Page 126 of A Bond Beyond Blood

I snorted.“Nice.”

He crossed the kitchen and stepped between my thighs, caging me in with his hands on either side of me.“Butyou, Jacqueline, you’re what keeps me together.You’re what makes me feint, rather than fight.”

I frowned, searching his gaze.“I don’t...what do you mean?”

Vinny’s gaze dropped to my mouth.“That soft curve of your lips when the kid is here.”He shakes his head, then meets my gaze again.“It’s different from the way you smile for me.”He lifts his gaze to meet mine once more.“It’s beautiful; I crave it, even if it’s for him.When he’s in the room I watch for those sweet smiles, the Gannon smiles that soften your face into something completely fucking mesmerizing.”He brushes my hair back behind my ear.“The way you backtalk Elias, abornvampire, a goddamnking...”He chuckles, shaking his head.“It’s the sexiest fucking thing.I can pull sass from that sweet mouth, Jacqueline, but not like he can.”Vinny lifted one shoulder in a slow shrug.“And, if I’m honest, I crave that, too.”

“I-I—” I stop, trying to gather my thoughts as emotion crushes against my windpipe.“I don’t mean to smile differently for Gannon, Vinny.I love you, I—”

His brows fell and he quickly leaned forward, pressing his lips to mine to silence my response.I closed my eyes as he kissed me softly, tenderly, and tears slipped down my cheeks.Vinny pulled back, licking the salt off his lips as he scanned the tear streaks.“You misunderstand me.”Clasping my face in his hands, he held me firmly.“Listen, sweet girl, and listen good.”

I nodded, sniffling as more tears threatened to leak from my eyes.

He’d seen me look at Gannon one way and Eli another and he’d been hurt by both.I’dhurthim.I knew I had, but being presented with it now cracked my heart open wide.Selfish, selfish girl.How could I not be satisfied with this perfect man?How could I even entertain the idea of Gannon coming back into my life or Eli wanting his own piece of me?

“I don’t crave those things for myself, Jacqueline.I crave them because they come fromyou.”He kissed a tear, catching it before it crested my cheekbone.“I crave those sweet smiles for Gannon and those bright, sex-starved eyes you give Eli when you think I’m not looking because I fucking love seeing these other sides of you.”

Shaking my head, I searched his gaze, still not catching on.

“If Gannon in your life makes you smile like that, who the fuck am I to object?”

I swallow hard.

“He loved you first, little Fiorino.He has a part of your past I could never touch and wouldn’t even dare try.”

“But—”

“No, listen.You love him and I love you—”

“I love you, too—”

“Listen,” he said on a growl.“You need to hear me so the next time you cry it’s not because I made you doubt me.”His eyes searched mine.“I know I’m enough for you, Jacueline.I do.I promise you that.I know your mind and your body, and now I get to know your sweet fucking heart.And Gannon could be enough for you too.Only an idiot would deny that.He’s like this perfect puzzle piece that fits against you seamlessly.I could see it even before you forgave him.Two peas in a pod, the two of you.If you want him, really want him, I’m not going to stand in the way of that.”

“But I want you, too,” I said, the words breaking on a sob.Was he breaking up with me?“It’s soselfish—”

Vinny growled, leaning forward to nip at my bottom lip roughly.“Youhaveme, you stubborn girl.I’m not going anywhere.How many times do I have to tell you?”

Frowning, I tried to swipe at my cheeks, but his hands were still in the way, holding me right where he wanted me.

“Stop.”

I dropped my hands and he leaned forward, licking the tears from my face and leaving soft kisses in their place.

“Want me.Want Gannon.Hell, want us both at the same time, and I’ll make sure we’re both on our knees for you—”

My breath caught at the image that conjured in my mind.

Vinny’s lips twitched, reading my dirty thoughts on my face.Sometimes he made me wonder if Eli wasn’t the only one with mindreading abilities.

“Hell, Elias Bristol could offer you the world, kingdoms and thrones, for fuck’s sake, and if you want that, too...”He trailed off, staring at the ceiling above my head, then shook his head.“Nah, scratch that.I’m not going to let him have an easy shot at you.I do have some limits.He can work for it.”

I laughed, the sound still bordering on a sob.

“But hear me when I say this, Jacqueline, if being loved by me and Gannon, and even some arrogant fucking asshole like Elias Bristol is what puts smile after smile after beautiful goddamn smile on that face I can’t get enough of?”He paused, searching my eyes.“Then I’ll bring them to you on a silver platter.Just say the word, sweet girl.”

“Oh, Vinny.”

“Don’t get all soft on me now, I’m not promising that one of them won’t have an apple in his mouth on that platter, but—”

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