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      BILLIONAIRE’S

       CONTRACT

       ENGAGEMENT

      MAYA BANKS

      About the Author

      MAYA BANKS has loved romance novels from a very (very) early age, and almost from the start, she dreamed of writing them, as well. In her teens she filled countless notebooks with overdramatic stories of love and passion. Today her stories are only slightly less dramatic, but no less romantic.

      She lives in Texas with her husband and three children and wouldn’t contemplate living anywhere other than the South. When she’s not writing, she’s usually hunting, fishing or playing poker. She loves to hear from readers, and she can be found online at either www.mayabanks.com or www.writemindedblog.com, or you can e-mail her at [email protected].

      To Elizabeth Edwards —

       Thank you so much for allowing me to pick your brain.

       The information was invaluable and helped me to

       really wrap my mind around these characters.

      And for Diana —

      you’ll be missed!

      Dear Reader,

      Temptation is hard to overcome, as Celia Taylor is about to find out. Even the best of intentions can’t hold up against the persuasive powers of tall, wealthy, gorgeous Evan Reese. But really, what’s a girl to do when it’s clear the man is very hungry and she’s on the menu?

      Celia has some very important lessons to learn — about just who’s important in the scheme of things and what she isn’t willing to give up … for anyone. Evan? He knows what he wants. He just has to persuade a certain someone of that.

      Evan and Celia have a fun but very passionate flirtation. They dance around each other — not so delicately — but that’s what made this book so fun to write. It is my hope that they charm you as much as they did me and that you enjoy their journey to happily ever after.

      Enjoy Evan and Celia’s story!

      Until next time,

       Maya Banks

      One

      The vultures were circling.

      Celia Taylor stood back, wineglass in hand, and surveyed the crowded ballroom. The fund-raiser was supposed to be more pleasure than business, but business was uppermost on the minds of her competition.

      Across the room, Evan Reese stood in a large group of people. He looked relaxed, seemingly in his element, an easy smile making his extraordinarily handsome face even more gorgeous.

      It should be a crime for a man to be that good-looking. Tall, rugged, he looked every inch the kind of man who’d be at home in the athletic wear his company designed and sold. There was an aura of confidence and power around him, and above all, Celia loved a man who was sure of himself.

      Given the long, searching glances they’d exchanged over the last few weeks, she’d be a fool not to entertain the idea of seeing where things could lead.

      If he wasn’t a prospective client.

      A client she wanted to land very much.

      She wanted the account—her boss and the agency was counting on her—but she drew the line at sleeping with a man to get what she wanted.

      Celia turned away from the sight of Evan Reese before she became too enthralled in just watching him. They’d performed a delicate dance around each other ever since he’d fired his last advertising agency. He knew she wanted him—in the professional sense of course. Hell, he probably knew she wanted him naked and in bed too, but she wasn’t going to dwell on that. Maybe later tonight when she could afford to indulge in a little fantasy.

      The problem was, anytime a big company like Reese Enterprises fired an agency, it became open season. The other agencies circled like sharks. It was a dog-eat-dog world, and in reality, she should be over there, shoving herself down his throat like the rest of her competition, but she couldn’t help but believe Evan Reese was secretly amused by the attention. He took a different hand. She was sure of it.

      “Celia, glad you made it. Have you spoken to Reese yet?”

      Celia turned to see her boss, Brock Maddox, standing a foot away. He wasn’t drinking. He didn’t even look particularly thrilled to be here.

      Her eyebrow rose. “A tux. Why, Brock, you look positively decadent. However are you keeping the ladies at bay?”

      He grunted in response, his lips curling in distaste. “Cut it out, Celia. I brought Elle along.”

      Celia looked beyond his shoulder to see his pretty assistant standing a few feet away. When Elle looked her way, Celia smiled and waved.

      “You look beautiful,” Celia mouthed.

      Elle smiled and ducked her head self-consciously but not before Celia saw the faint blush that colored her cheeks.

      Brock gestured impatiently toward Evan. “Why are you standing over here while Evan Reese is over there?” Brock scanned the room and his expression hardened. “I should have known the old bastard would be here.”

      Celia followed his gaze to see Athos Koteas holding court