Page 129 of Modern Romance December 2025 5-8

She caught snippets of the two men’s conversation, not that it made much difference. They were speaking in Italian, which was perfectly natural and not part of some grand scheme to make her feel even more isolated, but the result was the same. On the bright side, if there was one, the room was not built on such cavernous proportions as many she had seen, though cosy would have been pushing it.

As she stared across at the figure sitting on the throne-like chair—not that he needed accessories to look regal—through a haze of shimmering lights, the delicate Italian greyhound dancing at his feet suddenly peeled away and trotted towards her.

‘Good girl,’ Amy whispered to the creature. She trailed her fingers for the dog to lick. ‘I want to stroke you, I really do, but—’ But if she bent down now the consequences might not be pretty, she finished in her head.

She was genuinely curious about the man that she had built in her head to be a fearful monster. She had anticipated he would be a big man but, unlike his grandson, he was smaller than average, almost slight, his dark hair heavily threaded with silver, his well-trimmed beard all silver. The only similarity she could detect was the hawklike nose.

His eyes appeared to be far lighter than Leo’s and were set beneath grey-flecked, bushy brows. They swivelled her way and caught her staring.

He clicked his fingers and the dog at her feet ran, tail wagging, to his side…or was that click meant for her? Amy wondered.

‘Chef!’

She flinched and half-closed her eyes. Whilst he was a relatively small man, his voice was not small at all, and the volume increased the pain in her skull. She tilted her head in cautious acknowledgement of the imperious summons and felt the room spin.

‘The meal last night was quite acceptable. I go home tomorrow and, before I do, I wanted to thank you. My grandson is being quite mysterious about where he found you.’ He flashed a look at Leo, who simply raised an eyebrow in response.

Watching them face off, Amy struggled to work out what they reminded her of—before it came to her.

‘Like two silverbacks,’ she murmured, not really aware she had voiced her observation out loud until both men turned their heads to stare at her.

Whether they minded being compared to two gorillas minus the chest-beating was not a priority, because Amy’s priority was finding a bathroom.

‘Actually, could you point me in the direction of—’ Her hand clamped to her mouth, she looked around desperately.

Leo appeared to take in the situation at a glance. ‘This way.’

Hovering outside the bathroom door, Leo’s face twisted into a grimace of sympathy and concern as he listened to the sounds coming from inside. He had never seen anyone look as pale as Amy had looked as he had half-carried her to the nearest bathroom.

The sounds seemed to have subsided and when he cautiously opened the door this time all he heard was running water. No voice yelling,‘Go away!’like the two previous times he had attempted to invade the space. Not that it would have mattered; he had already decided that enough was enough and he wasn’t going away.

He stepped inside the room, alarm shooting through him as he saw the small figure sitting cross-legged on the floor. He switched off the tap that was still gushing water before he squatted down beside her. She was grey now rather than white. He felt a pang inside his chest that hurt, even though he had long ago conquered the tender protectiveness she evoked in him.

She had done him a favour, actually. He could now enjoy sex with no emotional connection. Because it was not the sex that was dangerous, it was the emotions. That had been a life-changing discovery and he had Amy to thank for it.

‘Are you all right?’

Morning sickness.Out of nowhere, the thought took root in his head.

She couldn’t be pregnant.

Why shouldn’t she be?

The idea that Amy was carrying another man’s baby was not one he could contemplate. It was a rejection that had nothing to do with logic and everything to do with the irrational emotions he had banished from his life.

The same way Amy had banished him. Now she was back—and he had brought her back. He had slept with her and the more contact they had, the less his reasons for bringing her here made sense. He was meant to be congratulating himself on having escaped a weak, spineless creature, sure she would reveal her true self when the props were removed.

Well, that’s working out well for you, isn’t it?Leo mocked himself.

What Amy lacked in inches she more than made up for in guts and sheer determination, not to mention sheer bloody-mindedness.

When she gave no indication that she had heard him, he repeated his question. ‘Are you all right?’

Amy batted away his hand. For an intelligent man, he asked some very stupid questions. ‘No.’

‘Can you open your eyes?’

‘I could but I don’t want to,’ she mumbled through clenched teeth. ‘Will you just leave me alone with my splitting head and let me die in peace?’