Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 234281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1171(@200wpm)___ 937(@250wpm)___ 781(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 234281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1171(@200wpm)___ 937(@250wpm)___ 781(@300wpm)
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 fucking 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 13
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?
He said: Absolutely. It was in silk and satin. But after your pregnancy, I admit to switching back to lace and leather—-
(Note to editor: We’ll be deleting that last line about my post-pregnancy wardrobe.)
“THE DOCTOR SAID THAT I had to take things slowly. He didn’t say I was an invalid.” Mairi’s sputtered protest came out as a laugh as Damen and Drake both hastened to open the hospital’s doors for her, beating the security guard to doing his job.
“We can’t be careful enough,” Damen muttered after shooting the hapless guard a cold look for not being quick enough to do what he was supposed to.
Mairi rolled her eyes even though a warm rush of pleasure washed over her at Damen’s concern. Poor Damen, Mairi thought as she peeked at her husband. Although he still looked jaw-droppingly gorgeous – the crowd of nurses and female interns outside her doctor’s office was proof of it – Damen was also noticeably paler than usual.