The Ring Thief

1. Lily

Lily

I step through the balcony doors. A warm breeze brushes against my face and through my loose hair as I breathe in the briny scent of the ocean. I can hear the waves crashing gently against the golden shore, mingling with the crying gulls overhead, and I sigh.

It’s surreal being here, especially knowing that there’s nothing I have to do; nothing I have to plan. The tension eases out of my shoulders, and it feels like I can take a full breath for the first time in months.

I glance down at my hand, wrapped around the metal balustrade, and I spy the newly added wedding band. It shimmers brightly in the morning sun, perfectly matching the brilliant solitaire on my engagement ring.

There’s the sound of a footstep behind me, before a warm body slots up against mine, tanned forearms wrapping around my waist.

“Morning, wife,” Declan says, voice still rough from sleep.

I grin, eyes on the horizon. “Morning, husband.”

He smiles, leaning down to nuzzle my neck, forcing a shiver down my spine as his bristles scrape against my sensitive skin. “How’re you feeling this morning?”

“Glad that we chose Hawaii for our honeymoon,” I say. “I’m not missing the dreariness of home at all.”

He hums thoughtfully, resting his chin on the top of my head. “ You’ve been stressed the past week,” he murmurs quietly, his breath brushing over the hairs on top of my head. “The past month,” he corrects.

“I know.” I rest my hands on the top of his, tracing my fingers over the protruding veins. “It all got—” I pause, trying to find the right words but coming up blank. “It was a lot…the wedding. I didn’t expect it to be as big as it was. But your father?—”

His hands tense under mine. “Never misses the opportunity to schmooze, hm?” There’s an edge in his voice, a strain, that has me grimacing.

I turn in his hold, reaching up to wrap my arms around his neck as I take in the tousled blond hair and the tight corners of his mouth, matching the hardness in his rich brown eyes.

His father has always been a sore point for him, especially since he stepped down as CEO at Nexus Capital, a financial investment firm that Donald Masters built from the ground up.

Declan took on the mantle of CEO three years ago, but Donald still refuses to fully let go of control, micromanaging and interfering with Declan every step of the way.

Declan has never really opened up about it, but I got the sense that their relationship has always been a little brittle and icy. Though that’s not a surprise considering the kind of man Donald Masters is—cold, arrogant, and condescending.

I didn’t like him and was always relieved when I didn’t have to spend time with him.

“It doesn’t matter,” I tell him with a smile. “It’s done. We’re married. Which means you’re stuck with me forever.”

Something flashes across his face, too fast for me to catch, but then he’s leaning down, distracting me when his lips brush against mine.

“I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend forever,” he whispers.

He nips my bottom lip before his mouth slants fully against mine, his arms crushing my body into his.

By the time he pulls back, we’re both panting, and my panties are damp with arousal. Declan smiles, slow and wicked, his eyes dark with desire .

“What do we have planned for the day?” he asks huskily, lips swollen. “Because I’ve got a few ideas.”

A giggle escapes me as I waggle my eyebrows. “If it involves you, me and that bed—” I point back into our suite over his shoulder, “—then count me in.”

His smile widens and then he’s bending down, sweeping me into his arms, bridal style. “You read my mind, baby.”

We spent all day, and night, in bed together, before we finally ventured out the next morning, starting off our day with a full breakfast at the restaurant attached to the resort.

One side of the restaurant is made up of large glass sliding doors and they’re all open, giving customers access to the outdoor seating area and letting sunshine filter inside.

The place is crowded, but it doesn't take long for a server to get to us, and after she takes our order, Declan leans back in his chair, eyeing me.

“So, what’s on our itinerary for today? I think a couples massage should go on the list at some point…” He makes a show of stretching out his back and neck. “I’ve got some kinks I need to get worked out after the way you’ve been using me.”

I let out a choked gasp. “Using you? If anyone’s using anyone, it’s you using me!”

He laughs with an unrepentant grin, winking at me. “And I’ll use you some more, if you like.”

I stare at him, tempted to take him up on his offer, but after a moment, I shake my head. “We have a wine tasting tour booked to visit several of the local wineries.” I send him a pointed look. “I’d also like to actually go to the beach sometime today.”

“We’re here for two weeks, Lily,” he reminds me. “This is only our second full day.”

We had flown in late after the wedding, arriving with just enough energy left to fall into bed with each other and crashing…

hard. “I know, but it’s been so long since we’ve had time together, just the two of us.

An d now, without the wedding looming over us, I’m looking forward to just being together. ”

“We can be together in bed, too,” he says, just as the server appears with plates of food, her cheeks already blooming pink. My own face heats up when I realize she overheard us. Declan waits for her to leave then asks, “Why does it feel different now?” He reaches out, taking my hand in his.

“What, being married?” I seriously consider the question with furrowed brows, realizing that although we’ve been together a year, there’s a new layer to our relationship now.

“The permanency, maybe?” I say, glancing down at my rings, my hand still trapped in his.

“Before we could just walk away, but now…” I lift a shoulder.

“We still could, but now there’s paperwork. ”

“I do hate paperwork,” he says with a quirk of his eyebrow. There’s an intense expression on his face as his thumb brushes over my wedding rings, before he pulls back and picks up his cutlery, digging into his breakfast.

The conversation slips into something less intense as we eat. Afterwards, I get up and head for the bathroom, and by the time I come back, our table has been cleared, and Declan is staring down at his phone, his eyes narrowed.

I retake my seat, and he immediately looks up, setting his phone down and giving me a smile. “Everything okay?” I ask.

He tips his chin. “It’s just Carter,” he tells me, naming his COO and best friend.

He flicks another quick look at his phone, his brows twitching down.

But when he focuses back on me, his expression is clear, leaving me wondering if I imagined it.

“He just wanted to keep me updated on an issue the company is having, but he can handle it.”

“Alright,” I say easily. “The tour doesn’t start for another three hours. Should we go for a swim first?”

He grins, eyes heating. “A chance to get you in a bikini? How could I ever say no?”

The rest of the day passes by quickly, in a haze of wine, sunshine and water. By the time we head back to the resort, our skin is gritty with saltwater and I’m exhausted from the exertion of the day, the heat, and the wine we consumed .

We’d made reservations at the same restaurant from that morning, but Declan watches as I get changed into a flirty sundress, his eyes concerned.

“You sure you don’t want to just order room service?” he asks, coming over and tracing a finger down my cheek. “You look tired.”

I consider the offer seriously before shaking my head. “No. I think if we stay here, I’ll fall asleep and then there’s no way I’ll sleep later.”

“Okay,” he agrees easily, pulling me into a hug.

We stand still for a second, soaking each other in.

It doesn't take long before his hands are coasting over my body, making me shiver as they slide down to cup the globes of my ass.

He squeezes, his chest rumbling with a groan, even as I giggle, pushing him away.

“I was just giving you a taste of what you’ll be missing,” he tells me with a smirk. “Sure you don’t want to change your mind?”

“You can keep your tastes to yourself,” I say haughtily, and he laughs, following me as I slide some strappy sandals onto my feet and head out of the suite.

I’m relieved we decided to stick close to the resort for dinner, because even the walk to the restaurant has my feet aching after being on them all day.

Once we arrive, the hostess leads us to a table outside.

The sun has long since disappeared, but the air is still hot and humid against my skin, forcing me to lift the heavy fall of my hair off my neck as we sit down.

Our view of the ocean is unimpeded, the bright moon shining brightly over the rippling surface, giving it an ethereal feel, and I let out a heavy exhale.

“This place,” I murmur quietly, turning to thank the hostess as she slides a menu on the table in front of me. Declan makes a small noise of agreement, already looking at his menu. I smile as I pick mine up, knowing I want something light after sampling food at each winery we visited today.

After choosing a chicken salad, a server comes over to take our order and we sit back in a comfortable silence, right until Declan’s phone vibrates where he’s placed it on the table.

He glances at it, but doesn’t move to pick it up, turning his attention back to the view.

After a while it stops, and I flick a look at him, noticing a muscle jumping in his jaw .

I frown, but before I can ask, the phone starts up again, an incessant buzz that has his features tightening by the second.

“Is everything okay?” I ask.

As if my question is permission, he throws an apologetic glance at me and picks it up. His thumbs move rapidly over the screen before he sits back. But only a second later, and he’s furiously tapping something else out, his expression growing tight.

I wait patiently, but several minutes later, he’s still staring down at the phone, his scowl growing by the second. “Dec,” I say. “You promised.”

“Hm?” he murmurs distractedly, eyes still down.

“Declan.” At the firmness of my tone, he finally looks at me, expression falling at whatever he sees on my face. “No business, remember? You promised me.” I give him a tight smile. “Honeymoon, remember? Just us.”

He stares at me for a moment, phone clenched tightly in his hand, but then he exhales, shaking his shoulders out. “I’m sorry.” He lets out an aggrieved sigh. “Carter?—”

“Do you trust him?” I ask unwaveringly.

He blinks. “Of course.”

I stare at him, firm and uncompromising. “Then he can handle it for two weeks, right? It’s what he’s paid to do, after all.”

There’s a beat, his eyes shuttering, and then his expression softens as he tucks the phone away into his pocket. “You’re right, baby. No more business.”

Relieved, I lean across the table and grab both his hands in mine, smoothing my thumbs over his knuckles. “Thank you,” I say softly. “I just want to enjoy this time with you before we go back to reality.”

His eyes lock with mine, full of love, and something settles within me, the tension leaking away as he smiles.

“Me too,” he whispers meaningfully, squeezing my fingers. “I wish we could stay in this moment forever.”

“We’ll have lots of moments like this,” I assure him. “But only one honeymoon.” It’s another pointed reminder that slips out, and he gives an exaggerated wince .

“Okay, okay,” he says playfully. “I promise, you’ve got my full attention. You’re more important than anything else, Lily.”

Not even another minute passes by before I hear his phone start vibrating again, and his expression darkens, the peace of the moment disappearing as fast as it had come.

He offers me an apologetic look, pulling out the phone long enough to silence it, but an uneasiness lingers in my stomach, making me wonder if I’m reading too much into his inattention.

Or not reading into it enough.