Billionaires in New York Boxed Set: Billionaires in the City Books 1-3 Laura Burton (books to read this summer .TXT) 📖

the family business. He worked in the public relations side and started to attend meetings, always looking for ways to expand and improve the Marks’ brand.

“She’s gorgeous,” Catherine gushed as she nuzzled the cat. Edward settled down and draped his arm around her. Seeing them so blissfully happy and in love had David’s stomach doing flips. They leaned in and kissed with so much passion, that David shifted in his seat and averted his eyes.

“David, a word?” Charles Marks placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at him expectantly. Happy for an excuse to get away from the smooching couple, David shot up out of his seat and followed his father out of the room.

“Goodness gracious, that is a cat? It’s entirely bald.” Grandmother Mark’s voice trailed off as David left the room.

Once alone, Charles retrieved a file from his jacket and looked at it thoughtfully.

“David, you know your Grandmother has been sick for some time now. I’m afraid I need your assistance with something,” he began. David’s breath caught in his chest as he eyed his father nervously.

“Her name is Emily Stewart,” Charles said, handing over the file to David. “She is key to this plan.” David looked down at the picture of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her confident smile, enchanting eyes framed with long black lashes and a cascade of dark hair flowing over one shoulder had him staring with his mouth open. He looked up at Charles.

“What is the plan, exactly?”

Charles cleared his throat and swirled the drink in his hand. “You need to marry her, before your grandmother passes, and you better do it soon. The doctors inform me that we may only have weeks.”

“Who is she? How did you find out about her?” David’s mouth turned dry as he glanced at the photograph again.

“You remember Harold? She set him up with his wife.”

“How am I going to get a stranger to fall in love with me so quickly? I’ve never even had a girlfriend.”

“This isn’t about love, David. This is about saving the family business.”

David stood and walked across the room as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t like this. Why should we drag anyone else into our family politics?”

Charles joined him near the window and placed a hand on his shoulder. “This is how we survive.”

“What am I supposed to do? How do I get her to marry me so fast?”

Charles straightened and looked out of the window. “Tell her you have to find a wife in thirty days… that’ll get her attention. Then play along. Go on a few dates.”

“How is that going to help?”

Charles turned to look steely at David. “Just stick with the plan and leave the rest to me.”

Who Wants to Date a Billionaire?

All characters, themes and storylines are fictitious and any similarities to actual events are purely coincidental. Copyright 2019 Laura Burton. The author holds all the rights. This book is for personal use only, copying any part of this book and distributing it online is strictly prohibited.

First Edition

This book was written in English US. To discuss translation rights, please contact the owner, Laura Burton at laburton08@gmail.co.uk.

All Rights Reserved. 2019

Edited by R J Creamer

Created with Vellum

Chapter One

A Matchmaker’s Dilemma

“It’s a beautiful day to fall in love!” Emily clasped her hands together and beamed as she looked out of the squeaky-clean window of her top floor office.

“You say that every day,” Jacqueline muttered under her breath, but not too quietly that Emily didn’t hear it. She furrowed her brows and turned back to look at her young assistant.

“That’s because…,” she began as she marched across the office and straightened a picture frame on the wall, “…every day is a perfect day to fall in love.”

Jaqueline’s freckled cheeks grew crimson as she clutched a white folder to her chest and smiled. “Yes, Ms. Stewart.” She bowed her head and bobbed.

Emily tilted her head to the side and studied Jaqueline for a moment. She had narrow arms and a slight frame that any New Yorker woman would be jealous of. She was fresh-faced, with plump lips, and a spray of auburn hair fanned out passed her shoulders. Her fashion sense needed some work: Whoever told her it was okay to wear Crocs to the office? Or at all, for that matter? With a plain brown skirt, no less! She looked like the before picture in Estelle’s glamour makeover spread, which reminded Emily she needed to pick up a copy at the subway. The spring edition just released a couple of days ago, and it was vital to keep up-to-date with the latest trends for work.

“What do we have on today’s agenda?” Emily touched up her nude lipstick, as she gave herself the once-over at the floor length mirror, then flicked her sleek brown hair back from her shoulders.

“You have a nine o’ clock with Mr. Hughes….”

“Ah, Eddie.” Emily smiled to herself, then waved her hand at Jaqueline to continue. “Mr. Michaels is coming in at ten-thirty. You have a conference call set up with the investors at one and––”

“Oh right, that’s today.” Emily tucked in her white satin blouse to her leopard-print pencil skirt and paced the room.

“Cancel all my afternoon appointments. I need to make sure that call goes well.”

“I’m sure––” Jaqueline started but stopped short as Emily shot her a look.

“Yes, Ms. Stewart.” She bobbed her head again.

Emily resisted the urge to roll her eyes. You don’t have to curtsey to me, she thought as she looked at her expectantly. On cue, Jaqueline passed over the white folder. Emily flipped it open and lazily thumbed through the pages. After a few moments she looked up at Jaqueline.

“Is there something else?”

Jaqueline’s dark eyes widened, and she jumped as if she’d been struck with a bolt of lightning.

“There is one more thing….” Her voice faltered, and she wrung her hands.

“Well? What is it?”

Why is she so timid? Am I scary to her?

Jaqueline’s eyes darted around the room