A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime(141)

Wren cried both days of the auction, too overcome at the loss of all that art. She doesn’t know about the piece I bought for her at a different auction, a piece her mother spotted in the Sotheby’s catalog and called me right away to tell me about it.

She will soon enough though. As in tonight.

We’ve traveled all over Europe. Spent a month in Japan. A summer in the Canadian mountains. Two weeks in Switzerland. We return to home base because it’s necessary, and Wren likes to catch up with Maggie, and Lara and Brooke, who are all going to college in New York City. Plus, she wants to spend time with her mother.

Her relationship with her father still isn’t the best, and there was even a period where she didn’t talk to him at all, but they’re speaking more now. She even went and saw him yesterday for Christmas Eve, which was a huge step. He’s living with Veronica, who no longer works for him. She hates art, but she does love spending Harvey’s money.

Figures.

It’s not trendy, spending the holidays in the Hamptons, but my mother has always wanted to be more of a trendsetter. More like she’s adopted that Lancaster trademark I don’t give a shit attitude the rest of us have.

Wren’s mother is here as well, because I asked her to come. I want her to witness what is about to happen tonight, because it’s a game changer.

A life changer.

“Okay, ta da!” Wren kicks the door open, and she throws her arms out, that dress clinging to her sexy as fuck body, just like I knew it would.

My gaze roams over her, not sure where to land first. “Holy shit.”

“What do you think?” She turns, revealing that the back of the dress is completely open before she whirls back around to face me. “You like? Oh, I can already tell you do.”

I lunge for her, my hands on her waist, my mouth on hers. She presses her hands on my chest, holding me off yet again. “Where’s your shirt?”

“In the closet where you were.”

She slides her hands down, her fingers curling around the waistband of my trousers. “I think you should go to Christmas dinner just like this.”

“Fine.” I tug on the neckline of her dress, the stretchy material moving freely, until one perfect tit is hanging out. “And you get to go like this.”

“I don’t think so.” She lets go of me and tucks herself back in, mock glaring at me. “You need to finish getting ready.”

As I get dressed, I do my best to ignore the nerves growing within me, hoping this too observant girl doesn’t figure me out just yet. She’s seemingly oblivious, her good mood wearing off on me, until I can’t help but smile too.

This is what she does to me. Makes me happy. Lifts me up. Doesn’t let me get away with being a total asshole—most of the time. She’s sweet and fun and smart and interesting and I enjoy spending every day with her.

And though we’re young and she’s only just turning twenty fucking years old, I know without a doubt, I don’t want to live my life without her. I need to make things official.

Hopefully, she’ll say yes.

We eventually leave the guest room we’re sharing and head downstairs to the formal dining room, where everyone is waiting. Drinks in hand and appetizers readily available. Wren’s mother is talking with Alyssa, who is very pregnant with Grant’s baby—a girl. Just knowing he’s going to bring a female into the world has changed my brother completely. He’s nicer to all women, and won’t let our father say one bad word about the first grandchild being a girl.

Even though he wants to, the misogynistic old bastard.

Finn came to the Hamptons alone—perpetually single and happy about it. Charlotte is with her husband Perry, and though they’ve been through a lot, they look happy. In love.

Dad is slinging back scotch and Mother is fussing over the flower centerpieces. Wren goes to help her—my girl still loves to fuss too—and while she’s distracted, I make sure the piece I had delivered earlier is where I instructed it to be placed. I check my pocket to make sure the ring is still there, and yeah, it hasn’t grown legs and ran off.

Fuck, I’m nervous.

“I have an announcement,” I call to the room and everyone turns to look at me, questioning expressions on their faces.

Especially Wren’s.

Praying like hell I don’t fuck up my prepared speech, I launch into it.

“So there was a girl I didn’t know who walked onto campus our freshman year, and I thought she was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. I hated her on sight.”

My brothers laugh. So does my father. My mother just sighs and shakes her head.

Wren smiles at me, already knowing this story.

“There was something about her that I saw in myself, though I never truly believed we had anything in common. How could we? She was the complete opposite of me, or so I thought. Until we had psychology together our senior year. And our teacher paired us up for a project. I learned a lot about her, and she learned a lot about me. And yeah, we were also drawn to each other, so now here we are. Together for the last two years. The best two years of my life.” I smile at her, and she smiles in return, her expression suddenly nervous too.

Does she know what I’m about to do?

“I realized that what I saw in her before wasn’t what I saw in myself. Not at all. Wren isn’t like me. She’s an actual part of me. And I can’t imagine my life without her in it.”