awhile yet. Not to worry, I’ll have you there in plenty of time. Try to relax and enjoy
your dinner. It would be a terrible thing if you got to the party and promptly fainted at
Theron’s feet from hunger.”
“Then again, it might be just the thing to stop the show,” she said mischievously.
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SILHOUETTE DESIRE 1944
THE ANETAKIS TYCOONS
He chuckled and shook his head. “I’m almost sorry I agreed to help you, Bella. I
would have rather pursued you myself.”
“And if my heart weren’t already lost to Theron, I would most gladly lead you on
a very merry chase,” she said with a grin.
“Then let me say this, and I won’t broach the subject again,” he said. “Should
things not go the way you’d like…I ask only that you remember me.”
She reached over to take his hand this time. “Thank you, Marcus. You’ve been a
wonderful friend in the short time of our acquaintance. I hope you’ll remain my friend no
matter what. This is a lonely city when you know no one.”
“I’d be honored. Now eat. I insist. They have the most wonderful desserts here.”
Theron sat broodingly in his chair as the performance yawned on before him.
Beside him, Alannis watched the stage with rapt attention, her face aglow with delight.
Sophia was less enthused, but she still focused her attention forward.
Just before the performance had begun, Reynolds had reported that Isabella was
meeting Marcus Atwater for dinner after a day of shopping. There wasn’t a whole lot
Theron could do at that point given that he was firmly entrenched in his evening. In the
end, he gave Reynolds strict instructions to stick to Isabella like glue and make damn sure
that Atwater didn’t take advantage of her.
He was tempted to send a message to Reynolds from his BlackBerry, but he
wasn’t sure that Alannis was so ensconced in the performance that she wouldn’t notice,
and he’d promised that no business would interfere tonight.
Still, he’d requested periodic updates from Isabella’s security team, and he’d find
a way to check his messages even if it meant a trip to the bathroom.
For the entire next hour, he fidgeted, ready to be done. It irritated him that on a
night he should be relaxed, that he was forced to think about Isabella’s well-being. She
was seeping into his life in a manner that didn’t sit well with him. What did it say when
he couldn’t enjoy an evening with his future wife for thinking about Isabella Caplan?
Alannis touched his arm, and he was jerked from his thoughts.
“Theron, it’s over,” she whispered.
He glanced quickly to see the curtain drawn. Had he missed the encore entirely?
Another nudge from Alannis had him rising to his feet. He offered her his arm and filed
out of his box, Sophia and two of his security team following behind.
“And how did you enjoy the show?” he asked as they made their way to the
waiting limousine.
“It was wonderful,” Alannis gushed. “I do so love the opera. There was a time…”
She ducked her head, but not before he saw a bright blush form on her cheeks.
“There was a time, what?” he prompted.
“Oh, there was a time that I wanted to be an opera singer,” she said self-
consciously.
“And why didn’t you pursue it?”
She smiled and shook her head. “I wasn’t good enough. Besides, father wouldn’t
have had it. He thinks it’s a vulgar career.”
Theron raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t have thought such talent could be
considered vulgar.”
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SILHOUETTE DESIRE 1944
THE ANETAKIS TYCOONS
“Oh, he thinks any career that lands you on stage is inappropriate for a young girl.
He’d much prefer that I marry well and give him grandbabies.”
Something flashed in her eyes before it quickly vanished into blandness.
“And what do you want?” Theron asked curiously.
“I like children,” she said simply before turning to her mother.
Theron ushered them into the car and settled in himself as they started for the
hotel. His hands were clammy, and he shook his head in disgust over his apparent
nervousness. He prided himself on his control and his calm. Nothing about this situation
should cause him any anxiety. He had his future mapped out, and everything was
proceeding exactly as planned.