by Maya Banks
“Better?” he murmured.
She smiled. “Better.”
* * *
Theron woke to a sweet female form wrapped tightly around his body. As he opened his eyes and blew a tendril of dark hair from across his lips, he realized that Isabella was more draped across him than wrapped exactly.
Her breasts were pressed to his chest, and one arm was thrown across his body possessively. Her limbs were tangled with his, and she slept soundly, her soft, even breathing filling his ears.
Reality was swift to come, and with it, the weight of what he’d done. It wasn’t unexpected, this guilt and resignation. He could blame it on passion, lust—a whole host of things—but he knew the truth.
He’d wanted her and he’d taken her, and he’d certainly known what he was about in the heat of the moment. Not once in his thirty-two years had he ever lost all conscious thought when making love, and he wasn’t likely to start now.
He hadn’t even used a condom, and for the life of him he couldn’t dredge up a plausible excuse for his stupidity. It wasn’t even that he didn’t have one on him at the time. He lived his life in a state of preparedness, and he always had not one, but two condoms in his wallet.
And yet he hadn’t stopped to get one, hadn’t protected her, and worse, it had been a conscious decision. There was no one to blame in this whole mess but himself, and he damn well knew it.
Carefully, he extricated himself from her warm body. He tensed when she gave a soft little sigh, but then she snuggled back into the covers and settled down once more.
He strode to the bathroom to shower, aware that there would be consequences for his choices. Already he was mentally preparing and making plans. Through it all, there was an odd sense of peace instead of pained resignation.
Still, he dreaded all he had to do. And say.
Wrapping a towel around his waist, he walked out of the bathroom and recovered the clothing he’d worn yesterday. Thankfully he always kept several changes of clothing at his office. That would be his first stop.
As he was pulling on his pants, Isabella stirred, her long hair sliding over her body as she turned and reached out her hand as though seeking him. His body tightened, and arousal hummed through his veins, a soft whisper that grew louder as he stared down at her.
She opened her eyes sleepily, blinking when she saw him. He reached down and touched her cheek, smoothing a stray strand of her hair from her skin.
“There are things I have to take care of, Bella. Important things.”
He bent and kissed her softly on the hair, and then without another word, turned and walked out of the bedroom.
* * *
Isabella stood beside the bed, wrapped in just the sheet, the ends clutched tightly in her hands. She glanced down at the discarded washcloth, at the evidence of her lost virginity, and felt an odd stirring deep in her chest.
Where had Theron gone? And would he be back? Or was she just the temptation that finally became too much, and he was rushing back to Alannis to make amends?
She closed her eyes and let her chin fall to her chest. She didn’t want to be the other woman. She didn’t like how it felt, didn’t want to be responsible for someone else’s sorrow. But why should she place another’s over her own?
Feeling quiet sadness settle into her heart, she went into the bathroom to draw a hot bath. Part of her ached—a delicious ache—and she couldn’t help but close her eyes and remember every touch, every kiss and caress, the feel of his body sliding over hers.
She soaked until the water grew tepid, and finally, shivering, she rose from the tub and wrapped herself in a towel.
There was a listlessness to her she was unused to. There was too much unknown, unresolved, and she worried that it would remain so.
Growing disgusted with her lethargy, she forced herself to dress. She refused to sit in her hotel room holding her breath like a lovesick fool, waiting for a man who might never return.
First she’d eat and then she’d head to her apartment. Her new furniture had been delivered, and Theron had arranged someone to stock all the necessities. She would go over and make a list of anything else she needed, and then maybe it was time to start thinking about what she was going to do with the rest of her life.
When she opened the door, she immediately came face-to-face with an unsmiling Reynolds. She tried to smile, but failed miserably. Then she sighed. “You might as well come in so I can apologize properly. Then you can accompany me to the hotel restaurant, and then we can go to my new apartment.”
Reynolds actually smiled in return as he stepped inside. “Now, Ms. Caplan, you’re getting the hang of how things are supposed to be done. You make my job a lot easier when I know where you’re going and you aren’t running off at every turn.”
She made a face. “I truly am sorry I’ve been so much trouble. I think you’ll find me a lot more accommodating from now on.”
His amusement vanished, and he sobered as he studied her with questioning eyes. “I hope nothing has happened to upset you.”
For a moment she said nothing. And then with a halfhearted smile, she gestured toward the door. “Let’s go eat. I’m starving.”
* * *
Theron settled wearily into the chair behind his desk and picked up the phone. Yet again, it would be the middle of the night in Greece, but he needed to have this conversation with Chrysander now so that he could go forward with his plans.
“Nai,” Chrysander barked in a sleepy tone.
“I’ve done a terrible thing,” Theron said.
“Theron?” Chrysander asked in a more alert tone. “What the devil are you doing calling at this hour? Again. And what terrible thing are you talking about? Are you in jail?”
Theron had to laugh at that. “No, I’m not in jail.”
“Then what is wrong?”
Theron rubbed his hand across his face. “I seduced Isabella.”
There was a long pause. “I’m not sure I heard that correctly,” Chrysander finally said. Then Theron heard him speak to Marley. “No, agape mou, nothing is wrong. Go back to sleep. It’s just Theron.” Then he came back to Theron. “Give me a moment to take this call in my office. Marley has been up all night with the baby.”
Theron waited patiently as he heard shuffling in the background and even a sound like Chrysander kissing Marley. A few moments later, Chrysander’s voice bled back over the line.
“Now tell me you didn’t do what I think you said you did,” Chrysander said dryly.
“I can’t do that. It’s worse, though.”
“Worse than you seducing a young woman under your care? I fail to see how it can get any worse.”
“She was a virgin, and I didn’t use protection.”
Theron cringed even as he said it. It was a conversation that made him sound sixteen years old confessing his sins to his father.
Chrysander cursed and blew out his breath. “Damn it, Theron, what in the world were you thinking? Okay, scratch that. You obviously weren’t thinking. That much is established. But what about Alannis? Were you not just telling me and Piers that you were marrying her? What were you doing in bed with Isabella? And Theos, without protection. Are you stupid?”
“And you were so careful with Marley?” Theron said defensively.
“I was in a relationship with Marley,” Chrysander growled. “I was not engaged to another woman, nor was she someone under my direct care. Theron, this goes beyond stupid.”
“I’m not engaged to another woman,” Theron said quietly. “I didn’t ask her to marry me.”
Another stunned silence ensued.
“You better back up and tell me the entire story,” Chrysander said wearily. “It’s obvious that you’ve got a huge mess on your hands. Start with the part where you didn’t ask Alannis to marry you.�
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“I couldn’t do it,” Theron said with a sigh. “I arranged the night, had a party, the ring, the confetti—”
“Confetti? Who the hell has confetti for a marriage proposal?” Chrysander demanded, a thread of amusement in his voice.
“It added to the festive mood,” Theron defended. “Everything was there. The moment was there...and I couldn’t do it. I had my hand on the ring, the woman staring up at me, and then I let go of the box, and asked her to dance instead. We spent the evening celebrating her visit to New York instead of our impending nuptials.”
“So how did this lead to you taking Isabella’s virginity? Without protection,” he added dryly.
“I’ve admitted my stupidity. There’s no reason to keep beating me over the head with it,” Theron said irritably. “It happened after I hauled her out of the strip club.”
“You what?” Chrysander broke into laughter. “Theron, this is sounding more absurd all the time. Do I even want to know why someone you were supposed to be watching over was in a strip club?”
“It’s not important. What’s important is that afterward, I seduced Isabella. We slept together. Without protection. She was a virgin. That covers it.”
“Yes, I’d say it does,” Chrysander said.
There was another long silence and then Chrysander spoke again. “She was under our care. Our father agreed that the Anetakis family would always care for her should something happen to her father. You’re going to have to marry her, Theron.”
Adrenaline surged in Theron’s veins. “I don’t have to marry her, Chrysander. I’m going to marry her.”
Chapter 15
Isabella shoved aside the heavy curtains draped over the large window facing the street. Her apartment was on the top floor, larger by half than the apartments on the lower levels, and it had a wonderful view of a small park across the street.
There was no shortage of joggers, people out walking dogs, and children supervised by their nannies or mothers. It was a small mecca in the middle of a crowded city where someone could go and enjoy a short escape.
Could she live here knowing the man she loved was close by, married to someone else? On the surface it sounded absurd. In a city this size, she could go an entire lifetime without running into Theron. Except...except he controlled her inheritance and contact would be inevitable.
She sighed. She really did like the apartment, but she wasn’t sure she could remain here.
The sound of her door opening didn’t alarm her. Reynolds had been left waiting when she’d only said she’d be a minute. He probably lost patience and was coming to collect her.
Footsteps sounded behind her, and yet she still couldn’t tear her gaze away from the scene below. Maybe it was the normalcy of it all—the promise of an ordered existence where agonizing emotions such as love and jealousy or despair didn’t dictate her every breath.
Firm hands took hold of her shoulders, skimming upward, eliciting a small gasp from her.
“Bella, pethi mou, are you all right? What are you doing here?”
She spun around in surprise and stared up at Theron’s worried eyes.
“I went back to your suite and you were gone. I’m beginning to wonder if my life is going to be a study in never finding you where you’re supposed to be.”
There was a hint of amusement in his voice, but she was puzzled by his words. They made no sense.
“When I called Reynolds and he said you were here, I came right over. But, Bella, there is no need of your apartment any longer,” he said calmly.
She held up a hand to his chest, almost afraid to touch him. Her head was spinning a mile a minute, but she needed to understand what he was saying, or what he wasn’t saying.
“I came to see if it was ready for me to move in,” she said simply.
He captured her hand in his and held it in place over his heart. “You won’t be needing this apartment, pethi mou.”
With his other hand, he dipped into his pocket and drew out a small square box. She stared suspiciously at it as he flipped the lid off and let it fall to the floor. Maneuvering still with the one hand, he turned it over and shook out the velvet jeweler’s box. With a few more flips of his fingers, it came open, and a brilliant, sparkling diamond caught the light from the window and flashed in her eyes.
She watched in complete astonishment as he picked up her hand and slid the ring onto her third finger.
“We’ll be married as soon as possible,” he said matter-of-factly.
She shook her head, sure that she must still be in bed back in her suite—dreaming. “I don’t understand,” she stammered.
“We must marry,” he said again, only this time the emphasis was on the must. “You were a virgin...and you could be pregnant,” he finished softly. “I didn’t think...that is I didn’t use protection. For this I am sorry.”
No, she wasn’t dreaming. In her dreams, her marriage proposal had always been somewhat more romantic. But then she was getting precisely what she wanted. It was hard to argue with that, no matter the motivation behind the proposal.
“Okay,” she said quietly.
Relief flashed in his eyes. Had he expected her to argue? Maybe play the martyr and give him a weeping, tragic refusal because he didn’t love her?
He pulled her into his arms, but instead of kissing her, he hugged her tightly. “We should go back to your suite. We have arrangements to make. Unless you’d prefer my penthouse? I’m afraid I’m no more settled in this city than you are, but we’ll remedy that. We can buy a house. Wherever you like.”
She wedged an arm between them and levered herself away. “What about Alannis?”
There was quiet between them finally, and his expression sobered. “She and Sophia are flying back to Greece tomorrow.”
Isabella tried to disguise the flinch. She didn’t want to think of Alannis’s heartbreak or her mother’s disappointment. Neither woman had been anything but kind to her. And now she was the femme fatale. It wasn’t a very good feeling.
She nodded, not wanting to delve too deeply into Alannis. She was a subject better left alone.
The sparkle of the diamond in the sun drew her gaze back to the gorgeous ring adorning her finger. And then she allowed some of the joy to shine on her like the sun beaming through the window.
With a tentative smile, she looked back up at Theron. “You really want to marry me? Okay, scratch that. Bad question. I’m sure you don’t really want to marry me. But you don’t have to. Just so you know. I mean the whole idea of putting a ring on my finger just because I was a virgin and we didn’t use protection—well, it’s archaic. Nobody does that anymore. I mean even if I turned out pregnant, there’s nothing to say we’d have to be married—”
He silenced her with his mouth, pressing his lips to hers in a deep, lustful kiss. For several long seconds, all that she heard was the soft smooching sounds of their lips. She went positively boneless.
Finally he pulled away, his eyes glittering. He may not want to marry her, but she knew his eyes didn’t lie. He wanted her, and he definitely desired her. It was a start.
“Now if we’re through talking nonsense, let’s return to the hotel,” he said huskily.
* * *
He didn’t look any different. Isabella watched Theron from across the sitting room of her suite as he went through a myriad of phone calls. First he’d talked to the person she’d rented the apartment from. Then a few business calls had interceded. Now he was back to talking to God-knew-who about flights and planes, and she wasn’t sure what else. Her head was spinning.
Maybe she’d expected him to look...well, she didn’t know. Engaged? But then he’d been engaged for several days. Just not to her.
A knock at the door interrupted her moody dissertation on Theron’s phone calls. Reynolds, who had
been going over plans with Theron, strode to the door and opened it.
Isabella couldn’t see who it was with the way Reynolds held the door, but a moment after opening it, he stepped back and glanced over at her.
“Sadie Tilton to see you.”
Isabella made a quick motion with her hand for him to let her in. Sadie popped her head around the door, her eyes filled with caution. They lightened as soon as she saw Isabella and she hurried over to where Isabella sat on the couch.
“What’s going on?” Sadie hissed. “You sounded so weird when you called.”
Isabella didn’t say anything but she raised her hand so that Sadie could see. A quick glance around her told her that Theron wasn’t paying either of them any attention, so involved was he on the phone.
“Oh my God!” Sadie exclaimed as she pounced on Isabella’s hand. “He proposed?”
“Shh, he’s on the phone,” Isabella murmured. “And yes, well, sorta. He didn’t exactly ask. He informed me we were getting married.”
Sadie frowned. “Are you happy about it?”
Isabella smiled. “I will be. He’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“What did he say then? And what about Alannis?”
“Not much. Just that he’d taken my virginity, I could be pregnant and we needed to marry.”
Sadie winced. “Are you sure you want to marry a guy for those reasons? I mean what about love? Or at least a legitimate reason that doesn’t predate this century.”
Isabella looked at her friend and sighed. “I can’t very well make him fall in love with me if we aren’t together, Sadie. Yes, ideally he would love me now, and we’d marry for all the usual reasons, but I have to take what opportunities I’m given. He feels something for me. That much I know. Something that goes beyond simple lust. He just needs time. But if I don’t marry him, he’ll marry Alannis, and where does that get me?”
“You’re right, you’re right,” Sadie said in a low voice. “I was just hoping for something more. You’ve dreamed about this for so long. I wanted it to be perfect for you.”
