Page 35 of Modern Romance December 2025 1-4

Not only was she bilingual, a superb artist and had a better memory than an elephant, but she also had better hearing than a bat.

‘You’ve been to Miami,’ he stated.

‘Exactly.’ She gave that beatific smile. ‘You should look at moving your American headquarters there—the shopping is amazing.’

Biting his cheek to stop himself from laughing, he turned his attention back to Grace. ‘Anything else?’

‘No. I’ll confirm the reservation with Delevingnes and print the agenda off.’

As soon as Grace closed the door, Athena’s stare landed on him like a laser. ‘Anairhead?’

He shrugged and mimicked one of the many faces she liked to pull. ‘Isn’t that the impression you always like to give people?’

She harumphed.

He laughed. ‘I know you’re not an airhead. You’re much cleverer and shrewder than you let people think… I think you might be the smartest person I know.’

For a moment Athena’s tongue tied itself in a way it hadn’t done in days, and when she felt heat crawl over her cheeks, for once it wasn’t embarrassment or desire but pleasure.

Draco thought she was the smartest person he knew!

He wouldn’t think she was so smart if he knew she’d fallen in love with him, but seeing as she’d vowed to keep that to herself, there was no need for his estimation to dip again.

She hugged her love for him tight in her heart and there it stayed, happy just to be with him. Not only was Athena a pro at hiding emotions she didn’t want to reveal, but she was also excellent at not thinking about things that hurt, and as the day her contract with Draco ended meant the end of them, and very likely hurt, she didn’t let herself think about it. Better to take each day as it came and enjoy the ride while it lasted because it would be the only ride she’d ever go on.

Draco was a one-off. She didn’t know if him being Cora’s son had made her more receptive to loving him, but he was and she did. She loved him for being Cora’s son and she loved him for being Draco. For opening her heart and for seeing through the façade she’d constructed all those years ago and bringing her out of the shell she’d locked herself into for self-protection.

‘If I’m so smart then how come I didn’t think to pack something suitable for a business dinner?’ she said.

She smiled at the narrowing of his eyes and his, ‘You brought four suitcases of clothes with you.’

‘I know! Aren’t I an airhead!’

‘You want to go shopping?’

‘For business purposes, which means you should let me go on my lunch break and if I’m not back within my allocated time not go all Draco on me.’

He gave her the stern look she so adored.

‘Of course, I can go straight from work if you’d prefer, but I was really hoping my sexy boss lover would take me straight home and spend a couple of hours screwing my airheaded brains out before heading out to dinner…’ Holding his stare, she shrugged nonchalantly and was rewarded with a pained stare.

‘Are you trying to kill me?’

Loving the sensual power she had over him, she fingered her tie…she’d seen the way he’d looked at it…and was about to answer with something that probablywouldkill him when Grace came back into the office.

‘The AGM,’ she said, placing the papers on Athena’s desk. ‘If you could highlight any translation errors and place Xs on the right-hand side of the sentences you find them on, that would be perfect.’

‘No worries.’ Pulling her head back into Office Land, she took a moment to look at the sheets of paper and compose her features. She had a feeling Grace knew something was going on between her and Draco and didn’t want to prove it. She also knew perfectly well this translation was another pointless exercise, but she had the feeling, too, that if she did it well, she might be given less pointless translation work going forward. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

‘Grace,’ she called as the PA made to leave the office. ‘Do you know where the best shopping districts locally are?’

Grace named a couple of shopping malls and a boulevard.

Athena beamed. ‘Great. I’m taking an extended lunch to buy something reasonably suitable for tonight’s business dinner and you’re coming with me.’

‘That’s out of the question. I have far too much work to do.’

‘But I need supervision, and also, you need to buy something, too, because this is a business dinner, and we both need to dress the part. Draco said we can use the company credit card.’ She deliberately did not look at him as she said this. ‘Come on, Grace—you never take a break. I bet he owes you a million hours’ overtime.’