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“I want you to stay tonight.”

His look turned guarded. “You’re ready to take that step?”

I nodded. “My boys need to meet you.”

“I’m honored,” he breathed, bringing my hand to his mouth.

“Plus, if you’re around more, it will make staging the elves easier,” I laughed lightly, trying to further ease the evaporating tension in the room.

“That can be arranged.” He shifted me, and I bolt of heat shot through my core as I felt his dick harden under me. “I have a question for you now, Rose.”

“If it’s a proposal, that’s way too soon!” I gasped.

He chuckled. “Not yet, but that’s coming.”

Those words did nothing to calm my fluttering pulse.

“But before we get there,” he mused, stroking his thumb over the backs of my knuckles. “Would you do me the honor of being my date to my cousin’s wedding this Saturday?”

I grinned down at the mafia boss. “Only if you promise not to poison the groom.”

A smirk tipped the corner of his mouth. “That only works if Demyan is on his best behavior.”

Chapter 21 – Rosetta

It wasn’t the greatest hiding spot. I was out in the open and exposed as the twinkling lights along the tops of the bookshelves blinked merrily. A shiver rattled across my skin, and I missed the roaring fire from that night—weeks ago, now—that had kept me warm. Was Lucian insane for breaking the thermostat and stoking the fire to keep me warm at his mafia Christmas party? Yes. But I was just as insane, playing hide-and-seek Christmas Eve with the don.

I should have hidden under the desk.

That was an actual hiding place.

But crawling under there would have torn the paper wound round my body. It hadn’t been an easy thing to tape it, let alone press the sticky bows to myself once I was wrapped up. How I’d managed to hop from the floor onto the desk without destroying the work was a miracle.

Through the crack in the pocket doors of the library, the heavy creak of the old wooden staircase moaned.

My pulse jump started. My heart beat faster and faster.

The monster was coming.

Oh, dio sopra, please let it be him.

My kids weren’t little anymore, and there was no way to explain why I was wearing wrapping paper and bows, with my arms and shoulders bare.

The solid steps in the hall helped reassure me. It was an adult’s tread, not a child’s.

I held my breath as a shadow passed the crack in the door.

Nothing happened.

I grinned. He hadn’t found me. He was going to search this whole house, top to bottom, and—

The doors shivered as they parted.

The terrible face that stared into the darkness was beautiful. I squeaked and then a smile curled my lips.

“I found it odd that Loki left me a card for a change,” Lucian rumbled.

“Ah, and what was the cheeky elf up to on his last night with us?” I mused, kicking my bare legs against the solid wood of the executive desk.