Free The Billionaire's Island Romance (The Romero Brothers, Book 3.5) by Shadonna Richards Page A

baby. I’m here. I’ll never let anything happen to you, okay?”
    She nodded.
    “I’m sorry that happened to you when you
were young. It must have been terrifying for your mother,” he surmised in a
soothing voice.
    “Yeah, it was.” She looked around at the
water gushing around her. “Thanks for not laughing at me.”
    His brows furrowed. “Why the hell would I
laugh?”
    “I don’t know. Maybe because you thought I
was a wuss or something.”
    “Hey, please don’t insult me. You know I
would never think that way about you…or anyone who had a fear of anything.”
    She hugged him and drew in a deep breath.
“I know. I was only playing with you.”
    “Besides, I love a brave gal like you.”
    “Brave?” Ari pulled herself away from his
embrace to glance into his eyes. “But I just told you that I’m terrified of
water.”
    He looked deeply into her eyes and tilted
her chin up to his with his finger. “And yet, you came here anyway.”
    His expression melted into a grin when he
saw the stunned look on her face. Ari smiled appreciatively. “Have I told you
how much I love you and how awesome I think you are?”
    “Not enough,” he teased her before lowering
his lips to hers and kissing her gently, then passionately.
    “Woohoo,” a voice sounded from near the
trees higher up. A tourist had caught a glimpse of them kissing. Actually, two
of them and they both clapped.
    Arianna blushed and he felt like a guy
crazy in love. He didn’t care. He was with the woman of his dreams. So real, so
strong, yet she had her own weaknesses, just like a real person. Just like him.
    “Come on, before we end up on YouTube from
someone filming us on his cell phone,” he joked as he guided her up. “You ready
to go farther or do you wanna stay here? Just let me know, baby, I’m good with
whatever you want to do.”
    “Just saying that makes me feel okay,
Christian. Thank you.”
    He rubbed her shoulder and squeezed her
lovingly before they made their way skyward. “You know,” he said as he walked
behind her, which did nothing for his growing erection as her ass wiggled and
moved in front of him. “They say that being brave isn’t the absence of fear.”
    “Yeah, I know.”
    “It’s taking action, in spite of your
fear.”
    “I know that, too,” she said, turning to
him with a sheepish grin. “I thought…I had to do this,” she continued,
breathless. “I wanted to prove something. That I wasn’t going to be a prisoner
of my fear…like…”
    “Like who?” Was she going to say like her
mother?
    “Nothing,” she said, shaking her head.
“Let’s just get up to the top of the falls.”
    They climbed up, enjoying periodic breaks
soaking in the magnificent flowing water around them.
    Christian could not help but feel more
admiration for Arianna. He was glad he’d at least achieved something today. He
got her to tear herself away from her work, from caring for others, including
her parents. He had spent some time talking casually with some of the staff who worked for her. And from what he’d heard—all good
things about her hard work ethic and fairness to her staff, she was also a
workaholic who took great care of her parents. The fact that she even stepped
up to the plate to help run her father’s hotel spoke volumes about her. When
they met, she was intent on furthering her college education to open up a
daycare center. Well, this was a long way away from her dream but at least she
was still managing a business that dealt with people. Christian admired her
hard work and tenacity. Whenever she was needed, she stepped up to the plate
without so much as a flinch. She was all heart and soul.
    That was why it was important when he had
learned that she had worked sixteen days straight to get her away from it all
to take a break. For her own good.
    Earlier, he told her that she had a competent
staff working with her there, and the hotel already had a manager, so she would
be okay to take a day off and do