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“What is all of this?” Antonio asked as he scanned the area around him. Some of the decorating team had already begun the work on the garden for the upcoming wedding, getting the new gazebo reconstructed among other things.
“Have you met Lucy from the wedding agency?” Toni asked.
“Yes. We met last week.” Antonio’s voice was void of any emotion; his dark gaze was fixed on Lucy.
Lucy realized from staff at the estate that Antonio no longer resided there full-time but he had his home in the city, a penthouse in a luxury high-rise building that he owned, by the lake and would visit his elder periodically whenever business allowed.
And today had to be one of those days.
“Well, grandson, Lucy…along with her assistant, is just getting the setting for the wedding in place. She has her entire crew here and it looks as if we are going to pull this thing off, eh, pumpkin?” Toni then turned to Shelly and they smooched.
Lucy could see the queasiness on Antonio’s face. Then the look on his face turned to a scathing one directed towards Lucy. He narrowed his eyes and walked closely towards her. Lucy felt the penetrating heat of Antonio’s gaze and it was making her feel weak in the knees. But somehow she just didn’t feel threatened. It wasn’t a look of hate, it was something else. Perhaps annoyance that she dared disobey his command or the raw hurt that a lover gives to his love when she was about to do something cruel. But the difference was that Lucy and Antonio were nothing more than acquaintances.
“Why don’t we all walk back to the house?” Toni suggested as he and Shelly proceeded towards the main house from the helipad. The ground crew appeared on the scene and tended to the chopper. It must have been for maintenance, Lucy noted.
What a way to live.
As they traversed back on the well-kept grass, Antonio strolled with sophistication, his hands shoved in the pants pocket of his suit. His friend flanked him and Maxine walked closely beside Toni and Shelly as she held her iPad up chatting to them about locations on the estate for the ceremony.
“So, I see you’re following through on my orders very well,” Antonio said through clenched teeth.
“I can explain everything,” Lucy offered softly. Her voice trailed off and she wondered if Antonio even heard her. The others were busy talking so they seemed oblivious to the vibes between her and Antonio.
After having refreshments in one of the main dining quarters of the house, Antonio, who had been quiet through most of the meal, got up. “Grandfather, I would like to speak to Lucy alone in the study, if you don’t mind.”
“Oh, sure, Antonio. Is everything alright?”
“I have a few things to discuss with her. Things we’d spoken about last week.”
Maxine gave Lucy a peculiar look but his doting grandfather and his fiancée seemed unaware and carried on with their cuddling. “Very well. And Maxine?”
“Oh, I must be getting home.”
“But you don’t have a ride,” Lucy blurted out.
“We can have one of our drivers take her home. Or better yet, you can let her drive your car and I will take you home.”
“Sounds great!” Maxine enthused before Lucy could say anything.
Was it Lucy or was the heat climbing up in this place?
“Fine,” Lucy acquiesced. Great! Now she was at Antonio’s mercy and she had no other means to get home. But something told her Antonio wouldn’t leave her inconvenienced in any way. He seemed like too much of a gentleman to do so.
Lucy watched as Maxine departed the luxury living area and waved giving Lucy a salacious wink. Why that--!
It didn’t take Lucy long to realize that Maxine was thrilled she was leaving Lucy alone with Antonio. With the elder Romero gone to another part of the God-knows-how-large-this-place-was mansion, she was practically alone with Antonio, save for a few of the staff about the premises.
“After you,” Antonio offered as he directed Lucy down the tiled corridor. Artwork decorated the cream walls. She noted that the place had imported Italian molding top and bottom of the walls. It really seemed as if she were in some sort of museum. The place was quiet now, too.
They walked into the book-lined study. Lucy was in front of Antonio but when she spun her head around, she caught his salacious gaze that seemed to have fallen to her derriere. He didn’t even seem embarrassed when she caught him looking.
