Damien had whisked Aria away from the television studio to a French bistro tucked away in the Upper East Side for a quiet, intimate breakfast. After she had inhaled a plate of truffle-infused eggs and a desperately needed double espresso, Damien had taken her by surprise.

He had suddenly asked if she wanted to go for a walk.

Now, Aria was strolling through the winding, cobblestone paths of the Botanical Gardens across the street, the morning sun beating down warmly on her shoulders. The sky above was a brilliant shade of blue, and a cool, crisp autumn breeze ruffled the edges of her rose-gold hair.

It was perfect. It was a sensory masterpiece of blooming hydrangeas and sweet-smelling jasmine.

It was also very... empty.

Aria stopped in the middle of a sprawling stone walkway, looking around the lush green park. There wasn’t a single tourist. No joggers, or rogue pigeons, or a nanny pushing a stroller. There was no one.

Well, except for the six operatives lurking awkwardly in the foliage behind them, completely ruining the cottage-core aesthetic.

"Damien," Aria murmured, looking up at him as their intertwined hands swung lightly between them. "Did you rent out an entire public botanical garden?"

"Yes," Damien admitted, keeping his gaze straight ahead.

Aria’s lips curved into a playful smile. "Is this your idea of a date, Mr. Sinclair?"

A faint, almost imperceptible dusting of pink appeared on Damien’s cheekbones. He cleared his throat. "I just thought you might want some fresh air. And... you like flowers."

Aria stopped walking and stepped into his space. "Oh my god. Are you blushing?"

"I am not," Damien gritted out, though the pink on his cheeks deepened.

"You are so cute," Aria cooed, her heart swelling with affection. She reached up, pressing a lingering kiss to his cheek. "You’re the sweetest hubby in the world. I love you."

Damien still didn’t quite meet her eyes, looking down at their joined hands instead, but his grip tightened securely around her fingers. "I love you too," he grumbled softly.

They resumed their stroll down the cobblestone path. The sunlight filtered beautifully through the canopy of leaves above them.

"It really is so beautiful and peaceful here," Aria sighed happily, taking in the vibrant colors of the flowers around them.

"Do you want it?" Damien asked.

Aria blinked, looking up at him in confusion. "Want what?"

"The garden," Damien clarified.

Aria’s face immediately flushed. "Damien, please don’t buy me a public park!"

"It wouldn’t be public anymore," he pointed out reasonably.

"No!" Aria laughed, tugging him down the path.

They walked in comfortable silence. For the first time in what felt like months, Aria wasn’t busy plotting or calculating her next move. She was just a girl, holding hands with the love of her life.

Aria stopped at almost every botanical placard mounted on the wooden posts, leaning down to read the Latin names of the flowers out loud. Damien stood beside her, a picture of patience, listening to her mispronounce exotic plant species with a faint, amused smirk on his lips.

Aria turned away from a bed of vibrant tiger lilies and spotted a stunning, ornate wrought-iron bench nestled beneath a trellis of climbing red roses.

"Oh my god, the lighting here is immaculate," Aria gasped. She turned to Damien, her emerald eyes wide and pleading. "We need a picture. We still don’t have a couple’s photo."

Damien let out a low sigh, but agreed, nonetheless.

"Richard!" Aria chirped, waving her hand at her bodyguard. "Bring my phone!"

Richard marched forward and handed over the device. Aria unlocked it, opened the camera app, and handed the phone back to him.

"Horizontal, please," Aria instructed. "Make sure you get the roses in the frame, and tap my face so the exposure doesn’t blow out my contour."

"Yes, Ma’am."

Aria turned back to the bench where Damien was already seated. She sat on his lap and wrapped an arm around the back of his neck, leaning her chest flush against his.

Damien’s large hands rested on her hips, but his face immediately settled into his signature scowl. He glared into the camera lens with the intensity of a warlord.

"Damien," Aria scolded softly, tapping his chest. "You look like you’re holding me hostage. You have to smile."

"I don’t smile," Damien gritted out.

Aria sighed. She shifted her weight, leaning in so close that their noses bumped. She tilted her head, looking up at him through her lashes, her expression softening.

She gently rubbed her nose affectionately against his.

"Please, baby?" Aria whispered, her voice dropping into a soft, melodic purr that was only for him. "Just a little smile? Just for a quick second? For me?"

Damien stared into her bright, pleading green eyes.

The ice wall he maintained for the rest of the world instantly melted into a puddle. He had no spine when she used that voice.

With a resigned sigh, the hard lines of Damien’s jaw relaxed, and the corners of his mouth twitched upward.

"Take the damn picture," Damien ordered.

Click. Click. Click.

"Got it, Sir," Richard announced, hastily stepping forward to hand the phone back to Aria.

Aria scrambled off Damien’s lap, eagerly tapping the photo gallery. She stared at the glowing screen for a bit, then burst into a fit of breathless laughter.

"What?" Damien frowned, standing up. "Is the lighting bad?"

"Damien!" Aria wheezed as she turned the phone around to show him the screen. "What is this smile?!"

Damien looked at the photo. He looked incredibly handsome, perfectly tailored, and holding her with obvious devotion. But his smile...

"I’m smiling," Damien defended flatly.

"You look like someone happy to have planted a bomb in an orphanage!" Aria cackled. She grabbed his hand, hauling him away from the bench. "Okay, I have a different idea."

She dragged him down the cobblestone path until they reached the center of the garden.

Sitting in the middle of a sprawling courtyard was a massive, tiered stone fountain, the water cascading beautifully down the tiers into a large pond where two white swans were lazily gliding across the surface.

"Okay, Richard!" Aria called out, tossing the phone back to the operative. "Round two!"

Aria stepped up to the edge of the stone fountain. She quickly slipped off her black stiletto pumps, kicking them out of the frame.

She stepped onto the smooth stone in her bare feet.

Without her five-inch heels, Damien stood a looming six-foot-three, his broad shoulders easily dwarfing her small, five-foot-four frame. She had to crane her neck to look up at him.

Aria stepped into his space. She went up on her tiptoes, wrapping both of her arms around his neck. Damien immediately wrapped his arm around the small of her back, easily bearing her weight and pulling her flush against his chest to keep her from losing her balance.

"Kiss me," Aria whispered, her emerald eyes fluttering shut as her breath mingled with his.

Damien leaned down, capturing her lips.

The morning sun bathed them in a warm, golden glow. The soft sound of the fountain splashing behind them and the cool breeze ruffling their hair made the moment feel so cinematic. Aria’s heart soared, her fingers tangling in the soft, silver hair at the nape of his neck as she melted against him. It was a picture-perfect, fairytale moment.

Until Damien’s hand, which had been resting on her waist, suddenly dropped. His hand clamped firmly onto her ass cheek, squeezing the soft flesh.

"Eep!" Aria squealed into his mouth, the romantic bubble popping as she pulled away and stumbled backward, landing flat on her feet.

Her entire face flushed a vibrant shade of red. She glared up at him, swatting his shoulder.

"Damien!" Aria scolded, her voice pitching up in embarrassment as she glanced at Richard, who was intensely staring at a cloud. "We’re taking a cute picture! Behave!"

Damien didn’t even look sorry.

"We are alone in this park, Aria," Damien stated. He took a slow, predatory step forward, closing the distance she had just made. "Who is going to stop me from bending you over that foliage and fucking you right now?"

Aria gulped.

She stared up at him. Her mouth went bone dry. Her heart slammed frantically against her ribs, the blush on her cheeks deepening into a full-blown inferno.

Because why did he look so serious when he said that?