by Maya Banks
No longer able to stand the pain his words caused, she vaulted up, staggering down the slight incline. She landed on one of the smaller walkways that circled the gardens and nearly ran headlong into Piers.
He gripped her arms to steady her and stared down with piercing eyes.
“I’m reminded of the saying that eavesdroppers rarely hear good of themselves,” Piers said.
“No,” she said in a small voice. “It would appear they don’t.”
Something that might have been compassion softened his expression. She turned pleading eyes up to meet his gaze. “Don’t tell him I heard. You already know everything. Everyone knows. There’s no reason to make Theron feel any worse.”
“And you?” Piers asked. “What about you, Bella?”
“It would appear I have a lot to fix,” she said quietly.
She shook herself from his hands and hurried through the garden around to the back entrance. She stopped at the door and stared for a long moment at the helipad. Then she walked inside, making sure she wasn’t seen as she mounted the stairs.
When she got to her room, she closed the door and leaned heavily against it even as a tear slid down her cheek.
Theron didn’t love her. He couldn’t. Because he loved Alannis. And because of Isabella, his chance of finding the happiness he wanted was ruined. Taken away by her selfishness and single-minded pursuit of her wants and her needs.
She took a long hard look at herself, and she didn’t like what she saw very much.
Loving someone shouldn’t hurt so much, shouldn’t be so destructive. Was she nothing more than a spoiled rich girl unwilling to accept that she couldn’t have what she most wanted?
And then in a moment of sudden clarity, of anguish and realization, she knew that she had to let Theron go. She wasn’t what he wanted. Alannis was. Isabella didn’t even want to know the hurt and disappointment that the other girl had endured. What had Theron told her? That he’d been unfaithful?
Theron was bearing the brunt of Isabella’s actions—the dishonor. When the blame was solely hers.
He isn’t yours to keep.
The single thought echoed and simmered through her mind. And she knew it was true, no matter how much it hurt, how much it made her heart ache and pulse.
She bowed her head, allowing the tears to slither down her cheeks, falling to the floor beneath her. For a moment she let herself cry and then she raised her head, determined to regain her composure. She had to figure a way out of this mess.
First of all, she couldn’t let Theron know that she’d overheard his conversation. He would feel hugely guilty. He’d want to do the right thing—according to him.
But this time—this time she was going to do the right thing.
Wiping at her face with the back of her hand, she went to her bags and dug for her handbag. Sophia had given her a card with her address and telephone number, had invited her to visit her in Greece whenever she resumed her plans to travel to Europe. Never mind that those plans had revolved around Theron and had been abandoned when Theron had relocated to New York.
Next she needed to locate a helicopter service, preferably one that wasn’t on Chrysander’s payroll. Not exactly easy when she was on an island, in a country where she didn’t speak the language.
Hopefully Chrysander had internet in his office, or a directory, or something…
And then she had to talk to Theron.
The worst part is that she had to pretend that she’d never heard what Theron said. She had to smile and act as if nothing was wrong. As if her heart weren’t breaking.
Isabella checked her watch as Marley cleared the dishes away after the light lunch she’d served on the patio. Isabella deserved an Oscar award, surely, because she’d smiled and laughed, responded when appropriate. Even as she cracked and broke on the inside.
Piers had watched her, his gaze finding her often, probing and assessing. When the eating was finally finished, it was all Isabella could do not to sigh in relief. Now she had a little time to talk to Theron before the helicopter would arrive to pick her up.
“Theron,” she said as he stood from the table. “Could I speak to you? Alone?” she added with an apologetic look in the others’ direction.
Piers’s brow furrowed, and he gave her an inquisitive look as he stood. She avoided his scrutiny.
“Of course, pethi mou. Why don’t we go for a walk on the beach?” Theron suggested.
She avoided his hand when he extended it, and instead, she brushed past him and to the walkway. He followed her down to the water, and this time, the water failed to soothe her. It mocked her with its false serenity.
The sheer beauty of the brilliant blue, stretching outward seeking the distant skyline, taunted her. Below the surface, there were ugly things. Things that never saw the light, that never disturbed the pristine surface that sparkled in the sun.
When she stopped, her feet sinking into the sand, Theron’s hands closed over her shoulders.
“What’s the matter, Bella mou?” he asked in his deep timbre. “You seem sad today.”
She turned in his arms, finally finding the courage to face him. “There are things I need to tell you, Theron.”
His expression sobered. “What things?”
She broke away and took a step down the beach before turning again. “The whole reason I planned to travel to London this summer was because I thought you would be there.”
Confusion clouded his eyes, and he started to open his mouth. She silenced him quickly with an outstretched hand. “Please, don’t say anything. Let me finish. There’s a lot I need to say, and I won’t be able to finish if you start asking questions.”
He hesitated and then nodded.
“When I arrived in New York and learned that you would be remaining there permanently, I changed my plans on the fly, opting to rent an apartment I didn’t really want and invented a host of other reasons to throw me into contact with you.”
Her hands closed over her arms, and she rubbed up and down despite the heat that prickled over her skin.
“I knew you planned to propose to Alannis. I knew you’d planned your life with another woman. I was determined to try and seduce you away from her.”
He sucked in his breath and opened his mouth again, but she stared at him so hauntingly that he quieted again. Only the glitter in his eyes gave the impression of what he must be thinking.
“I pursued you relentlessly. I’d even planned to crash your engagement party but arrived too late. That was the reason that Marcus was in my room. He’d followed me home in the rain when I took off on foot to try and stop your proposal.”
His lips thinned, and he turned his face away to stare at the ocean.
“I thought I’d lost you, but then you came to the strip club, and then we made love in my suite. The next day you told me we had to be married, and I knew that you felt you’d dishonored me. I knew you didn’t love me, but I was determined to have the chance to make you love me, so I said yes. I let you say all those things. Because in the end I’d have the one thing I wanted most. You.”
She found his gaze again even as tears glided down her cheeks. “You see, Theron, I’ve loved you since I was a little girl. I thought it was infatuation, that it would go away, but each time I saw you, my love grew until I knew I had to try. I couldn’t just live my life standing on the outside of my dream, never giving us a chance.”
She took in a deep steadying breath, her quiet sobs shaking her shoulders. “But I was wrong. And I’m sorry. I ruined things for you and Alannis.”
Quiet lay between them. Theron stood stock-still, his hands shoved into his pockets.
“You don’t love me,” she said in a remarkably steady voice.
She hadn’t intended it to be a question, but it felt like a plea from the depths of her soul. And then he turned to face her again and her hopes shriveled and died. There were a host of things reflected in those golden eyes. Confusion, anger, but not love. Never love.
; Quickly, before he could react, she stepped forward and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. “I hope someday you can forgive me.”
She slid her ring off her finger then slipped her hand inside his. Without another word, she turned and ran back up the path to the house.
“Bella! Bella!” Theron shouted after her.
She brushed past Chrysander at the top of the pathway, ignoring his hands as they reached out to steady her.
“Isabella!” he called.
She swallowed the sob caught in her throat and ran inside. The helicopter would be here soon. Her bag was where she left it, at the doorway leading out the back of the house, past the pool and to the helipad.
She grabbed it and after a look back at the house, she hurried out to wait on the helicopter.
Chapter Eighteen
Theron stared at the ring resting in his palm then at Isabella’s retreating back. He simply couldn’t comprehend everything she’d admitted. It sounded too far-fetched.
Had she really loved him for so long? It didn’t seem possible.
He watched as Chrysander slowly walked down the path toward him. He came to a stop a few feet in front of Theron.
“Trouble?” he asked.
“You could say that,” Theron murmured, still trying to come to grips with all she’d told him.
“She seemed pretty upset,” Chrysander said.
Theron closed his fist around the ring. “She gave me my ring back.”
Chrysander arched an eyebrow in surprise. “Did she say why? It’s easy for anyone with half a brain to see she’s crazy about you.”
Theron cocked his head then shook it. “She just told me the craziest story. I don’t even know what to make of it.”
“Care to share?”
Theron opened his hand to see the ring still lying there. It looked all wrong. It should be on Isabella’s finger. She should be glowing with happiness, not staring at him with tearstained cheeks.
“She said she’s been in love with me since she was a girl,” Theron said slowly. “And that her trip to New York was because I was there.” He looked up at his brother. “She said the entire reason she planned to go to London was because she thought I’d be there.”
Chrysander smiled. “Sounds like a determined girl.”
Theron nodded. “That’s not all. She seduced me.”
This time Chrysander laughed. “Now this I have to hear.”
Theron quickly told Chrysander everything that had happened since the day Isabella had walked into his office, now armed with the knowledge of what she’d really been doing. It all seemed so much clearer now. The sultry teasing, the apartment hunting, the shopping.
Chrysander remained silent for a moment. “So, are you angry?” he finally asked.
Theron gave him a strange look. “Angry?”
“You wanted to marry Alannis. Isabella prevented that.”
Theron shook his head. “Isabella didn’t prevent that, Chrysander. I did. I didn’t propose, and Isabella was nowhere near me when that happened.”
“Okay, so what are you then?”
“Flattered? Overwhelmed? Completely and utterly gob-smacked?”
Chrysander grinned. “That about covers it.”
“My God, Chrysander. She’s so gorgeous. She lights up the entire room when she walks in. She makes me crazy. Absolutely and completely crazy. She could have any man she wanted. And she wants me.”
“Enough to drive you to your knees, isn’t it? Finding the love of a good woman. They can certainly tie you in knots.”
“I love her,” Theron whispered. “All this time, I’ve been so focused on wanting a wife and children, wanting to settle down with the picture-perfect family, and perfection has been staring me in the face all along.”
Chrysander smiled. “Why are you telling me all this? It would seem you have a very upset young lady who seems determined to do what’s best for you, whether you like it or not.”
Theron frowned and clenched his fist around the ring. “Fool-headed, stubborn…” He shook his head and stalked up the pathway, Chrysander falling in behind him.
They were halfway to the house when Chrysander stopped. Theron turned around to see him frown.
“You hear that?” Chrysander asked.
Theron strained to hear. In the distance, he heard the unmistakable sound of an approaching helicopter. “Did you call for the helicopter?”
Chrysander shook his head. “One wasn’t scheduled until Piers’s departure tomorrow.”
Both men hurried up the pathway then cut left to circle the gardens to take the shorter route to the helipad. Even before the helipad came into view, they saw the chopper descend.
“That’s not one of ours,” Chrysander said grimly.
Chrysander broke into a run, and Theron followed. If Chrysander was worried then so was Theron. But when they rounded the corner and he saw Isabella standing as the helicopter door opened, his blood froze.
“Isabella!” Theron shouted.
She didn’t even turn around. She wouldn’t have heard him over the roar of the blades.
Chrysander waved frantically to the pilot, and Theron raced ahead of him, trying to reach Isabella in time. He watched helplessly as the door closed behind her, and then, as he reached the edge of the concrete, the helicopter lifted off.
The draft blew his hair and clothing, but he stood, waving his arms in an effort to gain her attention. The helicopter rose higher and then headed in the direction of the mainland.
Chrysander cursed as Theron stood there frozen.
“I’ve got to find out where she’s going,” Theron said as he turned back to the house.
Ahead, Marley and Piers came out the back door, Marley in the protective arm of Piers.
“What’s going on?” Piers shouted.
Theron strode past him and Marley while Chrysander hung back. He tore up the stairs and into Isabella’s room only to find her things gone. There was no note, no hint of where she’d gone.
He ran back down, finding the others in the living room. Chrysander was on the phone trying to track down the pilot service and figure out a way to hold Isabella when she landed.
Piers approached him, a grim expression on his face.
“There’s something you should know.”
Theron looked sharply at him. “What?”
“This morning, Isabella was on the beach early. I found her on the other side of the patio, visibly upset by something she’d overheard in your conversation with Chrysander and Marley. She begged me not to say anything. She said she didn’t want you to feel any worse.”
Theron closed his eyes as he remembered waxing on about what he wanted. When what he wanted had been in front of his nose all along.
“I’m a damn fool,” he muttered.
“No arguments here,” Piers said with a wry smile. “The question is, what are you going to do to get her back?”
Isabella hadn’t considered the repercussions of landing a helicopter on the estate of what appeared to be an extremely wealthy, Greek family. As soon as they settled on the ground, they were surrounded by a dozen security guards. All carrying guns.
So maybe this wasn’t her best idea.
The door was wrenched open, and she found herself staring into the grim face of one of the gunmen. He barked out something in Greek, and Isabella stared helplessly back at him.
“I only speak English,” she said.
“What do you want? Why are you here?” he asked in heavily accented English.
She took a deep breath and tried not to stare at the muzzle of the gun which was precariously close to her nose.
“I’m here to see Alannis Gianopolous. It’s important.”
“Your name,” he demanded.
“Isabella Caplan.”
He lifted a small wire and released a torrent of Greek into what she assumed was a microphone. A few moments later, he lowered the gun and took a step backward.
“This way please, Ms. Caplan.”
/> He even reached a hand in to help her down. A few moments later, he escorted her inside the palatial estate that was situated on a cliff overlooking the ocean. In any other circumstance, she would have spared a moment of envy for such a gorgeous place.
“Isabella, my dear!” Sophia exclaimed as soon as Isabella was inside. She took hold of Isabella and kissed her on either cheek. “What on earth are you doing here? And where is Theron?”
Isabella looked down for a moment and then back up at the older woman. “I need to speak with Alannis. It’s very important.”
Sophia frowned slightly, concern filling her eyes. “Of course. Is everything all right?”
Isabella offered her a shaky smile. “No, but it will be.”
“Wait here. I’ll get Alannis for you,” Sophia said.
Isabella walked to the huge glass window that overlooked the steep drop-off to the ocean. Alannis even lived in a perfect spot. Close to Chrysander and Marley. They could all be one big, happy family after Alannis married Theron.
“Isabella?” Alannis’s soft voice filled the room.
Isabella turned to see the other girl staring at her, clear confusion written in her dark eyes.
“Mama said you wanted to see me.”
Isabella gathered her courage and crossed the room to stand in front of Alannis.
“I came to apologize and to right a wrong.”
Alannis frowned harder. “I don’t understand.”
Isabella took a deep breath. “I set out to break up you and Theron. I knew he wanted to marry you, but I’ve been in love with him forever, and I wanted him. I never stopped to think about what he wanted or that I was hurting two people in the process. You and him.”
“But—” Alannis began.
“He wants to marry you,” Isabella continued on, cutting her off. “You’re who he wants. Go to him, Alannis. The helicopter is waiting to take you to the island. He’ll be glad to see you. I’ve ended things with him. I gave him back his ring. Make sure he gives you a different one. You deserve a fresh start. One not tainted by me. Make him do it right, with all the romance and fuss you deserve.”