Page 11 of Married to Mischief

“Will do.”

Chapter 5

Liam

“So,whatdidshesay?” I ask, the second Serena sits in the driver's seat.

“She gave me this.” She puts a book on the console between us and starts the car.

I pick up the book, caressing the frayed golden edges. “Do you know what this is?”

“Yeah, a second edition,” Serena says.

“And she justgaveit to you?” There has to be a catch. Never has someone given me a clue to a mystery for free. “What did she want in return?”

“Nothing.” Serena shrugs. “She said she was sick of it and the treasure. Apparently there are journal entries written throughout.”

Hmm. I flip through the pages until I find the first entry, though it’s not dated. It looks like a letter.

“To L.H.” I read it aloud. “May you find assurance in this love, doomed from the start, like ours. But someday the stars will align and we will be together. Until then, hold my words dear. C.M.”

So they arehisjournal entries. I turn the pages, reading the separate entries from Cillian to Lydia. They are each simple entries, stories or memories of them together. Poetry and love letters.

I read every word of his passionate love notes to Serena while we drive and when we stop at the next destination, my throat is raw and dry.

Serena turns off the car and sniffs.

I glance over at her. “Hold on. Are youemotional?”

“No!” She steels her features. “It’s allergies.”

I give her a look.

She throws a hand in the air. “It was romantic, okay? He was so in love with her, but they couldn’t be together.”

I nod, my jaw clenching. “He was a thief. She wasn’t.”

“It’s more complicated than that. He was on the run. She wanted a stable life.”

I raise a brow. “Is that what all women want?”

Serena looks over at me, seeing right through my little question. “Of course not—only the boring ones.”

“You want a life full of adventure then? Should we make out here too?”

She rolls her eyes. “Come on, scaredy cat. I don’t see any chickens in the jewelry store.”

“Only the men afraid of commitment.” I step out of the car and round it so I can offer her a hand to escort her inside like a real and true gentleman whocancommit. I am already committed to this woman at my side. Since the moment I found her again,when I didn’t even know she was Seraphina, I was drawn to her like two star-crossed lovers destined to collide.

I pull open the door, holding it for Serena to enter first. The jewelry store must be expensive because the clientele appears to be in their mid-fifties, and there is a waitress serving champagne to the shoppers.

“I feel a little out of place,” Serena hisses, tugging at her t-shirt.

“You belong everywhere, my love. You command every room you walk into.” As if on cue, several shoppers look over at us and I see a few men not so subtly check out my woman.

That simply won’t do. I drag Serena to my side, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “We just got engaged!”

Cheers greet us, a champagne bottle pops, and a young sales associate rushes up to us. “Let me assist you.”

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