Billionaires in New York Boxed Set: Billionaires in the City Books 1-3 by Laura Burton (learn to read books .TXT) 📕

A pang of guilt ached within her midriff, and she momentarily lowered her eyes from his.

“It’s my fault.” She pulled her arms away as if breaking the spell he had over her and walked over to David. “I insisted we kept it quiet.” She took David’s clammy hand in hers and squeezed.

“Would you like me to get you a drink?” David asked as if on autopilot. Mr. Marks waved a hand as he strolled into the kitchen area and took out a glass from one of the cabinets.

“It’s all right, I can help myself,” he replied as he poured himself a drink. David and Emily took the opportunity to exchange looks.

“Play along?” Emily whispered to him. David nodded his head ever so slightly and cleared his throat. Emily turned to Mr. Marks who had settled himself down on the couch. The same couch she and David made out on just minutes earlier. She bit her quivering lip.

“I was just explaining to Mr. Marks––”

“Please call me Charles.”

“Right, Charles… I was on my way out to the store,” Emily added as she turned back to look at David.

“And I said that was preposterous at this time of night. You have staff to help you with errands.”

Charles took a sip of his drink and surveyed the couple over his glass. Emily stood frozen on the spot, her hand squeezing David in a death grip.

“You’re quite right,” David said as he tugged on her hand and they walked over to join Charles in the seating area. “Emily likes to have autonomy. Nevertheless, I am trying to persuade her to delegate responsibilities.”

David and Charles continued to have a polite conversation about the lifestyle they had been accustomed to, and Emily found herself daydreaming. Private jet planes, security staff, dieticians, a personal chef, driver, shrink… Emily snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of her name.

“Emily, are you feeling well?”

She blinked several times and looked from Charles to David with a quizzical look. She caught a glimpse of movement in the corner of her eye and turned to see Charles place his empty glass on the coffee table and stand up.

“I think it best that I let you to two rest. I apologize for interrupting your evening.” He held out his hand for David to shake. Then he turned to Emily, deep lines formed around his eyes and his cheeks dimpled as he smiled. “It was charming to meet you, Emily. I look forward to spending more time with you next week.”

“Yes, next week! So much to prepare!” Emily said heartily as the three of them walked to the door. David clapped Charles on the back of his shoulders and opened the door for him.

“Good night,” he said as he turned on the spot and left the penthouse.

“Cheerio.”

David closed the door and looked at Emily incredulously.

“Cheerio?”

Emily creased over with laughter.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I have no idea where that came from.” David walked across to the breakfast bar.

“Our drinks have gone cold. What do you say we grab a fresh hot chocolate and talk about our next move?”

Emily sighed. Her ankles were aching, and her neck was sore. She longed to take off her tight dress and get into her snuggly pajamas. But unfortunately, David was right. They had to talk.

“Lovely, but just one thing; do you mind if I take my shoes off? These heels are pinching my toes like crazy.”

Emily stared up at the white ceiling of the bedroom in her downtown apartment. Her shoes were cast across the bedroom floor, along with her black dress, and she spread out like a starfish on a king-size bed finally in her favorite pair of pajamas. The sun was starting to creep up into the sky and an orange glow flooded the room as Emily replayed the events of the evening.

She was the new Mrs. Marks––unofficially. Surely, this was the best outcome she could have hoped for.

Then, why do I feel so sick?

She rolled over to her side and clutched her stomach as she watched the hands on her bedside clock tick. All her problems were now solved. She could call Matthew and explain to the investors that she was married after all. It would be easy to explain that David, in his high profile position, wanted to keep their marriage private.

Then, I’ll open up a new office in LA and live my new life following an amicable “divorce.”

She narrowed her eyes and scrunched up her nose at the thought. That plan had several ethical flaws.

Or did it? The investors refusal to work with her because of her marital status was downright discrimination. And David was in a sticky situation. His family thought he was married––that wasn’t Emily’s doing. He told that lie. She only manipulated his dating experiences. The somewhat unfortunate chain of events that followed allowed her to step in and take on the role as his wife. She was doing him a favor.

Though David had made it clear in their initial interview he was looking for love. Not just a woman to take on the title of wife.

Emily ruined that.

She rubbed her temples and closed her eyes against the throbbing migraine beginning to form. She had fooled David into thinking that she was doing him a favor, but he didn’t know her motivation was not entirely altruistic.

He’s so sweet and kind… He shouldn’t be with a person like me.

The man had his steak burnt to a crisp because she hated the sight of blood. Who does that for a person they’ve barely met? He spoke to her in a way that made her feel like an equal—that there was not a huge financial rift between them.

His grandmother looked so frail and weak, struggling to hold the camera as she spoke on the phone. Then there was Charles, who had in ten minutes, shown her more warmth than her own father had in her entire lifetime. She rolled onto her back and crossed her arms.

With a frown her mind replayed the