Page 35 of A Convenient Secret (Merged #3)

Declan

N ever had I realized what a cock blocker kids are.

It’s been four days since I returned from Chicago, and we’ve fucked once. Once. I planned to work from home this week, but the housekeeper returned. Why do I even need a housekeeper?

I’ve half a mind to buy another condo in my building for booty calls.

But it’s not even about having Lily naked in all possible ways. I miss talking to her. Between unexpected evening meltdowns, falling asleep while reading, and my work demands, we seem to miss each other.

“Are you listening to me?” Roxy taps her pen on her thigh .

I blink, and realize the other three partners are staring at me. “Why do we hold a meeting in my office?”

Roxy narrows her eyes, examining me for signs of a mental breakdown. “You called the meeting.”

Shit. “Sorry, it’s been a busy morning.”

“Daydreaming?” Xander snorts, leaning against the closed door.

I don’t even look at him. “I wanted to give you an update on my follow-up from Chicago. The company looks sound, but I have some concerns.”

The company in question is a startup that our client, Baldo Cassinetti, wants to buy. A company that we would have bought for him if it wasn’t for Lily’s keen eye.

“What concerns?” Corm asks from his seat across from my desk.

“I’ve noticed irregularities in the bookkeeping, and I sent the files to our forensic accountant. He confirmed this morning that the company has been inflating its revenue streams. He also found discrepancies in their expense reporting.”

“Fuck.” Caleb puffs out air from his cheeks.

“Why didn’t you tell us about your suspicions?” Xander throws his arms up in exaggeration.

Because my head has been elsewhere. Mostly in my nether region. Because a part of me was more busy trying to figure out why Lily is this savvy with accounting practices. I came up empty-handed, which drives me crazy. Goddammit.

“You know Declan doesn’t assume; he always backs up his claims with data,” Corm says. Oh, yeah, I guess I still have a reputation for having things under control.

Xander bows his head, shaking it. “Sorry. This was such a good match. Okay, I’ll call Cassinetti.”

“Are we reporting them?” Caleb asks.

“Is it just creative accounting, or outright fraud?” Corm turns to me.

“I will need to dig deeper. But if it’s just creative inflating of their value, we might use it for our advantage and save Cassinetti money.”

“Okay.” Corm stands. “Xander, talk to Cassinetti. Declan, you dig deeper, and Cal, you should look at their operations to make sure accounting is the only problem. I’ll make a few calls to scout a plan B.”

Everyone moves to leave.

“Actually, since you’re all here,” Roxy interrupts.

What now? I fucking want to talk to Lily.

“I have three candidates for the position to lead the London office. Plus the recruitment company suggested two names here in the States who might be interested in relocating. How do you want to proceed?” Roxy looks from me to Corm.

“I don’t have time to vet people.” Corm shrugs. “Declan will do it.”

“Are you kidding me?” I stand up and walk around the table.

All four of us stand in a semicircle, glaring at each other.

Roxy smirks from the corner. “While I enjoy the standoff, I think you should partner up on this one.”

We turn to her in unison.

She shrugs. “As charming as you are, gentlemen, if Declan meets the candidates alone, then the three of you would meet with the most promising one afterward. If you do it one by one, it will take ages. If you do it together, you will gang up on them. And in my humble opinion…” She purses her lips, and looks up like she’s considering her next words.

“In my experience, rather, the more of you together, the less—”

“Don’t finish that sentence, Roxy, because I will cut it from your paycheck,” Corm growls. “But you’re right. In the name of a speedy process, Declan and Xander will do the first round. I will only meet with the final choice.”

“I guess my opinion doesn’t matter,” Caleb grumbles.

“More time with the baby.” Corm laughs and saunters out.

I return to my table, grateful to be finally alone. No such luck. Caleb stands in the doorway and closes it. Come on in, fucker, I have no work. Or other needs.

“How did you do it?” he asks.

“You need to be more specific.” I sigh.

“You had two babies at the same time. How did you cope? I’m fucking exhausted. And worried all the time, and when I’m home I fucking hate all the chaos, so I come here, and I miss them and want to go right back. Sometimes I come here to hide. I fucking hate that, too.”

“Good news or bad news first?”

“Does anybody ever want to hear the good first?”

I snort. “The feeling of worry will never go away. Also, the chaos, get fucking used to it.”

His jaw ticks. “What’s the good one?”

“Amelie will move out in about eighteen years.”

“Fuck you, Quinn.”

I chuckle. “At the end of the day, amid all that chaos and exhaustion, worry, and that all-consuming need to protect them, you have someone to love. You have someone who loves you unconditionally. You have a daughter.”

The corner of his lips curls up. “Amelie is pretty awesome. ”

“My advice: book a hotel and have a twelve-hour sleep. Then, with an actually functioning brain, decide how to navigate this and devise a schedule that works for you. Two, three days here—the rest, work from home.”

“Sleep and scheduling is your answer?”

“Yes. Anything to keep your sanity. Now go away.” I turn to my computer.

“I don’t think I can go to a hotel and leave Celeste alone.” He opens the door.

“Well, Kendra used to do it several times a week while I listened to the night nurse consoling my kids.” A wave of rage swipes through me at that time in my life.

“That’s fucked-up.” Caleb finally leaves.

I close my eyes for a moment, expecting the dark memories to resurface. But what I see in my mind is the smiling woman who landed in my life by accident, and already feels like my safe harbor.

I open the security camera on my computer. I haven’t spied on Lily since before the gala, but I can’t help myself.

A few clicks, and I find her in her room. Perched on the pillows against the headboard, she’s reading in her bed.

Before reason can stop me, I dial her number .

She smiles and answers. Even that small action makes my cock twitch.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Quinn,” she says, her voice sultry.

“You can call me sir,” I tease.

“Or Daddy?”

I groan. “I will put that mouth of yours to good use the first opportunity I have.”

“Those have been scarce lately.” She sighs and slides down, sprawling across the bed. She stretches languidly, and I groan again. “Are you okay?”

“No.”

She sits up immediately. “What’s wrong?” Her genuine concern constricts my chest.

“I miss you.”

She plops back down, chuckling. “You saw me this morning, and will see me again in four hours.”

“Okay, let me be specific. I miss your pussy.”

She shifts a bit, crossing her legs as if she’s clenching her thighs together. Or I’m projecting. Regardless, my cock is at half-mast already.

“Would you be a good girl and touch yourself for me, Seagull?”

Her breathing hitches and becomes labored. She doesn’t answer.

“Lily? ”

“Okay,” she breathes. “Will you touch yourself as well?”

She’s perfect.

“Wishing it was your hand.” I go to lock the door, and when I come back Lily’s hand is in her panties, her skirt bunched up around her waist. Fuck.

I unzip my pants and pull out my heavy, angry cock, already leaking pre-cum.

“Where are you?” she asks.

“In my office. I locked the door, and I’m in my chair.” I give myself three pulls before I spit on my hand. Why don’t I have lube in my office?

“Don’t you want to know where I am?”

Fuck. I stop moving and close my eyes for a moment. Am I so far gone in lust that I was going to… Fuck.

“Lily.” I clear my throat. “Look up into the corner above your door.”

This might be the end of us. What was I thinking? Lily entered my house, and my control collapsed, and with it went my moral compass.

She follows my instructions, and it fucking feels like she looks at me. Her eyes widen, and she sits up.

“Are you watching me?”

I wish I could decipher what emotion is behind her question. Furious? Scared? Excited ?

“Yes.” I hold my breath.

She narrows her eyes, and it feels like a lifetime before she speaks. “Have you watched me before?”

Okay, I’m leaning toward furious. Better than scared. I think. “Yes.”

“Doing what?”

“Only wandering around the house. I would never—”

“Refer to a minute ago. I practically caught you.”

“Lily, I—”

“Don’t… Just don’t. I need to digest this.”

The line goes dead. Fuck.

She paces back and forth, and I start packing my things, almost forgetting that my cock is hanging out. I have to go home and talk to her.

Explain. Somehow. How? Apologize. Grovel. Flowers. I need flowers.

What the fuck? I haven’t bought her flowers ever, and now I’m going to use them so she looks at my fucked-up actions more favorably? The whole idea feels insulting.

I zip up, and I’m about to turn the monitor off, but the image pushes me back to my chair. Lily is back on her bed, spreading her legs, angled toward the camera.

“Seagull,” I groan and turn the feed off. Good punishment, knowing she is getting herself off.

My phone vibrates in my pocket. “Lily.” I breathe out.

“Are you still watching?”

Again, I can’t detect the tone behind her question. “I’ve just turned it off.”

She remains silent for a beat, and I feel like I will explode from tension, the unresolved energy cruising through me like a series of electric shocks.

“Turn it back on.”

The entire world pauses, including my breathing. “Lily, you don’t—”

“Do as I say.” Her command brings everything to high definition.

Fuck, that was hot. I turn the monitor on and bring the app back to the screen. “It’s on.”