And maybe, maybe if he tried hard enough, maybe one day she would learn to love him again.
As the jet’s door opened and slowly revealed them to the public, the media’s first shot of the newlywed couple was of Damen and Mairi Leventis holding hands.
Damen drew Mairi close to him protectively, doing his best to shield her from the blinding glare of cameras that photographers managed to shove at their faces despite the security team that Stavros and Ioniko had sent in preparation of their arrival. It was a bitter pill for Damen to swallow, asking help from other people, but for Mairi he would do anything.
Mairi did her best to keep her smile in place as Damen forged a way through the crowd to the car waiting for them. Just when she was beginning to believe they would make it, one of the paparazzi shouted, “Is it true he and Alina Kokinos lived under one roof while you were gone?”
The question threw Mairi back to that awful day she had met Alina, the same woman Damen once called a “real lady”, and the other woman had revealed to her what had been happening while Mairi had been away.
“Damen and I have been sharing a bed, too…”
Mairi stumbled.
Cameras exploded into action, every lens able to capture the heartbreaking pain flashing on Mairi’s face.
Damen caught her before she fell completely, and this time his arm went around her waist like an anchor.
Mairi’s distressed look had Damen whitening because he knew – he f**king knew the exact reason why Mairi was looking like that. He started to speak, but the words burned into nothing when Mairi shook her head.
Teeth clenching, he held nothing back this time, aggressively making his way to the car and only allowing himself to breathe when he had Mairi stowed safely inside Ioniko’s limousine. As the door closed behind them, he began, “Mairi—”
She forced a smile. “I’m okay. It’s the past.”
“Let me explain—”
“You don’t have to.” Looking down, Mairi whispered, “It’s not as if I didn’t do the same thing.” She waited for Damen to speak after that, but he did not. When she made herself look at him, Damen was gazing outside the window, his face hard, his body tense.
Mairi’s fingers dug into her palms. She had a foolish urge to take the words back, but she didn’t. It didn’t matter if she had completely crossed the line or not. She had given Drake the right to touch her, and she would forever regret that.
Damen struggled to keep his emotions in check, a near impossibility when he felt so f**king strongly. He would always feel strongly about Mairi, but more so when he was reminded that his cruelty and idiocy had pushed her into the arms of another man.
By the time the car had reached his house – the one property Esther couldn’t touch since it wasn’t tied to his corporate assets – Damen resolved to clear the air with Mairi. He had to make her understand that he would never blame her for what had happened. Maybe this was also the time he would tell her that he would never give her up to Drake Morrison either.
The chauffeur opened their door, and Damen stepped out first to assist his wife. When they turned around, it was only then they noticed the man waiting at the front door. He was dressed in a light brown suit, which coincidentally was the perfect complement to Mairi’s own beige pantsuit.
What the f**k was this, Damen thought. If Mairi and the other man stood next to each other, they’d have passed for Ken and Barbie in their matching outfits.
When he looked at Mairi, her eyes were wide with shock and, Damen noted with grim jealousy, nothing that resembled displeasure in any way.
His jaw clenched.
Whatever the reason Morrison was here didn’t matter.
He would never change his mind.
He would never give Mairi up, not even if she changed her mind and wanted to leave him for Morrison instead.
Chapter Three
She said: To wed a Greek billionaire, one must be ready to welcome unexpected guests.
He said: I completely agree. Next time that man comes knocking on our door, I will have the guard dogs ready to bite his f**king ass off for coming within five feet of my wife.
“You came to see…Damen?” Mairi was aware how dumb she sounded with her question, but she really was that dumbfounded. She wished she had the courage to look at Drake – or Damen – but she didn’t. All she could do was flip her iPhone repeatedly in her hand as if it was a ball, anything to keep her busy and not think.
Damen had invited Drake to come inside his home. His innate graciousness, albeit cold, had made Mairi flush but for the life of her, she just could not make herself speak. And here she was, stunned anew when Drake explained in that calm way of his that he was here to speak with Damen.
“If you don’t mind the intrusion,” Drake answered.
Of course she minded, Mairi thought unhappily, but she couldn’t really say that. The tension in the room was all because of how weak she was. It was not Drake’s fault she had been weak.
Damen loathed the fact that the tension had mostly to do with Mairi…and Morrison. He had an insane urge to hide Mairi from the other man’s gaze completely. He strove to remain calm, knowing if he allowed himself to think of the fact that this was the man who had been able to see Mairi na**d – the one other man who had touched her body – Damen would lose it. Completely. When that happened, one of them would come out dead. It was that simple.
“You may say anything in front of my wife,” Damen said coolly.
Drake cocked his head to the side. “As you will. But before that...” He took out the USB in his pocket and handed it to Mairi.
Mairi was very careful not to touch any part of Drake as she took the USB.
The care with which Mairi took pained Drake. He said harshly, “I know I have a long way to go before I can make it up to you, Mairi—”
Damen gritted his teeth, loathing even the sound of Mairi’s name on the other man’s lips.
“But I hope you at least experience a measure of relief from what I have uncovered. I know that you have always been puzzled about the change…of Leventis’ attitude towards you in the past. I had my men investigate the matter, and I believe what I’ve found out will be confirmed by Leventis.”
Mairi found herself taking a seat on the cushion. She had a feeling if she didn’t, whatever Drake had to say might knock her off her feet. “What did you find out?”
“A woman who attended the same school you did—”
Instincts had Mairi guessing exactly who Drake was talking about. She said dully, “Farah.”