Free REGENCY: Loved by the Duke (Historical Billionaire Military Romance) (19th Century Victorian Short Stories) by Serena Vale, Tencia Winters

to say something about the chief issue because of which she had just never considered seriously having a chance to be more to Ricardo than a close friend. It was not because she was a working class Afro-American estate agent and Ricardo an Italian billionaire. It was her weight. Ricardo never gave any sign that he did not find her attractive, but still, his type seemed to be more like a size six girl. And Bliss was an eleven.
    “Bliss, if this is about that typical female worrying about their weight,” Ricardo smiled, “you must realize, you are beautiful. You have nothing to worry about.”
    Bliss allowed a shy, timid smile.
    “If you say so, Ric,” she muttered.
    The waiter just waited silently next to their table.
    “So,” Ricardo ordered him, “bring us a glass of wine and one of the chef’s special.”
    Rudolf nodded.
    “Yes,” and he disappeared towards the kitchen with the empty plates.
    “So,” Ricardo turned back to Bliss, “where were we?”
    Bliss always found impressive how dominantly Ricardo tended to behave whenever they went out to socialize together. He swept away all the hesitancy that Bliss often faced if she was left alone to make her own decisions.
    “We were talking about how you planned to get married when there was hardly more than a week left before your family came over from Italy,” Bliss said. “And just for the record, I told you that you were crazy.”
    Ricardo smiled confidently.
    “So,” he replied, “if it is technically possible, I mean if we could marry before Christmas, would you say yes?”
    Rudolf was back with the dessert and the wine. He placed the plate in front of Bliss, and poured her glass full.
    “Need anything else?” he asked.
    “No, thanks,” Bliss and Ricardo snapped at him simultaneously.
    “Just asking…” Rudolf muttered in front of himself while scornfully leaving their table behind.
    Bliss washed down the first forkful of the cake Ricardo had ordered for her with a sip of wine. Delicious.
    “And of course,” Ricardo said, “This time I will pay you three times the usual.”
    That did it. Bliss was behind on her mortgage and the extra money would have just saved her. Besides, she contemplated, there was not such a big difference between playing Ricardo’s wife with or without a legal paper.
    “Okay,” she nodded, “now, tell me, just how do you plan to marry me before Christmas?”
    Ricardo laid back on his chair. He always got what he wanted and this time was no exception.
    “We are going to fly to Vegas…”
    Bliss pushed her cake away because it was impossible to take another bit – she would have suffocated if she had to keep down that irrepressible laughter.

Chapter 2
    A weekend in Vegas. Bliss could hardly believe that she accepted Ricardo’s insane offer. Even when Saturday morning arrived and she went down with her package to the street, she still had this uneasy feeling tinkering at the back of her neck that she was only the victim of a prank, an innocent sufferer of a huge misunderstanding. Or, in worst case, simply delusional.
    She pushed the front door of the house open. If nothing else then the frisky wind, the cool air, and the cracking sounds of the glittering snow under her feet might just sober her up and end this madness. But, as Ricardo had promised, the limousine was indeed parking there.
    And it was waiting for her.
    “Mrs. Drago,” the driver addressed her, “may I have your luggage, please.”
    Bliss did not know how to react. For all these years the little theatre with Ric had only been performed in front of his family. No house staff, no employees involved. This had already changed.
    The driver wore a black uniform and that traditional driver’s cap on his head. He was most likely in his fifties with grey hair and a face seamed with deep and long wrinkles. He spoke with a slight Italian accent, just like his employer.
    “Thank you,” Bliss answered while he was taking the bags out of her hands. Her sentence