Page 42 of A Convenient Secret (Merged #3)

Declan

“ W hat are we doing here?” Corm complains as we enter the jewelry store.

“Buying a ring.” I shrug, a part of me wanting my brother there and a part dreading the explanation. Maybe I should have come alone.

“A ring?” Corm’s eyebrows shoot up as the glass door swings shut behind us.

The store is all polished marble and hushed elegance. The lighting is deliberately soft, casting a glow over the displays of diamonds and gemstones—nothing too harsh, nothing too loud.

“Do you have a hearing problem?”

Corm snorts. “Did you knock someone up? Is that why I’m here?”

I sigh. “No. ”

He nods solemnly. “Then you’re being blackmailed.”

“Fuck you. You’re such an idiot.”

He smirks, unfazed. “I’m just trying to narrow it down. I didn’t know you were even seeing someone.”

“The ring is for Lily,” I blurt out.

“That seems excessive for a babysitter.” Corm peruses the displays.

“Don’t be a dickhead; I’m trying to tell you that Lily and I…” Now is where it gets complicated, because I don’t necessarily want to tell him I married her already. But calling her my girlfriend isn’t right either.

“You hooked up?”

“Don’t call it that.”

“Jesus, talking to you is like pulling teeth. Is this a consolation gift, so she understands that it was a one-time thing?”

Where does his mind go? “It’s not a one-time thing. I’m serious about her.”

He cocks his head. “Isn’t she like half your age?”

“Fuck you, Corm. She’s ten years younger. But, to my surprise, it doesn’t seem to matter to her.”

“At least she can keep up with your kids, old man.” He smirks.

A sales associate approaches, immaculately put together in a sleek black dress and with a sharp smile. “ Mr. Quinn, welcome. My name is Claire. We’ve prepared a selection for you. Would you like to step this way?”

Corm gives me a sideways glance as we follow her to a private consultation area—a glass-topped table surrounded by plush chairs, discreetly tucked away from the main showroom.

“So you made an appointment? Damn. You really are serious about her.”

I drop into a chair and ignore him.

Claire sets a velvet tray in front of me and lifts the cover with a flourish, revealing an array of engagement rings. They’re… fine. Elegant, classic, and completely unhelpful.

Corm scratches his jaw. “So what are we thinking here? Something small and subtle? Or are we going full-on ‘I own a sports team’ levels of obnoxiousness?”

“Something in between.”

He gestures vaguely at the tray. “Then congratulations, you’ve got fifty versions of that right here.”

I exhale slowly, studying the rings. A few have sleek, modern bands; others have intricate detailing. Some are massive, others more understated.

None of them says Lily.

Claire clears her throat delicately. “Do you have any preferences? Style, setting, gemstone shape?”

Corm leans in conspiratorially. “Do you sell rings that come with a cheat sheet? I don’t think my brother knows if it’s an engagement ring or just an ‘I like you very much’ ring, or perhaps a ‘please don’t leave—I can’t look for another nanny’ ring.”

I shoot him a look. “You’re not helping.”

“I’m not the one who invited me.”

Claire keeps her professional smile intact. “Does she wear jewelry often?”

“She doesn’t like anything too… much,” I say after a beat. “Something classic. Timeless. But not boring.”

Claire nods, already flipping through another tray of rings. “Perhaps an oval cut? Or something with a hidden halo? Elegant but understated.”

She places a ring in front of me—a delicate platinum band with an oval-cut diamond, the setting clean and modern, but not over-the-top. It catches the light in a way that reminds me of Lily’s eyes when she laughs.

“This one.”

“You sure? You barely looked at the others,” Corm asks.

“I don’t need to.”

His smirk fades slightly. Not much, but enough for me to notice. “Damn. You’re really in it, huh? It doesn’t surprise me actually.”

“It doesn’t?”

“I mean the woman stabbed you, and you didn’t even fire or report her; you hired her permanently. She is great with your kids, and you stared at her like she was your lunch at the gala. You also almost ripped Xander’s head off when he teased you about her.”

Fuck, all of that happened before we even slept together. Tonight, I’m not giving up. We’re fucking announcing everything to everyone tomorrow.

I pay for the ring and put the box in my pocket.

I search for any signs of heaviness in my chest. But with the ring weighing in my pocket, I only feel lighter.

“Here they are,” Saar exclaims as we enter the foyer. Cal and Celeste are beside her, but I ignore them and approach Lily.

“Hello to you, too,” Saar says sarcastically, while I pull Lily to the side.

“You look wonderful.” My eyes roam down the simple black dress that hugs her body, leaving me desperate to peel away the layers and taste her.

“I got more flowers today.” A smile lingers on her face. “Why?”

“Just because.” I itch to touch her, painfully aware of the room full of people.

“Just because.” She repeats the words like they are a secret promise .

Not exactly the words, but our own language to use in the meantime while we’re finding our way.

It’s like our whiskey-sharing ritual.

The sounds, the people, the surroundings cease to exist as I stare into her eyes, and resist the urge to bend her over backward and kiss her. Soon.

“I better talk to Saar about tonight,” she says hurriedly and starts to leave, but then she stops. “Do you think they will be okay with her?”

Her concern is like an arrow to my heart. I fucking love this woman. “They will be fine, Seagull. We need an uninterrupted talk.”

Suddenly, that conversation seems like a nuisance. I want to claim her, right here, right now. I want to tell her how I feel about her. I want to be with her. I want—I need—everyone to know she’s mine. And I’m hers.

She smiles. “Okay.”

I mingle with my partners before we are all ushered into the dining room.

“Where is Xander?” Cal asks as we get to our table.

“He should be here any moment.” Corm moves the chair for Saar to sit.

We eat appetizers and talk—something I always considered quite tedious, but with Lily by my side, the occasion is pleasant. There are people I respect around this table; I just never had much interest in finding out more about them.

Well, I know my brother, of course, but I’ve been involved so much in my own personal drama, I’ve never cared to indulge others.

Yet Lily does it so effortlessly, she pulls me into her chatty world.

“Cora,” Lily exclaims as they serve the main dish.

I turn to see the redhead rushing to the table with Xander in tow.

“What are you doing here?” Saar grins. “This is wonderful.”

Cora shrugs. “This guy reimbursed me for keeping my bistro closed, and I came here with him.”

Everyone looks at Xander. “This wasn’t something I expected you to share.”

“I’m excited to be catered to instead of serving others for a day. You did me a favor.” She grins at him and sits down. “Thank you.” She shrugs her shoulders, grinning at the server who put a plate in front of her.

“Never had I thought I’d see a day when Xander pays for his plus one.” Corm smirks.

“Yeah, that used to be yours and Declan’s thing,” Caleb says.

“Fuck off.” I glare at him, and squeeze Lily’s thigh under the table.

“Don’t worry, Lily, ever since you showed up he’s been acting more human.” Corm leans in, his voice hushed with a knowing edge. “It seems you’re good for the twins and for him.”

Motherfucker.

Lily looks from me to him and back. Immediately, she guesses I shared with him. She glares at me for a moment, pursing her lips, but it looks more like she is trying hard not to grin.

“I’m going to the lady’s room.” Celeste stands up.

“I’ll join you.” Lily puts her napkin down.

“Where did the two of you go before this?” Saar asks.

“Jewelry store.” Corm doesn’t miss the opportunity to mess with me.

Saar looks from me to him, puzzled.

“Yeah, just wait for your present.” I smile at Saar, giving Corm the I-can-return-the-favor-brother look.

Saar’s eyes widen. “Oh, you know the way to my heart,” she teases, rubbing Corm’s arm. “What did you get me?”

He glowers at me before he takes her hand, kissing it. “It’s a surprise.”

Celeste and Lily return, and my attention moves from my brother. Lily’s face is white as she keeps looking over her shoulder.

“Are you okay?” I help her to her seat.

Her eyes dart around before she gives me a distracted smile and then shakes her head. “It’s nothing. I thought I saw someone.”

I look around for… I don’t know what.

Whoever she thinks she saw changed her demeanor; her eyes are roaming around with something akin to fear in them. Her shoulders are tense, and her jaw is set so rigid it must hurt.

An urge to wrap her in my arms is overwhelming. I’m about to drag her out of here when she puts her hand on my thigh.

Seeking comfort? Or calming me down?

I cover her hand with mine, and she exhales a long breath, giving me a quick smile before she turns to the table.

“Since this circle is quite tight, and I know I can explicitly trust most people here and hopefully, by extension, all of you…” She takes another fortifying breath.

“What’s going on, Lils?” Saar frowns.

“You might hear things about me soon. The photos of me, the public appearances… Anyway, I want you to know the basic story before it gets out of control.” Her hand quivers in mine.

“Lily,” I utter, not knowing what’s going on but wanting to help somehow.

She gives me another tight smile. “I came to New York to hide from my family.” She speaks softly, but with confidence. “My family runs a successful business, and it became a point of competition between my father and his half-sister.

“All the business affairs are under my father’s control. After my brother had a fatal accident, my father essentially lost his heir. Enter the spare. I was only seventeen at the time, and I dropped everything to step up.”