Her heart pounded hard and fast in her chest. She didn’t think she could calm her nerves for one single moment while there with Carl. But wasn’t this what she’d always fantasized? She was sure it was the fantasy of every female employee at R. M. Fitness Center the way they often went on about him during lunch breaks and working hours, ogling their hunky boss as he whizzed by in his expensive tailored suits.
“Why the name Janissa?” Venus asked Carl after the waiter had taken their orders. She desperately wanted to get her mind out of her sexual fantasy about him. They were there, after all, to discuss business. Serious business regarding the upcoming election—and nothing more.
“My mother’s name was Janissa.” Carl’s voice was low and deep; there was an air of sadness in his tone. He said nothing more. She’d heard that his mother died tragically when he was young. A pang of empathy stabbed her heart.
“That’s a beautiful name,” she replied quietly, feeling her gut twisting inside. She knew very well the horrific feeling of losing a loved one, her own mother—and father.
“Thank you.”
Not long after, the waiter returned with two delicious dinner trays. It was more like a miniature buffet for two. There were so many choices. She felt overwhelmed and more hungry now, just salivating over the scrumptious entrees.
The large China dishes were filled various offerings. One plate had fresh baby spinach with slices of seasoned tomato. Another dish contained roasted watermelon salad with lime, mint, lemon balm, goat cheese crumbles, fleur de sel and extra virgin olive oil. Their entrees consisted of oven roasted French-cut chicken breast with cherry sauce. Another dish had rack of carved roasted lamb with tomato apricot chutney. The waiter had also served a bottle of fine red Merlot wine from the Romero Winery & Vineyard, of course. The sumptuous aroma of the dinner before her wafted to her nostrils and seeped into her stomach. She didn’t realize how hungry she was until now.
But looking across the dimly lit table from her gorgeous boss made her hungry for more than food. She wanted to rinse the naughty thought from her mind. She’d just realized that this was the first time since they’d been working together that they sat down to a dinner together. Just the two of them. Normally, they would sit down to staff dinners at fine restaurants or at the estate with the family—but never alone.
Carl had the most captivating dark, sexy eyes she’d ever seen on a man. His lovely chocolate eyes framed by thick black lashes often entranced her. He was a beautiful man to behold. Waves of desire slid through her every time her eyes locked with his. What was it about him? He was utterly mesmerizing. He had the sort of look that would draw you in and make you want to do anything for him—or to him, in a delightful way.
She shook the mental image of him kissing her passionately out of her mind. This was business. All business. Nothing more could possibly come of it. Venus just didn’t want to make a big fool of herself and presume anything more right now. They would only be married contractually for…?
“How long would you…um…require my services?” she asked calmly, dropping her fork on her plate after taking the last bite of her roasted lamb cut. “Well,” she chuckled, acutely embarrassed, “perhaps, services is not the right word.”
“Oh, that’s okay. I understand what you meant.” His voice was deep, low and slid through his lips like smooth honey. There was something about his rich, deep voice that always resonated with her. For a man with handsome, boyish looks, she was always surprised at how deep and powerful his voice sounded.
“I’ll need you for one year,” he instructed. His voice was calm, his gaze intent. Venus shivered inside as heated anticipation shot through her body.
“One year?” she echoed breathlessly.
“One year.” His dark, alluring gaze captivated her. She froze for a moment. Her mind processed what that meant. She would be Carl Romero’s wife—for one year. One year! And what about Carl’s reputation as a hot lover who always had a glowing arm-candy model at his side? What would become of that? Would Venus become his…lover?
“Okay,” she said, trying to sound as cool as she could. “And, um…what about…arrangements between us? What exactly would be involved?” she finished her sentence, not sure of how to come out and say it. What about sex? Would he expect her to sleep with him during this period? She could think of nothing else. Secretly, she would want nothing less.
Carl leaned back in his seat against the rail of the yacht with a mischievous boyish grin.
Please say yes we’ll be intimate. Please don’t tell me that you already have a girlfriend who you will secretly sleep with on the side. Venus bit down on her lower lip, hoping that he could not possibly read her mind, or her anxious emotions right now. She would just die if he didn’t want to “consummate” their fake marriage. God, why was she so desperate to be touched by this man? Why did she crave his silky touch, or the feel of his smooth skin on hers?
Carl heaved a deep sigh. “Don’t worry about sleeping arrangements, Venus. I have a lover who will take care of my sexual needs,” he said, his tone cool and deep.
Venus’s face fell. Her heart smashed against her rib cage, painfully knocking the wind out of her lungs.
Carl’s grin widened.
“I’m teasing you, Venus!”
She let a deep breath she didn’t realize she was holding and chuckled. She gave him a playful brow bashing before rolling her eyes in return for his practical joke. “That’s not very funny, Carl,” she chided him.
“I don’t think it would be wise for me to have a lover on the side while we are legally married, Venus,” he said, his tone more serious. He still had that captivating rich, silky smooth voice.
“That would be the last thing I would want for many reasons,” he continued. “Even though the reasons we are getting married are not conventional, I still believe in being faithful to the one I’m with, regardless of why I’m with her. And secondly, an extramarital affair would be very easy for my opposition to track using any old detective agency and that could bring the worst kind of unwanted publicity. So yes,” he continued, gazing into her eyes, leaning forward. “I would expect us to consummate our marriage as part of our…arrangement. I’m sure we both have needs, just like everyone else.”
She swallowed hard but the lump would not go down her throat. It was closed up from her bungled nerves.
Yes!
This was what she wanted, wasn’t it? So why was her mind in a dazed whirlwind? Why was she giddy with a mixture of stirred emotions? Why was her head spinning? She could not believe all of this. Yesterday, she fantasized about her boss, as she had since she’d known him over the past year—and now? She was going to be his lover, his wife. This was all so much to process and she was feeling overwhelmed, in disbelief.
“Y-yes. Of course. I…agree,” she said, trying to sound matter-of-factly.
“So,” he continued, pulling out some sheets of paper from his case that rested on the empty seat beside them, “the arrangement would be for one year followed by a quiet separation that hopefully the media won’t find out about. By then, I should be more settled in my new position as mayor and have implemented all the changes that need to be done. Hopefully, voters won’t mind much what goes on in my personal life.”
Venus took the sheets of paper Carl handed her. It was in the form of a legal contract, all neatly typed up. This was official, wasn’t it? Carl didn’t mess around with his business. He never took chances with anything … or anyone.
Venus’s eyes scanned over the first page of the document but reluctantly settled on one word in the bullet form of expectations.
Separation.
Separation? Venus’s heart sank even lower than it had when he told her he had another lover a moment ago—which thankfully was not true. Why was she feeling daunted all of a sudden? Did it matter that they would be separated? This was, after all, part of the deal, right? It was not real, she had to remind herself. It was only a contract. A marriage of convenience. Besides, she
knew full well that deep down, she could not be married for too long to anyone, lest her secret past surface and ruin everything. It was just that she had never before come so close to happiness and only to be told it was a time-limited experience. How sad was that?
“Yes, hopefully voters won’t…mind,” she agreed quietly.
“And I have a few other stipulations in our agreement. Though it hasn’t been drafted up officially, I expect it to remain a closely guarded secret. As you can see, under the heading of behavioural expectations, I expect that we’ll both be mutually respectful to each other both in public and in private. I strongly believe that respect is a two-way street. And we’re not to disclose any of this to anyone outside of a few trusted members in the family circle. I know that you’re a very discreet person, Venus. So my concern is not that.”
“Thank you, Carl. What is your concern then?”
“You.”
“Me?”
“Whatever it is that you’re hiding. One of the things we need to agree on is not to harbor secrets. Are you going to tell me about your past?”
Venus felt her throat close in again. She could not breathe. Her muscles tensed in her body causing a painful ache.
“M-my past?”
“Yes, Venus.” He reached his long, strong arms across the table and held her hands in his. She felt a jolt of his powerful electricity pulse through her veins at the touch of his skin. Oh, God! His firm, silky touch! The energy was deliciously palpable. She wanted him to hold her forever. “I need to know everything.”
She drew in a deep breath, trying to squeeze oxygen back into her lungs.
“I…I can’t tell you everything, Carl. I….just can’t. Please trust me on this. It’s better you don’t know.”
“I think it’s better that I do, Venus. How can you ask me to trust you when you don’t trust me?”
“Because this is different, Carl.”
“But if you’re going to be my wife, I need to know about your past. Everything.”
“But you’re not going to be my real husband. This is only a pretend marriage, isn’t it?” she shot back, then she felt like a goose for doing so. Why was she taking it out on Carl? It wasn’t his fault what happened to her in her past.
Carl leaned back, removing his hands from hers. He stretched his arms across the rail of the yacht and cocked a knowing grin. “You’re really something, you know that?”
What was he getting at? Was he upset about the situation now? Or was he amused? He glanced at the darkening sky then turned his attention back to Venus.
“It’s really that bad, is it?”
“Carl, please. Just trust me.”
“The last thing I would want is for the press to find out about you before I do, Venus.”
“And that’s not going to happen.”
“It isn’t?”
“No. Because, I’ve taken care of that problem. What’s done is done. The past is dead and gone and I’d rather forget about it. You’re my…future, my present focus right now. We need to get you in office, Carl. You’re the best man for the job. The community needs you. I…need you to be in office, too.” Her voice trailed off. She needed him more than just to be in office.
Oh, damn Eduardo!
Why did he have to escape from prison? But Amber at the consulate had assured her that everything was okay, so she would have to take her word for it. She was in Canada now. No one would ever find her. He didn’t even know that she was out of the country. The embassy made sure that no one knew she had fled. That was good enough. She and Tristan were safe.
Out of harm’s way.
Why bring up the past? It would only create possible danger for Carl if he found out. It would complicate matters. And for what? After the year was up—Carl would be out of her life and not have to bear that burden of her secret. It would be better this way.
“You know you really had me there. Very well. I’m not going to push it. But just tell me one thing. Did he hurt you?” Carl’s eyes flashed anger and a dangerous dark look that she’d never seen before.
“Did who h-hurt me?”
“The man you’re running from?” His tone was direct and void of emotion.
“Carl, what makes you think it’s about a man?” Venus looked down at her almost empty plate.
“Venus, look at me.”
Her eyes locked with his again as she raised her head.
“I’ll let it go for now. But if I find out that anyone has threatened you or has anything over you or is hurting you in any way, I can’t promise you I won’t get involved. And it won’t be pretty. Okay?”
His smooth, deep words sent a shiver down her spine. His tone was cool as ice, dangerous.
“Okay,” she murmured, breathless. She drew in a deep breath to calm her nerves. “Fine. But you won’t have to worry, Carl. I…I promise.”
“Oh, no. Look at the time,” Venus continued. “I must pick up Tristan.”
“He should be fine at the estate,” Carl said, looking down at his watch. “But I’ll take you to pick him up and then I’ll take you home.” He rose from the table.
“Thank you. And thank you for a lovely dinner, Carl.”
“My pleasure, Mrs. Romero,” Carl said with a grin.
Mrs. Romero?
The words washed through Venus like a tsunami of emotions. Mrs. Romero? She loved the way that sounded. It finally struck her. She would really become Mrs. Romero, wouldn’t she? Even though it was for fabricated reasons. This was going to be the real deal. She was overcome with emotions. Stunned. Amused. Dazed.
There was no other man in the world she wanted to be with more than Carl Romero.
She didn’t know what got into her at that instant.
Carl had taken her cardigan off the chair back to place over her shoulders. And she was inches from him facing him, looking up into his gorgeous dark eyes. His hands were still holding the cardigan around her and he gently pulled her closer to him. His smooth cologne danced beneath her nostrils, delighting her senses. What was it about this oh, so sexy man she worked for? There was something so mesmerizing about him, enthralling that made her desire him so much. That made her want to be closer to him in every way possible. That made her forget who she was for a moment and made her feel that all her cares in the world were drifting away.
With just the sound of the waves from the lake swirling against the boat and the sound of her heart pounding hard and fast in her chest, Carl lowered his head to hers and she shivered with delight. His soft finger traced the outline of her jaw and she tingled at his silky feel as he stroked her sending waves of desire through her body.
Oh, Carl. His touch was magical, pleasing to her body.
So this was what it felt like to be touched by…a Romero. She’d heard a lot about the sexual prowess of the Romero men but had to take a moment to process all that was going between them. Was Carl going to kiss her?
“God, Venus, you’re so beautiful,” Carl said in a low, husky voice as he lifted her chin to his. He softly brushed his lips across hers and a light electrical current bolted through her body.
“Oh, Carl,” she moaned, as she pressed her lips to his enjoying the sweet touch of his flesh. His lips parted hers and claimed her tongue with a moist sweep of his. He slid his strong arms around her waist and she felt the heat of his firm hands on her back. She reached her arms up to hug his neck as he continued to pleasure her with his soft lips, kissing her passionately and erotically, sucking on her flesh as she moaned in ecstasy.
Oh, what a kisser, she mused. Venus couldn’t believe how good Carl’s soft, passionate lips felt on hers.
Heat throbbed between her legs, her nipples tightened at the tenderness of his hungry kiss. Her mind was in a whirlwind daze, her legs felt delightfully weak as she leaned against the rail on the yacht making out like crazy with her hot and magnificent boss.
She relished the sweet taste of his tongue and his lips as they continued to kiss hungrily. She could feel the moisture increase
inside her panties. She even hoped he had a condom with him so that they could go much further. That was how badly she wanted to have him—all the way.
Carl. Oh, Carl.
She wanted him, craved him. Now. Right there and then on the boat, on the lake. Out in the open. She didn’t care about anything else than having Carl make love to her, thrusting inside her. Never before had a desire so strong, so powerful overwhelm her by just a kiss. No. Not just a kiss, a passionate lovemaking of the lips.
He murmured, “Oh, Venus.” His breathing was heavy and labored as he moved his hands down her dress, lifting it up. She felt the delight of his hardness tenting his loins. Now. She wanted Carl now. She was going to go crazy inside if she couldn’t have him now. Her body pulsed uncontrollably. The anticipation of having passionate sex with Carl sent currents of desire ricocheting through her body. Her emotions whirled and skidded as she thought about consummating their relationship.
The sound of a man clearing his throat interrupted their sensuous lip-locking session. It was the waiter. He was standing a few feet from them looking rather sheepish.
“I’m sorry, sir,” the waiter apologized. “Your grandfather has summoned you back at the house. It’s rather important.”
For some reason, the waiter, or butler, sounded more British than earlier before. Or maybe, Venus simply hadn’t noticed before.
“Thank you,” Carl said, concern befalling his countenance. He was breathing hard, the passion left him panting as it did she. “My phone was switched off. He must have been trying to reach me.”
The Billionaire's Proposition (The Romero Brothers, Book 4) Page 5
