Page 30 of Modern Romance January 2025 5-8

Yet, he rose off the bench when she opened the door to the steam room.

And followed her.

CHAPTER FIVE

INPROPERLIGHTINGJario saw her bikini-clad body, full and ripe and weakening his already battered senses. It occurred to him that he was risking even more. That perhaps she’d seen a hint of weakness she intended to exploit. Yet, thoughts of self-preservation gave way to a rare benefit-of-the-doubt-giving as he trailed after her into the nearest living room.

That and her magic hands.

She turned towards him. ‘Sit.’

He frowned at the order, and yet he moved to where she indicated, the lounge seat overlooking the night-shrouded view. ‘This means nothing. You’re still fired.’

The smallest smile curved her lips. ‘I know. Take this as thanks for not throwing me overboard the first night.’

The last crumb of common sense remaining said this was a mistake, but he couldn’t have stopped himself if he’d tried. Adjusting his towel around his waist, he stretched out on the lounger.

His pulse leapt as her hands glided over his back and neck once more, unravelling knots so effectively, another groan built up in his chest. Tensing, Jario forced it into a grunt.

‘You’ve done this before.’

Her fingers paused for the tightest second before continuing. ‘Yes, but not in a while.’

Unwelcome sensations blasted through him, surprising him when he recognised it as jealousy. ‘Explain,’ he said before he could stop himself.

A throb of silence passed before she expelled a soft breath. ‘My mother taught me when I was a teenager. She was always hobby hopping. She got into Thai massage for a whole nine months before she jumped onto miniature pig breeding.’

Perhaps it was the exhaustion blocking the resentment from flowing through him, reminding him that his other parent was near enough as out of reach as his father. But he couldn’t add his mother and her problems into the bonfire of his challenges right now.

Not when his enemy’s daughter’s hands were creating disarming magic, pushing back the teeming chaos with one stroke. Then another.

‘She taught you well,’ he admitted.

Again, the pause was small. But he felt it. Dragging open eyes gone drowsy, he sneaked a glance. Saw her face set in anguished lines, the corners of her sinfully tempting mouth turned down. She was fully concentrating on her task, not realising her expression was giving her away.

He should’ve shut his eyes then, blocked out whatever was going on with her and just allowed this curious scene to play out while he regained his weakening control.

‘What is it?’ Seriously. What was wrong with him?

Her head jerked up, her wide eyes catching his. Her lips firmed. Then with another wary glance, she dug her fingers into the small of his back.

His muted groan filled the room as she answered.

‘It was one of the last things she taught me before she left.’

‘Left?’

She half nodded. ‘She packed her bags one afternoon and announced she was leaving my father for another man.’

One more thing Chatterton had destroyed? Jario should’ve found vindication in that knowledge. But all he could summon was a flare of bitterness before it dissipated, leaving behind a perplexing flash of sympathy. One he attempted to kill immediately and when it wouldn’t die, he shoved it away to tackle later.

‘Why?’

Pain darted across her face and again her mouth thinned as if she wanted to hold the words in. Her gaze fixed on her moving hands. ‘There’d been a strain between them for years. Ever since...he returned from a business trip.’

Jario tensed at the sharp tug in his chest.

Dios, were his defences so weakened that he was concerned for her suffering? He closed his eyes to shut off the feeling. Only to open them three seconds later, in time to see a deeper pain etch into her features.