Page 54 of A Convenient Secret (Merged #3)

She sighs, like she’s faced with an annoying child who keeps asking questions. “It’s my father’s desk.”

“Technically, it’s your father’s job, and you’re slaying it. Don’t hide in the corner, Seagull. It doesn’t suit you.”

She opens her mouth, ready to argue, but then she gives up. A hint of vulnerability flashes through her face. “You don’t know if I’m slaying it.”

“I do. I make a lot of money sniffing problems in a company, and your appointment didn’t cause any concerns. The share price confirms that. ”

She closes her eyes and leans back. She looks exhausted. Fuck, I wish I could take some of her load.

“It’s exhausting. I’m so worried I’ll make a wrong step, I want to throw up half of the time.” She looks at me, and the overwhelming need to fix everything for her rams through me like a freight train.

But she doesn’t need me to fix things for her. She might have been forced into shoes that don’t yet fit, but she will fill them just fine.

“It means you care, Seagull.”

She chuckles humorlessly. “Care about not making a fool of myself.”

“Can I take you out for lunch?”

My own words surprise me. That’s not what I came for. I planned to explain how I see our future, but suddenly it feels essential to spend time with her, sharing a meal.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Let me change your mind.”

She closes her eyes. “Okay, let’s go. Where are you taking me?”

If only I knew. “It’s your city; you choose.”

She stands up, studying me. “Have you just invited me for lunch without having reservations?”

I shrug.

“You didn’t plan this?”

I shrug again, and the corner of her lip twitches .

“Are you about to do something spontaneous?”

“A very smart person told me once that it’s good to try sometimes.” I turn to the door. “Now let’s go, because we’ll be late.”

“You said you have no reservations.” She grabs her purse.

“We still need to eat at noon.”

She laughs, and a bit of my uprooted life rearranges itself back into place.

“Where are we going?” Lily asks for the fifth time, this time not hiding her annoyance.

“We’re here.”

She looks around the street, and then up at the white stucco house. “What’s here?”

The door opens. “Mr. Quinn.”

I lightly touch Lily’s back to usher her up the few stairs. “Jonathan, this is my wife. Lily, Jonathan is showing us this house.”

She narrows her eyes, looking from me to the realtor and back. “Why?”

I follow her into the air-conditioned foyer. “Jonathan, could you give us a moment?”

“Of course. I’ll be in the kitchen.” He leaves us, and I take Lily’s hand to pull her into the sitting room .

It’s empty, like the rest of the house, but the light streaming from the street makes it inviting.

“I get it, Seagull.”

She cocks her head. “You get what?”

Fuck, again, I’m not saying the right words. “Last week, I didn’t understand why you would choose the life you ran from. Regardless, I decided to accept it. I found a school for the twins, and this morning, I officially told the new London CEO that she has no job. Well, not the one she wanted.”

Lily gasps, her hand flying to her mouth.

“I was going to buy this house and just bring you here, but—and I’m sorry it took me a moment—as I was making all these decisions that I refused just a month ago, I kept reminding myself that I’m doing it for us.

“But really for myself. That the need to be close to you is much stronger than my need to maintain the carefully planned status quo in New York. And it dawned on me, you wanting to stay here wasn’t about choosing your family and past full of trauma. You chose you. And that is so fucking sexy.”

She blinks a few times, and a tear rolls down her cheek. “You’re moving to London?” She utters the words slowly like they are too fragile.

“Yes.”

“Because of me?”

“Were you not listening, woman? I’m moving because of me. I want this. I want to be close to you, and I hope to God you decide to take me—take us—back, so really, I’m doing it for us. For my family.”

“Why?”

I step closer to cup her face. “Just because.”

“Just because,” she whispers.

We stare at each other, suspended in the tenderness of our uncertainty. Of the future that is unknown, unplanned. A future we are unprepared for, but so fucking ready for.

“Let’s look at the house.” She takes my hand.

Ten minutes later, we join Jonathan in the kitchen.

“We’ll take it,” I say.

“Wonderful. Congratulations.” He shakes Lily’s and then my hand. “I will contact the owner and get all the paperwork ready.”

“Can I have the keys now?” I suggest rather than ask.

“But we haven’t even drawn up the purchase agreement.”

“I’ll transfer the purchase price to your company’s escrow account. Give me the account number.”

“What?”

I sigh. “You heard me.”

Lily folds her arms across her chest, glowering at me. “Sorry, Jonathan.” She smiles at him.

But the man smells money, and dutifully types the banking information into my phone. I fire it off to my waiting lawyer.

“Can I have the keys now?” I’m being an asshole, but there is an urgency to my spiel.

Jonathan’s phone pings, and he checks it before he looks at me wide-eyed. “That’s ten percent above the agreed price.”

“A bit of an incentive to give me the keys and leave finally.”

“Declan,” Lily warns.

“Jonathan, technically I own this place, and you’re trespassing.”

His phone rings.

“That’s probably my lawyer to discuss the paperwork.” I gesture for him to answer.

“Hello?” He listens, and without disconnecting the call, he drops the keys into my hand and leaves.

“That was reckless. Not to say rude.” Lily turns to me.

“I couldn’t wait any longer.”

“To own a house?”

“To be alone with you.”