Page 13 of The Billionaire Dating Dad

“What about Mr— Dimitri, wouldn’t you like to know why I invited him here?”

“I don’t want to know anything,” Maddison cried.

May squeezed her daughter's hand. “Are you saying you’re not brave enough to find out?”

“I am brave!” She stared at her feet, not bothering to wipe the tears from her face.

“Yes, you are.” He watched May’s shoulders straighten before she turned in her seat to hold Maddison’s gaze.

“But…” Maddison hiccupped. “I don’t want to be brave anymore.”

“Sweetheart.” May opened her arms. “Come here.”

Helplessness paralyzed Dimitri as he watched them hold each other. He clenched his fist. There was nothing he could do to ease the hurt in their whispered words.

“Remember when you asked why Bailey had a daddy and you didn’t.”

Maddison nodded. “You said I had one and he loved me very much. But Bailey said my dad wasn’t real, that he is fictition —”

“Fictitious. And Bailey is full of crumbled pie! How else would you explain—” May pointed toward Dimitri. “Your father is sitting right there.” Maddison sank against her mother. “Dimitri, I’d like you to meet your daughter, and Maddie I’d like you to meet your father.”

“Pleased to meet you, Maddison.” He extended his hand although he longed to pull her into his arms.

“Aren’t you going to say hello?”

“No!”

“I thought you were brave.”

Maddison sat very still for a full minute before wiggling off her mother’s lap. “Are you my daddy?”

He swallowed past the dryness in his throat and nodded. “I’m your father, Maddison.”

Maddison stared at his hand, then retreated a step, bumping into May’s knees. “That’s not my name.”

“She prefers Maddie.”

Her small hands fisted at her sides. “Only my mom and my friends call me that,” she hissed before bolting from the living room.

He was neither family nor friend.Dimitri swallowed his agony.

CHAPTER FOUR

Violet

Wheelcaster

Violet’s fingers hovered over the delete button on the Holidates App. She’d already sent one message days after their date and won’t be leaving another. It was clear from the unread symbol below her text that he either hadn’t used the App or didn’t read her text.

She cringed. A second message was against her better judgment but they’d had such a great time together that she couldn’t believe he’d ghosted her.

Damn. Being ghosted sucked. It was as if someone took a pin to her balloon filled with lust, excitement, and adrenaline, blowing her with frigid air. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. Did she expect a different outcome from a date she found on an app? He’d served his purpose, fulfilled his end of the bargain and now it was time to move on. Knowing whatshe should do didn’t make forgetting him any easier, especially when his parting words still quivered in her stomach.

“One kiss for missing a dear friend’s engagement and lying for you…”He’d said, in a bold tone that held as much promise as his light caresses along her lower lip. She’d never longed to be seduced more than when he’d taken her mouth under his in a breathtaking kiss.“We’re not even close to being even.”

After he’d dropped her home, Violet remembered waiting to hear from Dimitri. Hoping each ding from her phone was a message from him until she’d forced herself to temper her expectations. It still stung, but Violet wasn’t the type to pine over a man, no matter how fine he was.

Taking a deep breath, she deleted her profile and then the App from her phone. There, she’d finally mustered the courage. Even if she wanted to reach him again, deleting the App meant there was no way to.

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