Page 121 of Modern Romance September 2025 1-4

He massaged the back of her neck. ‘I don’t have to go tonight. I can stay here with you.’

‘You have to go.’

‘I don’t.’

‘You do.’ Touched beyond belief that he would even consider missing the party for her sake when it was so important that he go, she looked back up at him and smiled wanly. ‘Antoniadis Shipping is probably over but you can still save Tsaliki Shipping from the same fate. Both of our fathers’ legacies don’t have to be destroyed.’

‘Lydia…’

Her heart skipped at his tone and the intensity in his blue-grey eyes pierced straight into her veins, and then whatever he’d been about to say to her was forgotten as his hungry mouth found hers. In moments he had her against the wall, all their restrictive items of clothing ripped off, and he was inside her, her arms tight around his neck and their mouths fused together as, for a few heady minutes, they both forgot everything except each other.

After making love again for a much, much longer time, Alexis went for his shower. Alone in the bed, Lydia checked her phone and sighed. Nothing.

She felt better in herself though. How could she fear Alexis would already be looking for a lover when the chemistry between them blazed so strong?

She must have dozed off for the next time she opened her eyes, he was leaning over her, fully dressed in an embroidered blue suit with matching waistcoat but no tie, and smelling so fresh and divine that she grabbed the back of his neck to haul him closer, just so she could bury her nose into his neck and inhale him.

Laughing, he buried his nose into her neck before his mouth found hers and he kissed her with a savage possessiveness that left her breathless with longing.

Eyes gleaming, he gave her one more kiss before moving away and then pointed down to his crotch. ‘Look what you’ve done.’

She grinned and sat up, deliberately letting the sheets fall down to expose her breasts. And then, to tease him some more, deliberately cupped one breast while dipping her other hand between her legs.

He was back on the bed before she had time to blink.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

AFTER TAKING Ashower and having something to eat, Lydia sat in bed stalking her phone. When Alexis had finally left for the party it was with a promise not to be too late and with the order that she be waiting in bed naked for him, an order she was more than happy to obey. It was also with the promise that if he heard anything about her brother, he would call her, a promise she’d made in turn.

Putting her phone to one side, she gazed up at the ceiling. She had to stop worrying about the future. It would happen when it happened. For now, Alexis was hers and she was his…

Her phone rang.

She snatched it up. It was her mother.

Once the call ended she sat for a long time in a fugue trying to process everything. She needed to call Alexis but as she put her thumb back to her phone, a massive burst of euphoria wrenched through her and suddenly she didn’t want to speak to him, she wanted to see him,neededto see him, right now.

Leaning over to the bedside table, she pressed the intercom.

‘Can you arrange for a car for me, please?’ she said quickly. ‘I’ll be ready to leave in ten minutes.’

Call done, she bounced off the bed and raced into her dressing room. Throwing on underwear first, she chose a taupe dress she’d bought on a whim because she liked the colour but had never worn. Mid-thigh-length, it wrapped around the neck halter-fashion but draped so cleverly over the breasts and belly that no one who knew her would suspect she was pregnant. A vigorous brush of her hair, a sweep of mascara, blush and lip gloss and she was good to go…until she was halfway down the stairs and realised she was barefoot. Luckily she still had the sparkling silver sandals she’d bought for the wedding, and she slipped her feet into them, enjoying the elevated height they gave her.

Feeling like she could fly, she climbed into the back of the waiting car and told the driver to take her the short drive to Alexis.

The Nikolaidises’ home was classical Greek architecture at its finest, and when Lydia got out of the car she imagined senators from ancient times passing through the marble pillars flanking the entrance.

Helena Nikolaidis was at the door to greet her—without an official invitation Lydia had given her name to the security guards at the bottom of the drive who’d only taken her seriously because she was an Antoniadis and the fact she was being driven in a chauffeured car.

‘Forgive me for gatecrashing,’ Lydia said after they’d exchanged kisses, ‘but I’m here to see Alexis Tsaliki.’

Helena arched an eyebrow in surprise then quickly composed herself. ‘You are more than welcome,’ she assured her, although she was clearly itching to ask why Lydia would be seeking her family’s enemy. ‘Let me show you around and see if we can find Alexis—I can’t remember where I last saw him.’

Inside, the home was of a free-flowing semi-open-plan design with wide sliding doors separating the plentiful rooms, central to it all a stunning white marble circular staircase. There was a real buzz in the air, champagne and canapés flowing, the music playing loud enough to dance to but low enough to still make conversation. People, hundreds of them all clothed in beautiful dresses and tailored suits, were mingling all over the place, some in small huddles where it looked like they were exchanging state secrets and others in larger groups where they were clearly just enjoying each other’s company.

One of the waiting staff approached Helena and whispered something in her ear.

‘Excuse me,’ Helena said to Lydia. ‘There’s something I need to attend to. I won’t be long.’