He was going to focus his energies on making sure no harm came to his grandfather. None what so ever. The doorman nodded to Antonio as he entered the marble lobby of his building. “Good afternoon, sir.”
Antonio absentmindedly nodded back while taking out his smartphone. He couldn’t wait until he got upstairs to his suite. There was something he had to Google and fast. As he entered the private area where his own personal elevator would bring him to his penthouse waited, he moved his fingers fast across the screen in the search box and typed in “Lucy Shillerton, Toronto, CEO.”
And sure enough, hundreds of sites popped up. He tried to see if she was on Facebook or LinkedIn. He went to her Facebook page to see if she had left it open for anyone to see who was on the system. Since he’d already logged in he should have no trouble if it was not private. Sure enough, there she was. She posted a beautiful photo for her profile picture yet it was not recent. The photo looked as if it was a few years old. Maybe from her college days. There was that reaction again. The cloth covering his groin area grew snug. Why on earth did that girl have that kind of effect on him? This was all too crazy. He wasn’t looking her up to stalk her. He was trying to see if he could see her Friends list to see if she knew Shelly, his grandfather’s new fiancée. Lucy had 127 friends and most of them were women. He scanned her page to see if she was one of those women who took selfies of themselves posing in sexy photos. None. Good. She wasn't a complete tart.
Why was he even going there? This was about business. This was about keeping his grandfather safe from scammers after his fortune. After all, his grandfather had made some Top 100 Wealthiest billionaire list some time this year, so it was only natural he would be concerned about gold diggers popping out from under rocks to be with him.
His grandfather’s last wife used him while she had her own boyfriend on the side. It was no wonder Antonio did not trust the not-so-fair feminine gender. All his life he’d seen them claw after his family’s money, fame and fortune. The sprawling estate north of Toronto hosted some of the finest parties—his father bequeathed him that home. But his parents had a bitter divorce and Antonio himself was hurt one too many time by opportunists. That was why he swore he would never marry. He would let his girlfriends know up front that it could never be anything more than physical and that was that. Sex but no love suited his lifestyle just fine, thank you very much.
Antonio entered his suite before long and continued to glance at the screen of his phone looking at any evidence or useful information he could find on Lucy. Who was she? What were her interests? He quickly scanned her likes, her friends list again, the type of quotes she posted on her wall and the type of stuff she in fact posted. The more he wanted to find something about her to dislike the harder it was. How on earth could he hate this woman?
One of her shared quotes caught his eye: "It’s not about who is real to your face...It’s about who stays real behind your back!”
Antonio’s gut clenched. He didn’t know why he reacted to that post but he did. He’d known all too long how much he could trust very few people. And that post really grabbed him. He was utterly amazed at the fact that Ms. Lucy Shillerton loved that quote enough to post it on her page.
Again, he was always assessing people. What you choose to like and post says a lot about you as a person. He thought Lucy was going to have only pinups of hot looking men or crazy, self-serving tenets but no, Lucy seemed different. She was a woman who thought deep. Antonio couldn’t argue with that. But it meant he would have to tighten up his game plan. She seemed like a woman who wouldn’t change her mind that easily with what he had to say. Still, he was going to do what he had to do. Whether or not he liked her. Business was business and his grandfather was his business and she’d better not go through with her plan to give him a heart-attack-inducing wedding to the gold-digging girlfriend he’d found ... or else.
Antonio powered down his phone and attached it to his charger in the kitchen before grabbing a drink from the fridge and heading to the solarium. He sat down on his patio chair and scanned the gorgeous Toronto skyline with all the skyscrapers and the lake nearby. The sun was setting and the sky was a reddish hue now mixed with blue. He leaned back and took a swig of his lager. He should be out with his cousin Lucas winding down at one of the exclusive clubs in the city for guys like them. But then that would be a distraction he didn’t want right now. His mind was on one subject. And it killed him inside to think about it.
Lucy Shillerton.
He wondered what she was doing now—on a Friday night?
CHAPTER THREE
Lucy did not have a good weekend.
It had all gone to hell.
It was Monday morning and she was still worked up over the events of Friday afternoon. All she could do was think about Antonio and his threat to her and her business. What on earth was she going to do? She’d just finished up a general meeting with the rest of her team in the boardroom to prepare for the outstanding weddings they had upcoming. She was not happy about the report from Mr. Petri, their bookkeeper. Their company was a little behind in some of their payments with their contractors. Thankfully, the deposit Mr. Romero, senior, had given them for his Fun Birds themed wedding helped pay their lease or it would not have been renewed.
“Okay, so what’s going on, girlfriend?” Maxine probed as she crossed her legs in a chair across from Lucy.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, come on now. I can tell something’s on your mind.”
Yeah, I need to get a life. Heck, maybe she's right about me needing to get laid, too.
Lucy didn’t want to admit it but as much as Antonio Romero, III terrified her, she was deeply attracted to his charm and his seemingly sexual prowess. There was something present she just could not describe. Heck, she’d fantasized about him all weekend when she wasn’t lying awake wondering how she was going to pull off the next weddings without any more possible lawsuits from stunts gone wrong.
“It’s nothing.”
“Yeah, right. You’re talking to me. Maxine!”
“Okay, fine.” Lucy spilled it to Maxine as to what happened on Friday night after Maxine left for the dentist.
“Oh, that guy I saw coming out of his Beemer? I knew he looked familiar. He was Antonio Romero the third, wasn’t he?”
“Yes,” Lucy said evenly, trying to hide the shaking in her voice.
“Girl. He. Is. Hot!” Maxine gushed, fanning herself with her right hand. She then grinned leaning forward in her chair waiting to hear more.
“Girl. He. Is. A. Hot. Head!” Lucy shot back.
Maxine leaned back shaking her head and playfully rolling her eyes. “What is wrong with you? He only wants to do what’s best for his grandpa. Who can fault him?”
“I can. We have a business to run, remember? Wait a minute. Aren’t I supposed to be the one avoiding these unusual weddings and you’re supposed to be the one defending them?”
Maxine laughed. “Listen. You’re right. We have a business to run, but really, what’s the worst he can do?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t want to find out.”
“So what are you going to do? Dump the poor old guy and send him into shock and heartache?”
Lucy thought about that for a moment. It wasn’t going to be as easy as it sounded, was it?
“Look, we have until the end of this week, right?”
“I guess.” Maxine shrugged her shoulders.
“Get out your notepad or iPad. We’re going to go through what we need for this wedding first and consider all the options and start looking at the vendors.”
“Okay. It’s your funeral.”
“Maxine!”
“I’m only teasing, girl.”
Lucy really had to get used to Maxine’s wry sense of humor. It wasn’t always easy. But she did have a point. Lucy had to look at this thing from all angles. The last thing she wanted was for it to blow up in her face. Or worse, her client’s face. Heck, she really didn’t wan
t to face Antonio III again. Then on second thought, maybe she did want to see him again. Maybe she secretly loved the way his presence revved up her temperature and made her heart pitter-patter in her chest and caused butterflies to explode in her belly. Maybe, Lucy really liked the way he gazed into her eyes making her tingle between her thighs. Oh, God!
They discussed the Fun Bird ten-tier wedding cake that the bride-to-be, Shelly, requested. And the human slingshot, the location of the trees involved, the plate holders, napkins, decorations, the dressing ensemble for the wedding party and so on. It was to take place on the 16,000-square foot Spanish-style winery and estate. It was a beautiful sprawling acreage with breathtaking views. The mansion had a massive flower garden, a park, a five-hole manicured golf-course, state-of-the-art gymnasium and tennis court. The main house consisted of a 22-bedroom luxury mansion and plenty of guesthouses and employee quarters. How convenient for the live-in staff at the estate.
The Romeros were also one of the few billionaires in that area that had a private helipad for their lavish home. Their own helicopter was housed there within minutes in case they wanted to, or needed to, fly off at a moments notice.
Imagine that! A helipad.
Lucy could not wrap her head around that one. How decadent it must be to live like that. She had heard that the elder patriarch of the family had grown up impoverished as an immigrant and had to fight hard, study hard, network hard and create the empire that he currently owned from the ground up. Literally.
Lucy hadn’t actually been to the estate as of yet but she saw the beautiful pictures on the Internet. It was intimidating. Breathtaking. Surreal. Yes, these folks were certainly out of her league. If it weren’t for taking over her auntie’s business, she would have probably never brushed shoulders with the Romero clan. She felt blessed to have had this opportunity. And she also prayed to God that she would not screw this up for Mr. Romero, senior or his grandson, either way.
As hot and sophisticated as Antonio Romero III was, Lucy still could not believe how a man who had such privilege growing up in a world that was foreign to her and in a world that seemed more like a fantasy than reality, was now accessible to her.
He still had this sort of down-to-earth, prosaic feel to him. Or maybe, slightly more than mere common. He made her heart flutter in her chest when she was near him. Heck, he had that effect on her all weekend when she kept thinking and fantasizing about him.
Hot damn!
Just dreaming about Antonio lifted Lucy's mood. It was true then that a little healthy fantasy could go a long way in improving one’s attitude.
“Listen, we’d better get back to business at-hand,” Lucy said shuffling some of the loose sheets on her desk. Her table was an utter mess. She had opened files and brochures spread out everywhere.
Lucy placed the file containing Romero’s wedding to the side.
“Okay, let’s deal with the other outstanding weddings.” Lucy picked up the pages and the contract signed by the next couple. “I’m going to be meeting with the venue manager for Debbie and Luke’s mob-style wedding.”
“Oh, that should be interesting.”
“Yes, it should be and you’ll be coming with me.”
“Sweet. I’m looking forward to that. I’ve never planned a mob wedding before.”
“I’m sure they haven’t either.” Lucy grinned. “Well, we need to have an idea of the floor plan and speak to the person in charge of designing the hall. I believe they wanted some sort of Chicago-style Al Capone deal, right?”
“Yes, something like that,” Maxine concurred as she ferociously typed away on her iPad. “Good, how does this look?” Maxine showed Lucy an idea on the screen and Lucy gave her the thumbs-up.
“What would I do without you, Maxine?”
“Probably nothing,” Maxine teased.
Lucy rolled her eyes in jest and shook her head.
After an hour of discussing what they would be doing for the mob-style wedding of their client, they sent off some emails and had Darla arrange the appointment for the following week with the venue manager of the hotel where that wedding’s reception would be hosted.
“Great!” Lucy said as she placed the file aside. “Now, what do we have planned for this week?”
“Well, there is the Bridal Show at the Convention Center.”
“Already?”
“Yep. And don’t forget we have someone from our company there in a booth. They’ll be handing out flyers and other enticements while we look around.”
“Oh, wonderful. Can you have Darla make all the arrangements for our business cards and other swag that would be needed?”
Maxine tapped away on her iPad and whipped off an email to Darla, their receptionist and administrative assistant. “Done. Now what are we going to do about the ball, Cinderella?”
Lucy looked lost for a moment. “Ball? What ball?” Her heart palpitated again. All she could do was think about a glass slipper, and for some reason, Prince Charming was that hot and stubborn Antonio Romero III. Lucy blinked hard and tried to push the naughty thoughts about Antonio out of her head. He was way out of her league. And a super sexy distraction she did not need nor want at this time. Back to business. “What ball are you talking about, Maxine?”
Maxine feigned being shocked. Her mouth opened into a perfect O. “You mean you forgot about the ball of the year?”
“Maxine, what are you talking about?” Lucy sighed heavily.
“Girl, it’s the Diamond Ball and Fundraiser for Economic Empowerment.”
Lucy waited to see if Maxine was going to elaborate. Should Lucy even know about this ball thingy? She’d been briefed on so many of her aunt’s old business dealings and projects during the past few weeks but this one did not ring a bell. Perhaps she’d forgotten. She hoped it wasn’t something in which she was supposed to be involved. “Maxine. I...I don’t know anything about the Diamond Fundraiser.”
Maxine rolled her eyes in exasperation. “It’s the event of the year, Lucy. Besides, your dear aunt Chris had agreed to do her part this year...before she passed away, of course.”
“Oh. I see.”
“The Diamond Ball and Fundraiser is about helping young people from all kinds of backgrounds from disadvantaged to the privileged. Basically, it helps people with great ideas thrive in life and do something to change the world.”
“Sounds good. And?” Lucy knew there must be something else forthcoming.
Maxine grinned sheepishly. “And, girl, the hottest, sexiest businessmen in the industry will be in attendance.”
Lucy leaned back, shook her head and laughed. “Now how did I know that was coming?”
“We have to go, Lucy. It’s for a good cause.”
“Why do I get the impression that if this was a fundraiser to help ants in the wild you’d still want to attend?”
“Honey, with all those rich, eligible hotties in one place. Hell yeah!”
Lucy leaned forward with a grin. “Fine. We’ll attend but only because it’s a good cause. How much are the tickets and how are we involved?”
“Well, they’re about one thousand dollars for the cheapest.”
“One thousand dollars? A little steep for our budget. Are you insane?”
“No, but I will go insane if I can’t be there.”
“Maxine!”
“Lucy!”
“Okay, fine. It’s going for a good cause so okay. I'll try to make it work. Now how are we involved?”
“Well, each year somebody helps out with the planning or donates ideas. And your aunt and I had already made suggestions to some of the song selection for the dance.” Maxine swayed her hips on the seat as if she could hear music pumping through some imaginary speakers. “I thought we could open up with a song about making a difference in the world or making a change...'”
“Yeah, and it seems as if we’re gonna have to make a bit of change, too, if we want to afford this thing. Literally. Our cash flow has decreased over the past few month accor
ding to Mr. Petri. I hope you know what we’re doing.”
Maxine stopped moving and glared at Lucy. “Of course, I know.”
Maxine then showed Lucy some of the lineup and playlist she previously approved. They would play some oldies and some new music to please the entire crowd that would consist of A-listers in the Toronto area and icons in the industry. The age of the participants would be mixed. Somehow, Lucy felt good about having a break this week to take her mind off things. It would be good to get out and dance for a change. She couldn’t honestly remember the last time she had fun at a musical event of any sort. She really needed to get a life, like seriously. Like yesterday.
“Okay, fine. The ball is when?”
“Thursday evening starting at six.”
“Thursday? That’s so soon.” Lucy glanced at her desk calendar and scanned her other commitments for the week. Her heart turned over in her chest when she saw Friday. She had scribbled down something about Antonio and a decision that had to be made. Why had she written that? She wasn’t about to cower to this man’s ridiculous demands. Or was she? No. It was her business and his grandfather was her client and that was final. She worked for Antonio I not Antonio III.
So then why had images of him slid into her memory? Her mind drifted back to his tall, muscular frame. The man obviously worked out—a lot. He was built like a Greek god. A sex god. Why was he suddenly dominating her every thought? She had to learn to control that. She had to learn how to squish thoughts of him out of her mind. But it wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Antonio Romero III.
The smooth, silky deep voice that danced from his beautifully defined lips. The way he said her name, smooth like warm honey and how it slid down her spine and brought shivers of delight coursing through her body.
The Billionaire's Second-Chance Bride (The Romero Brothers, #1) Page 3
