“Ready or not, here I come,” I called, pretending that I didn’t know where he was hiding, even though it was obvious. I could see the twitch of the curtains from across the room.

I scouted around, playing like I was checking around every corner and behind every couch as he watched me from behind the drapes.

“He must be around here somewhere,” I said, getting closer and closer.

Again, the curtain twitched. Again, I played ignorant.

“That boy of mine is so good at hiding.”

I leapt across the room, pulling the drapes apart with a cheer.

“Found him,” I laughed and scooped him up in my arms.

“Daddy found me!” he said, giggling.

I was spinning him around when my beautiful wife appeared in the doorway. It was enough to stop me in my tracks, because fuck, she took my breath away.

Her blonde hair was cascading down around her shoulders, and her heels gave her hips the sway I adored, but that wasn’t it, though. That wasn’t what made the moment one of the most magnificent I’d ever known.

Elaine was wearing the gold dress. The gold dress she’d been wearing the very first time I’d caught sight of her at her sister’s birthday party, when I’d snuck into the Constantine mansion. Holy shit, the sight of her slammed me right back there.

I could feel the vicious longing that had possessed me enough to stalk her into the bathroom, throwing her up against the wall when she was an enemy I wanted to destroy. Jesus Christ, the memories. They ate me up in a heartbeat.

Elaine knew exactly how I’d be feeling as she crossed the room.

“Mommy!” Arlo cheered, holding his arms wide. She scooped him from me with a grin.

The dirty twinkle in her eyes when she looked at me said more than words ever could. She knew what she was doing with that gold masterpiece of a ball gown. My wife was a siren. She knew how to play the game of me. Of Lucian Morelli. Right to the core of my filthy heart.

“Hey, little guy,” she said to Arlo. “Are you excited for Santa Claus?”

He nodded. “Yep! I want to see Rudolph!”

“Maybe you’ll see him flying across the sky with all the other reindeer,” she told him. “Santa is very quiet, though. He might sneak into your room without you even seeing him.”

Arlo pulled a face. “I want to see him. I’m going to see him.”

I loved the determination in him. The want for his desires that possessed him. He sure got that from his daddy.

I was already dressed up and ready to go to the party. I had my tuxedo on and my hair styled slick, all prepped to make an impression at the ball.

“Daddy sure looks lovely tonight,” Elaine said, dropping Arlo onto his feet.