THE TYCOON'S REBEL BRIDE(28)

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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