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His lips twisted, not even surprised that his wife had seen through him. “Your generosity never fails to amaze me, sweetheart.”
“I love you.” A smile touched her face. “And Nala says she loves you, too.” She touched her daughter’s cheek. “Tell Papa you love him, too, Nala.”
Nala obediently made sounds.
Mairi giggled. “She’s trying to say it in Greek, trust me.”
His lips curved slowly. “I guess I’ll take your word for it.” A dry voice, but it couldn’t hide the love behind the words. “Take care, all right?”
“We will.”
She was smiling when she ended the call, and she was still smiling even by the time they made it to the airport.
It had her anti-romantic nanny shaking her head. “You’re so disgustingly in love, Mrs. L.”
Mairi laughed, the words causing her to hug her baby tightly. Nala giggled with her.
“Keep hugging her like that and you’ll break her ribs,” Jane threatened.
Mairi immediately loosened her grip. “Spoilsport,” she muttered. “I don’t even get why you applied for the job knowing you’d be exposed to my ‘hopelessly romantic ways’.” And those were the nanny’s exact words, not hers.
The tall, svelte blonde flashed her a cheeky grin. “The pay was irresistible. Plus, the catch was so easy. I just had to prove I would never fall for Mr. L.”
Even Mairi had to laugh. That had been funny, and even funnier was how it had taken them over twenty nannies before they found Jane. Thanks to a lie detector, they had known Jane’s heart hadn’t skipped a single beat even when Damen had walked half-naked in front of her.
Mairi’s and Jane’s eyes met, and they both laughed simultaneously. Wiping her eyes, Mairi gasped, “Oh God, when I remember the look Damen had given me.”
Jane had to clutch her stomach. She was laughing too hard. “I know.” She remembered that very clearly. She had already passed the test with flying colors when Mairi had suddenly come to her feet and shouted, ‘Wait.’
Everyone turned to Mairi. ‘What is it?’ Damen demanded, a concerned frown marring his handsome face.
Mairi shook her head. ‘I need to ask her one last question.’
In the act of getting up from her seat, Jane promptly sat down again at Mairi’s words. ‘No problem, Mrs. L.’
‘What else could you ask her?’ Damen asked.
‘I want to ask if she has a crush on you.’
‘We already asked that, ma’am,’ the polygraph expert reminded her.
‘I know, but we haven’t asked Ms. Jane with Damen half-naked.’
All eyes flew to her.
‘What the hell?’ Damen burst out.
‘Whoa.’ This, from Jane.
‘As you wish, ma’am.’ A deadpan tone from the polygraph expert. He glanced at Damen inquiringly. ‘Sir?’
‘Mairi,’ Damen growled.
‘Please,’ his wife begged. ‘I just need to make sure. It’s different when you don’t have a shirt on.’
‘MAIRI.’ Softer and more ominous now.
She gave him her best puppy look eyes, something her former student, Katya Vlahos, had taught her.
Damen cursed under his breath.
Jane laughed. ‘Go on, Mr. L. Feel free to seduce me.’
‘Shut up, kid,’ Damen muttered, but he was already reaching for the collar of his shirt. In one swift movement, he had pulled his shirt over his head, revealing the wide, muscled expanse of his deeply tanned chest.
Mairi sighed.
The sigh had his cock hardening.
Fuck.
He tried to control his reaction, but it was impossible.
Jane burst out laughing.
‘The subject’s heart has not skipped a beat, but she may be in danger of losing her breath due to too much respiratory and abdominal exertion.’ He paused. ‘In other words, your current state has her almost dying of laughter. Sir.’
‘Fuck off,’ Damen gritted out.
But this time, even Mairi was laughing.
Mairi and Jane looked at each other again. And just like that, they were laughing once more, and this time even little Nala joined in, clapping her hands in delight.
Behind them, her bodyguards remained stoic. They were already used to their mistress’ bouts of insanity. Past immigration and on their way to the hangar, Mairi caught sight of a familiar face, and her laughter died.
Déjà vu again, she thought. Over a year ago, she’d had a confrontation with the woman heading her way, also in this very airport.
Jane stopped laughing as well. “Mrs. L?” she asked worriedly. Following her employer’s gaze, she saw a sophisticated-looking blonde heading their way.
Oh. Jane recognized the other girl right away. It was Alina Kokinos, the former fiancé of Damen Leventis.
A moment later, and the blonde stopped walking as well, having seen who was in front of her. Pain flashed in her eyes as her gaze found the infant.
The last time Mairi had seen the other girl, Alina had been with Damen. Then, she had let her doubts get the better of her. Then, she hadn’t yet believed in Damen’s love for her.
Never again, she swore to herself, squaring her shoulders.
Tightening her hold on Nala, she resumed walking. She was determined not to give the other girl the time of the day. She didn’t want to have anything to do with Alina, period. And she wouldn’t have, if not for Alina speaking the moment Mairi walked past her.
