Page 4 of Modern Romance October 2025 5-8

What was between Bethan and Ares was little more than uncontrolled lust. Always andonlylust. What she’d naïvely believed was some kind of heroic silent stoicism was Ares coldly forming a calculated plan to use her. Well, she wasn’t that dreamy fool now. She was shutting this down and her damned body could hurry up and obey because she’d suffered enough loss already.

But it didn’t. Her eyes locked on him, her heart raced, and that traitorous secret part of her melted. It was theshock—right? By turning up unexpectedly he’d pitched her headlong into a tumult of conflicting emotions. It wasn’t fair of him but then Ares had never played fair. He just did whatever he thought was necessary to get what he wanted, no matter the impact on anyone else. And in only two seconds of being back in his company, she was as attracted as ever. Hormones were such basic things.

‘Bethan,’ he said slowly as if she were an idiot. ‘If you want rid of me as your husband, you have to present in front of the notary. In person. In Greece.’

Uh,no. She was never going back to that beautiful place—all steeped in history, in heat and wild herbs and heartache. She’d gone there to honour her grandmother’s last wishes, soothing her grief, and met him. She could never, ever go back to the place her already bruised heart had been so brutally broken. But when she didn’t answer, his eyebrows lifted superciliously.

‘Why hasn’t your lawyer informed you of this?’

Because she’d gone to an inexpensive, barely qualified lawyer who’d obviously not had enough experience to tell her. All he’d said was that there had to be a two-year time lag before she could get the divorce. She’d decided to hide out and allow that time to pass. But she hadn’thiddenall that well. The pitiful truth was a weak part of her had hoped that Ares would come to his senses and come after her. That he would go to the ends of the earth to find her and declare his love in some grand passion...like that fairy-tale, one-and-only romance of her parents. But of course he hadn’t because that wasn’t what they were. She’d stopped hoping a long time ago and tried to start healing. But the second she saw him tonight, the scab had been ripped off. For a moment—just one stupid moment—she’d thought he was here to get her back. Because she’d taken one look and wanted him as deeply, madly,badlyagain.

‘That’s why you’re here,’ she said flatly.

Disappointment thumped all over again. He hadn’t had some change of heart and come to see her. He wanted them to be over.

His long lashes dropped, veiling his gleaming eyes. ‘Of course, why else?’ He cleared his throat and stepped back. ‘I see no reason to wait any more. Go inside and get your passport.’

‘What?’

‘We’ll fly to Athens first thing and see the notary in the afternoon.’

Yeah, that didn’t explain why she needed to get her passport rightnow. This commanding attitude was vintage Ares.

‘No,’ she said slowly—as patronising a tone as he’d used before. ‘I’m not flying with you. I’ll meet you in court in Athens.’

He folded his arms and shook his head. ‘You disappeared on me once already. You think I’ll take the risk of that happening again?’

Fire swept through her, pushing her to get in his face. ‘Do you really think I’m just going to do whatever you want?’ She rose on tiptoe in a vain attempt to get more on eye-level. ‘I’ve wised up, Ares. But you’re as controlling as ever. Only out to get what you want.’

‘But don’t we want the same thing?’ He tilted his head, bringing his mouth closer to hers.‘Divorce,’he enunciated clearly. ‘As quickly as possible.’ His voice dropped. ‘Or is there something else you want?’

‘There’snothingI want more than to be completely rid of any connection with you.’ She jabbed her finger into his chest.

‘Nothing you want more?’ He grabbed her hand and pressed it flat over his heart.

Stunned, she stilled. She could feel his heart thudding beneath her palm, its pace as fast as her own. And then she felt the fire.

‘What are you doing?’ She was hot with anger—notlust.

‘Nothing you want more?’ His breath was soft. ‘Oh, Bethan, we know that’s not the case. That guy could never give you what you need. He’s not your type.’

‘Don’t be feral.’ She curled her fingers into a fist, desperate to reject what she was feeling. ‘You don’t know what I need. Or what my type is.’

‘Don’t I?’ His other arm wound around her waist, holding her in a loose embrace. ‘Don’t you think I remember exactly what it is you like? How you like it?’

‘You think that’s you?’ She panted, battling the insane urge to lean right against him. ‘You’re the most arrogant jerk.’

‘But am I wrong?’ he challenged as if he could feel the yearning tearing her apart. ‘I’m the one who taught you, remember?’

Memories flashed. Unstoppable. Unwanted. Undeniable. Their first kiss. Her first time. The way he’d made her shake and scream and in the end cry from the earth-shattering beauty of it. She’d not known what her body was even for until she’d met him. She closed her eyes, trying to block the images flooding her senses. Trying to stop trembling from need. Trying to recover the cold, hard fact that he’dhurther.

Almost no one here in London knew her connection to Ares. She’d reverted to her maiden name, not even told Elodie and Phoebewhoshe’d married or how powerful he was. She’d simply nicknamed him ‘the Greek’ and she’d been so obviously heartbroken, they’d carefully not pried for details.

She suppressed another tremble. Hating herself for such a damned obvious reaction. She desperately needed to get away andstayaway from him for good.

‘If you don’t come with me now, I will contest our divorce and drag it out for years,’ he said softly.

‘What?’ Her eyes flashed open. ‘Whyon earth would you do that?’