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

David shifted in the seat and rubbed the back of his neck.

“I have to go.”

“All right, I’ll see you at the island.”

David and his father looked at each other silently for a moment before they simultaneously nodded to each other, in mutual understanding.

David returned to his seat just as the two men on either side of Mathew stood up.

“Excuse us, we need to fly out to Chicago for an early meeting.” They shook hands with David. Emily stood up and reached out her hand.

“Thank you for meeting me,” she said as she shook hands with them both.

“We look forward to seeing how this turns out. Mathew will keep us posted.”

Mathew offered a salute, and the gentlemen left the restaurant.

“That was fast,” David said as he and Emily took their seats. Mathew chortled into his glass.

“Time is money, Mr. Marks. You should know that.”

Emily placed her hand on David’s, the warmth of her touch sent surprising shivers through him.

“They like my proposal.” She gave a dramatic pause, her eyes glinting in the dim lights. “Thankfully, they didn’t recognize you, and they’re going to invest.”

Emily flashed her teeth at him proudly and turned back to Mathew, her hand falling onto her lap as she moved. David’s fingers twitched against the burning sensation where her hand touched his skin.

“Great.”

Mathew got up from the table and tucked his checked shirt into his pants.

“Well, I’ll settle the check.” He licked a hand and smoothed down his straw-like hair to the side before straightening his tie.

“You’re leaving?” Emily asked.

David couldn’t decide if she sounded hopeful or politely disappointed. Mathew’s shoulders shook as he chuckled, the sound bubbled in the back of his throat.

“Like I said, time is money. It was nice to meet you both, and David, next time you’re in Texas, give me a shout. I’ll show you what a real smokehouse looks like.”

David shook his sweaty hand and smiled politely.

“I will,” he lied. Mathew swaggered off to the bar walking across the room as if he owned the place. David turned back to Emily.

“They didn’t even stay for dessert.” Her face paled as she looked at him, most likely in a state of shock knowing the investors were on board.

“Do you want to take dessert back to our place?”

Emily looked pointedly at David with her brows raised. His pulse thumped against his temples as his blood rose to his face by her response.

“I need to get back to my place, there’s so much to do. I’ve got calls to make and get things moving before we go to your grandmother’s party.”

“Which reminds me, if you want to convince my family that you’re Mrs. Marks, you will need to look the part.”

Emily cocked her head to the side and twirled her hair around her finger. David wanted to run his hands through those curls.

“Oh, what are you thinking?”

He knew she wasn’t asking him to tell her what he was literally thinking at that moment. But the truth blurted out of him before he could muster any self-control.

“I can’t stop thinking about kissing you.”

Emily bit her lip and her cheeks flooded with color at his response. She was irresistible. David swallowed nervously and balled his hands into fists. Control yourself, David. You’re behaving like a teenage boy. But he couldn’t help it. That’s just how he felt around Emily. Was he falling for her? So soon?

Emily leaned in and his heart raced. The scent of her floral perfume filled his nostrils and sent his head spinning. He licked his lips and leaned in, anticipating their lips meeting. Instead, Emily brushed her cheek against his and pressed her soft lips against his temple.

“I need to go,” she whispered in his ear. David closed his eyes at the sound of her gentle voice. He was under her spell. If she told him to drive off the edge of a cliff, he was certain there would be no hesitation. He nodded.

“All right,” he murmured. Emily got to her feet, David grasped her hands and squeezed as he looked up at her.

“Thank you for your help tonight. I couldn’t have done this without you,” she said softly. David jumped to his feet and looked down at her. The silver clasp in her hair sparkled.

“You could. And you did.” He kissed the back of her hand.

“I’ll call you,” she said, sliding her hands away. She turned and walked confidently out of the restaurant. David looked on, immobile and helpless. He just stood there, forgetting what he was doing, or where he was supposed to go. His father’s words echoed in his ears. The less she knows about that, the better.

He swallowed the rest of his drink and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He wanted to get down on his knees at Emily’s feet and confess everything. She was so sure and upfront. He had to tell her.

But would she be able to look at me again, once she knows the truth? He shook his head, determined. He would have to take the risk, she deserved to know. Resolved, he marched out of the restaurant.

Chapter Eleven

Beautiful Chaos

“Julian, I’m sorry to call so late.”

“Everything all right, Emily?” Julian’s voice sounded tired echoing out of the phone resting on the table.

“Yes, how are my clients doing?” Emily asked, trying to sound chirpy.

“Can’t this wait until tomorrow?”

“You’re right, sorry. I wanted to talk to you about the company and the changes—”

“You’re opening an office in LA,” Julian finished for her in a bored tone.

“How did you know?”

“Everyone knows. It’s all you’ve ever talked about for the last six months.”

“Right. Well, it’s finally happening.”

“Good for you. It’s a great move… Why are you calling me?” His frankness set Emily back a bit. She took a breath and frowned.

“I want you to take over the New York office.”

Silence.

“Emily… I don’t know what to say.”

“Say, ‘thank you, this is the opportunity of a lifetime,’ or something. You’ve been working alongside me from the beginning, I can’t think of