Page 62 of Husband for the Holidays

“You did it!” She clapped her hands.

“Dit!” Ilias copied her, grinning and bouncing on his knees.

“Do you want to play with it? It’s axylófono.”

“They already have one,” Konstantin scolded good-naturedly.

“Onlyone. Rhea wants to play duets.”

“Lucky us.”

Eloise grinned, but their daughter’s little fingers hadn’t left the piano from the time she’d crawled over and pulled herself up on it. Ilias was equally fond of sitting with Mamá to help her play. Konstantin always listened with patient appreciation to any recital and encouraged both children when they showed any type of curiosity, musical or otherwise.

Ilias watched his sister, but Rhea set the box down in frustration.

“We need Bampá to open it,” she said with a pout.

“Bampá.” Ilias promptly stood against the rail and called out more imperiously, “Bampá!”

“Christmas morning is officially here,” Konstantin said wryly, rolling to send tingling sensations down her back with the sweep of his hand as he pressed her to the long stretch of his warm frame. “I was hoping we’d start the day the way we usually do, but traditions change, hmm?”

“The good news is, we can start a tradition of napping in the afternoon. We’re all going to need one.”

“I like the sound of that.” He brushed the tip of his nose against hers, then touched a kiss to her lips. “Merry Christmas,angele mou. Have I told you lately that I love you?”

“Not since last night, but—”

“Bampá!”

“But you can make it up to me later,” she assured him with a chuckle.

They climbed out of bed to dress and spend Christmas with their children.

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