Billionaire's Contract Engagement (Kings of the Boardroom #3)(26)

Bettina sniffed. “But don’t you feel a woman’s place is at home with the children? You do plan on having children don’t you?”

Celia frowned as she stared at the other woman. Was she for real? Granted she was young. Celia guessed she was in her early twenties. What the hell had Evan been thinking when he’d hooked up with her in the first place? She was practically an infant and Evan had to be pushing forty.

“I don’t see that it’s any of your concern whether I want children or not and as for where my place is, it’s wherever I’m the happiest,” Celia said. “I fail to see how I could possibly be the best wife and mother by staying at home and being miserable.”

Bettina looked genuinely confused. “I feel it’s important for a woman not to overshadow her husband. A husband’s job is to provide for his family. I’d never take that away from him.”

Celia snorted. “You keep telling yourself that, honey. Call me up when your provider husband has decided he no longer wants that job and is going to leave you and the children to go find himself. Then tell me how important it was for you to depend solely on him for your support, and then tell me how easy it is to go find a job making enough money to support yourself and your children when the sole job experience on your resume is changing diapers and cooking dinner.”

Evan choked on his laughter while Lucy’s eyes widened in shock. Mitchell looked a little green while Bettina’s mouth hung open. Marshall cleared his throat and actually looked at Celia with something akin to respect.

“Well said, young lady. A woman should never put the welfare of herself and her children solely in her husband’s hands no matter how solid the relationship.”

“Marshall!”

Lucy sounded positively scandalized.

Evan sat back and looked at his dad. “You see why I’m so determined to marry her. If my company ever goes bankrupt, I can stay at home and let her support me.”

The two men burst into laughter and Evan squeezed her hand harder.

“Have you two set a date yet?” Mitchell asked, entering the conversation for the first time.

He’d been strangely silent, and he’d studied her and Evan until Celia squirmed under his scrutiny.

Not wanting Evan to do all the talking, even if this was his charade and not hers, she smiled and looked back at Mitchell.

“He’s only just convinced me to marry him. I did make him wait, and he had to ask me several times.”

Evan squeezed again only this time it was a definite retaliation squeeze. She grinned and plunged ahead.

“I finally put him out of his misery and said yes. He wants a short engagement.” Some little evil imp made her poke Bettina a little with that statement since Evan had kept prolonging their engagement. “He

wanted to elope to Las Vegas, but I want to take our time and really get to know each other before we tie the knot.”

Evan made a strangled noise and promptly took a long drink of his wine. Celia kept a perfectly straight face as she took in the reactions of Evan’s family.

Lucy looked wary. Bettina looked murderous. Mitchell had a strange look that could only be interpreted as a cross between regret and sadness while Marshall nodded approvingly. He reached over to slap his son on the back.

“You’ve got yourself a winner here, son. I heartily approve. This one will keep you on your toes well into your old age. I like her.”

Greaaat. She had the approval of her fake father-in-law to be. She looked over at Evan as guilt swamped her. She’d gotten carried away and hadn’t been able to resist the opportunity to needle Evan a bit. Though he deserved it, she still felt bad about carrying things so far.

To her surprise, he was staring thoughtfully at her, his eyes warm with something she was afraid to analyze.

“I absolutely agree,” Evan murmured. “I’m a very lucky man.”

Evan kept a possessive arm wrapped around Celia’s waist as they navigated the small field of people in the ballroom where everyone had gathered after the rehearsal dinner.

A band played, and already several couples were dancing, his mom and dad included.

He knew the closeness between him and Celia was all for show, but the primitive part of him recognized his desire to publicly brand her as his woman. She’d probably knee him right in the groin if she had any inkling what his thoughts were. The image made him wince and chuckle all at the same time.

Every time he looked at Bettina, he was gripped by such gratitude and relief that it staggered him. How close he’d come to an unmitigated disaster.

All the things he had thought he wanted were ludicrous in hindsight. A woman like Bettina would never hold his attention for long. She didn’t challenge him.

He wanted someone intelligent, as driven as he was, someone he could consider a partner.

Someone like Celia.

His lips tightened. Thanks to his decision to go with Maddox—he hadn’t told Celia yet—a relationship between them was impossible. Not that he’d give a rat’s ass that she worked for him indirectly, but Celia would never agree.

“If you hold me any tighter, someone’s going to call the police on us,” Celia murmured.

He loosened his hold on her waist and uttered a low apology.

“Let’s dance,” she suggested. “You’re way too tense. No one’s ever going to believe we’re newly engaged and head over heels in loooove with you scowling like that.”