Page 108 of Modern Romance October 2025 5-8

He stood there, bare feet apart, almost naked, proud and challenging. And her needy heart thrummed in answer. It would be easy to go to him. To nestle close, letting desire sweep them away as it had yesterday.

Her balance had shifted, her body leaning forward ready to move, when thought of yesterday’s furious coupling stopped her.

Sex was all well and good.

Who was she fooling? With Gio sex was phenomenal.

But she had a baby to consider. A future to plan. She couldn’t, wouldn’t let herself be led by her libido any more. Or by the feelings his revelations had evoked. She needed time to sift and consider them.

She folded her arms and shook her head.

‘You’re denying it?’ He mirrored her stance, crossing his arms, which only drew attention to his powerful chest. ‘What’s wrong, Stella? You want frankness but only if it suits you? Are you such a coward?’

‘I find it hard to believe you waited until my wedding day to realise you wanted me. You had months, Gio, but I didn’t hear a word from you. You timed your appearance for maximum scandal.’

If this really were about the unresolved connection between them, he’d have contacted her long ago.

He opened his mouth to answer but she hurried on. ‘You say you’re not driven by vengeance but it’s hard to believe when you’ve ensured the maximum damage and hurt. People will be gossiping about me and Eduardo for decades.’

That was another thing that had kept her from sleep last night, guilt over Eduardo. She mightn’t love him but she’d been surprised to discover she liked the man her father had chosen. He deserved better than to be deserted at the altar.

Remorse was heavy in her chest. She’d risen this morning determined to find a phone to contact him, but today’s events had distracted her.

‘Eduardo?You’re saying you really care for him?’ Gio’s calm disappeared. His eyes glittered and the pulse at the base of his neck hammered, the muscles in his arms bulging as if he barely restrained himself. ‘You weren’t thinking of him yesterday when you came apart in my arms. It wasn’thisname you screamed when I was deep inside you.’

Stella stiffened, reliving that moment when all that mattered was Gio and the pleasure he wrought.

There was nothing Stella could say, no excuse she could make for her behaviour. She’d been desperate for him, revelling in their combustible passion. The stark rightness of it—despite it being wrong when she was supposed to marry another—had been a relief after months of misery.

She forced herself to meet his unwavering gaze. A short time ago he’d been all repressed feelings as he spoke of the past. Now nothing was repressed. He radiated untrammelled emotion.

She was torn between dismay, indignation and excitement. Because this was no ploy. Gio’s emotions were starkly evident.

As if he were jealous.

Could it be? Or did her imagination work overtime?

‘Why wait months to contact me, Gio?’ The buds of optimism, nurtured by his earlier explanations, withered. ‘Why wait to confront me in the cathedral?’

‘Because I didn’t know you were marrying until the day before yesterday.’

Stella raised her eyebrows. ‘Your investigators didn’t do a good job then.’ It still rankled that they’d invaded her privacy.

‘I called them off ages ago.’ Gio scrubbed a hand across his jaw, looking past her towards the lush gardens. ‘I was in Malaysia when my PA mentioned your wedding. I flew back overnight, straight to Sicily.’

Stella gaped. Could it be true?

The hard set of his jaw and the searing impact of his gaze as it fixed on her convinced her it was.

‘You flew back just to stop the wedding? Because…?’ She refused to jump to conclusions.

‘Because what’s between us isn’t over. I couldn’t stomach the thought of you with another man.’ He raked his hand through his hair. ‘That’swhy I returned. I can’t move on yet and, despite your engagement, I believe you feel the same.’

His honesty floored Stella, knocking aside anger. Such an admission! It sucked the fight from her.

He needed her.

Her chest felt tight from lack of oxygen as she swung away to stare at the manicured garden, clasping shaky hands.