Page 34 of Modern Romance September 2026 Books 1-4

Her cheeks went pink and Axel thought of the heat they’d just generated.

Hope stood up. ‘I understand what you’re saying, Axel, and you don’t need to worry. The only question I have now is can we do that again? I never thought it could be…so amazing.’

Maybe it was good that she didn’t know that it wasn’t like that for everyone. Or every time. Axel was hard again. He fought to maintain some level of control. It wouldn’t be as good the next time. It couldn’t be. ‘You’ll be tender.’

She shook her head and started undoing her robe and Axel could see her pale body underneath, the curves, those perfect breasts. She said, ‘I’m fine. I want you to teach me everything about making love, Axel.’

She shucked off the robe and stood before him naked. Within seconds Axel’s towel was on the floor and Hope was under him on the bed, moving against him like a sinuous cat, pressing kisses against his chest and running her tongue over his nipples.

For the first time in his life, Axel’s main focus was not on his life’s ambition. It was on how he could get through these next moments without spilling like a teenager.

And it was as good this time. Even better.

* * *

Hope was more than a little disturbed by what Axel had awoken in her. A voracious hunger. She couldn’t believe she’d denied herself for so long. Although she had to concede that no one else had managed to get through her walls of defence the way Axel had, just by looking at her.

And now she couldn’t remember why it had been important to keep herself protected. There was no danger of emotional harm here and it was liberating. She looked at Axel across the aisle of the plane. They were en route to New York. He was engrossed in work and a lock of hair had fallen forward as he frowned at whatever was on his laptop.

Sleeves rolled up, top button open. Dark trousers. Mouth-wateringly gorgeous. Even more so now that she’d seen just how potent he was.

As if sensing her regard, he looked up, dark golden eyes narrowing on her. ‘I can feel you looking at me, Hope. I’m trying to concentrate.’

Hope grinned and his eyes moved to her mouth and then back up, full of golden fire.

Within a second, he’d pushed aside the laptop and surged to his feet. Hope let out a little squeak as he reached for her and pulled her to her feet before tugging her towards the back of the plane.

He brought them into the bedroom suite and let go of her hand and closed the door and she pressed back against it. Axel faced her and came close and put his hands over her head, caging her in. She looked up at him. She loved the way he made her feel so petite. It appealed to a hitherto unexplored very feminine part of herself.

She bit her lip. She felt a bit bad. He was a busy man. ‘I don’t want to take you away from your work.’

‘Well, then, don’t look at me like that.’

‘Like what?’ Hope was genuinely caught up in a wholly new sense of excitement, and yet was also slightly mystified by the effect she seemed to have on a man like Axel. She was definitely fulfilling her fantasy of seeing him lose control and it was beyond exhilarating.

Axel said, ‘Like I’m the big bad wolf. It should scare you.’

Hope shook her head. ‘I’m not scared of you. I’m scared of how you make me feel.’

‘How do I make you feel?’

‘Hungry and needy.’ Too hungry and needy to even feel self-conscious. She’d never known she could be like this.

Axel looked down at her. ‘Are you always this honest with people?’

Hope shrugged minutely. ‘I’ve nothing to hide, why wouldn’t I be honest?’

‘I would never tell anyone what was in my head.’

‘Well, that must be pretty exhausting. And lonely.’

Axel lifted a hand and touched her jaw, trailing his fingers across it and down to the hollow at the base of her throat. Hope was wearing a short T-shirt and loose trousers, clothes she’d deemed suitably travel-friendly, but now she wished she were wearing something sexier. Not that Axel seemed to mind all that much.

His brought his hand down and found the bare skin under the T-shirt above the waistband of the trousers. He said, ‘I don’t feel exhausted. Or lonely.’

Hope swallowed. ‘No, um, you don’t look exhausted, you look very…well.’

‘I think you’d look better with less clothes on.’