Page 21 of Modern Romance July 2025 #4-8

‘You spent your childhood here?’ She didn’t wait for him to respond. ‘It really is a paradise.’

As he pulled up onto a gravelled forecourt and walked around the car to open the door for her, Lizzie could hear the sound of music drifting on the soft, salty, pine-tinged breeze.

She stepped out carefully on her heels, murmuring comforting things to Mouse, who was sniffing the air.

Adonis, outlined against the darkening sky, looked heart-stoppingly gorgeous as he took her elbow in a light supportive grip.

‘You OK to do this?’

He watched as the turquoise silk reacted to her deep breath, making the fabric quiver deliciously and causing his libido to strain against the shackles he had imposed.

Then the little chin lift that for some crazy reason made things inside him soften as she responded to the challenge with a ‘bring it on’ smile that didn’t reach her eyes, which remained shadowed with trepidation.

Not enjoying his perceptive appraisal, she shrugged her narrow shoulders. ‘I’d prefer root-canal work, but, as we’re here, let’s get it over with.’

Theos , this woman had balls, he decided with reluctant admiration. She was the equal of any adversary he had ever come up against, and she was on his side…for now.

He liked the idea of it staying that way. From somewhere surfaced a feeling he had never experienced before: he wanted her to like him.

Someone appeared before they had reached the massive double oak doors, which swung open.

‘The place is wired for sound,’ he whispered, still holding her elbow as they stepped forward.

Lizzie had no idea if he was joking or not, but she couldn’t have laughed at that moment if her life had depended on it.

‘Luisa…’ The rest was Greek to Lizzie, quite literally.

After a few moments back and forth Adonis appeared to remember her existence.

‘This is my wife, Lizzie Rose. Lizzie, this is Luisa, who has known me since I was…?’

The woman held her hand a little above knee level.

‘I was never that small.’

His grin was so natural, so uncomplicated and so warm, it made him seem unfamiliar. Lizzie felt her chest tighten with an unnamed emotion.

‘You are welcome. It makes my heart light to see Adonis with you.’ She stepped back and pressed a hand to her chest. ‘Yes, I can feel your love.’

Emotional tears stood out in her eyes.

Lizzie didn’t dare look at Adonis. She hoped he felt as uncomfortable and guilty as she did. It was one thing to trick his grandfather, but not this nice woman. It seemed too unkind.

This was not a good start from her point of view—for starters, she was a terrible liar.

‘We are here for the party. Are we too late for the fun?’

Without picking up on the sarcasm Lizzie could hear in his voice, the woman rushed in to cheerily assure him. ‘Never, never. I will organise… Oh, this will make your grandfather so happy.’

Well, his grandfather might be a monster, but he obviously had one fan at least. The woman’s sincerity was unmistakable.

‘How is he today?’

‘The pain,’ Luisa began with a grimace. ‘It makes him short-tempered.’

‘Shorthand for he has been giving everyone hell.’ Adonis frowned, his voice hardening as he tacked on, ‘Does he not have adequate pain relief?’

‘That I cannot say, but the doctor has been with him most of the day. He is here tonight as a guest. I do know your grandfather does not take his medication always as he should. He says he needs to stay alert.’

Adonis dragged a frustrated hand through his dark hair and ground out something angry in his native tongue, a look of grim determination spreading across his lean face as he nodded in thoughtful response to this information.

‘We will see about that. Oh, Luisa. Lizzie’s cat.’

The woman, who Lizzie was assuming held the role of housekeeper, looked at the cat basket that Lizzie had placed on the floor for the duration of the interchange.

‘Shall I take him?’ she said, moving forward.

‘No!’ Lizzie said before softening her abrupt response with a smile and adding, ‘I prefer to keep her with me.’

Adonis restrained the impatient response on the tip of his tongue. He was learning that Lizzie was not someone who reacted to orders well. ‘I think the small sitting room in my suite might suit her until she gets her bearings, and the courtyard. Would you say that is a safe space?’

‘Oh, yes, definitely.’

‘Fine, then. Our luggage is in the car.’

‘That is already being attended to.’

‘Actually, Mouse is not an escape artist—she doesn’t wander,’ Lizzie said in defence of her pet.

‘In that case might she not be more comfortable being released while we eat dinner?’

She tipped her head in reluctant acknowledgement that he was probably right. ‘All right.’

‘Then we will detour on the way to dinner.’

‘Shall I tell your grandfather you are here?’

‘No, let’s not spoil the surprise.’

‘This way, Lizzie.’

From the square hallway with its cool marble floors and cedar-panelled high ceiling, Adonis led her through a network of wide corridors, many with windows that revealed glimpses of spotlit gardens and moonlit sky.

The floors underfoot were a mosaic of tiles or wood, and art on the walls provided blasts of colour and texture that she could have spent hours perusing. It went by in a blur.

‘This is the link corridor to my private apartments,’ Adonis explained as they entered what appeared to be a glass-walled box.

Beyond her own reflection Lizzie could see the sea, silver in the moonlight apart from a few fingers of red that remained from the sinking sun, which vanished as she watched.

‘That was…is beautiful.’

‘Yes,’ he murmured.

When something in his voice made her lift her head she found he was looking at her, not the silvered sea. His eyes appeared dark shadows, but the fierce tension stamped in the planes of his handsome face sent her stomach into a deep dive.

‘Come.’

The spell was broken so thoroughly she thought she had imagined it as she followed him through the glass box.

The door on the other side led into what appeared to be a study with book-lined walls, a large table and a big leather chair positioned to face a wall of French doors.

He walked through it and into an adjoining room.

‘This is the sitting room. I thought it might be appropriate for your cat.’

It would have been appropriate for visiting royalty, Lizzie reflected, looking curiously around the minimally but tastefully furnished generous space. Like the previous room, there were French doors and, beyond them, she could make out a space that made her think of their wedding.

Was it really only hours ago?

Her eyes alighted on the fluffy little cat basket she had packed and Mouse’s food and water bowls.

‘How did this get here already?’ she asked, putting the cat basket down and giving a sigh of relief.

‘A heavy comfort blanket,’ he mused, watching her.

‘She is—’ she began and stopped. ‘OK, maybe a bit,’ she admitted, thinking that she might as well invite him into her head because he had a disturbing habit of appearing there uninvited. ‘How did all this get here before us?’ she asked, opening the cat door.

‘Luisa runs an ultra-efficient ship. She’s not coming out.’

‘She is essentially lazy and very adaptable. Any place with food and me is home for her.’

‘You are her home?’

‘Well, you know what I mean.’

He shook his head. He didn’t. The idea of a person rather than a place being home was an alien concept to him.

‘The bedroom is through there,’ he said as he saw her staring curiously at the ajar door. ‘Check it out.’

Lizzie didn’t immediately react to the invitation.

‘I never ravish women before dinner.’

She refused to blush. ‘Well, that’s so civilised of you. The press tell so many lies about you it’s scandalous.’

He grinned, immediately looking impossibly attractive, and waved a hand in gracious invitation.

Struggling to fight off a smile, she accepted the invite, walking past him and into another high-ceilinged, massive room.

While she was determinedly not looking at the huge four-poster bed that dominated the room, she immediately saw more illustrations of the efficiency Adonis had spoken about.

Through the open doors of the walk-in wardrobes she could see her new clothes hanging, other items neatly stacked on shelves.

‘This is the bedroom,’ he said, rather unnecessarily.

She didn’t turn. The feeling of him so close was making her deeply uneasy.

‘There is a dressing room through that way. I do not encourage people to unpack for me.’ He opened a door and she saw his luggage on the floor. ‘And the bathrooms are off that corridor,’ he added, pointing to the right. ‘The guest bedroom and bathroom are behind that. I don’t need much space.’

Lizzie hid a smile. The scale of the rooms was…well, generous hardly covered the cavernous proportions. What, she wondered, would he consider generous space?

Walking back into the sitting room, she wondered whether he had noticed the discreet litter tray that was an addition to the elegant room, but decided not to mention it. The cat was sitting on the back of a sofa, cleaning herself.

‘Be good,’ Lizzie said before she pasted on a smile and blew a kiss her way.