Because Dominic and I were here together. Because whatever connection had sparked between us fed the emotion-responsive magic in a way that solitary effort couldn’t match.
Morning light caught his hair, turning the dark blond strands golden. Our gazes locked. Heat flickered through his leaf-green eyes before he glanced away, but not before I’d seen the want there.
It was all I could do to take in a breath.
“We should plan the logistics,” I said, my voice unsteady. I leaned back onto the bench and he sat beside me, close enough I could feel his warmth but not quite touching. “Remind me of what time Alaina typically begins morning preparations?”
“A few hours before dawn.” His attention remained focused on my face, tracking my expressions as I spoke. “She likes to have things ready well before the household stirs.”
“Then we’ll need to be in position by…” I calculated quickly. “Two hours before that, to ensure we don’t miss anyone who might arrive even earlier.”
I reached for the small notebook I kept in my gown’s pocket, pulling it out along with a pencil. Years of planning had taught me the value of written documentation. “We already learned who has regular kitchen access. Alaina and her core staff, obviously. But also?—”
“Servants who deliver supplies,” Dominic said, leaning closer to watch me take notes. “Gardeners bringing fresh herbs and vegetables. My mother’s personal staff when they prepare her specialized teas. Pretty much everyone.”
“Which will make it a challenge.”
His shoulder brushed mine as he shifted, and electricity sparked between us. I struggled to maintain focus on theinvestigation rather than his proximity, the way his sweet scent made me want to lean into him instead of away.
I built a comprehensive list of potential suspects. Dominic contributed details about schedules and routines, his knowledge of the household’s daily operations complementing my systematic approach.
We worked well together. Our methods and perspectives meshed in a way that made problem-solving feel natural, almost effortless. Where I provided structure and analysis, he offered intuition and intimate knowledge of his people.
“This is remarkable,” he said after we’d filled three pages with notes and diagrams.
“It’s just basic strategic planning.”
“No.” His hand covered mine on the page, stilling my writing. “You’re smart. I love how your mind works.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“I mean it. Watching you work is… Well, it’s distracting in the best possible way.”
I should pull my hand away from his and focus on the investigation. But his touch felt too good, too right, and I found myself turning my palm up instead, letting our fingers tangle together.
The flowers around us bloomed more vibrantly, responding to the emotional current flowing between us.
“I’m not losing focus,” I said, the realization startling me. “By caring about you, I mean. I thought falling for someone would make me less effective, would distract me from my responsibilities. But I’m actually sharper when we work together.”
Dominic’s expression shifted, vulnerability and hope mixing in his eyes. “Falling for someone?”
Heat flooded my face. “I just meant as a general observation about?—”
“Sasha.”
I met his gaze, seeing the question there. The same want and uncertainty that churned through me was reflected in his leaf-green eyes.
“We should finalize the surveillance plan,” I said, deflecting because admitting how much I wanted this marriage to be real made me feel vulnerable. “Make sure we have everything we need for tonight.”
Disappointment flickered across his features before he masked it. “Of course.”
But he didn’t let go of my hand.
We spent the next hour mapping out every detail of our stakeout. What supplies we’d need, how we’d position ourselves in the spice room, what signals we’d use if one of us spotted something suspicious. The planning gave my mind something concrete to think about, though I remained acutely aware of Dominic sitting beside me.
“We’ll need to bring untainted food,” I said, making another note. “Enough to last us several hours, maybe through breakfast service depending on what we observe.”
“I can prepare something from my private stores again.” He shifted closer. “I’ll use the same precautions I did for our meals over the past few days.”
