Page 186 of Lovely Venom

“And what did you discover?” He brushes my hair back and grazes my temple with his lips.

“I want that.” I swallow. “I’m ready, Cristian.”

In response, he tips my head back and gives me a long, languid kiss, leaving me breathless when he pulls away.

“Then you’ll have it,” he promises.

I offer him a sleepy smile as exhaustion starts to pull me under again. But before I can sink too far into oblivion, Cristian’s voice drags me back.

“Baby?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m going to need a name.”

I nod, because I knew this moment would come as soon as I told him. He knows who my father and Damian are now, but there’s one more name he wants to add to his list, and I have no inclination to protect him.

“Theodore Langley.”

“The shipping magnate?” Cristian asks.

“Yes.” I force the words up my raw throat. “The one and only.”

“Have you had your fill?” Cristian steps between my thighs as I sit on the kitchen island with an empty plate beside me.

“Of the pancakes or the view?” My eyes wander over his bare chest. “Because I’ve had plenty of pancakes, but I’m in no hurry for you to put a shirt back on.”

Amusement flashes in his eyes as he leans in to kiss me.

I press my fingers into his muscular back and drag him closer, losing myself in the moment.

He’s so warm, and he smells so good, I want to keep him all to myself for the day. But the universe must have impeccable timing, because the sound of footsteps coming down the corridor alerts us to company.

“Cristian,” Angelo calls out.

“In here.” Cristian pulls back just as Angelo and Mariella round the corner.

The moment I see Angelo’s face, I can tell this isn’t going to be good.

“You want to tell me why the fuck there are two Greeks waiting at the gate, demanding to speak to someone named Katarina?”

Tension bleeds into both of us as we draw the obvious conclusion. It has to be Damian and my father. Elias said he told them where I was, so it was only a matter of time before they showed up.

I can see Angelo has already made his own conclusion, but I go ahead and state it anyway.

“I’m Katarina.”

He stares at me for a minute, then bites back a curse.

“I fucking knew it. All this time, we’ve had⁠—”

“Don’t,” Cristian clips out. “You and I can discuss this in private, after I get things settled outside.”

“And how the fuck do you think you’re going to do that?” Angelo asks.

Before Cristian can even answer that, Angelo’s phone rings. The call only lasts a few seconds, but it’s long enough to deliver more news.

“Now Ares is here,” he grunts. “He’ll be pissing himself with glee when he realizes he’s got you over a fucking barrel.”