Page 154 of Modern Romance Collection February 2025, 5-8

‘Only when strictly necessary, and always discreet. Airports can be potential areas of concern, and lately the threat level has been...’

‘You have a threat level?’

He mistook her concern. ‘You are perfectly safe; I would never put you in danger.’

‘But you have been in danger?’

‘There was a rather determined stalker.’

The shocking admission chilled her blood. She could not believe how casual he was about it.

‘These days anyone with a public profile is a target for threats. The trick is to be aware, not to be afraid.’

‘I couldn’t live like that.’

He opened his laptop and said nothing, although she decided he was probably thinking she didn’t have to—she was just a visitor with sleeping rights.

She squared her chin and pushed away the thought. She was going to enjoy every moment and not allow thoughts of tomorrow spoil today.

‘Work?’

His head lifted from the screen. ‘No, the latest test match cricket results,’ he said, closing the lid of the laptop and sliding his arm across her shoulders. ‘You’re nervous.’

‘What makes you say that?’ she asked, allowing her head to fall onto his shoulder.

Joaquin smoothed a silky strand of hair from her cheek and, hooking a finger under her softly rounded chin, brought her face around to his. ‘You chatter like a five-year-old on a sugar high when you’re nervous.’

‘I do not—’ She closed her mouth and mimed a zipping action.

In response, Joaquin bent his head and fitted his mouth to hers, flicking his tongue along the sealed outline as he kissed across the plump, generous curve.

Clemmie groaned. ‘Cheating...’ she whispered huskily.

‘Like they say...’ His smile was caressing as he kissed the corner of her mouth, her chin, the tip of her nose. ‘All’s fair in love and—’

She silenced him with a fierce kiss, closing her eyes to prevent the emotional heat of tears she felt press against her eyelids.

Love...the word he only ever spoke with sarcasm or irony. The word she didn’t allow herself to speak. Most of the time she was okay with that, but sometimes it just hurt so much. Because since she had acknowledged it she wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

‘Look, I might sit upfront for a bit, if you don’t mind,’ he said. ‘Catch up with the pilot. He’s a friend.’

‘Go ahead. I’m fine. I’ve brought a book.’

When he returned half an hour later she had it propped up in front of her. The illusion that she was lost in the pages was ruined when he took it, turned it the right way up, and then put it back.

‘Good read?’

‘I was cloud-counting.’

‘Did you miss me?’

His careless manner annoyed her so much that she almost blurted the truth, but managed to bite her tongue in time.

Maybe he sensed something. She was hoping not anything specific.

But then he dropped the teasing manner and just said, ‘Time to belt up...we are landing.’

It was border control, but not as she knew it. The security check was literally a walk-through, and the waiting car was a chauffeur-driven limo.

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