Page 76 of The Beauty Who Loved Him

She didn’t have any intention of explaining that she had already picked her dress, paid for it with the card Vaslav had provided, and Hannah was currently browsing for an appropriate gown herself. That wasn’t even why she’d decided to call him.

“You would have come right out with that, kisska, if you were wearing something you didn’t want me to see.” She surmised he was at home, but other than the sound of footsteps, she couldn’t hear anything else on the other end of the phone. “Send me a picture, or I call Kiril and ask him where you are.”

“You really don’t believe me?”

“Trust is a ... tricky thing,” Vaslav muttered.

No, he was just a very complicated man. She had figured that detail out before agreeing to marrying him, and had accepted it was a part of the package that made up the man who had unintentionally captured her heart.

“Don’t call Kiril,” Vera grumbled. “He’ll come inside and make a damn scene.”

Just because he was probably bored by now.

“Then send a picture.”

Vera rolled her eyes. “Give me a second ... impatience helps no one.”

“And yet, impatience somehow gets me everywhere.”

Frankly, she didn't mind playing along with Vaslav’s game because she intended for him to eat his words. Or rather, his request. He couldn’t possibly know that even though she’d finished her dress shopping, including finding a black number for a possible date that may or may not happen, she had decided to try on the sets of lingerie.

Well, one set of three. The set she couldn’t wear on the wedding day because the straps of the bra weren’t removable.

Vera didn't bother to stand from the white leather chair in the middle of the changing room to take the picture of her reflection in the wall of mirrors. She didn’t need to. With her legs crossed, she’d propped her elbow up on the armrest of the chair to get a good, steady shot of her body’s profile wrapped in stark red lace. She even winked for the picture, too.

All the while, Vaslav remained quiet on the phone. She knew when her picture text had been sent through, and he pulled the photo up, because he didn’t try to hide the grunt that proceeded the clearing of his throat.

“Damn,” he praised.

Vera smiled.

Only to herself.

“See, I am in the changing room as we speak,” she said.

Vaslav’s responding sigh came out breathy and terse. “Did you try on the other two as well?”

“They’re the same size, so I don't really need to. They’ll fit, and I’d like to keep them perfect until the wedding, you know?”

She didn’t explain why she opted to try on the red set. That would give Vaslav too much information to go on regarding her dress and what it might look like. Not that he asked.

Yet.

“Good, save the white set so I can ruin it first, and the black set for the night after.”

Vera eyed her reflection as she toyed with the red strap of the lace bra. “That’s why I called, actually.”

“Pardon?”

“The lingerie,” she clarified. “I wanted to tell you they’re good choices.”

“Da, for anything. Including taking them off. And speaking of things getting off, how about you? Now.”

Vera stilled in the chair, unsure that she’d heard him right. “You’re not serious?”

“As a fucking heart attack. You should not have sent me that picture if you didn’t intend to make it worth my while, beautiful. Can someone see you?”

“No,” Vera assured.