Page 179 of Modern Romance December 2025 5-8

So for now, she could just pretend.

Pretend as if everything was perfect so she could enjoy their chemistry. The pleasure. It would be a momentary distraction.

‘I like the sound of that.’

The words barely left her mouth when Lukas lifted her and placed her on the pool table. A sudden rush of cool air greeted her most intimate skin and she watched him kneel in front of her. His eyes glinting wickedly as his mouth closed over her core. Feasting on her like a starving man.

She could definitely agree to their terms for this.

CHAPTER NINE

Water rained overLukas and Katherine. Steam billowing around them in the ultra-luxurious bathroom.

He held Katherine to him. His talented fingers playing a melody of moans as if she were his favourite instrument. Each string he plucked had her bowing and arching against him. It was the sweetest music. The very best dance.

Every morning since their talk had started like this. Every moment since he’d tasted her on that pool table, he had craved her more and more and to his great delight, the feeling had been mutual.

Unable to keep their hands off each other, the days had blurred together. Lukas hadn’t even minded that, after the brief moment when the skies cleared enough to see the aurora, they were back to wind and snow.

Until that morning.

They had awoken to blue skies. It was so bright with the blanket of snow magnifying the sunlight. The clear sky looked vivid, as if someone had painted it. And good weather meant rescue.

Their time was up.

Lukas was determined to enjoy what little they had left. And he had been enjoying their time. Once he understood why Katherine hated him, it was only natural that he should apologise because he still wanted her to do the same. He had endangered her dream, and her articles had endangered his.

So, he understood and welcomed the fact that this attraction had no chance of a future, but God, did he want to revel in this passion some more.

‘Turn around,’ he instructed, high on the fact that she obeyed him so readily. He wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her to him, and kissed her fiercely while turning off the taps. Bodies dripping, he picked her up and stepped out of the shower, then heard the unmistakable roar of a helicopter overhead.

‘I think help is here,’ Katherine whispered. Her lips pink and full from his kisses.

‘We should get dressed,’ he replied but made no move to put her down.

He watched her stare into his eyes. So much passing between them. Electricity, regret, passion but the thwop thwop of the rotors only got louder and louder.

‘Put me down, Lukas.’

Clutching her tighter at first, he forced his muscles to relax and then set her on her feet. He turned away from her, dried off as fast he could and dressed in the clothes close at hand.

He ran his fingers through his hair and turned to look at Katherine, unsure of what he should say. What he could say. Maybe it was best he said nothing.

He rushed to the lounge, just in time to see Dominic force his way through the door.

‘Lukas.’

He had never heard his manager, his friend, sound so relieved or look older than he did right then.

He watched Dominic stride through the room and Lukas embraced him tightly.

‘I told them you would be fine,’ Dominic said, voice muffled. ‘I made them start here.’

Lukas chuckled as he pulled away. ‘You weren’t worried at all.’

‘Bastard,’ Dominic grumbled.

‘Thank you,’ Lukas said with as much gratitude as he could muster.