The Tycoon's Rebel Bride - Maya Banks Page 0,30
at a loss for words, or maybe he hadn’t intended to pull her back.
“Was there something you wanted?” she asked.
He released her hand and shook his head even as he glanced in Alannis’s direction. “No. Have fun, pethi mou. This is your night.”
With one last look in his direction, she turned and let Marcus lead her back to the dance floor. He spun her in an expert move, and she landed against his chest. Laughing blue eyes shone down at her, and she smiled in return.
“Are you still husband hunting or have I arrived too late for consideration?” he asked with mock seriousness.
“Aren’t men supposed to run in the other direction when marriage is mentioned?”
“Not if he doesn’t mind being caught by the woman in question.”
“You’re a total flirt,” she said with a laugh. “I can’t possibly take such a charming man seriously.”
He grinned but didn’t refute her claim. They danced among the crowd of couples, and every chance she got, she snuck a peek Theron’s way.
He and Alannis were dancing on the far side. She stared laughing up into his eyes, and it didn’t take a genius to see how starstruck she was by Theron. Isabella knew that feeling well.
“So,” Marcus said casually as he spun her around. “Are you going to let him get away?”
She yanked her gaze guiltily away from Theron to meet Marcus’s amused smile. When she realized she hadn’t a hope of playing ignorant, she sighed.
“Am I that obvious?” she asked in resignation.
“Only to another man who’s scouting the territory for competition.”
Her shoulders slumped downward. “I knew I shouldn’t have agreed to this farce. This was Theron’s idea in case you haven’t guessed. He’s decided that it’s his duty to marry me off with all possible haste.”
Marcus touched her chin and gently tugged upward until she looked him in the eye. “Have you told him how you feel?”
She glanced back over at Theron then shook her head. “It’s complicated.”
“Tell you what. Why don’t we head to that corner over there. I’ll get us a drink and you can tell me all about it.”
Theron’s gaze found Isabella again as he listened politely to Alannis and Sophia and the small group of people who stood in the loosely formed circle to the side of the dance floor. He ground his teeth together as Marcus leaned in close to Isabella, his lips hovering precariously close to her ear as he murmured to her.
She laughed and the seductive sound rose over the clink of glasses and the murmur of conversation. Marcus’s fingers drifted over her bare shoulder, lingering there much longer than Theron thought appropriate.
He had to swallow the sound of anger that bubbled up in his throat when Marcus trailed one finger down her cheek and then seductively down the side of her neck and around to the hollow of her throat.
Isabella leaned toward Marcus as if seeking his touch, and then he angled in and pressed his lips very softly to the expanse of skin just below her ear.
“Theos mou,” Theron growled. “Enough is enough.”
“Theron, is something wrong?” Alannis asked.
She touched his arm and he turned to see concern reflected in her eyes.
“It’s nothing,” he said shortly.
Alannis glanced at Isabella and then back to him. “She seems to be having a good time.”
“Yes.” His gaze drifted back, his annoyance growing as Marcus grew bolder in his advances. “Excuse me a moment, will you, Alannis?”
He nodded to Sophia and walked as calmly as he was able over to where Marcus was standing with Isabella. He all but had her trapped in the corner, his body moving in like a predator closing in on a kill.
Just as Theron started to speak up, Marcus lowered his head to nuzzle Isabella’s neck. Rage exploded over Theron. He closed the remaining distance and grabbed the other man by the shoulder, tearing him away from Isabella.
“What the…” Marcus began but broke off mid sentence. “Theron, is there a problem?”
“Come here, Isabella,” Theron bit out. He held his hand out as Isabella stared at him agape.
“What on earth is wrong?” she asked even as she slid her hand into his.
He pulled until she was against his side then he focused the full force of his glare at Marcus.
“Keep your hands off her,” he snarled. “You aren’t to touch her. You aren’t to so much as think about her. Understand?”
Marcus surprised him by grinning and then backing away, hands up. “Whatever you say.” Then he winked at Isabella. “I guess I’ll go. Something tells me