The Billionaire's Second-Chance Bride(36)

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?