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“You should’ve left your hair up,” I muttered, swallowing hard. “I can’t even look at you without wanting⁠—”

“Later,” he said softly, nudging me with his shoulder. “If you behave, when we get back to the hotel, I’ll let you sit that pussy on my face and eat it till you come.”

My heart skipped a beat. Insatiable. I could barely walk upright, and I was already thinking about his tongue inside me. What the hell was wrong with me? Where was my self-preservation?

“Won’t you be full from dinner?” I strangled out.

“There’s always room for dessert, especially for something that tasty.”

I couldn’t stifle my groan. “Just no penetration. I’ll barely be able to sit tonight.”

“Should I ask Yelena to bring you a pillow?”

“Yuriy.”

“What? A festive one? Little Santas on it? It’ll fit the occasion.”

“Yuriy.”

He kissed the corner of my jaw, quick and impossible to anticipate, and my breath caught harder than it should have. “Don’t worry. I’ll let you sit on my lap if the chair gets too hard, but then again, that might not be a good idea since I’m quite sure I’d get hard too.”

My dick twitched, and I groaned. “You’re not helping.”

“Sorry.”

But he didn’t sound sorry at all.

I rang the doorbell just to stop him from talking. One more word and we’d be going back to the hotel, and we might not find another maid we could tip on short notice. The other one had barely been able to look us in the eye.

The door flew open before the chime even finished echoing.

“Papa, you’re here!” Yelena beamed, belly first, wrapped in a thick cardigan and fuzzy socks. Her glow could’ve powered the entire street.

I entered ahead of Yuriy and enveloped her in a warm embrace, holding her for a little longer than necessary. A year ago, I had no idea whether I would see her again. Now I had not only her in my life but also Yuriy.

“Merry Christmas, printsessa.” I stepped past her to allow Yuriy to enter.

“Yuriy, you made it.”

He grinned at Yelena, and a smidge of jealousy hit me that I would never admit to. With their heads together from their embrace, they were a striking pair. My daughter was a beautiful young woman, and Yuriy’s looks were exceptional. It was easy to imagine that she was his wife and the baby she carried was his.

Did Yuriy want a wife and kids someday? A kid I could share him with, but never anyone else.

“Of course I had to come.” He kissed her cheek lightly. “Your father’s too possessive to leave me behind. He thinks I’ll flirt with all the pretty maids back at the hotel.”

“What pretty maids did you notice?” I glared at his shit-eating grin. Fuck. I’d walked right into his trap. Of course the bastard got perverse pleasure from knowing I was jealous over him.

Yelena giggled behind her hand. “Papa, I didn’t know you were a jealous man, but I can definitely see why. Yuriy’s gorgeous. I didn’t realize your hair was that long and so beautiful.”

She raised her hand to stroke his hair, and I placed an arm around Yuriy’s waist, moving him out of her way as I reached for his coat. “Where’s Zasha?”

Yelena’s grin grew knowingly, not missing the way I placed myself between the two of them. “I ran out of pickled cherries, and although I told him I could do without until tomorrow, he insisted on getting them. He’s still feeling guilty about what happened and is trying to make up for it.”

I hung Yuriy’s coat and mine in the closet, then planted a hand along the small of his back as we followed Yelena along the hall.

“Smells amazing,” Yuriy said.

“It’d better,” she huffed playfully. “I’ve been stirring, baking, chopping, and sweating all day. Though to be fair, I’m hoping all this work will help the baby be here on time.”