Page 182 of Modern Romance September 2026 Books 1-4

Naturally he didn’t do as she wanted. Instead of walking past her, he stopped beside her, so close she felt his body heat in a wave of awareness.

‘And who is this?’ he murmured.

He was tall enough to see over her shoulder and Theeny, possibly intrigued by the unfamiliar cadence of his voice, chose that moment to look up with her big, beautiful brown eyes.

There was a hiss of indrawn breath, then a baritone voice spoke from so close his breath feathered Dido’s ear. ‘But you haven’t introduced me.’ Anyone else would register his voice as soft, almost caressing. But Dido heard the steely fury, like the whispering threat of sharpened blades. ‘Besides, we have so much more to discuss.’

CHAPTER FIVE

PANOS KEPT HIS eyes on Dido as she talked about never wanting to see him again, never wanting to remarry, and felt ice slide down his spine.

She was angry, furious even, but her words didn’t completely ring true.

Because she’s hiding something.

His radar for lies was pinging louder with every word. Because she gave mixed signals. She wanted him gone but there was something she was desperate to hide.

Something that made him more than ever curious and determined to get to the bottom of this.

Pity you didn’t realise she was a liar when you first met. Where was your precious radar then?

He knew he was well rid of her, but her confusing story jangled his nerves. Panos didn’t like conundrums, not when they threatened to mislead him.

If she’d thought they were married she’d have filed for divorce or tried to extort money out of him. After all, that was why she’d married him. She’d just assumed she’d have much longer to bleed his coffers before he woke to the sort of woman she was.

If she knew the marriage wasn’t legal, why go through that charade with Chiara? Dido had been the one to suffer most, losing the contract and, he suspected, any future work in that field. She’d destroyed her reputation and damaged that of her employer.

With anyone else he’d have been tempted to think she’d been driven by revenge, wanting to get her own back at him. But her distress had been clear. And her shock.

Now she stood with her hands clasped tight and shoulders hunched, trying to send him on his way.

He cast his gaze around the room, pausing on a well-loved toy bear in bright yellow.

A teddy bear? It wasn’t some heirloom. It was a cheap, modern toy, sitting on a folded blanket of cheerful yellows and blues. What was it doing here? He saw suns with smiley faces and sleepy-eyed moons.

Something dipped hard in his chest as he thought of what might have been. The rug reminded him of the hopes he’d had, hopes that remarkably he’d shared with this woman. Only to discover she was just as venal as the rest. In fact she was worse.

‘And having children?’ he snarled. ‘Did you ever really want them?’

He’d never told anyone before her about his craving for family. She’d taken that heartfelt wish and used it against him, making him feel…violated.

What madness had got into him, that he’d spilled that to a virtual stranger?

Had he been so besotted with her smiles and the fantastic sex?

It would be almost a relief to think so. But she’d been far wilier than that. Their liaison had been brief but incredibly potent. After little more than a week he’d convinced himself she was not only trustworthy, but the woman who could give him what he most desired. Because they’d been intimate, not just physically, but in some arcane way he couldn’t describe yet felt to the core of his being. She’d squirrelled her way behind his defences, making him doubt his own judgement, the only thing he’d ever been able to rely on.

More fool him! She was a liar and a cheat.

Finally she spoke. ‘It’s possible to have children outside marriage, you know. Now, I’ve answered your question. I want you to leave.’

His gaze went from her tense features to the toy then back. She positively vibrated with tension as if she’d like to eject him bodily.

The more Dido Jones wanted him to leave, the more determined he was to stay until he learnt everything she tried to hide.

The sound of the door opening made the colour drain from her face. From defiant, her expression changed to fearful. She looked like she was about to crumble where she stood.

Instinctively Panos reached for her, wondering at her terror. But she pulled away as a woman spoke from the hallway.