Nyxie stared at him, remembering her previous punishment for not accepting his gifts graciously.
“Thank you, I’m sure I’ll love your surprise,” she said, with a painted-on smile and a knot in her stomach.
Declan sighed and picked up his fork. “Have you given any more thought to removing the birth-control implant? Now that you’ve agreed to stay married, I see no reason to postpone having our first child. We can wait on the other kids if you want, but I think the sooner the better on the first one.” He stabbed at his salad, and put the first bite in his mouth, grinning at her as he began chewing.
“You’re always in such a hurry. Can’t we wait to see how we’re getting along before we commit to something so life-changing?”
“I have already thought this through, baby. Despite the laws about community property in Texas, I’m afraid if something happened to me, my parents would try to take my inheritance away from you.”
“I’d probably just let them have it. They have more claim to it than I do. I never even met your grandparents.”
“And that’s exactly why you will never be executor of my will. My parents will go after that money and especially since you’ve gone around telling everyone I married you to get your kids back, you’re going to lose. We need to have the baby to show this is a real marriage. When the baby is born, we will have a paternity test done to prove its mine. They would have no compunction about taking money from you, but I don’t think they would take it from my child’s mother.”
Nyxie took the fork from his hand, placing it on his plate. Her touch was gentle as she wrapped her fingers around his and guided them to her upper arm.
Declan used flat fingers to feel for the implant. “You had Emily remove it?”
A small chagrined smile came to her lips. “Of course. Once you’ve set your heart on something, I knew you wouldn’t give up until you changed my mind.”
Chapter 21
After their meal, Declan drove Nyxie to a high-end jeweler. It was the kind of place where one had to ring the doorbell to be let in, and even then, they preferred that their customers make an appointment.
“You will pick out the set you like best,” he said in his Dom voice as he helped her out of the BMW. “If you don’t, I will tell them to give you the most expensive set they sell. Are we clear?”
“Yes, dear.”
If this had been a punishment, Declan could not have chosen anything her she hated more. Spending money on frivolities such as jewelry felt like a waste of money to her. She had automatically decided she would pick the cheapest one regardless of its beauty or lack thereof.
A woman in a well-tailored suit opened the door when they approached. “Dr. Stryker?” she asked, extending her hand to him. She introduced herself as Felicia.
“Thank you for staying open late for us.”
“We're happy to accommodate our customers. Especially for a special occasion like picking out a wedding set. Congratulations,” she said with a wide smile that seemed sincere. She pulled the door closed behind them and locked it. “Every piece of jewelry we sell is unique and made in-house. Are we designing something from scratch for you today?”
“I’m hoping to leave with the rings tonight. We have a formal party tomorrow evening and I’d like for us to wear our wedding rings.”
The woman ushered them to a well-lit seating area with a table and a freestanding mirror on top. She moved the mirror aside and Nyxie assumed it was there for the use of people buying necklaces and earrings.
“What size do you wear, Mrs. Stryker?”
Nyxie resisted the urge to look around for Declan’s mother. She cast a glance at Declan hoping he’d answer for her. “A small, maybe?”
The woman tamped down a smile and examined Nyxie’s hand, making Nyxie want to hide her uneven fingernails away. “You do have small hands. Maybe a size five or six. Let me get my sizer.”
The woman disappeared through an open doorway into the back of the store, making Nyxie realize most people probably knew their size when they entered the jewelers.
“You look miserable,” Declan said, seeing the color staining her cheeks and the way she drew her lips between her teeth.
“It’s not too late to go to Walmart.”
“It was too late, once you said, I do. If you didn’t want me to spend money on rings, you shouldn’t have given your first set to my mother.”
Detecting the irritation in his tone, Nyxie felt a lump form in her throat and struggled to swallow it down.
“They were obviously precious to her.”
“They were precious to me too. My grandmother wanted my wife to have them, not my mother. Major knew the rings were mine. She just didn’t want you to pawn them.”
Nyxie gasped; she had no idea how little the woman thought of her until that moment. It was disheartening to think she made that low of an impression. “I would never….”
“When she gets to know you better, I hope she’ll give them back. And no, that’s not an excuse to get out of this.”
She cast a small chagrined smile at him. “Reading my mind now?”
“It’s not hard.”
Felicia came back and Nyxie tried on plastic rings until she found the one that fit best. The woman brought a tray of wedding sets for her to peruse and try on. Looking at her choices, Nyxie pointed out the one with the smallest diamond. It was a round brilliant cut solitaire in a platinum setting. “You have excellent taste,” the woman praised. “That diamond is as close to perfect as you can find.”
Nyxie’s plan to choose the least expensive set fell through when she realized none of the rings had prices on them. It was out of her experience to pick out a ring on the aesthetics. All the rings were beautiful. When she bought clothing, it was based on three things: price, if it looked like it would fit, and if there was still life left in the garment.
“Is that the one you like?” Declan asked.
Nyxie shook her head. “I like the way it’s not overly flashy, but I’m afraid the way it’s mounted with a high profile like that, I’ll knock off the diamond. I think I like the ones where the diamonds are more inlaid into the setting. I would like it small and maybe just one stone. I don’t really like the ones that have all these little diamonds covering the surface.”
“Pavé,” the woman supplied. “I think I may have just what you want. We recently acquired some estate jewelry. We planned to reset the diamonds in a more modern setting. Do you like Art Deco styling?”
“I like Art Deco architecture. I haven’t seen much of the jewelry.”
Felicia began describing the rings using words such as asscher, trillion, and baguette. Nyxie nodded and pretended she understood.
The woman disappeared into the back room and returned a minute later hand-buffing a pair of rings in a cloth. “Because of the design, these rings can’t be sized, but if you like them, and they don’t fit, we can remake them in-house, but it’ll take a few weeks.”
She handed the rings to Nyxie. The narrow platinum wedding band had five rectangular beveled-edge diamonds inlaid in the band. The engagement ring bore a square cut diamond with two triangular stones flanking it and a pair of rectangular stones that matched the wedding band. Other than the beveled edges, the stones did not have all the facets cut into them like most of the modern stones. It was the geometry and the cleanness of design that appealed to Nyxie.
“Try them on,” the woman encouraged.
Her hands trembled as she slipped them onto her finger. “They’re beautiful,” she said, her voice airy with awe.
Declan leaned close to her, putting his arm around her shoulders and his head next to hers, so he could see them better. “How do they fit?” he asked.
“Slightly large, but not so loose that I’m worried I’ll lose them.”
He nodded. “A little loose is good. Many women can’t wear their wedding rings when they get pregnant. Maybe it won’t be an issue for you if the rings are a little big. So you’ve made up your mind?”
�
��I’d be happy with just the band,” she said, making him want to rub his temples.
“They come as a set.” Declan turned to the woman. “Do you have a band for me that looks like it goes with her rings?”
The woman’s face went blank as her mind began running through the inventory, “What size?”
“Eleven.”
The woman had a look of concentration on her face as she approached a large safe and pulled out a tray. “There are only two rings I can think of that might pair well with it—other than a plain band. This one,” she said, pointing as she placed the tray in front of them. “It has a few diamonds in the channel of the setting. Of course, you can see the diamonds are round, not baguette cut and not touching as they are in Mrs. Stryker’s rings. The other ring has no stones, but the shape of her diamonds is reflected in the etched Celtic knot design.”
Declan automatically dismissed the ring with the diamonds. He couldn’t say if he would wear the rings at work, but the crevices could certainly harbor all manner of germs and the diamonds could snag holes in gloves during a routine exam if he didn’t remove the ring. He looked more closely at the Celtic design and could see why the woman would pair it with Nyxie’s ring. It had a square knot in the center, flanked by two triangular knots and repeated rectangle knots around the band.
Declan put it on and lifted her hand next to his to see them together. “What do you think?” he asked softly, leaning towards her.
She nodded. “I like it. They look good together without being too matchy.”
“We’ll take them.”
~*~
As they pulled out of the parking lot, Declan laughed. “Only you could buy secondhand rings from a place that only sells custom jewelry.”
“I love my rings. The fact that they are estate jewelry makes them even better in my eyes. Do you like them?”
“Honestly?” he asked with an inflection in his voice that made her think he didn’t. “I think they were the most beautiful rings in the place. I love the clean lines of the baguette cuts and the Art Deco styling. I think they suit you perfectly.”
A grin formed dimples on her cheeks as she admired the rings. “I need to get a jewelry box to put them in—unless you have a safe deposit box you would rather I use.”
He saw her reach for the rings as if she intended to take them off. “Leave them on. I didn’t buy them for you to put them in a box.”
“But what if I lose them?”
“Are they so loose that they would come off without pulling?”
“No.”
“Then the only way you can lose the rings is by taking them off. You are a responsible adult. You’re not going to lose them. I see no reason why you can’t leave them on twenty-four/seven.”
“Even when I sleep and bathe?”
“It’s up to you, but I see no problem with it. Besides, I like the idea of other men knowing you’re married.”
His admission made her smile. “Men do not look at me like that.”
“Sure they do. You’ve just been too harried to notice.”
She chose not to argue the point. There was no way to prove it one-way or the other.
Declan picked up his phone at a stoplight as they neared their townhouses. Lotus’s name came up on the radio display as the phone call connected.
Nyxie’s eyes grew wide as she turned to face him. “They’re probably already in bed,” she said.
“It’s barely 9:00 o’clock.”
“Ms. Kiki is a stickler about the girls’ schedule.”
“Hello?” Lotus said in a loud whisper making Declan turn up the volume.
“Hey, Princess Lotus Blossom, want some ice cream?” He turned and winked at Nyxie, and was rewarded with a wide smile and a blush.
“What?”
“You and Reina like ice cream, don’t you?”
“Yeah,” she said sounding confused.
“Well, then, let’s go to Baskin Robbins. We’ll be home in a few minutes to get you.”
“Ms. Kiki already made us go to bed,” she said petulantly.
“So? Put on your shoes and meet us downstairs. I’ll deal with Kiki if she has a problem with it. We’ll be there in two minutes.”
“We’re in our jammies.”
“No one will care. Hurry. Maybe we can leave before Kiki knows you’re out of bed.”
“Okay, bye.”
They were around the corner, but needed to switch cars to accommodate the girls.
He pressed the button to the garage and as they pulled around to the driveway in the back, they could see the door lifting.
“Do you have the keys to your car?” he asked Nyxie.
“My keys are on the kitchen counter.”
“That’ll work.”
He pulled into his garage and they used the keypad to enter her side. Nyxie expected the girls to spill out the door the minute they heard the door lifting and wondered if they were having problems with the alarm.
As soon as they stepped inside the kitchen to grab the keys, she realized the problem. Ms. Kiki was sitting on the sofa watching TV.
“Have a nice time?” she asked.
From their vantage point, Declan and Nyxie could see the girls poised on the steps, just out of Ms. Kiki’s view.
“Very,” Declan said. “Come on down girls. We thought we’d take the girls for a little ice cream. Can we get you some?”
“I don’t eat that sort of thing this time of night.”
“Suit yourself.”
The girls slowly descended the stairs. “Lotus certainly doesn’t need a treat after her behavior while you were gone. She was rude to me several times.”
“Lotus!” Nyxie said.
Declan put his hand on Lotus’s shoulder and walked her over to the nanny. “Apologize,” he said, leaning over and speaking into the girl’s ear.
“Sorry,” she mumbled.
“I don’t think so,” Declan said. “You need to tell her what you did that you are apologizing for.”
Lotus looked at him, her face showing confusion.
“You know, I’m sorry for acting bratty or slamming the door.”
“I forgive you, Papa,” Lotus said with an impish grin, and wrapped her arms around his middle in a hug.
Declan had to tamp down his smile at her silliness and pulled her arms away.
“Apologize to Kiki or no ice cream.”
Lotus turned to face the woman, her lips drawn between her teeth. “I’m sorry I told you to wait when you told me to go to bed. I just wanted to finish painting my nails.”
“Markers,” Kiki said, looking at Declan. “She was drawing on her nails with markers.”
“She made me wash it all off,” Lotus said, holding the back of her hands for him to see.
“That’s when Lotus called me, ‘a witch with a capital B.’”
Declan nudged Lotus’s shoulder. “Apologize.”
“I’m sorry I called you a witch with a capital B.”
Lotus and Declan waited for Ms. Kiki to accept the apology.
“The best way for you to prove to me you mean it, is to not repeat the behavior.”
Apparently, Ms. Kiki didn’t understand how this worked. Declan’s whole body tightened in irritation. “You girls go wait for me in the car.”
After Nyxie ushered the girls into the garage, Declan turned back to the nanny. He picked up the tumbler on the table and sniffed the milky brown contents. “White Russian?” he asked.
“It was a rough day.”
“You are on duty when no one else is here to watch the girls. You are not allowed to drink when you are working, or if you will be left alone with the girls later in the day.”
“They were in bed,” she said defensively.
“I don’t give a shit. You are on the clock. My house, my dime, my rules. What if one of the girls had suddenly gotten ill and spiked a high fever? Would you have driven them to the ER under the influence?”
“I’m not impaired.”
�
��If it happens again, you’re fired.”
The woman crossed her arms over her chest. “It was only one drink.”
“Do we need to random drug and alcohol test you?”
“Of course not. I didn’t think it would be a problem since the girls were in bed. I guess I was wrong.”
“Surely, your other employers did not allow it.”
Kiki’s lips briefly pursed. “I didn’t need a drink at the end of the day with other children. These girls have had no structure in their lives. They have no manners. They only want to eat garbage and Nyxie encourages it.”
“This is not about Mrs. Stryker or those girls. You are being paid to watch three kids. If you can’t handle it without alcohol, you will need to move on. You’re only watching the two girls now. When Cody’s out of the hospital are you going to be able to take care of all three?”
“Of course. Nevertheless, you need to understand right now, I am not a nurse. I am not going to take on nursing duties, if that’s what you expect.”
“Other than making sure he takes his medications on schedule while you’re in charge, you shouldn’t have any nursing duties. That’s not too difficult for you, is it?”
“It’s not that any of it is too difficult, it’s that I’m being paid to be the nanny, not his nurse.”
“If he requires any further nursing care, I will hire a nurse,” Declan said, and turned to leave.
“When can I expect the deadbolt to be installed on my door?”
He stopped and slowly turned back. “Deadbolt?”
“Nyxie said she would talk to you about it.”
She hadn’t. “I would not install a deadbolt in my home for which I didn’t have a key. So what’s the point? I will make sure the kids know to stay out of your room and neither my wife nor I will enter without cause.”
“You can’t just enter my room anytime you want.”
“You want to bet?”
Chapter 22
“Nyxie, will you at least try to relax,” Declan said as they rode in his BMW to the fundraiser. “You look beautiful.”
“She nervously strummed her new acrylic nails against each other, making a distracting sound. Declan had asked her to have her nails done before the event, so she wouldn’t feel self-conscious about her nails if she wanted to show off her rings. She had taken Lotus and Reina with her to the salon and the girls had gotten manicures with pale pink lacquer, and Nyxie had hers painted red to go with her red-soled heels and deep cherry-red lipstick.
The Love He Craves (The Love She Craves: Selling Her Soul to Declan Book 2) Page 19
