Page 34 of Modern Romance October 2025 5-8

Ares stiffened—barriers sliding back into place—and murmured something short in Greek. The officer immediately looked awkward.

‘He’s pale because losing isn’t something he’s used to,’ Bethan joked lightly, but stepped between Ares and the officer. ‘I appreciate your thoroughness,’ she said quietly. ‘I’ll call if we need you.’

The youth bowed and couldn’t get off the deck fast enough. Bethan turned back to Ares.

‘I’m fine,’ he said but he took a seat.

‘You’re not. You’regoodwith those kids, for you to snap at him...’ She trailed off and frowned.

Ares was clearly counting again. Slow, steady counting to facilitate deep, even breaths. He’d obviously been taught to. Why? Suddenly queasy, she moved closer.

‘I know,’ he finally sighed. ‘I shouldn’t have. I didn’t want...’ He caught her eye. ‘This is nothing.’

She hunched in front of him so he couldn’t hide his face from her. He’d not wanted that attention. Too bad. ‘Obviously it’s not nothing. What’s going on? In sickness and health, remember, husband?’

He shot her a smile but it barely held his usual cynicism. ‘You left. You broke those vows already.’

‘What’s going on?’ She ignored him. ‘Tell me.’

Bending closer, he cupped her face, then fluttered his fingers down the column of her neck. ‘Make me.’

‘Don’t try to distract me—’

‘I’m not trying to distract you,’ he growled. ‘I just can’t keep my hands off you any longer.’

‘No.’ Despite the leap inherpulse, she grabbed his wrists and held his hands still at her throat. ‘Talkto me, Ares. I’m worried.’

His eyes widened as he looked into hers and he sighed. ‘I’m sorry. It really is nothing,’ he reassured too gently. ‘You don’t need to worry.’

‘Then what’s the problem with telling me?’ Her anxiety wasn’t soothed in the slightest.

‘Since when were you so stubborn?’ Tenderness softened his smirk.

Since she’d found her confidence—herfight. She eyeballed him. She was stubbornnow. This time she wasn’t letting him deflect or distract. She was not walking away without knowing everything. This was too important. Was something really wrong? ‘Why are you so scared of talking to me?’ Her voice rose. She’d cared for her grandmother for years. She didn’t want him to be unwell. ‘What do you think I can possibly do to you?’

He stared down into her face, his gaze roving over her features, his mouth twisted in remorse. ‘It was an anxiety attack,’ he said quietly.

‘What?’

‘You’re not the only one who feels stressed sometimes. You babble, my heart goes too fast.’ He shrugged.

Anxiety?

‘Don’t make more out of it,’ Ares said.

‘It’s happened before?’ Her brain raced andherpanic rose.

‘I’d been working long hours and one afternoon I found myself on the floor.’

‘Youcollapsed?’ Cold fear flooded her. That sounded like a lot more than anxiety. Her heart battered her ribs, making her breathless. ‘Did you see someone about it?’

‘Yes. The doctors did far more tests than necessary.’ His finger stroked slowly, soothing as she gripped his wrists more tightly. ‘It wasn’t my heart. There’s no damage or anything. I’d just done too many hours on not enough sleep and needed a bit of a break.’

But he wasstillstruggling with it.

‘Did you tell anyone?’ she asked.

His face was six inches from hers. Fiercely she gazed into his eyes, needing to know he was telling her the truth.