and then he barked into a small receiver that hung from his shirt.
Seconds later, Maxwell and Davison ran by the bathroom, their faces grim. She
slipped out with no hesitation and ran for the hotel entrance, hoping they didn’t look back
in the time it took her to get to a taxi.
She slid into the cab at the front of the line and offered the driver double his fee if
he got the hell out fast. Only too happy to comply, he peeled out of the entryway and
rocketed in front of two other cars. Horns sounded and angry shouts filled the air but the
driver shook his fist and then grinned.
“Where you going, miss?”
She glanced up to see him staring at her in the rearview mirror.
“I’m not completely sure,” she admitted. “I need a dress. A really gorgeous dress
that’ll make a man drool at a hundred yards.”
“I know just the place,” he said, nodding his head.
Not completely willing to forego any precautionary measures, she asked if he’d
wait while she shopped, meter running of course.
He dropped her off in front of the upscale department store then gave her his cell
number.
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THE TYCOON’S REBEL BRIDE
39
MAYA BANKS
SILHOUETTE DESIRE 1944
THE ANETAKIS TYCOONS
“Give me a ring when you’re checking out, and I’ll pull up and pick you up here,”
he said.
“Thank you,” she said as she climbed out.
Making sure to keep in a clump of people, she entered the store. She wasn’t a
complete idiot when it came to safety. She avoided corners, anything off the beaten path
and stayed in plain sight of the security cameras. When it was time for her to try on her
dresses, she had the extremely helpful saleslady accompany her to the dressing room.
After all she needed an opinion.
After trying on six dresses, she found the one. It slipped over her body, hugging
every curve like a second skin. The genius of the dress was in its simplicity. There
weren’t any ruffles or frills, nothing to take away from the shape of her body. It was
sheer with spaghetti straps, and it fell two inches above her knee. With a pair of killer
heels, she’d have the men eating out of her hand.
She frowned as she realized it didn’t really matter what the other men did. Theron
was the only one who mattered, and it was anyone’s guess how he would react.
She stepped out of the dressing room to show the saleslady. Her entire face lit up.
“It’s perfect, Ms. Caplan. Just perfect. With the right shoes, you’ll be a
knockout.”
Isabella smiled. “Would you happen to have a pair of black shoes in a three-inch
heel that would go well with this dress?”
The saleslady smiled. “I’ll be right back.”
A few minutes later, Isabella twirled and glanced down her legs at the shoes. The
heels were basically toothpicks, but they did look gorgeous on her.
Not content to sell her an outrageously expensive dress—the shoes were nearly as
expensive—the saleslady also insisted she accessorize with just the right jewelry—and
handbag of course.
Two hours after she’d ditched her security team, Isabella settled into her cab and
headed back to the hotel. When they pulled up, she collected her bags and leaned up to
pay the driver.
“Thank you so much. I truly appreciate you waiting for me.”
“It was no problem, miss. Good luck at your party tonight. I’m sure you’ll knock
their socks off.”
She smiled and got out then waved as he drove away. With a smile, she entered
the hotel and headed for the elevator. The absence of her security team gave her pause,
and then guilt crept in. She’d been so caught up in her shopping that she hadn’t even
considered phoning Reynolds to assure him that she was okay, and she hadn’t ever
provided him or Theron her cell number, so it wasn’t as if they could have called her.
With a sigh, she pulled out her cell as she inserted the key to her hotel room. She
entered, punching Reynold’s number. Then she looked up and saw four very angry men
staring at her from inside her room.
Theron rose from where he was sitting on the couch, his eyes sparking. He
motioned to the other three men. “Leave us,” he said shortly.
Isabella let the bags slide from her fingertips as the three men filed by. Reynolds
shot her a disapproving look, and she smiled tentatively.
When they were gone, she glanced over at Theron who had closed the distance
between them. He glowered menacingly, his face a veritable storm cloud.
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