Page 97 of A Bond Beyond Blood

Chapter Thirty-Two

Vinny

I slipped back into bed with Jacqueline, then pulled her into my arms and curled my body around hers.

She hummed softly, but those pretty blue eyes remained closed.I placed a kiss on her temple, then rested my head on the pillow, content to breathe her in, but also permitting myself to enjoy the silence before we had to get back to business.We never finished our talk, and now we had multiple new topics to discuss.

I bit her last night, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about how she’d be feeling after allowing me to feed from her.

That was a step I hadn’t expected us to take quite so soon, and I worried we’d moved too fast.The last few weeks had been a whirlwind.

Her blood still hummed in my veins, a delicious thrum of satisfaction that lingered long after any feed but seemed even more intense now—because it was hers.

“I offered the kid my apartment,” I whispered.

Jacqueline’s muscles tensed.“What?”

I shrugged one shoulder.“He needs a place to stay...”

She yawned and stretched her limbs, that long, warm body extending along mine.Curves like hers should be worshipped, so I did what any dutiful disciple would do, and allowed myself to take a quick journey, sliding my hand from her rib cage down, dipping into the valley of her side, then up and over the curve of her hip as she rolled over to face me.When she opened her eyes and leveled me with that sleepy stare, my cock jumped.

She smiled lazily, then pushed forward to place a quick kiss against my lips.“Good morning.”

“Hey, gorgeous.”

She dragged the pad of her thumb over my lips.“Last night...”She swallowed hard and I held my breath, bracing myself for whatever came next.“That was...”She sighed contently.“It feels like a dream.”

When her eyes closed, I took a deep breath.“Are you okay?Freaked out?”

Jacqueline’s eyes flew open, quickly searching mine.“What?No.”She shook her head adamantly.“No, Vinny, not at all.”

My eyes widened.“Really?”I dragged my hand back up her side to cup the breast I’d fed on last night, brushing my thumb over the faint pink bite marks left in my wake.

Jacqueline shivered and arched her back, pressing her breast more fully into my hand.“Vinny,” she purred, and I growled at the way that single word from her lips could light a fire of need in my veins.It burned up my spine, my throat.

Dipping my head to suck her nipple into my mouth, I flicked my tongue over the tip until it pebbled, then I pulled back and gave it a good squeeze before dropping my hand back to a safe place on her waist.Although, nothing about touching this woman wassafe.Every inch of her called to me on a deep, primal level.

“We have a lot to talk about,” I said, reluctant as hell to do anything but make love to this girl, but if I wanted to move forward with her, the only option was honesty.

She nodded, but her face was pinched with frustration and the sharp, sweet scent of her desire hung in the air like a beacon.

Ignoring that like a fucking champ, I began, “So, first, I offered your ex-boyfriend my couch.It seems like the best option...”I trailed off because what I would have liked to say wouldn’t go over well.The verybestoption would be to persuade the kid to move across the country.But it wasn’t my place to decide.

“You don’t have to do that,” she said, gaze flicking back and forth between my eyes.“It shouldn’t be your responsibility.”

“I know.But he’s a baby vampire without a home or a maker; Elias is right.The kid needs help.”

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