I want Cane O'Grady to want me back. That's all I want this Christmas.
I sigh as I leave their mansion and head back to the Vegas Strip to my father’s casino. When I enter my penthouse apartment, which is gorgeous and beautiful and luxurious, my whole heart feels empty because yes, it's magnificent and decadent and mine, but what's the point when I have no one to share it with? When I know exactly who I want to share it with?
I practically told him all of that tonight.
I swallow, looking at myself in my bathroom mirror, knowing I need to get dressed and ready for a night out on the town with my friends.
Fiona won't be joining us because she has plans with her husband. And so, as I look through my closet and consider my outfit, I know I want to be naughty, really, really naughty, because I know who's going to be at this casino tonight.
I know because I make a note every time my dad has dinner with Cane, because, yes, I am that level of stalker. If it’s creepy I don't care. I need to be in Cane’s orbit.
Dad and Cane are having dinner at his steakhouse tonight. And so I made plans with my friends at the cocktail bar next door.
So I put on this teeny-tiny silver dress. And I don’t put on any panties, and I'm not wearing a bra. I make sure I have on the brightest red lipstick and the darkest black liner. And I curl my long black hair.
I put on my highest heels and look at myself in the mirror. Yes, this looks good. This looks fucking great.
Fiona texts, "Have fun tonight. I hope you meet someone special."
I text her a photo of myself in my full-length mirror. "What do you think?" I ask.
"Holy fuck. You look incredible. Hope you meet someone extra special. XOXO."
She has no idea who I'm trying to lure. I sigh as I get into my elevator, heading back down to the lobby.
I find my friends, Clarissa and Jasper and Sebastian. They're my crew here on the Strip. They all live in Vegas, and they're always up for a good time, a wild time, though their wild is a little bit crazier than mine. But no judgment! I want to be as wild as them, and maybe I can get up the nerve to act on my desire tonight.
"You look smoking hot," Clarissa says.
"Thanks," I say, smiling, giving everybody air kisses. And we do our typical selfies, posting them online, though I don't care who sees. I don't care who likes or hearts or comments because I only have eyes for one man.
We order our drinks, have a few rounds. But when I excuse myself for the bathroom, I make sure to go the long way, past my dad's steakhouse.
I decide to pop by his favorite table. The wait staff all know me because, well, I'm the owner's daughter. And they let me through, of course, without a second glance. My dad waves the moment he sees me. "Darling," he says, "you look beautiful tonight."
"Thanks, Daddy," I say, leaning down to give him a kiss. "Hi, Mr. O'Grady," I say in the sweetest voice I can muster, "it's nice to see you again."
"You've seen each other recently?" my father asks.
Cane clears his throat. "She was over at the house earlier with Fiona. They were making Christmas cookies. You know, their tradition for the Christmas party tomorrow night."
My father smiles, "Right, you girls are such sweethearts."
"Well, my friends are over at the cocktail bar. So I just wanted to pop in and say hi. I love you, Daddy. Good to see you, Mr. O'Grady," I say, scrunching up my nose to be as coy as possible. They say goodbye. And I walk away ever so slowly. As I do, I look over my shoulder, making sure Cane notices where my eyes go. He does. I tilt my head to the side, and I walk into a single-stall bathroom. I don't lock it because I want him to join me.
God, I pray he does. Hope he does. I close my eyes. I make a Christmas wish.
A moment later, there's a knock. "Lucia."
It's him. His voice is low and gravelly, and I’d know it anywhere. He opens the door. He steps inside and locks it.
The walls are dark, velvet, red. The lights are dim.
We're alone in a small space of my father's steakhouse bathroom.
Private. Occupied. He's against the bathroom door. I wish it were me pinned there. I sit on the sink. My knees are apart. I let my teeny-tiny dress inch up on my thighs. I'm not wearing any panties. I hope he can see.
"What are you doing?" he asks.
"You know what I'm doing. I'm trying to seduce you."