Page 97 of In Love with a Cruel Billionaire

“That’s good.”

Mairi suddenly had a bad feeling. “Sir—-”

He licked his lips, his eyes moving slowly down towards her breasts and staying there. His gaze alone was enough to make her feel dirty. “We can come to an understanding then—-”

Fear caused a temporary paralysis to take hold of her body. “No, I’m sorry, this is not what I want—-”

He answered with a cruel laugh, “Don’t worry. I can make you want it.” He unbuttoned his pants. “Just give it a try...”

Chapter 7

“WELCOME HOME!” MAIRI’Svoice was bright and perky as she greeted Damen the moment he came through the front door. A second later, she was hurtling herself into his arms, her arms tightening around his neck.

The extremely warm welcome pleased him, but it also bemused him, leaving Damen looking down at Mairi with a faintly puzzled smile. “You make me feel like I have been gone for months,matakia mou.”

It did feel like that, Mairi thought painfully. She had showered three times, even used Damen’s credit card for the first time to pay for a mind-bogglingly expensive fee for a spa treatment, but she still feltunclean.

Sensing Damen’s curious regard but unable to speak, Mairi just hugged him more tightly. She knew now was the best time to tell Damen about Dean Frangos’ degrading proposition to her, but she also knew she would do everything she could to prevent Damen from learning about it.

Damen’s lips touched her hair. “I missed you, too.” He gently pulled her away from him. “Now, what have you been up to while I was at work?”

“Nothing,” Mairi managed to quip. “Just enjoying life as a billionaire’s fiancée.” She turned away then, thus missing the look of disquiet on Damen’s face. As she headed to the kitchen, which was a good distance away considering how palatial his Athens’ home was, she asked over her shoulder, “Would you like to grab something to eat?”

“Only if you join me,” he said after a beat. He hated how his thoughts were often filled with doubt and suspicion. Following Mairi to the kitchen, he wondered if his money had indeed changed Mairi and if it had, was it truly for the worse?

She loved him. That he was completely certain of. Was it wrong that she had so quickly gotten used to being able to spend his money as well or be used to the comfort and luxury that came with it?

“Damen?”

He looked up, realizing that he had been standing at the doorway all this time with a frown on his face. He moved forward, summoning a penitent smile. “I am sorry. I was thinking about work.”

She waited for him to speak about it, but he didn’t. As he sat on one of the stools surrounding the breakfast counter, she asked softly, “Would you like to talk about it?”

A shuttered expression fell over his face. “It is nothing.” He would never let Mairi know how much his decision to love her was costing him. The entire business world might be laughing at him behind his back, but Damen knew whatever he lost was worth having Mairi by his side.

His voice was curt and dismissive, and she took the warning to heart. Did he think she was too stupid to understand the way his business worked? Biting her lip, she prayed silently that Damen didn’t think he was engaged to a ninny.

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