by Laura Burton
Seeing Edward so in love made David equally nauseated and happy. He never thought he would see the day that his brother would settle down and marry. Yet, here he was. A doting husband who did everything to keep Catherine happy.
David had never even had a girlfriend. He could sense that all eyes were on him now to find “the one.” But that was almost impossible for a Billionaire. Even Edward had to go undercover and pretend he was just a mechanic to meet Catherine.
Money can open doors, sure. But it also raises barriers. His two burly security guards alone were off-putting enough. Add in the family politics, and any potential bride would go running. Edward set his glass down with a thump and David snapped out of his thoughts as an excited babble of talk flooded his senses.
“What is it? Charles, what is it?” Grandmother Marks said, craning her neck to watch Edward cross the private room. David glanced back at Catherine to see her whole face light up and hands clasp together.
“Edward, you didn’t!” Her whole face was flushing now, as Edward returned with a bundle in his arms.
“Oh my word, is that a mole rat?” Grandmother Marks asked, prompting the rest of the table to laugh. Edward rejoined Catherine and handed her the ugliest looking cat David had ever seen.
“Oh my goodness,” Catherine said as she took the cat in her arms and cooed. David raised his brows and exchanged looks with Sam. Neither one of them needed to say it aloud. They were both thinking the same thing.
Edward has officially gone mad.
Once the secret was out, and Catherine knew who Edward really was, he pulled out all the stops. He took no time to present her with a strange elephant painting that she apparently wanted. Whisked her away to the Bahamas after three weeks, where he proposed. They flew to England for their honeymoon and Edward came back announcing he was now sponsoring a new Formula 1 team. Then he took more interest in 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 [email protected].
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 aro
und the room unable to make contact with hers.
“My brother is getting married in four months, and I was wondering….”
“Oh, Jaqueline. I thought you’d never ask. I’m so happy you’ve come to me and, yes, I will help you.” Emily picked up her purse and rooted through her Gucci wallet.
“What?” Jaqueline stood, blinking as Emily handed her a business card.
“Ask for Candice, she does the best wax. Ask for HD brows and do not use those nasty tanning beds at the mall. Ask for Joy, she’ll do a light natural spray tan.” Emily circled Jaqueline looking her up and down.
“It’s unfortunate you didn’t give me more notice; my hair stylist has a six-month waiting list. Perhaps he has an apprentice who could take a look at you.”
Jaqueline opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water.
“I didn’t mean––”
Emily placed her hands on her hips.
“You don’t want a makeover and shopping spree? Surely, you’re not getting ready for a wedding without any help?” A hint of a frown appeared on Jaqueline’s face as she stood up a little more upright.
“I am going shopping with my sister next weekend, and my mom is going to do my hair.”
Emily forced a smile. Such a wasted opportunity.
“I was hoping that you could––”
Emily clapped her hands, struck by a sudden epiphany.
“Oh, you need to find a date. Well, I’m not sure it’s something I could do for free, I mean, you’re not a bad-looking girl, but it would take considerable effort on my part to find someone.”
“I have a boyfriend,” Jaqueline said quickly.
Emily stared at her defiant face and pursed her lips.
“My brother is having a small wedding in Hawaii.”
“How romantic.” Emily sighed, her eyes glazed over as she imagined standing on the sandy shores surrounded by friends and family with a string quartet playing “Canon in D” as she looked adoringly at the faceless groom in front of her.
“I need to take a couple of days off.” Jaqueline’s voice was stronger now, she seemed to have found her courage. Emily threw her hands in the air and rolled her eyes.
“Why didn’t you just say that at the beginning?”
“You didn’t let me finish.”
“Yes, sorry, I did get carried away, didn’t I? Well make sure you send me the dates you need off, and I’ll hire a temp to cover you.”
“Thank you, Ms. Stewart.” Jaqueline turned to leave.
“You know, if you change your mind about the makeover, the offer is still open.”
Jaqueline’s smile did not reach her eyes.
“I’ll think about it, thank you.” She vacated the room and closed the door behind her. Emily shimmied along the white desk and looked out of the window at the skyscrapers across the street. Her office was well-placed in downtown New York. Just a hop, skip, and jump away from Tiffany’s – the local hot spot for engagement rings—and a breath away from the Empire State Building—a popular place for proposals. The yellow phone sitting in its cradle sang loudly in the room, diverting Emily’s attention away from the window. Usually phone calls were directed to Jaqueline unless the person had her direct number. With a frown, she lifted the handset and placed it to her ear.
“Find My Companion matchmaking services, Emily Stewart speaking.”
“Good morning Emily, this is Matthew Haines.”
“Matthew. Right… hello.” Emily flipped open her pink diary and chewed the inside of her cheek as she found his name. “Matthew Haines, Investor” was underlined several times. Matthew approached Emily at a business networking event the previous week. She was on the hunt for someone to invest in her business plans and he was the only person who showed any interest.
“A couple of things have come up and the investors have asked me to go ahead with our call alone. I’ll provide feedback to them afterward.”
“Right….”
“I need to move our call to this morning.”
Emily lowered into her large leather chair and crossed her feet.
“Oh, of course, I could move some things around.” She placed the phone on speaker and pressed the buzzer next to her phone. Jaqueline opened the door and Emily motioned for her to remain silent and listen.
“What time are you thinking?” Emily attempted to sound bright and breezy, like this was not the most annoying change of events ever. She scrawled a note on her new pink diary and held it up to Jaqueline.
“I wondered if this might be a convenient time?” Matthew’s drawl had Emily imagining a retired cowboy sitting in a Texan smokehouse, ready to pony up to some beef brisket while catching the game on the big screen. He sounded far too relaxed to be discussing something as important as this. Emily nodded along.
“Absolutely, that will be fine. I’ll just need to put you on hold for a moment while I talk to my assistant.”
“Fine by me.”
Emily looked up at Jaqueline in horror.
“I need you to cancel my nine o’ clock, and tell Mr. Michaels I’ll call him later. Reschedule for this afternoon,” she murmured to her. Jaqueline nodded quickly and left the room. After taking a deep breath, Emily straightened her back and cracked her knuckles.
“I can do this,” she whispered. “Hello again, Matthew, thanks for holding.” She fiddled with the Cross pen in her hands as she spoke.
“You have a cute accent there, don’t tell me you’re a New Yorker?” Emily rolled her eyes and inwardly sighed at the question. Really? After all these years, I still have an accent?
“Well, I’ve been living in New York for almost a decade now,” she began.
“So, where are you from? Tell me about yourself.”
“Really? Okay.” Emily rubbed her palms together and cracked her neck. This conversation was not going the way she had planned.
“I grew up in London.”
“London, that’s the accent!” Matthew’s voice boomed out of the speaker.
“…where I attended Oxford and received straight As.” Emily continued, undeterred. “In addition to my studies, I took on extracurricular activities such as charity fundraising, and I earned a black belt in martial arts.” Emily inhaled and held her breath. The heavy silence from the other side of the phone prompted her to continue. She exhaled. “I graduated from Oxford university with honors in psychology, focusing on family and relationships. I also studied business, so when I left university, I decided to combine my skills and knowledge and start up a match-making business here in New York.”
“If I wanted to know about your education and career, I would have read your resume.” Matthew’s tone of voice sat like an anvil on Emily’s chest.
“Note taken, then what is it you want to know about me?”
“Tell me about your hobbies, your family… what makes you, Emily Stewart?”
Emily looked up at the white ceiling and opened her mouth in surprise. Now that’s a question. What makes me… me? Emily chewed her lip anxiously.
“I am a people person; it’s why I love what I do. I am too busy for hobbies. My work is my hobby. When I’m not meeting with clients and potential matches, I am writing up documentation, studying the market, and networking with other business owners.”
“Are you married?”
“No, I’m––”
“So, you’re in a long-term relationship, I gather?”
Emily’s brows furrowed as she pouted at the hand receiver.
“No, no, I’m far too busy to maintain a relationship of my own.” She laughed in an attempt to sound lighthearted. Matthew mumbled something incoherent.
“As you have seen in my proposal, Find My Companion has been in business for almost ten years. We have twelve employees and an extensive client list. I am confident that opening a site in LA is the best move to expand and dramatically grow our business. I assure you; this business opportunity is quite lucrative; market research has shown––”
“I’m just cur
ious….” Matthew’s firm voice stopped Emily in her tracks, and she fell silent.
“Yes?”
“What do you know about love?” Matthew’s words hit Emily squarely between the eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she spluttered, now digging her claw-like false nails into the edge of her desk.
“You’re not married… you’re not in a relationship. It doesn’t sound like a good image for someone who sells love.”
“I would have you know that I have a vast number of happy clients who have found—”
“I’m going to make this simple,” Matthew said frankly. “Get yourself a husband, then we’ll talk about investing.”
Emily bit her lip firmly.
“You’re not going to invest because I’m not married?” Emily asked incredulously, she surveyed the bare ring finger on her left hand as she spoke.
“If you want to increase your brand and maximize exposure, you need to look the part.”
“So, I need to be married?” I can’t believe this! Emily fumed.
“Ideally, yes.”
“Right, so I just go out and get myself a husband and we’ll talk again?” Emily glared into the phone.
“Hey, finding a match is what you do, isn’t it?” Matthew chortled.
Emily forced a smile as she spun around in her chair and stared out at the sky rise across the road. The large office windows reflected the sunshine, shielding the image of the thousands of faceless workers going about their day.
“Right, piece of cake,” she mumbled after she and Mathew exchanged their goodbyes and she hung up the phone.
“Jaqueline!” The cream door swung open and Jaqueline’s narrow frame appeared in the doorway.
“Yes, Ms. Stewart?” she asked quickly.
“Bring me the file of our eligible bachelors, and I need you to get me a cinnamon bun from that donut place across the street.”
“Actually, Ms. Stewart, someone is sitting in the waiting room for you,” Jaqueline said furtively.