Page 241 of Kiss the Villain

“Don’t be a brat, Gareth. If you behave tonight…” He slides two of his fingers into my mouth, and I suck on them hard, taking them in deep like it’s his cock.

His eyes darken, and I put on a show, lapping at his fingers with my tongue. But he pulls them out too soon, leaving me aching. “I’ll reward you later.”

I’m about to argue, but he’s already walking toward the door with Moka trailing after him. Grumbling, I follow, trying to will my very inconvenient erection away.

A few moments later, Niko walks in, dressed in jeans and a leather jacket, his long hair tied in a bun. Brandon follows close behind, carrying a bottle of wine and looking like he just walked out of a BritishVoguecover.

“So you’re the motherfucker who got our Gaz hurt, huh?” Niko says, balling his hand into a fist. “Should’ve killed you in that alley, but maybe that can still be rectified.”

I dart forward, wrapping an arm around his neck in a headlock just as Bran steps in. “Youalreadyhave the best fucking timing, and the last thing you want to do is threaten my man, bitch.”

He taps my arm, wheezing. “Kill especially told me he has to pay.”

“Kill can go fuck himself. Behave or I’m kicking you out.”

“Let me punch him once.”

“No.”

“Just a tiny bit.”

“I said no, asshole.”

“How about?—”

“Nikolai,” Brandon interrupts, his calm, commanding voice cutting through the chaos. Niko immediately stops struggling, going still like a chastised puppy.

I let him go, and the strangest thing happens. My cousin, the certified chaos machine, grins apologetically at Bran, walking toward him with stars in his eyes.

“You promised not to start any fights,” Bran says with a small frown. Unlike my cousin, he’s dressed in a cardigan and khaki pants, and his accent is that of British royalty.

He’s the exact opposite of my cousin, but somehow, they work.

“I’m sorry, lotus flower.” Niko wraps an arm around his waist. “Won’t happen again. Cross my heart and hope to die.”

“It’s nice to officially meet you, Nikolai,” Kayden says, stepping to my side, now clutching the bottle of wine Bran must’ve offered him.

My cousin narrows his eyes. “While I’m glad you introduced Gaz to theFun Dick Alliance, Kill specifically told me not to like you.”

“And what didItell you?” Bran asks

Niko grins. “Not to be violent, to form my own opinion, and be happy for my cousin who’s finally not a fake little bitch. The last part is mine, but anyway, my lotus flower’s opinion is definitely more important than Killian’s. Kill who? Don’t know that guy.”

Bran just smiles, and I release a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

“I officially like you, Bran,” I say, shaking his hand. “Didn’t think anyone could tame Niko, but here we are.”

Bran smiles, the corners of his mouth quirking in that polite, British way that somehow feels more genuine than a full grin. “I wouldn’t say I’mtaminghim.”

“You totally are,” Niko and I say in unison, earning a soft laugh from Brandon.

“Gaz, I know you’ve met him before,” Niko says, standing taller and tugging Bran closer. “But this is Brandon—my lotus flower and the love of my life. Bran, this is my cousin Gaz. He’sslightlyless insufferable now.”

“This is Kayden,” I say, pulling him into the fold with an arm around his waist. “My man. Also, yeah, the love of my life, so you better not give him any trouble, Niko. I mean it.”

Kayden strokes my hair, his fingers gentle as he looks down at me with that softness that could melt the Arctic. If he keeps looking at me like that, I might spontaneously combust.

Dinner is chaotic in the way only my family can manage. Niko oscillates between being an absolute menace and a lovesick idiot, while Bran calmly keeps him tethered, offering quiet smiles and soft touches that make my cousin settle in ways I didn’t think possible.

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