A Bride for the Billionaire Bad Boy (The Romero Brothers, Book 2) (16 page)

EPILOGUE

A week
later…

“Well, look at the new addition to the Romero
family,” Toni beamed as he
cradled
 
his
great-grandson in his arms.
The family had gathered in the family room at Romero Mansion for the joyous
occasion.
 
“You’re a god-send and a
blessing, do you know that? I’m going to name you Alexander,” he cooed to the
little newborn
who
’d arrived in the morning from the
hospital.

“Grandfather,” Antonio chuckled. “You can’t
just name him. Lucy and I haven’t decided on a name yet."

“Oh, now. I’m only joking. But really, you two
need to hurry up and give this little guy a name or else.”

“Understood, sir.”

“And as for you two,” Toni said as he turned to
Lucas and Maxine. “You already denied me the pleasure of seeing you get
married. The least you can do now is hurry up and give little Romero here a
cousin to play with.”

“Now, Granddad, I already told you. We just
happened to be in Vegas on a getaway and got caught up in the excitement. We’ll
have a big reception here. We promise.” Maxine was gushing as she held her
husband’s arm by the fireplace. They gazed lovingly in each other’s eyes. “I
just didn’t want to delay sealing our relationship anymore.”

Maxine blushed. “Thank you for that kind
message you placed in the papers this morning, Toni,” Maxine chimed in.

“Well, I mean it. You’re welcome, Maxine, and
welcome again to the family. This is cause for a celebration!” Toni beamed. He
called out to the butler who came in promptly. “Please arrange for the barbecue
and break out the champagne.”

“Yes, sir,” the butler complied happily.

“Two new members to the Romero family.”

“And you’ll be next, right, bro?” Lucas turned
to Zack and gave him a nudge in the arm.

“I don’t think so, bro!” Zack shot back.
“Seriously. Good for you and Antonio but me and marriage are like fire and ice.
No offense, guys.”

Lucas grinned.

“Never say never,” Toni cautioned.

“Grandfather, that means nothing to me except
the title of a good Bond movie. Thanks but no thanks.” Zack lifted a glass to
his lips from the butler’s tray.

“Oh, sir. You have a visitor at the door.”

“I do?” Zack said to the butler before placing
his glass down on the table. He excused himself and went into the foyer. He
froze. What on earth was this woman doing here?

“Hi,” the timid woman said as she stood by the
main door.

“Please leave.” Zack’s tone was clipped and
stern.

“I don’t blame you. But I just want to
apologize to you and your family, Zack.”

Zack glared at her. She was a very pretty
woman. He’d seen her, along with other reporters camped outside on the lawn
during one of their media circuses but reports had been confirmed that it was
her cell phone that was used to record the private conversation between Lucas
and Toni that spurred another media fiasco. Luckily, the woman who had the
pregnancy claim was called out as a fraud and admitted she lied about being
pregnant by Lucas but the whole thing with the fake engagement claim almost
cost his brother his happiness.

“It really wasn’t my fault.”

“Oh, really?” Zack stood erect with his hands
in his pocket, his chin up.

“Yes. I have nothing to gain by being here. I’m
no longer working for…any media. But,” she paused wringing her hands. Gosh, the
girl was a bundle of nerves. Nothing like the story-hungry young reporter he’d
seen lingering about in the shadows. “Someone played a practical joke on me and
my phone was missing. The next thing I knew, it turned up there in the
boardroom.”

“Thank you for coming here…” he probed.

“Blue. Blue Monroe.”

And what a sexy name that was. Too bad he
didn’t trust women and he trusted female reporters even less. “Blue Monroe,” he
continued. "I’ll relay the message to my family.”

She looked into his eyes almost as if she
wanted to say something more. “Thank you. And congratulations on your cousin’s
birth.”

With that, she turned and let herself out of
his family’s home…and out of his life. There was something challenging and
dangerous about her but Zack tried to play it off. Would he ever see her again?
Would he want to see her again?

***

For the next sizzling
installment of The Romero Brothers “The Playboy Billionaire” (Zack Romero and
Blue Monroe’s story) join Shadonna Richards’s email signup at
www.shadonnarichards.blogspot.com
and join her list where it says “Sign Up” so
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Books by Shadonna Richards

THE ROMERO
BROTHERS

The
Billionaire’s Second Chance Bride (Book 1)
*also
part of the Bride Series

A Bride for
the Billionaire Bad Boy (Book 2)

The Playboy
Billionaire (Book 3)

THE BRIDE
SERIES

An Unexpected
Bride
 
(Book 1)

The Jilted
Bride
 
(Book 2)

The
Matchmaker Bride (Book 3)

His Island
Bride (Free) (Book 4)

An
Unexpected Baby
(The sequel to An
Unexpected Bride)
(Book 5)

The
Billionaire’s Second Chance Bride
*also
part of the Romero Brothers Series
(Book 6)

The Belmont
Christmas Bride
 
(March 2014) (Book
7)

The Bride
Series Collection (Books 1-5 and other stories)

WHIRLWIND
ROMANCE SERIES

Accidentally
Flirting with the CEO (Free) (Book 1)

Accidentally
Married to the Billionaire (Book 2)

Accidentally
Falling for the Tycoon (Book 3)

Accidentally
Flirting with the CEO 2 (Book 4)

Accidentally
Flirting with the CEO 3 (Book 5)

The
Billionaire’s Whirlwind Romance (Books 1-3)

ABOUT THE
AUTHOR

SHADONNA RICHARDS,
USA Today
Bestselling Author

Shadonna Richards enjoys reading and writing about the magic of romance
and the power of love. She has sold over 300,000 copies of her bestselling
romance novels, the Bride Series and Whirlwind Romance Series, in the past
eighteen months. Born in London, England, she has a B.A. Degree in Psychology
and a Diploma in Nursing. Winner of Harlequin's So You Think You Can Write 2010
Day Two Challenge, she is also a member of Romance Writers of America. She's a
proud mommy and wife and lives in Canada with her husband and son.

AUTHOR CONTACT:

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.shadonnarichards.blogspot.com
Facebook
:www.facebook.com
/authorshadonnarichards

SOME INTERESTING FACTS
:


* All books in her Bride Series (as of May, 2012) have
hit the #1 spot in their categories


* Three of her Bride Series novels simultaneously
occupied the Top 5 Hot New Releases in Romance Anthologies in May 2012
*

Five of her Bride Series novels were simultaneously
listed in the Top 20 Bestsellers list in Romance Anthologies in May 2012


* Her novels: The Matchmaker Bride, His Island
Bride and The Bride Series (Novels 1-4) made the Top 100 Most Wished For list
in April 2012 & May 2012 in the top 10 spots


* She made Amazon's Top 100 Most Popular Authors in
Contemporary Romance at #48 in March 2013


* She made Amazon's Top 10 Most Popular Authors in
Contemporary Romance in November 2013