Page 111 of Lust and Honor

I palm her breast through the fabric, flick my tongue over her earlobe.

“You didn’t enjoy seeing my childhood book, strawberry?”

She presses her hips back against me, answering with that wicked glint:

“Wait till after New Year’s, and I’ll read you my favorite book.”

I chuckle and kiss her again. My sexy little vixen wants me just as bad as I want her. What could be better than that?

I grab a few tissues, wipe her clean between her legs after tucking my cock back into my pants and zipping up. She smooths down her skirt and pulls out a small mirror from her purse to fix her makeup. I take her hand to lead her to the door when she stops me:

“Aren’t you going to give me back my panties?”

I dip a hand into my pocket and fish out the red lace thong.

“This one?”

She just arches a brow at me. I bring it to my nose and take a deep breath of that sweet, musky scent clinging to it. Then I shove it back in my pocket and head for the door.

“Nah, you won’t need it tonight anyway.”

Her laugh rings in my ear. “Pervert!”

When we rejoin the others, Ava heads straight for Emily and a few of the women, but something feels off. I scan the room. No sign of the kids, but their nanny’s still here, standing near a table. I stride over, crouch down, and lift the tablecloth that drapes all the way to the floor.

Just as I thought. My little carrot, hair tied in ribbons on both sides, is hiding under the table with Carlo’s two little troublemakers, playing house. The moment she sees me, her face lights up in a sweet smile, showing off her tiny, adorable teeth.

“Daddy, we’re playing house!”

My brows shoot up, and I eye Carlo’s boys, who are staring me down with dead-serious faces. Both look like miniature versions of their father, except Gabriel’s got a touch of Emily’s calm, while Luca is pure Carlo. I raise a finger at them.

“Hey, boys. Playing house with Aurora behind closed doors or long tablecloths is off-limits. Got it?”

I hear Carlo’s voice right behind me.

“My sons won’t turn into a pervert like you, Maxim. No need to worry.”

I glance over my shoulder at him with a smirk. “Yeah, right. Like you were some damn prophet before Emily, guess that makes your kids little saints, huh?”

I reach out and scoop Aurora into my arms, straighten my back, and turn to Carlo, who’s grinning at us.

“Besides, take a look at this doll! This kind of beauty could tempt a saint into sin. How could I not worry?”

I tickle her cheeks with my stubble, and she squeals with laughter, her pale skin flushing pink as she tugs at my hair. “Daddy, no!”

I hold her tighter, plant one last kiss on both her cheeks, and hand her off to the nanny to take her upstairs to bed.

We finish dinner and wine, then step out onto the mansion’s grand terrace near midnight to watch the New Year’s fireworks.

Ava rubs her bare arms. “I’m cold.”

Since I’m only wearing a sweater, I head back inside to grab something warmer for her, and that’s when I spot Aurora spinning in the middle of the room in her little blue pajama set.

When I call her name, she turns to me with sleepy eyes and stretches out her arms. I scoop her up, stroking her hair. “What are you doing out here, sweetheart?”

She just lays her head on my shoulder and doesn’t say anything. A glance at the clock tells me there’s no time to tuck her back in, so I return to the terrace and wrap the blanket around Ava’s shoulders.

Her eyes widen when she sees Aurora. “What’s she doing here?”