THE TYCOON'S REBEL BRIDE(60)

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.

Generated by Foxit PDF Creator © Foxit Software

http://www.foxitsoftware.com For evaluation only.

THE TYCOON’S REBEL BRIDE

85

MAYA BANKS

SILHOUETTE DESIRE 1944

THE ANETAKIS TYCOONS

“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