"You okay, old man?" He chuckles. I give him a death stare. "Sorry, Cane," he says. "Do you want me to spot you?"
I shake my head. "No," I tell him. "I'm done for the day."
I jump in the swimming pool and do laps for an hour. When I've worn myself out, I tell my housekeeper that I'm going to sleep for the rest of the morning, that I don't want to be disturbed.
She tells me that's fine, that the caterers will be here soon for the holiday party, that the decorators are already in the ballroom. I say that's fine, but I'm not to be bothered.
I close my blinds. I get back in my bed. I sleep, refusing to think of Lucia because I know if I do, I'll just be tormenting myself again. I need to get some rest because the party is today and this house, it's going to be filled with people soon enough.
By the time I wake, I've finally gotten some rest and I'm glad, because I know that when Lucia shows up at this party tonight with her father, I'm going to be fucking ruined once more. So it's good that I prepare myself for the worst, for the temptation that will surely arise.
While I dress in my black suit and tie, putting on cologne and combing my hair, I look in the mirror, telling myself that tonight, I'll just look away. "You can do this, Cane O'Grady. Just avoid the forbidden fruit and you'll be fine. A woman like her, a sweet young thing, isn't the type of wife you need anyways. You need a woman who can handle a man like you in the bedroom, and Lucia, if she does come back, won't be able to handle your needs anyway."
I run a hand over my jaw, remembering the way I taunted her in the bathroom last night. I didn't mince my words. I told her exactly what I was looking for when it comes to a woman. I demanded a woman be in my bed every morning, every night, ready to obey. I didn't beat around the bush, now did I?
I can't help but grin at the memory of the way that sweet girl sat on that sink, her knees spread. I know she wanted to give me her whole fucking world, but I resisted because I'm a goddamn man. Now, I'll be a gentleman.
I go downstairs, finding my daughter and her husband lost in one another's gaze once again. "Hey, lovebirds," I say, and my daughter beams up at me.
"Oh Dad," she says, "I was hoping you'd be here. Finally, it took you all day to get ready, I swear. What have you been doing?"
"I didn't sleep very well last night, so I slept the day away it seems. But it looks like the party is all ready."
"It is," she says. "The caterers are here. Doesn't it look marvelous? Come, look at the ballroom. We decorated it all in candy canes. Isn't that a cute theme? How have we never done that before? Candy canes for you, Cane O'Grady." Fiona beams and I chuckle, my mind on the words ‘candy cane’ from last night, Lucia's words, extra-large candy cane.
I try not to groan, remembering the thought of her and me in that bathroom. Fuck, I've got to get a hold on myself.
The guests are arriving and Fiona, Flynn and I enter the foyer ready to greet them. Fiona looks beautiful in a red sparkling dress, and Fiona’s husband Flynn is in a black tie. They're a good-looking couple, and I'm happy for them, even though Flynn is in the goddamn mob now. Still, I can't judge, considering I'm an O'Grady and I live in Vegas and I have my own ties to the mafia. There'll be plenty of made men here tonight.
As my family and friends begin to arrive, I would be lying if I said my eyes weren't on the lookout for her, for Lucia. But I'm surprised when Fiona waves me over.
"Dad, I wanted you to meet someone. I invited someone special I really thought you might enjoy getting to know." She winks at this, and I groan inwardly, remembering the person she wanted to set me up with tonight.
"This is my friend, Samantha," she continues. "Samantha, this is my father, Cane O'Grady. My dad is a businessman here in Vegas. And Dad, Samantha is a nurse at a local hospital."
"Pleased to meet you," I tell Samantha. She is an attractive woman, probably five years younger than me. She has blonde hair to her shoulders and brown eyes. She is petite and has a nice smile, a gentle, warm look about her that is comforting. I can see the appeal and why my daughter would set me up with a woman like her. She seems nice, and she gives me a warm smile.