9. Lena #3
Not quite the culinary art you get at Dominic’s hotel restaurant, with that nationally renowned chef. But honestly? Better, in its own way.
At one point, while Dominic is answering a question about attending social events, Kai taps his phone beside his plate and gives me a look.
I know exactly what he means. And I swear I’ll break his legs if he lets anything slip about what he read online. I glare at Kai so many times that my mom starts asking if I feel sick from the food.
Around eleven, I stand up and announce that we’re exhausted and heading to bed. I throw in a line about Dominic needing to be up early for an important social engagement. It sounds adult enough to shut down any more questions.
Back in the room, Dominic flops onto the bed like a kid who just came home from a theme park.
“Your family’s awesome. I haven’t felt this good in a long time.”
I raise an eyebrow. “You can drop the performance now. It’s just us. Let’s talk about the sleeping arrangements.”
Dominic kicks off his shoes and slides higher into the pillows, grinning like he’s won something. He pats the spot next to him, flashing that smug grin. I cross my arms and stay exactly where I am, giving him a look that says, 'not a chance' .
“Oh, come on. Don’t make me sleep on the floor after I charmed your entire family. It went great, admit it. Besides, today was just the warm-up. Tomorrow, we’re going to my family. And honestly? We’re getting better at this with every round.”
“Wait. What? Tomorrow?”
I stare at him. “We’re seeing your family tomorrow? You didn’t tell me that!”
“Exactly, so you wouldn’t stress. It’s just lunch. Sunday family-style. Gabriel and Lexi will be there too, for emotional support. And my sister. It’ll be fine.”
“The more you say, ‘It’ll be fine,’ the more I panic. We need to go over our story again.”
“Not now.” He shifts, his tone turning slightly more serious. “What we do need to rehearse is getting you to stop flinching every time I touch you. You need to get used to public affection, hugs, kisses, all of it. You were a little stiff tonight.”
“Or maybe I was just uncomfortable being groped in front of my parents.”
“Oh? So if your parents weren’t around, you’d be into me touching you more?”
His grin is infuriating. “Don’t start, Dominic.”
I pace the room, trying to gather my thoughts. We’ve agreed to fast-track this whole fake marriage thing, but meeting both our families back-to-back? That was a lot.
I’ve spent so much time focused on the investigation into Anton and managing the women’s shelter my grandmother left me... I’ve shut out everything else—emotions, friends, any kind of personal life that didn’t push the case forward.
And now here I am, in the middle of all of it, with a ridiculously attractive, absurdly charming man all over me. Literally.
“Come on, Lena. Breathe,” Dominic says gently. “It was a good night. One day at a time. Tomorrow, we'll handle it. Next week, we get married. Then… we'll see what happens.”
I stop pacing and face him. Dominic reaches out and lightly tugs the edge of my sleeve, just enough to get my attention without pulling.
“Good thing you stopped moving. I was starting to get dizzy.”
He smiles, and I let out a small breath.
“And yeah... the food was amazing. I like your family.”
“Really? Why?”
“They’re warm. Open. There’s a real sense of community around them. You’re lucky, you know, to have grown up with that.”
“What’s your family like?” I ask.
He hesitates, just for a second. “They’re okay, I guess,” he says, eyes flicking away from mine.
There’s a shift in his voice. “Being the oldest, I wasn’t raised as a child; my father raised me to be the heir.
And my mom... she was always more focused on Axel, the youngest son.
Violetta—our sister—is the youngest of us all.
She’s the only one who got to choose her own path.
She’s a resident now at the biggest regional hospital. ”
“You’ve never told me much about Axel. I’ve only ever heard rumors.”
I pause, watching him carefully. “What happened to him?”
He goes still. “We lost him. It was a tough mission. Navy.”
Simple. Controlled. Like he’s said it before, to keep people from asking more.
“I’m sorry.” I don’t think I just move. I cross the room and sit down beside him on the bed. Close, but not too close. I reach for his left hand and wrap my fingers around his.
He doesn’t meet my eyes, but his grip tightens, just slightly, and he gives me a half-smile. It’s soft and tired. His breathing catches. He swallows, wipes quickly at his nose with one finger, then straightens his back, like he’s trying to pull the wall back up.
“Not the time for that talk,” he says softly, his voice quieter now, more contained.
He shifts again, just a little. Like he’s tucking the emotion away before it shows too much. “I’m still riding the high from being groped by your extended family.”
I try not to laugh, even though a smile sneaks in, anyway. “Oh, please. You thrived on it. Don’t act like you didn’t enjoy every second.”
That gets him. His laugh breaks, and just like that, the tension in the room dissolves.
“I love it when you make me sound like some legendary seducer, Sassy. You have a very high opinion of my skills.”
He flashes me a mock-serious look. “And since we’re already on the subject of my irresistible charm, maybe we should cover a few topics that fall under that category.”
Before I can move, he grabs me, quick, effortless, and pulls me onto the bed beside him. I land between the pillows, keeping just enough distance to make a point.
“Like what?” I ask, cautiously.
“Like your favorite sex positions. Or about orgasms. Take your pick.”
“I’m not talking to you about that.”
I try to shift away, but he’s already wrapped around me. “Come on,” he says, grinning. “I’m your future husband-to-be . I need to know these things, in case someone asks.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Who the hell would ask something like that?”
He answers instantly. “The press. Who else? They’re always curious about that kind of thing when it comes to my girlfriends.”
There it is again, that sly grin he wears when he’s teasing me. When he’s pushing it. When he’s… flirting.
Goddammit. I just admitted it. Dominic is flirting with me.
“I never know when you’re being serious and when you’re just messing with me.”
“Come on, you were way too tense. We’re allowed to joke about our arrangement. Our unplanned, surprisingly functional arrangement.”
He pauses. His face shifts, like an idea just landed. “For the record, when I call you Lena, I’m serious. When I say Sassy, I’m joking. So, you know... just ignore half of what I say. Does that work for you?”
“Damn it, Dominic. You’re not fooling me with that cynicism you use to cover up your moments of actual vulnerability.”
“You, my dear, are the reigning champion of hiding emotion and using sarcasm to dodge real feelings.”
He yawns lightly and sinks deeper into the pillows. This conversation is way too deep for this hour, in this bed, in my parents’ house. And I’m not ready to go any further down that road of confessions.
I reach out and turn off the lamp. Outside, the full moon pours in through the window, washing the room in soft light.
“We can both stay in bed, but we keep our clothes on. Deal?”
It’s a fake concession. I know I’m not getting Dominic out of this bed. He does not answer, just raises one arm and drapes it over my leg. I turn my back on him.
He scoots closer and places his hand on my butt. I wait, perfectly still, wondering if he’s going to push it. His breathing slows. I glance over my shoulder. His face is calm, peaceful. What if he’s teasing me again?
I lift his hand gently off my body and let it drop. Nothing. Completely limp. I place it back where it was, settle into my pillow, and sigh.
I hate when he’s right. Yeah, I do need to get used to Dominic touching me.