A Billionaire for Christmas by Maggie Marr Page A

doing the right thing, saying the right things. He’d thought in that moment that his arms, their future, their love would be enough, and that together they’d get through that awful time after Vinnie’s death. Hard? Hell, yes. Hard as hell. Vinnie had been his best friend and Shelly’s brother. Back then the only reason they hadn’t gotten married yet was because they were waiting for Vinnie to come home.
    And then he had come home. In a wooden box.
    Anthony rolled his gaze upward to stare at the ceiling. The blinking Christmas lights splashed color on the textured surface. What the hell had happened? Why had Shelly left? How had he failed her? That night, that fucking night after the funeral, had been devastating, but they had each other. They held each other, they cried, but they were alive together. Then the next day, she was gone.
    His heart tightened in his chest. This love between him and Shelly, this desire they had for each other, would bring him to his knees. She would leave. She was building a life on the West Coast now—far from family, far from sad memories, far from him. He rubbed his hand over his jaw and the fine scruff of stubble appearing there. Nope. Shelly in his arms felt damned good, but when she left and his arms were empty, that would be the worst feeling in the world.

 
Chapter 10
     
    “Mrs. Bello! Shelly! I’m so happy you’re here!” Aubrey walked toward them across the banquet hall. Her red dress matched the decor. A woman with short curly hair, taller but with similar eyes, followed behind Aubrey. “This is my sister Nina.” So this was the famous world-class chef Aubrey had mentioned was coming to New York for the holidays.
    “Happy to meet you.” Mrs. Bello pulled Nina in and kissed each of her cheeks. Then Nonna held her back at arm’s length and examined her. “You’re a tall one. A lot like your sister, who talks about you all the time. Such a good aunt, such a great cook.”
    Nina’s smile beamed. “Thank you, Mrs. Bello.” Her gaze turned to Shelly. “And you’re Shelly, the one who grew up with the brothers?”
    “That would be me.”
    “Tough gig, being the only girl around these guys.”
    “Plus her brother, my Vinnie, who might as well have been a fifth Travati. So it was all of the boys and Shelly.”
    “Wow”—Nina lifted both eyebrows—“and you survived.”
    “Just barely,” Shelly said. Nina turned back to Nonna to ask her another question, and Shelly let her gaze wander the room, which had transformed into a winter wonderland. She’d been transported to Santa’s workshop. The children hadn’t arrived yet, but all the staff were dressed as elves. Centerpieces of teddy bears, one for every child, sat in the middle of each table. At the front of the room Santa’s sleigh occupied center stage, with a gargantuan bag filled to the brim with presents in the back. Wait staff scurried around prepping tables and filling water.
    Shelly and Nonna followed Aubrey to their table, Nina at her side.
    “How’d you dodge the elf costume?” Shelly asked Nina.
    “I just refused. Told her I’d go to Tahiti with friends for Christmas if she made me wear it. Seemed to work.”
    Across the room Gwen, in a dark green dress and black heels, directed an elf toward the Christmas tree.
    “Here we are,” Aubrey said. The table was near the front of the room, right beside the stage. “The boys won’t be here for another half hour, but they all promised to attend and to be on time.”
    Shelly scanned the reindeer-shaped name cards at each place setting to find her seat, just to the left of the one Nina gestured Nonna toward.
    “Believe that when I see it.” Nina pulled out Nonna’s chair. “Those four are consumed with work.”
    “This from you? The lady who works, last I counted, a full sixteen hours a day?” Aubrey teased her sister.
    “It’s a restaurant. Long hours come with the territory.”
    Nonna sat, and Shelly set her purse on her own chair. She