Marian Tee's Blog, page 9

No new book but here's my review or recap of voltage otome game: enchanted in the moonlight (miyabi episode 1)

So I was hoping I'd have Meant to Be Yours out by the end of this week, but sadly that's not going to happen. I'm still down with colds - the kind that had me losing my voice half the day yesterday! - and have been so for almost a week now. =/ Apparently, what my parents say is true: I am not waterproof. =P 
(Note: If you ever read a future book of mine where the heroine suffers the same fate, you know what's inspired it)
I've tried working even when I'm feeling shitty but when I re-read what I've written...it sucked. It just really sucked so I figured I should just focus on taking it easy and get back to my usual ten-hour work routine on Monday. Meanwhile, though, one thing I've been doing to entertain myself while the writing part of my brain's shut down is playing otome games . 
(Note: Believe it or not, but the picture on the left only shows one of my two app-packed folders of otome games. :D I'm that obsessed!)
I've played a lot of otome games this week but my hands-down favorite would efinitely be Miyabi's route in Voltage's Enchanted in the Moonlight.
For those who don't know, Enchanted in the Moonlight is about a human girl with special powers - she has blood that basically enables her to act like a power charger for ayakashi or non-humans. In the game, she needs to choose one of several ayakashi as her protector (who will also be her husband). 
Here are some screenshots of the game.
P.S. You can watch the trailer here.
Oh, and did I mention that the best way for ayashi to recharge using her powers is to be intimate with her? O.o The more intimate, the better. (Read: sex = Toguro of Ghost Fighter being at 100%)
But I digress.
For my first time to play the game, I chose Miyabi. He's a kitsune or a fox demon (we don't have that in Philippine mythology and I don't think American mythology has it either). 
Prior to choosing his route, I've read from reviews that Miyabi's route is especially racy - like, the raciest of all Voltage games. And upon playing it, I have to agree!
They do a lot of ecchi stuff THROUGHOUT - yes, throughout! - the story. 
Episode 1 starts with the human girl - the MC or in this case, Maeve (I always use this name when playing otome games - choosing Miyabi as her protector-slash-husband. 

I am so on to you, Maeve. I bet you've totally memorized his name the first time you heard it. You just don't want him to know you're already smitten with him. Miyabi, OTOH, is all swagger and arrogance. He's the playboy of the group and it's been said that all the girls fall for him. When you choose him, he's like this--- God, when those lips curl. I am such a sucker for lip-curlers. Is that even a word? It should be. My heroes' lips curl, too. Have you noticed that? Anyway, upon picking Miyabi, you get rewarded with his first CG in the game. 
Now, now, get your mind out of the gutter please. He's talking about her...NECK. :D After Miyabi puts his mark on me - I mean, Maeve - he then starts fighting with the bad guys. This is how he looks when he's in fighting mode, by the way.
Why is it...when the Japanese draw it...a guy with furry / fox ears and tail looks so damn cool? Why, why, why? I bet if I write about a kitsune demon and describe him like this, you'd be all totally yech. But God, when I look at Miyabi here.... I want to pet him! Haha After the fight, Miyabi does something like this----

He brings his lips to my neck again, where I felt a sting moments earlier.

See? I told you. His route is THE steamiest route from Voltage. Ever!
Anyway, when playing Miyabi's route, I find myself playing hard to get most of the time. I mean, I don't know - when I meet a guy who's as cocky as Miyabi, I don't care how sexy or gorgeous he is. My hackles WILL rise and I don't care if I have to cut my nose to spite my face. I am NOT giving in. 
So what happened in the game was when Maeve felt like fainting and he tried to pick her up in his arms, she shook him off and he says----
I'm going to be honest, Miyabi. It's only because I like you being forceful that the lady doth protest too much. :D More talking ensues and it's only near the end that Maeve realizes the hickey-like mark Miyabi's placed on her neck is the sign of their agreement. It's indelible - or at least only a powerful ayakashi can replace it - and it's meant to let other non-humans know that Maeve belongs to Miyabi.
Maeve wants Miyabi to erase his mark. No can do, unfortunately, especially since---

I don't like it when low level ayakashi try to touch what's mine.

And by "take" he means...well, you and I know what he means. Kyaaaaa! Anyway, after the fight, we get more cocky quotes from Miyabi like---

I'll make you glad you were born a woman.
The fact that women desire me is just the way things are. It's not bragging.
Ten days is all I need to get a girl like you to fall for me.
You'll be lusting for me from inside your bed.
I can't wait to hear what sounds you make.

He says that in front of all his ayakashi friends by the way! And they end the first night with tantalizing stuff like this---
OMG OMG OMG OMG!!! Oh. My. God. My jaw totally dropped with that one, buuuuuuuut...unfortunately she still ended up all alone in her bedroom that night. (Why, Miyabi, why? You could have sneaked in, I'd have pretended to resist, but in the end, I'd have totally given in!)
But again, I digress.
Anyway, Maeve finds out after that all the ayakashi will be living with her (hello, reverse harem! Woohoo!). The next day, she goes to work and Miyabi shows up. Of course, everyone in the library (her workplace) are all "kyaaa kyaaa" because of how gorgeous he is. When one of them asks if he comes to the library often, Miyabi says----

Oh, Miyabi, you! Even if we both know that's not true, it still makes my heart go ba-thump. P.S. This is his "casual" look, by the way. And Episode 1 ends with Miyabi announcing to the world that Maeve is his fiancee. =D
P.S. Almost forgot that you can also choose to "receive" emails or messages from whichever guy you choose. Here's the first one I got from Miyabi---

Kawaii, ne? I hope you guys play the game, too. 
The game is free to download from Apple's iTunes and Google Play. You get to enjoy the prologue for free and you only have to pay when you've decided on which character's route you want to play. Main stories are usually $3.99 per character but right now, the main stories of Enchanted in the Moonlight are on sale for $2.99 per character. :) 
I'll try to update with another episode recap soon and - time and health condition permitting - I'll do my best to continue updating probably until Saturday. 
Sunday, though, I'm hoping I'll be back to normal and ready to finish my edits for MTBY. 
Until the next episode!

New covers!

Excited to show them off! :)
First up is The Art of Catching a Greek Billionaire - you see, some readers were confused about the original covers. It made them think the book was not an adult romance, but as you guys know Mairi is already 24 and Damen is in his thirties. The new cover is also to match Greek 4.5 (The Greek Billionaire and I). Next up is Heart Racer. This new one is meant to match the abs-centric (I don't think I made that word up :D) covers of Helios and MJ's story. :D  Hope you like them! :)

Cut Scene #1 from Click: Hallie

As a thank you to all those who stuck with Helios and MJ till the very end, here's something I thought you'd be interested in reading. Enjoy!

Hallie Athanas tried very hard not to smile as she heard MJ shyly ask her groom if he could dance with her. For a moment, Helios Andreadis, the powerful President of the world's most successful underground racing club, appeared pained. "Dancing is for sissies," he muttered under his breath, which Hallie easily heard since she was standing right next to them.

MJ's face fell. "Oh."

Helios glared. "Don't give me that look."

His nineteen-year-old bride blinked in confusion. "What look?"

Helios glared harder. "That look. Like I'm breaking your heart or something." 

MJ smiled valiantly. "You are not."

Another moment passed, MJ smiling, Helios glaring...and then the President sighed. An exasperated smile curved on his lips. "Fine, brat but only for tonight, because it's our wedding day and I want you to know how much I love you."

And so it was that MJ Vlahos-Andreadis blushed the whole time Helios danced with her. She also ended up laughing out loud as Helios, who hated dancing, whirled around every second, faster and faster, so no one could ever capture their faces clearly with their cameras. 

It was surreal, seeing the couple together, looking blissfully happy and in love, after what they had gone through in the past year. It was even more surreal that in this huge crowd only a few of them knew what had happened. Other people would look at Helios and MJ and probably think that a tomboyish Cinderella had found her Prince Charming in the person of a handsome, rich, and notoriously aloof bike racer. But Hallie knew better. And because she knew better, it made her want so much to have her own fairy tale ending with the man of her dreams.

The thought made her glance at Andreus Economou, the most badass member of the Afxisi. His official role in the club was Treasurer, but Hallie knew it was a euphemism at best. Unlike the others, she had taken great lengths to know what exactly Andreus did when he went off on his frequent jaunts around the world. At the start, it was because she was worried he'd have a mistress in every city he visited. But then she discovered what Andreus was really doing, and since then she had spied on his actions out of fear for his safety.

She checked her watch, which was fashioned like a bracelet, its straps made of rubies and gold. It had been thirty minutes since the dancing had started - and she just couldn't take it anymore. She had told herself she wouldn't embarrass herself tonight, but...she loved him. Maybe tonight, it would be different? 

On the other side of the ballroom, Andreus stood like a Greek god, talking to the younger members of the club. While he wasn't as tall as the President, he definitely had a lot more muscle, requiring all his formal wear to be custom-made to fit his tough, hard body. Just looking at him made her mouth dry. He exuded such raw power, it just left her speechless at times, wondering how it was that being born with a silver spoon in his mouth hadn't been able to smooth and polish the rough edges of Andreus' personality. It was as if he was born with a gritty kind of manliness that no amount of sophistication could ever soften.

Picking up the skirts of her gown, Hallie slowly made her way to Andreus. When she was just a step away from his back, she waited for him to turn, knowing that Andreus was aware of her presence. He always was. They had that kind of connection. He was just so stubborn about ignoring it.

But still he didn't turn. Stubborn man. Did he think that was enough to dissuade her? Tiptoeing, she let her fingers drift on his shoulder. Just once, but slowly, savoring the excuse to be in contact with him. And then she waited, knowing that even if Andreus Economou would rather kill himself than date Yuri Athanas' younger sister, he had never really been able to resist her either.

One, two, three seconds of holding her breath passed before Andreus finally turned. He looked at her, his face intimidatingly grim. She looked back at him, a serene smile on her face. He did this all the time, too. But sooner or later, he would smile and everything would be---

Andreus suddenly cupped her elbow and led her away from his crowd of young fans. He looked down at her and said tightly, "Don't bother me right now, princess." 

Oh. 

Oh.

Oh.

She didn't see that coming. He had always been rude and unfailingly blunt but...not like that. Not ever with her. 

Hallie searched for a clue in his expression but couldn't find any. And he still didn't smile, making her own smile falter. "I'm not---"

"Just stay the hell away from me for now, Hallie. You're getting on my nerves---"

Someone from behind them snickered. 

When Andreus spun around, Hallie saw that a couple of the club's fourth-year volunteers had overheard Andreus. "You should listen to the Treasurer," one of the girls said derisively. "It's time you found out you can't always have special treatment just because you're Yuri Athanas' kid sister."

***To be continued***

I'm guesting at R.E. Butler's Facebook party!

Here is the link to join the release party HAPPENING RIGHT NOW for Every Sunset Forever, the third book in R.E. Butler's Hynea Heat series. It started 12:00 pm EST (that's about over an hour ago) and will continue all the way to 9:00 PM. I'm slotted at 7:30 PM EST - that's 7:30 AM in Philippines time, which is not a prob for me since I always wake up early anyway during Sundays for church. 

Anyway, the party is a blast - there are quizzes and prizes to be won EVERY 30 MINUTES. For my 30-minute slot, I'll be giving away 1 $5 Amazon gift card AND any ebook of mine (winner's choice). The question will be super easy - especially if you're a fan of the lovely R.E. Butler (like me!).

I hope to see y'all there! 

Thank you for reading Click!

Click is currently #287 on Amazon (yay!) as well as being #2 in the Movers & Shakers list and #79 for Hot New Releases, BOTH for the entire Kindle store. Not sure if those numbers mean anything to you guys, but it means A LOT to me, an indie author from the Philippines so yay! Thank you everyone for taking the time to stay with me (if you've read CLICK, you know those words mean something :D), Helios, and MJ until the very end.

P.S. Sorry for the humongous screenshot - I'm addicted to screen capping because it's the only way I can really convince myself I'm not dreaming. :D 

Click is also #249 overall on Barnes & Noble, which is definitely something to celebrate as well since I have no idea to reach out to Nook readers so these fine folks are buying the book all on their own. :D

Finally, Click is also #67 on the romance chart (paid) of Apple's iBooks store. (Screenshot below). 

So, really - thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Now, on to other stuff. 

SPOILER ALERT! Please just highlight and read only if you're done with Click.


As you may have noticed, Click is my darkest book yet. I didn't plan it to happen this way. It just did. Similar to The Art of Forgiving a Greek Billionaire, lots of bad stuff happened in Click and the main characters - Helios and MJ - spent most of the time apart. Due to the feedback on Greek 4, I knew that Click would likely not be everyone's favorite book. And I totally understand - but again, that's how their story played out and I did my best to make up for the dark tone by making the epilogue a lot lighter and funnier. I think it's fitting, too, since eventually we all come to a point where we just have to shake off the bad stuff at the past, start fresh, and learn how to laugh and love again. :)
But anyway, you will definitely see more of Helios and MJ in upcoming Heart Racer books. I hope you guys can come with me on more journeys with the men of Afxisi!

P.S. For those who haven't read the books yet, CLICK is currently available in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, and All Romance. I'm still waiting for it to go live on Buqo and Kobo.

Reminder about release schedule

Since I've been getting questions about when X or Y will be released, I thought you'd appreciate a quick recap of my release schedule. My books will be released in this order (no exact release dates but at least you know what's next)

1. CLICK - August 20, 2014
2. Meant to Be Yours
3. Greek 6: The Art of Kissing a Greek Billionaire
4. Wolf Games, Wolf Kisses
5. How Not to Be Seduced by Dukes 2: The Ice Around My Heart
6. Brimstone 2: Heart of a Duchess

In between those, I will be releasing a vampire book and a sports romance, both intended for different multi-author bundles. 

Once we have all these books out, I'll then ask you guys to vote again so I know what you want to read next. I AM hoping however that I can have Awakened out by Halloween and maybe When I Moan sometime late this year. Could happen. Who knows? :D

What happened behind the scenes of Burn

So, I had a viral infection last week (I actually didn't know it. I visited the doctor yesterday and when I told him my symptoms, he told me I had one), which was really bad timing since I was working on one final read-through for Burn before having it published. Because I was semi-delirious, random thoughts were going through my head a thousand miles per minute. Thankfully, I was sane enough to ignore them.
These thoughts went something like ---

"Maybe...Helios would be crying here."
But then, in my mind I felt like the President was glaring at me but not saying anything because, you know, he only talks to MJ and not even me. So I ditched that idea. You just don't do what the President doesn't want you to do. You just don't.

"I think they're going to have sex now."
Awkward silence between Helios, MJ, and me. 
It's like I'm the most insensitive person in the world, thinking they can have sex right away. I can hear imaginary witnesses demanding that I respect MJ's need for space and time to heal. 
Me: Okay, okay, I just thought it was a good idea---
Them: NO. YOU ARE A HORRIBLE PERSON FOR EVEN THINKING OF IT.
Me: Okay, okay, I got it.

So that's basically it. Just another random working day for yours truly. 

P.S. I sound less like a lunatic when I'm not sick. Really!
P.P.S. Thanks to everyone who's already purchased and read Burn! I hope you liked it and are looking forward to Click!

A to Z Book Survey

I found this survey from this lovely blog. And yes, I'm answering 26 questions total because. Well, because I just finished re-reading Swish for the nth time and it's made me think. A lot. About changing Burn's ending and thus giving a new beginning to Click. (P.S. I'm chatting with readers on my Facebook page about what the book they last re-read. Feel free to chime in here when you have the time!)

But on to the survey---- 

Author you’ve read the most books from:
I'd say Johanna Lindsey, Erle Stanley Gardner (Perry Mason books!!!), Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Christine Feehan, and Sherrilyn Kenyon because they're the most prolific among my favorite authors. 
(Note: This made me realize that I wouldn't mind being in THIS category of ANOTHER reader. I don't mind being not being anyone's #1 favorite if I can still be the most read haha)

Best Sequel Ever:
Let me get back to this. Okay I've found my answer: Reasonable Doubt #2!!! 

Currently Reading: 
Swish. For work. And then a finance book. Because. :D 

Drink of Choice While Reading:
Coffee! 

E-reader or Physical Book?
E-reader. Because it allows me to take dozens of books with me while traveling. 

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:
Sadly, none. Since I went to an all-girls Catholic school and my life back then was pretty much school-home-school-home.

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance: 
I need to think about this. Okay I've thought about it - KINGS! :D It threw me off at the start coz I couldn't quite figure it out. :D 

Hidden Gem Book: 
Everything by Anne Bishop!!!

Important Moment in your Reading Life:
I guess...when I read Fifty Shades. That's the last book I remember that had such an impact of me, mostly because it's when I discovered a whole new niche in romance that I fell in love with. 

Just Finished:
A shoujo manga. :D 

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:
Stories with sad endings. :( I just can't. 

Longest Book You’ve Read: 
Probably one of Stephen King's books. Whatever his longest is.

Major book hangover because of: 
Not a book, but another shoujo manga - one that's very much influencing my outline for a new series. =D

Number of Bookcases You Own: 
None huhu. House currently undergoing renovation so all the books have been packed away.

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:
Let's just do this by author and that would be books by R.K. Lilley, Sylvia Day, E.L. James, Lynne Graham, Judith McNaught, Joan Wolf, Jo Beverley, and Rachel Lindsay.

Preferred Place To Read:
In bed or anywhere cold. :D 

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:
I suck at remembering quotes or lines. Even MY own lines. 

Reading Regret: 
SPOILER. Highlight the line below if you want to know. This is about a manga's ending.
I wish I hadn't read until the very end of Hana to Akuma. It broke my heart.

Series You Started And Need To Finish(all books are out in series):
Monster in the Dark series by Pepper Winters. I don't have the time I need to do justice to Q and Tess' last book.

Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:
Love and Lucy Granger by Rachel Lindsay
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
The Unfaithful Wife by Lynne Graham

Unapologetic Fangirl For:
Twilight, Fifty Shades, Crossfire, Pendergast, Archangel (Nalini Singh), Etienne (Anna and the French Kiss), and Carrie Ryan for her zombie books.

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:
Reasonable Doubt #3, Ilium's book in the Archangel series (Nalini Singh), and personally I can't wait (for myself) to write When I Moan =D

Worst Bookish Habit:
I peek at endings with certain mangas. =/ I can't help it. I wanna know the end if I'm unsure of whether it's happy or not.

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:
I'll do this with my e-reader...and it's a Catherine George book. :D Yup, Harlequin classics for the win.

Your latest book purchase:
Paperbacks? A book on finance. Ebooks? I can't remember because I bought a whole lot of them the last time. =/

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):
King for a Day by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff. :D 

July 16

...is the release date of The Art of Wedding a Greek Billionaire. It should be live on Amazon, Kobo, and AllRomance right away. It may take a day or two more to be live on Barnes & Noble and at least a week more before it goes live on Apple.

Thank you everyone for being patient. Again, I apologize for the delay but I'm really happy right now with how Greek 5 turned out. I know I won't be able to please everyone, but I also know that if I had released this book early, it wouldn't have been right for me or for any of you.

Thank you and last Greek 5 excerpt for the blog!

As a thank you to all those who downloaded OFF GUARD (it took a long time for Amazon to make it free and for that I'm sorry but there wasn't anything I could do about it) and had it #1 for Kindle short romance reads under 30 minutes, I'm posting this one last excerpt of Greek 5. You already had the last excerpt for the newsletter and this is the last one for the blog. 

Oh, and also a note about Off Guard - I made this available for free on all retailers so that when I update it with new chapters, you only have to update the version of the book on your reader. You wouldn't need to visit my website and download a new file.

Now, on to Greek 5...

You've all been asking WHEN it's going to be out. I'd really like to give you a specific date but honestly, I DO NOT WANT TO JINX IT especially now that it's in its final stages of publishing. 

All I can tell you for now is to keep an eye on your inbox or my Facebook page or Twitter. I'll make the announcement REALLY SOON. And by announcement I mean that the book is finally live.

Again, I'm sorry for making you wait. I honestly HATED the original version of this book. I just plain hated it and I have a feeling you would have hated it, too.

As for this final version, I cannot of course guarantee that you'd love it. All I can say is that I wrote this from the heart and that every word was meant to do justice to Damen and Mairi's story.  Excerpt: The Art of Wedding a Greek Billionaire She said: To wed a Greek billionaire, one must be prepared to have all expectations surpassed.

He said: You’re being sarcastic, aren’t you? Our wedding was like a hole-in-the-wall affair and I still think we should marry again. You deserve a proper---

She said: I mean it. My every dream came true when I saw you waiting for me.

Note to editor: We’ll get back to drafting this chapter later. My beloved wife has just given me a raging hard-on that cannot be ignored a moment longer.

A tall dark-haired man stood with his back to the windows, sunlight cascading from behind to lay golden stripes on the royal blue carpet. He had the strong classic features of a Greek god, but marring its perfection were the faintest shadows of bruises that were still in the process of healing. He was dressed in a well-tailored black suit, with a snowy white shirt underneath.

The room he was in had marble floors, expensive stenciled wallpaper, and high vaulted ceilings. At two hundred square meters, the room was the largest in the building and cost more than a thousand dollars at night, something not any ordinary person could afford.

Even so, there was no denying the truth.

This was a hospital room, and it was not fit to be the wedding venue for a man who was once a billionaire.

When the door opened, Damen Leventis drew his breath sharply at the sight that greeted him. Standing in the doorway was the girl he would risk everything for. 

Mairi Tanner.

The girl who had captured his heart…and whose heart his own cruelty and cynicism had caused to break…over and over.

For a moment, all they did were stare at each other.

Memories, short but vivid, passed through his mind, and Damen’s fists clenched at his sides.

So many memories…

Mairi, the first time he had seen her in Diana’s school, her beautiful smiling face a picture of innocence and optimism…

Mairi, the first time he had kissed her, and with a dazed look in her eyes, all she could say was ‘hi’…

Mairi, the first time he had told her the truth about his engagement to Alina Kokinos, and she could only look at him helplessly as if wanting to stop loving him but unable to…

Damen’s chest heaved.

So many damn memories, and most of them were darkened by the pain he had caused Mairi.

If he was an honorable man, he would cancel the wedding and let her go. She deserved someone better, someone who would never cause her to cry a single teardrop.

But he was not an honorable man when it came to Mairi.

He was a man whose heart no longer belonged to himself, a man whose life would be forfeit if she ever left his side.

He would never let her go. It didn’t matter if she no longer loved him. It didn’t matter if she only chose to stay with him out of pity.

Damen would take Mairi any way he could.

****

Mairi smoothed one trembling hand over the lacy overskirt of her dress, a concoction of white silk that her best friend Velvet Lambert-Sallis had especially ordered for her. Velvet was on her honeymoon now, and it was only at Mairi’s insistence that neither Velvet nor Mandy had come to her wedding. Everything about her life now was a mess, and she didn’t want her friends to suffer from any kind of public backlash because of her.

As the stylist continued to weave her hair into artful curls, Mairi let her gaze drift around the spacious walk-in closet of Damen’s hospital room, now serving as her temporary bridal boudoir. 

Next to the door was a lovely waist-high rosewood cabinet, and gracing its top was a vase of exotic roses sent by Drake Morrison. The flowers had come with a handwritten note, and remembering the message made Mairi hastily blink back tears.

In your heart, you never betrayed him.

And he knows that. 

“I’ll be placing the wreath now,” the stylist announced. 

Mairi nodded, her eyes going to her reflection. The wreath was a gift from her aunts, a work of art made from gold-plated vines and pearls roped in the shape of flowers. They had spoken on the phone last night, and when the memory of their conversation fluttered inside her mind, Mairi had to take deep breaths to keep herself from breaking down.

‘We so badly want to be there, Mairi, but right now we can help you more if we stay here,’ Vilma had said.

‘This time, dear girl, we’ll be fighting for you. And all we ask is that you be strong for us. Can you do that for us, Mairi?’ Norah had asked.

The stylist stepped back to admire his handiwork. “There, we’re done…”

Mairi slid her feet into the shoes that looked very much like glass slippers, a gift from Diana Leventis and her classmates. The girls had used their own allowance to buy Mairi their gift, and they had sent it with a selfie photo of the entire class.

We love you, Ms. Yay!

Thank you for teaching us to dream.

Slowly, she stood up, and the stylist took her hand to draw Mairi towards the full-length mirror at the side of the room.

A young woman looked back at her, dressed in a white silk dress that bared her shoulders and emphasized the slimness of her waist before falling to a loose ballerina skirt that fell a few inches past her knees.

So many people had suffered because of her foolish heart and her decision to love blindly.

This time, it would be different.

This time, she would be strong for everyone.

It might be a mistake to love Damen after everything, but it was a mistake that she knew she would make over and over again.

She loved Damen, and she would always love him but this time, she would make sure her love would hurt no one – not her aunts, not her friends, not even Damen – but herself.

“Are you ready?” 

It was not the stylist who spoke. This time, the low, dark voice came from Ioniko Vlahos, one of the few persons who had remained at her side from the very start. Dressed in a dove gray suit, the Greek billionaire had insisted on the honor of giving her away when he realized that neither Mairi nor Damen would be dissuaded from their decision to marry before leaving the hospital.

She nodded.

Ioniko moved to her side and gently took her arm. Looking down at Mairi, he realized that a part of him had always known this beautiful young woman would never belong to him. From the very start, Mairi only had eyes for one Greek billionaire.

Still, he had to ask, “You are sure of this?”

A brief smile touched her lips as she answered honestly, “It’s what I’ve always dreamed of.”

Ioniko’s lips curved.

That explained it all, really.

Since Damen Leventis was no longer a Greek billionaire, that really explained it all.

****

Damen’s chest tightened with each step Mairi took towards him. 

Beside him, Damen’s best man said under his breath, “You must allow yourself to breathe, my friend.” He was Stavros Manolis, another Greek billionaire whose looks and power had turned him into a celebrity figure. Notorious for being reclusive and aloof, Stavros had shocked the world when it was revealed that he, too, had been vying for the hand of Mairi Tanner, now labelled as a modern-day Mata Hari.

Color stained Damen’s high cheekbones at the realization he had not indeed breathed since the first step Mairi took inside his room. Having overheard Stavros’ aside, the nurses who had been invited to witness the wedding giggled to themselves.

But soon the sounds died and all was left was the most profound silence as Mairi came to stand in front of Damen. 

Their gazes met.

And no words had to be spoken.

In the background, the priest started to speak. “Dearly beloved, you have come to this church so that the Lord may seal and strengthen your love…” 

Slowly, Damen reached for Mairi’s hand.

Her fingers curled around his and tightened, and the quiet show of support and loyalty humbled Damen. 

Soon, the time came for Mairi to profess her eternal love to Damen. 

“Do you take Damen to be your husband? Do you promise to be true to him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love him and honor him all the days of your life?”

Fear erupted from nowhere, suffocating her, and for a moment she was lost in the most awful memories.

Esther Leventis, calling her a slut because she had slept with him even if he was promised to another woman…

Cleon Frangos, licking his lips as he unzipped his pants while telling her that they could come into an understanding…

Alina Kokinos, telling Mairi that she had been sleeping with Damen since he had thrown her out…

Mairi squeezed her eyes shut. 

No.

She was going to put everything behind her now.

When she opened her eyes, Damen was gazing at her, his eyes fierce, his jaw clenched hard. 

Everything inside Damen demanded that he beg for Mairi to stay with him, to marry him, and to love him. But he held the words back even if doing so almost killed him. He was not as selfish as he had thought, after all.

If she married him, the future ahead of them was anything but rosy. 

He was no longer a Greek billionaire.

He was only a man who made too many mistakes, and all he could offer her was his love. 

He would not keep her with him if she chose to be smart and run away from this wedding.

And so he waited.

Time passed ever so slowly. Around them were reminders of forces that were for and against them. The documents of Esther’s lawsuit against him on the bedside table, the gift from his sister and her aunts, the men who cared for Mairi enough to give her away to Damen if she so chose…

At that moment, Damen realized none of it mattered.

Whether people stood by them or not didn’t matter.

All he wanted was Mairi to be his wife, and if she said yes, then he would fight to the death to keep her safe, cherished, and loved.

“I do.”

His head jerked up, Damen unable to believe that he had really heard Mairi whisper the words.

Unshed tears shone in her eyes as she whispered again, more fiercely, “I do.”

The rest of what the priest had to say was lost in the applause that followed.

Damen pulled Mairi into his arms, and cupping her face, he took her mouth in a kiss that, for as long as it lasted, obliterated every memory of pain.

As their lips met in that one kiss sealing their union, it was as if the past had never happened and Damen Leventis and Mairi Tanner were just two people who had always been in love with each other.

But no kiss lasted forever.

When Damen and Mairi parted, everything came back.

Every heartache.

Every teardrop.

And the knowledge that this was a wedding of two broken beating hearts.