Page 19 of Urgent Vows
"You may proceed but you have exactly three minutes to get the rest of your team swapped out." With women. He doesn't say it, but no one in this room could possibly doubt Severu's meaning.
The doctor instructs the nurse to call for immediate replacements as he approaches my bed.
Once again Severu steps in the way. "I will do it."
The doctor puts his hands up and steps back. "By all means."
What the heck is going on? No way is the most powerful don in New York jealous at the thought of a medical professional removing my clothes.
Jealous, or not, he's definitely not going to allow it.
"Aldo, shut the doors and face them," Severu instructs the other man after the nurses leave.
I hear both doors shut with a quiet whoosh.
"Can you sit up a little?" Severu asks me, offering his arm to help me.
I grab it and pull myself into an upright position, but it hurts, and I don't try to hide my reaction. This is not the place for my acting skills.
Severu holds me up with one hand and lowers the zip on the side of my dress with the other. But it's too tight to pull off without stretching my arms and I give an embarrassing whimper when we try that.
He stops immediately and says, "This was not how I planned to undress you tonight."
Chapter 7
CATALINA
I don't know what he means until he pulls a knife from a sheath under his jacket.
"You were armed at the church?" I ask, shocked.
"I'm wearing a shoulder and ankle holster as well," he informs me, his voice amused, as he gently lets me settle back against the partially reclined gurney.
"I thought you weren't supposed to take guns into the cathedral." I was sure that a no weapons policy had been agreed to by the wedding planner.
"I make the rules, I do not abide by them."
I would have said something in rejoinder, but Severu places the tip of his knife at the center of the sweetheart neckline on my dress. I suck in a breath, but before I can get too worried, my husband cuts my dress right down the center of the bodice.
"We have scissors you can use for that," the doctor says, but it's already too late.
The wedding gown is in tatters around me. I am not wearing a bra because the one I had for my maid-of-honor dress hadn't been strapless and I am sure that is obvious even though only the valley between my breasts has been revealed.
"Turn around," Severu barks at the doctor.
I assume the man obeys because my husband makes several more cuts with that wickedly sharp knife until the silk is in tatters around me.
Severu looks down at my now bared breasts and something flares in his eyes. Despite my pain, that look heats my blood and makes my vaginal walls contract.
I should at least try to cover myself, but I don't. What is wrong with me?
Then Severu's eyes shift lower, and his expression takes on near demonic fury. "That piece of shit coward."
I look down and see the now dark purple bruises mottling my skin over my lower ribs. Even though it hurts, I force myself to take a deep breath and the pain remains a steady throb. Not broken. I was right.
Though I have no doubt Severu will insist on me being X-rayed regardless.
He takes several intentional deep breaths himself and the aura of rage around him becomes less pronounced. Then with two flicks of his wrist, his knife slices both sides of my blue lace panties. He pulls them off and despite the situation, my body reacts with a totally inappropriate wave of desire.
