The Billionaire's Second-Chance Bride (The Romero Brothers, #1) (16 page)

“I guess I deserve that,” he said moving closer to her. He seemed so much better looking than she had remembered but there was a five o’clock bad-boy shadow that gave him edge she’d never seen him sporting before.

“I should have called you before today.” A grin touched the corner of his lips as he stood before her. His voice, low and deep.

“Should have called me?” Lucy could barely contain herself. “You left me that stupid email breaking up with me a month ago... I don’t even think we should talk right now. I...I have a wedding to arrange.”

“I’m sorry about the email, but I fired Mariam.”

“What? What? What are you talking about, Antonio?” Lucy’s head was spinning. None of it made sense. “What on earth does Mariam have to do with any of this?”

“It was she who sent you that breakup email from my account. As my personal assistant she had access to send messages on my behalf. Unfortunately, I didn’t know until your friend Maxine contacted me recently. Apparently you shared that information with her about the message.”

Lucy froze.

She was speechless.

So it
was
Mariam who was the culprit.

She squeezed her eyes shut then re-opened them. Disbelief clouded her mind. Why would Mariam go through so much trouble to ruin their relationship? How evil was that?

“I should have fired her a long time ago. She was lucky that was the only legal action I was taking with her. But that’s another matter. How have you been?” His voice was low, seductive and sincere and brought that familiar shiver of delight down her spine.

She’d missed him. She missed the way he touched her. The way he had made her feel in the past.

“Oh, Antonio. I...I don’t know what to say. I guess I should have verified the information. I guess-”

“You should know that I’m a man of class and taste. I would never send such a despicable message.”

She giggled. “By email or by electronic mail?” she said raising a brow to humor him.

He grinned.

Antonio then reached over to bring her body closer to him and he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. “I’ve missed you, Lucy. I’ve spent every waking moment thinking about you.”

“Then why didn’t you even call me?”

“Because, my dear, I didn’t want to bring this up but Mariam is good in an evil sort of way.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“She sent me an email on your behalf as well,” he growled.

“But she doesn’t have access to my account.”

“She hired someone to hack into it. That’s why I said I could have taken legal action but I decided that she suffered enough when she was plagued by a mild seizure shortly after I caught on to what she was doing. It was then I had realized she played both of us. But I don’t want to waste any more of our time speaking of someone who’s not worth a second of our time. I need you, Lucy. I need you in my life.”

Lucy glanced down not sure of what to say or how to reply. Heat flared up to her cheeks. She was so torn and confused. Would she end up being hurt again as she was demolished by Jeff? Would Antonio be different? Was she fooling herself by trusting him again? Could Antonio really be the one?

Lucy shot Antonio a wicked grin. “You should have known I would never write such a lame email.”

He chuckled.

“Listen, about your grandfather...”

“He’s recovered. Doc says he still has to take it easy.”

“So the wedding is off then?”

“Actually,” Antonio said, leaning into the breast jacket of his suit. “He told me to give you this when I see you.”

“What is it?” Lucy reached to take a card from him.

“A thank you card.”

Lucy opened the card and covered her mouth with her hand, stunned. A picture of Toni and Shelly, at what looked to be the registry office, both dressed in Fun Bird themed outfits. She fought to stifle a giggle. “It’s beautiful. I’m so happy for them.”

“They thought it best to keep it simple, given his...condition.”

“Are you okay with them...getting married?”

“I have to be. As you said, it’s their life, not mine,” he murmured, gazing into her eyes. He brushed his long finger on her cheek and Lucy shivered. Butterflies tickled her belly.

Then a loud yip from the nearby tree startled Lucy.

She turned her head and saw a gangly puppy tangled in a decoration of one of the trees. He was caught on a branch. “How on earth did he get there?” Lucy asked, dropping her clipboard and making her way over. Antonio followed closely and stood and watched her take hold of the brown, fluffy, four-legged beast.

“He’s so adorable,” she cooed and stroked his fur. “Where did you come from, sweetie?” Lucy paused.

There was a festive satin emerald green bow around its neck. Emerald green was one of her favorite colors. And Antonio’s too, she had learned.

She saw a little box tied to the chain part of the bow. Her heartbeat pounded in her throat. She opened the box and there was a folded card.

LUCY,

WILL YOU MARRY ME?

XX ANTONIO

Lucy almost collapsed into Antonio’s arms. “What?” She was breathless.

“I believe the answer should be yes or no, Lucy. Not
what
?”

Lucy giggled and snaked her arms around Antonio’s neck. She squealed with excitement!

“Yes. Yes.” She hunched her shoulders and gushed, “Yes!”

“Good. I love you, Lucy. I love you more than I love anything in this world. I hate to sound cliché, but you complete me. You mean the world to me.”

Lucy was overcome with emotion and tears of joy welled her eyes. “I love you so much, Antonio. You...you mean the universe and then some to me.”

Antonio gave her a grin of approval and got down on bended knee to complete the proposal. Lucy’s heart fluttered. Waves of happiness coursed through her blood. She was overcome and overwhelmed with pure unadulterated joy!

This was what it felt like to be in heaven, Lucy was sure.

She was breathing hard and fast now.

“Take it slow there, future wife. I need you to be around for a long time.”

Lucy tried to calm herself. This was all too much. Was she dreaming? Should she pinch herself?

“Sorry for the deception, by the way.”

“What deception?” she asked him after he placed the most gorgeous diamond wedding ring she’d ever seen on her finger. She didn’t even know a rock could be cut so huge and sit on a woman’s finger. The ring certainly must have added to her weight by just wearing it.

But it wasn’t the size of the ring.

It was about the size of Antonio’s heart. And his love for her was huge!

There she was doubting him all this time and he had this elaborate staging of events to get her to marry him.

“So you had all this planned?” she clarified.

“Of course. Well, some of it. This little fella here,” he said snuggling the spirited pooch, “was a gift to you from Shelly. So, I thought I’d bring him along.”

Lucy gushed. She looked lovingly from Antonio to the puppy and back to Antonio as she weaved her arm through his while they walked on the grass towards the parking area.

“This is one of the properties we own. I figured you wouldn’t know about it.”

“So the Smithsons...?”

“Sorry, those guys are great. They are married by the way and they were up to having a second ceremony if you had said no to my proposal,” he grinned, arching his sexy brow.

Lucy flushed sheepishly. “And you planned all this with Maxine, right?” Lucy grinned and shook her head. She thought no one really cared about her but Antonio cared. Maxine cared. She wasn’t alone.

“Pretty much.”

“You know I owe her a lot,” Lucy quipped.

“Don’t worry, we’ll make it up to her.” He flashed his boyish smile.

We’ll make it up to her.

Yes, Lucy loved the sound of “we.” Togetherness. Two souls in one. Yes, Maxine certainly deserved some honor in all of this. Lucy was glad she was handing over the agency to her. This was the ultimate planned wedding.

She had been betrayed by Mr. Wrong in her past but now she was with Mr. Right. And nothing could be more fulfilling.

“So I ended up planning my own wedding?”

“And what’s so wrong about that?”

“Nothing, except...when is the ceremony? The invitations have to go out.”

“Done. Maxine and I took care of all that, Lucy. You needn’t worry about a thing.”

“I’m speechless. So I got engaged and will get married in the same day? What about my gown?”

“Hey, people are doing it these days. Nothing wrong with that. Why waste time and headache with all that long-term planning? Besides, you already laid the groundwork. Maxine told me about the do-it-yourself wedding booth at the convention. And your gown was fitted when you tried on that dress at the same booth.”

“Maxine!” Lucy grinned, shaking her head.

“I thought it was a great idea. So she showed me the email and we took it from there making sure that you planned the Smithsons wedding how you would want your own wedding since they were leaving it up to you to design.”

“Thanks!” A warm feeling nestled in her heart.

“I’m in love with you, Antonio.”

“I love you, too, Lucy. I don’t know how I would manage to spend another day without you.”

When they arrived at their cars, Antonio firmly kissed Lucy and the puppy he had cradled in his arms planted a sloppy, wet one on her chin.

She laughed. “I think he’s trying to tell us something. Here, let me hold my little guy.” She carefully took the pup into her arms and cuddled him. “He’s so adorable. Maybe he could be the ring bearer.”

“I think that might be pressing it. He may run off with the wedding bands,” Antonio teased.

“No. We can’t have that now, can we?”

Later that evening...

The garden looked picture perfect.

The flowers decorated it in such an enchanted way that Lucy felt as if she was the princess from a castle wedding at sunset. The sky was turning a purple orangey hue. It was breathtaking. The blooms smelled of sweet perfume and filled the air with their fresh aroma.

Lucy walked down the aisle to the soft, sensuous ballad “Evergreen” by Barbra Streisand. It was perfect given the floral setting.

And what a sweet ambiance!

Though the day was turning to night, the trees all had the warm glow of the lights in the fairy lights that decorated them. Then the aisle was gorgeously lit with tea lights in safe glasses glowing in a warm orange. Gold and cream were the colors for the ceremony with a touch of emerald green.

What gave it its breathtaking ambiance was the fact that the four-place round tables on the property had lanterns underneath the tablecloths to give off the sensation of orange balls of sun glowing beneath the evening sky.

Beautiful.

Lucy wore a white, full length, Cinderella wedding gown with a plunging neckline that accentuated her body as her emerald green gown did the day she first danced with Antonio. She was choked by emotion over her small, close-knit guest list. Her good friends.

Maxine sat near the front since Lucy decided not to have any bridesmaids. She noticed Maxine eyeing Antonio’s cousin Lucas who was seated near to her. Lucy grinned. Then there was Toni, Antonio and Lucas’s grandfather who sat in a wheelchair alongside his new bride, Shelly. Darla, from the office, and Mr. Petri and others watched Lucy with loving eyes as she made her way down the aisle.

Antonio, of course, was stunning!

There was something so desirable about a groom in a white, crisp, shiny tux.

Breathtaking.

And he was all hers.

Proudly, she embraced with him when she reached the altar. The minister was in place and the ceremony commenced.

Moments later...

“I do,” Lucy answered, raw emotion controlling her voice.

“I now pronounce you...husband and wife,” was all she remembered hearing before Antonio leaned down and swept her in his strong arms. He bestowed on Lucy the sweetest, most sensual kiss. She thought she would forfeit her breath.

The cheers from the guests and the yapping from Sugar, their new puppy, brought the celebrations together in a spectacular way.

Confetti glinted as it danced through the evening air. And the party began.

And Lucy and Antonio would begin their happily ever after...together.

––––––––

E
PILOGUE

Two hours later...

Besides the occasional influenza bug, Maxine rarely caught anything. But tonight, she caught the gorgeous bouquet of flowers from her friend and former boss, Lucy! She also caught the attention of Antonio’s sexy as hell playboy cousin, Lucas.

“Beautiful!” Lucas grinned as he gave Maxine a salacious glance. Maxine was playing with the flower petals of the bouquet when he approached her at one of the tables on the lawn.

Of course, he was dangling the lace garter that his cousin Antonio pulled off his new bride using his teeth. That was quite a hot sight to see.

Did sexiness run in the family? It certainly looked like it. Lucas had a few glasses of wine and seemed quite mellow tonight.

The music was blazing from the speakers in the dimly lit garden reception. The night was fresh and crisp. And Lucas was, well...fresh!

“Thanks, Lucas!” Maxine said, flushing. Lucas was not her type. He was a player. Period. She saw the way he flirted with every other girl at the Diamond Ball a couple of months ago. Why surely, he didn’t think
she
was some fly-by-night girl, did he?

Lucas?

Lucas caught the garter?

Good grief!

Marriage material, he was not!

“Would you like to dance?” he said in a deep, smooth voice as if to challenge her to say no. It was more of a statement than a question.

Oh, God, there was the flirtatious thing going on again.

Hell no! Players are just not my type.

She’d heard too much about Lucas’s reputation with the women. He was smooth as warm caramel and could be just as sweet with his mouth.

Maxine felt terrible having thought that. What harm could one dance possibly do? It wasn’t as if he’d asked her to go to his private yacht or anything like that. Heck, it was her good friend’s wedding. People dance at weddings. Nothing wrong with that.