Alexei leaned around her and grasped a bowl of soup that Salem poured out. He handed it to Roman. “You’ll have to feed her.”

“Me?” Roman appeared startled.

“I can’t feed her while she’s on my lap and Salem is eating.”

Salem nodded, taking another spoonful into his mouth.

“Uh, sure. I can do that.” Roman took the bowl of soup from Alexei.

She leaned forward and probably would have fallen if Alexei hadn’t wrapped a thick arm around her.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” she told Roman.

“I can do this,” he said in a determined voice.

She had no doubt of that. She shifted around on Alexei’s lap. Salem glanced over at her as Roman stirred the soup intently. Asthough it was his job. As though he was going to be graded badly if he didn’t stir it properly.

“Do you need to go potty,Malyshka?” Alexei asked casually.

As though it was a question he asked people all the time.

Hmm. She paused to think about that. Did she need to go?

A bit.

But she could hold on.

“Nope, I’m good, Papa.”

“You’re certain?” Salem asked. “Because you’re moving around like you do.”

“I must have ants in my pants.”

Alexei snorted. “Or is it that someone’s bottom is sore from getting a spanking today?”

She gasped. Loud and dramatic. Because why gasp unless it was going to be loud and dramatic?

Roman spooned up some soup and took a sip. Huh, maybe he’d decided to feed himself the soup instead. Made sense.

“You told them about the spanking, Daddy?”

“I did,” Salem replied calmly.

“But that was private information.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Salem replied.

“Yes, it was! I think you broke Daddy-Little girl confidentiality.”

“Did I?” Salem asked.

“Uh-huh.” She nodded her head.

“Little one, there’s no such thing,” Salem told her.

“There is too!”

“Right, the soup is cool enough now. I didn’t want it to burn you,” Roman explained when she turned to look at him.