her employ when she was still married to someone else?
Over Mairi’s head, his gold-flecked gaze met the ex-sniper’s eyes, Damen not bothering to hide his thoughts from the other man. If Drake Morrison thought being his wife’s bodyguard would give him the chance to steal Mairi away for good, then he should know now that Damen was ready to die just to keep Mairi at his side.
The other man’s face remained expressionless, even though it was clear Drake understood Damen’s silent message.
In his arms, Mairi tried to wriggle away and Damen cupped her chin, leaving her with no choice but to look at him again.
“Why did you kiss me?” Her voice was strained as she asked the question, Mairi still shaken by the ease in which Damen was able to make her forget everything with just one kiss.
“Because I wanted you to remember that you’re mine.” His voice became hard. “It was also my way of letting you know that it’s not going to work.”
Mairi paled, but still she tried to lie, mumbling, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Of course you do, matakia mou, ” he murmured. “And again I tell you, it will not work. If you want Morrison to be your bodyguard, so be it. But if you think it’s going to stop me from fucking you whenever and wherever I want—”
“ Damen !” Mairi’s cheeks flushed red.
“If you think it’s going to stop me from making you fall in love with me again—” Damen shook his head and said simply, “You might as well ask me to stop breathing. That’s how much your love means to me.” Without warning, he swept her up in his arms, causing Mairi to gasp anew.
Looking at Drake, he drawled, “Now if you could excuse us? You won’t need to guard Mairi for now since it’s our wedding night and it’s my sole intention to have her come for several nights.”
Chapter Five
She said: To wed a Greek billionaire, one must expect the most romantic wedding night—
He said: It was so fucking romantic you couldn’t even make yourself say you love me.
She said: I…I did. I said I…I…I love making love to you?
Tension was palpable in Damen’s lean hard body as he carried Mairi all the way up the stairs. She had hurt him. Her heart ached at the knowledge even though deep inside her she knew her choice had been the only choice she could make. Damen cared for her. She could even go as far as say that Damen had never cared for any other woman as much as he cared for her, but…it was not enough.
Damen was everything to her.
But to him, she was…not.
Even so, Mairi tried to think of something to say that would ease the hurt, but nothing came to mind. Lifting her head and turning to look at her husband, Mairi’s throat clogged at the stoic look on his face. It was as if he was keeping himself from feeling because if he did, he wouldn’t have been able to take it.
The thought distressed Mairi, and she ended up blurting out, “D-do you realize you’re practically carrying me over the threshold?”
Damen stilled halfway to the bedroom. The question had him looking down at his wife, who looked like she wanted to take the words back. He asked gruffly, “Shouldn’t I have?”
That he had to ask made her swallow, and Mairi said tremulously, “It’s not that. I…like it.” That was the most she could allow herself to admit. “But…I never thought this whole traditional groom thing was you, you know?”
Damen only continued to gaze at her, long enough to make Mairi squirm. Had she said the wrong thing? When he finally spoke, she could have expired in relief—
“Would you rather I just fuck you here?”
—until she realized what he was suggesting and Mairi laughingly choked out, “No! Drake’s downstairs—”
His tone cooled. “You’re only giving me another reason to do it.”
“I’m serious.” Her voice and laughter were muffled as she hid her face in the crook of his neck while tightening her arms around his neck.
Her laughter was a