Page 11 of Modern Romance September 2026 Books 5-8

He pauses in the doorway. “Yes. It’s nearly midnight.”

“I know, but you just ordered me enough food to feed four or five people.”

He turns to face me, his hands sliding into his pockets. “Are you asking me to dine with you?”

“I can.” I arch a brow. “Unless an order would make you more likely to stay.”

His lips twitch faintly. “I don’t take orders, Your Highness.”

“In that case, I’m asking.”

He stares at me for another long moment. Then, he slowly walks back over to the table and pulls out the other chair.

A thrill runs through me as he sits down. Whatever intimacy we’re sharing right now won’t go any further. But for one meal, I’m going to enjoy myself as a woman, not as a queen-in-waiting. Starting with getting to know the man who’s been guarding me with his life for the last two months.

We dine on the scallops and crab cakes, the risotto and the croque monsieur. There’s also chilled pea soup shooters topped with mint and handmade ravioli filled with mascarpone served in a champagne cream sauce. Dessert includes velvety chocolate gelato and tiny cannoli filled with pistachio cream.

The conversation is just as good as the food. It takes a few tries, but gradually Dominic opens up. He tells me about his adoptive brother Aiden’s recent engagement to his secretary, a story I remember seeing in the news, and his other adoptive brother Cassian’s recent foray into shipping in the North Atlantic near the British Isles. I learn more about the Hawke Foundation and how each brother hosts a gala every year to raise money for a charity or cause of their choice. When Dominic tells me about his autumn ball in New York, I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to attend with him.

I tell him about my time at Oxford, my hopes of going to Yale, my favorite memories from the clinicals I did to earn my nursing assistant certification. We talk about books, music. He shares his love of James Bond movies, which leads to a spirited debate over the best Bond.

“If my grandfather were alive, he’d be shouting by now,” I say with a laugh. “He had very strong opinions when it came to 007.”

A distant siren echoes off the walls. I turn and glance over my shoulder in time to see a police boat pass by, sirens wailing and lights flashing. I smile slightly as I turn back to face Dominic. Venice is a completely different world.

Dominic leans back in his chair. “You two were close.”

I smile wistfully. “He was both grandfather and father to me.”

“Did he support your goal of going into medicine?”

“He did. He believed in royals, especially those not in line to the throne, having other responsibilities that kept them grounded, in touch with the people they served.”

“And your parents don’t?”

My mood nosedives. “Why ruin a good evening talking about them?” I grab my flute and take a long drink of rosé. “Besides, I’ve been monopolizing the conversation. What about you? I know you used to be a Ranger in the Army.”

He nods. “Special Reconnaissance.”

“Why the military?”

It takes him a moment to respond, as if he’s trying to find the right words. “I got an accelerated degree in criminal justice with an international intelligence focus. The content was interesting.”

“But boring.”

Surprise flashes across his face. “Yes. I was approached by a military recruiter my senior year. They offered what I wanted, so I took it.”

“And how did you decide to get into private security?”

One corner of his mouth quirks up. “Do you know how John Hawke came to adopt Aiden, Cassian and me?”

“Yes. I read it in a magazine article after I found out you were going to be my bodyguard. One of your brothers tried to pick John’s pocket. John caught him. Gave you all a choice to leave the streets.”

Dominic’s face softens a fraction. “Not just a choice. A chance.” Grief flashes in his eyes, raw and so deep it startles me. “He was a good man.”

I want to ask, want to learn more about the man sitting across from me. But I don’t want to pressure. I know what it’s like to be under scrutiny, to have people clamoring for the details of your life.

“You want to know more.”