A/N: This AU was brought to you by my love for Taylor Swift songs. That's all!
This ain't for the best
My reputation's never been worse, so
You must like me for me
We can't make
Any promises now, can we, babe?
But you can make me a drink
~Delicate ~
The security was tight around them as they moved through the crowd to the VIP section of the stadium. The fuss and trouble came with being Abe Mazur's only daughter but Rose was used to dealing with it. She was used to someone always being after her and trying to take her out in order to hurt her father. They had succeeded once by murdering he mother, a long time ago. That was the day Abe swore that no one would get to her. No one would even get close enough to see Rose, much less kill her. So that's how her life went on, locked in a pretty ivory tower with dozens of guards around to keep her safe. Only the best of the best for his little princess Abe had said.
As the years went on and Rose grew older she started asking for more though. Having people to protect her wasn't enough, she needed to be able to do it herself. Abe was less than thrilled with the idea but when she gave him the powerpoint presentation Lissa had made for her he couldn't say no. She did make some valid points, she didn't want to get trained to join the army but she had to have some general idea of self-defense and know the basics when it came to guns. Without any more arguments to make Abe set to find someone that would take up the challenge. Which brings her to her next huge problem. Both literally and figuratively because Dimitri Belikov was a very large man.
He came into her life like a fucking hurricane. Ten years older than her and with the kind of experience she wished she'd never get. They argued from the very first day they met. No man had ever put Rose in her place like Dimitri had, for every snarky remark she made he returned a zen lesson. So their days training had gone on, and somewhere between sparing and sassing him, Rose realized she had fallen in love with the guy. She had fallen unconditionally and irrevocably in love with her bodyguard. How fucking cliche!
When she had joked that she wanted an easy on the eye head of detail she wasn't expecting her old man would take it seriously. A part of her thinks he did it on purpose just so he could mess with her. Her father sure had a twisted sense of humor. Like that one time, he invited Nathan Ivashkov's mistress to their annual Christmas party for example. Did it finally give Daniella a reason to ask for a divorce? Yes. But it was it in bad taste? Yes, yes it was.
A tour representative escorted them to their private box and she breathed a sigh of relief as they left the rest of the world outside. Her friends had started the party early with Adrian providing the booze as usual. The boys hadn't been sold to the idea of a Taylor Swift concert but the girls wanted to come and it was either coming along or staying home. Christian went wherever Lissa was and with how restricted Sydney had been by her dad Adrian wouldn't miss a minute away from her. A girly as fuck concert presented the perfect opportunity to go out without people being all over their case.
"He hasn't taken his eyes off of you," Lissa whispered into her ear as the lights dimmed. Her best friend was the only one that knew what was really happening with Dimitri. Or rather what wasn't happening much to Rose's dismay. There was a spark between, no fuck that, there was a fucking flame between them and Dimitri refused to acknowledge it. Rose could feel it though, on the way his eyes stayed on her, on the way his hand rested on the small of her back while he guided her when they were in public. She could feel it in the way their bodies moved during their sparing matches. She didn't have enough fingers to count the times he pinned her to the ground, lingered on top of her for a few seconds before he scurried to compose himself.
"That's all he's been doing for the last couple of weeks." Rose snapped back irritated taking the glass of champagne Adrian pushed in her hand. Realizing her tone wasn't a nice one she mouthed an apology to Lissa and threw back the cold liquid in her glass. She wasn't getting laid tonight so she might as well get shit faced to deal with the frustration.
Lissa took a look at her sour face and her laugh rang in the small room as the noise around them rose steadily. She let the music lull her to a comfortable place in her mind, a place where she didn't feel so alone and isolated. A place where it was just her and Dimitri on a beach, drinking and enjoying each other. Rose ached for his touch, her whole body just burning for his skin against hers and yet he would not give in.
The drinks kept coming and as the night proceed Rose felt herself loosen up. Before long Lissa had her on her feet dancing. Everything was a blur after that, they drunk, they laughed and the more Rose watched her friends lose themselves in each other in between songs the more she yearned for Dimitri. It wasn't just physical, through their time together she had gotten a glimpse of the man underneath the tough facade. She wanted his arms around her slow dancing, she wanted his breath on her neck, she wanted the private phone calls and the dirty texts. She wanted to be with him with all her might but she had to resolve to loving him in secret.
Her eyes caught his across the room as he stood against the wall. Rose let her hands caress her body as she gyrated to the music, imaging it was actually his hands doing all the touching. The bass vibrated down to her bones, the lyrics leaving marks on her heart. She felt her lips move, mouthing the words to him. Dimitri's face stayed stoic as the first day she met him.
~oOo~
You should take it as a compliment
That I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk
You should think about the consequence
Of your magnetic field being a little too strong
You should take it as a compliment
That I'm talking to everyone here but you (but you, but you)
And you should think about the consequence
Of you touching my hand in the darkened room (dark room, dark room)
~Gorgeous~
Her ears were ringing as they left the stadium. Bad love life aside Rose had a blast spending time with her friends. It had been too long since the last time they had been out together to do something other than attending parties their parents threw. The car ride home had been a quiet affair. Rose had sent half of her detail off with her friends to make sure everyone made it home safely. Somehow that left her only with Alberta on the wheel, one of her father's oldest and most trusted people, and Dimitri on the backseat responsible to get her back to the townhouse safely. Still annoyed by him Rose took off her shoes and stretched her legs, placing them on his lap.
"My feet are killing me." She whined still pleasantly buzzed by the champagne. As it turns out drinking with Adrian had built up her alcohol tolerance. What would have put her in a coma five years ago now just got her drunk enough to not find Christian annoying.
"You had fun." Dimitri reminded her, his fingers already reaching for the arch on the bottom of her heel that took all the strain because of her shoes. This is what confused her so much, one moment he would tell her how they couldn't be together and the next he'd do stupid small things like this. He'd sneak her out of the house to go get some fresh air or remember to pick up her favorite donuts. Things that only someone that cared would do.
"You had fun." She imitated his accent trying to annoy him. He just smiled as his hands moved to her calves still rubbing her sore muscles. "Don't touch me like you care." She growled a second later and moved her feet off of him, pulling her knees to her chest. She slide as far away from him as possible. She saw hurt flash in his eyes for a brief second before he went back to normal Dimitri mode. Alberta let them know they were home before he could snap anything in return.
~oOo~
Is the end of all the endings?
My broken bones are mending
With all these nights we're spending
Up on the roof with a schoolgirl crush
Drinking beer out of plastic cups
Say you fancy me, not fancy stuff
Baby, all at once, this is enough
~King Of My Heart~
She was tired but sleep would just not come. The alcohol had started to leave her system and Rose just twisted and turned in her large bed. What was the purpose of a queen size mattress if she had no one to share it. More specifically what was the whole point if Dimitri wasn't beside her. The more time passed the clearer it became to Rose exactly what she was feeling for him. She wasn't the kind of person that would beat around the bush. She was either in or out and where Dimitri was concerned she would rather be in if that was what he wanted too. Finally giving up on sleep she threw her covers off and padded her way to the kitchen.
Her footsteps echoed against the wooden floors as she navigated her way down the stairs. Maybe something to drink would help. Preferably something that would make her forget about the tall and dark Russian that liked to make her life miserable. Much to her annoyance, the universe wasn't going to give her a break tonight. The aforementioned man was currently occupying one of the stools on the kitchen island, going through some files in front of him. She lingered on the doorway for a moment, watching him. He had disregarded his black jacket long ago and the sleeves of his white shirt had been rolled up to his elbows. Rose studied the strong lines of his jaw, the way his forehead creased while in thought. Dimitri Belikov was truly a handsome man.
"What the hell are you still doing here?" She snapped back to her bitchy self. She made her way to the fridge and pulled the door of the fridge a little too hard. Been raised as an only child Rose was familiar with temper tantrums and the good results they could yield. There wasn't something her dad wouldn't do if she cried about it. She quickly realized that they weren't working for Dimitri, though. The man had an endless supply of patience.
"Your father comes back tomorrow." He said not taking his eyes off of his work. "I'm supposed to stay with you until he and Pavel arrive to make sure you're safe." That was a rule Abe had established after her mother had died, a bodyguard had to be with her at all times when he wasn't there.
"I can take care of myself." She hissed.
"No one said you can't." He snapped back and Rose could hear the irritation on his voice now. "But this is why I was hired." His words struck harder than they should. He was getting paid to make sure she didn't die after all. It wasn't like he did it out of love or something.
"For a moment I forgot this is just a job to you." Bitter venom coated her words as she passed by him and the next thing she knew he had her pressed against the kitchen counter. Rose whimpered in pleasure when his hands grabbed her ass and placed her on top of the cool granite. The only thing she could register was his lips on hers and his hands on her body and if she dropped dead on this very moment Rose would die a happy woman. Dimitri took control of the kiss, but more than that he possessed her. His body commanded hers and Rose was more than willing to submit, to let him do with her what he pleased. She wrapped her bare legs around his waist and pulled him closer to her body.
"You think this is just a job to me?" He snarled, his lips moving down her neck kissing and biting. Rose shivered in excitement when he pushed his pelvis against hers. All she wanted was for their clothes to disappear so she could finally feel what it'd be like to have him inside her. "You think being around you and not being able to touch you is easy?" She could hear the desperation in his voice as her hands worked on his shirt, pushing the now wrinkled fabric off of his shoulder. Her fingers traveled down his muscular chest, working the button of his dress pants next.
"Yes." She breathed, her head falling back as she let go in his arms. He made quick work of her tank top, past the point of caring anymore. She moaned when his lips wrapped over a clothed nipple. "I don't think you care." Her words made him pull back and rest his forehead against her.
"You don't understand, Roza." He whispered nuzzling his nose against hers. "I'm scared that if I let myself love you I will get distracted and this will put you in danger." Her heart clenched something inside her shifting. She knew what he meant, she had seen it happen with her parents. In their world getting attached was a risky business. If your enemies knew you had a soft spot they knew where to hit you. He placed a chaste kiss on her lips again and that was the moment Rose decided it doesn't matter. They weren't her parents, they'd learn from the past. She was supposed to be the heiress to her father's empire and she'd have Dimitri by her side. Lord have mercy to whoever decided to cross them.
"Make love to me." Her voice was low but commanding, and that's all he needed. They rid themselves of any clothes on the way to her bedroom and Rose felt her excitement rise. Dimitri did not waste any time getting between her legs, all fingers, and lips. The more Rose encouraged him with small cries and whimpers the more he worked her body to a frenzy. "Dimitri!" She whined writhing underneath him.
"Not yet, Roza." He chastised and tried to move but she pulled him back. "We need condoms, sweetheart." He said in between kissing and she shook her head.
"I'm on the pill." She hadn't been with anyone in months and from what the rest of her security team was saying neither had Dimitri. He didn't need anything else as her words register. The next moment he was sheathing himself inside her inch by glorious inch.
"Fuck." He groaned as her walls flutter around him. This wasn't going to last long and they both knew it. "You're gonna be the death of me." He murmured resting his forehead against hers in hopes of keeping himself in check.
"Dimitri, move." She finally snapped wrapping her legs around his waist again. They didn't need words after that as they worked together to reach that beautiful ending. Her nails dug into the soft flesh of his back leaving imprints of pleasure as she came and he followed her a moment later. She shuddered again as he emptied himself inside her welcoming body. Dimitri's full weight was on top of her but it didn't bother her. He tried to move, afraid he'd crush her but she pulled him back into her arms. "Not yet." She murmured running her hands up and down his spine, just enjoying the way he felt pressed against her.
"I love you." He whispered against her neck and Rose smiled.
"I love you too." She returned finally meeting his gaze for the first time after what they'd done. There was nothing but love and adoration in his eyes and her heart swell. They had a long road ahead of them but they would make it because they had each other.
~oOo~
It had been a long and tiring trip for Abe. Running a mob wasn't as fun and easy as Hollywood made it out to be. There was a new Easter European family that was trying to move into his business within the Middle East and Abe sure as hell didn't like it. Those had been his lands since he was a small con artist. He wasn't going to step down any time soon. When the time came Rosemarie would take over and be just as smart and resourceful as her daddy had been. That girl looked so much like him with every passing day that it was scary sometimes.
"Alberta!" He greeted his second in command as he got into the car. She and Pavel had been with him since the beginning, they were more than employees. They were family to him and his little girl. "I take everything's well back home?" He met her eyes through the review mirror and Alberta smirked.
"They finally cracked." She said smugness radiating off of her. Abe groaned and handed her a hundred dollar bill.
"I was hoping he would hold on a bit longer." He complained. He didn't expect Rose to fall for the guy when Abe had hired him but his little girl always got what she wanted. Belikov had no chance against a Hathaway woman, they were a force to be reckoned with. Janine had done the exact same thing to him and Abe did not regret a single second he spent with the fiery redhead. The only thing he regretted was letting his guard down and leaving an opening for Rufus Tarus to get close to his wife. He broke the law of not going after family members so Abe left no Taurus family at all. Both as revenge and an example for anyone that thought it was smart to cross him.
Belikov was a good man, he'd make sure history did not repeat itself. Abe couldn't be happier with Rose's choice on a mate and he'd make his damn best to see them both as happy as possible.
~The End~