Mr. Park Lane (The Mister)

“The Luca-Kent Foundation?” I asked.

“I renamed it,” he said, handing me his phone. He’d pulled up an email from his lawyer confirming the name change. He was the sweetest, most romantic man. Far better than any fantasy I might have had at seventeen.

“I don’t need to have my name on the notepaper. I just want the foundation to get the money.”

“Well, you’re the person who inspired the foundation, so it’s only fitting that it bears the Kent name. And anyway, I hope Luca-Kent will be our name before too long.”

I tried to ignore the warm swirl in my belly. We talked about the future all the time, about having children and growing old together. But I knew the topic of marriage was a sensitive issue for Joshua. He’d been burned so very badly by Diana. “You know that a piece of paper saying we’re together forever isn’t something I need.”

“Maybe not. But it’s something I want. And I hope you do too.”

I glanced over at Beck and Stella, who were both grinning at us like absolute loons.

I turned back to Joshua and pressed my hand on his chest. “I would love to be a Luca-Kent.”

“And no, this isn’t a proposal because I’m working on something”

“Maybe I’ll save you the bother and take matters into my own hands.”

“That would be so much fun,” Stella said.

“I’m warning you, though,” Joshua said. “I want a big, lavish wedding. I’m the luckiest guy on the planet and I want the entire world to know about it. I want to watch you walk down the aisle toward me.”

I wrapped my arms around him. There was so much unsaid beneath his words. He trusted me. He knew that I would never leave him, never humiliate him—and it felt good, because I loved him just as much as he loved me.

“I can live with that.” If it was important to him, it was important to me.

Another three months later

Joshua

I’d been planning this moment for months. I couldn’t wait to see Hartford’s face when she saw what I’d done to our bathrooms.

“Have you put in a barbeque or something?” Hartford stopped walking and stood with her hands on her hips, blindfolded.

“Maybe I built one in your bathroom.” I tugged on her hands, encouraging her into our bedroom. “Keep walking.”

She started to move again. Just a few more steps and she’d be in our bedroom. “You know I think it’s completely insane that we have our own bathrooms.”

Tonight would be the first night we slept in our new house. Over the past week, we’d moved all our things in and were all finally set up to spend the night. “It’s not insane. It’s good for resale value and it’s practical.”

There was only one part of our new home that Hartford hadn’t seen—the en suite bathrooms to our bedroom. She’d given me free reign and I’d made the most of it.

“The fact that I have to take so many steps just to get into our bedroom means this place is way too big.” She sighed. “But I do love it. Okay, we hit carpet, can I take this blindfold off yet?”

“Nope. Not yet.” I coaxed her forward until she crossed the threshold into her bathroom. The music I’d chosen was playing at the perfect volume and I pivoted her so the shutters wouldn’t be the first thing she saw. I just had a couple more things to do. “Right. Stay right there.”

Quickly I undressed and wrapped a towel around my waist.

“Is that Natasha Bedingfield playing?”

I grinned. I wasn’t sure if she’d remember. “Yeah.”

“It’s the track that played all summer the year you left for university.” She smiled and I could tell she was remembering those long summers of our childhood full of endless days of sunshine, tennis, and first crushes that became lifetime loves.

Nothing passed this woman by. Thank God I was lucky enough to be the man who got to try to keep up with her.

I liked the idea that when I got to the end of my life, I would have known my wife since the beginning. That we’d have lived so long in each other’s lives. No one would ever know me better.

“I need to get you naked,” I said.

“With the blindfold on?”

“Yeah, but it’s not as kinky as it sounds.” She was wearing a shirt and jeans, so I set about undressing her. When she was fully naked, reluctantly, I helped her on with a brand new fluffy white robe I’d ordered, Luca-Kent embroidered on the chest. I wondered how long it would take her to notice that.

I took a deep breath and slipped off the mask. “Your bathroom, m’lady.”

She broke into a smile but she wasn’t looking at the bathroom. Her gaze was fixed firmly on me. “I love it.”

I chuckled. “You haven’t even glanced at the room.”