Page 8 of Modern Romance Collection May 2024 Books 1-4

Erin had almost grown used to the ache near her heart whenever she looked at her and was reminded of Ajax Nikolau—which was far too often for comfort. The ache was fast turning into a kind of heartburn.

Her conscience pricked.Hard.Her father had been minding Ashling today and he’d said it to her again.

‘You can’t keep putting it off. He needs to know. She’s almost walking.’

Erin knew he was right. She’d made attempts to let Ajax know—she’d even written him a letter—but there had been no response and she’d not pushed it, partly because it had been a reminder of his rejection, but also because of unwelcome memories from far closer to home, within her own family.

She’d told herself she had more important things to get on with. Namely becoming a single parent to her daughter and searching for a new job.

In fairness, Ajax had pointed out that she wasn’t under any pressure to leave, and that if she’d requested a transfer to a different office or department they wouldn’t have to see each other again. She could stay working for the law firm his company used—it was vast.

She’d been tempted. It would have made things easier. But even without having to see him she knew that she would have been aware of him. And people talked. He was a dynamic, enigmatic man. Single. Available. She would have heard gossip about who he was with. And, as much as Erin would have liked to deny it to herself, and pretend that what had happened between them was just physical, he’d crept under her skin and got to her on an emotional level.

Which she knew was ridiculous. They’d had one conversation outside of the bedroom, that second night, and needless to say that hadn’t strayed into anything personal.

Erin had known she was way out of Ajax Nikolau’s league—that what had happened between them had been as out of character for him as it had been for her. That was why he’d dumped her so unceremoniously after that second night.

Erin’s break-up with her college sweetheart hadn’t sliced as deep as that rejection by Ajax. Even before the unanswered letter, it had called to mind the deep and abiding pain of her mother’s rejection and abandonment, and its effect on her father, when Erin had been just a toddler. A pain that she had successfully managed to avoid all her life by not allowing anyone to get too close.

But Ajax had got too close. And that had terrified her. So she’d accepted his ending of their brief affair.

When she’d been head-hunted by a rival firm not long afterwards, she’d used the opportunity to leave. They’d been good to her, considering her pregnancy, and she’d been working part-time for them since returning from maternity leave recently.

So, to say things had changed drastically since her short-lived affair with Ajax Nikolau was putting it mildly.

Erin grimaced and moved silently out of the baby’s room, half closing the door behind her.

Frankly, she was too exhausted to think about any of that now. She finally had a moment to heat up her dinner and—

The buzzing of her doorbell broke through Erin’s thoughts. She assumed it was a mistaken delivery—drivers often pressed the wrong apartment number—but when she lifted the receiver and the camera came on she went cold all over.

It wasn’t a delivery driver. It was a man. Too tall for his face to be visible on screen. All she could see were wide shoulders and a suit, but even through the grainy image she could appreciate the cut of the suit and the distinctive breadth of the chest and shoulders.

And then a face came into vision—devastatingly gorgeous, instantly recognisable.Ajax Nikolau.The fact that he was here, just a few floors down, as if manifested straight out of her guilty imagination, was unbelievable. So unbelievable that Erin found herself pushing the button to admit him before she’d even made the decision to let him in.

She heard the big door open and he said, ‘Apartment six, yes?’

Somehow Erin must have said something in return, because he disappeared from view and she heard the heavy clang of the door far below. He would be coming up in the elevator now—which immediately made Erin think of another elevator, vastly more luxurious, when they’d almost—

She heard the distinctivepingof the elevator’s arrival and the doors opening.

He was literally outside her door now, probably wondering why she hadn’t opened it yet.

There was a light knock. ‘Erin?’

Erin felt slightly disembodied. Her brain had seized, as if protecting itself from thinking about the reality of what was happening.

She opened the door and had to adjust her gaze up. She’d forgotten how tall he was. And she was in bare feet, having kicked off her high heels as soon as she’d stepped through the door earlier. His impact hit her like a physical jolt through her body. Electricity crackled.

He frowned at her. ‘Your hair is short.’

Erin lifted a hand and touched her head self-consciously. She’d had it cut a few months ago, because the baby had kept grabbing it.

She went cold all over.The baby.

Her hand dropped. ‘Mr Nikolau...what are you doing here?’

He looked at her.‘Mr Nikolau?’

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