Page 27 of Modern Romance Collection May 2024 Books 1-4

Ajax said, ‘Like I said, I’ll stay here for a couple of days, to make sure you and the—’

He stopped and Erin held her breath.

He continued, ‘To make sure you and Ashling settle in okay.’

Hearing him say his daughter’s name was seismic. Erin wanted to thank him, but that would be weird.

She thought of what he’d said and then shook her head. ‘You don’t need to stay—we’ll be fine. We can walk down to the village if we need anything.’

‘No.’

Ajax’s voice was sharp, and he’d straightened up. Erin could see his knuckles white around the glass. He seemed to notice his own tension and relaxed a little.

‘Sorry, but there’s no need to leave the villa. I’ll make sure you have everything you need.’

Erin frowned. ‘We’re not allowed to leave?’

Ajax looked irritated now. ‘If you need anything you can ask Agatha to get it for you—or her husband.’

Erin stood up and said slowly, ‘I know you don’t mean to keep us here as prisoners. And, while it is beautiful here at the villa, I like to go for walks. And Ashling will need stimulation. When we drove through the village I thought it would be a nice place to go for morning coffee, or lunch.’

His face was like stone.

Erin tried to push down a lurch of panic. After all she was half a world away from home, with a man who she really didn’t know that well at all.

‘Ajax, what is it? Surely we’re allowed to move around freely? We’re not in danger here?’

His expression softened. ‘No, of course not. It’s just...’ He swept a hand through his hair, clearly agitated. ‘Sofia and Theo died because she insisted on driving into Athens. She wouldn’t let a driver take her in spite of my requests.’

Her panic subsided. Ajax didn’t strike her as a control freak, so perhaps there had been more to it. And his son—nephew—had died in that crash, so perhaps he had a right to feel a little paranoid. It clearly meant that he felt protective over Ashling, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

Carefully, Erin said, ‘Okay... Well, I can’t drive. I never learned because it wasn’t necessary. I grew up in one of the busiest cities in the world, so I think I can handle a sleepy Greek village, but if it makes you happier someone can drive us in and out and I will keep you informed as to our whereabouts.’

Ajax said, ‘That’s...fair.’ And then, ‘I didn’t know you couldn’t drive?’

Erin made a small face, ‘Well, actually, I can. But I just never got around to doing my test. A car is a burden in Manhattan.’

The night was soft and fragrant around them. Warm. No sounds from inside. Had Agatha and the young girl gone to bed?

A wave of weariness washed over Erin. She picked up the baby monitor. ‘I think I’ll go to bed now. It’s been a long day.’

As she was turning to go, Ajax said, ‘Thank you for trusting me enough to come with me.’

Erin stopped. She hadn’t even considered that she’d trusted him enough to let him derail their lives within hours. Yet she had. More or less without question. She felt exposed now, even though she knew that all his reasons for leaving New York were very valid and compelling.

She faced Ajax. ‘How long do you think we’ll have to stay here?’

‘A few weeks at least.’

Even though she’d cleared the absence with her boss, and she was still only part-time, she hoped for a more permanent position as Ashling got older. She didn’t want to push the firm’s generosity.

‘If it’s any longer than that I’ll have to clear it with work.’

‘I’m sure something else will have materialised in the news by then, and the vultures will have moved on. By the time you return to New York they’ll no longer be interested.’

Erin was about to turn away again when Ajax spoke again.

‘But I think there is something that we can do to nip any further speculation in the bud for good.’

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