Page 10 of The Billionaire Dating Dad

“Uh-huh.” She looked past the hired car parked on the street. “Bailey’s dad has a car just like that.”

“He does?”

“Bailey says his car purrs. Do you have cats in your car?”

“I don’t think that’s what he meant —”

“How do you know?”

How could he explain men and their attachment to cars to a child without sounding like a perv? “Who’s Bailey?” he asked instead. Unexpected jealousy that someone knew her better than him tightened Dimitri’s jaw.

“Maddie, who’s at the door?” A female voice called.

He and Maddison locked gazes. Her stare was scrutinizing as she appraised him again. Finding him acceptable, the little imp shrugged and waved him into the house. She wasn’t shy, but she didn’t act as though she knew who he was, either. Nor did she seem scared or overly interested in having a father. Then again, he knew nothing about how a child would react when meeting a parent for the first time.

“I don’t know, Mom.” Placing both her palms on the knob, she shoved the door close the moment he entered.

Great, he instantly regretted entering the house on her invitation. “You could have asked my name, you know.”

“I’m a child.” She batted her lashes. “My brains are this size.” She measured a small distance between her two palms. Another sarcastic family member, just his luck. He didn’t doubt she was clever. Definitely a Popova trait.

Dimitri heard the woman’s footsteps before he saw her and braced himself for a rush of memories from the night they spent together—any anchor of recognition. But shame twisted his chest when she entered the room. He recalled the event almost six years ago, Katya’s success with heading their marketing company, but little more. That night was a blur, a laughter-induced, champagne, fog.

“Oh.” She stood behind Maddison and he saw the slight quiver in her fingers.

Maddison squirmed under her mother’s grip. “Did I do a bad thing, Mom?”

“No baby, it’s okay to talk to this stranger.” May turned her daughter around. “Maddie, I’d like you to meet Mr. Popova—”

“Dimitri, please.”

May nodded. “Dimitri. He’ll be celebrating Christmas with us tonight.”

Christmas? It was the middle of summer.He frowned.

“Because it’s a special occasion?”

“Yes.” May smiled. “Like a gift.”

“I’m getting a present?” Maddie’s eyes widened.

Well, damn. He wasn’t told to bring a gift, but it was what a father would do, wasn’t it?

“Not that kind of present,” May quickly said.

Maddie glanced at him over her narrow shoulders. “He doesn’t look like fun, but I guess I can be grateful since we’re pretending it’s Christmas.”

“That’s my girl.”

When the child skipped off to do whatever children her age did, her mother stood, giving him an uninterrupted view of the woman he’d sired a child with.

May’s hair formed a loose, elegant knot above her head, drawing his gaze to her slender neck. She was beautiful, even if a little pale. Like Maddison, she wore a pretty red dress, but instead of it floating around her, the material clung to her slight curves. Too slight.

Dimitri waited for that spark that drew him to her that night—

“Thanks for coming.”

Of course, he came. He would travel across the world for his child.His child.No matter how many times he embraced the sentiment, the words always knocked the wind from his lungs. He nodded.

---