Page 35 of Modern Romance September 2026 Books 1-4

Hope was very aware of the bed in the background and something occurred to her. ‘Have you done this before? On a plane, I mean?’

He shook his head as if surprised himself. ‘No. I usually use this time to work.’

Hope remembered George telling her that and she felt relieved. She reached for him, coming up on tiptoe and winding her arms around his neck and pressing close. She still couldn’t quite believe she was here with him like this. If she wasn’t careful he would ruin her for commercial air travel for ever.

He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up against him and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He walked them over to the bed and said, ‘This’ll have to be quick. I do have work to do before we land.’

He laid Hope down on the bed as easily as if she weighed nothing. She revelled in that show of strength. She looked up at him. ‘Well, Mr Drakos? What are you waiting for?’

He stripped naked with such speed and efficiency Hope was seriously impressed and then he tended to her, helping her out of her clothes, throwing them aside. The decadence of being naked and on a plane thousands of feet in the air was too overwhelming to acknowledge so Hope pushed it aside and reached for Axel, who’d just rolled a protective sheath onto his erection.

He came down over her and put a hand between her legs, fingers exploring where she was already slick and ready for him. She bit her lip as he touched a spot that had her arching her back.

He said, ‘I could watch you responding to my touch all day.’

Hope thought to herself she wouldn’t survive a day of succumbing to his touch. She was nearly ready to explode. ‘Please, Axel…’

‘What is it?’ He punctuated this by lowering his head and drawing a tight nipple into his mouth, sucking it deep and then flicking with his tongue. He lifted his head again and Hope insinctively reached for his erection, wrapping her hand around it, lamenting the sheath in the way of skin-to-skin contact but knowing that there was no way he wanted to risk pregnancy. And she should be grateful because nor did she. Not now, and not with someone who had such an avowed aversion to the prospect, except as a business strategy.

She stroked him and watched his eyes glitter and cheeks flush. He took pity on her and moved his body, dislodging her hand from his stiff column of flesh and putting himself between her legs. Then he was thrusting inside her and Hope sucked in a breath, still getting used to that delicious first contact and how it made her feel so stretched and full.

He started to move and she grew more slick around him, accommodating his body, and it wasn’t long before she became frantic and gasping, begging for release. It broke over her in a blinding rush, and her own orgasm pushed Axel over the edge. He stilled over her on his hands, every muscle drawn taut, veins sticking out, before he shuddered against her and found his own release.

Chapter Seven

Hope tried to push back against the feeling that she’d been dropped into a real-life fairy tale but, in this location and in this dress and with Axel by her side in a classic tuxedo, it was almost impossible.

They were in one of Manhattan’s grandest buildings, which was more akin to a cathedral inside, with huge vaulted ceilings and ornately lavish interiors. Marble floors and a grand staircase leading up to the first level. A profusion of plants made it look as if a garden had been transplanted inside and dozens of glittering chandeliers sent out golden light.

Not to mention the crowd, men in suits and women in glittering evening gowns with enough blinging jewellery to take Hope’s eye out. She couldn’t stop gaping but was careful to keep her mouth closed.

Not helping her sense of being in a fairy tale was the fact that she still wasn’t on an even keel after they’d arrived by helicopter into Manhattan earlier, landing on top of Axel’s office building where an entourage of staff had been waiting for them.

Axel had gone to his office and Hope had been whisked to the apartment with a glam squad who’d primped and preened her for this event.

Her dress was a very light pink colour, strapless, with a ruched bodice and tulle layers over silk falling to the floor from her waist. The material was studded with tiny crystals and so it shimmered when she moved. The stylist had given her a pink diamond cocktail ring that Hope was terrified might fall off, even though it sat snugly on her finger.

Axel squeezed her hand. ‘You look beautiful, Hope.’

She made a small face. ‘Thanks, but I can’t help feeling security are about to appear to take the imposter from the room.’

‘Hope, look at me.’

Hope did and had to lock her knees at Axel’s sheer magificence. Thick hair swept back from his hard-boned face. He’d been waiting for her in the foyer of the seriously impressive apartment with its rooftop views over Central Park. But he’d eclipse any view.

He said, ‘You have as much of a right to be here as anyone else.’

Something deep inside Hope bloomed into life before she could stop it. The cold, hollow part of her that had always worn her abandonment like a scar. ‘Thank you. You don’t have to say that.’

‘It’s true.’

Hope commented dryly, ‘I’m under no illusions that my presence here is down to a very serendipitous set of circumstances.’ She stopped there, not wanting to think about how having sex was muddying the waters even more. That was something she wanted to talk to him about but she shelved it for now.

Axel handed her a glass of sparkling wine and said, ‘Let’s go in.’

They followed everyone else going up the grand staircase and on the next level Hope couldn’t stop her mouth falling open. It was a vast ballroom with French doors open onto terraces that showcased the view of Manhattan.

A steady stream of people came to Axel and fawned over him. Hope watched with amusement. He always took pains to introduce her but the people, naturally, were more interested in him.