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She looked down at her daughter. “Don’t disown me, please?”
Nala blinked up at her. I’ll think about it, Mama.
Mairi groaned.
Jane laughed.
Once they had boarded the jet, a surprise was awaiting her. “A present for you, Mrs. Leventis.” The present was a freshly bathed, freshly brushed mixed-breed mongrel with a noticeable scar on its face. She had once told Damen she wanted a pet. ‘Nothing fancy, though. Just maybe one from the dog pound, someone that would really need us.’
And this was exactly it.
A card came with her present.
She shall look after you in my absence. When I made inquiries at a shelter, they immediately thought she’d be a good choice. She may be small, but she’s not to be underestimated. She was said to have defended her employer against burglars, hence the knife wound. Its employer died a week ago of a heart attack and they thought she’d be happy with us. I think so, too.
The tiny dog barked, calling her attention.
“It’s so ugly it’s almost cute,” Jane said with her usual honesty.
Mairi bit back a smile. It was true. Half-pug, half-Chihuahua, and maybe something else. She shook her head. It didn’t matter. She loved it already and she knew Damen was right. This little dog would be perfect for their family.
She sent Damen a text when the stewardess was done strapping her and Nala to their seats.
Mairi: I got your present. I love it. On our way now.
Damen: Good. I’d love to see you do that clawing thing in person.
Mairi suppressed a mortified moan, and looking over her shoulder, she glared at her bodyguards, but no one wanted to look at her.
Chapter 11
When the jet’s door slowly lowered, revealing Athens’ airport inch by inch, the first thing Mairi saw was her husband, walking swiftly towards them. Even with his slightly windblown hair, Damen still cut a strikingly handsome figure, with dark aviator glasses covering half of his face and his powerfully muscular body sheathed in a handmade blue suit.
He stopped when he reached the foot of the stairs, and their eyes met. Mairi slowly and carefully climbed down the stairs, her sprained wrist not allowing her to go down with Nala in her arms.
She paused when she was at the second to the last step, but even then her husband was tall enough to put him at eye level with her.
Before she could speak, he was already reaching for her, his hand curling around her nape as he brought her head down for a possessive kiss. When he released her, she said dazedly, “Hi.”
He chuckled, but his voice was husky as he said, “Hi.” They smiled at each other for a moment. This was exactly what they said to each other the morning after they first made love.
Taking her hand, Damen helped Mairi down and after, he reached for their daughter, thanking Jane with a brief smile as he did.
As they started to walk together, Mairi asked worriedly, “Your mother?”
“She should probably be here any minute.”
“Here?” Mairi was stunned.
He nodded briefly. “Yes. It’s best to get it over with right away, and then we’d at least have the rest of the week to enjoy our stay here.”
Mairi considered their surroundings with a frown. “It’s so public.”
“Exactly why I chose this place, matakia mou.”
“If you really think it’s right,” she said reluctantly. She tugged his sleeve. “I just don’t want you hurt by her in any way.”
“She lost the power to hurt me the moment I had you and Nala, Mairi. Even though I had never admitted it to myself, I had always been hoping she would learn to love Diana and me. I never allowed myself to realize the truth – that some people will never be capable of it.” He took hold her hand, squeezing it. “While some people – people like you – can’t help feeling it, even when they’re better off not doing so.”
Mairi stole a suspicious look at him. “If that’s some kind of dig about what I said to Alina...”
“No, but if – what is it you say? If the shoe fits...” As always, his Greek accent thickened whenever Damen was doing his best not to laugh.
“I hate you,” she mumbled.
“What you are,” he countered, “is proud of me. As I am with you.”
“Ha-ha.” She made it clear she didn’t believe him.
“I am,” he insisted. “Especially when you made the Kokinos heiress, who is supposedly one of the world’s most fashionable women, sound like she had batteries for breasts.”
“Oh God.” Mairi wanted to kill herself, recalling exactly how she had described the other woman’s chest.
“Only an English teacher would have such a way with words.”
“I think I’m going to be out of a job by next week if this keeps up,” she said glumly.
He reached out to stroke her cheek. “Everything will be fine. Stop worrying.” His phone vibrated in his pocket, and switching Nala to his other arm, he pulled it out. It was a little hard to read the message, with his daughter currently busy playing with his hair and obscuring his view, but he managed.
