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.”
“You’re right. Sorry. Got distracted.”
“I’ll try not to take that personally,” she teased.
He relaxed immediately and let her pull him onto the dance floor. The music was slow and seductive and gave him the perfect opportunity to do what he’d been wanting to do all damn day. Hold her flush against his body so he could feel every one of her soft, delectable curves.
They fit perfectly and he tucked her as close as she would go. His cheek rested against her temple as he slowly whirled her around the floor. Her hips swayed, brushing her belly across his groin. He let one hand trail down her spine and over the curve of one hip.
She tensed a moment, and he wondered if she’d tell him to back off but then she relaxed with a sigh and melted into his arms once more.
“You were fantastic at lunch today,” he said against her ear. “I never thought my father would become such a fan. He’s typically a stodgy, conservative chauvinist.”
Her shoulders shook with laughter. “He’d fit in quite well with my family then. My father and brothers think my sole ambition in life should be to look pretty and let them take care of me.”
“I’m going to admit something,” he said gravely.
She turned her face up, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “Oh, do tell. Is this where you divulge your deepest, darkest secrets?”
“You could try to express an appropriate amount of appreciation for my confiding in you,” he huffed.
“Very well. Let me just bat my eyelashes in adoration, but be quick or I’ll mess up my mascara.”
He shook his head as helpless laughter escaped. “What I was going to admit was that while I truly appreciate and agree with everything you had to say, there is a caveman lurking underneath my civilized exterior. I can see why your family wants to protect and take care of you. I think if you were mine, I’d feel much the same way.”
Her lips parted, and she stared at him with the oddest expression. There was no anger or condemnation.
Interest and something else gleamed in her emerald eyes.
“And sometimes I think if you were mine, I just might let you,” she said huskily.
His entire body tightened. His hand raced up her spine and he curled his fingers gently at her nape. Their eyes were locked together and all he had to do was lean down. Just a bit. He could taste her already.