Without Warning: A Billionaire Romance (Playboys of New York Book 5) JA Low (e textbook reader .TXT) 📖

Camila shakes her head. “What’s his full name?” She pulls out her phone.

No. I’m not telling her because she’s going to google him, and I don’t need my sisters all in my business. “I’m not telling you.”

“Why not?”

“Just leave it, okay?” Throwing the covers off my bed, I step out of it. “Rhys and I are over, and that’s it.” Walking toward the bathroom, I don’t look back.

“Then why do you have so many missed calls and messages from him?”

I still. Slowly turning around to see Camila waving my phone in the air. I stomp over and try to get it back from her. “Give me my phone.”

“No.” She shoves it down her top, and my jaw falls open at her reaction. Are we like twelve or something?

“Camila, give it back.” I’m fast losing my patience with my sister.

“No,” she screams at me.

Then I launch myself at her, and the room fills with curses and squeals as I try to get my phone back while she tries to defend herself.

“What the hell is going on in here?” Maya asks, looking at the two of us with a disappointed scowl.

“Camila stole my phone and won’t give it back.” I moan.

Maya glares at our sister.

“Fine.” She huffs and hands me back my phone. I give her a triumphant smile, to which she pokes her tongue out at me.

“What’s going on?” Maya looks between us both.

“Ariana isn’t giving Rhys a second chance because she doesn’t believe his ex-wife drama. Plus, she won’t tell me his surname so I can cyberstalk him.” Camila glares at me.

“That’s her business, Cami,” Maya scolds our sister. “She’s old enough to make her own decisions.”

“But she’s stubborn,” Camila adds. “She’s ignoring his calls and texts.”

Maya looks over at me.

“His divorce has gotten complicated, and he’s trying to protect me from it. You know some bullshit excuse,” I explain to Maya.

“You think it’s an excuse?”

“Yes. It’s what men do,” I tell her.

“Not all men are dicks,” Camila adds.

Maybe not the ones she dates because she can have anyone in Hollywood, but for women in the real world, that’s exactly what happens.

“He ghosted me for a month.”

Why does my sister not understand this fact?

“But he sent nice flowers,” Maya adds. Not her too. Feeling really frustrated by this conversation, I let out a huff and storm off into the bathroom with my phone and slam the door behind me.

“You feel better now,” Maya asks as I walk into the kitchen and see the beautiful spread of food on the dining table.

“I do. Thank you,” I answer, being snarky. “Did you guys organize this?”

“No. We thought you organized it?” Maya states.

“There’s a note.” Camila waves it in her hand with a sly grin on her face.

“What does it say?” I ask, losing my patience with my youngest sister.

Camila opens it then clears her throat. “Dear Ariana, I’m sorry how we left things last night. I wanted to apologize because the last thing I ever wanted was for you to feel as if what we had didn’t mean anything to me.”

“Stop!” Snatching the note away from Camila, who has a large smile on her face, I scrunch up the note and throw it in the trash can.

“Hey.” I hear Camila behind me as I storm out of the dining room.

Fuck him. He doesn’t get to do nice things like that for me.

“Ari…” Maya comes after me. “You okay?” She gives me a concerned look.

“He doesn’t get to be all… you know…” I wave my hands toward the dining room.

“What? Nice? Caring? Thoughtful?” Maya tries to finish my sentence.

“Urgh. Yes. Any of those fucking things.”

“Why are you so upset?” Maya asks.

“I don’t know. I just am. He hurt me. I thought there was something between us.”

“Looks like there still is,” Maya adds.

“On his terms, Maya. Where was he a month ago? Now he’s had some time to think, he thinks he can just come back into my life and pick things up. Well, no. That’s not how this works,” I tell her angrily.

“I get it.” Maya reaches out and tries to comfort me. “Sounds like his life is complicated from the bits Camila has filled me in on. Maybe he didn’t want to burden you with it. Sounds like he was trying to be selfless and give you some time to build your future. That maybe he thought he might be a distraction for you and kept away.” Dammit! Maya has some valid points. “Don’t be stubborn. If you like him… like him. If you don’t… don’t,” she tells me simply.

Is it really that simple?

20

Ariana

It was difficult saying goodbye to my sisters when they finally had to leave. It’s been so good having them around again, just like old times. I’m jealous they have each other out in LA, but I have my girls, and they are pretty damn good.

Stella, EJ, and I are headed to Montana today to look around the land for their dream ranch. I’m incredibly happy to be getting out of the city and having a couple of days in the middle of nowhere.

After Stella and I spent hours going over the Pinterest boards, finding out what they want and need for the ranch, scribbling down notes in my trusty folder, we land. I’m so grateful for Stella and EJ giving me the opportunity to build their dream home. I mean, they’re putting a lot of faith and trust in me to create something spectacular for them. But I’m most definitely up for the challenge.

As we land the private plane in the middle of someone’s paddock, we see Stella’s older brother, Jesse, waiting for us in his beat-up red truck. The man is a real-life cowboy. Sexiness oozes from his pores, especially the way his well-worn Wranglers mold to his ass. His perfect ass. His flannel shirt is pulled tight across his muscular chest, and his blond hair is mostly hidden under his cowboy hat.

I met Jesse for the first time when Chloe surprised Stella’s