Free Billionaire's Contract Engagement by Maya Banks Page A

jersey. Odd, but she hadn’t struck him as a baseball fan.
    Her shoes had long since been shed, and her toenails, painted a delicate shade of pink, teased him. Hell, he was even attracted to her feet. Small and dainty.
    He was officially losing his mind. Never before had he lusted after a woman’s feet.
    She forked another bite into her mouth then sighed and made a low sound of agony before putting her plate down on the coffee table.
    “That was fabulous. I’ve eaten so much that I won’t fit into that sparkly dress I brought for the wedding.”
    That statement brought a whole host of splendid ideas to mind. Namely that they could both skip the wedding and stay in bed where clothing was entirely optional.
    He shifted in his seat and wondered for the sixth time why he was so bent on torturing himself.
    “So tell me something, Evan,” she said as she leaned farther into the sofa cushions. Her eyelids lowered and she tucked those pink toes underneath a throw pillow. “What made you walk away from your family’s business and start your own in a field that was so different from the jewelry trade?”
    It didn’t surprise him that she knew so much about his background. She would have researched him tirelessly. Still, he debated how much to tell her.
    Their gazes locked, and he saw only simple curiosity. No ulterior motive, just interest.
    “There were several reasons,” he finally said. “Emotion has no place in business and yet I find myself making emotional decisions.”
    Her eyebrows rose. “I’m surprised you’d admit that. Doesn’t jive with your big, bad, ruthless businessman persona.”
    He smiled ruefully. “Okay, so part of it was emotion based. I didn’t agree with my father’s style of management. The fact is his company is in trouble. I saw it coming years ago and he was in flat denial. He saw no reason to change the way he ran things since it had worked for decades before.
    “The other reason was I don’t exactly get along that well with him and Mitchell.”
    “You don’t say,” she said drily.
    He chuckled. “Yeah, I know, hard to believe. Mitchell…there are lots of more appropriate words for him, but I’ll go with the fact that he’s a lazy, unmotivated brown noser. All his life, because he was the baby, he’s never had to actually work for anything. He’s been handed everything since he was a child. As a result, his sense of entitlement is huge. I would work for something and he would want what I had worked for. Dad would give it to him.”
    “Ah, I think I’m beginning to understand the fiancée thing more now.”
    He nodded. “Yes, I don’t harbor any illusion that Mitchell and Bettina are some great love match. I had Bettina, so Mitchell decided he wanted her. Bettina saw Mitchell’s appointment to CEO as her ride into a life of glamour.”
    “And were you and Bettina? A love match, I mean?” she asked gently.
    He pursed his lips and blew out a long breath. “This is where I look like the jerk.”
    Celia chuckled. “Jerk? You? Surely you jest.”
    “All right, don’t rub it in,” he grumbled. “I’ve admitted my shortcomings.”
    “Do continue. I’m dying to hear all about what a toad you are.”
    Her eyes sparkled with mischief and amusement. He’d never wanted to kiss her more than he did right now. Instead he found himself telling her stuff he’d never tell a woman he planned to take to bed.
    “Bettina didn’t pose a challenge. That sounds bad but when I met her, I was devoting all my time to making my business a success. It was exciting and exhilarating. I exceeded even my wildest expectations. Everything was falling into place at the speed of light. All that was missing in my mind to complete the image of perfection I had built up was a wife and a family. Perfect house in the suburbs. I’d come home after a hectic day and she’d have dinner waiting. The kids would all be bathed and well behaved. Even the dog would be theepitome of good behavior. I