Page 70 of We Three Kings

I spin around to her smiling face. “Tomorrow. I was hoping you would do the honors.”

A slender finger taps her chest. “Me?”

“Of course, little one. Who better than a woman named after a Christmas angel?”

She glances up at my son, seeking approval. His quizzical expression as he looks from her, to me, and back again matches my own perplexed mind.

He slowly nods to her as if trying to process my offer himself. “I have to work tomorrow, so if you want to come over then you should. I don’t want you to spend the day alone since Alex and Bree are with her family.”

Black Friday is one of our busiest days of the year. And, more importantly, our most profitable. That used to be my focus.

Since Balthazar has taken over, he manages the frenzy now. Best decision I ever made for the business and for me. Now I get to spend the day with her.

More demonstrative than anyone I’ve ever known, she hugs my son and then scurries over to me, wrapping her arms tight around my torso. Balthazar is right—she’s starved for affection. Both of us can feed her hunger.

“Wow! Thank you. This is going to be so much fun!”

A sugary scent engulfs me, and I stroke down her curly hair. “You’re welcome.”

Balthazar’s eyes darken watching us. I expect him to explode over his woman’s body sheathed against mine. Instead, I see something I don’t expect in his expression—confusion.

Later, we’ll have a long talk about this treasure who’s swept into our lives. Until then, we’ll enjoy a quiet dinner with her as the core of our enjoyment. “Let’s sit. Mary has appetizers for us.”

Following my command, she releases me yet waits for direction. Never presumes anything, which I’m going to enjoy when I pleasure her.

I glide my hand to the small of her back and usher her to the sofa. Balthazar drops down next to her, and I sit across from her. My long legs put my feet by hers, and I press the side of my boot to her little slippers. Not close enough but I can’t push. With either of them.

Our housekeeper returns, carrying our whiskeys, and smiles at Seraphina.

“Would you like a glass of wine?”

“Yes, please. If it’s no trouble.”

“No miss. No trouble at all.”

The angel’s body softens with Mary’s confident grin and assured response. Very obvious Seraphina desires peace and approval, even from our employees.

With a shy glance toward me, her gaze drifts to my shoulder. “You have a beautiful home. I bet it was filled with so much laughter and fun when Balthazar and his brother were growing up.”

On the surface her comment seems benign, yet I sense the deeper meaning.

From what my son tells me she still suffers from the loss of her brother, the lack of a real family, the abuse of her foster parents. Their residency in our dungeon is a gift she’ll never know about that we give her just the same.

I chuckle for her benefit. “For the most part yes. Two boys raised the exact same way but so different from each other. Melchior is always the wild one, stirring up trouble with his boredom. Balthazar is always the intense one, focused on his goals.”

“Yeah, my brother’s life mission is to aggravate the hell out of me.”

Proud of my son, I still take the opportunity to tease him. “He just wanted you to have some fun. But you’ve been resistant about that…” I wink at Seraphina. “…until now.”

She jams her little fists on her hips and whips her head toward Balthazar. “You told me in your room that you used your balcony to sneak out!”

He taps his finger on her plump pink lips. “Shhh, angel. Dad doesn’t know about that. He thinks I was always the good one.”

After she realizes he’s joking with her, she giggles bubbly and joyous. Once again enticing me. I roll my eyes at him.

“I never thought that.”

When she laughs harder and reaches over to pat my leg, I almost come unglued. I want to haul her onto my lap and never let her go.

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