Chapter 6
“D O WE HAVE A DEAL THEN ?” Leaning back against her chair, Esther Leventis raised a brow.
Irwin nodded. “It’s a deal of a lifetime. I’d be crazy to resist.”
“Just don’t take any foolish chances,” Esther cautioned the reporter with a frown. “Although my son has become completely asinine in his choice of women, he is not, unfortunately, as stupid in other matters.”
“I’ll take extra care, Mrs. Leventis.” Wetting his lips eagerly, he asked, “And the money?”
“Fifty percent of the promised sum has already been deposited to your account. If, by the time I fly to Florida, everything has gone to plan, then the other half will follow, plus a hefty bonus.”
Irwin’s eyes glittered with greed at the mention of additional payment. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. I got this covered,” he bragged. “Everyone wants to be a star in America these days. I’m betting some of the women I talk to won’t even have to be paid. All they want is their fifteen minutes of fame.”
“Exactly what I want to hear.” When Esther came to her feet, Irwin hastily followed, knowing how the older woman disliked any sign of rudeness. A strange thing, considering what she had hatched against her own daughter-in-law. Then again , Irwin thought, that was the rich for you . Too much money had them wanting the craziest things.
****
W HEN MAIRI ENTERED her last class for the day and saw who was in it, she was extremely tempted to turn around, run away, and never look back.
She didn’t really need the money, did she? If she quit now, Damen would even be overjoyed, and she wouldn’t ever have to admit to him what happened. It was a win-win situation.
But even as the panicky thoughts ran through her head, Mairi found herself slowly walking inside the room and climbing the teaching platform. Oh God, why did You have to make me care so much about principles?
Quitting was the easy way out, but all her life, she hadn’t ever taken that path. She wouldn’t start now.
The teacher’s table was positioned in one corner of the room, next to the white board. It took her a while to get the necessary things out of her bag, with her sprained and bandaged left wrist currently out of commission.
When done, she finally faced her class. One look was enough to tell Mairi these kids were the same with the earlier ones she had held. They definitely knew about her, and they distrusted her because of it, for whatever reason.
“Good afternoon, everyone.” Nervousness had her voice coming out in a squeal, and some of the kids snickered. Mortified, she cleared her throat several times before stammering, “Sorry about that.”
Hopeless, Leon thought. If she kept acting like she was afraid of the class, then it was only a matter of time before the bullies took over and she’d be done for.
Mairi started to introduce herself when she saw Leon stand up. Again, she couldn’t help noticing how good-looking he was, but it was mostly out of bemusement. He was an attractive guy, a very attractive one, in fact. So why did he insist on wasting time teasing her?
And why was he heading towards her?
Mairi’s face whitened as he came closer and closer, and she fought back a wave of dizziness.
He was going to make a scene. He was going to tell everyone they kissed. Her life was ruined—-
“Professor?” Leon halted right in front of her.
Mairi forced herself to look at the younger man. “Yes, Mister...?” She blinked owlishly at him, pretending ignorance.
His lips twitched, but he let it be. She was even cuter now, with the way she pretended not to know him. No one had ever done that to him before. “I just wanted to let you know I’m not on the student list you have,” he drawled. “I’ve only decided to take this one earlier so...”
When Leon handed her a receipt, he managed to caress her hand as she reached for it. Mairi snatched her hand away immediately, face burning.
Behind Leon, one of the male students in the front row whistled. Leaning forward on his desk, he said with a snicker, “Way to go, Leon. I think the teacher’s got a crush on you.”
Mairi shook her head anxiously. “No, no, I—-” She couldn’t help tossing a look at the rest of the class, wondering if they had heard what the other student said.
Leon frowned. His little professor was cute when she was worried, but he didn’t like it when another person was the reason behind it. Turning around, he gave his friend a look of mock regret. “You’ve got it the other way around, amico .” Winking at Mairi, he said with a wicked smile, “I’m the one who’s head over heels over our little teacher. Right, Ms. Yay?”
This time, his voice rang clearly throughout the class. Hearing it, everyone broke into laughter and some even cheered.
After writing his name on the list, she pushed the sheet towards him on the desk. “Please sign here,” she muttered ungraciously.
Instead of simply signing it, Leon actually went around the desk to stand next to her, making Mairi gasp and the class laugh. The guys at the back whistled catcalls.
This time, Leon’s proximity made her a thousand times more uncomfortable than earlier. The urge to run away increased, and she could feel her face getting hotter.
A student, Mairi reminded herself desperately. He was just a student, and she was a teacher. She should be the one with an upper hand in this!
As Leon bent his head down and signed the sheet, he murmured, “No need to say thanks, Ms. Yay.”
“Excuse me?” Mairi was incredulous.
Laying the pen down, he looked at her under his lashes, and with him so close she began to realize a few more things. He might be several years younger than she was, but he wasn’t really a boy.
There was nothing boyish and everything imposing about Leon’s height, build, and most especially at the way he looked at her. Good God, he almost looked like he was ready to pounce on her!
She stumbled a step back at the thought, not realizing she was already at the edge of the platform. She flailed and tottered, but before she could fall, Leon was there to catch her, snatching Mairi from the edge.
When her body slammed against his, the class only had one reaction.
Ooooooooh.
“See,” he whispered, his breath fanning her ear, making the side of her face tingle. “If I hadn’t done this, they wouldn’t have warmed up to you.”
He let her go after that, leaving Mairi staring after him in stunned realization. He had done all that...for her?
Her gaze flew to the rest of the class, and by now they were all smiling, in a way she knew she’d never have made them do if it was up to her alone.
When Leon reclaimed his seat, he winked at her from the back. “Go on, Ms. Yay. I’ll make certain everyone’s all ears for you.”
Hoots and giggles erupted from the other students, and it all went downhill – or uphill, depending on how one looked at it – from there.
When Mairi started the roll call and the first student raised her hand, Leon said, “Don’t call her that.”
The girl frowned. “Don’t call her ‘Professor’?”
Leon shook his head with a frown. “Not that. I mean, call her Professor Arlotta,” he suggested. “Because she’ll soon be mine.”
The class once again exploded in laughter, drowning out Mairi’s gasp. She opened and closed her mouth several times, unsure of how to handle this. Give Leon the evil eye? She doubted it would work. Reprimand the class? They really weren’t the ones in the wrong.
In the end, all she could do was bear with everyone’s constant teasing.
When class ended, Mairi was all smiles when she said goodbye to the class. But it was just as clear to Leon she was also exhausted. When he started after her, it was as if some kind of sixth sense informed her of his intentions. Mairi’s head jerked up, and when their eyes met, dismay flitted over her face.
Mairi hurriedly gathered her things, practically dumping everything in her bag in one go. Hell bent on leaving before Leon could get to her, Mairi walked as fast as she could, heading towards the back doors of the school.
It was where she had promised to meet Damen, and the first thing she saw, basking under the afternoon sunlight?
Damen was still in his business suit, elegant, handsome, and exuding both power and sex appeal. Flawlessly and intensely male, he drew gazes and caused jaws to drop and steps to falter without doing anything.
Leaning against Damen, ruining her father’s ruthless image, was Nala, sleeping peacefully, secured in the floral carrier strapped to her husband’s chest.
She wanted to laugh and cry at the picture the two presented. Oh, Nala, if you only knew what you’re doing to your dad.
When Mairi started running towards him, Damen knew right away something was wrong. She wasn’t crying when she reached him, but her smile wobbled and her eyes couldn’t quite meet his. She tiptoed to kiss Nala on the head.
“Missed you, baby girl,” Mairi whispered. Looking up at Damen, she gave him a quick smile. “Is this the carrier your sister gave you?”
“I thought wearing it would make you smile.” And it did, but it didn’t succeed in making Mairi meet his eyes. He noted her bandaged wrist with a frown. “What happened?”
She spoke in a rush. “Just an accident, and please don’t ask the guards about it? It’s just a sprain.”
“We’ll see.” Sensing her unspoken need, Damen unstrapped the carrier. It was the only way she’d be able to hold their baby with her sprained wrist.
“Thanks.” This time, Mairi was able to meet his gaze, her smile reaching her eyes.
When her attention returned to their daughter, some form of primitive instinct had him looking afar. Over Mairi’s head, Damen found a younger man looking at them.
Damen’s gaze narrowed. Could this be why his wife appeared emotional right now?
He had a feeling it was, but Damen forced himself to set the thought aside for the time being. He had more important matters to take care of.
Wrapping a protective arm around Mairi’s shoulder, he drew her close. “Let’s go?”
Mairi nodded.
Inside the Rolls Royce – his concession to her not wanting to be fetched in a limousine on her first day at work – Damen gave his wife some time before asking quietly, “Is anything wrong?”
Mairi froze at the question. “W-why do you ask?” She didn’t dare look at him. She was terrified if she did, he’d know the truth. That she had stupidly given another man a chance to kiss her.
A part of her knew what Velvet told her was true. That it was just a kiss, and it shouldn’t mean anything when she hadn’t even wanted it.
But even so...she hated herself for it. She couldn’t help remembering what happened between her and Drake, and how the knowledge had devastated Damen.
‘His name is Drake. He’s been living with me for a week.’ The agony in Damen’s face almost made her falter, but she forced herself to continue. Hurting him was the only way to free herself, and Mairi wanted to stop loving him now.
‘And when he asked if I wanted him...when Drake asked me if I wanted him to make me come—-’
‘DON’T SAY ANOTHER WORD.’ The pain on his face was indescribable.
‘I told him—-’
His next words broke the chain of love binding them, but it also broke her.
‘Goddammit, please, I’m begging you. Don’t say it.’
And though it hurt, Mairi had not heeded him, had not stopped hurting him. Because then, in her eyes, Damen was still not as broken, was still not as ravaged the way he had once left her.
The memories made her shudder, and suddenly Damen was next to her, cupping her face, his mouth covering hers. He kissed her fiercely, and she kissed him back just as passionately.
When he pulled away, his face became grim when he saw the unshed tears in his wife’s eyes. “Tell me what’s wrong, sweetheart.”
She shook her head. “I want to...I want to solve it on my own.”
Their gazes held, hers pleading, his brooding.
“It will make you feel better if you do?”
She nodded.
“You promise to tell me if you need my help...before you get hurt?”
She nodded again.
Another moment passed before Damen slowly nodded.
Mairi exhaled, only realizing then she had been holding her breath the whole time she was waiting for his answer. “Thank you, Damen,” she said tremulously.
“I told you, matakia mou . All I want is for you to be happy.”