she was nearby. At least if they were ever in public on one of his campaign trips, they would have a natural chemistry. Heck, he felt it every time she looked at him. He knew there was something there with her towards him, too. Carl might not have let on to it that he knew, but men knew things like that. His plan just had to work.

  Venus would be absolutely perfect for his wife. But would she go along with it? She was a quiet, hard worker who kept her business to herself. Lord only knew what it was that she was hiding about her past. She wasn’t a talker or a socializer. That could work to their benefit, if she went along with his scheme.

  * * *

  “I need a wife and child by tomorrow,” Carl asserted in a serious tone. He was seated at his desk in his office, opposite Venus. His finger jabbed the copy of the newspaper on his desk, his image was spattered across the front page.

  “Excuse me?” Venus was too stunned for words. Her jaw dropped. Her sexy boss had come up with some off-the-charts marketing ploys in the past where the fitness center was concerned. But this? For his burgeoning political career?

  Venus felt for him. She felt his pain of being ridiculed by his future political opponents, especially considering all the good he had done and his accomplishments. One of the outreaches that touched her the most was when his brother Jules and he went out to local area schools last year to personally ensure that healthy snacks and lunches were given to all students, especially homeless pupils or children living in shelters who were attending the school. He had totally flipped out when he found out that some students were forced to go hungry because they couldn’t afford lunch. He insisted that the principals take note of the issues and let his foundation know about them so they could personally intervene to make sure there were no hungry students.

  How honourable was that?

  Carl didn’t even care about getting any publicity for his deed.

  He deserved to be in office for mayor of Mayberry Hill, but she wasn’t sure if this new plan of his would even be work!

  “I can’t believe those people. Who do they think they are judging me like that?”

  A photo of him, along with two women on his arms, appeared on the cover taken at a club that his brothers and he often frequented when they unwind. It appeared Carl had a bit to drink. It was New Year’s Eve. One of the women was his girlfriend at the time; the other, a friend who just decided to pose for the camera. It was a New Year’s Eve bash for God’s sake! But the reporter conveniently left out that pertinent bit of information. The headline caused Carl’s stomach to churn.

  Billionaire Party Animal Wants to Run for Office.

  Articles were popping up left, right and center since the rumor mill got busy that morning with his intent to run for mayoral office.

  The article went on to detail a rumor that Carl Romero wanted to run for office and probably use his status to date single voters. It also reiterated that he wasn’t serious and didn’t know what else to do with his money. His opponent was quoted: “Carl should leave the mayoral race to serious-minded candidates who care about the issues facing many families struggling for survival. What does a party prince know about that?”

  Venus’s stomach turned over at the thought of those lies circulating about sweet Carl. They had no idea how far from the truth they were. Sure, he was hot and he dated like any normal, healthy bachelor but he didn’t deserve this kind of attention.

  “You’re right about defending yourself, Carl. You’ve done so much good in the community, more than any of those guys in office. You’re so genuine and caring. God, we need people like you in charge. But, Carl, you can’t just…get a wife and family.” She swallowed hard.

  Venus tried hard to not look too deeply into his soft, dark chocolate eyes because she would surely melt. Looking at his handsome face always made her gush. He was so extremely gorgeous, captivating. How could she look at him and not blush? From day one he always had that effect on her but she had always kept her eyes on her notes whenever he was dictating or giving instructions. Her heart would often beat hard and fast in her chest when he was near her. Whenever his eyes captured hers, she could not think; his beautiful face, his charm, and his sweet yet powerful aura often mesmerized her.

  And now, she wasn’t sure if she could even hold a conversation without reaching out and hugging him. Better to keep her distance. She’d never had this magic cast over her by any man. This was mind-blowing to her. She was torn inside. Her nipples strained under her blouse for his touch, yet she was aching for him in her heart. What was she to do? How could she help him without having further harm done to him through this difficult campaign for mayor? Running for any office was always a risky venture.

  Carl paused for a moment. He could palpate the young woman’s nervousness. He looked Venus in the eyes. Her soft brown eyes were edged with reddish lines. He got up from his chair and leaned against the front of his desk in front of her, looking deeply into her eyes. A look of concern overcame him.

  “What’s wrong, Venus?” he asked directly. “Something’s happened to you.” It was more of a statement than a question. Here he was ranting about his political woes when his assist
ant clearly was going through some sort of heartache and the hell he was going to let it slide. She had better be truthful with him.

  “Oh, it’s nothing,” she dismissed quietly, looking down at her notepad. She wasn’t making any eye contact with him. If someone hurt her, he would…

  He leaned down and looked at her eye level, lifting her chin. A mixture of anger and deep concern surged through his blood. If anyone ever attempted to hurt this pretty young thing…they would be more than sorry. “Tell me the truth, Venus. Something’s wrong. You’ve been crying this morning.”

  “No. I…Well…Please, Carl. There are more important things right now.”

  “Like hell there is. My employees are my concern. And you’re more than just an employee, Venus. You’re like family.”

  “Carl. Thank you. I…Please. I’m fine. Really. I would tell you if I wasn’t. I…I did have a rough morning but I’m fine now. I don’t want to discuss it.” She fumbled at first but then lifted up her notepad and placed her pen over the page where she had already scribbled some notes. “Right now, your mission is very important. You have very good issues you want to tackle for this race. The daycare thing really is going to make voters appreciate you, Carl. Affordable daycare is something many mothers like myself have been fighting for. We need you in office.”

  “Do you really believe that?” he quizzed in a low voice, still feeling uncomfortable about her not opening up to him about what really went down with her this morning. But he had to learn to let things go sometimes. She said she was fine, so he would keep a close eye on things and trust her words.

  “Of course, I believe that, Carl. You know you’ve got a lot on those opponents. This town has been inundated with so many empty promises from previous mayors. Look what you and Jules did for the homeless students going to school hungry. You personally saw to it that no students in the city had to go hungry by providing healthy lunches. No one else thought of that. Things are getting worse for working-class people. If it hadn’t been for your family’s kindness, I don’t know if I could even afford to work.”

  “Good, I’m glad you agree,” Carl said. “Marry me.”

  Venus’s expression froze on her face.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “M-m-marry you?” Venus echoed, her eyes wide with shock. Her heart was pumping fiercely in her chest. Did her boss just ask her what she thought he’d asked her? She must be hallucinating. Perhaps the shock of this morning’s phone call from the consulate had been too much for her and taken a toll on her senses more than she realized.

  Carl Romero was one of the hottest men she’d ever laid eyes on. This seemed like her deepest, delicious fantasies come true. But this was way out there. He could easily have any gorgeous, eligible bachelorette on this planet by his side.

  Either he had taken leave of his senses, or she had.

  “Yes,” he verified, leaning back in his leather chair behind his desk. His sweet, handsome face had a grin. Was he joking? “You heard me correctly. Marry me. It would be like a contract. I’ll draft up the details.”

  “But. I…I…” Venus choked up. She was also dazed with euphoria. Her wildest fantasy was coming true yet it was so close yet so unattainable because Carl didn’t know what on earth he would be getting into by wanting to marry her. She wasn’t a simple person. She had a complex past. She had baggage. Too much baggage. Heavy baggage that could literally sink their relationship and all they’d worked for in their lives.

  There were things about her that Carl could not even know about. Oh, God! Why did things have to be so difficult? Why couldn’t it be simple? Here she was in front of Mr. Right who was asking her to marry him for all the wrong reasons yet she wanted to say yes.

  Oh, God, her heart was singing yes, yes, yes. Yet her mind was screaming no, no, no.

  “Carl,” Venus said, getting up from her chair. She was suffocating in lost thoughts. She needed air to breathe. She couldn’t breathe. Marriage? Carl really wanted to marry her? Her heart kept thrusting hard against her rib cage, her flesh felt sore and ached.

  Carl also stood up, his arm folded across his chest. He stood in front of her, his eyes capturing her as he leaned against the desk. His silence was filled with expectancy. His expression, charming yet unreadable. His brow was raised slightly, which gave him an adorable, boyish look. This was not a joke. This was a serious matter, yet she could see slight amusement on his face. Did he sense how in love she’d been with him? Did he know? Was he daring her to say no to this…proposition of his?

  “Carl, I think we should think this through,” she said, breathless. She turned to him and her stomach felt light and giddy inside. Oh, gosh, he was so damn cute! What was she saying? She should be screaming yes to the top of her lungs for this chance to be his wife. Carl Romero’s wife!

  “Yes, you’re right. You have until the end of the day to think it over,” Carl said matter-of-factly.

  “Carl! The end of the day?”

  “You need longer?” he delved, arching a brow as if nothing out of the ordinary was just asked of her. She’d always admired Carl and had never seen this side of him before but she now knew it was true that the Romeros didn’t mince their words when they wanted something.

  “But, what about…?”

  “The fine details? I’ve already taken care of that.”

  “You have? What would be involved? I mean. I just can’t…”

  “I’m sorry. I realize that sometimes I do get ahead of myself. I would never want to put you on the spot. And rest assured, I’ve taken care of the financial details. You’ll be paid very well…”

  Venus felt her blood boiled over in her veins. She shot Carl a raged glance. “What?” she said fuming. “Financial?”

  “Well, you didn’t think I would have you do me this favor for nothing, did you? How does one million dollars sound?”

  “One million dollars?” Her eyes widened in shock. “I am not for sale, Carl! Do you think I am some whore?”

  “What?” Carl’s expression changed quickly. Anger flashed in his dark, handsome eyes. “Who said anything about you being a whore?”

  “Well, you want to pay me…for,” she said, trailing off, “my commitment.”

  “Listen, Venus. I didn’t mean to come across that way.”

  “It’s okay,” she said, hugging herself. She was shivering, not because she was cold but because she was feeling overwhelmed with her feelings for her him. “Besides, one million dollars a year is crazy money. How long would we stay married if I can do this?”

  “First of all, it would be one million for each month you are married to me.”

  “A month?” Venus felt her heart explode in her chest. “A month? One million dollars a month? Carl, that’s insane!” She wanted to say that she would do it for free. But she could not even do that. Because it would never work given her past.

  She paced in his office, hugging herself. “I…I don’t know. I can’t do that.”

  “Where are you going?” he said, watching her as she grabbed her notepad.

  “I’m sorry, Carl. I have to…I have to be somewhere. Can we meet later?”

  “Sure.” His voice was nonchalant and clipped, an amused grin was still on his lips. Did he not realize what he had done? Did he think this was amusing?

  Venus left Carl’s office and went into her own office. She grabbed her purse from her drawer and fished for her keys and cell phone. She promptly left the building, her heart pounding in her chest. Her throat had virtually closed up. She could barely speak. She whisked past her co-workers and out the door. Would she even return to work at R.M. Fitness Center?

  One million dollars?

  His wife?

  What the?

  And for how long could he keep this up?

  Then another thought struck her. If she didn’t go along with his plan, would he find someone else? She could see a lot of women at the office jumping, no, throwing themselves at the chance to share Carl’s hot bed and life, and especially for tha
t insane amount of money. Not that Carl needed to pay anyone. As sexy and charming as this beauteous man was, women would gladly pay him to be on his arm. But Venus just could not accept his proposition. Besides, she wasn’t free to marry anyone—something that Carl didn’t even know.

  What would Carl expect for one million dollars a month? For her to turn all kinds of tricks in the sack? She didn’t think so. No way in hell. She was hot for him, but she had her pride. She had her dignity, damn it. Carl was willing to pay her that amount of money? What must he think of her?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Later that afternoon, Carl and Jules sat at an exclusive restaurant in the downtown core in a booth discussing his plans.

  “So, you asked her to marry you, and she ran out on you?” Jules couldn’t help but grin.

  “It’s not funny, Jules.” Carl was not impressed right now. Though his brother and he often joked and bantered, he was just not in the mood for it.

  “I’m sorry, man. I just didn’t expect that reaction from her. I know she likes the hell out of you.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Oh, come on, you must see the way she ogles you every time your back is turned.”

  “If my back is turned, genius, how am I supposed to see that?” Carl arched a brow, his lips thinned.

  “Very funny, bro. You know you have eyes on the back of your head,” Jules teased him, then wiped the smile off his face. “Seriously, though, man, she’s been talking about you a lot.”

  “To whom?”

  “To dear old step-grandma Shelly.”

  “Shelly?” Carl wasn’t expecting that. Shelly was his grandfather’s young, hip wife in her late forties and she was so good to talk to. In fact, at times, Shelly would step in and babysit Venus’s son Tristan whenever she was stuck for a reliable babysitter so that she could go in to work.