Billionaire's Contract Engagement(19)

Oh, Celia, tell me you haven't gotten caught up in this nonsense. You're too practical.

She almost snorted. When it came to Evan, practicality didn't crop up  first. Or second or even third. She'd lusted after forbidden fruit from  the moment she'd seen him.

A tiny, unwelcome thought niggled at her consciousness. Would she have  begged so hard to be the one to pitch to Evan if she hadn't been so  fascinated with him? Another derisive sound had to be stifled.  Fascination was a very tame word to describe her fixation with Evan.  Attracted. That wasn't a very descriptive word, either. It seemed no  matter the word, it didn't do justice to the overwhelming barrage of  sensations she experienced in his presence.

Thank God the weekend was almost over and she could hopefully gain some  objectivity again. This ruse of theirs was a dangerous fantasy for her.  If she didn't remove herself from it immediately, she was going to fall  complete victim to it.

She could just see trying to explain that to her boss. The boss who had put his company's fate in her hands.

And then the ceremony was over and suddenly Evan was smiling down at her  once more. She promptly forgot all about her worries and reservations.

Once again he was attentive. He touched her frequently as if he couldn't  keep his hands off her. It made her nuts the way her body leaped to  life under his attention, but she couldn't control it.

As they waited behind the line of people going back inside, Evan leaned down and nuzzled her ear.

"Let's go have some fun at the reception," he murmured. "You, me, a little dirty dancing  … "

She laughed as the tightness left her chest. It was hard to remember all  the reasons she shouldn't become involved with this man when he charmed  her to her toes.

She tucked her hand willingly in his, and this time she curled her  fingers around his as he led her into the hotel. No, logically she  shouldn't immerse herself in this charade. But then attraction was  anything but logical. She had only a few more hours before she would be  jolted back to reality. She planned to enjoy every single one of them.

They danced. Slow, sensual songs and even the more upbeat tunes. Evan  was astonishingly adept as he spun her around the room. Somehow she  hadn't seen him as the type to do more than a staid waltz or just a slow  cuddle type dance in the middle of the floor.

She should have known. The man was a study in athletic grace.

They took a quick break and Evan left Celia to go get drinks for them  both. Celia turned to see Lucy approaching through the crowd, her face  lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Celia! I'm so glad I got over to you before Evan spirits you away again."

Celia smiled warmly back at Evan's mother.

Lucy reached out to squeeze Celia's hand. "I can't thank you enough for  coming. It's so obvious that the two or you are in love."

It took everything Celia had not to react to that statement. Obvious?  How could it be? In lust, yes, but love? Evan would be horrified that  his farce had worked a little too well. Nothing like a rumor of being in  love to scare off the opposite sex. A man like Evan probably had more  women than he could shake a stick at.

But he didn't take any of them to the wedding. He'd taken her.

Business, Celia reminded herself. It was convenient and business had been at the forefront of his mind.

"The two of you make such a lovely couple," Lucy said wistfully. "I do  hope you'll agree to a wedding date soon. Don't make him wait, even  though I'm sure he deserves it. I want him to be happy."         

     



 

"I'm sure the both of us will come up with a mutually satisfactory date," Celia said diplomatically.

Lucy squeezed again and then suddenly Celia found herself enveloped in the older woman's arms.

"It was a joy to have you here, Celia. I can't wait to see you again."

Lucy drew away, beaming at Celia the entire time, and Celia felt like  the lowest form of pond scum for her part in deceiving this woman.

"Oh, look, there's Evan with your drink. I'll disappear now and let you two get back to your fun."

Lucy blew a kiss in Evan's direction and melted back into the crowd.

"What was that all about?" Evan asked as he approached.

He handed her a wineglass and stepped in close, their bodies touching.

Celia grimaced. "She was telling me how wonderful she thought it was that we're getting married."

"Ah, well, that would explain the look of torture in your eyes."

He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close. He stared down into her eyes, and then he simply kissed her.

Stunned that he would be so public, even when perpetuating a hoax, she  stood there in the circle of his arms while he kissed her senseless.

Desire unfurled and spread rapid fire through her belly. All he had to  do was kiss her and she was helpless to do anything more than respond.

"You know, we have late check-out," he murmured against her lips. "Very  late check-out. My jet can leave at my ready. What do you say we go back  to the room?"

No. They needed to return home. She needed the weekend to be over so she  could recover her sanity. But instead of no, she opened her mouth and  whispered, "yes."

The predatory gleam was back in his eyes. He put both their glasses down  on a nearby table and then he took her hand and all but dragged her  from the reception. They ran down the hallway to the elevator like two  hormonally imbalanced teenagers.

When they reached the room, he threw open the door, swung her into his  arms and carried her straight to the bedroom. He plopped her down on the  bed and stood back as he tore out of his clothes.

She leaned up on one elbow to stare appreciatively at his physique.

"You know," she said coyly. "There is one of your fantasies we haven't played out yet."

His eyebrows shot up and then he crawled onto the bed until he loomed menacingly over her.

"Oh, really. Which one?"

She circled her arms around his neck and pulled him down into a kiss.  Then she slid her mouth to his ear to whisper in shocking detail exactly  which fantasy she was talking about.

Evan's plane landed in San Francisco close to midnight. He helped her  down the steps onto the tarmac and stood next to her as they waited for  his car to pull forward.

He touched her cheek, pushing aside a stray strand of hair. In truth,  she looked and felt disheveled from head to toe. What had started as a  quick interlude had turned into an afternoon of wanton, hedonistic  pleasure. They'd made love more times than she could count.

They'd stumbled out of the hotel looking like a pair of illicit lovers  hurrying back to their spouses after a hot weekend affair.

She shook her head to clear that notion. There was nothing dishonorable  about her liaison with Evan. It was separate from business, she asserted  firmly. Separate.

"Are you sure you won't let me escort you home?" Evan asked.

He glanced between her and the car that was now parked a few feet away, and his lips were drawn into a fine line.

She shook her head. "No, you still have to fly back to Seattle, and it's  already past midnight. I'll be fine. Your driver will take good care of  me."

He looked as if he was going to press the point when she raised her  hand. The diamond caught the glare from the headlights. Slowly she  removed the thin band from her finger and pressed the ring into Evan's  palm.

"I won't be needing this anymore," she said lightly.

He frowned as he stared down at the delicate piece of jewelry lying in his hand.

It was ridiculous that this felt like a real break-up. Her heart seized  and she had the absurd urge to snatch the ring back out of his hand and  put it back on her finger.

She leaned up on tiptoe and brushed her lips across his cheek. "Goodbye, Evan. Have a safe trip home."

She turned and allowed the driver to usher her into the backseat. As  they pulled away, she saw Evan standing in the same place she'd left  him, his hand closed around the ring. They stared at each other through  the window until the car got too far away for her to see him any longer.





Twelve


Evan tucked his hand into his pocket to touch the diamond engagement  ring Celia had given back to him the night before. His finger ran over  the edges, took it out and let it lay in his palm to catch the light.         

     



 

For a long while, he stared down at it before closing his hand over it.  As his driver pulled to the curb in front of Maddox Communications, he  shoved the ring back into his pocket.

Celia wouldn't be expecting him. Hell, he wasn't expecting him. To be  here, that is. He was supposed to have flown back to Seattle. He had any  number of issues to deal with including talking to his team about Noah  Hart. They needed to come big with an offer, and they needed to make  sure any offer they made was tied up neatly with a big bow.

Yet, here he was, getting out at Celia's building because he wanted to see her again. And business had nothing to do with it.

He instructed his driver to find suitable parking and to swing back  around when he phoned to say he was ready. Then he headed into the  stately building to take the elevator up to the sixth floor.