Page 29 of Blood Oath Christmas
“You knew my father?” she asks incredulously.
Taisia blinks once, reads my face in a heartbeat, and corrects herself. “Knewofhim,” she says smoothly. “Everyone did, in our circle.” She gestures to the room, moving us forward. “Come, let us see what will make the priests smile and the groom forget what world he lives in.”
I breathe again even as Ivy opens her mouth to ask more questions but closes it as Taisia starts up a series of questions about what she’s looking for and complimenting Ivy’s skin color and figure.
In the back, there’s a small, private salon with a long mirror. A tray with tea and lemon sits on a stand between two overstuffed chairs. I take a seat in one and pour myself a cup of tea. Viktor plants himself at the hallway door. He’s already locked the front door and turned the sign so that it reads “closed” should anyone try to come in.
“I don’t know what I’m… supposed to pick,” Ivy says under her breath. She looks at the long row of gowns as if they’re a bunch of snakes ready to bite her.
“When you were a girl, didn’t you dream of what you’d wear to your wedding?” Taisia asks with a gentle smile.
Ivy frowns in thought. “Not that I remember.”
“Well, let’s start with what you like. Do you want a nice form-fitting dress or a more elaborate gown?”
As the women discuss wedding dress nuances, I flip through the magazines laid out neatly on the table next to the tea. Most of them are for brides, but there are a couple of hunting and natureeditions for the few men who come in while their fiancées are fitted for the perfect dress.
I’m engrossed in an article about a bear that was tracked from when it was a cub until it became a mother when Taisia interrupts.
“She is ready, Konstantin.” A huge grin spreads across her face and she waggles her eyebrows. “Are you sure you are?”
I nod, setting the magazine aside.
Ivy peaks her head out from the dressing room door. “Isn’t it bad luck to see the bride in her wedding dress before the actual wedding?”
“I make my own luck.”
She frowns, then shakes her head and disappears behind the door. A minute later, she steps out, a bit shyly, and my mouth goes dry. The white gown is perfect for her. It fits her like it was made for her. The bodice is modest but is cut low enough to show a hint of enticing cleavage. The skirt is straight, an inventive design of lace and winter-white satin. There’s a thin belt at the waist with a small icon charm hanging lightly from the center.
Taisia’s laughter breaks me out of my haze. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you speechless before, Konstantin.”
My ears turn hot and I clear my throat. “Turn around,” I say, my voice gruffer than I expected, but damn, that dress… the way Ivy looks in that dress literally steals my voice and sends fire rushing through my veins.
Ivy raises an eyebrow but turns in a slow circle, giving me time to see the whole ensemble. The back of the dress dips low, exposing the smooth skin of her back and making my fingers itch to tear the thing off and throw her on my bed.
I’m standing in front of her by the time she makes a full circle. Damn, but I don’t even remember walking over here!
My knuckles graze her cheek. “You are breathtaking, Ivy,” I say in a low voice, my eyes devouring every inch of her.
Ivy blushes, her cheeks turning bright red, and she ducks her head shyly. But just for a second. Then she looks at me and smiles. “Thank you.”
“We’ll take it,” I tell Taisia.
She chuckles as Ivy disappears into the dressing room to change out of the dress. “Of course you will. Do you want to take it now or should I deliver it later?”
After seeing that dress on Ivy, the way it made her blue eyes sparkle, and how it fit her sexy little body so perfectly, I don’t want to let the thing out of my sight. I don’t want to take the chance that something will happen to it or it won’t arrive on time.
“We’ll take it with us.”
Taisia nods. When Ivy comes out of the dressing room, Taisia carefully takes the dress and puts it into a protective bag for us. After paying, I nod at Viktor and we leave the bridal shop.
When we step outside, the cold air causes Ivy to shiver. I put my palm at the small of her back.Did she just lean into me a little bit?Probably wishful thinking on my part, or she’s just cold and instinctively seeking warmth.
“Ivy!”
The male voice calling Ivy’s name sends me into instant protect mode. Pulling Ivy behind me, my other hand reaches at the line of my coat where my gun is waiting.
15
