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His hand was still tight around my throat, but instead of choking the life out of me—which he could very easily do—his thumb traced back and forth over my jawbone. When his fingers flexed over my belly, I realized his other arm was secured tightly around my waist.
Was this the moment he would take control?
Shit.
Focus, Jack.
“Jacqueline,” Vinny warned. “Tell me what you did wrong.”
Swallowing hard, I said, “I left my weapons in the car.”
“Mhm.” Vinny nudged my ear with his nose, then pressed it against my temple and inhaled. “What else?”
My eyes fluttered closed as the hand on my belly moved to trace a finger over the waistband of my workout leggings. “I…” I cleared my throat, trying to force away the lust from my voice.
“Think hard,” Vinny murmured, but as he said the word hard, he tightened his grip on me and my body lined up more fully against his until the only hard thing I could think of was pressed into my ass.
“Vinny,” I whispered, his name an almost breathless sigh.
“The door was unlocked,” he said sternly. “You didn’t even notice.”
My shoulders slumped as defeat sank into my bones. He was right. I’d been so caught up in my thoughts that I hadn't even paused when I found the back door to the shop unlocked.
“Shit.”
His fingers dipped into the waistband of my pants and my skin jumped beneath his touch. Desire tightened my belly. “Door was unlocked. You were unarmed.” He chuckled and the sound traveled south, turning into a throbbing heat that settled between my legs. “Have you paid attention to anything I’ve taught you?”
I didn’t answer, for fear he’d hear how much I wanted him in my voice. But then something occurred to me, and I opened my eyes, staring blankly into the darkness. “How’d you get in?” I asked, struggling to focus on anything but the way his touch ignited something deep within me, something I had been fighting for so damn long.
Something I didn’t know if I could fight much longer.
Hell, I didn’t know if I wanted to.
“I didn’t invite you,” I added for the sake of specifics—and keeping my mind occupied on details rather than Vinny’s hard body lined up with mine.
“Public place, little Fiorino.”
Public place. Right. Vampires didn’t need an invitation to enter any public establishments. I could revoke a vampire’s freedom to enter the butcher shop, but it had to be specific and direct. There was no allowance in the treaty—or the supernatural laws—for vague ‘no vamps allowed’ signage in the window. A revoking had to be personal and precise.
I could annul his invitation right now. It would be simple. Vincenzo Ricci, I revoke your invitation to enter this building.
Easy.
Just say it, and he’s gone.
Vinny’s hand on my throat moved to cup my jaw and he tilted my head away from him. His nose trailed up the line of my heartbeat, tracing my pulse as he breathed me in. “Jacqueline,” he said. “Who are you training to kill?”
The question startled me. My brow furrowed as I struggled to catch up with his train of thought. “I’m not… it’s just self-defense.”
He tsked. “Don’t lie to me.”
I sighed. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Oh, it definitely does.”
His tongue flicked out, just a quick stroke along the bottom of my jaw, and I shivered in his arms. Vinny cursed under his breath, then he growled and the wetness of his tongue was replaced by the firm press of his fangs.
My eyes flew open wide. “Please don’t,” I whispered, my voice shaking as fear snaked through my veins, quickly cooling the burn of lust.
