Page 153 of Lovely Venom

“Time to eat,” Nonna answers cheerfully. “I made all your favorites, Tesoro mio. You need to restore your strength.”

“We made her wait as long as we could,” Angelo supplies.

Cristian nods but doesn’t look at all interested in moving.

“So should we all just come eat here, or—” Mariella smirks.

“We’ll come to you,” he rumbles. “After a shower.”

“Che bello.” Nonna claps her hands together.

It seems like it should be settled, but nobody leaves, and I realize it’s because half of them are still trying to figure out what’s going on.

“Can we finally talk about this?” Abella gestures between us.

It’s clear this question has been on her mind since she broke the news about Cristian, and now she’s dying to hear all the details.

“I’m so confused,” Valentina says. “When did this happen?”

“How did it happen?” Rafe waggles his brows.

Michele shoots his brother a look. “Did you miss the whole talk about the birds and the bees, or does someone need to explain it to you again?”

“Hilarious.” Rafe slugs him in the arm, and Angelo sighs.

“Everyone out,” Cristian grumbles.

The rest of the family talks amongst themselves as they shuffle into the hall, and I can’t help but laugh.

“You can’t be too irritated.” I smile at Cristian. “Everyone was worried sick. You’re very loved, in case you didn’t know.”

Something flickers in his eyes as he holds my gaze, and I realize how he could interpret what I said. But instead of panicking about it like I would have a few days ago, I just let it be.

He drags his fingers through my hair, his attention dipping to the necklace that’s still locked around my neck.

“Do you want to get fucked here or in the shower?”

A thread of darkness saturates his voice, and a shiver of pleasure rolls down my spine. I love it when dominant Cristian comes out to play.

“That sounds like a foregone conclusion,” I tease.

He drags my hand over the ridges of his abs and settles it on his cock, his heated words ghosting over my ear.

“You already know it is.”

I hum my approval as he grazes my throat with his teeth, nipping and sucking his way down to my collarbone.

Surrendering to the moment, I let him devour me while I stroke his cock.

The steady drip of anticipation thrums through my veins, feeding the ache inside me. I close my eyes, getting caught up in the rush of what he does to me.

Then, all at once, everything grinds to a halt.

Pulling away, he flips off the covers and rises to his feet.

“What are you⁠—”

A yelp escapes me when he grabs me by the ankle and yanks me toward him. A second later, he has me bent over the bed, gripping two handfuls of my ass as he spreads me apart.