Page 104 of Modern Romance December 2025 1-4

He pressed his lips to her knuckles, hearing her indrawn breath. Her turned her hand over and tasted apricots.

His luscious woman.

She shuddered as he kissed her palm. ‘Fotis.’

Her voice was a raw whisper that sent longing straight and hard to his groin.

‘I want you, Rosa. Now.’

Her eyes darkened. ‘Yes.’

Fotis tugged her closer, unbearably aroused by her answering desire. She never played coy games. He loved her ardour. It fed his own. Instead of dimming, their passion glowed hotter and more urgent with each day that passed. It was beyond anything he’d experienced.

But he refused to stop and analyse why.

‘The food.’ She was on her knees beside him, pushing aside platters.

But Fotis couldn’t wait. Usually he could conjure at least a semblance of patience but something had changed as they shared their stories. Something deep and raw had opened inside him and heneededhernow.

His heart ached for the pain she suffered. At the same time he was proud of her courage, her determination to stand strong despite others’ judgement.

And her tenderness… There was something addictive about her tenderness.

Impatient, he swept aside the picnic. The wine bottle fell over, dousing his ankle through his sock. He didn’t even look. He only had eyes for Rosa, pulling her closer.

‘Lift your leg over me,’ he commanded, voice harsh.

Instead of taking issue with his tone, she favoured him with a sultry smile that undid another of the complicated, emotion-proof knots he’d tied around his heart. Hefeltit come free, but didn’t worry. He’d spent so long building barriers it would take more than a smile to destroy them all.

Rosa lifted her leg over his hips as he thrust a hand in his pocket and dragged out a condom.

Her eyebrows arched as she took it from him and tore it open with her teeth. ‘Boy Scout?’

‘Something like that,’ he muttered as he fumbled to open his jeans. Now wasn’t the time to explain that from the time of his father’s death he’d learned to be hyper-alert, planning ahead. He’d had to anticipate his mother’s mood swings and other dangers, like the one that had taken Nico from him.

But this time even the thought of his failure to protect his little brother couldn’t dim Fotis’ arousal.

Finally he pulled himself free of his jeans and underwear.

‘Let me.’ She shuffled back, her red dress teasing his erection until she brushed the cotton aside and leaned forward to smooth on the condom.

Fotis wanted to push her hands away. He gritted his teeth and summoned all his strength not to lose himself at her deliberate, slow strokes as she smoothed the rubber down his rigid length.

But nothing in this world could have made him look away.

No woman had ever been more seductive. Her pouting concentration as she worked and the press of peaked nipples against her dress were enough to make him wonder how long he’d last.

‘Rosa!’ It was a growl of warning but instead of retreating, she smiled and shuffled closer, kneeling high above him.

‘Fotis?’

He heard the hint of laughter, the self-congratulatory tone of a woman who knew he was at her mercy. He adored it.

With Rosa he’d discovered sex could be fun. That spending the night with a lover could be a delight, rather than the potential burden he’d believed. For she’d made it clear all she expected was a short-term relationship.

Just as well, because that was all he could give.

‘Rosa,’ he purred, reaching under her dress, stroking up her satiny thigh to the narrow strip of lace between her legs. It was gratifyingly wet.