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As Leon bent his head down and signed the sheet, he murmured, “No need to say thanks, Ms. Yay.”
“Excuse me?” Mairi was incredulous.
Laying the pen down, he looked at her under his lashes, and with him so close she began to realize a few more things. He might be several years younger than she was, but he wasn’t really a boy.
There was nothing boyish and everything imposing about Leon’s height, build, and most especially at the way he looked at her. Good God, he almost looked like he was ready to pounce on her!
She stumbled a step back at the thought, not realizing she was already at the edge of the platform. She flailed and tottered, but before she could fall, Leon was there to catch her, snatching Mairi from the edge.
When her body slammed against his, the class only had one reaction.
Ooooooooh.
“See,” he whispered, his breath fanning her ear, making the side of her face tingle. “If I hadn’t done this, they wouldn’t have warmed up to you.”
He let her go after that, leaving Mairi staring after him in stunned realization. He had done all that...for her?
Her gaze flew to the rest of the class, and by now they were all smiling, in a way she knew she’d never have made them do if it was up to her alone.
When Leon reclaimed his seat, he winked at her from the back. “Go on, Ms. Yay. I’ll make certain everyone’s all ears for you.”
Hoots and giggles erupted from the other students, and it all went downhill – or uphill, depending on how one looked at it – from there.
When Mairi started the roll call and the first student raised her hand, Leon said, “Don’t call her that.”
The girl frowned. “Don’t call her ‘Professor’?”
Leon shook his head with a frown. “Not that. I mean, call her Professor Arlotta,” he suggested. “Because she’ll soon be mine.”
The class once again exploded in laughter, drowning out Mairi’s gasp. She opened and closed her mouth several times, unsure of how to handle this. Give Leon the evil eye? She doubted it would work. Reprimand the class? They really weren’t the ones in the wrong.
In the end, all she could do was bear with everyone’s constant teasing.
When class ended, Mairi was all smiles when she said goodbye to the class. But it was just as clear to Leon she was also exhausted. When he started after her, it was as if some kind of sixth sense informed her of his intentions. Mairi’s head jerked up, and when their eyes met, dismay flitted over her face.
Mairi hurriedly gathered her things, practically dumping everything in her bag in one go. Hell bent on leaving before Leon could get to her, Mairi walked as fast as she could, heading towards the back doors of the school.
It was where she had promised to meet Damen, and the first thing she saw, basking under the afternoon sunlight?
Damen was still in his business suit, elegant, handsome, and exuding both power and sex appeal. Flawlessly and intensely male, he drew gazes and caused jaws to drop and steps to falter without doing anything.
Leaning against Damen, ruining her father’s ruthless image, was Nala, sleeping peacefully, secured in the floral carrier strapped to her husband’s chest.
She wanted to laugh and cry at the picture the two presented.Oh, Nala, if you only knew what you’re doing to your dad.
When Mairi started running towards him, Damen knew right away something was wrong. She wasn’t crying when she reached him, but her smile wobbled and her eyes couldn’t quite meet his. She tiptoed to kiss Nala on the head.
“Missed you, baby girl,” Mairi whispered. Looking up at Damen, she gave him a quick smile. “Is this the carrier your sister gave you?”
“I thought wearing it would make you smile.” And it did, but it didn’t succeed in making Mairi meet his eyes. He noted her bandaged wrist with a frown. “What happened?”
She spoke in a rush. “Just an accident, and please don’t ask the guards about it? It’s just a sprain.”
“We’ll see.” Sensing her unspoken need, Damen unstrapped the carrier. It was the only way she’d be able to hold their baby with her sprained wrist.
“Thanks.” This time, Mairi was able to meet his gaze, her smile reaching her eyes.
When her attention returned to their daughter, some form of primitive instinct had him looking afar. Over Mairi’s head, Damen found a younger man looking at them.