Page 5 of The Kiss that Captured a Billionaire
He was lifting the glass to his lips when a firm slap landed on his shoulder.
“Bro.” Nikos slid in beside him with a grin. “Packed house again. Look at that floor—moving like a damn tide. There’s a line outside that wraps around the block, waiting to be let in.”
Theo grunted, raised an eyebrow, and nodded. “Another great night,” he said dryly.
The club—one of three he co-owned with Nikos and Markos Aetos—was thriving. Just like everything else in his portfolio. The investments, the mergers, the acquisitions. All of it was flourishing. Everything—except the one thing that mattered most right now.
Lorenzo’s granddaughter.
Nikos leaned back, his arm slung over the back of the leather booth. “So? Any luck with finding Lorenzo’s granddaughter?”
Theo set his drink down with a muted clink. “One more dead end. But…” He sighed. “The old woman at the nursing home did give me something. A last name.”
Nikos perked up. “Yeah? What was it?”
Theo’s jaw ticked. “Smith.”
Nikos winced. “Damn. That’s practically like saying John Doe. There must be a thousand Chris Smiths in the U.S. alone.”
“You think?” Theo muttered, dry as dust.
His fingers flexed around his glass. He owned one of the largest global security and intelligence firms in the world. He protected multi-billion-dollar secrets, governments, and VIPs so high-profile their shadows had NDAs. And yet, it had taken him overtwo months just to uncover the last name of the man in that photo.
Fat lot of good that’ll do me. I still don’t know who he is,he thought.
He exhaled, low and controlled. Maybe that was worth celebrating.
“What you need,” Nikos said, gesturing to the chaos below, “is a little rest and relaxation. Loosen the leash a bit. It’s been two months, man. When’s the last time you were laid? And Allegra doesn’t count.”
Theo shuddered. Allegra was on his ‘do not touch’ list, the same as her half-sister, Gina. He knew if one of the Rossi sisters got their perfectly manicured talons into him, it would be damn near impossible to get them out.
Maybe Nikos had a point. He hadn’t been with another woman since he’d ended things with his last mistress in London—a clean, clinical affair, like most of his relationships. But the thought of returning to that kind of arrangement now felt… empty.
Another thing to blame on Alexandros, he mused, thinking of his brother and his newly wedded bliss.
Still, a distraction might help. A brief pause. Something to take the edge off. It had been years since he’d had a one-night stand, but that was all he wanted at the moment.
He leaned forward, his elbow on his knee, and let his gaze drift lazily across the writhing crowd below. His eyes passed over glittering dresses, sky-high heels, and waves of chemicallyperfected hair. Everything shimmered, sparkled, pouted—until it didn’t. Until one woman made it all vanish.
He stiffened, his muscles tensing. A muted curse slipped out as every nerve lit up, like a lightning strike straight to the chest.
At a corner table near the back, slightly tucked behind a column and away from the strobes, sat a woman who didn’t belong in the crowd but somehow eclipsed everyone in it. She was dressed in an oversized pullover sweater, worn jeans, and sneakers. Her dark hair was swept into a casually messy ponytail that looked both effortless and… effortlessly sexy.
She wasn’t posing, preening, glued to her phone, or clinging to a man. She sat there calmly, a drink in front of her, watching the room with quiet curiosity.
From this distance, he couldn’t tell how much makeup she wore, if any. If shewaswearing any, she was a magician, because she was absolutely breathtaking.
His gaze sharpened when a man approached her. She smiled—politely—and shook her head. He walked away. Another followed, then another. Same outcome. Brief exchange. Dismissed. Her space remained hers alone.
A slow burn lit in Theo’s chest. It took him a second to name it.
Possessiveness.
Raw and unfiltered.
It struck without warning. He wanted to stalk down the stairs and plant himself between her and the world. The thought of those men touching her made something dark and primal unfurl inside him.
He had never—ever—felt this way about a woman before. Not once. And yet, every cell in his body was coiled, ready to strike.
