Taking Control: A Billionaire Boss Romance (Playboys of New York Book 4)

by JA Low

  EJ shakes his head. “There’s nothing to thank me for.”

  “Um, yeah, there is. You’ve taken me into your home. You’re providing twenty-four-hour care for me. I’m practically helpless at the moment. Let’s face it, I’m just your employee. You don’t owe me any of this.” Waving my hands around, I watch a frown form on his face.

  “When will you get it, Stella. You’re more than my assistant. You’re more than an employee on my payroll.” His words hold some anger to them. “I’m doing all this because I care. Because at the very least, I thought we are friends, and it’s what friends do for each other.”

  Well, then, EJ has most certainly put me in my place.

  I guess I keep putting up the employer-employee wall, so things like last night don’t happen. As if I ever dreamed something like last night would happen.

  “I don’t know how I’m ever going to repay you for all this.”

  EJ shakes his head. “I’m not that much of a saint, Stell. I did it for selfish reasons. It’s easier to work from my place than yours.” He grins, and I chuckle. “Now come on, I’ve cooked breakfast. Your favorite. And it’s getting cold. Which is making me want to break out in hives.”

  I reach out to him, and he takes me in his arm. He then scoops me up, making me squeal. EJ walks me out of the bedroom, down the hallway, and into the living room, where the dining table is set up with blueberry pancakes and maple bacon. A large bouquet of fresh flowers sits in the middle too. They are dusty pink peonies, some of my favorite flowers. There’s a cup of coffee from my favorite coffee shop waiting at my end of the table. He’s gone to so much trouble, and after I threw my phone at him and everything.

  EJ places me down at the end of the table and pushes my chair in for me. Then he takes his seat beside me and starts placing blueberry pancakes onto my plate, then some bacon, then he passes me the maple syrup to drizzle over the top.

  “To our first night together.” He raises his juice in the air for me to cheers.” Smiling, I clink my glass against his and then start eating. I’m famished. We eat in relative silence while I enjoy the best pancakes ever.

  “If you’re thinking of doing this every morning, then expect me to be leaving this place bigger than a whale.”

  “Lucky I have booked a PT to help you next week to start your exercise program.” A groan falls from my lips, which makes him laugh.

  “I was kind of hoping for a holiday,” I state while shoving the last bit of bacon into my mouth.

  “That’s what this week is for. I’ve taken the week off, too.” That surprises me. “It’s going to be just us this week. I thought after everything that some chill time was warranted.” That’s so sweet of him.

  “Does that mean I can force you to watch the housewives shows with me?” He groans. “What about some renovation makeover shows?” Another groan. “What about travel shows?” He rolls his eyes. “I’ll even sit through some of Nigella Lawson’s cooking shows with you if you do?” I state, trying to sweeten the pot, knowing how much he crushes hard on the sultry chef.

  “Fine.” He grins.

  EJ helps me over to the couch and fusses over me for a couple of moments. He hands me the remote, my phone, and a bottle of water and heads back to the kitchen to tidy up. I pick up my phone to check if Dan has texted me.

  Nothing.

  However, I do have texts from Chloe, Lenna, and Ariana checking in on me. I send off a couple of messages to let them know how I’m doing and that I haven’t killed EJ yet. I send off a text to Dan too, hoping I get a response.

  “So, what do you want to watch?” EJ sits beside me. He grabs the remote and takes over—typical male.

  “Whatever is fine.” My enthusiasm has taken a dive.

  “Everything okay?” he asks. His eyebrows draw together in concern.

  “Yeah, all good,” I reply, plastering on a fake smile, especially for him.

  “If it’s about Dan, you can talk to me about it. I promise… no judgment.”

  “How did you know it was about Dan?”

  “The fact that he wasn’t here at the crack of dawn to see you or the fact that your phone isn’t beeping every two seconds or the fact that you haven’t had one phone call this morning,” he adds while he channel surfs.

  I hate that he’s right.

  I hate that he instantly knew I was upset over Dan’s inability to be empathetic to what I am going through. If the roles were reversed, I would be there fussing over him. I would be calling and checking in on him as much as possible.

  “I think he might have had to work last night,” I add, knowing that it’s a blatant lie but not wanting to deal with the reality that Dan doesn’t give a shit about me.

  “That explains it then.” EJ grins as he passes a couple of channels until he lands on a lifestyle show called Under the Spanish Sun. It’s one of my favorites. He doesn’t even have to ask me if this is what I want to watch. EJ just knows. I turn my head and look over at him. At the same time, he turns his and looks down at me with a smile across his lips.

  “You okay?” he asks again.

  “Yeah. I think I will be.” Smiling at him, we then settle in to watch the television.

  At some point, I must fall asleep because I wake up to my phone ringing. I’m laying flat out on the couch with a blanket over me. I grab my phone and see that Chloe’s calling me, so I answer.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey there, patient. How are you doing?”

  “Urgh. Okay. Getting there,” I moan a little in reply.

  “I hope Dan is looking after you. Has he come over dressed as a doctor yet? Then stripped it all off for you?” She giggles.

  I choke at her question. “No.” Chuckling at her wild imagination, I continue, “Actually, I haven’t seen nor heard from Dan since Vegas.”

  The line goes quiet for a couple of beats.

  “Oh. Really. Well, maybe he’s just caught up with work.” She tries to find a reasonable excuse, but I know it’s rubbish.

  “Or maybe he’s just a selfish prick.” The words tumble from my mouth before I realize what I’ve said.

  EJ chuckles from behind me.

  “Or maybe he’s that.” Chloe laughs. “Sounds like you might need a girls’ night then.”

  “I wish, but I can’t go anywhere.” I look down at my stupid leg.

  “Who says we have to go out for girls’ night. Girls’ night can come to you.” She squeals excitedly down the phone.

  “Not sure if EJ is going to be happy about that,” I whisper.

  “Don’t worry about him. I’ll take care of it. I’ll gather the troops. It’s going to be fun.”

  My spirits feel lifted just thinking about catching up with the girls.

  “I can’t wait. I miss you guys so much,” I confess.

  “We miss you too, boo.”

  “Have you spoken to Ems?” I ask, and she goes quiet again.

  “No. She’s not returning any of my messages. From what Noah hears from Anderson, she’s not coping so well.”

  My heart breaks for Emma. At least I can heal, and there may not be much scarring. And even if there is, it’s on my leg, and I can cover it. But your face. And you’re a supermodel. People are going to talk. They are going to point it out. She will have random people commenting on her looks as if she isn’t a real human with real feelings.

  “Maybe I’ll give her a try. See if I can help.”

  “It can’t hurt,” Chloe says sadly. “I better go. But I’ll see you tonight around seven, okay?”

  “Sounds great.” And with that, she’s gone.

  Moments later, EJ’s phone rings, and it’s Chloe. I can hear her tell her brother to go hang out with the boys tonight while the girls come over and cheer me up. He turns around from where he’s working at the dining table and gives me a look. EJ grins and nods his head to whatever his sister is saying to him, then lets out a groan, but in the end, he agrees and hangs up.

  “Guessing you have an unscheduled boys’
night out.”

  “Yep, looks like it.”

  “Well, thanks.” I must admit I feel bad that I’m kicking him out of his home.

  “All good. I’m keeping a tab.” EJ grins then goes back to working on his laptop.

  12

  EJ

  I head on over to Logan’s home out in the suburbs as he’s the one with the kid, and he’s giving Lenna her girl time.

  “Fucking hell, you live far away,” I moan to Logan as he opens the door to his large home.

  “It’s not that far,” he argues as he pats me on the back as I pass him.

  “I’m going to have to pay my people overtime for delivering out here.” I chuckle as we walk down the hall out to the back of the house where my restaurant has set up dinner for us.

  “Fuck you.” He laughs.

  “Hey, you’re not supposed to swear in front of the kid.” I watch little Jagger rolling around on the floor.

  “You tell Lenna that I did, and you’re dead to me.” Chuckling at his dramatics, I hold up my hands in peace.

  “Sorry I’m late.” Noah walks in with a bottle of whiskey in his hand and shakes it a little. “Oh, thank goodness you haven’t started yet. I’m starved.” He rubs his stomach, then gets distracted by his nephew and cuddles him. I don’t think it will be long until he’s knocked up my sister, especially as he’s put a ring on her finger.

  Shaking my head, I don’t want that imagery in my mind.

  I go into the kitchen and start uncovering the food that has been sent over by my team and place the platters down the center of Logan’s large dining table. Noah puts Jagger down, grabs a couple of crystal tumblers, and starts to pour us our drinks. Logan grabs the cutlery, and we all move around each other, getting dinner ready. Once all is settled, we begin the meal.

  “So, how’re things going with Stella?” Noah asks as he rips into one of his ribs.

  “Fine,” I answer, ignoring the loaded questions.

  Noah and Logan look up at each other and do that weird twin thing before turning their attention back to me.

  “Just fine?” Noah repeats.

  “Yeah. There have been some teething issues. I’m not used to having a woman in my space.” They should understand that.

  “That would take some getting used to. Bet it’s a big cockblock.” Logan grins at me.

  “Actually, Monique contacted me, and I turned her down.” I’m feeling rather triumphant with myself as I say the words out loud.

  “Wow. EJ turned one woman down,” Logan mocks. “Give the man a badge.”

  “Fuck you.” Pointing my BBQ rib at him, but that just makes the two of them laugh even harder.

  “And how’s it been seeing Dan looking after Stella?” Noah presses.

  “He hasn’t.” They both fall silent. “He hasn’t texted or called Stella since coming back from Vegas.” They both look at each other and shake their head in annoyance.

  “Poor Stell,” Noah adds.

  “We got into an argument over him this morning,” I tell the guys. “I told her she deserved better.”

  “How did that go down?” Noah asks.

  “Not too well. She threw her phone at me.”

  They both burst out laughing.

  “Wow. Being locked up with you for more than twenty-four hours has sent Stella crazy,” Logan rides me.

  “May have been the fact we kissed last night that made her angry.”

  Cutlery clatters down on their plates as the twins look at me in surprise.

  “Please don’t tell me you made another move on her?” Noah asks.

  “Least it was reciprocated this time,” I mumble quietly.

  “Wait…” Logan pauses. “Did something seriously happen last night?”

  “Do not tell your wives.” I point at them both. “I mean it. Please.” They look at each other and agree. “I need to get it off my chest, that’s all. I kind of feel like I’m going crazy.” I have Logan and Noah’s full attention now.

  “So?” Noah pushes.

  “She had a nightmare. I heard her calling out for me in the middle of the night, and…” Pausing, I remember what happened next.

  “And what?” Logan asks.

  “She dreamed that I had died in a car accident, and she drowned in blood.”

  The room falls silent as the twins look at each other.

  “That sounds like one messed-up dream,” Noah adds.

  “Yeah. It does. She was shaking. She was so scared. I held her tightly, and then things kind of went left.”

  “So, you kissed after she had a traumatic dream,” Logan states.

  “Yes.” I nod my head in agreement. “What do you think that means?” I look between the two of them for clarity.

  “I’m no expert on dreams, but my therapist has helped me work through my nightly demons,” Logan confesses. “Maybe she’s worried that she’s going to lose you.”

  “Lose me? Why would she lose me, especially not now that we live together?”

  Logan shrugs his shoulders. Well, that’s no fricking help, is it? What’s the point of saying something if they can’t help me?

  “Dreams can manifest differently. They aren’t always black and white with their meanings,” Noah adds.

  “Maybe she’s worried that spending all this time together might turn you against her,” Logan muses.

  “I’ve known her for years. She’s been beside me through everything. Why would she think she would lose me now?” I’m even more confused by this conversation than before we started analyzing it.

  “‘Cause of Dan,” Noah adds.

  “As if Dan is going to stop me from hanging out with her.” I huff and take a sip of my whiskey.

  “Or she’s worried that if something happens between you, that you finally see her as more than a friend and that you’re going to break her heart and leave her behind,” Logan explains.

  Wow. Okay. That explanation hits me hard.

  “You think she’s interested in me?” The question comes out quietly.

  “That girl has had a crush on you for as long as I’ve known you. Yeah, I’d say she’s interested.” Noah grins.

  “But Dan?” I ask.

  “Sounds like Dan isn’t going to be in the picture for long if he’s not going to be beside her during this time,” Logan adds.

  Interesting.

  “You said she kissed you back last night.” Noah circles back around to that topic.

  “Yes. And without going into the details, she most definitely kissed me back.” Remembering the way her lips tasted, the way her nipples pebbled against my touch, I loved the feelings associated with it.

  “Earth to EJ.” Logan chuckles.

  Huh. What? I am lost in my thoughts of last night.

  “He’s totally gone for,” Noah snorts.

  Dicks the lot of them.

  “What am I meant to do?” I ask. Both of them have been in my position wanting someone they can’t have.

  “You need to be ready. That’s all I need to say. Because if you’re not, then don’t go there.” Logan looks at me thoughtfully. After all the bullshit and miscommunication he and Lenna went through, I don’t want that to happen between Stella and me.

  “Do you love her?” Noah asks the billion-dollar question.

  “I’m not sure if what I feel for her is love or just…” I’m trying to find the right words.

  “Contentment,” Logan finishes for me.

  Is that what this is?

  “If Stella wasn’t in my life, I honestly don’t know what I would do?” I confess to them all.

  “Because she would be hard to replace at work or be hard to replace in your heart?” Noah, ever the romantic, questions me.

  “Dude, where are your balls? Sprouting chick-shit like that,” I deflect his pointed question.

  “We were just like you, EJ.” Logan shakes his head. “Thinking we had it all. That we knew it all.”

  “We didn’t,” Noah finishes.

  “L
et’s just see how the next six weeks play out. Maybe we will hate each other by the end of her stay.” I snicker.

  “Or…” Noah raises his glass at me.

  “We’re welcoming you to the family,” Logan finishes his brother’s sentence.

  13

  Stella

  EJ left before the girls arrived as he had to head to Connecticut for dinner. He was a little worried about leaving me on my own. Still, I reassured him I would be okay, especially with my trusty baseball bat. EJ promised me that tomorrow he would sort out a pair of crutches, so I can get a little bit of independence.

  Picking up my phone, I call Dan while I wait for the girls. After ringing out, I try again just in case he missed it. Strangely, he hasn’t called me at all today or visited like he said he would. I know he’s busy, but still. He hasn’t even sent me flowers. Looking at the bouquet on the dining table, EJ probably called down to his concierge to get them for me. But he thought of you, a little voice inside reminds me. Because he needs you to keep working for him, another little voice inside my mind adds.

  That may be true, but…

  “What?” Dan answers the phone abruptly. He seems out of breath. I’m surprised by his tone, but before I get to say anything, I hear a woman giggle in the background—my stomach sinks. I close my eyes, breathe in heavily while I try to control my emotions.

  “It’s just me,” I finally spit out.

  “Oh, baby.” His tone changes. “I didn’t look at the screen when I picked up. How are you?”

  “Sore.” Missing you, I want to add, but I don’t.

  “Cool,” he answers distractedly.

  “Have I caught you at a bad time?” Anger bubbles to the surface, and I can’t help but feel frustrated.

  “Yeah. Kind of. I’m just finishing up a one-on-one PT session. Can I call you back later?” I frown at his comment, but if he’s working, I can’t demand his time.

  “Sure. Will you remember?” I ask. Hope fills my chest that maybe things might change.

  “Of course. How could I forget about my best girl?” he coos down the phone. “I’ve got to go, Stell. Check ya later.” And with that, he hangs up on me.