Page 43 of Modern Romance September 2026 Books 1-4

Axel took her hand. ‘Let’s look at the villa.’

Hope was already in awe of the white two-storey classical wooden building with its terracotta roof and the wide-open doors with white curtains fluttering in the warm breeze.

The rooms were open and spacious. The furniture was a little dated. There was a vast living area, leading into a dining-room. And there was a media room complete with TV and bookshelves and big soft couches.

Axel told her it had been standing empty for some time and the owner had sold it because they weren’t using it any more.

It had come with a housekeeper and maintenance man. A local couple. They’d cleaned and stocked up on food and made up beds in the bedrooms, up on the first level. It needed TLC but otherwise it was perfect.

‘What do you think?’

Why was Axel asking her opinion? She wasn’t likely to be back here again. Hope felt a pang at that. But she said, ‘I love it. It’s simple and rustic. Will you use it?’

Axel shrugged carelessly. ‘If I don’t, it can be rented out.’

‘If I had a place like this I’d use it. I’d varnish all the floors and paint it all in a warm white and then I’d use lots of textiles and splashes of colour to add some accents. The kitchen needs replacing…but it has so much potential.’

‘You like interior design?’ Axel asked her. They were in what had to be the master bedroom now. It was the width of the house with windows overlooking both the front, out to sea, and the back, where there were expansive gardens and a pool.

‘I love it,’ she said. ‘I’ve got scrapbooks full of pictures pulled from magazines dedicated to how I’ll decorate my house some day.’

‘You could do a course.’

Hope felt self-conscious. ‘I didn’t do my A levels. I’m not sure I’d qualify for a course.’

‘Anything is possible.’

Hope smiled. ‘Spoken by someone who’s never been told that anything is impossible.’

Axel held out his hand. ‘Let’s go for a swim.’

Hope’s insides fell. She avoided Axel’s eye. ‘I’m OK, you go for a swim. I’ll unpack.’

‘Hope, look at me.’

She did so, reluctantly. He was frowning. ‘What’s wrong?’

Damn him. Was she so easy to read? She hated admitting this because it would be another glaring difference between her and his world where people had yachts and dived off them into the sea. Or had villas like this with their own private pools. And beaches.

She had to stop her thoughts from spiralling and the very unwelcome need to compare herself all the time. She knew it was just a defence mechanism so that she didn’t forget that she was not in any way suitable for this man, other than for this brief hiatus. She hadn’t needed his mother to tell her that.

By the time the words came out they were almost defiant. ‘I can’t swim.’

Axel blinked. ‘Oh, is that all?’

Hope put her hands on her hips. ‘What do you mean “is that all”? It’s shameful that I’m twenty-four and still can’t swim.’

‘No, it’s not. Lots of people can’t swim. Come on, I’ll teach you.’

* * *

‘That’s it, kick your feet and remember to breathe.’

Axel was holding Hope’s hands as he pulled her across the pool. They’d done this dozens of times and she was finally getting used to what it felt like to be buoyant in the water.

Then he said, ‘OK, turn over onto your back.’

Hope found the bottom of the pool and stood. ‘What?’