Page 26 of A Convenient Ring to Claim Her

“I’m not sure what you mean,” she prevaricated. Her heart quivered with apprehension.

“Eden told me she’s my half sister, Quinn. She said that Yasmine found out the day she joined the three of you in Gibraltar. She said Yasmine was still in shock and went across to your room when Eden and Remy had gone to theirs. She told you everything, yes? That’s why you threw our relationship under the bus, to keep me from finding out she was my sister before she was ready for me to hear it. What did you think I was going to do to her? Blame her?Hurther? I’m not like him!” He swore and pushed his finger and thumb into the corners of his eyes, muttering, “I work so damned hard not to be like him.”

“Oh, God, Micah,” she breathed, instantly aching for him. For Yasmine, too, and for Remy who had carried the secret of his sister’s conception for years.

“You weren’t in a fit state to hear it,” she said gently. “You know you weren’t. With Remy right there? You thought he was conning Eden out of her company by marrying her. You weren’t ready to learn this entire war started because your father did something heinous to his mother. So yes, I changed the conversation. I admitted you and I had sex. Big deal.”

“I’m the only man you’ve ever had sex with. It is a big deal.” He was practically shouting and pointed at the floor.

She rolled her lips inward, surprised he’d put that together and more than a little chagrined that it was true.

“Look. I won’t betray Yasmine’s confidence, but the things she said were just processing. Everything she had thought she knew about herself took a sharp turn so she had a lot to work through. She was curious about you, though. That’s why she talked to me. She wanted my take on what kind of person you were.”

“What did you say?” His hands went into the pockets on his trousers. His posture seemed tense.

“Nothing personal. I told her that even though I’ve known you a long time, I don’t know you that well—”

“Really,” he scoffed.

“It’s true,” she insisted even as her throat grew dry. “We don’t exactly share secrets.”

“You knew this secret aboutmebeforeIdid.” His finger pointed about, assigning blame to invisible people for that. “Why the hell wouldn’t you tell me yourself?”

The crack in his voice fractured her heart.

“When?” she asked helplessly. “You weren’t in a mood for explosive revelations when you arrived in Gibraltar. I’ve texted you three times since then, asking if you wanted to talk.”

“You almost told me today. Didn’t you?” he challenged.

She had. It made her cringe with shame.

“I was tempted, but I was angry. This news isn’t a weapon. I know it hurts to hear it, Micah. That’s why I took one for the team at Eden’s wedding.”

“Whose team?” he muttered, and rearranged his features with his hand again, still spitting out curses under his breath. “Remy told Yasmine I wasn’t speaking to Eden so she told them to tell me. What am I supposed to do with this information? My father assaulted their mother. No wonder their whole family has been out to get me all these years. What if there are more children out there?” His hands went up as if that had just occurred to him.

“It’s a lot,” she murmured. “But you can’t make sense of it if you’re exhausted. You need to sleep.”

“I can’t.” He paced a few steps, scrubbing his hair again. “I’m too keyed up.”

“Well, I can’t sleep with you hovering like the grim reaper. Go home.” She wasn’t supposed to sleep flat yet, but she was a side sleeper so lowered the head of the bed a little and shuffled, trying to get her good shoulder under her a little.

Micah came to stand over her, hands on his hips, shoulders sloped with defeat.

“What? You paid for the bed so you want to share it?”

“No. I want you to stay up and fight,” he admitted without heat. “I’m still really angry with you for hiding the truth and saying what you did without asking me first. But you need your sleep so yes. If you’re sleeping like that, there’s room on this side.”

“You’re unbelievable. You know that?”

“I know what you’re like, Quinn. If I go home, I’ll come back to an empty room and I won’t see you until Eden’s baby shower.” His voice was gruff, but he was infinitely careful as he dropped his shoes and settled in behind her.

She didn’t deny that she would absolutely leave if she could. Or admit that having him behind her like that created a nice, warm brace for her to lie back against. He curled his arm under her pillow and she snuggled deeper into the crevice he created.

She had always wanted to sleep with him, but had invariably claimed she didn’t want to get caught in his room. In reality, sleeping together was too intimate. It was the ultimate vulnerability. The ultimate bonding exercise. Lying close with him like this was comforting and made her feel like he would keep her safe forever.

Which was an illusion.

“Why did they let you stay all night here?” she asked truculently.

---