Chapter 10: Alone at Last

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy

RPOV

Holy shit! What had I just agreed to? I wondered nervously to myself as I allowed Dimitri to lead me away from my loud and overcrowded apartment. The thought that I should have told someone where I was going crossed my mind as he inserted the key into his apartment door.

"Well this is it," he said holding the door as he ushered me inside.

"I told you it was quiet."

"It is definitely more peaceful over here," I commented appraising the room.

It had many windows overlooking the city. The living room was spacious. The walls were painted a deep cranberry color on three sides and a large flat screen television hung over an ornate fireplace on the exposed brick wall. There was a glass coffee table with a vase of red poppies that sat in front of an L shaped brown leather sectional sofa. In the corner by the balcony, there was a baby grand piano that must have cost a fortune.

As I continued to scan the room, my eyes rested on the most beautiful painting hanging on the wall.

"Do you like it?" he asked as I stepped forward reaching out my hand and tracing my fingertips along the edge.

"It's breathtaking," I said mesmerized by its beauty.

"Who is it by?" I asked wondering if it was real or just a copy.

"Thomas Kinkade," he replied. "He's an American artist who recently passed away. I found it a charity auction a few months back and couldn't resist. It's called Beyond the Garden Gate."

"It's authentic?" I asked regarding the scene of a white gazebo in the middle of a field of wild flowers.

He nodded.

"Would you like a tour of the rest of the place?" he asked breaking my gaze away from the painting.

"Sure," I replied placing my hand in his.

"This is the kitchen," he stated as we walked past a small bar area. It was not too large, but very modern with silver appliances and dark cherry wood cabinets. There was a wine cooler built into the bottom cabinets and open shelves with all different sorts of canned and boxed goods. Pots, pans and utensils hung from the tops of the cabinets within easy reach for cooking and the bar had an assortment of glasses hanging underneath as well.

"It's very nice," I complimented.

He showed me the bathroom, which was decorated very tastefully and very clean for a man living alone. I wondered if he had a housekeeper.

"This is Christian's room," he said opening a door to the left. It was the smaller of the two I was sure and was furnished with just a double bed, some shelves, a dresser and a computer desk.

"This is my room," he said opening the last door in the hallway. It was definitely the master suite with an attached bathroom. The main focus was a King sized bed with deep red bedding embroidered with gold. There was also a large bookshelf full to the brim with what looked like old western novels.

"You like to read?" I asked running my hand over the bookbindings as I walked through the room.

"I'm a sucker for westerns," he said his face crinkling into a warm smile as I wrinkled my nose at him.

"Who are these people?" I asked as I picked up a photo frame from his nightstand.

"Those are my sisters, my mother and my grandmother," he replied.

"Wow, they're beautiful," I told him. They were dressed rather formally and it must have been some sort of holiday.

"What was the occasion?" I asked curiously.

"It was Easter. It's a very big holiday in Russia and my mother likes to go all out and get fancy about it," he explained.

There were a few other photos of himself and Christian hiking or something and one of him and another man who was tall with blonde hair.

"Who is this?" I asked.

"That is my friend Ivan. He planned to come with us to the States, but was called back unexpectedly when his mother became ill."

"Oh, is he a close friend of yours?"

"One of the best. We grew up together."

He came up behind me encircling my waist with his arms placing a delicate kiss on my neck making me fully aware that we were still in his bedroom. I shivered as he began trailing kisses down my neck and onto my bare shoulder.

I moaned in pleasure as he spun me around kissing me passionately. His hands tangled in my hair as he held my head in his hands. I could barely breathe as our kisses became hungrier. A bolt of hot white lightening shot through my body as he pressed me up against the wall pinning my hands above my head. Our bodies were pressed so tightly up against each other that I could feel his excitement pressing against my stomach further fueling my desire.

I felt like I was on fire as he put his hand on my knee and slowly ran it up my thigh lifting my dress as he did. I knew we were moving too fast and that I should stop him, but I couldn't. Something about the way my entire body tingled with the mere touch of his hands just felt right.

DPOV

As I slid my hand up the side of her smooth sexy thigh warning bells went off in my head. As arousing as it was having my hands on her like this, I knew I couldn't take it much further. She was new to the whole dating circuit and I knew she was not ready to make love with me. I myself was ready to make more than just love to her. I would marry her tonight if I thought she would go for it. Sadly, that was a long way off if ever.

I wondered if I should wait until she stopped me. I knew she would at some point, but it would make me look like I was pushing her if I waited until it got to the point where she was uncomfortable. So as impossible a task as it was, I lowered my hand and gently pulled away. There would be plenty of time for a cold shower later, but right now, I needed to focus.

"You are so very sexy right now, but I think it would be a wise decision if we went out to the living room," I suggested looking her directly in the eye. Her chest was heating and her eyes were dilated. Oh, how badly I wanted her right now.

"I think you're right," she said taking a cleansing breath.

"So your place is really nice. Did you hire a decorator?" she asked as we walked back into the living room.

I smiled sheepishly. "Is it that obvious?"

She laughed heartily. "Well, I'm no expert on decorating, but I've heard that men are no good at it."

"That rumor is definitely true," I said smiling. I was thanking my lucky stars that Christian has suggested decorating. I had hired a crew of ten, five carpenters, two painters, two interior decorators, and a personal shopper last week to get this thing pulled together for tonight. It had taken four days of around the clock work, but it was true what they say that money opens doors. If you had the right funds, which I certainly did, then nothing was impossible.

"Would you like a glass of wine?" I asked walking over toward the bar area.

"Sure, I'd love a white wine, sweet if you have it," she said.

I smirked to myself as I pulled out the bottle of Moscato D'Asti I knew she preferred from listening in on the girls' conversations. I had taken the liberty to stock a few bottles in my cooler for just such an occasion.

"Ooh, this is my favorite," she said sipping it casually as she sat cross-legged on the sofa. I relaxed a bit upon seeing that she was comfortable enough to remove her shoes and make herself at home.

"I'm glad you like it."

It was extremely distracting having her here within arm's reach, completely alone without the chance of being interrupted. I had already given a warning to Christian, Eddie and Mason, that if anyone were to come in here unannounced while we were alone, I would have their head on a silver platter. As we sat drinking our wine, visions of ripping off her clothes and having my way with her on the piano kept flooding my mind.

"So Jill told me you were thinking about school in the fall," I said trying make conversation and get my mind out of the gutter.

She sighed and a strange look came over her face.

"I'd like to, but I'm just not sure," she said.

"What's holding you back?" I wondered aloud. It could not be money.

"I don't know. I just don't know what I want to do with my life."

"You haven't thought about it before?" I asked knowing I was treading in dangerous territory.

"Not really. My father was strict and oppressive and wouldn't allow it."

"Was?" I asked.

"Well, I guess he still is, but we don't speak," she admitted gulping down the rest of her wine.

"What about your mother?" I asked truly pressed.

"She died when I was five. She killed herself because my father made her so unhappy," she said in a monotone.

"That's why I left. I knew I couldn't stay there so as soon as I turned eighteen, I moved out."

"I'm sorry," I told her with genuine sentiment. She really had lived through some horrific things. I wished I could assure her that I meant her no harm and that if she stayed with me I wouldn't treat her like that. If she wanted to attend university, I would make it happen.

"Have you considered studying art?" I asked. "You seem very passionate about it."

"I have, but what kind of job could I get with a degree in Art History? I can't exactly support myself on that."

"I guess that's true," I said knowing that she would never have to support herself. I would always take care of her, besides it wasn't as if she actually had a choice in the matter. One way or another she would end up married to another royal within the year. I only wished I could tell her the truth and make her see that I was different. I wanted her to know that being my Queen would not be the same as with the others. Unfortunately, the minute she found out who I was and she figured out my conspiracy with her father, all she would see was another royal dictating her life and tricking her into a life she despised. Whoever thought being royal made life easy should have to walk in my shoes for a day.

"Did you always want to go into international business?" she asked breaking my train of thought.

"Actually, no, for a while I wanted to be a pirate when I was a child and then I went through my rock star phase and at university I spent quite a bit of time pursuing astronomy."

"Like the stars?" she asked her eyes lighting up with curiosity.

"Yes, like the stars," I said. "They fascinate me."

"Have you ever seen the Aurora Borealis?" I asked.

A thoughtful look came over her face and she hesitated slightly before answering.

"No, they're not visible here in Chicago and I haven't been much of anywhere else," she lied, thus proving that she still had doubts about whether or not she could trust me.

"I hear they're brilliant though. Have you seen them?"

"Actually yes, many times. They are usually visible on dark clear nights from September to March in Siberia. They are very beautiful, but they don't hold a candle to you," I said leaning forward pulling her in for a soft, slow kiss. I knew she had to lie to protect her identity, but her lies hurt nonetheless.

We spent the better part of an hour kissing tenderly, not allowing it to go any further for now.

"Tell me more about your family?" she asked yawning a little. I had stretched out along the length of the sofa leaving room for her to lean back against my chest so I could hold her close.

"What do you want to know?"

"You have photos of your sisters, your mother and your grandmother. Where is your father?"

"He passed away a little over three years ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories," she said apologetically snuggling further into my chest.

"It's okay. My father and I were not exactly close. He was a very hard man to live with and he wasn't always kind to my mother," I admitted. It was the first time I had ever said that aloud. Christian and Ivan were privy to the harsh way my father treated us behind closed doors, but they never mentioned it.

"Was your father violent?" I asked wanting to know what really went on with Mazur. He seemed to genuinely care about his daughter's happiness, but I wanted to know for sure. If he laid one hand on her, I would kill him with my bare hands.

"No, it wasn't like that. He would never hurt me," she said shaking her head vehemently.

"Deep down I know he loves me, but he just doesn't understand me," she said sadly.

"Do you love him?" I asked.

"I do, very much, and a lot of times I miss him, but I just can't live my life the way he wants. I need to be free," she murmured and I could tell she was close to falling asleep.

I grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and covered her with it. She snuggled herself closer to me nuzzling her face into my neck. As I leaned over to extinguish the light, I pondered the consequences of my actions. The more I learned about her, the more deeply I fell in love with her, but the more I learned about her, the clearer it became that she would never be able to forgive me for what I was doing to her.

When I was sure she was asleep, I uttered the words I had been dying to say to her all night.

"Ya Tebya lyublyu Roza."

Aww how cute! He told her he loved her=) Please review!

Okay, so I am going to try and update one more time before I leave on my trip, but I cannot guarantee it seeing that this weekend I have two father's day gatherings, my grandmother's birthday and a wedding shower. I am leaving for Europe on Monday for 10 days. Don't worry! I will have many hours on a plane and a train to think of new ideas. Like I said, I hope to update once more before I go, but if I don't, please don't think I abandoned my story. I will be back or as they say in France. Je retournerai.