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

married. Totally different. Emily rested her hands on her hips and looked down at her outfit.

“I’ll have to change….”

“Don’t.”

Emily’s head snapped back up and she looked at David who was staring at her with dark eyes. A smile etched on his face and her cheeks heated under his gaze.

“No, I’m going to change out of this ridiculous—”

“I like it,” his words were firm and final. Emily closed her mouth and sighed. Then she shrugged.

“You have a car, I presume?” She arched her back and glanced out of the window at the streets below, but the window pane was black and she couldn’t see anything. She imagined Henry sitting in the limousine listening to classical music.

“We’re a couple of hours into the weekend now,” David said as he took a step forward. Whatever traces of regret plagued his mind, were clearly long-forgotten. He took another step; he was standing so close now, Emily had to lean back to see his face. She automatically raised her hands to his arms and grasped his biceps. They flexed under her touch. There it was again, the chemistry swirling around them, emitting bolts of electricity in different parts of her body. Emily’s mouth became dry as she swallowed. She was thirsty, but it was the sort of thirst that couldn’t be satisfied with a drink.

“We have a lot to do to get ready. I need to warn you my family are… intense.” David’s voice vibrated in Emily’s ears. She smiled drunkenly at him.

“I can handle myself.”

David cupped her face in his soft hands.

I wonder if he uses moisturizer. Billionaire moisturizer, probably.

“I know you can.” David lowered his face and Emily did her best impression of a sexy pout. Anticipating the kiss, her toes curled, and she clutched his arms, pulling him in closer. They were less than a hairsbreadth apart when the phone rang. Emily and David froze, their eyes locked onto each other. Neither of them moved for a few moments, in a strange standoff as the cheerful ringtone sounded. The moment fizzled away and the two of them stepped back, David pulled out his phone from his pants.

“Sorry,” he murmured. Emily twirled her hair with her fingers and eyed the clock on the wall.

“Who’s calling you at this hour?”

“Henry, are you all right?”

Emily crossed the room and squinted through the window with her hand to her brow. She could just make out the car.

“Yes, everything is fine, we’ll be down in a minute.”

Emily turned to look at David who clapped his hands.

“Come on, let’s take you to your new home.”

Chapter Twelve

Ulterior Motives

David stretched out on his back and stared up at the bedroom ceiling of his penthouse. He couldn’t sleep. Not with his imagination running wild, knowing that Emily was sleeping in the room across the hall. Or was she lying awake too? He rolled onto his side and propped himself up on an elbow, patting the empty space next to him. He balled his hand into a fist and sunk his head low with regret. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t tell her the truth. The sight of her standing in her apartment, her hair a beautiful mess, wearing the most adorable pink pants and white sweater with the cartoon bunny on the front. She looked ten times more attractive dressed in comfortable clothes, than in her business dresses. She stared at him with such vulnerability, he lost all motivation to confess. How could he? Her face was flushed and he noticed excitement in her eyes. Her dreams were coming true. It was only a matter of time before his grandmother finally succumbed to the cancer in her frail body, and the legalities would be sorted out. He wondered how his motivations appeared to Emily. Did she think he was shallow? That he was just in this for the money? The truth was, he didn’t care about the money. He cared about doing what was right. And he made a promise to his father. He gritted his teeth as his mind replayed a conversation they shared a few weeks ago.

“Her name is Emily Stewart,” Charles said, handing over a 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.”

David rolled onto his back and shut his eyes. The conversation still ringing in his ears. He should have told her the truth. But she is so happy. Now, she was in his penthouse suite… right where he needed her. David opened his eyes