The Tycoon's Rebel Bride - Maya Banks Page 0,60

took her to the Gianopolous estate.”

Theron stared at him in utter confusion. “Why on earth would she have gone to see Alannis? I had no idea she even knew where she lived.”

“She’s trying to make things right,” Marley said softly. “First with you and now with Alannis.”

He dug for his phone to retrieve Alannis’s number. If he could reach Alannis before Isabella left then he could have her detained until he could go after her himself.

Chrysander handed Theron his phone, and Theron hastily punched in the numbers. A few seconds later, Sophia answered the phone.

“Sophia, thank goodness. Has Isabella been by there? What? She left in a taxi?” Sophia filled him in on where Bella was headed then he hung up and turned to Chrysander. “Now where is your damn pilot?”

It had been impossible for Isabella to purchase a ticket leaving the country anytime soon. All the outgoing flights for the next few hours were booked. In the end, she’d gone to the charter service counter, plunked down her credit card, which she hoped was as platinum as the name stated, and hired a private jet to fly her to London.

At least she was on board now, waiting as the jet was fueled and was placed in the queue for takeoff. Exhaustion seeped into her bones. Not sleeping the night before coupled with the emotionally draining day had taken it all out of her.

She leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. She heard shuffling in the distance and assumed it was the pilot, but then warm lips pressed gently to hers, and her eyes flew open.

Theron drew away, cupping her face in his hands as she stared at him in astonishment. He looked…well, he looked bedraggled. His clothing was dusty and rumpled, his hair was in disarray, and his golden eyes burned with feverish intensity.

Before she could say anything, he kissed her again, this time foregoing the gentleness of before. He dragged her to him, kissing her until she was left completely and utterly breathless.

Then he pulled away and uttered a command in Greek directed at the cockpit. To her increasing shock, the plane began to move. With Theron in it.

“Theron, wait,” she protested. “This plane is going to London. You can’t just leave here. What about Alannis? And your family?”

He pulled her out of her seat, maneuvered to the couch, then pulled her down onto his lap.

“Shouldn’t we be in our seatbelts for takeoff?” she asked dumbly, still unable to comprehend that he was here.

“I’ll catch you if there is any unexpected turbulence,” he said silkily. “Now that you can’t run anywhere and I have you all to myself, you’ll have to listen to every word I’m about to say.”

Her eyes rounded, and her mouth fell open. He traced her lips with his finger then pulled her down to replace his finger with his mouth.

“Foolish, impetuous, beautiful, frustrating woman,” he murmured. “If you think you’re going to get rid of me after you’ve hooked me and reeled me in, then you have another think coming, Bella mou.”

Hope stuttered and made a soft pitter-patter in her chest. She stared at him unsure of what to say. So many things raced through her mind that she was absolutely speechless.

Then he rotated, sliding her off his lap and onto the seat next to him. He got to the floor on one knee and took her hand in his.

“I love you, my beautiful Isabella. I adore you. I can’t imagine my life without you. Will you marry me and make me the happiest man alive?”

He slid the ring that she’d given him back on her finger. Then he leaned down and kissed her knuckle.

“This was never another woman’s ring, pethi mou. I never gave Alannis a ring, and the one I intended for her was replaced by this one. I chose it for you. I never asked her to marry me. I was yours from the day you walked into my office. You turned my world upside down, and it’s never been set to rights.”

“You didn’t propose?” she croaked around the swell of tears knotting her throat.

He looked back at her solemnly. “I would have never made love to you belonging to another woman. I intended to propose the night of the party. I had the ring. The moment was arranged. But all I could see was you. All I wanted was you. The morning after we made love, I went to see Alannis. I told her that I