Page 119 of Sinister Intentions

That he was touching what was mine?

Peaches and Goofy exchanged glances, clearly sensing the tension.

“You two know each other?” I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral. I put my thumb on the reader, then pushed the button to the roof before I focused back on them, barely keeping my composure.

Jemma pulled away from Hawk, her eyes darting between us before she settled fully on me. “Oh, for God’s sake,” she said, then put her hands on her hips and faced me fully. “We met in Italy,” she said, then sighed.

Hawk nodded, his expression unreadable.

“Hawk helped Gabe to find us and bring us home.”

My gaze snapped back to Jemma. The tone of her voice and her vulnerability took me by surprise, but suddenly, the pieces of the puzzle settled into place.

Italy. The kidnapping. Jemma’s panic attack when I had her bound to that chair in my apartment.

Fuck me.

I grabbed her neck and pulled her into my arms and against my chest.

We’ve never talked about it…another thing I’d missed addressing properly.

I could only imagine the impact that must’ve had on her.

I really needed to be more considerate about the impact on her from what must’ve happened to her during her captivity.

Was that why she struggled so much with my dominance, why she desperately held onto her independence?

My eyes met Hawk’s over her head.

He looked thoughtful, but one corner of his mouth slightly lifted, and he nodded.

As if he approved.

Not that I needed anyone’s approval—apart from Jemma’s.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

The moment I hugged Hawk, I felt Vince tense and his eyes on me as if he was physically touching me. I immediately realized I’d made a mistake.

His jealousy was no joke and radiated off him in waves.

I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of satisfaction at his reaction, followed by regret.

He said we’d make it work, but how could we when there was literally zero trust between us? Nobody could go from enemies to married in the matter of a weekend.

My feelings for him were probably just a result of the roller coaster ride of the past couple of days. Pure illusion, right?

Right.

“You two know each other?” he said, and I could practically hear how he was talking through clenched teeth.

I pulled back from Hawk’s embrace, turned, looked at Hawk, then met Vince’s intense gaze.

His dark eyes burned with a mixture of possessiveness and confusion.

I sighed, knowing he needed an explanation.

“Oh, for God’s sake,” I said, then put my hands on my hips and faced him fully. “We met in Italy,” I said, then sighed. The memories of that dark time threatened to flood back—the fear, the uncertainty, the helplessness.

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