Page 41 of Modern Romance September 2026 Books 1-4

‘No, thank you. That was amazing, moro mou.’

He reached for her again, pulling her into him, and Hope snuggled close.

And then she said, ‘I feel bad.’

He looked down at her. ‘About what?’

She pulled away a little. ‘Something did happen in the bathroom. I met your mother again.’

Instant displeasure crossed Axel’s face. ‘What did she say to you?’

Hope shrugged a shoulder minutely. ‘Oh, you know, just who did I think I was and that you’d never marry me.’ She rushed to say, ‘Which obviously we both know. But I was a bit mean to her.’

Axel’s look of displeasure faded slightly and he said, ‘Somehow I can’t imagine that.’

Hope pulled back and looked up at him, worrying her lip. ‘No, it’s true, I told her that I might have been abandoned but at least I hadn’t grown up knowing that my parents hated me. That there was a chance I’d been loved.’

Axel’s eyes widened. ‘You said that to her?’

Hope felt terrible. ‘It was awful, wasn’t it? I mean, she’s your mother, obviously she loves you on some level.’

Axel barked out a laugh. ‘No, Hope, she really doesn’t.’ He looked at her. ‘I can’t believe you stood up to her.’

‘She makes me feel angry and I don’t like it. I’m not an angry person.’

Axel didn’t respond to that and Hope let the lassitude following sex take over, sinking back into him.

When they returned to the apartment, Hope’s legs were still a bit wobbly. Inside the main door, Axel surprised her by scooping her up into his arms and bringing her to his bedroom. She looked around. ‘This isn’t my room.’

‘I’m aware of that,’ he responded dryly.

He put her down and bent down and said, ‘Lift your leg.’

She did, obediently, putting a hand on one wide shoulder to balance herself, and he slipped off her sandal and then did the same to the other foot. Then he came up and said, ‘Turn around.’

Hope did. He pulled her zip down and the dress loosened around her chest. There was nothing overtly sexual in his undressing her but she shivered with awareness all the same.

He tugged the dress down and then her underwear. She was fully naked but still too full of the heady aftershocks of what they’d done in the car to be too concerned.

Then Axel stripped off with zero self-consciousness and brought her into the bathroom, turning the water onto hot and washing Hope with a thoroughness that had her whole body aching again. As if sensing her need, Axel put his hand between her legs and brought her to a shuddering and intense climax in seconds.

She was liquid by the time he shut the water off and got big fluffy towels. Hope said. ‘But you didn’t—’

‘It’s OK.’

Axel rubbed her hair dry, and then he found a T-shirt and pulled it on her, making her put her arms in the air.

He led her to the bed and she climbed in, falling asleep before her head hit the pillow.

* * *

Down a couple of levels from the bedroom, changed into sweats and a T-shirt, Axel stood at the window, oblivious to the view.

He was still feeling the sting of frustration after not giving into the urge to find his own completion with Hope after she’d shuddered to climax against his hand and fingers.

But he’d still been feeling too unnerved after throwing out numerous rules he’d always lived by his whole life. For one—he didn’t make extravagant financial gestures like bidding on Caribbean villas in public. Second, he really didn’t indulge in public displays of affection but when Hope was beside him, he didn’t even notice he was doing it. Thirdly…the interaction Hope had had with his mother.

The fact that she’d so obviously felt angry on his behalf was like nothing he’d ever experienced before. No one had ever stood up for him. Except once, a long time ago, his brother had. When they’d been very little. They’d been playing—back in the days before their parents had separated them out because Axel had shown more academic prowess.