Page 217 of In Love with a Cruel Billionaire

Again, Damen groaned, his lips brushing against hers in a silent apology. “It was Willow. My editor. I’ve been talking to her for months about the book. She ghostwrote it for me.” He grabbed her hand, pressing it to his heart. “Feel it. I’m not lying. I’ll never lie to you again,” he said fiercely. “Tomorrow, we’ll go to Willow’s office. We’ll watch the CCTV footage so you’ll see the number of times I’ve been there. I’ll get phone records to show—-”

Mairi pressed one trembling finger against his lips. “I...believe you.” Her voice caught. “But I didn’t know then...you were so good,” she said in a tear-choked laugh, “at keeping your surprise that when I saw you talking on the phone and it was obvious you did not want me to hear you, I thought you were talking to Alina all those times. I thought you had fallen in love with her but couldn’t make yourself leave me because of...the past.”

“Nothing’s ever happened between us, Mairi,” Damen gritted out vehemently. “I swear it.”

“Even...before? Even when I was with Drake?”

His jaw clenched, any mention of the time Mairi had spent with the other man killing him. But that would always be his penance, his cross to bear, and Damen strove to keep his tone level as he answered, “Never. There was no other woman for me the moment I had my engagement ring on your finger.”

Mairi hesitated.

The unspoken questions lurking in her eyes made Damen prod softly, “What is it? You can say anything. Ask anything. I have nothing to hide—-”

She took a deep breath. “Alina...met me at the airport when...when I came back to Miami. She told me that when we were apart, she and you—-”

A sick look crossed his face as Damen realized what Mairi was implying. “Never,” he said flatly. “I don’t understand why she would lie about such a thing, but I never ever touched her. I swear it on my life, Mairi.”

Her chest eased. “I believe you.”

The disappearance of doubt in Mairi’s eyes had his own chest easing as well. But still he said, “We’ll go to Willow’s office tomorrow anyway. I’ll never give you any reason to doubt me again.”

A tremulous smile was his answer, and then Mairi was taking his hand and pressing it to her heart. “That’s good...because I want to promise the same.” Tightening her hold on his hand, she said unevenly, “I want to talk about Drake.”

Damen stiffened. “There isn’t any need—-”

Praying he wouldn’t hate her, Mairi said, “I lied.”

Chapter 24

DAMEN WANTED TO CLOSEhis eyes. If he ever saw a lingering affection in Mairi’s eyes when she talked about the other man, he didn’t know what he would do. Let her go? Kill the other man?

“Look at me—-”

Damen rolled her on top of him and pressed her head to his chest to keep his gaze over hers resolutely. “Don’t push me, Mairi.”

She tried to lift her head. “Damen—-”

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