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

by Richards, Shadonna

  “You know you’re so beautiful, Venus.”

  “Mmm,” she moaned into his lips, as he continued to kiss her.

  “No seriously,” he said, pulling away from her gently. He gazed intently into her eyes. “You know something? There isn’t anything about you that I don’t love. And no matter how tired at the end of the day I get, I’m always going to make it a point to tell you how much I appreciate you.”

  “Oh, Carl. That’s so sweet of you,” she whispered.

  “Really. A man lands a beautiful woman and takes her for granted, thinking she can read minds. You women are goddesses but you’re not mind readers.”

  She giggled. He loved her girlish playful chuckle. Her sweet brown eyes crinkled when she smiled and laughed. Her cheeks rouged and glowed. “You’re wonderful yourself, Carl. You always shower me with compliments. I appreciate all that you’ve done for me and Tristan.”

  Carl was about to say that she and Tristan were his family now. But how could he? He wasn’t going to press the issue about their one-year deal, but he wanted so much more than just twelve months with her. He wanted forever.

  “Hey, it’s the least I can do. Besides, you didn’t have to do all of this.”

  “All of what?” she said, looking puzzled.

  He gently ran his fingers through her silky locks. “Your hair is always freshly done. Every day you wear a beautiful sexy outfit that turns me on. Even when you’re dressed down, you look good. Fashionable. I’ve never even seen you with your morning hair. You always rush to the bathroom first thing and style it. Like, I don’t care if your hair’s a mess, or that you look like you’ve just rolled out of bed. Because to me, you’re my princess. I treasure all that you are.”

  “Oh, Carl. I…I don’t know what to say,” she said, then a grin touched her lips.

  “What’s funny?”

  “Oh, nothing. I was told that sometimes men go looking elsewhere when their wives…um…what’s the word…? Let themselves go.”

  “Let themselves go? It’s the men who let themselves go by cheating. I would never do that to you, no matter what. Hey, no woman deserves that. Period.”

  “I know. It’s not just that. I think it’s important in a relationship that both the husband and the wife always remember that life can get hectic and it’s important to keep the romance…the spark alive. I really don’t want to see it fade. I mean, my parents fell out of love, I think. It was awful to see that before their deaths. Dad…well, I never told anyone this before, but he was seeing someone else. Mom found out and she was depressed about it. I think they eventually worked things out. That’s when they had Niko, I mean, Tristan.”

  “I see.”

  “Mom told me this story. It’s some old tale about this man,” she said animatedly, “who sees this beautiful woman at the village and she does everything for him. She cooks for him, cleans, pampers him, everything.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Well, he eventually married her.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Not really.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he turned up at a bar one night and said to the bartender that he missed the joys of being married. And the bartender said to him, ‘I thought you were married.’ The man told the bartender, ‘I am married, but so far I miss the joys.’”

  “Oh?”

  “The man had said that his wife used to do everything when they were dating and when he asked his wife why she stopped being nice to him, she had replied ‘I’ve got you now.’ Well that marriage didn’t last long after that.”

  “Ouch.”

  “Exactly. So the morale of the story is that it’s not enough to get married, but staying married takes commitment and work and love and if you want to keep the spark or the flame, you’ve got to work at it. Make your spouse feel happy since he or she chose to spend the rest of their life with you,” she stopped. Her voiced trailed off.

  For a moment, there was a long, awkward pause. He knew then that they were both thinking the same thing.

  Spend the rest of their life with the one they loved. Carl felt a stabbing sharp pain in his gut. He really wanted more than anything to spend the rest of his life with Venus. The question was, did she feel the same?

  Later that night, Carl lay awake staring at the ceiling in the dark. Venus was sound asleep beside him. For a while he’d watched her sleep. She looked so beautiful with her long lashes so visible with her eyes closed. She was an earth angel.

  One year.

  No. One year would not be enough but he didn’t want her to feel pressured into committing a lifetime with him if she didn’t want to. He should probably ask her point blank. He often communicated very directly with others, never one to mince words. But Venus was different. He hadn’t feared anything before in his life before but Venus not wanting to spend forever with him would kill him. Not just the rejection but the painful reality of her going her separate way from him.

  His cell phone at the bedside rang, disturbing his thoughts.

  “Yeah?” he answered. His voice sounded more groggy than he realized.

  “Hey, bro,” Jules spoke, “Sorry to wake you but I’ve got some news on Meritos. I think you should know.”

  Carl propped himself up on the bed in lightning speed time. “What?”

  “It’s not good.”

  “Wait a minute,” Carl said, and he soundlessly got up from the bed. He glanced at the digital display clock on the bedside table. It was eleven o’clock at night. He crept out of the room, careful not to wake Venus and went into the guest room down the hall and closed the door behind him.

  “Yeah, what is it?” he said, sitting on the bed, his heart was beating like a bass drum.

  “It looks as if Eduardo knows Nadya is Venus.”

  “What? How?”

  “Well, apparently, one my sources say that he had connections in the country’s so-called justice system.”

  “Including the witness protection program,” Carl finished for him sternly. An ice cold feeling rushed through his blood. He cursed under his breath. So Venus was in danger all along. It was only a matter of time.

  Who the hell could have known?

  “Yeah. I’m sorry, man. But listen, we’ve got some hot leads right now. His IP address, the one he’s currently using is being traced so we should be able to track him down and let the authorities know. We’ll also uncover the identity of the spy he has in the agency. It’s only a matter of time.”

  “Good. Keep me posted.”

  “I will, Carl. And, listen, don’t worry. Venus is safe here.”

  “Oh, I know that. I’ll make damn sure of it.”

  Carl knew that as a public official he’d have no trouble getting police protection but no way in hell was he going that route. He himself would protect the woman he…loved.

  “Thanks, Jules,” Carl finally said, ending the conversation.

  He terminated the call and dropped his cell phone on the bed beside him, then he held his head. What the hell was he going to do now?

  * * *

  It was eleven o’clock at night but Amber had to get into the office at the consulate when her boss, Vic, would not be there. She’d told the security guard that she’d left something important that should have been secured out on her desk. Her mind was bugging her the entire day about what she’d learned.

  Her own boss, Vic, was a crook. She knew he’d been hiding things and peeking into her files when she was not there. But something was very wrong and she sensed it.

  She managed to get into his office and into his file cabinet. There was a private file that she’d put together on Venus Jackson but it went missing. Later she learned that Vic lied about not seeing it, when in fact, he’d taken some information from her file. But why?

  Amber glanced around to see if anyone was looking. Hopefully, security would not be aware that she was not in her own office, though she’d turn on that light, too.

  She rummaged her fingers through the files o
n his desk and then opened up his drawer. She felt guilty for nosing around, but Venus was her responsibility and if there was any funny business going on, she needed to know.

  There was nothing there.

  Then she remembered those detective shows she’d seen. “The garbage,” she said to herself. There are always clues in the garbage, but not just the physical garbage. The trash can of the computer. She didn’t want to take a chance on logging on since the time would be noted. But she did go into the physical garbage and turned over his paper waste basket. She rummaged through bits of papers. And there it was! Her heart almost stopped suddenly in her chest.

  Ed Meritos 1-212345-555-458-9586968

  Eduardo Meritos.

  Good God!

  Vic must be working with, or more likely for, Eduardo Meritos. Amber covered her mouth in shock. She looked at the time. It was after eleven o’clock. She had to call Venus’s residence stat. Maybe she should just stop by. What if Venus’s husband answered? But that wouldn’t be a bad thing. Amber was aware of the Romeros and their reputation and power. Oh, what to do?

  She drew in a deep breath. She was going to let them know … tonight. Then, the police would have to be notified in Murumba.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  At ten o’clock the next morning, Venus’s heart was palpitating and she had to calm her breathing as she stared out of the window, still reeling in shock. Her body felt numb.

  Eduardo had discovered her new identity!

  Carl had his arms wrapped around her waist from behind giving her the support she so needed. He smelled so good; the scent of his fresh aftershave was soothing, enticing. Neither of them had much sleep last night.

  Luckily, Tristan was already at the daycare at the Romero estate and Carl decided he would go into the office later that day, as did she. Right now, they had other things to tend to.

  Last night, Amber from the consulate called and came by. She explained everything to Carl and to Venus as they listened in horror. Venus’s blood ran cold just thinking about what they were told. All this while, Eduardo knew her whereabouts—he was just waiting to strike at the right moment when she least expected it. It was good that Carl and the Romeros had their men on the case. It was also good that Amber was able to help them pinpoint the mole in the consulate and the other source in the justice system in Murumba.

  “So Vic Damon was arrested this morning,” Carl told her. “He also gave the name of the source of the spy in the witness protection program.”

  “I’m glad,” she said, relief evident. Her body was still numb. “Carl, if it hadn’t been for you, I don’t know what I would have done. Oh, my God!”

  “Hey,” he murmured to her, “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, okay? Don’t worry your pretty head over it. Nothing can ever happen to you or Tristan.”

  “It’s a good thing we met, I guess.”

  “Hey, I thought you believe in divine intervention or what is called? Fate, right?”

  “That’s true. Whatever is meant to be will be. My mother used to tell me that sometimes the universe brings the right people in your life and removes the wrong ones from your life, if you believe it.”

  “If I believe it?”

  “Yes. Mom used to tell us that we often receive what we believe in. If we go around only expecting bad things then our lives will be centered on that. We might even miss the good things because we’re so programmed to seeing the bad in everything and the opposite is true for expecting good things. Oh, Carl, why does life have to be so-”

  “Challenging?” he finished for her, a warm smile on his face.

  “Yes,” she said softly. “Come, I don’t want you to be late going into the office. We have a campaign to run.”

  “Are you sure you’re up to going in today? I can have Shelly come over here.”

  “Oh, no. It’s okay. Really it is. I want to get my mind off things. Especially since Eduardo has not been caught yet.”

  “He’ll be apprehended soon. Don’t worry. We’ve already got his contacts. There are only so many places he can hide.”

  Venus swallowed hard. “I know. But, Carl, Amber said that he knew about us. He found out that we’d gotten married. He had apparently left some notes online that he was going to destroy us. He had some information. How did he find out so fast?”

  “Shh, Venus, worrying is not going to do anything beneficial for you right now. There’s nothing he can do to us. Nothing. And whatever he has planned, hopefully it will backfire long before we’re involved.”

  “Oh, Carl. I hope so for your sake. Eduardo is a vile, vindictive person. He knows about politics from back home. He could cause a scandal. Anything. I would die if anything happened to-”

  “Hey, no worries, remember? Do I look scared to you?”

  “No. You always look brave to me,” she teased him.

  “Good. Now let’s get ready to-” Carl’s cell phone just rang, interrupting his sentence. “Hey,” he said. His face looked grim. He heaved a sigh. “Thanks. I’ll let Venus know.”

  “What is it?” Anxiety knotted Venus’s inside.

  “Eduardo.”

  “What about him?”

  “They found him and it wasn’t pretty. He resisted arrest. There was some sort of shootout between him and the local police.”

  She covered her mouth with her hand.

  “Yeah,” Carl said quietly, as if he could read her mind. They were always in sync with what each other thought, which always amazed her about their relationship. But this time it was more serious. “Eduardo was killed,” Carl finished in a low voice. His expression was serious. Carl was truly a man. He never gloated over his enemy’s demise. He was just as stunned as Venus was. Even though she wanted Eduardo to pay for what he’d done, it was still a shock.

  “He’s dead?” she echoed in a whisper, trying to let the news sink in. But somehow, she felt the damage he’d done since his escape had not quite come to pass.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  The next two weeks were incredibly busy for the new mayoral candidate, Carl Romero. Venus sat in the campaign office shuffling some notes on her desk.

  She had tried hard to push the events of the past month out of her mind surrounding the breach of security within the consulate and the death of Eduardo Meritos. All she could do was think about Carl and doing everything in her power to assist and support him in his bid for mayor.

  Her duties as assistant campaign manager included coordinating the campaign’s operations. She wanted to ensure that the fundraising was in place and the advertising budget was properly allocated. She was too busy overseeing various supportive activities to be worried about the after-effect of Eduardo’s death.

  Carl came into her office. “Are you okay, beautiful?” He handed her a Tim Horton’s green tea, extra large with sugar. Just the way she loved it.

  “I should be getting you a coffee,” she teased, taking the cup.

  He leaned down and pressed a kiss on her cheek. More and more, she wanted to be Carl’s wife forever, but he hadn’t said anything about the contract, and she didn’t want to push the issue. The last thing she wanted to do was force him to remain married to her after the year was over. But oh, he stirred all kinds of delicious feelings inside her. What would she do without him?

  He was a wicked-in-bed kind of lover, so smooth and sexy and always made her come to soaring heights. The thought of not having him for too long brought disturbing quakes in her serenity. A wave of doubt swept through her wondering how long he would remain committed to her.

  “Good news. Since your announcement, you’ve gained lot of favour in the local opinion polls. In fact, seventy percent. That is incredible!”

  “Good, but I’m not going to break out the champagne just yet. Those polls can change in a heartbeat.”

  “True.”

  “So what else have you got for me?” he said, leaning against her desk.

  “Well, you have several interviews tomorrow beginning with the local
radio station and ending with the school. I’m going to send out some messages on social media like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram-”

  “Whoa, wait a minute. You sure we need to do that?”

  “Of course! Besides, I’ve already set up your accounts. Oh, and don’t worry about your old Facebook account, I’ve already deleted some of your ex-girlfriend’s compromising pictures of you at the Christmas party”

  “Oh?”

  “I’m only teasing,” she giggled, trying to lighten the mood. She knew that Carl had been tormented over what had happened to her and her reaction to Eduardo’s death. She didn’t want him to feel that she wasn’t coping with all that had been going on. The only saving grace was that the international media had not captured the story and brought it mainstream. The embarrassed Murumbian government was good at keeping things under wraps.

  “I was going to get your approval, of course.” Venus smiled sweetly.

  He melted into a boyish grin that stirred her very soul. What she wanted more than ever was to throw herself across the desk and playfully rip off his shirt and make sweet, passionate, hot love to him like they’d been doing each and every night. She could not get enough of her sexy-as-sin spouse.

  Carl pressed his lips to Venus’s sweet lips. A knocking on her open door distracted them.

  “I’m sorry, Carl,” Jules, his brother, stepped inside, “but there’s a commotion outside. The media.”

  “What?” Carl said, turning his attention to Jules.

  “News breaking story!” Jules looked part peeved and part apologetic.

  Venus immediately opened up her Internet program on her laptop and typed away ferociously. “Oh, no,” she said, her heart pumping hard and fast.

  “What is it?” Carl said, glancing at her screen.

  “It’s all over the news. Everything!”

  “Carl, I think it’s best we lay low right now until we can come up with a statement,” Jules advised. “It’s up to you, but if you want I can keep them out. Should I call security?”