Page 1 of Tempting the Billionaire (Billionaire Brothers #5)

Emma

I drop the final box in the middle of the living room and heave a deep sigh. I glance around at the sea of cardboard, blank walls, and sterile floors. I’m home.

My new home. The home that’s going to be a whole lot better than my last one.

While others might see my abrupt turn in life as a step down—newly single, living on my own, in a much smaller and crappier apartment—I see it for what it truly is. Freedom.

It took me far too long to see my relationship with Justin for what it was.

Toxic. Borderline verbally abusive. And a hundred percent bad for my mental state.

We’d met in college, moved in together right after graduation, and lived together for three years.

I’ve never really known adulthood without him.

But while I truly did love him, our relationship was peppered with a dynamic that left me feeling unloved, used, and lonely.

And finally, I couldn’t take it anymore.

I’d left. The fight was epic, unbearable. I was almost afraid. But ultimately, he’d let me go. And here I am, in my very own apartment, out on my own.

It’s strange. I feel eighteen again, going off on my own. But deep down, I know it’s good for me.

I reach for the box labeled, “kitchen,” pulling out my coffee machine and setting it up for the morning. If there’s one thing I need up and running, it’s my coffee maker. And I need to be on my best game tomorrow. Because not only have I changed homes, I’ve changed jobs.

Ever since graduation, I’ve worked for Justin’s family jewelry company. They were hiring, I had an in, and I took a job that I assumed would be temporary that just ended up turning into years. I handled inventory, dealt with customers, and did a lot of the backend administrative work.

That is, until they went out of business three months ago.

As a small family company, they just couldn’t compete with the big-name jewelers.

It was sad—I did truly like Justin’s family, and the store—but even if it hadn’t gone out of business, I would’ve left.

I need all ties from Justin completely gone from my life.

I shake my head, knowing his blood would boil if he knew the new job I’d picked up. But my only job experience has been working at a jewelry store—it just made sense that that’s where I’d apply.

I didn’t think I’d immediately be hired by Bishop Jewelers, the oldest and most high-end jeweler on the East Coast. And Justin’s family business’ rivals for years.

Either way, I’m excited for a fresh start.

I glance around the apartment again, slightly daunted by the amount of boxes.

Resigned to simply relax and leave the mess for slightly later, I order some Thai food on my phone.

Unpacking can wait for tomorrow evening.

Tonight, I plan on eating a delicious Pad Thai and watching reality TV on my laptop.

I stroll down Newbury Street, my kitten heels clacking on the pavement.

The street is lined with some of Boston’s nicest and fanciest storefronts, including Bishop Jewelers.

Nervous butterflies flutter in my stomach.

It’s a mixture of excitement and anxiety.

Excitement because this is a start to my brand-new life.

And nerves because I feel like so much is riding on this.

I haven’t started a new job in years. And I really want to prove myself.

Hence the stiff, high-necked blouse, pencil skirt, and heels.

While I’d always dressed nicely at Stoll Jewelry, I never dressed this nice.

I don’t know, something about the high stakes, the Bishop legacy, and the idea of working on Newbury street just got to me, and I’d gone out to buy a completely new wardrobe. Hopefully it pays off.

The shop comes into view, and the butterflies intensify.

I take a deep breath before gently pushing the door open and stepping into the grand and beautifully decorated flagship location of Bishop Jewelers.

Gorgeous jewelry is displayed beneath elegant glass cases all throughout the store, the warm light above only highlighting their beauty.

“Welcome in,” a kind voice calls.

I glance over to see a woman who looks to be about my age smiling at me from behind the counter. “Hi,” I say. “My name is Emma Hayes. I’m the new sales associate.”

The woman’s smile brightens further. “Oh yes, Emma! I was told you’d be in today.” She comes around the counter, her hand outstretched. “I’m Rachel. ”

I shake her hand, feeling a bit of my nerves washing away.

“I’m so glad to finally have another sales associate. There’s only a handful of us, meaning I end up working some days here all by myself. It’s gets hella boring and lonely.”

I laugh. “Glad to be of help.”

“I’ll show you around,” she says, turning and heading back behind the counter.

I follow. “The register is over here, along with keys and security system info.” Rachel points out all the important aspects of the register, as well as how to turn the security system on when leaving, how to unlock cases, and the like.

“I know I’m bombarding you with information, so feel free to re-ask any and all questions later,” she says with a laugh.

“Also, Ezra will be in later, so you can also ask him questions.”

“Ezra?” I ask. I wrack my brain, suddenly panicking that I’ve forgotten someone important. The person I’d interviewed with was named Beth, the sales manager. Who’s Ezra?

“Ezra Bishop,” Rachel says. “The heir and current owner of Bishop Jewelers. He runs everything since his father retired about five years ago.”

“Oh,” I say, feeling slightly embarrassed to not have known. Honestly, I didn’t even realize Bishop Jewelers was still family owned and operated. I thought, like the majority of companies, that their name was just a name. Especially for a company as prominent as this.

“How much do you know about jewelry?” she asks me.

“Quite a bit, actually,” I say with a humble shrug. “I worked at a jeweler for the last three years.”

Rachel’s eyes widen in pleasant surprise. “Oh great, then this transition should be a breeze. You know all the basics—gemstones, metals, cut, clarity?”

I nod. “Yep. Could recite it all in my sleep.”

She mimes thanking God, rolling her eyes heavenward.

I laugh. We spend the next few hours going over various things around the store, stopping to greet customers and help them with questions and sales.

I can already feel myself relaxing—I think I’m going to fit in just fine here.

Rachel is as nice as can be, and the basics of being a sales associate at a jewelry store are all the same.

I hear the light ring of the bell above the door and look up to see that someone new has entered the store. I move to greet them but am stopped in my tracks when I fully register what is in front of me.

Quite possibly the most attractive man I have ever seen.

Tall, lean, speckles of gray in his dark brown hair, wearing a dark blue suit, he strides across the store like he owns it.

I resist the urge to physically bite my lip.

Holy shit is this guy hot. Probably coming in to buy his lucky lady something special—like most of the men who come in here.

Damn, I wish I had someone like this buying me jewelry.

With a physical shake of my head, I snap myself out of it. Focus, Emma .

“Welcome to Bishop Jewelers,” I call as he approaches the counter, his steps seeming more and more purposeful the closer he gets. “I’m—”

“Emma Hayes,” he interrupts me.

I halt, my mouth still open. I blink, then respond, “Yes …”

The man offers me a small smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling in a way I never thought could be so downright sexy . “I’m Ezra Bishop. I was told you’d be starting today.” He holds out a hand, and I gingerly take it. His grip is strong and firm, and then it’s gone.

“Oh yes,” I say, realization dawning on me. Damn, Rachel forgot to mention that Ezra Bishop was the fucking hottest man on the planet. “Mr. Bishop, so nice to meet you.”

He shakes his head, coming around the side of the counter and beckoning me to follow him into the back room. “Call me Ezra—Mr. Bishop makes me feel old.”

I follow him through a doorway and into a back area I haven’t been in yet since Rachel and I have been so busy with customers this morning.

There are shelves filled with stock items, along with a workbench where I assume jewelry is made or repaired.

Probably mostly repaired as I assume most of the inventory comes from offsite.

Through another doorway, I see a desk and monitor set up. That’s where Ezra leads us.

I follow him into the office and take a seat when he gestures to the chair in front of the desk. He sits across from me, booting up his computer.

“So, Beth tells me you’ve worked in jewelry sales before,” he says without looking at me, focused on his computer.

I straighten in my chair. “Yes, I worked at Stoll Jewelry, a small jewelry store downtown, for three years.”

He nods. “Great. That’s perfect. Should be a breeze picking everything up, then.”

“Yeah, and Rachel’s been showing me around all morning,” I add.

He nods again, finally finishing up on his computer and then turning his attention toward me. His eyes are dark and piercing, and I feel myself shifting uncomfortably in my seat. Although whether from intimidation or something else, I’m not entirely sure.

“Did she tell you about the custom design services we offer?” he asks.

I shake my head, remembering the workbench I’d seen in the corner of the back room .

“So, we offer custom designs—most often we see those on engagement rings. Rachel can outline the pricing structure for you, but it’s an important service we offer, so I wanted to make sure you’re aware of it. We have an in-house designer, and sometimes I do the designs as well.”

“You?” I repeat.

At this, he smirks. “Yes. I could outsource it all, obviously, but I still like to get my hands dirty from time to time, so to speak.”

I momentarily fixate on hands dirty , but then I chide myself and try to pay attention. “That’s … impressive,” I reply.

He shrugs. “It’s really not that hard, especially if you practically grew up in this store.” He gestures around and then laughs, those adorable crinkles returning to the corners of his eyes.

I smile.

He returns to his computer, clicking away. “Did Beth email you the new hire paperwork?” he asks.

I nod. “Yep, filled it all out last night.”

“Great. Well, then you’re all set. I think you’re going to fit in well here, Emma.” He shoots me a warm smile that makes me practically weak in the knees .

Damn, I need to get it together. I can’t be crushing on my boss. Just ignore how hot he is, Emma , I order myself.

He gestures to the door. “Just shadow Rachel for the rest of the day. And feel free to ask me any questions. I’ll be in my office all day.”

I stand quickly, uttering an awkward thanks before heading back out to the floor. Rachel is busy ringing up a customer, and when she’s done, she hurries over to me.

I shoot her a look. “You forgot to mention that our boss is practically an Abercrombie model,” I say under my breath.

She laughs out loud, throwing her head back. “Yeah, I thought it would be funnier to just watch you take it in all at once.”

I snort.

“There are worse things than having eye candy for a boss,” she murmurs, and I laugh along with her. And I’m sure she’s right. There are worse things. Although focusing on the job might be just a tad more difficult than I’d imagined.