by Maya Banks
“About last night…” he began.
She held up her hand, startling him into silence.
“Don’t ruin it, Theron,” she said huskily.
He blinked in surprise. “Ruin what?”
“The kiss. Don’t ruin it by apologizing.”
“It shouldn’t have happened,” he said tightly.
She sighed. “You’re ruining it. I asked you not to.”
He stared at her open-mouthed. How the hell was he supposed to hand her the lecture he’d carefully planned when she looked positively disgruntled over the fact that he’d brought it up?
“If you positively must regret it, I’d appreciate it if you did so quietly,” she said before he could offer anything further. “You’re allowed to forget it ever happened, you’re allowed to regret it, you’re allowed to swear on all that’s holy that it’ll never happen again. Just don’t expect me to do the same, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t patronize me by making light of it. As kisses go, I thought it was damn near perfect. You saying differently doesn’t make it any less in my mind.”
He was speechless. A first for him. He who always had something to say. He was the diplomat in the family, always the level-headed one, and yet he’d been reduced to a mindless, gaping idiot by this infuriating woman.
She crossed one leg over the other and pressed her hands together in her lap. “Now, if that’s all you had on your mind, I thought we could finalize the arrangements for the apartment and plan our shopping trip? I arranged for the papers I need to sign for the apartment to be faxed here since I was sure you’d want to look over everything first.”
That was it? She could so easily shove what happened the night before out of her mind when he’d been consumed the entire morning? The memory didn’t just consume him, it tortured him endlessly.
Even now he looked at her lips and remembered the lush fullness against his mouth. He could remember her taste and scent. The throb in his groin intensified as he imagined how she’d look, spread naked on the bed as he moved over her.
He cursed again and ripped his mind to present matters.
“Check with Madeline and see if she has the agreement. I’ll have my lawyer look it over if you like. As for shopping, Madeline will know my appointments for the week. Stop on your way out and have her schedule a few hours for us to pick out your furniture.”
She flashed him a smile that warmed parts of his body that didn’t bear mentioning. With a toss of her long hair, she rose gracefully from the chair. She gave him a small wave bye then turned and walked to the door.
A fairy. Her tattoo was a fairy with a sprinkling of glittery dust and sparkles radiating from the design.
It suited her.
But it brought up another very intriguing thought. Did she have any other tattoos? Maybe one or two that could only be seen when she wore no clothing? It made him twitchy as he imagined going on a hunt with her body as the map.
Isabella left Theron’s office, biting her lip to keep from smiling. He’d certainly been prepared to give her an endless lecture on how they could never again do what they’d done the night before. It wasn’t anything she hadn’t expected which was why she’d been prepared to head it off before he ever got started.
She mentally patted herself on the back at the expert way she’d diffused the situation. He was probably still off balance and trying to figure out just what had happened.
She approached Madeline’s desk and politely asked if Madeline had received a fax for her.
Madeline tapped a stack of papers at the edge of her desk and then smiled up at Isabella.
“Did he tell you about the party?” Madeline asked.
Isabella picked up the rental agreement and frowned. “No, he didn’t mention it.”
Just then Theron stuck his head out the door. “Bella, I forgot to tell you that I have a cocktail party planned this Thursday that I’d like you to attend. Seven p.m. at my penthouse. Madeline will arrange for a car to pick you up at the hotel.”
Before she could respond, he withdrew into his office again and closed the door.
“Well, there you have it,” Madeline said in amusement. “I don’t suppose he’s also told you the occasion?”
Isabella turned back to the older woman, her frown deepening. “Why do I get the idea that I’m being royally set up?”
“Because you are?” Madeline said cheerfully.
Isabella flopped down in the chair beside Madeline’s desk. “Tell me.”
Madeline pulled out a sheet of paper and thrust it toward Isabella. “I wasn’t told to keep this secret so I’m not violating anyone’s confidence, and I figure if I was invited to a party where my future husband was in attendance, I’d at least want the opportunity to buy a gorgeous dress for the occasion.”
Isabella snatched the paper and stared back at Madeline in astonishment. “Husband?”
Madeline’s eyebrows went up. “He didn’t tell you that he was searching for a husband for you? I’d have to think that came up in conversation at least once.”
“Well it did, briefly I mean. Just yesterday. He’s already found someone?”
Isabella tried to keep the horror from her voice, but she wasn’t entirely certain she’d been successful judging by the sympathy she saw in Madeline’s eyes. She’d gone along with it because she hadn’t really thought that Theron was serious, and even if he was, she figured she had plenty of time.
“Maybe he’s in a hurry so that he can concentrate on his own upcoming wedding,” Madeline said in a soothing voice.
“What?” Isabella croaked.
“He didn’t tell you that, either?” Madeline asked cautiously. “Well then, you didn’t hear that from me.”
Isabella leaned forward. “Tell me,” she said fiercely. “Is he really getting married? Is he engaged?”
Madeline looked stunned for a moment and then understanding softened her expression. “Oh dear,” she breathed.
She got up and walked around to where Isabella sat stiffly, her hands gripped tightly in her lap. “Why don’t we go into the conference room,” Madeline said quietly.
Isabella let Madeline lead her into the other room where Madeline shut and locked the door. “Have a seat,” she directed Isabella.
Numbly Isabella complied and Madeline took the seat next to her.
“Now, how long have you had this crush on Theron?”
“Crush?” Isabella asked in a mixture of amusement and devastation. “A crush is a passing fancy. I’ve been in love with Theron ever since I was a young girl. Back then it might have been considered a crush, but now?”
Madeline shook her head and patted Isabella’s hand. “He has the right idea to introduce you to potential husbands then. He has an arrangement with the Gianopolous family to marry their daughter Alannis. She and her mother arrive in New York in less than a week’s time. I’d hate to see you…hurt. Perhaps the best thing to do would be to focus on the men Theron has in mind for you. This fascination with Theron can only end in disappointment.”
Isabella knew that Madeline was nothing but well-intentioned, but she also had no idea of the depth of Isabella’s feelings and her determination.
Still, the thought of Theron already being engaged, of having a commitment to another woman…She closed her eyes against the sudden stab of pain. No wonder he was so put off by the kiss they’d shared the night before.
“When do they marry?” she asked in a soft voice.
“Well, he has to propose first, but from what I understand that’s a mere formality. He didn’t want a long engagement, so I imagine it will be this fall sometime.”
“So he hasn’t even proposed yet?”
Relief filled Isabella. If he hadn’t asked, then there was time to make sure he didn’t.
Madeline frowned. “I don’t like the look you’re giving me.”
Isabella leaned forward and grabbed Madeline’s hands. “You have to help me, Madeline. He’s making a huge mistake. I need to make him see t
hat.”
Madeline shook her head vehemently. “Oh, no. I’m not getting involved in this. Theron has made his choice, and I make it a point never to get involved in my employer’s personal life. You’re on your own.”
Isabella dropped Madeline’s hands with a sigh. “You’ll thank me for this when he’s a much happier man.”
Madeline stood and regarded Isabella with reservation. “Don’t make a fool of yourself, Isabella. No man is worth losing your self-respect over. If your mother was alive, she’d probably tell you the same thing.”
“My mother loved my father very much,” Isabella said softly. “He loved her, too. They’d both want me to be happy. They’d want me to marry the man I loved.”
“Then I’ll wish you luck.”
Isabella smiled, though it was completely forced. “Thank you, Madeline.”
They left the conference room, and Isabella quickly signed the rental agreement before handing it over to Madeline. “Let him read over it and if he has no objections, fax it back for me, please.”
“And your shopping trip? When would you like to schedule that?”
Isabella shook her head. “I’ll go by myself. When is the cocktail party again?”
“Thursday night. Seven.”
Isabella slowly nodded. “Okay, I’ll be there.” She turned to walk out of the office, her mind reeling from the unexpected shock of Theron’s upcoming proposal. She flipped open her cell phone and dialed Sadie’s number.
“Sadie? It’s me, Isabella,” she said when Sadie answered the phone. “Are you busy? I need to come over. It’s urgent.”
Chapter Six
“This is a disaster,” Isabella groaned as she flopped onto Sadie’s couch.
Sadie sat next to her, concern creasing her pretty features. “Surely you aren’t giving up. He hasn’t even proposed to her yet.”
“Yet. That’s the problem,” Isabella said glumly. “Yet means he fully intends to, so for all practical purposes, he’s engaged.”
“She might not say yes,” Sadie pointed out.
Isabella gazed balefully at her. “Would you say no to Theron Anetakis?”
“Well, no…”
“Neither will she,” Isabella said with a sigh. She stared up at the ceiling as she raced to come up with a plan. “She’s no doubt a good Greek girl from a good Greek family. She’ll have impeccable breeding, of course. Her father probably has loads of money, and she would probably drink battery acid before ever going against her parents’ wishes.”
“That exciting of a girl, huh?”
Isabella laughed as she looked back at Sadie. “I’m not being very charitable. I’m sure she’s lovely.”
“Now you make her sound like a poodle,” Sadie said in amusement.
Isabella covered her face with her hands and tried not to let panic overtake her. Or despair.
“Oh, honey,” Sadie said as she wrapped her arms around Isabella. “This doesn’t change anything. Truly. You still have to do the same thing as always. Get him to see you. The real you. He won’t be able to resist you once he spends time with you.”
Isabella let herself be embraced by her friend. At the moment she’d take what comfort she could get. Being alone had never really bothered her, but now she was faced with the possibility of not being with the one person she wanted.
“We kissed last night,” she said when Sadie finally drew away.
“See? I told you,” Sadie exclaimed.
“Don’t celebrate yet,” Isabella said glumly. “He gave me the lecture this morning, or at least he tried.”
Sadie’s eyebrow went up. “The lecture?”
“Oh, you know, the whole this can never happen again, it was a mistake lecture.”
“Ah, that one.”
“At least now I know why.”
“Okay, so it won’t be as easy as you thought it might be,” Sadie said. “That doesn’t mean you won’t be successful. From what you’ve said, it hardly sounds like a love match.”
Isabella sighed again. “So what do I do, Sadie?”
Sadie squeezed her hand and smiled. “You make him fall in love with you.”
“Which requires me to make him see past this whole guardian-ward thing. The kiss was…” She took a deep breath and smiled dreamily. “It was hot. I need him to see me like he did in that moment.”
“If I can make this all about me for a moment, I might have a somewhat devious method for getting him to see you sorta naked.”
Isabella reared her head back in surprise. “You certainly have my attention now.”
Sadie grimaced. “I’d planned to ask you this anyway, and it sounds awfully self-serving, but it could work. Maybe.”
“So, tell me,” Isabella said impatiently.
“I have an audition Saturday night. Well, it’s not exactly an audition but it could turn into one if I play my cards right.”
“Will you just get on with it?” Isabella said. “The suspense is killing me.”
Sadie grinned. “I have to work this Saturday. It’s a pretty big deal. A group of rich out-of-towners who only come through once a year. Well this weekend is it and they’ve rented out the entire club for the night. All of the dancers are expected to be there, no excuses. Only I have this party I was invited to. Howard Griffin is going to be there and Leslie is going to introduce me.”
“Who is Howard? And who is Leslie?” Isabella asked.
“Howard is producing a new Broadway musical. And, he’s opening auditions next week. They’re by invitation only. People would kill to get an invite from him. Including me. Leslie has an invite but then she’s all over Broadway right now. Everyone wants her. I met her a couple of weeks ago, and we became friendly. She’s doing me such a huge favor by basically recommending me to Howard. I can’t miss that party.”
“Okay, so what does that have to do with me?”
Sadie gave her an imploring look. “If I don’t show up for work, I’ll lose my job, and until I land enough steady roles—big roles—I can’t afford to lose the kind of money I make at the club. So I thought you could fill in for me just for a few hours Saturday night.”
Isabella burst into laughter. “You want me to pose as you in a strip club? Sadie, we look nothing alike. I’m a terrible dancer. I’d get you fired in two seconds.”
Sadie shook her head vigorously. “First of all, I wear a blond wig. We’re of similar height and with the right makeup, no one would be able to tell the difference if you wear the same clothes. No one looks at your face in that place anyway,” she added dryly.
“And how does this have anything to do with Theron? He’d have heart failure if he knew I even went into a strip club, much less worked there for a night.”
Sadie’s eyes twinkled in amusement. “Just think about it. If he knew where you were, he’d blow a gasket, and he’d no doubt go haul you out by your hair which would of course force him to see you half naked.”
“How does this not get you fired?” Isabella asked pointedly.
A frown creased Sadie’s forehead. “Damn,” she muttered. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
Isabella instantly took pity on her friend. “How about I cover for you without Theron knowing, and I’ll figure out another way to get his attention.”
“Are you sure?” Sadie asked anxiously.
“I’ll give his security team the slip. Apparently he’s hired a team to follow me around New York. If you ask me, he’s taking this guardian thing a bit far.”
Sadie’s mouth gaped open. “You have a security team?”
“Yeah, I know, ridiculous isn’t it? I’m to report to his office bright and early in the morning to meet them, and then, according to Theron, I’m to go nowhere without them.”
A mischievous smile curved Isabella’s lips.
“Why do I get the impression you’ll see this security as a challenge?” Sadie asked.
Isabella’s grin broadened. “It’ll make Theron crazy. See, I can give them the slip to cover for you at the cl
ub. Word will get back to Theron. He’ll never know where I went, but it’ll give him another chance to lecture me. I’ll think of some way to get his attention. If the lecture gets too bad, I’ll just kiss him again.”
“You know, I hope he’s worth all this trouble you’re going to,” Sadie said. “My first thought is that no man is worth all this effort.”
“He’s worth it,” Isabella said softly.
Isabella climbed out of the taxi in front of Theron’s office building and walked briskly toward the entrance. She took the elevator up to his floor, and when she entered his suite of offices, she saw a pile of luggage in the hallway.
She walked into Madeline’s office to ask what was going on, but saw that the area was full of people. She approached Madeline’s desk and leaned over to whisper.
“What’s going on?”
Madeline cleared her throat. “Alannis and her mother arrived early. That is your security team,” she said, pointing in the direction of three intimidating-looking men. “And the others are this morning’s appointments which are waiting because Alannis and company are in his office.”
Frowning, Isabella straightened and glanced toward Theron’s closed door. Without another word, she headed for his office, ignoring Madeline’s calls.
Part of her wanted to run as fast and as far away as she could, but another part of her wanted to see for herself the woman that Theron wanted to marry.
She threw open the door and walked in. Theron who was standing in front of his desk looked up and frowned when he saw her. Not good. An older woman also turned, and her frown was much larger. The last, who had to be Alannis, picked up her head and stared curiously at Isabella.
Of course she wouldn’t be homely, because that would be asking far too much. Alannis and her mother both were extremely beautiful in a classy, elegant way. While her mother wore her hair upswept in a neat chignon, Alannis’s hair fell to her shoulders in a dark wave. Her brown eyes were warm and friendly, and she smiled tentatively in Isabella’s direction.
“Bella,” Theron said gruffly. “Did Madeline not tell you I was occupied?”
The reproach was clear in his voice, but Isabella ignored it. She was too busy trying to find fault with Alannis. Unfortunately for her, unless Alannis’s voice was grating, the woman was darn near perfect. She and Theron even looked fabulous together.