Just as Dominique was about to turn around, a deep voice floated over her shoulder. “There you are.”
She looked up over her shoulder as Ronan moved around the table to sit on her opposite side. Once he settled in the chair, he reached out and tugged hers closer until their thighs touched.
Then, he focused his intense blue eyes on Zelda. “Hello. I’m Ronan, Dominique’s fiancé. Didn’t we meet yesterday?”
The older woman blinked at him. “I don’t think so.”
“I thought I saw you at Mys?—”
Dominique put her hand on his knee and interrupted him, “What are you doing here, hon? I thought you didn’t have time to meet for lunch today.”
Ronan reached down and took her hand in his. “I freed up my schedule for you, darlin’.”
Dominique fought to keep her expression calm. Zen-like. She knew she failed when he studied her face and smirked.
“I see now why you weren’t interested in meeting my nephew,” Zelda stated. “He’s a hunk.”
Only sheer force of will kept Dominique from flushing. Ronan’s smirk turned into a wide, white smile, and heat crept up her chest to her neck, but she managed not to fan herself. Barely.
She’d never seen him smile like that before—warm, charming—even his eyes twinkled.
“Thank you,” he replied. “What’s your name again?”
She held out her hand toward him. “I’m Zelda.”
“Nice to meet you, Zelda,” he replied, releasing his hold on Dominique’s hand to shake Zelda’s.
Discretely, Dominique put her hand back in her lap and tried not to fidget as the two of them chatted like old friends. Without missing a beat, Ronan reached over and took her hand in his again, bringing it back to his hard thigh. Though she wanted tojerk her fingers back, Dominique didn’t move. But she planned to let him have it with both barrels later.
Finally, Zelda got to her feet. “It was so lovely to meet you both. I need to be going. I hope I see you both again sometime.” With that, she swanned out of the deli.
As soon as she was out of sight, Dominique jerked her hand out of Ronan’s grip. “What are you doing here?” she hissed.
He turned toward her, putting one arm along the back of her chair and resting the other on the table, effectively boxing her in. “I happened to see you when I walked by and noticed you weren’t wearing your ring. Why is that?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Are youfollowingme?”
“Of course not,” he replied, waving a hand. “I’m in the area to purchase a present for my sister. She loves things from the human realm, and I always try to bring her something when I visit the kingdom.”
That made sense because Dominique’s townhouse was less than a block from the shopping center where the deli was located. She loved it because she could walk less than ten minutes and pick up a few things from a grocery store, buy a new paperback, or find a new outfit.
“Back to my question,” Ronan said. “Why aren’t you wearing your ring?”
Dominique noticed a group of people eyeing their table. The rest were full, and it was clear that she and Ronan were done with their meal. Without answering, she gathered her plate and empty glass and carried both to the trash bins, discarding the garbage and placing the rest in the plastic tub designated for dirty dishes.
Ronan followed right behind her, and she could practically feel the anger rising off him. Once they were outside, he curled a hand around elbow, pulling her to a stop. Though his hold was firm, it wasn’t painful.
“Answer me, Dominique.”
She sighed. “It was my understanding that the ring was for me to wear to work so Veronica wouldn’t be shocked when I got married.”
“No, the ring is to give the appearance that we’re engaged. I doubt Zelda would have wanted to introduce you to her nephew if you’d been wearing it.” He stepped closer, encroaching on her space. “Where is it anyway?”
“It’s at my apartment. What does it matter if I’m not wearing it today? No one here knows who we are or what we’re planning and we’re not going to the fae realm until next weekend.”
He glowered at her, seeming even angrier if that was possible. “My parents have spies everywhere, watching me, and soon, they’ll be watching you, too. Wear the ring every day, no matter where you’re going or what you’re doing. If you don’t, our deal is off, and I’ll make that call to your parents.”
Rage swept through Dominique’s body, and she barely resisted the urge to scream at the top of her lungs. Or try to choke the life out of him. It had been so long since she’d been this angry that her entire body locked down, and she couldn’t move or speak.
