Page 87 of A Bond Beyond Blood

I bit back the whimper that tried to slip from my lips.

“Vinny,” Eli said, interrupting my thoughts and pulling me back from that deep chasm of hurt.“Let’s try something.Give the girl an instruction—”

“What?No.”Vinny straightened, crossing his arms defensively over his chest.

I tilted my head, eyes narrowed as I looked at this man who’d been inside me mere hours ago, who’d spent a year making me stronger, tougher,better...who’d spent the last two weeks cherishing me like I was a delicate treasure.

He’d worshipped my body in numerous ways, nourished me, held me...he’d healed the invisible scars Gannon left behind...and now I didn’t know if any of that had beenreal.

Could I trust Vinny?Had he tricked me?

I swallowed hard and realized I needed to know.No matter how much the answer might wound me, I couldn’t move forward with him if I didn’t know.

“Wise choice,” Eli murmured.“Only one way to find out, I’m afraid.”

Shooting him a quick glare, I said, “Eli’s right.”To Vinny, I asked, “What could it hurt?”

Vinny’s eyes widened.“What could it...?”He scoffed.“Are you hearing yourself?What could it hurt?”

“If you can compel me—”

“Then what, Jacqueline?”Vinny’s eyes widened and his nostrils flared.“Then you’ll assume I’ve done it before?That I’ve been compelling you this whole time?You’ll assume this isn’t real between us?”

Maybe Eli wasn’t the only mind reader in the room.

I opened my mouth to respond, but I couldn’t argue with his predictions.If he could somehow force his influence over me, would I ever trust that he’d never done that before?That he’d never whispered words or swayed my ideas?

In all the time we’d spent together over the past year, how easy could it have been for him to persuade me to this moment, walk me right into letting him inside—my home, my heart, my body.

With pain twisting icy fingers around my heart, I dropped my head.“I can’t...”I buried my face in my hands and tried to make sense of my emotions.The heavy weight of betrayal fought for dominance in my mind, and as I lifted my head and looked back and forth between Vinny and Gannon, who was now propped up on the edge of the couch, I realized I’d never be able to forgive Vinny if he’d betrayed me.

After Gannon’s betrayal, I couldn’t handle another man breaking my heart like that—

“Jacqueline.”Vinny stepped forward and cupped my face in his hands.“I love you.”

I sucked in a breath as tears sprung to my eyes and a flutter of wings set loose within my ribs.

“I’ve never tried to compel or persuade you with anything but my charm.”He searched my gaze, eyes bright with determination as he said,“Now get on your knees.”

I frowned as his voice changed into something deeper and darker, the sound of it sending a chill down my spine.His words, spoken in a powerful, commanding tone I’d never heard before, made my heart skip a beat.The authority in his voice was evident, even more so than when he kicked my ass around the mat or reprimanded me for doing a poor job of defending myself while we sparred.

Iwantedto get on my knees for him, if for no other reason than the fact that I wanted to worship this man the way he’d been worshipping me for weeks.

But as I remained standing, lost in my thoughts, Vinny smiled.

And I realized what he’d just given me.

Proof that he’d never compelled me before.

Because I wasn’t compelled now.I wasn’t on my knees.

“Wonderful,” Eli said from behind me with a slow clap that snapped me out of the moment.The old leather of Dad’s chair squeaked and groaned as he rose to his feet.“That’s not to say he nevertried, but at least we know it’s not just me who cannot bend you to my will.”

Vinny smirked, dropping his gaze to my mouth and sending a lightning bolt of desire straight down to pool between my legs.“Oh,” he murmured, voice low and sexy as he winked.“I’ve bent her to my will a time or two.”

I shivered even as embarrassment heated my cheeks, and he leaned forward, slanting his mouth over mine to claim me in a searing, possessive kiss as if no one else was in the room with us.

Or maybebecausethey were.

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