Page 62 of Modern Romance Collection May 2024 Books 1-4

She smiled sweetly at him and saw his eyes flash.

This was a dangerous game they were playing, and she knew it. At that moment, though, she caught Andromeda’s eye over Ajax’s shoulder. She was dancing with her husband, and they couldn’t have looked more stiff and unhappy.

She nodded her head slightly at Erin, acknowledging her, and Erin nodded back. But she shivered inwardly—not from desire, this time, but at the reminder of what lay ahead of her if she gave in to Ajax’s version of a future for them. A sterile, sad life.

She looked away and forced ice into her veins.

‘What’s wrong?’ Ajax asked.

Erin shook her head. ‘Nothing—just someone walking over my grave.’

She somehow managed to get through the rest of the evening, staying as rigid as she could by Ajax’s side. And then, mercifully, they were heading back to his parents’ villa.

The helicopter landed at a far enough distance from the villa not to disturb Damia and Ashling, and they were driven to the house in two cars. Erin and Ajax in one, his parents in the other.

When they got out at the villa Andromeda was already there. She stopped Erin on the way in, when Ajax was already inside.

Andromeda looked at her and said, ‘You’re in love with him, aren’t you? I saw you dancing. I saw the way you looked at him.’

Erin tried to suck in a breath, but she couldn’t. She shook her head, desperately negating the tight feeling in her chest and the pounding of her blood at such an audacious suggestion. ‘No, of course I’m not. I know what this is. We both do. It’s not love.’

Andromeda smiled faintly, but it wasn’t kind. It was sad. ‘I’m sure he’s told you what it was like for him and his brother. I’d hate for you to get hurt. You seem like a nice woman, Erin. You deserve more.’

Andromeda walked away, leaving Erin reeling, her words revolving sickeningly in her head.

‘You’re in love with him, aren’t you?’

No. She wasn’t. She couldn’t be. To love a man like Ajax would be the worst form of self-harm. He’d already dumped her once. And while he was offering to spend his life with her, create a family, the offer wasn’t born out of love. He might not dump her again, but he would gradually fade away—which would be worse than any kind of abandonment or outright rejection.

Even the prospect of loving Ajax and allowing him that much power to hurt her, as she’d only been hurt once before in her life—by her mother—made her feel dizzy.

‘Erin? Are you okay?’

Ajax. When she least wanted to see him. He was at her side, holding her elbow. He looked angry.

‘What did she say to you?’

‘N-nothing, honestly. I’m just tired—and hungry, I think. We didn’t really eat.’

Ajax took her hand in his before she could stop him, and it was easier to just leave it there. He led her into the kitchen, silent at this hour of the night apart from the humming fridge.

He said, ‘Sit down,’ and all but pushed her gently into a seat at the table.

Erin sat, and watched, bemused, as Ajax spent an inordinate amount of time opening and closing doors.

Eventually she said, ‘What are you looking for?’

He looked at her. ‘Eggs.’

She pointed to the pantry door. ‘Try in there.’

He did, and said, ‘Ah!’ and came out with a tray of eggs, triumphant. Erin moved to stand up, but he put up a hand. ‘No, stay there. I’m making you something to eat.’

‘But you don’t know how to cook.’

Ajax looked a little embarrassed, and Erin was gobsmacked to see him efficiently cracking eggs over a bowl.

Eventually he said, ‘Since that night when you were in my apartment...’

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