Page 210 of Modern Romance June 2025 5-8

But…

Something stirred deep inside him as Addie lay sleeping in his arms. He fought against it, not wanting to allow his feelings to get out of control. He could not undo their lovemaking. And it had been lovemaking, not sex. Sex could be intimate and tender for him, but never had it beenthisintimate and tender. Their intimacy would always be something they had shared. Something unique and special, something she could never experience again and he suspected nor would he. The uniqueness of their physical union encased it in an impermeable membrane of memory. He would never be able to erase it from his mind. He could never erase it from his body, for even now, hours after they had made love, his body hummed with pleasure, with aftershocks and tingles that made his body feel alive and vital in a way it had never done before.

Addie moved again and opened her eyes, blinking up at him. A delicate blush formed on her cheeks and her smile was shy but it still was like a ray of bright sunshine. ‘Good morning.’

Vic repositioned himself so he could press a kiss to her lips.‘Buongiorno, bella.’

Her lips clung to his, so he went back for seconds, enjoying the feel of her soft lips moving against his with enthusiasm and stirring passion. He loved her responsiveness to him, the way she gave of herself so freely, so openly. Her mouth opened under his and he slipped his tongue through her parted lips, the eroticism of their tongues meeting making his spine loosen and his blood to pound in his groin. How was he to control this rabid rush of feeling? He wanted her like an addict wanted a drug. A drug they had not realised they had no immunity to its powerful potency. Vic was so hard for her he ached. He burned. His heart slammed against the wall of his chest as her lips and tongue kissed him back with equal passion. Her legs were entangled with his, her soft breasts pressed up against his chest. He removed his mouth from hers to kiss each breast in turn, stroking his tongue over her tightly budded nipples, delighting in the taste and texture of her body.

Addie arched her spine like a languorous cat and he moved his mouth down between her breasts, then all the way down to her bellybutton. Her skin was like satin, her soft whimpers of pleasure and encouragement sending him wild with desire.

He had to end this madness but how? He wanted her so much it was impossible to think of a time when he wouldn’t want her. He knew he was wading in dangerous new waters, waters so deep and treacherous he could find himself in trouble—the sort of trouble he had thus far avoided. Attachment. He feasted on her body, enjoying every gasp and groan of pleasure she made. He couldn’t allow himself to think of the time when they would no longer have the enjoyment of each other’s bodies.

This was for now, not for ever.

Addie wasn’t sure how she managed to do it, but when Marcus and Isabella finally arrived the following day, she acted as if nothing had changed between her and Vic. But in some ways, it was easier to do so because the parents were so desperate to be reunited with their little girl, their attention was on Katerina, not on Addie or Vic. She was secretly impressed with Vic’s coolly impassive manner towards her considering the passion they had shared the night before, but she caught him looking at her when Marcus and Isabella were preoccupied with Katerina and his eyes glittered with raw longing. It triggered a flood of desire in her body, a tidal wave of lust that no number of sandbags of common sense could withstand. Her crush had moved from nine to ten as soon as he made love to her. She was madly, foolishly in love with him.

Vic had mentioned to her the night before that they would leave as soon as possible after Marcus and Isabella arrived, so Addie had already packed her things, including her new things.

Marcus came over when it was time to say goodbye and gave Addie a warm hug. ‘Thank you so much for helping out. We knew our little angel would be safe with you and Vic.’

Isabella too, came to hug her. ‘We can’t thank you and Vic enough. I was out of my mind with worry until I knew you were coming to the rescue.’

Addie smiled and slipped out of Isabella’s embrace, not wishing to reveal how emotional she was feeling about leaving, not just Katerina but this lovely old villa with all the beautiful moments she had shared in it with Vic. Moments that would never be repeated for soon it would be turned into a plush hotel, a showpiece for his chain of hotels, not the home she envisaged it as in her dreams.

Vic led her out to the chauffeur-driven car half an hour later. He waited until they were both seated and belted in and the glass partition closed before he glanced her way. ‘There’s something I want to ask you.’

Addie moistened her dry lips. ‘Ask away.’

He reached for her hand and drew it towards him, resting it on top of his muscled thigh. ‘Have dinner with me tomorrow night?’

Addie frowned. ‘You mean in public? Like on date or something?’

A flicker of annoyance moved through his gaze, but he covered it quickly with a wry smile. ‘Do you think it’s too dangerous?’

Of course it was dangerous. She was at risk of spilling out her feelings for one thing. ‘You’re not concerned about being seen with me? I mean, we were lucky Marcus and Isabella didn’t suspect anything, but if we were photographed…’ She couldn’t finish the sentence, not wanting to say out loud the scenario that played out in her head.

Vic gave her hand a gentle squeeze. ‘Look at me,cara.’ His deep voice had a note of command to it that made it impossible to do anything but meet his gaze. He brought her hand up to his mouth, kissing each of her stiff fingers. She could feel herself relaxing, melting like candlewax as his dark gleaming eyes held hers. ‘I thought I’d made it clear I want to see you when we get back to London. We can keep it private. My staff will not breach my privacy or yours.’

Addie suddenly realised she was at a crossroads in her life. A turning point that would dictate how the rest of her life would play out. It was up to her to decide what would be the best thing for her to do. She could settle for a private fling or she could ask for the moon. There were no other options open to her. She wanted the fairytale. She wanted to be wanted for her. She wanted to be wanted for ever. Somehow, she kept her features neutral even though her heart was cracking like a porcelain egg. ‘Do you really think it’s possible to keep it private?’

One side of his mouth lifted. ‘It’s worth a try,sì?’

Addie gently removed her hand from his hold, garnering as much resolved as she could to withstand the temptation of him. Of what he was offering. A fling. Who knew for how long? And how could it not become public? One whiff of their relationship and the world would be commenting on it,on herwithin seconds. She looked down at her hands clasped tightly in her lap, taking a deep breath for courage, for strength, for resilience. She had so much more to lose than him if their fling became public. He was used to being in the spotlight; she had avoided it all of her adult life. She would be crucified by the exposure. Why had she thought she could have any sort of involvement with Vic Jacobetti? It was madness on her part to dream of a happy-ever-after with a hardened playboy, a man who had sworn he would never love, never settle down, never have a family—the family she realised she wanted. Her maternal feelings could no longer be ignored. They had been stirred into life by caring for her little niece. She could not ignore them any more. She was twenty-eight years old. She didn’t want to be on her own any more, her life containing nothing but her work and her hobby of knitting coats for cold old dogs. She had to get a life before it passed her by. She had to be realistic and accept that unless Vic returned even a fraction of her feelings there was no future for them.

‘Addie?’ There was a quality to his voice she had never heard before, an uncertain edge that made her wonder if she was wrong about him. But wasn’t that her foolish heart trying to trick her into believing what she wanted to believe instead of what was true?

Addie turned to look at him. ‘As much as I want to continue our…relationship, I can’t.’

His gaze flickered like a computer screen having a momentary glitch. ‘What?’ The one word was so harshly delivered she jumped. ‘Sorry,’ he said, but continued to frown at her. ‘Are you saying you don’t want to continue our fling?’

She held his incredulous look with firm resolve. Firmer than she had ever believed herself capable of before. ‘I want more than a fling, Vic. I want what most people want if they’re honest with themselves. I want to be loved—I want to be in a proper committed relationship, one where I can look forward to the future. I want what Marcus and Isabella have. Love, a family, a future, security.’

She saw his throat tighten over a swallow and then his gaze shifted, his frown carving more deeply into his forehead making him look severe, unapproachable. He took a moment before he locked his dark and unreadable eyes back on hers. ‘This seems rather sudden, does it not?’

Addie forced herself to hold his intimidating gaze. ‘I know you don’t want to hear this, but I’ve developed feelings for you.’

There was a beat or two of heavy silence broken only by the hum of the car’s engine and the swish of the tyres on the road as a light shower of rain had begun to fall.

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