The Art of Catching a Greek Billionaire (6 page)

And yet when Damen strode back into the conference room, it was to see Mairi flirting with Ioniko Vlahos.

Years of rigidly controlling his emotions allowed Damen to maintain an implacable expression on his face even though he was violently inclined to thrash the other man to an inch of his life.

One…two…three…
how many fucking minutes did they need to talk about a girl’s grades in English? Damen’s blood boiled at the thought that maybe, just fucking maybe the two were no longer talking about the girl’s grades.

And to think she had fucking said she loved him.

The memory made Damen clench his fists. He wanted to laugh at himself, at his fucking stupidity for thinking that there was a girl in this age who was still innocent and without any designs on his fortune. He was a billionaire. Of course women would do everything – pretend to be anything – to snare his interest.

Even though he had told himself he would not look anymore, Damen couldn’t help it, his gaze straying to Mairi once again.

Fuck.

They were fucking holding hands now – in a school that was supposed to fucking discourage fraternizing between faculty and patrons. What the hell did that mean? Was she ready to throw away her career and settle for being Ioniko Vlahos’ mistress?

Fuck.

Damen strode to his sister, anger stamped on his features. Diana looked at him worriedly when he reached her side. “I have to go, sweetheart.”

“Damen…” Diana stopped, realizing how hard it was to say what she wanted to say. She knew her brother very well, enough to see what the others didn’t see. Ms. Yay, for better or for worse, had captured his interest.

And more often than not, it meant heartbreak for the women who did.

Damen made an effort to smile at his sister. “What is it?”

She sighed. “I know you like her, Damen.”

He stiffened.

“If you’re not going to treat her right, then can you please just forget about her?”

His smile became cold. “Do not worry about her, Diana. I have a feeling that your sweet little Ms. Yay is a lot tougher than you think.” And a much better actress than they gave her credit for.

Mairi barely had time to breathe when she received a request to go to the headmistress’ office. Hurriedly sliding her feet into her bedroom slippers, she walked as quickly as she could to get to the other building. It was already a quarter past eleven in the evening, with the faculty dinner lasting a lot longer than she had anticipated.

All she wanted to do right now was sleep and maybe dream about Damen Leventis. But since she was in GAYL, a request from Rose really meant it was an order that had to be obeyed – and right away, too.

She knocked softly on the door. “Ms. Thorn?”

“Come in, Mairi.”

Inside, Mairi saw Rose seated behind her desk, already dressed in her sleeping gown. “I know you’re tired dear, but you have a phone call from home and I imagine you’d like to take it.”

Mairi’s heart jumped at Rose’s words. A phone call from home? And neither Aunt Vilma nor Aunt Norah thought about calling her directly on her mobile? Immediately, her mind jumped to the worst conclusions and her voice was a little shaky as she thanked Rose. “I-I’ll take it.”

Rose gestured to the sitting area to their right. “You may take the call there, Mairi. I do hope nothing untoward has happened.”

Mairi lowered herself on one of the armrest chairs and took the receiver. “Hello?” Her heart was pounding so hard she could barely hear herself over it. Oh God, she hoped---

“Hello, Ms. Tanner.”

“
You
.” She didn’t know if she wanted to laugh, cry, or scream at Damen Leventis for nearly giving her a heart attack.

Damen asked silkily, “Did you think it would be Ioniko Vlahos?”

The question startled her --- until she realized what those words implied. “I---” Conscious of Rose’s presence on the other side of the room, Mairi said carefully but sincerely, “I am so glad to hear from you, Auntie.”

She was not alone then
, Damen thought as he poured himself a shot of whiskey. “What are your plans for tomorrow?”

“N-nothing?”

“Then there shouldn’t be any problem if we meet?”

He wanted to meet up with her. He couldn’t get enough of her. He
must
feel the same way about her. It was the logical conclusion – right? Mairi said breathlessly, “None.”

“What time?”

“After class?”

“Fine. Where?”

She asked, “May I, umm, have Cousin Agatha’s email address so I can check her flight details?”

He gave her his email address. “Email me your number so I can call you.”

“Yes.” She was doing her very best not to sound dreamy but it was hard, even with Rose’s eagle-eyed stare focused on her back.

“Later then…and Mairi?”

“Yes?”

“Your voice sounds lovely over the phone. It makes me imagine just how lovelier it would sound when you start screaming my name in bed.”

Mairi was red-faced by the time she put the phone down.

Rose was frowning with concern. “Is everything okay at home?”

“Umm…yes. I’m…just worried because my cousin – it’s, umm, her first time to fly long-distance alone.”

“Oh. Well, I’m sure she’ll be all right as long as she takes the necessary precautions.”

Damen’s phone beeped less than five minutes later. In a few seconds, he had dialed Mairi’s number and when she answered with barely-hidden excitement, something inside him relaxed.

Whatever it was Mairi felt for Ioniko Vlahos, it clearly had not mitigated her desire for him – and it was a desire Damen was determined to fan until it became an obsession.

“So,” he purred. “Where should we meet tomorrow?”

She collapsed on her bed, Damen’s voice alone enough to make her shiver. She named the place, a dirt road that led to nearby public beaches but was rarely used. “I can be there around four-thirty.”

He frowned, disliking the idea of having to wait nearly an entire day to see Mairi again. “That is too long.”

“I know,” she agreed morosely. “I’m already missing you too much---” Mairi stopped speaking, realizing what she had once again let slip.

Damen’s low sexy chuckle traveled down the line like the most sensual touch, making her swallow audibly.

The sound of Mairi swallowing nearly made him groan. Just like that – just that fucking sound and it was more than enough to have Damen hard as a rock.

“Tomorrow won’t come soon enough for me either,” he grated out.

Mairi bit back a sigh at the words. He really did feel the same way she did. The thought had her happily snuggling under the covers.

Damen came to his feet, checking his watch as he did. There was still enough time to have a drink downstairs. It would be a good way to pass the time and perhaps finish some of his work, too. But before he could say a word, Mairi had spoken again.

“Damen?”

She sounded incredibly shy using his name. Even though he knew now it could just be an act, it still made his cock swell. “Yes?”

“Tell me more about yourself.” Mairi waited for Damen to speak, but when the silence continued she said hesitantly, “Damen?”

He cleared his throat. Had he fucking heard her correctly? Did she really say something as impossibly juvenile as that? What kind of game was she playing, wanting him to act like an inexperienced boy on his first phone call with a girl?

Why wasn’t he speaking? Perhaps he was too busy and was just too nice enough to tell her the truth? Wincing at the realization that could very well be true, Mairi mumbled quickly, “I’m sorry. You must be really busy and tired---”

“No, of course not.” Damen was just as swift in his negation, lowering himself back on the couch positioned next to the hotel suite’s scenic windows. She was probably fucking playing with him, making him think that if he did not humor her now she would immediately move on to her other Greek boyfriend.

No fucking way would he let that happen. Mairi Tanner was his until he tired of her.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course.” He reached for the shot glass he had recently filled and downed it in one gulp. “What do you want to talk about?”

“Well…I just really want to know more about you.”

Know more about him in what way
, Damen wondered cynically. Know more in the sense that she wanted the password to his safe? Exact figures of his current net worth? How many homes he owned?

“Ask me anything and I will do my best to answer you.”

Her eyes widened. “
Anything
?”

“Anything.”

“Then…what’s your favorite color?”

Damen stared at the phone. Did she just fucking ask him what his favorite color was?

“Damen? Are you there?”

Fuck, fuck, fuck. He wanted to laugh out loud but managed to rein in his amusement. He had no fucking idea what game Mairi Tanner was playing, but right now it didn’t matter. All Damen knew was that she kept surprising him, and her unpredictable ways just made him want her more and more.

Clearing his throat, he managed to answer with a straight face, “Black.”

“Oh.”

He raised a brow. “You sound disappointed.”

“Oh, no, no---”

“Mairi?”

She stopped, the sudden curtness of Damen’s voice scaring her more than a little bit. “Yeah?”

“
Never
lie to me and I promise you that I will not hold anything against you, whatever you tell me.”

She sighed.

Damen was beginning to wonder if he just happened to be sexually infatuated with a woman with serious mood swings. His words were meant to be a warning. He already had enough of women lying to him, and he had wanted Mairi to know that. And yet, while Damen had expected her to perhaps be overwhelmed or even offended, Mairi had instead sighed like he had recited a fucking poem for her.

“Are you all right?” he asked finally.

“I’m, umm, yes. I’m sorry.” She sighed again, unable to help it. When Damen had spoken those words, he had reminded her so strongly about the Greek billionaires she used to read about that goosebumps had formed all over her skin.

Damen decided to let those sighs go. He had a feeling he would simply drive himself crazy if he tried figuring it out. “Do you have any other questions?”

“Umm, yes.” She bit her lip. “But…it’s somewhat personal so if you don’t want to answer, it’s okay.”

The words made Damen tense. He was absolutely sure it would have something to do with his parents’ scandal. He poured himself another shot.

And then---

“Who was your first crush?”

Surprise had Damen spitting out his whiskey. What the hell? It was like she was reading her questions straight out of an autograph book. What would she want to know next – what he dreamt of becoming when he grew up? What his motto in life was?

“Are you okay?” she asked worriedly.

“Are you seriously asking me that?”

“I told you it was going to be personal.”

Damen didn’t know whether to groan or roll his eyes. “Are you truly like this, Mairi Tanner? Or is this all a show to make me more intrigued? Because you already have my fucking attention and I want you so damn bad I’m tempted to go over there and be damned with the consequences.”

But instead of a straight answer, all he got was a heartfelt sigh.

God, did this woman drive him crazy! And damned if these crazy ways of hers did not make Damen want her even more.

Her gaze drifted towards the wall clock and Mairi gasped, not realizing how late it was. “I have to go,” she said glumly.

And now she was being the first to put the phone down – yet another deed no other woman had been able to do to him. It was like she knew all the right buttons to push, making him feel fucking unsure of where his place in her life was – and he did not fucking like it. Not one damn bit.

“Mairi?”

“Yes?” Her heart started beating madly.

“Once you meet with me tomorrow, there is no turning back. You will be mine – and only mine until I let you go. If you are thinking of playing around,
don’t.
I’m not the kind of man you would want to cross.”

Another sigh.

This time, Damen ignored it. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Oh dear – he was such an
alpha.
Just like the Greek billionaires in her bedtime stories, only this time he was real and so, so, so much better than she could ever dream of.

She said tremulously, “I understand, Damen.”

“And you will be mine?”

Mairi answered simply, “I was meant to be yours.”

She sighed.

He wanted to groan. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Those words just made sure he needed a long cold shower to see him through the night.

Lesson 5

To catch a Greek billionaire, you must be prepared to give him your most precious gift.

She said: And that is your love.

He said: And that is your virginity

(Note to editor: Matter to be decided before the last round of edits)

“Ms. Mairi Tanner?” A uniformed chauffeur came out of nowhere, a bland expression on his weathered face as he said Mairi’s name.

“That’s me.” His tone was deferential, his posture so absolutely correct that Mairi felt like she was talking to a king who had gone undercover. Even his uniform seemed more expensive than her own outfit, which she had bought from a beach bazaar the past month.

“If you could follow me, Ms. Tanner?”

She certainly could, and she did her best to not cause too much noise as she followed the older man to the limousine parked at the far end of the road.

Mairi had texted Damen several times this morning, stressing the importance of
not
being caught by anyone because she couldn’t afford to lose her job.
Maybe when they were married
, she mused. But for now it was better to play it safe.

The chauffeur opened the door for her. “Ms. Tanner?”

She had barely taken one step inside before hard arms pulled her forward, the strength in those muscular arms making Mairi feel like she was no heavier than a tiny bird, even though she knew she was more like an ostrich than a swan.