Page 58 of Velvet Chains
You’re in control, Laur; he’s not your problem anymore…
Then I raise my eyes to meet Victor’s.
My face flushes as Victor’s gaze locks with mine, his eyes dark and intense. His hand slides along my back, his touch searing through the thin fabric of my dress.
I’m acutely aware of every place our bodies connect—the press of his thigh against mine under the table, the way his fingers splay across the small of my back, the heat of his breath ghosting over my ear as he leans in close.
It’s too much and not enough all at once. I want to lean into his touch, to let myself drown in the sensations he’s evoking. But I also want to push him away, to put some distance between us before I do something stupid.
Like kiss him senseless in front of my best friend and her husband.
I shift in my seat, trying to subtly ease away from his hand. But Victor just follows the movement, his palm sliding lower, his fingers grazing the curve of my hip.
Fuck. How does he do that? How does he unravel me with just a simple touch?
I take a shaky sip of my wine, trying to cool the heat simmering under my skin. But it’s a losing battle. Every nerve ending in my body is attuned to Victor’s presence, to the magnetic pull of his body next to mine.
It’s maddening. It’s exhilarating.
It’s dangerous as hell.
Suddenly, I feel a wave of nausea crash over me, so intense it takes my breath away. The wine I just swallowed threatens to come back up, and I can feel my stomach churning ominously.
Oh God. Not now. Not here.
But my body has other plans. I can feel the bile rising in my throat, the cold sweat breaking out on my forehead.
I lurch to my feet, my chair scraping loudly against the floor. Every head at the table swivels toward me, but I can’t focus on their concerned faces.
All I can think about is getting to a bathroom before I humiliate myself even further.
“Excuse me,” I manage to choke out, my hand clamped over my mouth. And then I’m running, my heels beating a staccato rhythm as I frantically search for the nearest restroom…
Chapter 25
Laura
I BARELY make it in time.
Oh God.
I slam the door shut behind me and collapse in front of the toilet, retching violently.
It feels like my entire body is rebelling against me, purging itself of everything I’ve consumed in the last hour. The wine, the rich food, the secrets and lies…
It all comes pouring out of me, leaving me shaking and spent on the cool tile floor.
And as I sit there, trying to catch my breath and calm the riot in my stomach…
A terrifying thought hits me.
This isn’t the first time this has happened.
The nausea.
The vomiting.
The sudden aversion to foods I normally love.
