Page 35 of My Big Fat Vampire Wedding
“Then why is my chest so tight?” Pandora asked, hunching forward to try to ease it. “I can’t … breathe.”
“Youdon’tbreathe.”
“That’s not helpful,” Pandora said miserably just as the dressing-room door opened.
Lucy nodded. “Oh, that’s the look.”
“Are you OK?” Victor asked, and Pandora could feel his gaze on her.
“She’s a little nervous,” Lucy answered for her. “I’m going to go pick out something more appropriate for her to wear. You two have a little chat,” she said, completely ignoring Pandora’s pleading eyes, begging her not to leave.
“What are you so worried about?” Victor asked, sitting next to her in his ultra-starched new outfit.
That her parents would serve blood. That they’d say something careless like “humans” or “mortals”. That they’d ask him inappropriate questions. That her mother would sniff out the lie.
“Everything,” she said.
He smiled. “We’ve been preparing for this.”
“I know.” She nodded, but it still felt like someone was sitting on her chest. While simultaneously choking her from behind. Regardless of how anatomically impossible that was.
“Here. How about a distraction?” He stood to move back to the dressing room, grabbing his trousers, and then came back.
There, in his hand, was a ring.
No, not just any ring.
Thering.
Her engagement ring.
When she’d mentioned going to antique stores to try to find one, he’d insisted on doing the ring-shopping himself.
With everything else she had to worry about, she’d forgotten all about the ring that was supposedly “getting sized”.
Victor hadn’t forgotten.
And he hadn’t just gone out and bought some cheap, ugly ring from somewhere. He’d found the most gorgeous vintage ring she’d ever seen.
It was a stunning cushion-cut emerald with floating bubble halo diamonds to each side, set on a simple gold band.
“Oh.” She exhaled, feeling that warm sensation sliding across her chest like it often seemed to do when Victor was nearby.
“Do you like it?” he asked. “I know a diamond is traditional. But I thought colour suited you better.” He reached with his free hand for hers.
The second he touched her, she felt a tingle move across her hand, up her arm, then across her chest. Her gaze slid to his face, trying to ascertain if he felt the same tingle, if it was slowly working its way up to a flame across his skin like it was for her.
But with his head ducked, she was finding it hard to figure out what, if anything, he might be feeling as he slid the ring up her finger until it settled at the base, a perfect fit.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, looking down at how thedark-green emerald contrasted with her pale skin. “Where did you find it?” she asked, trying to draw her own attention away from the way he was still holding her hand.
His gaze cut up to hers, his light-green eyes soft. “It was my grandmother’s,” he told her, making that gooey sensation spread across her chest.
His scent was thick in the air between them, overwhelming her senses. His lips were so close. If she just leaned slightly forward …
“Your hands are freezing,” Victor said, looking down at her hands as he moved both of them between his, trying to warm her skin for her.
“Oh,” she said, noting the concern etched between his brows. “I have, uh, circulation issues.”
