by Selena Kitt
Charity gave Mairi another one of her unique smiles, but this time she wasn’t as dazzled. “You understand, don’t you?”
Mairi squared her shoulders. “Well, I---”
“As you should know, most Greek parents prefer their children to be taught English by the British. And especially when they come with degrees from schools like Cambridge, where I took my masters---” With every word that came out of Charity’s mouth, her British accent became more and more obvious. It was really weird, the way the other teacher only sounded like Queen Elizabeth when she mentioned she was from Cambridge or that she needed to-mah-toes in her omelet.
Mandy was frowning hard at the ground. Mairi knew that look. It meant her friend was this close to laughing her head off. Behind Charity, Velvet was already doubled over, having long perfected the art of noiseless laughter.
Charity patted her sleekly styled hair, which curled becomingly against the expansive cleavage her strapless dress exposed. “Don’t take it personally, though. It’s just that they prefer their daughters to learn from those who really speak English.”
Mairi could only blink. What the heck did that even mean? That American English was some kind of fake version of English?
“So…” Charity looked at her expectantly. “We’re all agreed then?”
Before Mairi could answer, Rose twisted around to frown at all of them as she hissed from the bottom of the stairs, “They’re coming!” She made the students’ parents sound like a huge wave of zombies out to get them.
And so they came, indeed walking as slowly as a blushing bride who was about to go down the aisle. Since her Aunt Vilma was Hollywood’s favorite divorce lawyer, Mairi had been exposed early to the rich and famous. But even after all these years, she still couldn’t get over the air of privilege and entitlement these people had. They walked, talked, and acted like the rest of humanity was lucky to breathe the same air they did.
Rose greeted the first batch of parents and guardians with courteous charm, her soft but well-modulated voice setting the tone for the rest of the day.
Don’t look at them in the eye for too long.
Don’t call them by their first names – even if they invite you to.
Don’t let them know their daughter is not the most beautiful, smartest, and kindest person on earth.
Jaw aching with the effort to remain smiling, Mairi greeted every parent and guardian that came her way, relying on Rose’s script to make sure she didn’t inadvertently become anyone’s worst enemy. After all, the Greeks were notoriously good at holding grudges.
But as morning turned to noon her hopes started to fade. And when the lady attendants started to close the school’s doors, the last of Mairi’s hopes crumbled to dust.
She had followed all the rules, darn it. She had gone over every “bedtime story” Aunt Norah and Aunt Vilma had told her when she was a kid and she applied what she could. Against all odds, Mairi had managed to make her way to Greece, obtain employment in one of the finest international schools in the country, and with it Mairi had conquered Step 1.
She had successfully placed herself in a Greek billionaire’s line of sight.
So where was he?
* * * *
By the time lunch break came around, Mairi was more than ready to have some time off and get away from all the noise. Who would have thought PTC would be this horrible? Nothing – not even after listening to the older teachers’ countless horror stories about it – had prepared her for the sheer torture of having to tactfully explain red marks to Greece’s crème de la crème.
“I don’t understand how she flunked her English test,” a parent had protested earlier. “I see my baby reading all the time!”
That’s great. I see that too, but text messages don’t count! That was what she wanted to say but couldn’t. Instead, Mairi had summoned one of the canned responses from Rose’s script, murmuring her agreement and telling the mother she believed that her daughter’s turn to shine might come next term.
The memory of the episode made Mairi shake her head tiredly and she hurried to one of the balconies on the third floor, needing a breath of fresh air to help relieve her stress. Throwing its doors open, she slipped out and closed her eyes with a sigh, soaking in the rays of the Greek sun and savoring the way the weather’s now familiar warmth relaxed her.
From below, a sea breeze blew close, making her hair whip against her back. She inhaled the scent of the sea with another sigh before opening her eyes. The view beyond the school’s walls beckoned and she leaned forward happily, settling her elbows on the marbled top of the balustrade.
Situated on top of a towering cliff, GAYL boasted of idyllic views of a tropical paradise, a sight Mairi knew she would never grow weary of. It was located right in the center of Oneroi, which translated to ‘dreams’ in English. That literally made Mairi a resident of a place called the Island of Dreams, and it was aptly named with its turquoise waters and white powder-fine sandy beaches, along with the emerald hills in the south and the glittery resort town up north.
The sound of lapping waves was like a lullaby, and Mairi let out a big yawn.
“Ms. Yay?”
She immediately snapped to attention, feeling guilty for being caught yawning as she turned around. Mairi sighed with relief when she saw that it was one of her Class E students and not Charity. The other woman had a tendency to snoop around in hopes of catching one of her teachers violating any of Rose’s gazillion rules.
“Hello, Diana,” Mairi said cheerfully, gesturing for the younger girl to join her on one of the rattan benches nearby.
After a moment’s hesitation, Diana came forward and lowered herself on the padded bench. Dark haired and doe-eyed, the young girl was like the huntress goddess come to life, only this time Diana’s vibrant loveliness hid a very shy nature.
But shy really wasn’t the right word to describe Diana, Mairi thought with a pang. If she had to be honest, Mairi would have described the fifteen year old as insecure. It was a painful sight, seeing how someone as pretty, smart, and wealthy as Diana Leventis could be so lacking in self-esteem.
Since she had started teaching in GAYL, Mairi had made it her personal goal to make Diana more confident. Hoping to make the girl more comfortable, Mairi said with mock severity, “You must stop calling me that, you know.”
The younger girl visibly relaxed at the light-hearted subject, even saying teasingly, “But Ms. Yay---”
Mairi groaned. “You girls are bullies! Will you never let me forget about that? I was just really happy to start teaching in Greece!”
Diana’s profile became visibly less tense even as she remained seated with a straight back. “I don’t think anyone of us will forget it, Miss.”
The fond look on the girl’s face made Mairi wince. She knew Diana was recalling every embarrassing second of that incident.
Diana started to giggle. “Oh, Miss. I can remember every moment---”
“Please don’t.” But it was useless since Mairi’s brain had also started to recall the incident – every embarrassing second of it.
It had been her first day to teach in GAYL and Rose had made a huge deal out of it, taking the time to introduce Mairi to the entire student body during the morning ceremony. Rose had boasted about Mairi being the author of a bestselling phrasebook on Amazon and raved about her fluency in several languages as well as her ability to read hieroglyphics.
“And so without further ado, I present to you Ms. Mairi Tanner, the most eloquent individual you would probably ever meet in your life.”
Rose had then gestured for her to ascend to the stage and she had done so with quaking knees, her underarms perspiring at the sight of over a thousand students gazing at her expectantly.
A microphone had then been thrust into her hands.
Rose had nodded at her encouragingly.
Stage fright kicked in, followed by mental block, and as the silence extended, Mairi whispered weakly in the microphone, “Yay me?”
It took over a second for the students to recover from their shock before they all laughed good-naturedly and gave her a standing ovation. She had been nicknamed Ms. Yay after that.
Wincing at the memory, Mairi smacked her own forehead. “That was seriously the most embarrassing moment of my life.”
Diana giggled even more.
“It’s not that funny,” Mairi grumbled.
“It is. But in a good way, Ms. Yay.”
“Hmph,” was all she said, which for some reason made Diana laugh harder.
When the girl’s laughter died down, Mairi asked very casually, “Has your family arrived?” From what little Diana had confided to her in the past, Mairi had pieced enough of the girl’s history to realize that Diana felt terribly neglected by her widowed mother.
Diana shook her head, her silky ebony hair swaying against her school jacket as she did. “Mother is too busy for something like this.” She spoke with perfect English – too perfectly, in her opinion. It was strange, but Mairi had a feeling that getting Diana to say ‘yeah’ rather than ‘yes’ would be one of her biggest accomplishments in her teaching career.
“And your brother?” she prompted. Not much was written about Diana’s only sibling, Damen Leventis, but then again he was a Greek billionaire who owned one of the largest media empires in the world. If he wanted the paparazzi to shut up about him, then it would.
Mairi had briefly toyed with the idea about Diana’s brother being the one she was meant to live happily ever after with, but the more she got to know her student, the more Mairi was convinced that the Greek billionaire might be too cold and stuck-up for her liking. Her brother had to be the world’s most heartless individual if he didn’t appreciate how sweet Diana was.
Diana said unhappily, “My brother might not come even though he promised. He may suddenly be busy, too.”
“I’m sure that’s not the case,” Mairi lied even though she secretly feared the same. Velvet would warn her against giving students false hope, but she couldn’t help it. For Mairi, it wasn’t false. There was always hope. It was that simple.
At Diana’s noncommittal shrug, she suggested, “He could be caught in traffic.”
“My brother does not like to ride in cars much. He’ll probably sail or fly here.”
“Then maybe his, umm, yacht or private jet’s caught in traffic?”
Diana choked.
She protested half-indignantly, “That could happen, right? Haven’t you ever watched The Jetsons---” At Diana’s blank look, Mairi realized the girl was too young to know about the rather old school animation series. “Never mind.”
Diana shook her head. “You are so funny, Ms. Yay.”
“Seriously, stop that. You know Ms. Thorn doesn’t like it when students give teachers nicknames.”
Diana said shyly, “I really like you, Ms. Tanner. You are so optimistic.”
Mairi gave her student a mock scowl. “And you are so going to get an F on your next test. You totally said that like you meant to say I’m naïve!”
“If the shoe fits,” Diana retorted, a grin tugging at her lips.
Her eyes narrowed. “Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be? You’re not even going to take it back?”
“Ms. Tanner, I like you being, umm, optimistic. It is better than being sad or cynical.”
“Exactly,” a voice behind them said.
Mairi twisted around, surprised at the unexpected intrusion of a dark Greek-sounding voice.
“You made it!” Diana was on her feet in an instant, lovely face glowing as she threw her arms around---
Oxygen was suddenly trapped somewhere between her diaphragm and throat – all Mairi knew was that she couldn’t breathe.
Coal black hair, silvery gray eyes, and a face so beautiful it was as if Michelangelo had descended from the heavens just to carve this being to perfection.
Gorgeous wasn’t enough to describe him. He was also the sexiest and most devastatingly sophisticated man Mairi had ever seen, her mouth drying at the way his exquisite midnight blue suit emphasized every inch of his lean muscular hardness. She liked how he was built more like a kickboxer than a wrestler. It made her imagine how he’d be lethally sexy even when he was kicking ass.
All in all, he was everything she had ever dreamed her Greek billionaire would be and the realization made her fingers curl tightly against her skirt. She was doing her best not to fling her arms around him and demand that he kiss her so she could know right this very moment if he was…the one.
Over the top of Diana’s head, their eyes met.
Oh. My.
Mairi blinked several times, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. Her madly beating heart threatened to pop right out of her chest, which didn’t help with her light-headedness at seeing this Greek god, but she did her best to think logically. Surely she hadn’t read that right? Surely Diana’s brother couldn’t be looking at her as if---
Hello. Look at me. I want to fuck you.
He smiled slowly, and it was like a seductive gift being unwrapped for Mairi’s benefit. With that sensual smile, the message in those piercing gray eyes became even more demanding.
I WANT TO FUCK YOU.
Oh, oh, oh my.
Her Greek billionaire was so…bad.
Lesson 2
To catch a Greek billionaire, you must make him want to catch you.
He said: My love, if memory doesn’t fail me, I had no choice but to catch you since you were about to fall flat on your face.
She said: Note to editor – please delete his comment. I’ll think of something else for this part.
Damen Leventis had finally found the next woman he wanted to warm his bed.
He didn’t know her name, didn’t know anything about her, but it didn’t matter. She intrigued him – everything about this woman fascinated Damen ever since he had unintentionally walked in on her conversation with his sister.
Having found them by using the GPS he had installed in Diana’s bracelet, Damen had been about to announce his presence when the woman’s earnestly spoken words arrested him. And like his sister, the woman’s views had completely delighted him.
Traffic in the skies and seas. Officers sky-gliding and jetskiing to monitor movement.
And when he had seen her –
Perfection.
Her face was bare of makeup, her dark brown hair held neatly back with a simple lace band. She wore a loose yellow dress, and he had a feeling it was meant to hide her bountiful curves. It was a stupid idea, and Damen was determined to make her realize that her body was beautiful just the way it was the moment he had her all to himself.
Even as he embraced Diana, Damen kept his gaze on the woman, letting her know without any doubt that it would be his absolute pleasure to teach her the wonders of sinning with him – and only with him.
As Diana’s brother released her with softly murmured words in Greek, his intensely heated gaze refocused on Mairi, causing a flurry of heat to rush through her body. It centered on her most private part, making her flustered as she tried to press her thighs close together under her dress.
Satisfaction coursed through Damen at the pinkness coloring the woman’s cheeks. Did she know what she was doing right this very moment? Did she know how those little glances of hers, the way she blushed, the way her body trembled – did she know that all of it was communicating her response to his command?
Mairi finally managed to tear her gaze off Damen Leventis. She had no choice. If she didn’t, she would die from lack of oxygen. She pressed her thighs tightly together. Oh dear. She was too…wet. This sort of thing happened all the time to her favorite heroines the first time they had met their Greek billionaires, but Mairi hadn’t expected the very same thing to happen to her.
So this…was a good thing. Right?
When both Leventis siblings reached her, Mairi tried not to stiffen when Diana’s brother chose to stand next to her. His nearness made her body react even more strongly to his presence, and s
he prayed to all the Greek gods who were awake that her panties would not end up leaking. She was too wet. Impossibly so. Was this really happening?
Diana was all smiles now. “Damen, here is someone I am excited for you to meet. She is my English teacher, Ms. Yay.”
One dark brow lifted at the words, and Mairi cringed.
“Ms. Yay?” His tone was lazily amused, his gaze still scorching hot. But when Diana giggled, his gaze immediately snapped towards his sister.
Oh.
Mairi’s heart contracted at the look in Damen Leventis’ eyes. He cared about his sister. Whatever had made Diana insecure, it wasn’t because of Damen. It was clear that he loved his sister and that he didn’t care if the whole world knew it.
When he looked back at Mairi, she gave him a sunny smile. All she could think about was at least Diana had someone in her corner when she was at home. Even if Diana’s mother did turn out to be as bad as the young girl had let on, at least she had her brother.
We have to talk about her issues later, Mairi thought, momentarily forgetting all about the sexual tension between her and Damen as her mind focused on Diana. Her brother had to be informed about---
“Ms. Yay?”
Oh drat! She had zoned out in the middle of their conversation. “I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I was thinking about your brother---”
Diana’s eyes widened.
Mairi let out a silent gasp of horror when she realized how her words could be misunderstood.
Without missing a beat, Damen murmured, “I’m immensely flattered---”
“It’s not like you think!” Mairi could feel herself reddening even more as Damen Leventis’ gaze settled back on her. “I was thinking about Diana and her excellent progress in school and how I could best sum everything up.”
The sincerity in the woman’s voice gave him pause. She really did care about his sister, Damen realized with surprise. And that, he thought, could be a…complication. She had all the makings of becoming the diversion Damen needed after the nasty falling-out he had with his ex-mistress.