Page 232 of Modern Romance Collection February 2025, 1-4

Nor did he like the flood of words that had just come out of her mouth.

In fact, they’d shocked him.

Firstly, love. What the hell did she mean that she’d fallen in love with him? How? Why? He’d told herspecificallythat love wasn’t a part of their marriage and yet that was exactly what she’d done.

Secondly, why the bloody hell would she assume that he’d happily walk away from their child and her if given the option? And now? After he’d married her?

He stared at her silently, his temper pulling at the leash.

The past week being married to her had been the happiest he’d ever known, and he’d indulged himself shamelessly. Going to her cottage every night and holding her in his arms. Then for the first time, a couple of days after their wedding, she’d turned up at the manor, apparently looking for him.

He’d allowed the fierce burst of satisfaction that had brought him, inviting her in for dinner, and then the same the next night, and the one after that. He was hoping to entice her eventually into sleeping with him, in his room, and he’d thought tonight she might actually allow it, and now... This.

She’d ruined it. She’d turned this magical little affair they were having into something it shouldn’t be and all because of that hateful four-letter word. Love.

Love demanded and demanded. Love was a rigged game that couldn’t be won no matter how hard you tried. Love locked you outside and left you terrified in the dark. Love called you weak and laughed at your pain.

Love was a canker that had to be cut out, a weakness, a vulnerability.

He didn’t want it. He didn’t need it. Not any more.

And as for the assumption that he’d walk away from his child...

‘If you think,’ he said finally, acidly, ‘that I would walk away from my son now, after moving to Darkfell and insisting on marriage to you, then you have another think coming.’

She’d gone very pale. ‘It’s a business deal. That’s what you said.’

‘Yes, it was. So why are you now talking about love?’ He was suddenly furious with her. ‘You wanted your freedom, Maude, so I gave it to you. And I never insisted you be anyone other than who you were. You had the life you wanted, so why the hell would you want to change it?’

There were tears in her eyes, he could see them glittering in the light from the fire. ‘I know,’ she said thickly. ‘I know I wanted all those things, and, yes, you gave them to me. But...that’s why I fell in love with you. You’re caring and you listen, and you’ve always accepted me. You’ve never wanted me to be someone I’m not. And when you make me promises you never break them.’

A tear ran down her cheek, sparkling in the light, and for some reason the sight of it felt like a knife in his heart. ‘You’re not really the man you seem to be on the outside. You’re someone else deep down, someone who’s as passionate as I am and cares as much as I do, and who feels like my soul mate. That’s why I love you, Dominic. You gave me everything I wanted. Except then I realised that what I really wanted was you.’

Dominic closed his eyes, not wanting to see her face or her tears.

He’d gone about this all wrong. He’d made a grievous mistake. He’d thought he could have his cake and eat it too, the way he always did. The way he’d done successfully for years. Business and pleasure, yes, he could have both and did, frequently.

But marriage without love, a family without ties, was apparentlynotsomething he could have. Which meant he’d have to give something up, and that something would have to be her. There was no other option.

She loved him and he couldn’t allow that. Wouldn’t allow that. It would hurt her, and the thought of hurting her made him ache, but he’d been a fool to think that none of this would come without consequences.

He’d hoped that making this marriage a purely business proposition would keep love and all its ensuing pain out of it, yet apparently not.

What else could he do, though? Keeping her, as that deep, essential part of him kept growling, was not an option, not when he couldn’t give her what she truly wanted: his heart.

It was frozen, that heart of his, and it wouldn’t ever thaw. He didn’t want it to. It was far better to keep it on ice, keep it out of other people’s hands, because, after the way his father had treated him, he would never give anyone that kind of power over him again.

He had to let her go. It was the only way. Wasn’t that old saying ‘if you love something set it free’? Trite and ridiculous, but that was the only way out of this.

So you’ll actually do what she asked and walk away? From her? From your child?

The primitive part of him snarled in protest at the thought, but he crushed it. He couldn’t walk away from his son, no, but he could walk away from Maude. He’d have to. Because that same primitive, possessive part of him was urging him to lie to her, to tell her that he loved her, then take her away to the city and keep her near him, and for always.

But he couldn’t do that, either. He wouldn’t be like her grandparents, taking her away from everything she loved, everything that was important to her, and surrounding her with concrete and metal. He would never take his wood nymph away from her trees.

As for his son...well, the child would be better living with Maude than with him. In fact, he couldn’t think of anything better for his little boy than to grow up close to the natural world with Maude as his mother. She would love him, care for him. He’d never be lonely with her.

Dominic’s chest ached at that thought, the pain of it lancing deep inside him, but he forced it away.

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