Page 106 of Modern Romance December 2025 1-4

‘Yes, he’d always intended to sign the new convention on behalf of Cardona. But now he’s also lobbying countries that are wavering about signing. Looking after children is one of those things everybody agrees on, but often their welfare ends up too low on the list of actual government priorities. It’s time for that to change.’

She secured her second earring and said, ‘Let me guess. They’re afraid that if they sign the agreement they’ll be held to account to do what they promise.’

His stern mouth rucked up at the corner and her heart gave a stupid little flutter. ‘You’ve been around politicians too long. That’s exactly it.’

‘You’ve been working on this for some time?’ She’d heard about the initiative but didn’t know details. She’d look it up tonight, or perhaps tomorrow morning, since they were attending a party today.

‘Years, but finally real progress is close.’

‘That’s wonderful.’ She had some idea how long it took to finalise international initiatives. But her attention wasn’t so much on the process as on Fotis and why this was important to him.

They’d spent a month on his island, an amazingly contented, wonderful month together with no sign of any threat, though the complicated fraud case against Ricardo was taking longer than expected to finalise.

Every day she woke with a feeling of well-being unlike anything she’d known. Not simply because she was safe, but because of Fotis and what they shared. Sex but friendship too, a bond she couldn’t describe but which she’d miss terribly when she left.

Rosamund straightened her sapphire-blue dress. Fotis had given her glimpses into his past but she yearned to know more. She wanted to know everything about him, especially what made him determined to remain a recluse all his life.

‘It’s an important cause, Fotis. But I’m surprised at your level of involvement. Is there a particular reason you’re so focused on this?’

He was knotting his tie but made a hash of it, jerking it too tight so he had to tug it undone and start again. ‘Isn’t it enough that it’s worth doing?’

The angle of his jaw and his guarded eyes made her want to step up and help him. Not because she was an expert on men’s ties—she wasn’t—but because some sixth sense warned he needed her.

Suddenly she sensed his disquiet. It rippled off him, an invisible force field designed to repel. She remembered it from the first days they’d known each other. Then he’d had an air of such self-containment she’d imagined nothing could breach it.

Or was she fooling herself? Fotis had always been self-possessed. Did he reallyneedher?

She’d believed their intimacy was more than skin-deep but now she thought about it,she’dbeen the one to reveal so much about her past. Fotis had let her in but only a little way.

Mood dropping, she reached for her purse. For all their recent intimacy, there were still things he didn’t want to share and she wasn’t going to push.

‘I’m ready. I’ll wait in the bedroom.’

On her second step, warmth shackled her wrist. She looked down to see his hand loosely circling hers. Slowly she lifted her gaze. Blue-green eyes shimmered with a heat that scorched.

‘Stay. Please.’ His Adam’s apple jerked as he swallowed. ‘It’s not something I talk about, ever.’ His voice dropped to a rough-hewn, subterranean level that rumbled through her insides. ‘But maybe it’s time.’

Her hurt softened but she didn’t want a forced confidence. ‘It’s okay, Fotis. I respect your need for privacy.’

The man was entitled to his secrets. Given his reaction to an innocent question, she was sure therewasa secret behind his unwillingness to talk. Their relationship hadn’t changed as much as she’d thought. Of course it hadn’t.

‘But I want to tell you.’

He didn’t look like a man happy at the prospect, so she said nothing.

‘It felt good the other day, telling you about my parents and my inheritance.’ He must have noticed her eyes widen because he nodded, the lines of tension around his mouth disappearing. ‘It’s true. I haven’t talked about that before, but it felt like a weight had lifted, sharing that.’

She stared. ‘You haven’t talked withanyone?’

He shook his head. ‘Only with Costas Politis. He already knew the situation.’

Rosamund shook her head in disbelief.

But how many confidantes have you got? You’ve learnt to bottle up your problems too.

‘I’ll be ready in a second, once I get this tie right. We can talk on the way to the wedding.’

‘If you like.’