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

by Laura Burton

  Harold, a school friend, had taken over his father’s business in the entertainment industry. The glitz and glamor of Hollywood demanded a lot of media attention. It wasn’t long before his friend was known as one of the richest producers in the industry. Apparently, Emily introduced him to his wife, Julie. The two had been happily married for five years and to this day, Harold continued to praise Emily for her matchmaking skills.

  Emily, however, had set David up with the oddest women. Why had she not found him a “Julie”? Were women like that so rare? Were June, the geriatric actress, and Mandy, the fortune teller, the best she could offer him?

  He clenched his jaw. But that wasn’t part of the plan anyway. And besides… had he already found his future wife? Had she been sitting right in front of him that first day he’d met her? He wondered if that was why the other women felt so wrong. No one compared to Emily. The week had been wasted, when he could have spent that time getting to know her.

  David’s mind ran away with him as he fantasized about Emily, and he lost track of time. He berated himself and decided to leave. Grinning like a fool and letting his staff tell his father he’d changed plans, he made his way down the elevator to the lobby.

  Chapter Seven

  Fly Me to The Moon

  “Jaqueline, can you come in, please?” The white door to Emily’s office opened slowly and Jaqueline stuck her head through.

  “Get me the Faulkner file when you’re done, dollface.” Julian’s voice trailed into the office. With her cheeks flushed, Jaqueline looked quizzically around the room until her wide eyes rested on Emily, who was sitting on the couch sipping herbal tea.

  “What can I get you, Ms. Stewart?” Jaqueline asked in her fake-polite voice. Emily motioned for her to sit on the couch. She watched Jaqueline chew her lips and fiddle with the ties hanging down from her wrists. Her white ribbed shirt laced up on the sleeves and neckline; it was quite trendy. Her pencil denim skirt hung past her knees and she wore a pair of brown faded cowboy boots. All in all, not a bad look, she just needed a checked necktie and her hair in a braid and she’d be ready for a rodeo. Jaqueline sat down next to Emily; she was so slight that the couch barely shifted under her weight.

  “How old are you, Jaqueline?” Emily asked softly. Jaqueline stared back, her eyes like saucers and her mouth hanging open.

  “Twenty-one, Ms. Stewart,” she said in the smallest voice. Emily could hardly make out the words. Her hands were trembling. She sat like a little lamb waiting to be taken to the slaughterhouse.

  Really? Am I that scary? Poor timid thing.

  “Are you good at keeping secrets?” Emily asked as she patted her knee. Jaqueline jumped as if struck by a bolt of lightning.

  “I––well––um––yes, I think so,” she stammered, now on her feet again.

  “Great.” She needed to let someone in on the situation she’d hatched and now found herself embroiled in with David. She was too busy to nurture friendships and she hadn’t seen or spoken to her sister for months. Jaqueline on the other hand, well, she saw her every day and she had the added bonus of knowing where she lived. Who better to divulge your deepest secrets to than your personal assistant who picks up your tampons?

  “Sit down, Jaqueline. I need to tell you something. Big. And it needs to stay between us, okay?” Emily said slowly and firmly. Jaqueline’s eyes grew even wider and she settled back down in the seat, looking at Emily with a mixture of relief and intrigue.

  “Okay, Ms. Stewart, I won’t tell a soul, I promise.”

  Emily stood in the restroom staring at herself in the mirror. She pulled off a few stray hairs from her red sweater and smoothed the wrinkles out of her black trousers. A toilet flushed and one of the cubicle doors opened behind her; she turned to see Jaqueline.

  “Did you make the call?”

  “Everything is set up,” she said as she bent over the sink and washed her hands.

  “Good,” Emily said as she exhaled. She eyed Jaqueline carefully, watching her delicately dry her hands with a paper towel.

  “You can call me Emily, you know.”

  Jaqueline stopped moving momentarily and her nostrils flared. Emily couldn’t decide if that was a good sign or not.

  “Thank you, but I think I prefer Ms. Stewart,” she said finally before throwing the used paper towel in the trash. She was so timid, and now she was moody?

  What is the deal with this girl?

  “You have a bit of a temper, don’t you?” Emily rested a hand on her hip as she ran her fingers through her hair.

  “I’m sorry.” Jaqueline’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “I feel better calling you Ms. Stewart… seeing as I’ve called you that for years.”

  “Years? How long have you worked here?”

  “Three years.”

  “Didn’t you go to college?”

  Jaqueline’s nostrils flared again, and her pupils dilated. Emily chewed the inside of her cheek.

  Why is she behaving this way? I’m her boss.

  “I took an internship here instead,” she said firmly. Emily drummed her fingers on her hip bone and surveyed the girl’s determined expression. She was hungry for something. Was it money? Recognition?

  “So, you’ve been here for three years as my personal assistant. Tell me, do you want to work with clients?” As soon as the words left Emily’s mouth, Jaqueline’s eyes lit up.

  “Yes,” she said back to her small voice. The two women stood facing each other in silence.

  “Right, you know the plan. If this works out, you can expect a promotion.”

  Jaqueline rocked on the heels of her feet and clasped her hands together her face broke out into a beaming smile.

  “Thank you, Ms. Stewart. Thank you.”

  Emily sat at her desk with her fingers interlocking and resting on her pink notepad. She looked up at the clock and shifted in her chair, uncrossing her ankles and crossing them again nervously. She had managed to keep busy with meetings that morning. Now that she’d met with everyone in her company, she sat at her desk with nothing left to do but wait.

  When her yellow phone rang, Emily jumped in her seat and stared at it like it was a bomb. She cleared her throat, straightened her back, and picked up the phone.

  “Emily Stewart speaking.”

  “Hi Emily, it’s Matthew.” Emily deliberated whether he spoke in a tone that suggested he was happy or politely irritated.

  “Ah, thank you for your call Matthew.”

  “Found yourself a fella already, have you? That was fast.”

  “Actually, I have a bit of a confession to make.”

  “Ah. I’m sorry, but you should know that I’m happily married.”

  “Sorry?” She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms.

  “Hmm, you weren’t going to confess your undying love for me?”

  “I––we’ve never even met!” Emily spluttered, caught off guard. Mathew chortled down the phone as she chewed her lip and wondered what to say.

  “Sorry,” he said as he wheezed. “Bad joke, but I couldn’t resist.”

  Emily swallowed and clutched the phone in her hand as she built up the courage to speak again.

  “I was not entirely honest with you during our previous conversation.”

  “Is that so?”

  “You see, I like to keep my private life just that, private. When you asked me if I was in a relationship, I was not quite sure how to reply honestly. My husband––”

  “You’re married?”

  “Yes, my husband is very private and stays out of the media.”

  “Oh, so he’s famous? Some hunk Hollywood actor I know?”

  “No, no he’s not an actor.”

  “Hmm. All right, well this is interesting. I’ll tell you what, let’s have dinner and talk about your proposition.”

  Butterflies flew around in Emily’s midriff as a surge of excitement coursed through her veins.

  “That is a great idea, I’d be more than happy to––”

>   “You and your husband, of course. We can arrange a discreet venue, I’m sure.”

  Emily stared at the wood grain of her desk and froze. “Right. Of course.” Panicked, she lost sensation in her arms. “When are you thinking?”

  Matthew cleared his throat loudly and hummed. Emily imagined he was scrolling through his calendar.

  “I’ll have to talk to the other investors and get back to you,” he said gruffly. Emily exhaled and wriggled in her chair.

  “That’s fine. We’ll smooth out the details later.” She dragged her fingers through her hair and chewed her upper lip. When the call ended, she looked up at the clock to see she was late. As if on cue, the door swung open and Joffrey strolled into the office. His full red beard was straight and smooth, and Emily wondered if he used hair straighteners on it. She smirked at the thought.

  “Can I help you?” she asked as Joffrey walked toward her. He stopped on the spot and rolled his shoulders back.

  “Yes, I am here to take you to your—” He looked shiftily around the room as if to check for prying ears. “—husband,” he added. Emily laughed.

  “Okay, Joffrey, thank you. I’ll just get my bag.”

  Chapter Eight

  Fly Me to the Moon

  “Is this too much?” David asked Robert as he pointed to his bow tie. He was all thumbs, fumbling with his buttons when he got dressed, and he changed his mind on his shirt five times before he settled on a simple light grey one. Robert looked like he was resisting the urge to roll his eyes and gave David an odd smile.

  “No,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. David typically reminded people to maintain manners and who was the boss… but this was Robert. Joffrey and Robert were like older brothers to David. They knew everything about him, and of all the staff, only they were granted the right of being less formal. Only in private, of course. David pulled on the tie and stuffed it in his pocket.

  A black limousine pulled up alongside the gentlemen. David nervously ruffled the front of his dark hair and unbuttoned the top of his shirt. He clamped his jaw as he watched Henry get out of the car and smile at him. David gave him a nod and Henry opened the back door.

  Two narrow feet wearing black stilettoes stepped out of the car, and he caught sight of a flash of silky-smooth legs, looking tanned next to the ivory cotton skirt that came to the knee. Henry held out his arm and a slender hand reached out. David’s mouth was dry as he swallowed and shifted his weight on the spot. He placed his hands in his pockets, then clasped them in front of him, unsure what to do with them. Emily stood up gracefully. Her long hair caught in a gust of wind, flew to the side like she was in a shampoo advertisement. Her big eyes narrowed when she spotted him, but her lips curved into a grin.

  “Hello,” she said. Her words sent a bolt of excitement through David and he sprung into a hurried walk toward her. He stuck out his hand for her to shake, her eyes lingered on it as if she had never seen a hand before. David dropped it with a laugh and raised his arms and gave her an awkward hug.

  “How was your morning?”

  Emily placed her hands on her hips and leaned to the side, eyeing the helicopter behind David.

  “Boring,” she said. “Looks like my day is about to get more interesting though.” Joffrey and Robert followed them to the helicopter, but David turned and pressed a finger to his lips in thought.

  “I’d like you both to stay here.”

  Robert and Joffrey exchanged looks. “There’s a great coffee shop just down the road. Please wait. We’ll be back in a few hours.”

  He looked around the deserted parking lot and his eyes landed on Emily again. She was a jewel in the desert. She flashed him a grin and her pearly white teeth shone in the sunlight.

  “What’s for lunch? I’m starving.” She slipped her hand through the crook of his arm and the two of them walked to the helicopter. David couldn’t help but notice the sheer material of her blouse that revealed the gentle curves of her shoulders and the refined collarbone above the sweetheart neckline. He was ravenous as well—though maybe for something entirely different than food.

  He stood beside the helicopter door and held Emily’s hand as she climbed inside. “Whatever you want,” he said as he followed her inside.

  “I’m really craving a Cinnabon.” Emily stepped aside as David closed the door and climbed into the pilot’s seat.

  “That sounds like a healthy lunch,” he mused as he started the engine. He glanced back to see Emily with her mouth hanging open.

  “You’re flying?”

  David turned back to the control and grinned to himself.

  “Come and take a seat.” He patted on the co-pilot’s chair and watched Emily from the corner of his eye as she hesitantly climbed into the seat. He handed her a pair of headphones, then cranked the engine.

  “Put these on,” he shouted over the sound of the engine. The propeller was spinning loudly and the helicopter rumbled. Emily placed the headphones on her head and David did the same.

  “You look so cute,” he said, seeing the earphones squishing her cheeks. Emily pulled a face and cocked her head to the side.

  “What?” she shouted.

  David shook his head and busied himself with the controls.

  “Ready?” Not waiting for her reply, he piloted the aircraft up and over New York City. The skyscrapers sparkled in the blazing sunshine and David glanced over at Emily to see her reaction. Her hand flew over and grabbed his leg as she leaned into the window. David swallowed and focused on keeping the helicopter in flight, ignoring the pinching sensation of Emily’s fingernails digging into his leg. After a few minutes, she pulled her hand away and David caught sight of her cheeks reddening as she bit her lip and looked away. He took a hard right and the helicopter swung to the side; Emily gasped and gripped the bottom of her seat. Her back was straight as a board and her eyes were like saucers, taking in the scenery.

  “Do you like it?” he shouted. Emily turned to him and offered a beaming smile. Her face was lit up like a little girl on Christmas day.

  “This is AMAZING.”

  David reached their destination, a large skyscraper with a hidden helipad on the rooftop.

  “Wow,” Emily said with a big sigh, once the engine stopped running. David wondered if she had been holding her breath. “What a rush!”

  “Have you never been in a helicopter before?” David asked as they unfastened their belts and straightened their clothes. Emily pulled off her headphones and shook her head.

  “I’ve set up dates for clients before. I know they do helicopter tours of the city and always wanted to do it, but just haven’t had the time.”

  They locked eyes for a moment and just stared at one another. Sitting in such close proximity, David could make out the faint freckles on Emily’s cheeks and the shine of her lip gloss invited him in for a kiss. He inhaled nervously. Flurries of excitement grew in his stomach as he considered making a move. What was the hesitation? It was so easy to throw caution to the wind and dive in the night before. Now… in broad daylight, there was something about her guarded eyes and the way she leaned back against the window that had him wondering; maybe she didn’t want him to kiss her?

  “Shall we get out?” Emily said. David snapped out of his thoughts and nodded. He climbed out of the helicopter and held Emily’s hand. She remained perfectly poised as she descended the steps and smoothed her skirt.

  “Where are we?”

  David motioned for them to walk and Emily linked her arm with his.

  “I thought we could eat somewhere private… with a view.”

  They entered through a steel door and David led Emily down a flight of steps. The hall wrapped around a corner and David raised his watch to a metal grid beside a door. It clicked and the door swung open. When they entered, David craned his neck to get a good look at Emily’s reaction.

  “Oh.”

  Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened as she took in the room. David beamed with pride, happy with the respo
nse.

  “Is this… a ballroom?”

  She let go of David’s arm and twirled in the center of the huge room. Three large chandeliers hung from the mirrored ceiling and a line of glass windows covered the back wall. The golden sunshine shimmered over Emily’s dark hair with her movements and she spread her arms out wide. David had been impressed at how composed she was, yet it was a rush seeing that she had the ability to let her hair down with such enthusiasm.

  “It could be a ballroom,” he finally said. Realizing he had not yet answered Emily’s question. He strolled over to her and offered his hands. She accepted it, and they took a dancing position and waltzed around in circles amongst the circular tables in the hall. A resounding bang had them drop their hands and look at the door.

  “So sorry,” a petite woman, dressed as a chef walked into the room with a large trolley of food. A group of staff followed. David watched them dress one of the circular tables and set out their meal. He marveled at how fast they were able to work and noticed that no one made eye contact with him.

  “Thank you,” he said as he motioned for Emily to take a seat. She gracefully lowered into a chair and smiled up at the staff working around them.

  “Thanks, this is great,” she said to the chef as she put down a plate of food in front of her. Wild salmon on a bed of brown rice and quinoa with an array of vegetables adorned the plate. Even to David, who was a bigger fan of red meat, salivated at the sight of it. He gestured to the chef.

  “Excuse me.”

  The chef jumped at the sound of David’s voice and straightened her hat as she hurried over to him. Her dark narrow eyes were wide with anticipation. David leaned close to her and she clasped her hands together as he whispered into her ear.

  “Could you prepare some cinnamon buns for dessert?”

  The chef’s face broke into a smile and she bowed her head. “Yes, sir,”

  David eyed Emily, who had already placed her napkin in her lap and picked up her knife and fork. “You’re not waiting around, hey?”