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

hair behind her ear. It wasn’t a total lie. Her mind painted a picture of Edward’s smile. Dimpled cheeks, eyes sparkling. The mental image sent flurries of excitement in her midriff. Suddenly, a shrill alarm broke her train of thought and she jumped to her feet.

“I have to go, love you all,” she said, whilst stuffing her bag with her wallet and phone.

“Cathy, can you take a picture? I want to see what Edward looks like,” Johnny asked. The way he said it was as if he had just asked her to pick up a chocolate bar on the way home from the store. Yet, the thought of pulling out her phone and snapping photographs of Edward sent her into a panic. She was no paparazzi.

Catherine blew a kiss at him and waved a hand with a laugh.

“Bye big bro, love you.”

Catherine’s stomach was doing violent backflips as she caught sight of Edward standing by the front doors to the art gallery. He had his hands stuffed into the pockets of his denim jeans, and he wore a relaxed brown leather jacket. His dark wavy hair appeared to be gelled in place, a slight sheen caught the sunlight and it took all of Catherine’s resolve not to stop walking and sigh. She could imagine him surrounded by swooning fans. Even the professional women walking by glanced at him and did a double take. Catherine bit her lip as she imagined him shirtless, covered in oil, bent over the hood of a car, his perfect rear swaggering side to side as he…

“Hey there, beautiful.” Edward’s welcome and side hug shook Catherine out of her fantasy as she shyly nodded back at him. Then she reprimanded herself for having less than pure thoughts.

When they broke apart, Edward reached into his jacket and like a magician, pulled out a small bunch of flowers.

“These are for you,” he said, with a charming smile. Catherine took the flowers and grazed her fingers across the petals. A soft floral aroma floated up to her nostrils and the yellow pigment on the flowers seemed to reflect the sunshine.

“I love daisies,” she said simply. “My brother buys me these exact ones on my birthday.” As soon as the words escaped her lips, she wanted to pull them back out of the air. But Edward had already heard and cocked his head to the side.

“Your brother must be a really decent guy.”

No hint of sarcasm. No smirk. His statement appeared to be genuine, and that surprised Catherine. Most potential dates would make a snide comment.

“He really is,” she said, carefully placing the flowers in her purse. “He was born with Downs Syndrome, and he is my favorite person.”

It was as if a balloon was inside her chest and she held her breath, waiting for Edward’s reaction. A lot of people would tilt their head and give her a sympathetic look, which would make her blood boil. Edward did not even address what she said, but asked her a question instead.

“What’s his name?”

Catherine exhaled with relief as she opened the glass door to the art gallery.

“Jonathan,” she said, as they entered a large hall filled with pictures. “But he likes to be called Johnny.”

Edward’s reaction surprised Catherine. His eyes widened with apparent recognition, and his face paled in color. Then his expression was heavy set for a moment as if he dove into deep thought. His eyes glistened as a lump travelled down his throat and he shook his head away from her. When he looked back, his dimples were back on show and he was flashing his teeth again.

“I’d love to meet him, someday,” he said, his voice husky with emotion. His behavior sent Catherine’s mind spinning. Did he already know Johnny? Why would he react that way?

“Well, funny you should say that, because he wanted me to get a picture of you.”

“You told him about me?” Edward asked in a delighted tone.

Catherine’s stomach lurched and her cheeks burned as she grinned back at him.

“I can’t hide anything from Johnny. We talk every day,” she confessed. A tug at her stomach sent a lump to her throat. She had never told anyone that before. She was opening up too soon. But there was something about Edward’s friendly and warm manner that had her mouth running before she could think. She was certain that if she had any dark secrets, they would all be brought to light. It was hard to hold anything back. She wanted to tell him everything.

Edward pulled out his phone and held it at arm’s length as he leaned towards Catherine. The stubble on his cheek pressed against Catherine’s and she smiled shyly at his phone, looking at the image of the two of them.

“Recording in three, two, one,” Edward said, as Catherine inhaled the scent of his cologne. “Hey there Johnny, I’m Edward. Your sister is showing me this really cool art gallery today and she’s been telling me you like to buy her flowers on her birthday. You sound like an amazing guy, and I hope we get to meet someday soon.” He finished the recording with a peace sign and stood up straight again. Catherine stared at him dumbfounded as she watched him tap his thumbs on his phone with concentration. A ping followed by a vibration in her bag alerted her to her phone. She pulled it out to see a video message from Edward.

“There you go. Videos are so much better than photos, don’t you think?” Edward said brightly. Catherine’s eyes brimmed with happy tears.

I don’t know who you are Edward, but one day I’m going to marry you, she thought as her heart swelled.

Chapter Ten

Meeting with the Enemy

Edward struggled to pay attention to the portraits on the walls, when he found Catherine to be the most exquisite piece of art in the whole gallery. Her hand fit perfectly in his as they interlocked fingers and the feeling was so natural, Edward forgot it might have been a