Page 21 of Modern Romance Collection May 2024 Books 1-4

There were darker patches of green, and bright splashes of blue and turquoise lakes emerging from the volcanic earth. Villages appeared in clusters on hills and closer to the coast, distinctive with their white and blue paint. And it was all surrounded by the sea in varying shades of green and blue.

Ashling was sleeping...a heavy weight in Erin’s arms. Her first time on a plane and she’d been amazing. Erin could hear the low rumble of Ajax’s voice behind her, talking on the phone or with his assistants, who’d accompanied him for this leg of the trip. Apparently the staff would be travelling on to Athens after this flight, while Erin and Ajax went to the Nikolau villa.

She’d tried to resist this dash across the planet to escape a brewing media storm, but when she’d seen the throng of media outside her apartment building she’d had to concede that Ajax had a point. And what had really swayed her was the thought that Ashling would become a target for media interest and, worse, the potential danger of kidnap.

She’d managed to get a weekend call with her boss and had explained that there was a family emergency and she wasn’t sure how long she’d be away. If she was gone for longer than two weeks her pay would be docked, but as she was only part-time her absence shouldn’t cause too much of a ripple.

Her father had helped her to pack and get Ashling ready for the journey, and then they’d been collected by Ajax’s driver from the back of the apartment building, giving the media the slip. They’d been on a plane within hours of Ajax’s dawn wake-up call.

Erin was glad she’d at least had a chance to change into something other than sweatpants. Now she was wearing soft faded jeans and a loose linen shirt. Slip-on sneakers. She’d no idea what she’d packed—she’d been more concerned with making sure she had all Ashling’s things.

The flight attendant came down the aisle to prepare them for landing. Erin buckled Ashling in without waking her. She’d been fed and she was in her night clothes—hopefully she would sleep again once they’d got to the villa, as it was still their night-time.

Ajax had assured her that his team would have prepared their rooms before arrival and ensured she had all the necessary requirements for Ashling. Erin didn’t doubt it. In Ajax’s world, things materialised and happened as if by magic. She wouldn’t be surprised to see an exact replica of the nursery from her own apartment recreated in his villa.

But, apart from making sure they were comfortable at the start of the flight, Ajax hadn’t come near them. Erin was beginning to see how his ‘hands-off’ approach might work, and it was as disconcerting as it was effective.

She hated to admit that she was still so aware of him.

The plane landed and Ashling woke with thethud. Predictably, after being so amenable, she was now cranky and tearful. It had been a long day.

Ajax appeared when the seatbelt sign went off. He was wearing his suit jacket again, and looked annoyingly fresh, as if he’d slept in the vast bedroom at the back of the plane. But Erin knew he hadn’t. He’d worked the whole time.

She felt a little sorry for his team. But then, she’d once been one of them.

Not going there now.

She stood up, holding Ashling, who curled into her.

Ajax said, ‘Okay? How is she?’

Erin noticed that he barely glanced at Ashling.

‘She’s been great, but she’s still tired and I can sense a storm brewing. How long will it take to get to the villa?’

‘Only about fifteen minutes. Think she can last that long?’

‘She’ll be fine.’

The heat hit Erin as soon as they stepped out of the plane, like a wall, even at this early hour. Ashling’s head came up and she stopped whinging, as if she was sensing she was back in the land of her ancestors.

Erin could only imagine what it would be like later in the day. Insects were loud in the grass on the other side of the runway.

She was vaguely aware of officials greeting Ajax and documents being checked. The perks of travelling with a billionaire.

An assistant led her over to a sleek silver SUV and opened the back door. There was a car seat for Ashling. Erin secured her in the seat and gave her a teething toy to chew. Then she got in on the other side and sat beside the baby seat.

It was only when no driver appeared, and she saw Ajax peel away from the assistants and officials to stride towards the car, that she realised he was driving them himself. He shucked off his jacket before he got in, and Erin couldn’t help her gaze moving over his broad shoulders.

She was sitting behind him, to his right, so she could see his eyes in the rear-view mirror.

Suddenly feeling a little light-headed at the speed with which they’d traversed the globe, she asked, ‘Is this villa your family home?’

Ajax shook his head, taking a road heading away from the airfield and small airport. ‘No, I bought it years ago—for myself.’

‘Where did you grow up?’

‘Athens, mainly, when I wasn’t at boarding school in England and then Switzerland.’

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