Billionaires in New York Boxed Set: Billionaires in the City Books 1-3

by Laura Burton

  As jealousy swirled around like snakes in her stomach, Julie wondered if she was being possessive and that perhaps she was overreacting. Maybe it is completely normal to have your billionaire date walk away with his ex. Then again––nausea rose to the base of her throat as she thought about it––maybe, she was perfectly within her rights to be annoyed. She walked out of the hall and followed the signs for the bathroom, her head spinning with scenarios. She reached the bathroom and pushed open the heavy door as she tried to stop the mental image of Harry and Ebony making out.

  As Julie entered, one of the cubicle doors opened and Julie stood rooted on the spot, stunned at the woman who appeared in view.

  “Hello, again.”

  The black sleek gown had diamonds sewn into the seamline, creating a beautiful outline of the woman’s curves. Her thick red curls hung to her waist like a gorgeous mane. The woman stood a foot taller than Julie, making her feel like a child stumbling into a place she wasn’t supposed to be in.

  “Julie, right?” she added. Her unnaturally white teeth gleamed as she ran a tongue across them. Her eyes glinting, like Tabby when eyeing up a new toy to play with.

  “Yes,” Julie said, finally finding her voice. She moved to the sink and washed her hands. The scent of expensive perfume wafted over her as Ebony leaned into her shoulder and spoke softly into her ear.

  “He’s such a good kisser, isn’t he?”

  Julie’s body stiffened and she clamped her jaw shut as she forced a smile.

  “Do you mind if I ask a question?” she asked, fluttering her oversized lashes at her. Julie shook her hands and grabbed a paper towel, then turned to look at Ebony.

  “You already have, but go on.”

  Ebony sashayed her hips as she waltzed around the bathroom, playing with her hair as she went on.

  “How can you afford a fifty-thousand-pound plate?” Her eyes narrowed as she came to a stop and surveyed Julie closely. “You didn’t really let him pay, did you? And please tell me what Harold is doing with a seamstress?”

  Julie’s heart quickened and sweat started to form on her upper lip. She tried to remain expressionless, but she always had a terrible poker face.

  “Oh, yes. I know exactly what you are,” Ebony sneered. “You think anyone bought that story about Paris? As if Estelle would notice you. Come on, admit it. You don’t belong here.”

  Julie ground her teeth as her temper rose to the surface. She wanted to launch an attack and rip that beautiful dress to shreds. Some poor person would have spent hours, maybe even days hand stitching those diamonds, and Ebony didn’t deserve it.

  “I think that’s none of your business,” she said simply. Trying to sound like a school teacher reprimanding a child. Instead, she sounded like a whiny teenager trying to fend off a bully.

  “It is my business. Harold and I have history, remember? We live in the same world.” Ebony held her head high and started to walk around again. “You’ve known him for five minutes and think you’ve got him wrapped around your finger.” She stopped and eyed Julie sharply, as if daring her to argue. When Julie remained silent, her satisfied smile returned, and she continued, “We both know Harold doesn’t have a backbone. He’d never hurt a soul… to his own detriment.”

  “You’re making him out like he’s a pushover,” Julie said bluntly, crossing her arms. Ebony’s perfectly shaped brows raised.

  “Well? And you don’t think so? You’re even more naïve than I thought.” She looked away from Julie and studied her reflection with a sigh. “Most billionaires get to the top by earning it. Standing up for what they believe in and kicking down any obstacle in their way.”

  Julie’s jaw throbbed as she set her teeth together. “Harold just got lucky. He ended up in the right crowd, had friends to back him on his little movie idea, and it boomed. Then the right person invested the profits in some high-risk, but high-return stocks.” She pointed to herself and blinked to allow this information to sink in. She leaned in to Julie so closely her breath tickled her face.

  “He would have nothing without me. He belongs to me––”

  Julie inadvertently gasped as realization dawned on her. This confrontation was not Ebony fighting for the love of her life, she was looking for a claim on him. As if he were a Gucci bag she had cast away, then changed her mind.

  “Wow. You’re a piece of work,” Julie said as she shoved past Ebony toward the door. “I’m done listening to this.”

  Ebony placed a hand on her shoulder.

  “When it comes down to it, he won’t fight for you, Julie. He just doesn’t have it in him.” She sighed heavily to add dramatic effect. Julie gave her the filthiest look she could muster.

  “Comes down to what?”

  Ebony inclined her head and blinked for a few moments, then offered strange lopsided smile.

  “You really have no idea?” she said with surprise. “I didn’t think you were that simpleminded.”

  She stepped aside allowing Julie to open the door. Julie eyed the woman shrewdly, wondering what she meant, then left the bathroom, her blood boiling.

  Chapter Twenty

  Escape Plan

  Harry strode across the hall smiling at people as he passed by, occasionally shaking hands with old friends, and nodding to people in the sea of faces. His mind, however, was spinning and his heart panged from his fruitless attempts to find Julie.

  He didn’t know why he followed Ebony off the dance floor. She had always been able to get Harry to follow her commands—as if she had him under a spell. While they were together he had found it endearing. Now, it was irritating.

  Ebony would always present an ultimatum or dramatic reason for him to drop everything and run after her. Then, as if having a change of heart, she changed tact. Ebony said she needed to talk to him, and by the way she acted, he’d thought it was serious. Perhaps a death in the family or she needed help with money. But instead, she just took him to the edge of the room and stroked his arm as she looked out at the people on the dance floor. When she moved closer and rested her head on his chest he backed away.

  “Ebony, nothing is ever going to happen between us again. I’m with Julie now,” he said with his hands raised, hoping she got the “back off” sign. Ebony glanced around the people standing by them and looked tearful as she bit her lip. Then, without another word, she dashed to the ladies’ bathroom.

  Having given up looking for Julie, he wandered aimlessly along the perimeter of the hall, hoping that somehow she would find him.

  And she did.

  Harry stopped in his tracks as a beautiful blonde crashed into him. Her hands found his arms as she collided with his abs and Harry automatically lifted her up to stop her from face-planting the ground. Julie’s face was flushed as she looked up at him, and Harry allowed a broad smile to invade his frown.

  “There you are,” he said, his heart exploding with joy.

  “Sorry,” Julie said with a puff. “These heels….”

  Harry smirked. The memory of their first date flashing past his minds’ eye. A warmth flooded his veins and he found himself calming down. He stooped down and pressed his cheek to hers as he spoke into her ear.

  “Do you want to get out of here?”

  “You don’t have to ask me twice. Let me just say good-bye to Valentina.”

  Harry and Julie returned to their table and found David sitting alone.

  “Are you not up for dancing?” Harry asked him as he clapped a hand on his shoulder. David smiled politely before rubbing his thigh.

  “I didn’t bring a date. I imagine the men in this room would not appreciate me stealing their woman.”

  “A woman cannot be stolen, David.” Harry wagged a finger at him. Julie stepped forward and offered David her hands.

  “We were about to leave, but do you want to have a quick dance?” she asked brightly. David waved a hand aside with a sheepish grin.

  “I appreciate the gesture, but you two go ahead. They’re setting up the pressroom. You kn
ow, if you sneak out the back you might just miss all of that.”

  Harry clasped hands with David and they patted each other’s backs as they said their goodbyes.

  “Will you tell Edward and Valentina we say good-bye?” he asked. David nodded.

  “It was really nice to meet you,” he said to Julie as they shook hands. “You two make a perfect couple.”

  Harry took Julie’s hand and squeezed. His heart swelling with pride. It was the first time anyone had called them a couple.

  He liked the sound of that.

  The two of them snuck out of the room like a pair of thieves. Tiptoeing along the hall and Harry opened a door for Julie to walk through.

  “Excuse me, you aren’t allowed back here,” a burly security guard appeared in the doorway, startling them both. Harry pulled out a handful of pound notes. “I know, Henry, so if you let us out the back you’d be doing us a massive favor,” he said. The guard looked surprised for a moment, then his eyes flickered down to his own name badge before he cleared his throat and took the money. Then he sidestepped out of their path and Harry tugged on Julie’s hand.

  “Come on,” he muttered as they hurried down the darkened corridor.

  “I can’t believe people actually do that in real life,” Julie said with a laugh. “Do you know where you’re going?”

  “Sure I do; this is the staff entrance,” he pushed the emergency door open and the two of them crept out into the dark night. They were in a secluded parking lot with no press, no flashing cameras, no screaming fans. Just a couple of servers chatting by the dumpsters and a few parked cars.

  “Now what? If we walk around looking like this, it’ll draw attention.” Julie pulled out the clasp in her hair and shook her head. A cascade of blonde waves fell to her shoulders and Harry stared––his mouth suddenly dry–– transfixed. After a moment, he was struck with an idea and pulled his jacket off. Excited, he jogged up to the servers.

  “Hi there,” he said in a friendly manner. The female looked at him with wide eyes and her lips formed a thin line as if she was trying not to squeal. Though Harry couldn’t be sure whether it was out of fear or excitement. He turned to the short male who had a mop of blond hair almost entirely covering his eyes.

  “Do you think I could swap my jacket with yours?” Harry asked, he glanced at Julie as she caught up with him and looked baffled by the question.

  “This is my uniform, sir. I’ll be in trouble if I go back in without it.”

  Harry pulled out a handful of cash and stuffed it in his hand. The brunette gasped and jumped back as the male held the money in his hands like it was going to explode.

  “This is more than I make in a week,” he said in a reverent tone. He shakily pocketed the money and removed his jacket.

  “Then I suggest you tell your boss you got sick and take this lovely lady out on a date.” Harry grinned as they exchanged jackets. The brunette bent over laughing. The man shook the hair out of his eyes revealing a look of horror on his face.

  “She’s my sister, sir,” he said. Movement in Harry’s peripheral vision had him turn to see Julie with her hands covering her mouth and shoulders shaking.

  “Oh, right,” Harry said awkwardly. He thought he was doing so well playing Mr. Smooth. Then the facade came crashing down as he looked from Julie to the brother and sister and swallowed.

  “Well, thanks. Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?”

  Harry smiled and shook his head. Julie waved them off as the servers returned to the building. Once the door swung shut behind them, her smile disappeared, and she placed a hand on Harry’s arm. Her eyes glowed a deep shade of yellow, as if reflecting the streetlights.

  “Now we’re alone, I have something to tell you,” Julie said turning serious. Her brows furrowed as she looked at him. Harry tried to remain casual, but the urgency in her voice had him feeling nervous.

  “Harry, I think I know who is orchestrating the threats and why.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  A Bump in the Night

  Harry didn’t believe Julie. She could see it in his eyes. She reprimanded herself for blurting out this sensitive information. Maybe she could have worded it better?

  “It’s Ebony. Your ex-fiancé is the perpetrator.”

  Yes, she realized she sounded like a character from a detective show. Julie was surprised she even came up with the word “perpetrator” at all. Words were not her forte, fabric was. But the pressing need to divulge this new discovery had been brewing from the moment she left the bathroom. The way Harry’s eyes turned guarded, and his rolled his lips inward, then his jaw clamped shut had her convinced he thought she was making it all up.

  As if I would lie about this.

  “What makes you think that?” he finally asked, sounding far too diplomatic and calm. In her imagination, she saw him march back into the event, his strong arms swinging back and forth, and the veins in his neck bulging as he scanned the room for Ebony intent on bringing justice to all.

  It was a nice fantasy….

  Julie recounted the conversation she had with Ebony in the bathroom. Harry turned thoughtful, rubbing his chin as Julie paced and threw her hands in the air.

  “And then,” she stopped pacing and pointed at him dramatically, “she said ‘one last warning, back off or I will destroy you.’ Do you remember the way the first note was worded?”

  Harry’s brows twitched and his nostrils flared; he did the last thing Julie thought he would do under such circumstances.—he fist-pumped the air and kissed Julie so hard she almost lost her balance. His big hands were on her back again, pulling her toward him, creating a sense of security. It was as if his hands belonged there. For a few blissful moments, she forgot about Ebony, the threats, and even the fact they were standing in a deserted parking lot in the middle of London. If a savvy paparazzi thought to sneak around the back, they would have gotten some juicy pictures for the front cover of any magazine. In that moment, Julie didn’t care. Harry’s lips touched every inch of her face and neck, as his hands pulled her to his body. Julie was on fire. Her arms tingled, every touch magnified by the heat. Her heart pounded so fast she could hear it beating in her eardrums. She moaned. He moaned back. They circled on the spot, as if dancing again, as hands roamed and their passion took them to another realm.

  When they broke apart, they were gasping like fish out of water. Julie’s chest burned from the lack of oxygen. Who knew kissing could be so beautiful, and also so deadly? She never understood the term “kill them with a kiss.” Now she did. All Harry would have to do was keep his lips planted on hers, moaning into it, and she would have been like a lamb at the slaughter.

  It would be a beautiful way to die.

  Julie pressed her fingers to her throbbing lips and grinned as her breathing returned to normal.

  “What was that for?” she asked. Harry took her hand, pressed his lips to her knuckles, and held it to his heart.

  “I’ve wanted to kiss you all day.” He wrapped the server’s jacket around her shoulders and planted a chaste kiss on her forehead. “Come on, let’s go for a walk. We can discuss this mess later. Okay?”

  Julie nodded, figuring he needed time to process this information. It wasn’t every day you found out the person you were to spend eternity with wanted to destroy you.

  Julie and Harry walked through the streets like a couple who escaped their prom early. People who came across them, barely gave them a glance; they were ordinary. Invisible, even. And that was exactly how Julie liked to be.

  “This was a good idea,” she said, squeezing Harry’s hand as they reached the Thames. The moonlight flooded the surface of the water, it looked mystical. “I never thought we would be able to do this.”

  They came to a stop and Julie held onto the iron railing as they looked out at the boats on the water. A cold breeze flowed through her hair and she pulled the jacket tighter around her body. She leaned toward Harry and rested her head on his bicep.

  “I’m
not afraid of Ebony,” Harry blurted out firmly. Julie lifted her head to study his face. He looked out at the water with his brows knitted together. “I’ll admit, I was slightly worried earlier. Now that I know who it is… well, it’s laughable, really.”

  He looked down at Julie and cupped her face. “You don’t need to worry about anything.” He said it so fervently, Julie almost believed him. It was great that he wasn’t concerned, but knowing Ebony wanted his money and was willing to go to any extreme to get it filled her with doubt. She wondered just how far Ebony would go.

  “Do you think we made a mistake coming here without your security?” she asked, glancing around them. The roads were busy with taxis, ferrying partygoers around the city. And the streets were noisy with men and women who had too much to drink. She looked back at Harry who was looking up at the moon.

  “People go out without security all the time. Besides… it’s not as if anyone will recognize me.” He put his arm around Julie’s shoulders and gently tugged at her hair. “For the first time since we met, I feel like I can relax.” He smiled broadly at her. Julie found herself beaming back at him. She stared into his beautiful blue eyes, seeing the image of the moon reflected in them and leaned in for a kiss. The air grew still and quiet. Julie was lost in their moment, like in the movies, when everything fades away and only the lovers remain. As if they were the only two people in the world. But there was a little voice in the back of Julie’s mind that told her something was not quite right. There was a lull in the traffic. She pulled back from the kiss. The street appeared to be empty.

  A sudden movement caught Julie’s eye, but before she saw what it was, Harry cried out with surprise. He slumped forward and moaned then another loud thud had Julie jumping back and screaming. Harry stumbled as three dark figures wearing ski masks surrounded him—then the pounding started. Julie stood with her hands to her mouth, frozen in horror as they repeatedly hit Harry’s torso.