The Billionaire's Second-Chance Bride (The Romero Brothers, #1)

by Shadonna Richards

  “I’ve made bad decisions in the past, Grandfather, and so have you. Yes, I agree with that. But I don’t agree with making similar decisions that could lead to the same results,” Antonio opined. “When you believe you’re in love, isn’t it possible to think things are better than they really are? Isn’t that why they say that love is blind?”

  “Perhaps, grandson. Perhaps. But it is still my decision to make. I really wish you would change the way you feel about love and marriage. I really don’t want to see you have all this success and no one to share it with. I want to see you happy with someone who makes you happy, Antonio. There really is someone for everyone. The world is a big place. It is our thinking that can make it small. Please think out of the box where love is concerned.” With those words, Toni got up from his chair and pressed the button near his elbow. When the butler returned, Toni motioned to him to take his tray upstairs. “I will be having my evening snack in my room, thank you.”

  The butler nodded and picked up the tray.

  “Well, Antonio, I need to get some rest. We have the ball tomorrow night and I have some business to attend to during the day. And by the looks of it, you could do with some rest yourself.” Toni patted Antonio on the back and walked out of the study.

  Antonio moved over to the desk and pressed his elbows on top of it, resting his chin on his folded hands.

  He gave thought to what his grandfather told him. It wasn’t planned that way, yet it had turned out to be a heart-to-heart, man-to-man talk, didn’t it? So why hadn’t he mellowed a bit?

  A flash of loneliness stabbed at Antonio’s heart.

  The words of his late father’s surfaced in his mind. “Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely,” his old man once told him. The truth was, Antonio didn’t want to mess around with anyone’s feelings just because he was unsure of his own. That was what it all boiled down to, wasn’t it?

  Antonio was sure of many things in his life but knowing when you meet the right person wasn’t one of them. Who could tell the difference? No one. Antonio took great risks with business decisions, stock options and game plans to do with the family business, but with his own personal life, that was no longer something he wanted to risk.

  He squeezed his eyes shut then opened them again as if tortured by his own emotions as he stood in the dimly-lit study while the sun set outside.

  Antonio was in the dark, emotionally and physically. Tormented by his own turbulent feelings and his own secret desires and his own...fears.

  The worst thing a woman could do to a man was to damage his pride. Trample his male ego.

  Emotionally, he was damaged.

  Was Antonio merely lonely and longing for someone who cared for him for who he was and not for the material things he possessed or the lifestyle he could offer the so-called fairer sex? Was he fearful that Lucy could be the one but may not be the one? Or that he may end up ruining her just as he had been ruined? If she was looking for someone to love her completely then she shouldn’t look his direction. He would be all wrong for her. No one would be right for Antonio.

  Emotionally damaged.

  Antonio was a heartbroken, walking wreck.

  He didn’t need nor want anyone to complete him. He just needed someone to accept him for who he was. He needed someone to be who she was and to allow him to be who he was inside. Unconditional love. That was what his father once spoke about. Someone who loved you in all conditions and was appreciative of you regardless of external circumstances. But that wasn’t possible in his books. Something or someone would always end up destroying that beautiful love.

  Had he been acting on his grandfather’s behalf from the viewpoint of someone who had being emotionally ruined by all the women in his life he’d ever cared about? Antonio was beginning to question his intentions. He was beginning to re-evaluate the rationale behind his thinking and dealing with the patriarch of the Romero dynasty.

  How awful to be in a position where you couldn’t trust a soul. If only no one knew about his background, then it would be fair game, wouldn’t it?

  What was with him? Was it because Antonio had seen his grandfather this happy before, four marriages ago? And was it because when the old man was heartbroken after his young wives extracted enough out of him and decided it was time to leave him in the cold, that he was the one to pick up the pieces for his grandfather? It was Antonio who had to talk his grandfather out of killing himself after each wife cheated on him with a younger man then left him in the dust, requesting alimony in the process, wasn’t it? It was Antonio who was taking time away from work to take his grandfather fishing, golfing and scuba diving to bring him into a different world and teach him that there was more to life than being married.

  Antonio swallowed hard. He sat and leaned back in the leather executive chair and pondered what to do next. His grandfather was right in some regards. His men could not find a damn thing wrong with Shelly, at least not yet. Her character was reportedly impeccable. So then why did Antonio carry this sick feeling in the pit of his stomach about her marrying his grandfather? And why did Lucy Evan’s face flash through his mind?

  Not her again.

  Antonio picked up the phone on the desk and dialed. He knew what he was going to do to fix this situation. He was going to call Lucy Shillerton. He glanced at the antique clock in the study. He knew she often worked late at the office. His men informed him of that when he was checking out her background. It wasn’t too late but what if she had already left the office? God, he hoped not. He wasn’t about to call her at home.

  CHAPTER NINE

  The following evening, Lucy sat down in the office at Dream Weddings Inc. Earlier that morning she was stoked when she got into her office and saw there was a missed call from the Romero residence on her caller ID. At first her fingers hovered over the dial pad of her phone. She was contemplating calling the number back but how sad was that to call back a number?

  Oh, why didn’t he leave a message? Whoever it was.

  Perhaps it was an error. Perhaps they really didn’t need to speak to her after all.

  So she didn't bother to call back since whoever it was didn’t leave a voicemail. Still, she wondered if everything was okay with Toni.

  Or, dear God, was it Antonio trying to reach her?

  Lucy's heart thumped hard and fast in her chest again. Just by thinking about oh-so-sexy Antonio.

  No. It could not have been him calling. Why would he?

  Lucy was not about to raise her hopes to a false high only to come crashing back down in a balloon of embarrassment. He was just not that into her and there was nothing she could do about it.

  End of discussion—with self.

  “Well, I’m leaving now, Lucy,” Maxine called out before walking into Lucy’s cluttered office.

  Maxine had already gotten dressed to go to the ball from her office. Luckily they had amenities at the loft office complex including a plush gym that included shower facilities and ample change rooms. Since she had been working with Lucy late at the office, she had no choice but to bring her gown to the office to change into later. They already arranged to have a limousine pick them up at six o’clock.

  “Are you sure you’re not coming?” Maxine added. She looked vibrant in her yellow beaded empire-waist strapless evening gown that was accentuated by her lovely diamond custom necklace with matching earrings. Actually, she looked more like a bridesmaid than a guest at a formal dinner party.

  Lucy thought to herself, Maxine really deserves to meet someone special at the ball, but knowing Maxine, she probably will find someone. Maxine was always the go-getter type who could strike up a conversation with anyone and come away with a new friend.

  Lucy, on the other hand, would take a lot of convincing. She could be fierce in the office and while hitting the books and in the classroom but in social situations, like formal dinners and dances, she was a wallflower, a bashful soul who would much rather fade into the background.

  “You look v
ery nice,” Lucy offered, sifting through papers. She then picked up several files from her desk and shoved them in the nearby filing cabinet.

  “Thanks,” Maxine spun around in her dress as if showing it off at a runway show. “I hope Mr. Right thinks so, too.”

  Lucy smirked. “Now, how do you know you’ll meet Mr. Right tonight, Maxine?”

  Maxine placed her hands on her hips. “Well, duh! I didn’t go through all this trouble for nothing, girl.”

  “Maxine, we’re there to help raise funds for the Diamond Ball’s charity, remember?”

  “Yeah, I know that, girl. Just kidding.”

  Lucy chuckled. “Right. Of course.”

  “Seriously, though. Lucy, you don’t want to miss out on this. You’re always busy working so hard, slaving away in here. I mean, life is more than just work. All work and no play...you know what they say, right?”

  “No. I don’t.” Lucy arched her brow to humor her.

  Maxine grinned and shook her head. “All work and no play makes Jill a dull cow.”

  Lucy almost laughed out loud in spite of herself. “Hey! There’s no such saying.”

  “How would you know?” Maxine played back. “I thought you’ve never heard the saying.”

  “Fine. Maybe I am a dull cow but I am my own dull cow. Okay?”

  Maxine pouted. “Lucy, please don’t let me show up alone.”

  “I thought you were going with our illustrious receptionist. You know, you could both represent the company, then maybe meet a nice guy there.” Lucy winked.

  “Very funny. You know Darla isn’t exactly a going-out-type of girl. Besides, she’s not as much fun as you. And you know I’m stretching the truth a bit, right?”

  “Maxine! Now, go!”

  “Seriously, I really thought you would change your mind, Lucy. That’s why I hadn’t bothered to ask her or anyone else.”

  “The limo will be here soon. Don’t forget to expense this under Special Events.”

  Maxine shook her head. “You’re really not going, are you?”

  “No. I’m not. End of discussion. So, go!”

  “Fine.”

  Lucy felt her heart squeeze. Maxine seemed genuinely disappointed. What was with Lucy? God, she was going to miss out on the annual Diamond Ball—the event of the year to see and be seen, just because what’s his name, kiss ‘em and leave ‘em hanging was going to be there?

  She sighed deeply as a horrible dark shadow clouded her mood.

  After Maxine left, Lucy felt cold in the office but it wasn’t because of the heating system. It was because of her emotions. Did Maxine have a point? What on earth was she afraid of? Besides, how many hundreds of people would be in attendance? She probably wouldn’t even have to see Antonio.

  Lucy quickly flung the rest of the files down on her desk and grabbed a self-sticking note to place on top of the pile. “To do immediately,” she scribbled on the paper.

  She would tend to the pile first thing in the morning. It was six o’clock and the refreshments were already being served at the ball.

  Lucy left her office and closed the door behind her, locking it with her master key. She walked out of the building and down the street towards her parked car and got in.

  Driving back to the suburbs, she knew she would be late. She blasted the music on her radio and “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus boomed.

  She didn’t know how long it took her to reach her apartment building but she practically zoomed up the flight of stairs and to her suite. She threw her bag on the kitchen table and stripped her clothes and hopped in the shower.

  I have to do this.

  I can’t hide like this.

  Who am I kidding?

  Why wouldn’t I go?

  What am I afraid of?

  Who am I afraid of?

  As the warming water splashed down her soapy skin, Lucy thought about Antonio holding her from behind. She squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them again.

  No. She could not go there. He was out of her league. Was she going to make a fool of herself over him? No. Perhaps she was going to see if she could see him only to show him what he missed out on or what he could miss out on by avoiding her.

  Why do women do these things? Why was it that impressing the guy of your dream was such a huge deal? Girls of any age wanted to look their best when they knew the object of their desire was going to be around, just like in high school, right?

  Oh, she was crazy. She was crazy in love with this guy. She could feel it. Her body was heated up and not because of the steamy shower. She was hot for him. She was obsessed with thoughts of him, loving her, kissing her again. Oh, his electrifying sweet kiss. The way his strong arms felt around her waist. His touch. That soul-satisfying caress. His firm, powerful embrace. She’d never in her life met a man like Antonio Romero III before. She’d never been captivated by the presence of a man or the anticipation of seeing a man again, a man as hot and sexually potent as Antonio Romero.

  Would he ever kiss her again?

  Twenty minutes later, Lucy had her cordless phone pressed to her right ear. “Yes, I would like to know if you could send the same driver to pick me up,” Lucy inquired, while in her lace bra and matching underwear. Her gown was laying on the bed. She wanted to assure she would have a ride in time for the dance.

  “That would be no problem, Ms. Shillerton. Thank you again for your business. The driver will be there shortly.”

  Lucy's sigh was one of relief. It was as if she’d been holding her breath, wondering how on earth she would get a last minute limo to take her to the ball. The last thing she wanted to do was to drive there herself and show up in her old car while the valet directed all the limos present there.

  It was a good thing that the limo driver from their favorite company was already booked for the entire evening. They were technically paying for him by the hour, anyway, and since Maxine was already inside the ballroom, the driver would be free, right?

  Lucy could not believe the image she saw in front of her as she stood in front of her full length mirror. She barely recognized herself.

  Oh, my God!

  Was that really her?

  She was no beauty queen and certainly no super model but she really could not believe how transformed she looked. Maxine was right. There’s a time for work and a time for play, to relax and unwind and maybe dress up and feel good about yourself. Every woman should do that once in a while. Take time and nurture themselves and take good care of themselves. They were so programmed to taking care of others, whether in business or family life, that sometimes they forgot to take care of themselves or felt guilty when they did.

  Lucy spun around slowly in her gown to make sure everything looked okay. She never had the opportunity to go to her high school prom. She wasn’t particularly popular and didn’t even have a boyfriend or a date at that time. It was as if she were going to her prom now. How silly was that?

  She glowed in her floor-length, satin emerald green dress. It was sleeveless, strapless, sexy. The off- the-shoulder look and full flowing bottom gave her silhouette the accentuated appearance that she’d always admired in other women. She looked like a modern-day Cinderella going to the ball.

  Yeah, right. She sure didn’t feel like a princess-to-be.

  Lucy was still tired and stifled a yawn. Her makeup was tastefully light and her dark long mane flowed down her back and off her shoulders.

  Suddenly, her legs weakened again. Damn that feeling!

  Butterflies tickled her stomach at the mere thought of seeing Antonio. She thought about Antonio Romero’s eyes capturing her. Or his lips reclaiming hers. What would he say? Would he even notice she turned up at the ball? There would be hundreds of guests and probably many beautifully dressed women there. What would he even think of her? Would he even care to see her again?

  Insecurity gnawed at Lucy. She looked down at the hemline of her prom-like gown. Who was she kidding? She could never pull this off. She wasn’t the confident, outgoing
type. At least not where socializing was concerned. And to top that off, she’d be showing up alone! How pathetic would that look?

  The buzzer sounded through her phone and she picked it up. Her driver was waiting downstairs.

  Okay, it was show time.

  Antonio glanced at his watch. It was already seven thirty. He had scanned the ballroom several times. He spotted Lucy’s associate, Maxine. But where was Lucy? So she decided to bail, huh? She dared not show up to his annual function. Just what exactly was she playing at? He had spoken to her about it on Monday.

  Just then Antonio’s groin ached. Of course, he had kissed her. That was not his original intention during their meeting but it was something he had to do. Had to. And she all too well kissed him back hungrily as if she wanted more. She could not have expected him to call her after that, could she? Was that her problem? Antonio sensed something might have been wrong. Still, the thought of being slighted by a woman unnerved him. He was used to women calling him all the time, caving to his demands, begging to see him. Not the other way around. Oh, no. What was it with that woman? She was certainly different than any woman he’d ever met in his life, that was for sure.

  Antonio stood on the second level in the Imperial ballroom at his family’s estate. The room was two-tiered so he could stand above the main floor looking over at the guests while enjoying the sights and overseeing that everything was the way it should be.

  The first part of the evening had gone well so far. The night was still going to be long. And he had other things to attend to. Still, he would be handing out several prestigious scholarships later, then he would leave. He looked over to the far corner and saw that his grandfather was having a great time, dancing with his young fiancée. Antonio’s stomach clenched.

  Where was that woman?

  Was she trying to avoid him?

  Did Lucy think she was going to get out of his demands so easily? Antonio loved his grandfather, even though they didn’t always see eye-to-eye but he wasn’t about to lose him to some foolish, rushed, high-risk wedding to a young woman he barely knew. And Lucy Shillerton was going to make sure that didn’t happen. At this point he knew his grandfather would only listen to Lucy if she convinced him that he should hold off for now.