Read Online The Billionaire's Proposition (The Romero Brothers, Book 4) by Shadonna Richards - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Shadonna Richards
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Venus
prayed he would go along with it.
CHAPTER NINE
Carl drove Venus along the country road
from the waterfront to the main house in his convertible. He used the automatic
power button to close the roof top as night fell over
them. The evening breeze began to drop the temperature slightly. Venus felt the
temperature inside her body chill at the thought of only having Carl for just
one year. Then it would be all over. She tried desperately to squash the
thought from of her mind. Instead, she diverted her eyes to the sightseeing of
the grand Romero estate.
My
God! The Romeros own all of this?
Venus’s eyes drank in the massive land and
the green mounds of hills on the way to the manor passing by the grand vineyard
in the distance. The Romeros owned almost 20,000 acres of magnificent countryside
property including the gorgeous wrap-around land by the pristine lake that housed
several yachts at the dock. It was a popular waterside getaway—privately
owned. It was mind-blowing. Surreal. And…
Where on earth would she and Carl be living
while he ran the city—assuming he won the election?
“Carl, where will we live?” she blurted out.
“Here? At the manor?”
Carl tilted his head back slightly and
chuckled.
“Oh, no, beautiful,” he answered. “There’s
no way I would run a city from this place. Do you think the hard working
taxpayers would appreciate it?”
“No,” she agreed quietly. “You’re right. I
guess you think of everything.” She admired the way he planned ahead. He was so
right. It would send the wrong message—yet again. And that was the last
thing Carl would want to do in his run for mayor.
“Unfortunately, Venus, life isn’t always
simple,” Carl opined, steering the car towards the main road leading to the
house. “It’s not enough to do the
right thing. One must appear to be
doing the right thing in life, as Granddad said.”
She noticed his grin faded fast, his eyes
penetrated the dark roadway ahead of them.
“Of course,” she said quietly. Why did life
have to always be about appearances? Or keeping up appearances?
“I own a modest property near…” he
hesitated for a brief moment. She thought she saw raw pain clouding his eyes.
“Near the place where we grew up,” Carl said, continuing as they drove closer
to the manor. “It’s nice in a decent neighbourhood. Four
bedrooms, three bathrooms, detached, two-levels. I think it would be perfect
for us and we’ll be closer to the community I’m going to serve. It also has a
good size backyard where Tristan can play.”
Yes. It sounded perfect. Perfect for their impending
marriage of convenience.
Still, Venus admired him for his purpose
and intent on making a difference in the community. “You know that is so
commendable of you, Carl. Here you are, ensconced in so much luxury and yet you
don’t mind living modestly.”
“Money isn’t everything, Venus.”
“Says the man who has all the money in the
world,” she teased him.
His face melted into that sweet, boyish,
handsome grin again. God, he looked so charming, so adorable. And her lips
still tingled from the memory of their sweet, passionate kiss only a few
precious moments ago. Oh, she couldn’t wait to taste his lips again—and
so much more.
“Being content with who you are and what
you do and what you represent in life means a lot more,” he said, arching his
brow.
“So true.” Her voice trailed off. Was she
content with whom she really was? Her heart plummeted again inside her chest.
She wasn’t even up front with him about her past. She began to feel distressed
about her past and what she had become—her belief about being true to
herself was not in tune with her actions.
Venus was beginning to experience cognitive
dissonance. She detested the feeling. It was unbearable. Distressing. She hated
to deceive him. She hated that she could not be upfront about…her past. But it
didn’t matter now, did it? She was protecting him by
prayed he would go along with it.
CHAPTER NINE
Carl drove Venus along the country road
from the waterfront to the main house in his convertible. He used the automatic
power button to close the roof top as night fell over
them. The evening breeze began to drop the temperature slightly. Venus felt the
temperature inside her body chill at the thought of only having Carl for just
one year. Then it would be all over. She tried desperately to squash the
thought from of her mind. Instead, she diverted her eyes to the sightseeing of
the grand Romero estate.
My
God! The Romeros own all of this?
Venus’s eyes drank in the massive land and
the green mounds of hills on the way to the manor passing by the grand vineyard
in the distance. The Romeros owned almost 20,000 acres of magnificent countryside
property including the gorgeous wrap-around land by the pristine lake that housed
several yachts at the dock. It was a popular waterside getaway—privately
owned. It was mind-blowing. Surreal. And…
Where on earth would she and Carl be living
while he ran the city—assuming he won the election?
“Carl, where will we live?” she blurted out.
“Here? At the manor?”
Carl tilted his head back slightly and
chuckled.
“Oh, no, beautiful,” he answered. “There’s
no way I would run a city from this place. Do you think the hard working
taxpayers would appreciate it?”
“No,” she agreed quietly. “You’re right. I
guess you think of everything.” She admired the way he planned ahead. He was so
right. It would send the wrong message—yet again. And that was the last
thing Carl would want to do in his run for mayor.
“Unfortunately, Venus, life isn’t always
simple,” Carl opined, steering the car towards the main road leading to the
house. “It’s not enough to do the
right thing. One must appear to be
doing the right thing in life, as Granddad said.”
She noticed his grin faded fast, his eyes
penetrated the dark roadway ahead of them.
“Of course,” she said quietly. Why did life
have to always be about appearances? Or keeping up appearances?
“I own a modest property near…” he
hesitated for a brief moment. She thought she saw raw pain clouding his eyes.
“Near the place where we grew up,” Carl said, continuing as they drove closer
to the manor. “It’s nice in a decent neighbourhood. Four
bedrooms, three bathrooms, detached, two-levels. I think it would be perfect
for us and we’ll be closer to the community I’m going to serve. It also has a
good size backyard where Tristan can play.”
Yes. It sounded perfect. Perfect for their impending
marriage of convenience.
Still, Venus admired him for his purpose
and intent on making a difference in the community. “You know that is so
commendable of you, Carl. Here you are, ensconced in so much luxury and yet you
don’t mind living modestly.”
“Money isn’t everything, Venus.”
“Says the man who has all the money in the
world,” she teased him.
His face melted into that sweet, boyish,
handsome grin again. God, he looked so charming, so adorable. And her lips
still tingled from the memory of their sweet, passionate kiss only a few
precious moments ago. Oh, she couldn’t wait to taste his lips again—and
so much more.
“Being content with who you are and what
you do and what you represent in life means a lot more,” he said, arching his
brow.
“So true.” Her voice trailed off. Was she
content with whom she really was? Her heart plummeted again inside her chest.
She wasn’t even up front with him about her past. She began to feel distressed
about her past and what she had become—her belief about being true to
herself was not in tune with her actions.
Venus was beginning to experience cognitive
dissonance. She detested the feeling. It was unbearable. Distressing. She hated
to deceive him. She hated that she could not be upfront about…her past. But it
didn’t matter now, did it? She was protecting him by
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