She belonged to Damen – and only Damen.
Mairi gasped when someone cupped her elbow from behind. The next thing she knew, she was being whirled around, her body slamming against Damen’s lean hard form.
When her startled gaze met his, Damen snarled down at her in a low, furious voice, “Where do you think you’re going?” But Damen didn’t give her a chance to reply, instead tightening his grip on her as he led her towards one of the unoccupied balconies.
Waiters balancing trays swerved out of his way, and a couple of guests almost tripped on their own feet in their effort to avoid Damen, who was bearing down on them like a charging knight.
“People are talking,” Mairi hissed.
“Let them talk.” Damen didn’t even bother to look around him.
Mairi tried to struggle out of his hold. “Let go of me.” She welcomed the anger rising inside her, knowing it would prevent her from succumbing to self-pity. The memory of Damen answering his phone – of choosing to talk to another woman while Mairi was right next to him – had her stomach hurting, forcing Mairi to lash out in her pain. “I want to go to Drake—”
Pain roared up inside him.
Maneuvering both of them into the balcony, Damen slammed the doors closed after them. A second later, he had Mairi imprisoned in his arms, his lips conquering hers.
Mairi tried her best to stay unresponsive, willing herself to be immune to the way his tongue moved inside her mouth. But it was impossible, and both of them knew it.
“Don’t ever say his f**king name again when you’re with me,” Damen muttered against Mairi’s lips before slowly pulling away.
Then don’t talk to Alina when you’re with me, either! That was what she wanted to say. But she didn’t. She couldn’t. For suddenly, a terribly strong urge to retch had hit her, and with a cry Mairi pushed past Damen, rushing towards the aluminum waste basket in the corner.
The sick look on Mairi’s face had Damen taking after her with a curse, his jealousy forgotten as he held her hair back while Mairi bent down and threw up. What the hell was wrong with her?
Another half-minute of retching followed before Mairi slowly straightened. Damen immediately took out his handkerchief, using it to carefully wipe her mouth. His worry intensified as he noticed Mairi’s pallor and the way her lip trembled.
“Are you ill?” The words burst out from him. Theo, please do not let her be ill.
Mairi weakly shook her head. Oh God, why this? Why? Just when she had decided to leave Damen, why this? Why now?
Damen demanded tautly, “Then what is it—”
Cutting him off, Mairi whispered, “I’m pregnant.” The truth crashed down on her as she spoke the words out loud. Oh God, everything made sense now. Why she always felt overly emotional, needy, and insecure.
Damen’s jaw dropped. He stared at Mairi incomprehensively, his mind still trying to cope with her revelation. Mairi was pregnant?
His head jerked back to hers, Damen needing to see Mairi’s face so he could be sure he hadn’t just imagined her saying the words.
Mairi looked back at him, pale, quiet, and looking so terribly fragile that an aching sense of protectiveness surged up inside him.
“You’re pregnant.” The truth hit him as he said the words.
The tender smile that broke on Damen’s lips made Mairi whisper uncertainly, “You’re…not angry about it?”
His eyes widened. “Why the hell would I be angry about it?”
Because it might make Alina turn away from you.
The haunted look in Mairi’s gaze made him cup her face. “Look at me, sweetheart.” He sensed her reluctance to do so, and it made him even more determined to convince her of how happy he was with her news. When their gazes finally met, Damen said fiercely, “I’m ecstatic about us having a baby. If there’s something I can say or do to convince you how damn happy I am about this, tell me and I’ll do it. I’ll say it.”
Slowly, he placed a hand on her womb, and his entire body shook at the thought that right this moment, his child was resting in it, a miracle he and Mairi created. Lifting his gaze back to Mairi, he asked roughly, “Are you unhappy about this?”
She shook her head. “I’m…just as ecstatic.” Her voice wobbled at the last word.
“But something’s troubling you.” He waited for Mairi to speak, to tell him what was wrong. But she didn’t. And a moment after, the reason why came to him. He said dully, “It’s still him, isn’t it?”
Tears started to fall, leaving a wet trail on Mairi’s cheeks. Each teardrop was a bitter reminder of every instance he had hurt Mairi.
“Theo, Mairi…” A painful laugh escaped Damen, the cynical part of him amused by the irony of how the tables had been turned. Once, he had despised all the trappings that came with love and marriage. Now, it was the other way around, Damen willing to sell his soul for a chance to make Mairi love him again.
He looked at his wife, his chest squeezing hard at the love that wanted to burst out of his heart. “Can’t you find it in yourself to give me one more chance?” His pride was in tatters, but he didn’t give a damn.
Mairi wept harder at the question. Oh God, if only he meant it. If only he had asked it without knowing they were about to have a baby.
Her silent rejection nearly drove him to his knees. “Can you at least…can you at least promise that you won’t leave me, Mairi? That you won’t take our baby away?” Damen knew he was begging, but he didn’t give a damn about it either. His entire future, his f**king life hinged on her answer, and he would do everything to ensure that Mairi never disappeared from his life again. One time of losing sight of her was more than enough. Going through it a second time would be a nightmare he would never survive.
Looking down at the large, strong hand resting on her belly, his touch possessive and tender, Mairi shakily laid her hand over his, tears falling faster as she whispered, “Yes.”
Her answer was bittersweet, and Damen said hollowly, “Because you pity me.”
More tears fell, so fast it was as if there was no way to stop them. Again, she whispered a lie to keep her heart from shattering. “Yes.”
Chapter Nine
She said: To wed a Greek billionaire, one must be prepared to be wrapped up in cotton wool.
He said: I love you, matakia mou. I will never tire of telling you that. But I cannot let you publish such a lie.
She said: You’re denying you wrapped me up in cotton wool when I got pregnant?