Page 84 of A Bond Beyond Blood

“It appears that I can.”I paused to listen in on her thoughts while I assessed the impossibly faint bruises still visible on her face, but now, it seemed, she was quite determined to recite the lyrics of an entirely different old Christmas song quite loudly in her head, so I couldn’t pick up on much, though the tickle of an emotion reached out to me, slithering past her fortitude like slippery little tendrils.

Pleasant and warm...dare I say she was happy to see me beneath that righteous indignation?

An interesting turn of events, indeed.

“You look well,” I told her as I reached across the distance to pluck her wine glass from the table.“Better than I expected, quite honestly.Have you always been such a quick healer, or is this a new development?”

She glowered at me as I brought the goblet to my lips.I sniffed, pulling the notes of dark currant and tobacco into my nose before I caught the scent I was far more interested in.Spinning the glass, I positioned my mouth over the place she’d sipped from and stole a long drink of her red wine, smirking as I set the glass down because the glare she leveled me with was absolutely delightful.

“Have you been drinking from your vampire, young Jack?”

“No,” she snapped.

Interesting.Could that swift healing ability be a result of the modicum of my blood running through her veins?Curiouser and curiouser.

“Tell me, Vincenzo,” I purred while looking pointedly at Jack, “have youcaredfor the girl in my absence”—I swiveled my head slowly to catch his gaze across the room and raised one brow—“or have you been too preoccupied with shagging the daylights out of her?”

His body tensed, but he made no move to come for me.

At least I wouldn’t be forced to remind him of his place again.

The same couldn’t be said for the girl, however.She was up in a flash, standing over me with heat in her eyes, chest heaving.“You should leave.”

With feigned shock, I brought my hand to my chest, wounded by her words.“But I’ve only just arrived.”I motioned to the open front door.“Be a dear and invite the boy inside.It’s impolite to leave a guest standing in the snow.”

Her eyes widened briefly, then she spun around and took a step toward the door.“It’s snowing?”Her words halted abruptly, and any softening in her body that I’d elicited by mentioning the weather was instantly forced back into hardness as her entire body reacted to the man standing just beyond the doorway.“Gannon.”

She spun on me again, but this time, I’d been prepared for it.

I smiled up at her, tilting my head.“Consider it a peace offering.”

Her nostrils flared, and when those fists clenched at her sides, I was reminded of the fight we’d had just two weeks ago, how she hadn’t backed down from a battle she couldn’t possibly win.My cock twitched at the memory.That same indignant spark lit her eyes now, that defiant jut of her chin as she stared me down calling to me in ways that I hadn’t felt in some time.I was torn between taking her over my knee or—

I tilted my head as I envisioned that scenario playing out.

No, actually, that’sallI wanted to do.Drape her over my knee and dish out pleasure or punishment, depending.

Did I break the girl and bring her to heel, or devour every delicious inch of her skin, taste her tongue, her tits, her cunt—

A rush of desire rushed toward me from the connection between us and I smirked at the way she seemed to follow my thoughts even though she didn’t have the same access to my mind as I had to hers.I licked my lips and canted my head to the side.

But first things first...

“Jack,” I said firmly, “Invite the boy inside.”

She blinked, then gave her head a subtle shake.“No.”Without breaking eye contact, she called over her shoulder, “Go home, Gannon.”

I allowed myself a moment to appreciate the shock—humans rarely surprised me—then I stood to face her, having to lower my head to look down into her eyes.Those lakes of pale blue were ablaze with anger and indignation that fueled my desire to take her over my knee.

She truly was a delicious little thing, wasn’t she?No wonder Franco allowed me to think he’d fathered a third son all those years ago.He was right to assume I would want his daughter as soon as I laid eyes on her.

I licked my lips as I cupped Jack’s chin, fingers gripped firmly around her jaw—

“Keep your fucking hands off her—”

Jack raised her hand to silence the other vampire and I couldn’t be happier by that little show of independence.Though I was only slightly amused, and not when it came to her disobedience where I was concerned.I’d used persuasion when I’d told her to invite Gannon in and she’d openly defied me with ease.A first, I’ll admit, and one I found quite intriguing.

My gaze flicked back and forth between her eyes as I dipped inside her head to search her thoughts for some clue as to how or why she’d been able to resist my command.

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