The Billionaire's Runaway Bride

"Don't ever call me again!" Emily yelled as she got out of a car belonging to a guy who turned out to be the worst date ever.He had offered to give her a lift home in his Mustang, but instead of driving he seemed more focused on sliding his hand under her dress. Emily was not looking for a serious relationship, but she also didn't want some average one-night stand with a guy who seemed interested in her only in the sense of her being a warm female body.The wind blew cold, slapping tiny drops of rain onto her face. She did not regret escaping from that creep's car, but now she had to walk home. She was in the middle of downtown Vancouver, and it would be nearly impossible to catch a taxi. She walked quickly to avoid being stopped by other smarta**es like the guy whose car she had just jumped out of.It's not like she had extremely high expectations, Emily thought moodily as she walked past drunk and excited nightclub goers. She wanted what every girl in her twenties probably want

The restaurant was called Mangiamo, and Emily had heard it was one of the best in the city. She caught a glimpse of fine crystal glasses and classical paintings. It looked so tempting. The only problem was, she was a junior designer, not a millionaire. "Uh... do you mind if we choose something simpler?" she asked. "This is way out of my price range.""Do I not look like a man to you? You would insult me if you even mention paying," Byron said sternly. Well, that was quite a difference between him and the date she had earlier, who had been happy to split the bill with her, even though it was a first date and he might have at least tried to impress her by attempting to pay the whole thing. "But it's 1 am already; it's closing," Emily said, noting the restaurant's hours clearly written in the front window. "Not if I can help it," Byron said calmly, "Come on, Emily Danzi. I need a real Italian's opinion on the food here."There were only a couple of customers inside, and they we

When Emily woke up the next morning, the events of the previous night seemed like a figment of her imagination. The date with the rich business guy was nice, though. It made her smile as she got out of bed and hurried to get ready for work.In the sobering light of day, she decided it was for the best that nothing futher came of it. Byron may have been charming and heartstoppingly handsome, but his mood swings were not a good sign.Emily grew less and less starry-eyed when the reality of Josh being in town sank in. She didn't know if he was here on a visit or if he had decided to move here just to stalk her, but it was a good idea to report him to the police, or at least get some advice. When she got to the office, she looked for her friend Pam, who worked in sales. They were old university friends, and Pam knew all the details of Emily's life. She would probably love to hear about last night, but sadly she was away at a sales meeting.Emily already knew Pam would be telling her t

Emily may have been unlucky in love, but she was extremely confident about her career. She could always find another company to work for, but first she needed to go to the police. This Josh situation was getting out of control.Just like most of the people at work, the officers at the station were very sympathetic when she told them the whole story. "It's a tough city to live in, even without being stalked by an ex," said the sergeant, a tired-looking woman in her forties. The whole process of getting a protection order would take much longer than Emily expected, and she would have to appear in court to testify. On the bright side, many people had witnessed the incident of aggression in the office. It would likely be enough to convince the judge that Josh was dangerous."In the meantime," said the sergeant, "you could try to think of a safety plan. Have all your most important personal belongings quickly accessible. If you're really feeling threatened, you could move to a women's

"You said what?!" This was Pam's reaction when Emily told her about the second time she saw Byron. The two friends were chatting at one of their favorite cafes. Being able to spend time with her best friend and the delicious pancakes reassured Emily that her life wasn't a complete disaster."I said I didn't want to see him," Emily declared. She knew Pam would be outraged when she told her about rejecting the billionaire. "Don't you think you overreacted just a little bit?""Maybe a little.""Or, like, a lot?"They were both practically shouting to be heard over the music and the noise of clattering plates in the busy cafe.Emily was still unsure about this point. "What if Byron really is a stalker, though? I couldn't handle having two stalkers.""What if he isn't?" Pam asked.If he isn't... the possibility was so tempting. Emily had hardly stopped thinking about him despite all the reasons she had to avoid him."He showed up at your house in a limo after you had a really ni