by Maya Banks
“It was nice meeting you all,” Evan said sincerely.
The other men nodded and shook his hand again before departing the room.
“Interesting family,” he said when they’d gone.
Celia sighed. “I love them dearly, but they’re pretty insufferable.”
“It’s obvious they love you a lot.”
She smiled. “Yeah, and I love them to pieces, too. Warts and all.”
A moment later, Noah Hart ambled into the room and once again gave Celia a bone-crushing hug. Then he turned to Evan and looked back at Celia.
“So, is this the man?”
“I’d say you’re the man if you agree to front my new line of athletic wear,” Evan said, taking charge of the meeting.
“Evan, I’d like to you to meet my brother. Noah Hart,” Celia said as she stepped forward. “Noah, this is Evan Reese, owner of Reese Enterprises.”
Evan eyed them skeptically. Her brother? Everything made a hell of lot more sense with that revelation. And what was with the different last name? To his knowledge, Celia hadn’t married, or was this one more thing she’d kept him in the dark over?
His question must have been obvious even to Noah, because he grinned and slung an arm over Celia’s shoulder.
“Cece had a different father—well, different mother, too. Kind of a long story but my father married Celia’s mother when Cece was just a baby. We helped raise her, especially when her mom died when Cece was so young. Hence the reason her last name is Taylor.”
Evan cleared his throat. Here he’d been granted a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and he was more concerned with finding out Celia’s secrets than securing a deal with Noah Hart.
“I thought it might be best if you and Evan went to dinner and talked about the deal Evan is offering,” Celia inserted.
“What about you?” Evan asked sharply. He hadn’t counted on Celia leaving him and Noah. Hell, he hadn’t even realized he’d be meeting Noah so soon. Suddenly his plans for a night of making love to Celia didn’t seem so realistic.
“I have other plans,” she said lightly. “Besides, I really have nothing to do with this part. You and Noah need to discuss the possibilities. I’d just be in the way.”
Noah shrugged then looked at Evan. “You like barbeque?”
“Love it.”
“Good. I know this great place just a few blocks from here. We can grab dinner and talk.”
“I drove him here, Noah, so you’ll need to give him a ride back to his place. That okay?” Celia asked. She turned to Evan. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Nine o’clock at the Maddox.”
“I can have my driver meet me,” Evan said. “It’s not a problem.” He glared at Celia as he said it. The woman was ditching him. What he’d thought was finally an effort to see him outside of a business setting had, in fact, just been a business meeting in disguise. He’d deal with her later, though. Right now he had a sports superstar to woo, and he’d be damned if he let his irritation with Celia interfere.
Sixteen
Celia paced the Maddox conference room. Her nerves were wound tight, and she’d meticulously gone over every little detail of her presentation. The televisions out front had mock-ups created by the media folks. An endless stream of Reese Enterprise promotion ran on the video monitors and the art department had framed several print-ad options and displayed them in the conference room.
With fifteen minutes to go time, the other members of her team had assembled. Tension was high but so was excitement. Ash had congratulated her on landing the biggest client for Maddox thus far, but he’d acted distracted and distant. Celia wondered if he was indeed having issues with the rumored girlfriend.
The others had all been quick to add their congratulations. No contract had been signed, but they all seemed convinced that after this morning, Reese Enterprises would be in the bag. She hoped they were right.
Noah had called last night after an extended dinner with Evan. Apparently after barbeque the two had gone for beers and spent the evening like old college buddies.
Evan had extended an extremely cushy offer, one that had surprised even a very jaded Noah. The two were meeting later with their respective lawyers to iron out the details, but Noah said he’d agreed.
“Okay, we’ve got five minutes,” Celia said. “Let’s take our places and get ready to knock his socks off.”
They took their seats along the conference table. Brock smiled at Celia and gave her a thumbs-up before taking a seat next to Elle. Jason took the seat next to Ash, who frowned and reached into his pocket for his phone.
“Excuse me for a minute,” he said as he rose from his seat. He crossed the room out of earshot to take a phone call.
The intercom buzzed and Shelby announced that Evan had arrived. “Shall I show him back?” she asked.
Celia took a deep breath, looked at her coworkers lining the conference table all ready to do their part, and said, “Show him back, Shelby.”
As Celia ended the conversation, Ash returned to the table.
“Sorry, but I have to go,” he announced. “And I’m not sure when I’ll be back. Hopefully no more than a few days. I’ll let you know when I have more details.”
He turned and strode out of the room, leaving Celia and the others to stare after him in astonishment. Celia glanced over at Brock and raised an eyebrow. Brock shrugged and gestured for her to continue on. Whatever was up with Ash would have to wait. This meeting was too important to all of them.
Seconds after Ash’s abrupt departure, Evan entered behind Shelby. Celia crossed the room and extended a hand to Evan. Instead of shaking it as she’d intended, he slid his fingers over her palm and held it far too long for her liking. She snatched it away and turned to introduce him down the row.
Her presentation went off without a hitch. Each part of her team executed their part flawlessly, and through it all, Brock sat back with a very satisfied expression on his face.
By the time she was done, she was as convinced as everyone else that Evan would sign with Maddox. He’d be a fool not to.
The lights went back up after her last video clip.
“This concludes our presentation,” she said to Evan. “I hope we’ve convinced you of our commitment to you and your company.”
He took his time responding. For a moment he studied her, his hands in a V in front of him. Then he simply nodded.
“I’m very impressed. My question is, how soon can we move on this?”
Rosa was packed with the after-work crowd, but the entire back room was filled with Maddox employees, all celebrating their biggest coup to date—Reese Enterprises.
Celia was high on her achievement, but she couldn’t shake the anxiety over her relationship with Evan. She’d avoided him last night when she’d all but dumped him on Noah. She’d avoided him after her presentation when he’d wanted to take her to lunch to celebrate.
Brock passed out champagne to every one then called for a toast. He saluted Celia with his glass and the room erupted into cheers.
She smiled her pleasure, but all she could think was that she’d rather be with Evan. And that was a very big problem.
“For a girl who’s the toast of Madcom, you don’t look very happy.”
Celia turned to see Elle standing beside her, drink in hand. She tried to smile but then gave up with a sigh. “Am I that obvious?”
Elle shrugged. “Probably not. I doubt others are paying too much attention to you. You looked … distracted.”
“I’m in a mess, Elle,” Celia admitted. “I don’t know what to do.”
Elle wrapped a comforting arm around her. “Surely it can’t be that bad?”
“I’m involved with Evan Reese. Intimately.”
Elle stiffened. “Oh. Maybe you’re right.”
Celia couldn’t help but notice the way Elle’s gaze drifted to Brock, who stood across the room talking with Jason Reagart. Brock turned and caught Elle’s gaze, and what Celia saw there made her pause. Possession.
“I didn’t intend for it to happen,” Celia said. “I know better. Me of all people should know better. I’ve kept it secret, and it’s driving me insane. I worry over who’ll see us together and whether they’ll draw the wrong conclusion. I’m so tired of sneaking around. The worst part is I’m in love with him.”
Elle made a sound of sympathy and pulled Celia away from the others until they stood in a dark corner.
“You need to be honest and open about this, Celia. If you don’t, it’ll tear you apart,” Elle said earnestly.
Elle was so sincere and her words were so heartfelt that Celia wondered if she was speaking from personal experience. Was it possible that Elle was having a secret fling with Brock? If the looks between the two were any clue, there was some serious chemistry there.
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask, but she didn’t want to hurt Elle, especially if she didn’t want anyone to know.
Instead she squeezed Elle’s hand. “Thank you, Elle. I know you’re right. I just have to figure out how to handle this. It’s giving me a headache.”
“First thing you should do is enjoy your moment in the sun,” Elle returned. “This is your night to shine. You worked hard for this, Celia. Go have some fun.”
“Okay, okay, Mom,” Celia teased. “I’m up for another drink if you are.”
Elle smiled and the two women headed for the bar for another round. Celia endured another series of toasts, backslaps and loudly yelled congratulations. Elle was right. This was her night. It was the culmination of weeks of hard work and long hours. Damn if she wouldn’t enjoy every minute of it.
Celia’s cab pulled up to her apartment, and she pulled out several bills to pay the driver. While she was far from toasted, she hadn’t wanted to chance driving home, so she’d left her Beamer at work and taken a cab from Rosa.
It was late, but not ungodly so, and she was still riding high from the celebration.
The cab pulled away and across the street she saw Evan leaning against his car, watching her. He started forward, and she stood there like a statue, watching him approach.
“Out celebrating?” Evan asked with a slight smile.
She nodded. “After-work thing. Took a cab back so I didn’t have to drive.”
“You should have called me. I would have had my driver take you home.”
“I don’t think that would have looked good if the man whose account I just landed sent a car to take me home after my celebration party.”
He regarded her with no expression. Then he asked, “Going to invite me in?”
As if she’d tell him no.
He fell into step beside her as they walked to her door. He waited while she unlocked the door and then followed her inside. As soon she as she locked up behind them, he had her in his arms.
Not again. She couldn’t lose all control of her senses the moment he touched her. It wasn’t normal.
“Do you have any idea how turned on I was watching you take control of that presentation this morning?” he said between kisses. “You were glowing and you were such a hardass. I wanted so bad to drag you into a closet and have wild, crazy sex.”
He always knew exactly what to say to melt any resistance on her part. He was a seducer with words.
He had her clothes off before they got to her bedroom. How he knew where it was, she didn’t know. Maybe all men had a natural instinct for where to find the nearest bed.
They went hard and fast. No matter what their intentions, that first time was always desperate, like it was their last. She gripped him, he cradled her, she kissed him, he thrust into her.
It was crazy, irrational, it was the most erotic, bone-melting sex of her life.
And she loved him beyond all reason and sanity.
She lay under him, holding him close as he panted against her neck. She was positively weak, and thank God they were on the bed, because she wasn’t moving. It wasn’t possible.
Finally Evan rolled away and threw his arm across the bed with a groan.
“Every time, I swear, I’m going to take it slow, make love to you with all the finesse I’m capable of. Then I see you and the teenage hormones start revving out of control, and I become some seventeen-year-old on steroids.”
Celia died laughing and then moaned when she moved too much. “I would have liked a seventeen-year-old on steroids with your sexual know-how when I was seventeen. All the boys I knew thought a kiss and quick grope was all the foreplay necessary before penetration.”
“I’d say what morons they are if I hadn’t just practically done the same thing to you,” he said in a pained voice.
She rolled into the crook of his arm and laid her head on his chest.
“You don’t hear me complaining, do you? I haven’t thrown you out for being an inconsiderate toad.”
He kissed the top of her head. “And for that I’m extremely grateful.”
She snuggled into his arms. “Are you going back to Seattle for the weekend?”
He went still and then tightened his arm around her. His hand lay possessively on her hip.
“There’s no reason we can’t go public with our relationship now, Celia. It’s all over. You have the account.”
She sucked in her breath.
“But, yes, I do need to go back to Seattle and tie up some things. I plan to spend a lot more time in San Francisco over the next few months and I need to make arrangements.”
Her heart sped up. Did he mean he was staying in San Francisco to be near her? She hated guessing, but she hated assuming even more.
She was still uneasy about the timing of them seeing each other. It was too close to when he’d signed on with Maddox.
“I’ll be back Monday afternoon. I want to spend the evening with you. Dinner. Dancing. You can stay over at the hotel and my driver will take you into work on Tuesday.”
She loved it when he got all demanding. She was a sucker for someone who planned in detail, and he’d certainly planned their evening down to her staying over for what would undeniably be amazing sex.
“When do you leave?” she asked quietly.
“First thing in the morning.”
She leaned up on her elbow so she could look him in the face. “Then what are you doing here?”
He rolled her into his arms and under him again. “I can sleep on the short flight home.”
She made a show of checking her nonexistent watch. “You have six hours left. What do you plan to do with them?”
“I’m going to show you just how good I am at time management,” he murmured as he swept down and hungrily devoured her lips.
Seventeen
After a Sunday of fielding curious questions from her brothers about Evan, Celia was relieved to go into work on Monday. She wasn’t ready to admit to even her family that she and Evan were anything more than business associates. They knew what had happened in New York and that it was complete nonsense. She loved them for their undying loyalty and their absolute faith in her. Which was why she was reluctant to confess to a relationship with Evan. It would only muddy the waters even though she and Evan both knew the truth.
She was late, thanks to a traffic snarl that lasted an entire hour and an already late start from her apartment. By the time she made it off the elevator, it was closing in on noon, and her mood was in the toilet.
When she saw Shelby, she knew something was wrong. The usually cheerful receptionist eyed Celia with something that looked suspiciously like pity, and she refused to hold Celia’s gaze for long.
Not even wanting to know what that was all about, Celia bypassed her usual meet and greet with Shelby and headed for the sanctuary of her office. To her surprise, Elle was waiting for her.
“Hello, Elle,” Celia said as she came in and tossed her briefcase onto her desk.
Elle’s face was drawn, and she looked like she was dreading talking to Celia. In her hands was a folded newspaper or magazine. Celia couldn’t tell.
“Celia, there’s something you need to
see. Everyone else has already read it. I tried to call you but couldn’t reach you at home or on your cell.”
Celia’s stomach sank. She didn’t like the look on Elle’s face or the way she was coming at her with that paper.
Elle plopped the newspaper on Celia’s desk and it was then that Celia saw it was a gossip rag. Her nose wrinkled in disgust.
“Elle, what are you doing reading that crap?”
“Look at it, Celia.”
Elle jabbed her finger at the photo spread and the headline. Celia looked down and all the blood drained from her face. She had to grip the edge of the desk to keep her knees from giving way.
There were pictures of her and Evan at Mitchell’s wedding. The same pictures she’d received via e-mail from Evan’s mother. One was of them dancing and her laughing up at him. The other was of Evan kissing her. Her hand was splayed over his chest and there was no mistaking the huge rock on her third finger.
The headline blurred in front of her, but she got the gist. It was all about Evan and his new fiancée and was it coincidence that Evan had allegedly signed a contract with Maddox Communications, the agency where his fiancée worked.
She scanned the article, but she was too furious to continue past the insinuation that Celia had spent the last several weeks doing whatever was necessary to land Evan’s business.
“That’s not all,” Elle said grimly.
She walked around Celia’s desk and jostled the mouse so that her screen came up. She typed in a URL and navigated to an advertising community site that hosted a blog and a message board, mostly used by advertising professionals. There in the latest blog post was the picture of Evan kissing her along with the announcement of Evan going with Maddox Communications. The subtitle was short and to the point, and made no bones about the way they thought Celia landed the account.
Celia sank into her chair, stunned. Absolutely and completely stunned by what she’d read.
“My God, Elle, what do I do?” she whispered.
