Billionaire's Contract Engagement (Kings of the Boardroom #3)(25)

“You tell me when you can meet with us at Maddox and I’ll arrange it,” she said evenly.

“And Noah Hart?”

“I’ll arrange it as soon as we get back.”

“Then I’d say you’ve got your pitch appointment, Celia. I’m very impressed with what you’ve had to say. If your presentation delivers on the promise of your ideas, it’s something my company will be very excited about.”

Though she had every confidence in her ability to win him over, his enthusiasm gave her a wicked thrill.

She was forced to play it cool and smile politely as she thanked him, but on the inside she was doing an insane victory dance.

She had phone calls to make. Brock would need to know so they could start preparing. They’d want to do mock-ups of the advertising and have it prominently displayed on the television monitors in the Maddox reception area. On the day she’d give Evan her presentation, Maddox Communications would be all about Reese Enterprises. No one else would exist in the timeframe Evan was present in their offices.

“You have to tell me how you managed to get Noah Hart to agree to talk to me,” Evan said as he pushed his plate aside.

A small smile flirted at the edges of her mouth and she suppressed the urge to grin broadly.

“I can’t reveal all my secrets.”

“You pull this off and you’ll be legendary,” Evan said. “The man has never so much as been tempted to take a deal.”

Okay, now she felt a little like a fraud. Legendary indeed. While she did love having an ace up her sleeve, she felt a little squeamish over Evan’s praise. Noah Hart was her big brother, and the truth was, there wasn’t much he wouldn’t do for his little sister. Never mind that she’d never asked him for any such favor before. She was this time, and it was the only reason Noah was contemplating breaking his long-held policy.

“Don’t fawn yet,” she murmured. “He might prove to be too expensive for you.”

Evan’s eyes glinted with a predatory gleam. He had the look of a man sure of himself and all things.

“I’ve not found many things in life that proved to be too expensive. I may not always want to pay the price, but rarely have I found them out of my range.”

She smiled. “I sensed that about you, which is why I thought you might be the one Noah would come to terms with. I think the two of you are probably a lot alike.”

Evan cocked his head to the side. “Just how well do you know him?”

Her lips lifted again, but she didn’t answer. Evan’s BlackBerry rang and provided much needed distraction. She wasn’t ready to tell Evan about her relationship with Noah. Not yet.

She tuned into Evan’s conversation when he said her name. He was obviously talking to his mom.

“We’ll be there this afternoon. Four o’clock. Yes, I know. I won’t miss it. Dinner afterward. Celia and I are having lunch together down by the marina. We’ll meet you back at the hotel in time for rehearsal.

You have my word.”

He hung up and let out a sigh as he tucked the phone back into his pocket.

“The woman is convinced I’ll flake on the wedding. I wonder how on earth she got that idea?”

It was said so innocently that Celia burst into laughter. Evan joined her and business was effectively put back out of the way once more.

Nine

The nice lunch by the harbor never happened. As Evan and Celia were leaving the hotel, they ran into Evan’s parents and Mitchell and Bettina.

Lucy was thrilled, since they were on their way to lunch, as well, and she suggested they eat together before they gathered on the terrace for the very informal rehearsal.

It amused Celia that there would even be an actual rehearsal of the ceremony since it wasn’t a big affair and the bride and groom only had two attendants each. Still, it was evidently important to keep up appearances because they were going all out with a full-blown rehearsal and a dinner and party afterward.

Bettina acted less than thrilled that Celia and Evan would be joining them for lunch. Mitchell was visibly uncomfortable. When they were seated, as luck would have it, Evan and Celia were placed across the table from Bettina and Mitchell while Lucy and Marshall sat on the ends.

As a result, Celia was treated to Bettina’s malevolent stare. The woman wasn’t even subtle about it. She picked Celia apart like a bug under a microscope.

Evan reached for her hand under the table and gave her a squeeze. She couldn’t figure out if it was a gesture of support, sympathy or a thank-you.

She turned and gave him a smile. For a long moment their gazes locked and he smiled back.

“Tell me, Celia, what is it that you do? Evan tells me you live in San Francisco. Will you be moving once you and Evan are married?”

Celia turned to Lucy in surprise. The questions were natural for a mother to ask, but Celia hadn’t been prepared for them. Who was she kidding? She hadn’t been prepared for any of this.

“Celia is a crack advertising executive,” Evan smoothly inserted. “We haven’t discussed where we’ll live after we’re married. Her career is very important to her. I’d never expect her to give it up.”

Oh, the man was good. If she was getting married, she’d want the guy she was marrying to say exactly

what Evan had said, and she’d want him to mean every word.