Wren tugs me up the stairs. I stumble behind him until he turns to wrap his arm around my waist, lifting me like I’m weightless with just the one arm, and placing me in front of him. His hands go to my waist as he guides me, softly urging me to move fast and escape the whistles and catcalls that are breaking out behind us.
My body is almost vibrating with adrenaline. I’m fairly sure my heart is trying to beat out of my chest.
“Sorry,” he says again when we top the stairs.
My heart is racing, my body is aching for more, that was the best kiss I’ve ever had, and he’s sorry. Fantastic.
“I thought you weren’t much of one for PDA,” I mumble, resisting the urge to shove him against the wall and resume the damn kiss that he’s so sorry about.
I look over to see him frowning, his eyes trained on the massive hallway in front of us.
“I’m… not.”
He clears his throat and tugs at his tie as though it’s choking him. Then his hand slides back down to my waist as he continues guiding me. His grip is strong on my hip, and he keeps our sides touching, as though we’re supposed to be pushed close together inside this wide hallway full of endless doors.
For someone who isn’t big on public displays of affection, he never seems to stop touching me. And that kiss certainly wasn’t meant for the public eye. Hell, we’re not dating, and he’s very hands-on. Erica must have expected him to screw her in front of everyone if she didn’t think he was affectionate enough in front of people.
“She should be two doors down from my room here,” he says, still seeming a little tense and possibly… angry?
“Are you mad?”
His look softens immediately, and that grin he has mastered slips into place. “Of course not. Just… I shouldn’t have caved to peer pressure.”
He laughs as though it’s funny, and I force a smile. That didn’t feel like a kiss to appease the crowd. That felt passionate, hot, and so damn real. I stupidly keep forgetting how dangerous Wren Prize is to me.
Two men in black suits stand guard in front of a door, and before I can ask, Wren motions to them. “They’re just security. Mom never takes chances.”
Wow. Talk about culture shock.
Both men grunt greetings to Wren and nod toward me as they step aside to let us by. Wren pushes through the door, and my breath catches in my throat. Diamonds and pink lace are everywhere, and right in the middle is my perfect girl and the other little girl that I assume is Carrie Sterling. An elderly lady smiles warmly at me from her spot on a rocking chair as she pauses something on the TV.
“Hey, Mommy,” Angel says sweetly, but she’s watching me like I’ve come to tear her away from the fun.
“We just came to see if you girls are ready to join the party.”
Angel looks to Carrie, and she shakes her head to the silent question that has been passed. Wren bites back a grin when Angel turns to shake her head as well.
“We want to play here some more.”
I look down at the dolls and the magnificent dollhouse they’re playing with. Holy shit. That thing looks so real.
“Are you sure? Your grandmother seemed to think you wanted to make a big debut.”
Carrie looks down, clearly not one to talk to strangers, and Angel answers again.
“Carrie doesn’t like being around crowds of people. I like it up here. And there aren’t dollhouses down there. Can we please just stay up here?”
Wren smiles over at me, shrugging as though he has no input.
“Greta, if you’re tired, I can stay up here with them,” Wren tells the elderly lady who laughs loudly.
“Tired? I dealt with two rambunctious boys that were constantly at war when I cared for you. Then three boys when Tag came along. These girls are a godsend. I’m not tired in the least. Go on back to the party. You two have a good night. From what I hear, this one deserves a night off,” the kind lady says while motioning to me.
“Mommy works too hard,” Angel confirms, smiling over at me. “And Wren needs to learn what fun is. His house is so boring.”
Wren chokes on a laugh as I stifle a smile.
“It’s gotten better,” he says, mocking offense.
“A little,” she admits. “Can Carrie come over and play with us some?”
Carrie’s eyes immediately dart to Wren’s, and he nods to the little girl who smiles at him.
“Of course. Carrie’s your second cousin, so she’s family, and our family is always hanging out. In fact, we’ll all be…”
His voice trails off, and he doesn’t finish that statement.
“We’ll let you get back to having fun,” Wren says instead of finishing what he was going to say, his smile forced now.