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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.
