Page 148 of A Bond Beyond Blood

Chapter Forty-Eight

Gannon

Curiosity plucked at my mind as we made our way back to Vinny’s gym.I couldn’t fathom why he’d instruct me to bring Jackie here instead of their place, especially when I’d commandeered her time for most of the day—or why he’d been so curt with me when he called—but I was happy to have a little more time with her before her guard dog was back in our midst.

Although, to be honest, I didn’t mind Vinny all that much anymore.He’d been cool as shit when he gave me a place to stay, and our training sessions had been epic, even if I still sucked compared to him in the ring.

Jackie’s hand squeezed mine as we neared the gym and I glanced over at her.

My beautiful girl.

I couldn’t deny that Vinny—a fucking Staten IslandRicciof all things—had played a role in getting me back into Jackie’s life again.Sure, I’d apologized and done my best to earn her forgiveness, but he’d been a solid dude and stepped aside.

I didn’t know many guys who’d be quite so open to their girl dating her ex-boyfriend.Although, that wasn’t to say he didn’t still piss on her leg any chance he got, claiming her in front of me with his words and intimate touches, or devouring kisses that made me want to throw punches into walls.

But then today happened, and what he’d orchestrated between the three of us...Jesus.

I owed the guy a favor.

Or five.

We paused at the entrance of the gym and I held open the door for her, but she stopped in front of me and pushed up onto her toes to press a tender kiss to my lips.She started to pull back but I chased after her, slanting my mouth over hers and swallowing her little gasp of surprise.She melted against me, the perfect curves of her body lining up with the hard edges of mine the way nature intended.

“Gannon.”When she pulled back to look at me, her voice was a sultry purr that shot a lightning bolt of need straight down to my cock.“Take me upstairs.”She pushed up onto her tiptoes to nip at my jaw, and her hand brushed the bulge in my jeans.

I sucked in a breath.“Baby girl.”I pulled her into my arms and maneuvered us inside.“This place is still packed.Don’t make me walk through the gym with a hard-on.”

“Better hurry up, then.”She wiggled her eyebrows, then spun in my arms and slipped out of my grasp, hurrying ahead of me.

At her increased speed, my fangs popped out and hunger tore up my throat.

“Jackie,” I growled, alarmed by the way something within me unfurled at the idea of hunting her.It stretched and yawned within me, a monster yearning for the chase.“Jackie, fuck.”

She stopped a few yards ahead, then turned slowly.

“Shit,” she whispered.“I’m not supposed to run.”

Her heart beat fast, a blinding rhythm that eclipsed everything else.Her fear was a delicious tickle on my tongue.My lungs expanded as I pulled the scent of her into my lungs, a mixture of her fear and...fuck me, she was absolutely wet with desire.

“Baby girl,” I growled as I lifted only my eyes.

Jackie’s body shook with a shiver that I wasn’t entirely sure had anything to do with fear.“Don’t hurt me,” she whispered.

“Don’trun.”

Jackie took three deep breaths, then gave a curt nod, and before she even turned on her heel, I knew what she’d decided.I roared as she ran, fighting the need to trap her and rip into her flesh.

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