Billionaire's Contract Engagement / Money Man's Fiancée Negotiation: Billionaire's Contract Engagement / Money Man's Fiancée Negotiation

“I’ll call you later in the week with the flight arrangements. We’ll be taking my private jet.”

She swallowed and nodded, then realizing he’d need her number—her cell number and not her office number—she reached down into her briefcase to retrieve a business card.

She frowned, fumbled some more then pulled the bag into her lap. With a groan she realized her business-card holder must have fallen out. Impatiently she tore a piece of paper off a notepad and took out her pen.

Dropping the bag again, she put the paper on the table and hastily scribbled her home and cell number then passed it across the table to Evan.

He took it, studied it a moment then carefully folded it and tucked it away in the breast pocket of his jacket. The waiter approached with menus and Evan looked to her for her order.

“Just the lunch salad,” she said. What she really wanted was a really greasy burger with onion rings, but she didn’t want to appall Evan. Her brothers gave her all sorts of hell for her indelicate tastes, but then they were to blame for them.

Evan ordered a steak, medium, and after the waiter was gone, Evan stared over at her, his gaze inquisitive.

She cocked her head, prepared for him to ask her a question, but he didn’t say anything. He just seemed to study her as if he wanted to uncover all her deep, dark secrets.

Finally he sat back with a satisfied smile. His eyes glinted with triumph.

“I think this wedding is going to turn out to be enjoyable after all.”

Four

Celia stepped off the elevator and walked by Shelby, who held her hand up to get Celia’s attention.

“Later, Shelby,” she called as she headed for Brock’s office.

When she got to his door, she was nearly run over as Ash came out. He sidestepped her and kept on walking, his forehead wrinkled as if he were lost in thought. She wasn’t even sure he’d seen her.

She stuck her head in Brock’s door and breathed a sigh of relief when she found him alone. He glanced up and motioned her in.

“What’s with him?” she asked, jerking her head over her shoulder in Ash’s direction. “He’s been weird lately.”

Brock gave her one of those puzzled male looks that suggested he didn’t have a clue what she was talking about. She rolled her eyes. Ash had been walking around in a fog, which wasn’t typical. He was usually on top of everything and everyone. Celia had overheard Shelby talking about a falling out with a girlfriend, but then she hadn’t even known Ash had been seeing anyone. Not that he would have confided in her.

She didn’t bother sitting. She had too much to do, and this wouldn’t take long.

“I have to go out of town Thursday afternoon.”

Brock stared back at her for a moment and then his brows drew together. He frowned and dropped the pen he’d been fiddling with.

“Is this some kind of emergency? You’re supposed to meet with Evan Reese on Friday.”

His tone suggested someone better be dying. He opened his mouth to say more but before he got off on the tangent she knew was coming, she held up her hand.

“I just had lunch with Evan. There’s been a change in plans. He has to be at some family wedding this weekend in Catalina so he couldn’t make it on Friday. He said he wants to move on this campaign and he doesn’t have a lot of time to spend in the selection process.”

Brock swore, his face going red. He picked the pen back up and flung it across his desk. “Dammit, is he even going to listen to our pitch?”

She sucked in a breath. “He wants me to go to Catalina with him. We’d leave Thursday afternoon. It’s the only time he can spare me and he’s promised to listen to my ideas while we’re there.”

Brock’s brow furrowed further and he studied her intently.

“I see.”

Forgetting about all she needed to do and that she didn’t want to be stuck here in Brock’s office forever, she sank down into one of the chairs and stared glumly at her boss.

“I told him I’d go. I didn’t see that I had a choice. While he didn’t come out and say it, he implied that if I didn’t, he was prepared to go with another agency.”

“I agree you should go. Does that make me an ass?”

Celia laughed, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. “No, it doesn’t make you an ass. I guess I just worry about the fallout. It’s stupid. I shouldn’t care. I never would have before, but I know what will be said if it gets out and how things will be twisted.”

“You have my support, Celia, and you have the support of the agency. Don’t ever doubt that.”

She rose and smiled gratefully at him. “Thank you, Brock.”

He grunted. “Get me the damn account. That’s all the thanks I need.”

She stopped on her way out, put her hand on the door frame and looked back. “I’ll need someone to cover for me on Friday. I have two client appointments, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.”

“Jason will cover for you. You just worry about knocking Evan Reese’s socks off.”

“I will,” Celia murmured. “I will.”

On her way down the hall, her BlackBerry rang and she dug into the pocket of her briefcase for it. Seeing Noah’s number on the LCD, she mashed the answer button and stuck the phone to her ear as she walked into her office.

“I’m working on the maid service,” she said in lieu of hello.

Noah chuckled. “Great, I nearly killed myself getting out of bed this morning. You’d be amazed how dangerous a pair of dirty underwear can be.”

Her nose wrinkled in disgust. “Would you at least try not to send the maid screaming from your house on her first day? That’s just gross.”

He made a derisive sound. “So I read through the info you sent. I also had my agent do some checking. I might add that my agent is orgasmic that I’m considering this endorsement deal.”

“Tell him I expect a nice Christmas gift as thank you,” Celia said.

“Oh, please. He doesn’t even give his mother presents.”

Usually she wouldn’t mind chatting mindlessly with her siblings, but she had a hundred things to do before Thursday, including figure out how she was going to survive a weekend on an island with a man who made mincemeat of her willpower.

“So does this mean you’ll consider it?”

There was a pause, and she found herself holding her breath.

“Yeah. He checks out. He seems as solid as you said he was. I’ll talk to him if nothing else.”

She did a double-fist pump and dropped her bag on the floor by her desk.

“Have his people call my people,” Noah said airily.