Page 79 of Where the Wicked Reign

“Never happening again.” He looked out at me. “Right?”

“Sure,” I ground out.

He and Nico glared at me from my tone and the lack of commitment there.

What about at the Manor when I needed to keep an eye on her? Of course, they were too fucking smitten with her to even consider that.Goddammit.

Julian clapped his hands. “Now that’s sorted, let’s eat! You two must be starving after all the insane energy you expended last night.”

Caterina blushed and went to ease her hand from Nico so she could turn away, but he tucked her into him instead, wrapping his arm around her tightly.Urgh.“J, tone it down. Let’s just get breakfast without your sexual commentary.”

“I’ll try my best, but you know sometimes it can’t be helped.”

Never had a truer word been spoken.

As Nico led her out of the living room and toward the kitchen, I followed, noting Julian’s excitement.

Normally I’d put it down to him having a full house with plenty ofdistractionsin lots of people, but after last night and his continued comments about it toward Caterina, I was concerned that it had more to do with her personally.Fucking great.

“This is beautiful,” I heard Caterina say, as she fingered the necklace Nico had made Julian’s shopper procure for him.

“I’m glad you like it.”

“And where might my other one be? I didn’t see it on the bedside table with the clothes you brought in for me, or in the bag Julian left for me.”

“I sent it out to get it fixed. The chain is broken after last night.”

“After you ripped it off me in a fury, you mean?”

“In a burst of passion,” he countered.

“More like possessiveness.”

“Hmm,” was all he said before looking away.

“You don’t like that Levi gave it to me.”

“I wouldn’t go there,” Julian warned her.

He was right with the warning. Nico looking away, and not speaking more to it was him trying to reel himself in.

“I’m not going to tiptoe around you, Nico,” Caterina said firmly.

He stilled as we were right at the entrance to the kitchen and then turned to her, forcing all of us to pull up short and stop walking.

His eyes had darkened and his voice was a low rumble as he told her, “The mark of another man on you doesn’t sit well with me, Caterina.”

She pulled away from him. “I’m not yours.”

“Christ,” Julian uttered worriedly.

“You don’t think so?” he asked in that dangerous, challenging tone of his, closing the distance between them and effectively looming over her.

Julian moved to step in, but I snagged his arm and pulled him up short.

I wanted to see how this played out, where Nico was going to take itandif it would push Caterina to make things just business between them again and lessen the complications majorly in doing so.

“Is that what you thought last night was? Staking a claim?”

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