Total pages in book: 189
Estimated words: 178200 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 891(@200wpm)___ 713(@250wpm)___ 594(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 178200 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 891(@200wpm)___ 713(@250wpm)___ 594(@300wpm)
He chuckled. “A hundred times?”
She nodded seriously. “A hundred times.”
He got out of the car then, and by now Mairi knew him well enough to wait, knowing Damen preferred to open the door for her. As he helped her out, she said once more, “Thank you again.”
“I’ll fetch you later, too.” A grin tugged at his lips at the way she beamed at his words, like she had just won the lottery.
She fluttered her fingers. “I’m going now.” But as she started to turn around, fingers wrapped around her wrist and then she was being spun back to face her husband. “Damen?”
He raised a brow. “What did you really want to tell me a while ago?”
She blushed but acquiesced, saying shyly, “I just wanted to say I missed you. When I woke up and saw you weren’t there, I really missed you. When I had to shower alone, I missed you even more. And right now...I’m already missing you, knowing I have to spend a whole day away from you.”
Silence fell after she spoke, both of them looking at each other.
His lips finally curved, and her own lips curved, too, their tiny soft smiles saying the rest of what was in their hearts.
“I’m already missing you as well, Mrs. Leventis.”
Her heart skipped a beat.
He touched her cheek. “Good luck on your first day at work. Remember – you got this. No need to be nervous.”
She blossomed at the words, feeling like she was being so spoiled at the way Damen took the time to comfort her, no matter how frivolous her worries were. “Thank you.”
Damen took a step back. “Until later, matakia mou.” For a fraction of a second, his austerely handsome face softened. “I love you.”
Oooooooh. Her knees threatened to buckle. “I love you very much, too, Damen Leventis.”
His wife mumbled the words so feelingly it had him grinning even as he turned and walked back to the car. Mairi, too, was smiling, a dreamy expression on her face as she walked towards the opposite direction.
A small distance away, a fourth-year student stopped in his tracks, the sight of Mairi catching him unaware. His attraction to her was instant. Powerful.
Whoever that woman was – he would have her.
Chapter 4
First day of school didn’t really change, whether you were a student or a teacher. As long as you were the new kid on the block, the day was always likely to be one of the worst days in that person’s life – as well as the most awkward.
It felt like all eyes were on her, as if the students and faculty of Christopoulos University sensed her being out of place. Their stares added to her nervousness, making her blind to the place’s beauty. And it was even more beautiful than the brochures and the YouTube videos had led her to believe. The roads were all wide and paved, lined with colorful flowers and towering trees. The school buildings were a mixture of modern glass and steel structures and vintage-inspired brick buildings. The place definitely deserved its reputation as one of the prettiest school campuses in the whole world.
If only Mandy was here with her, this would have been perfect.
At least she wasn’t really alone, Mairi comforted herself. Damen had told her he had already gained permission from school authorities to have three bodyguards following her around incognito. Those guys wouldn’t let anything happen—-
No sooner as the thought occurred to her did she accidentally step on something slippery on the ground. Mairi screamed. A second later, she was falling, and she tried to reduce the impact by putting her arms out.
When her hands slammed against the ground, pain shot up from her wrist.
A second later, her bodyguards came flying out from nowhere, rushing to her aid.
A crowd started to gather around them.
“Did you see that?”
“Sheesh, she just fell. It’s not like she was run over by a car or something.”
“What’s up with those bodyguards?”
“Who is she?”
“Oh my God, it’s her – the wife of that Greek billionaire, the one who wrote The Art of Catching a Greek Billionaire.”
“You know, the manual on how to get a Greek billionaire to fall for you.”
“No way, that’s really her? She’s so...ordinary.”
“I bet if we wait around, we’ll catch a glimpse of Damen Leventis.”
More words swirled around her as Mairi allowed her guards to help her up. “Thanks,” she mumbled. Not looking at them, she said under her breath, “Is it okay if you guys...pull back? I don’t want to attract more attention as it is.”
Silence.
“I know your orders, and I’m not telling you to stop following me. Just...go back into hiding, and I know you’re going to report this to my husband. Just tell him I said not to come here. Tell him I’m begging.”
As she debated what else to say to make it clear that her last condition was non-negotiable, Mairi heard someone ask, “May I be of assistance?”