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

by Shadonna Richards

  I can do this.

  It’s only a dance.

  Yeah, right. With the hottest bachelor she’d ever met in her life.

  Lucy met his gaze again, oblivious to the others in the ballroom. Heck, she couldn’t care less who was watching her. The most important person right now was Antonio. She felt the firmness of his hand on her back as he held her snug as if they’d been lovers.

  Oh, my!

  Soon they were both swaying and moving to the music as they slow danced to Lost in Your Eyes, which then broke out into a string quartet version.

  All Lucy could think about as he grinded his hard hips into hers was, this man can move! She had read somewhere that the way a man moves on the dance floor says a lot about how good he can move in the bedroom.

  Fire scorched through Lucy’s blood at the thought.

  This man is sex. He is the embodiment of sexiness.

  Antonio was an expert in his movements and in taking the lead. Thank heavens for that!

  He whispered in her ear on occasion and told her she was doing very well and how gorgeous she was.

  “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, inside and out.”

  Lucy was gushing inside, wavering with self-consciousness. Was he just saying that? Had it been the intoxicating atmosphere of the dance floor or did it come from the heart? Right then and there, she knew that she was also sedated from the music. Lucy felt pleasantly seduced by his soulful movements, his touch and his aura.

  But what about Monday night? He was all hot and heavy with her then and cooled off her like a slab of ice the next day.

  An adorable boyish grin touched the corner of his lips. Her palms were getting sweaty from her bungled nerves. Lucy had stopped breathing momentarily. She was only inches away from Antonio’s sweet lips. But she felt the solid hardness of his manhood pressing against her inner thigh as they grinded their hips vertically on the dance floor.

  If only I could taste your lips again. Oh, God! Kiss me, Antonio. Kiss me again. Please.

  His cologne tantalized her nostrils and she was dizzy with excitement. She was enjoying her first real slow dancing experience with Antonio.

  The image of Antonio releasing her from her ball gown and pressing his lips to her naked skin slipped inside her mind causing her heartbeat to escalate. It was a wonder she didn't have a heart attack from all the heart racing. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and re-opened them, hoping the image would vanish. She didn’t want it to, but she sure didn’t want to raise her hopes for nothing.

  Lucy didn’t know what had gotten into her but the urge to rest her head on his chest as they continued to dance was overpowering her. As if he could read her mind Antonio pulled her close and she nestled her head on his tuxedo.

  “I want you, Lucy,” he whispered in her ear. His breath was warm on her skin and she felt a light sensation.

  Lucy pulled her head away from him momentarily and gazed longingly into his dark eyes.

  “W-what?” Her voice was oddly hoarse. She could not believe what he just whispered to her. Was it her imagination or did he just say what she thought he said?

  “I need you, Lucy. I need you now.” His voice was raspy in her ears.

  The first silly thought that slid into her mind was, what type of lingerie am I wearing underneath my gown? She often didn’t wear sexy lace panties unless it was a special occasion. Thankfully, she did tonight and she breathed a sigh of relief.

  I want you, too.

  She could not tell him this and her startled gaze must have put him off.

  Great going on ruining the moment, Lucy.

  Once the music stopped, Antonio pulled away from her slightly and lifted her right hand to his lips and kissed the back of her hand so sophisticatedly. The feeling of ecstasy raced through her blood from the soft touch of his lips. She wanted him. She wanted Antonio now. Her body was begging for him to touch her body. The thought of him being inside her dominated her whole being and it was driving her crazy.

  “Thank you for this dance,” he had finished his moment of seduction. A grin curled the corner of his lips.

  What was he thinking? What was on his mind, Lucy wondered ferociously. Was Antonio trying to smooth-talk her into seeing things his way where his grandfather’s wedding was concerned? Was he playing a game with her? Or was she going crazy out of her mind?

  “May I escort you to your table?” he offered.

  “Um...I...I don’t really have a table.” Actually, she was sure that staff from Dream Weddings, Inc. was seated at table seventeen, come to think of it, but the words would not depart from her lips. She wanted to say, Take me anywhere you want to take me.

  As if he could read her mind, Antonio took her hand and guided her through the crowded ballroom dance floor and up the steps of the stairwell. They moved away from the noise of the gala event and walked through a cordoned off corridor leading towards the main house.

  “Where are we going?” she whispered, dizzy with anticipation and excitement. They walked through an area that reminded her of an art gallery with fancy paintings adorning the walls and a plush Persian rug cushioning their footsteps. It all seemed so surreal. She was with Antonio Romero. Alone. Lucy nervously clutched her purse in front of her as the bottom of her ball gown swept the floor while she hurried to keep up with Antonio.

  “Somewhere more quiet,” he murmured. She noticed Antonio’s eyes seductively traced her silhouette as he stole a sideways glance in her direction her as they walked.

  That nagging sense of inadequacy swept over Lucy. What was with her? Why was she suddenly nervous? She bit her lower lip anxiously. She wanted this. She had been fantasizing about being with Antonio for so long. She wanted him more than ever.

  But she felt so unprepared. It wasn’t as if she’d done this many times before. Oh, could she possibly live up to his standards? Whatever his standards were?

  Oh, to hell with it! She was going to be with him. She had already decided that the moment he gently eased her onto the dance floor and seduced her vertically.

  She just hoped, prayed that nothing would interrupt their closeness tonight.

  “Okay, everyone,” Mariam announced as she held the microphone to her lips. “We’re now going to have the next prize draw for those holding a lucky ticket.”

  The crowd gathered in her direction as she stood by the musical section and in front of the prize table.

  “Now, as you are all aware, when you received the invitation to the Diamond Ball and RSVP’d there was a number on the invite and you were notified that all invitees would be eligible to win a door prize.”

  The guests murmured excitedly. The music had already stopped so all attendees would be able to hear.

  “Now. The ticket stub I have here belongs to...” she fumbled with a card that she had pulled out of the glass draw box. She almost got her hand stuck in the opening. Many of the guests cheerfully prodded her on, eagerly anticipating winning one of the prestigious door prizes from the Diamond Ball. They were famous for giving away many luxurious gifts from a new sports model car, a newly built cottage, all-expense paid vacations and a grant of up to $50,000 to be used in a business venture startup, a scholarship to the university of the winner’s choice or cash! Many visitors attended for the prestige and excitement but the generosity of the Romeros was staggering compared with many other balls and charity functions. Oftentimes, Mariam thought the Romeros were far too generous and far too kind but she realized that it wasn’t her decision to make.

  “Well, let me see here,” Mariam hesitated. She paused for a moment and narrowed her eyes. She realized that all eyes were fixed on her and she quickly changed her expression. “Lucy Shillerton!”

  She heard a shout from the audience but it could not have been Lucy, could it? She thought she saw that girl leave with Antonio after the slow dance. Not that she was spying on or stalking them. It was just so obvious that she was making a fool of herself trying to seduce poor, unsuspecting Antonio
on the dance floor in the middle of the ball in front of all these elite girls.

  Mariam tasted bitterness in her mouth at the thought but stopped herself. She knew Lucy Shillerton would be trouble the moment she’d first met her.

  But still, Antonio’s a big boy, she consoled. Why surely, he could take care of himself from gold-digging opportunists? Why was Mariam worrying? She’d been around to protect his father and she would do anything she could to ensure that he didn’t get himself wrapped up with the wrong type of girl, much less distracted from the family business.

  Soon Mariam realized that the call out came from the girl who worked with Lucy at the agency. She’d been introduced to her earlier that evening as Maxine.

  Mariam’s eyes scanned the room and she raised the microphone to her lips again. “Lucy Shillerton. Lucy, are you here?”

  Everyone looked around and shrugged their shoulders.

  “Lucy. Shillerton. Are. You. Here?”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “It’s beautiful,” Lucy commented as Antonio led her into a spacious guest room on the ground floor of the west wing.

  “It’s okay,” Antonio murmured as he closed the French doors behind them.

  Finally. They were alone. At least for now.

  Lucy didn’t think she could breathe again. Her heart was pounding fiercely in her chest, the thrill of anticipating what was to come overpowered her.

  Breathe, Lucy. Breathe.

  Antonio looked even more ravishing in the dimly lit presidential-like suite. She quickly looked around, trying not fall into a trance from his penetrating gaze. “Nice. Do presidents come to stay here?”

  He grinned. “Presidents of companies. Yes.”

  “Oh.”

  “Can I get you anything?”

  Just you. “No. I’m good, thanks.”

  Antonio leaned in to Lucy and gently pulled her closer to him. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, Lucy,” he said, tilting her chin up slightly so that he could gaze into her eyes. He seemed to carefully survey her features and a grin of approval touched his eager lips.

  “You have?” she whispered.

  “Why does that surprise you?” he asked in a hoarse voice. “You’re a very beautiful woman, Lucy. Surely, you must know that deep inside. I realize that baggage of humility you like to carry with you can be overbearing but any man who doesn’t see how gorgeous you are has to have something seriously wrong with him.”

  Nervously, Lucy chuckled. If only Jeff could have heard that.

  “Who hurt you?” he said, his tone shifting dangerously cold. It was as if the warmth of the moment had chips of ice thrown in.

  “W-what makes you th-think someone’s hurt me?” she said breathless, close to his lips.

  He pulled away and his eyes searched her countenance. “I’m good at reading facial expression, Lucy. Even if someone tries to deceive me. I noticed a change in your eyes when I told you that a man has to have something seriously wrong with him to not appreciate you.”

  “It’s that obvious, huh?” Lucy nervously tried to brush it off.

  “What happened?”

  She really didn’t want to go into it with him. She felt as if she could trust him but she really didn’t know if she could open up about...that night. The night she found out she had been duped by her ex’s cheating behind.

  “It doesn’t matter. It’s over. Right now, I care about now.”

  “Fine. But eventually, I will know who did this to you.”

  “Who did what to me?”

  “Made you doubt yourself. Second guess yourself. The man who made you believe that you were not good enough for him or any man. I can see it in you, Lucy. Whoever it was that shattered your self-confidence isn't worth a damn!”

  “Thanks, Antonio but...It’s over. It really is.” She didn’t want to bring up what had happened to him then either.

  Antonio loosened his bow tie and unbuttoned his tux jacket as he paced the grand suite. She could see the outline of his muscular chest through his shirt. He must be ripped underneath all of that. She moved over to the bed and sat down.

  Over to the side she admired the marble fireplace. It gave the room a cozy appeal. She also noted that there was a seating section with two recliners facing each other by the fireplace and by the far left a maple door opened up to what appeared to be a gorgeous en suite bathroom.

  She was even stunned to see a tiny bar area in the room and a mini fridge. It was as if this was a VIP hotel suite rather than a private room in a massive mansion. She guessed the Romeros thought of everything.

  So this is how the other side lives. Nice!

  She peeked at the shiny marbled floor inside it and a viny green plant. God, this was beautiful. Lucy felt so out of her element. Not even the finest hotel suites she’d seen on her business travels came close to this room. In fact, this entire suite could house her studio apartment.

  The ceiling-to-floor windows in the bedroom were eloquently covered with plush drapes and another prestigious painting hung over the wall by the fireplace. The bed was the biggest she’d ever seen. It was a four-poster bed and must have been larger than king sized. But looking at Antonio, it wasn’t surprising that he’d chosen a large bed even if it was for guests. Perhaps he’d spent some time in there, too, when he didn’t feel like going up to his own room or to his penthouse. Heck, he could really have any room in the mansion, couldn’t he?

  An uneasy thought plowed through Lucy’s brain. Was she the first woman he’d taken there? Were there others before her who enjoyed being pleasured in this room by Antonio?

  She immediately squashed the thought from her mind. She didn’t want to ruin the moment with insecure thoughts of what might have been. She was going to live in the present and enjoy the gift of the moment.

  Antonio had gone into the bathroom to splash his face with water before drying it with a towel. For a moment he paused over the sink as if his mind was darkly preoccupied. Outside the room, a heaviness settled over Lucy’s mind. Had he changed his mind about her? Oh, God! She hoped not. He then came back out as if nothing had bothered him. His mood seemed to mellow slightly.

  Antonio reached over to the table and grabbed a remote control and pointed it at a set of speakers. The iPod system in the room played a seductive soulful ballad called “Tonight is Right” by Keith Washington. Oh, talk about setting the mood.

  Antonio made his way over to the fridge and scooped up what seemed to be a tiny piece of ice from the freezer and slid it inside his mouth.

  What was he doing?

  “Come here,” he whispered throatily as he snaked his strong arm around her waist when she complied. Electricity pulsed from his touch to her body.

  Oh, Antonio.

  The thought of being with Antonio set her afire. A sense of urgency and want surged inside her. She ran her hand up his strong, hard, muscled biceps. She could tell he was fit under his suit. She melted under the heat of his seductive gaze. Those dark, beautiful eyes of his. Antonio was dripping with charm and sexiness. As she pressed her body to his, she felt the hardness of his erection behind his zipper. His manly cologne drove her crazy. The way he made her body feel was intoxicating. Could she really do this? Would she have the strength to consummate their affair?

  Hot!

  She was ablaze and needed him now like she needed air to breathe.

  “Oh, Antonio,” she murmured breathless as he lowered his head to hers.

  When Lucy parted her lips and arched her neck, Antonio slowly pressed his soft, hot lips to her neck and erotically sucked on her flesh before kissing the area. His lips caressed the nape of her neck sending shivers of delight down her spine. He then moved his mouth to her lips and slid his tongue inside.

  Oh. My. God!

  So that was what he had in mind putting ice chips in his mouth. Lucy felt the heady sensation of the melted ice in his mouth. The stimulation of the chill on her body sent her senses rocketing.

  Antonio really knew how
to set a woman on fire. Lucy never experienced such a dizzying sensation before. He kissed her in more places than one. His lips trailed to the sensitive part of her neck and down her arm to her inner elbow and her pulse jumped! Her body trembled with an uncontrollable want. She tingled and throbbed between her legs by his sensational erotic foreplay.

  Oh, Antonio was so good with his sexually powerful lips. His cologne also had a soothing effect on her.

  He sucked on her lower lip then slid his tongue inside her parted lips. Antonio’s lips tasted of sweet red wine. His tongue of delicious mint. Fresh and clean.

  Lucy’s breathing became labored. She’d never desired a man as much as she desired Antonio. She thought she was going to go crazy out of her mind if he didn’t get intimate with her. Her head was spinning out of control. They were alone. In a romantic bedroom. Just the two of them.

  Oh, my God!

  Meanwhile back in the ballroom Mariam was growing frustrated. "Okay, I'm going to make one more announcement and if no one comes forward, we'll move on to the next prize. Lucy Shillerton, are you here? Please come immediately to the podium to see what you have won. Lucy Shillerton?"

  She pressed her lips together as she glanced around the ballroom. “Very well. We’ll have to move on to the next prize.”

  Mariam thought it odd that Lucy would suddenly disappear and there was no sign of Antonio either. But she was not about to let that go so easily.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  The anticipation of what was to come made Lucy dizzy with desire. She was overwhelmed. Secretly, she wondered if she was okay underneath her garment. Was everything in place? Should she hold her tummy in when he stripped off her gown? Thank God, she was wearing her sexiest, most expensive undergarments.

  Antonio’s erotic touch sent Lucy’s pulses racing. Spinning out of control. He continued to pleasure her with the expert touch of his soft lips and expert twirl of his tongue. It gave French kissing a delightful new meaning.

  “God, you have no idea what you do to me, Lucy,” he moaned into her neck, breathing hard as he sucked on her soft skin. Blood pumped hard to her inner thighs.

  Lucy’s pulse roared in her ears. She groaned from the erotic pleasure. She felt a cool draft at her back realizing that somehow he smoothly unzipped her dress leaving her exposed. How did he do that so fast? He was slick with his hands, she noted. Lucy’s heart pumped hard and fast. Before long her emerald green ball gown was heaped on the floor at her feet. She stepped out of her dress and Antonio pulled her onto the silk bedspread. There, he was on top of her. His fully-loaded kiss made her forget her name or who she was and where she was. She felt as if she would faint from the pleasure to which her body was treated.