Page 1 of Modern Romance January 2025 1-4

Greek’s One-Night Babies

Lynne Graham

The Diamandis Heirs

CHAPTER ONE

THEGREEKTECHtycoon Nic Diamandis was deep in thought as he steered the SUV through what was increasingly looking like a blizzard. En route to his Yorkshire hideaway, he was only vaguely grateful that he was close to his destination. He was preoccupied with the infinitely more distressing family revelations that had been contained in the personal letter the executor had given him after his father’s death.

Revelations that had plunged him into a devil’s quandary.

In short, his father, Argus, had had an affair with his mother’s closest friend, Rhea, and the young woman who was Nic’s closest friend was actually his half-sister.

Six months ago, that truth might not have tasted quite so toxic. Indeed, Nic could have happily embraced it because he had always been fond of Angeliki Bouras, his childhood playmate, his adolescent wing woman. But then something had changed...forher, at least, if not for him. A month ago, Angeliki had got into his bed when he was half asleep and had made a pass at him. Awakening, he had rejected her in shock at her approach. And... Well, it had pretty much wrecked their friendship because he had not seen her since, and she wouldn’t take his calls.

Telling Angeliki now that he was her brother would obviously only increase the fallout from that damaging incident. As for his mother? How could he possibly tell her such news when she was still so close and reliant on Angeliki’s mother for emotional support? Hadn’t Bianca Diamandis already suffered enough throughout her marriage to a monster? Nic’s father, Argus, deserved no other label. He had repeatedly cheated on Nic’s mother and humiliated her. He had also lied and conned his way through the business world, destroying those he disliked, bribing others, blackmailing the vulnerable. Argus had never been a father a son could respect and aspire to copy. He had been an abusive bully, securing his status through fear and intimidation. And Nic had always loathed him.

In fact, the only person likely to receive the news that Angeliki was a secret Diamandis without regret or prejudice was Nic’s half-brother, Jace. Why? Argus had rejected Jace when his first marriage crashed and burned and Jace had been raised by his uncle instead. Jace had been the luckyson who got awayand Nic could only envy his older brother for his escape from his own hellish childhood. That past was something he preferred not to think about, but his father’s recent death had brought all that emotional stuff he abhorred to the surface again, unsettling him.

Nic slowed his speed as the falling snow grew ever more impenetrable and then sudden movement to the left seized his attention and he watched a tiny vehicle surge across his path and plunge into the field on the other side of the road. He blinked for a split second, fully aware now that he had just seen an accident, and was about to use his phone before common sense forced him to slow his pace and draw the SUV to a careful halt and climb out. After all, he was here on the spot and could possibly even save a life long before any emergency rescue could be enacted. He climbed out, a black-haired, six-foot-four-inch-tall wall of a man, warmly clad for the weather in sturdy boots and an overcoat. He walked back a few yards before spotting the car down the hill, lying on its side in the snow.

Clambering down the steep embankment, he cut across the straggling hedge and made it to the vehicle. It was resting on the driver’s side. He opened the hatch at the back, very relieved that it wasn’t locked. He yanked out the pink suitcase in his way and heard a woman’s gasping sob.

‘You’re going to be all right. I’m planning to get you free. Are you hurt?’ he asked, for it might not be safe for him to try and move her.

He heard her suck in air as though she was trying to get a grip on herself. ‘Just bruised and shocked... I think. The car wouldn’t stop. It just kept on going on down the hill and then it speeded up—’

‘Doesn’t matter. Do you want me to try and get you out? Or do you want me to call the emergency services and wait for them?’ Nic asked.

‘Oh, no, please just get me out, if you can,’ she begged.

‘Can you release your seat belt?’

‘No, it’s too far above me. I can’t reach it,’ she framed shakily.

‘Stay calm. We’ll get you out.’ Nic swore, shedding his heavy coat as he tried to lever himself into what was surely the smallest car in existence. It was basically a city runabout and totally unsuited to the challenge of snowy and steep country roads.

‘Without any jokes about women drivers,’ she warned him.

And quite unexpectedly, Nic laughed, appreciating her snarky humour at such a moment. After all, he could tell that she was frightened by her shaky voice but she wasn’t giving into the fear, she was fighting it.

‘My name is Nic,’ he told her. ‘What’s yours?’

‘Lexy,’ she mumbled as he stretched up to depress the seat-belt button and it released and she slumped fully against the door below her.

For the first time he saw the driver and no longer wondered why he had had no view of her even from the rear of the car, because she was absolutely tiny, almost child-sized and, on a positive note, she ought to be light enough for him to lift and extract. ‘Grab my hand,’ he urged, reaching down as close as he could get to her.

‘Can I grab my handbag?’

‘No.’

‘But I can’t do anything without my handbag!’ she wailed in dismay.

‘Right now, we’re concentrating on gettingyouout.’

Lexy grabbed the big masculine hand and gasped as he literally hauled her up.

‘Grip my shoulder,’ he told her, and she complied as he raised her up and she had a blurred vision of bronzed skin, black hair and very dark eyes.

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