by Brenda Ford
Over everyone’s heads, I look at Wesley, the man of my dreams, and I smile lovingly at him. He shouldn’t be the man of my dreams, he definitely isn’t the person I imagined marrying when I was younger, but he is made for me just as I am him. My suited, straight laced man who does what he can to make me happy.
“Wow,” he mouths as soon as I’m close enough to him. “You look beautiful.”
I giggle girlishly, feeling a heat creeping up through my cheeks as I take in the compliment. Once Brad is close enough to Wesley to let go of me, I take my fiancé’s hands instead. Brad heads behind Wesley to take his next role on as best man, along with all the other Smith brothers, which I think is something that they have probably all done, and we get ready for the minister to start with the vows.
“You look incredible yourself,” I tell Wesley seriously. “You’re making my heart race.”
“I want to kiss you, but I think I have to wait until I’m told to.”
“Since when have we ever followed the rule?”
I give him a wink before rising up on to my tip toes to kiss him ever so gently. This is the last kiss that we will ever share as just partners rather than husband and wife, so I want to make the most of it. I hook my hand around the back of his next and really savor every moment of his lips.
“I love you,” I whisper as I pull back. “And I can’t wait to be your wife.”
“I love you too. You have no idea how much. Now, shall we start on with our wedding?”
I nod, excited for our happy ever after. Because this isn’t the end of the story for me and Wesley, this is just the beginning. Our love and our family are going to grow every single day, our passion, our fun, our enjoyment of one another… the next page will begin tomorrow when we go on our honeymoon, then the rest of our lives lay ahead of us.
I absolutely cannot wait.
I hope you enjoyed reading Men In Control - The Smith Brothers Series. If you love Fake Marriage and Second Chance romance, keep reading for an excerpt from my Amazon Hot seller, The Marriage Plan.
Excerpt
A pretend marriage with a seductive ex-SEAL,
A plan to escape from a dangerous past,
The thrill of lust and …love,
And an intense dilemma that collides my two worlds –
The haunting past with me being a pawn in my father’s hands,
And a possibly rosy future with a sensual but hot blooded man.
Well, that practically sums up my life!
I hope I can figure it out before it’s too late.
They’re coming.
Rose
I know why they call it the City of Lights.
Everything shines in Las Vegas. As I hand out the drinks at my father’s casino in my skimpy little outfit, I get another migraine from all the flashing, shining machines and the constant chink sound of levers being pulled and the occasional crash of coins hitting the payout bar.
There are a thousand different tunes playing from all the slot, fruit, and spin-to-win machines. Hundreds of mindless faces stare numbly at the screens, robotically piling in nickel after nickel in the hope of winning a dollar.
At the back of the casino are the dealer tables where the bigshots can play for large sums. I make sure to keep them supplied with a constant flow of drinks to help ease the pain of big losses. Some of them lose thousands in one night; some of them lose hundreds of thousands.
Blackjack, poker, and craps always attract a big crowd, and so does the roulette wheel; I think it’s the thrill of a game of pure luck.
Tonight’s a Saturday night, so it’s about as busy as we get. The place is filled with local Vegas gamblers as well as tourists from around the world. I can hear a British woman nagging her husband to get off the slots machine in one ear and a Japanese businessman shrieking with joy in the other. There is a constant background chatter.
Across the floor, my brother, Silvio, is on patrol. He’s the casino head of security and love to play the part by wearing all black and speaking into a radio clipped to his chest. Half the time, I don’t believe there’s even anyone on the other end; I think he just likes the way it looks.
Not that the security team is anything to scoff at. My father only employs the best—ex-SEAL, marines, bodyguards to the highest-profile names in Vegas and beyond. There is one security officer in particular that I always make time for.
Darren. He’s the sexiest damn man alive. He has the physique of a Greek hero and the eyes of Don Juan. He’s got the smoldering gaze down to an art. Often I’ll catch him looking at me from across the casino, and when I catch his eye, he’ll give a smile that makes me weak at the knees.
My fellow waitress, Natalie, appears beside me and rolls her eyes when she sees who I’m staring at.
“Jesus, Rose, you couldn’t make it any more obvious if you tried. You’re undressing him with your eyes, biting down on your lip and everything. I’m just waiting for the porno music to start blaring — bow-chicka-wow-wow.”
I laugh. “He’s just as blatant.”
“Yes, and he should be careful. One of these days Silvio will catch on to him looking at you like that.”
“Silvio doesn’t know what flirting looks like. The only things that turn him on are army boots and military-grade radios.”
“And his gun. Don’t forget about that.”
“He has a license for it.”
“Still, he’s got a bit of a temper on him. I’d be careful with how you flutter your eyes at Darren.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Silvio’s not going to shoot him.”
“I don’t know. Silvio’s the jealous type.”
“Jealous? That’s sick, Nat. He’s my brother.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. Ew.”
I let out a wistful sigh. “It’s not Silvio I’d worry about anyway. It’s my Papà. You know how he gets about who I date.”
“Urgh. I know. I think it’s weird.”
“He’s just worried about me. Our family is worth a lot of money. He’s worried someone’s going to take advantage of that. He wants me to be with someone he knows can be trusted; someone who’ll protect me.”
“Well, I’ve seen the types of people your dad trusts and they all look like old furniture salesmen with cardiac issues.”
“You’re right. My Papà’s friends definitely all share a certain aesthetic.”
“The Godfather aesthetic. And your father’s the worst of them. No man his age should be wearing leather. He looks like an ex-biker who wandered out the nursing home.”
“Natalie!” Rose giggled. “You can’t say things like that. You’ll end up getting overheard one of these days and being booted. Not to mention that’s my Papà you’re talking about.”
“You’re saying he doesn’t look like a T-Bird reject?”
“You’ve made that reference before.”
“He’s no John Travolta.”
“Ssh, Nat! Seriously, you’ve got to keep your voice down around here. You know the walls have ears.”
“If I have to keep my voice down then you’ve got to stop staring at Darren like a thirsty puppy with its tongue hanging out.”
“Alright, alright. Point taken.”
“You should make sure Darren gets the memo, too.” She nods towards him pointedly. “You’re not the only one who needs a lesson in subtlety.”
My father’s house is beyond belief. He’s not the sort of man who is discreet with his wealth. It’s no misnomer to say that the place is a mansion. It rests just outside the city at the head of a street all its own — my father says the city planner is a ‘friend’, whatever that means. It means he sits higher than all the other properties, in one of the biggest residences in Las Vegas.
The driveway is almost half a mile long. I drive up it slowly in the classic Cadillac that my father bought me for my twenty-first birthday. He keeps trying to buy me another, saying it’s dangerous to drive the same car for eight years, but I keep refusing. Natalie would never let me live i
t down if I let him. Working alongside her has definitely brought me down to earth a bit after an admittedly lavish upbringing.
The entrance to Casa di Russo is an architectural triumph reminiscent of old Italia gothic cathedrals. The front entrance is a narrow, arched doorway two-stories tall, flocked by a pair of grand, ornately carved pillars. The mansion that rests behind is made of white limestone to resist the desert heat, as large and awe-inspiring as the White House itself.
I park on the huge gravel driveway under one of the rows of immaculately kept palm trees and nod in greeting to the well-dressed doorman who always stands at the front entrance. I’ve never questioned why my father guards his house with an armed guard—not to mention the two goons that patrol the place at night.
He’s always told me that fortune makes a target of a man and that someone as wealthy as him has to watch his back. I’ve always readily accepted his explanation; I don’t want to think there might be any other reasons he’d be so expectant of some kind of assault all the time.
Julio, the doorman who is always remarkably polite for a figure so suspicious, steps back to let me in.
“Signor Russo is not yet home,” he tells me. His Italian accent is thick, putting me to shame for my own completely American one despite my Latin roots. “Please go inside, Signorina Russo. I will inform him of your arrival when he gets here.”
“Thank you, Julio.”
I always feel uncomfortable entering my Father’s mansion. I feel like I’m under surveillance by more eyes that I can see; a feeling which is not helped by the presence of countless security cameras around the property.
When I was a little girl, I used to test the theory by burying my ‘treasures’ somewhere in the garden and then coming back in the night to see if they’d been stolen. My reasoning was that if someone had seen me bury the treasure, then they’d surely steal it when I wasn’t watching.
Looking back, I’m thinking my plastic Barbie watch probably was not the valuable item I believed it was.
I enter through the foyer and turn right into the main reception. My heels against the marble create a loud echo that reverberates beneath the high ceilings. I look up at the chandeliers—every one lit even though nobody is home—and marvel at the fact I used to ever think all this was so normal.
I’ve not long sat down on one of the luxury white leather sofas when my father enters.
“I’m sorry I’m late, Cara,” he says. “There was a problem at the casino.”
He hasn’t entered the room to greet me and I know why. He’s bleeding above his left eye; a sure sign that he’s been up to no good.
“What happened, Papà?”
“Just an old man who loses his balance from time to time. Nothing to worry about, Tesoro. Let me get out of this stuffy suit and we’ll eat.”
I hold my tongue and reluctantly stay in my seat. My heart is pounding and I don’t know why; it’s simply this innate sense of danger I often feel when my father is hiding something from me.
Perhaps I would push him if not for the fact I’d rather not know. With a mother that died young, I was definitely a Daddy’s Girl. If I were to dig too deep, my horror might mean I could never look at him the same way again.
I’m not ready to be alone in this world.
Ten minutes later, we were in the dining room. Although there was a monstrous long oak table, I purposefully sat at my father’s right-hand side. He was freshly showered and smelled of spicy shampoo and cologne; the same brand he’d used his whole life.
His jet-black hair was still wet from washing and was slicked back, giving him that classic Italian look. He was wearing a light blue shirt with the top two buttons undone and white chinos. I smiled.
“What are you smiling about, Tesoro?”
“Nothing. I just had a flashback of Barbados. How many years ago was that now?”
“A long time. You were only fifteen.”
I let out a nostalgic sigh, leaning forward on the table with a little smile playing on my face. “That was the last time we all went away together. You, me, Silvio. I remember how you used to barbeque for us every night—sea bass and chorizo—and then we’d play cards by the pool until it was dark. You wore an outfit just like this.”
“I assure you it’s not the same one.” He patted his stomach with a chuckle. “I’ve put on a few pounds since then.”
“I miss those days.”
“Me, too. You were such a sweet child.”
“I’m not still sweet?” I smile teasingly.
“I see you waitressing in that short skirt with grown men staring and I wonder where my little Rosie went. You’ve grown into a stunning woman.”
“I hope this isn’t leading into another lecture about finding a good man.”
He tapped the side of his nose with a sly smile. “Your Papà will make sure you find your Prince Charming.”
“Perhaps you could direct all this energy into finding someone for Silvio instead?” I pull a face. “He’s become so serious lately. He’s far too into the security fantasy. He’s starting to think he’s Rambo.”
My father’s in-house cook and housekeeper, Maria, brings out a seafood salad, bread and oil, and red wine.
He pours me a glass with a sage smile. “Silvio is not a family man. He’s destined to be a businessman.”
“He needs someone sweet to come home to. Someone to soften up those rough edges.”
“A casino man needs rough edges, Rose. You put up with a lot of angry people in this business.”
My gaze shoots to the cut above his eye.
“You can’t tell me that the love of a good woman wouldn’t do him the world of good?”
My Papà laughs. “Perhaps you’re right, Cara. But then again, you always wanted me to remarry. You’ve got Italian blood in you after all; you were always bound to become a passionate woman.”
“We should go there sometime.”
“Italy?”
“Yes. It’s been so many years. I’m losing touch.”
“For certain, we will.”
“My Italian has an American twang now. Have you noticed?”
He chuckled. “I brought you here for a different lifestyle.” He gestured around him, wine glass still in hand. “I didn’t fail, did I? Italian, American...it doesn’t matter. My girl wants for nothing.” He leaned forward and raised an eyebrow. “Except a new car, maybe?”
“Papà!” I laugh. “I’m a grown woman. I have to pay my own way now. Besides, Natalie—you know, who serves with me—she had to save up for two years for her beat-up Ford. She’d want to hit me if I rolled up in something even more glamorous than the Cadillac.”
“I’m pleased you’re mixing with such down-to-earth people.” He smiled with approval. “I had to learn the value of money the hard way. I was brought up by my bootstraps.”
I try to refrain from letting any expression of boredom show on my face. I’ve heard this story a thousand times.
“My mother raised six of us on her own. Lost two of them to illness young, and a third to drink. Another one’s in prison. It was tough.”
“I know, Papà.”
“And my father? Never saw him. He didn’t give her a single lira for one of us, and she was faithful to him her whole life—even after he vanished. Then they came and took the farm from us. She died penniless in a hut in the mountains. I always promised I would earn a good living and take care of the siblings that remain.” He raised his chin proudly. “And so I did. Well, the one who didn’t die or go to prison. Donnie got an Ivy League education and a house in Beverley Hills.”
“And yet you haven’t seen Uncle Don in years!”
“You know what always brings family together?” He winks. “A wedding.”
“Got to find a groom first, Papà.”
He nods. “I hope you’re not going after any of the gamblers. They pay for all this because they’re good at one thing: losing. Don’t you marry any loser now, my girl.”
“I’m not going after
the patrons. And, since I’m at the casino most of the time, that means I’m not going after anyone.”
“Good girl. You always were smart.” He pats my hand with a kindly smile. “Your time will come. Trust me.”
Darren
I work seven days a week but I get four mornings to myself. The weekends are when Vegas really hits its stride and the casinos get full of wasted men on stag dos, drunks, and habit gamblers who don’t know when to stop. That’s when trouble kicks off.
But on the four mornings I get to myself, I always follow the same routine. Breakfast—two sausages, two eggs, and a slice of black pudding washed down with two cups of coffee and a glass of orange juice. I watch an hour of the morning’s news. Then I hit the gym.
I arrive just after ten. Back when I was in the army, drills started at 05:00am. I feel slovenly getting there at this time but it lets me miss the morning yoga moms, students and ‘bros’. I also get to meet up with Jake, my oldest friend.
“Hey man, thought you weren’t coming.” He grins at me from the workout bench where he’s curling iron. “Not getting soft on me now, are you?”
“Just getting too used to these lie-ins.”
“Pfft. Wouldn’t get away with it in my job.”
Although we had never served together, Jake had been a marine around the same time I’d been a SEAL. We’d been friends since long before either of us ever joined the service and in recent years we’d reconnected. It was good to have a buddy to share battle stories with; the experiences normal folk just couldn’t understand.
“Construction’s not that bad.”
“Getting up at the crack of dawn to tear up foundations? Using your brawn to haul debris?” He flexed his bicep. “It takes more than standing around the fruit machines.”
“Until some guy blows ten grand he doesn’t have. Then you know about it.”
“Is that why you keep coming to the gym? So you can man-handle those gamblers?”
“You here so you’ve got the wrist strength to drive a forklift?”
