"Too early. I don't wanna." I mumbled into her hair when she began prodding me awake. We'd arrived back at the house in the early hours of the morning and had been far too tired to follow Christopher's advice and 'get busy.' We'd fallen asleep as soon as our clothes were shed and we were cuddled in bed.
My arms were wrapped tightly around Roza's waist as she struggled to get out of bed. Through my eyelids, I could see the light streaming into the room from the windows. I knew that I wasn't ready to open my eyes and face the bright light. I felt it was early afternoon, but my body was still tired from last night's events.
Despite living on the nocturnal schedule for the majority of my life, having to switch back from living a few weeks on a diurnal schedule was hell. It wasn't too hard to stay up later to work through the night, but after sleeping through most of the day, I wasn't ready to get up again.
At least we weren't going out tonight again.
It felt so strange to have Roza be the one prodding me awake, but here she was wiggling her perfect body in an attempt to release herself from my grasp. However, I was nowhere near ready to release her nor was I ready to leave the comfort of our bed.
"Comrade." She laughed when I tightened my grip.
"No. Roza stay," I muttered pulling the covers back over our heads, blocking out the bright light and trapping us inside. She huffed in slight annoyance but allowed me to keep her there. I gave her enough room to turn and face me.
I moaned quietly as she wound her fingers through my hair. She gently pulled my head back and ran her wet tongue up my windpipe, producing another moan from me.
"Now you're awake." She chuckled throwing a leg over my hip to pull my erection closer to her.
"You're relentless, woman," I mumbled before attaching my lips to hers. She moaned into my mouth as I rolled on top of her. The arm that I used to prop myself up on played with her hair while the other gripped her thigh to keep her in place.
I had to give it to her, if there was any sure-fire way to get me up, it was Roza rubbing herself against me suggestively. I just wish that I could have done this back at the Academy. There was no way she'd be late if I could just wake her up like this. Then again, we probably wouldn't have done a lot of training had this actually happened.
Her skin was warm against mine. The sheets had fallen off my back, exposing it to the cool air causing me to shiver. She ran her fingernails down my back, and her hips wriggled against mine in impatience.
"Dimitri." She sighed contently. My lips trailed across her cheek and down her throat. Her chest heaved against mine as my lips traveled even lower. A moan so sexual it caused my cock to twitch ran through her body when I took one of her nipples in my mouth.
Her back arched upward, pushing her breasts further into my face, not that I minded. My tongue circled the hardened peak then trailed back up to her mouth. She greedily sucked my tongue into her mouth and flipped us over.
She used her feet to pin my thighs to the bed, and my wrists were captured in her grip. She ground her hips down right as she nipped my tongue gently. I released a growl that matched her own sexual noises and smirked in delight as it caused a shiver to run through her.
My dick was fully erect and ready to be buried deep inside her, but she never let her throbbing heat near it, though I know we both wanted it.
She released my tongue from her teeth only to attach them to my earlobe, tugging gently as her hot breath fanned across my skin.
"Roza." I moaned trying to gain some control. Her perky nipples were brushing against my chest as she leaned over me. She pulled back to look down at me with a smirk on her face.
"Yes, dear? Do you need something?" She asked innocently. I narrowed my eyes and glared up at her before raising my hips as much as I could to poke her with my dick.
"You know what I want, Roza. It's the same thing you want." I respond huskily.
"What do I want?" She asked leaning in closer till she was only a breath away. I could see her control slipping as I smirked and glanced down at her luscious lips.
"You want me to fuck you," I said breathlessly closing the space between our lips. She moaned and relieved enough pressure on my wrists for me to flip us over. She automatically wrapped her legs around my hips to pull me closer.
We both moaned as my stiff member pressed against her. She wriggled her hips, trying to line me up with her, but with no success. She growled in frustration while I smirked down at her. I ran a hand down between her breasts and over her stomach. Her body arched into my palm, and her chest heaved in anticipation as my hand traveled lower.
My fingers brushed over her soft curls to grasp my shaft and lined myself up at her entrance. I held myself as still as I could as I watched her patience wear thin. Right before she snapped, I thrusted into her warm body with a force that pulled a scream from her lips.
Her body lifted itself off the bed to connect with mine at every point it could. I moved one arm under her body to keep her in place, her skin pressed against mine. I took a quick moment to revel in the feeling of her wrapped completely around me.
I buried my face in the crook of her neck, pressing wet, harsh kisses on her skin, hell bent on giving her every ounce of pleasure I could give her. I relied on her heartbeat and moans to guide my tempo and force. Her nails clawed at my back as I started out slow and hard. Her moans were low and long in my ear.
As I picked up speed, her moans increased in pitch and her nails dug deeper. I could hear her heart thundering in her chest, matching tempo with mine. Her thighs tightened around my hips as my stomach clenched in a way it never had before. It took me a few moments longer with my lust-filled mind to realize that the feeling was Roza's, not mine.
My name escaped her mouth in broken moans as her walls clamped down around me. I pulled back to look down at her as she fell apart around me. I allowed myself three powerful thrusts and joined her in complete bliss.
Her eyes were closed and a look of utter happiness took over her face. Her chest was still heaving, making her bountiful breasts jiggle in a mesmerizing way.
"That was absolutely incredible, Comrade." She sighed after we both caught our breath. I chuckled as I rolled to the side, pulling her with me. She moaned at the movement as she settled herself into my side.
"I aim to please," I said with a smirk. I could practically feel her eyes rolling in their sockets. We fell into a peaceful silence as we cuddled in the plush bed before Roza ruined it.
"Well…now that you're up…" She said rolling toward the edge of the bed.
"Oh, no you don't," I grumbled pulling her back to my body. We ended up in the same position we started in this morning when she woke me up. I was far from ready to leave this bed, and if I was staying so was Roza.
"Dimitri, we've slept long enough." Roza scolded lightly.
"Beds are good for things other than sleep, Roza," I whispered in her ear causing her to shiver.
"Once wasn't enough for you?" She giggled.
"I'll never be able to get enough of you," I said running my hand over her soft flesh. As my touch raised goosebumps on her skin, the feeling of her skin under my fingertips raised my arousal yet again.
"How about a dip in the ocean?" She asked seductively, looking over her shoulder at me.
"I'd rather dip into something else…" I mumbled but let her get up. My eyes focused on the gentle sway of her hips as she walked into her closet. She held herself with such confidence even though every single curve of her body was on full display to me.
"Black or red?" She called out.
"Is there a third, less enticing color I can choose?" I moaned.
"Is it the color that makes it enticing?" She asked sticking her head out of the closet to give me a pointed look.
"No, but I could possibly control myself if you weren't in either of those two colors," I answer sitting up to lean against the headboard. Roza takes a moment to let her eyes roam over my form. She gave a pleased look and disappeared back into the closet.
"Black it is." I heard her mumble and suppressed a groan. "You should probably get dressed before you leave this room."
"You're actually wanting me to get dressed?" I asked raising an eyebrow. She exited her closet in a modest black bikini. Despite the amount of skin showing, my eyes were drawn to the two areas that were covered. Black was seriously her color. It made her look even more appetizing.
"I'll give you the same reasoning as last time. Sydney is the only other female in that house, but you'll have to worry about running into the various protective males in my life." She laughed. She held up the tight spandex pants I'd quickly gotten rid of the night before.
"I'm not putting those back on again, ever," I said sternly. She rewarded my stern comment with a full-belly laugh that filled the room and my heart with happiness.
"How do you plan on getting more clothes? I definitely don't have anything that would fit you here." She chuckled pulling on a white coverup.
"Then it seems that I win. You want me to get dressed but don't have any clothes for me to wear, but I don't want to get dressed anyway." I said scooting back down the bed to get comfortable.
Her eyes narrowed fractionally as she dropped the offending article of clothing. Her expression was not amused and she was not taking kindly to my "win." She huffed and exited the room swiftly.
I honestly thought that I had won, but I didn't want to lay in her bed alone, but if I got up to find clothing, she would win. While I was contemplating what I was to do, Rose stuck her head through the door and threw something at me.
"I'll meet you in the water." She said as she closed the door, leaving me sitting up in bed, stunned.
I picked up the thing she'd thrown at me to inspect it. I sighed as I pulled on the swim trunks she'd found in my room. I felt the cool sensation of water lapping at my feet and hurried my steps to join Roza outside.
"Belikov." I heard called out as my foot hit the bottom step. I sighed internally before turning to face Abe as he waited leaning against the wall near the stairs, almost like he was waiting for me.
"Yes, sir?" I asked standing tall, not letting him intimidate me by his cool, seemingly friendly demeanor.
"Would you like to tell me why my daughter is now on the Strigoi's "Most Wanted" list?" He asked feigning casual.
"The Strigoi have a "Most Wanted" list?" I asked stupidly. It was not what he was wanting to hear. I was given an unamused look for my answering question but gave no other response. "Your daughter is a remarkable woman, Mr. Mazur."
"That's a good start, boy, but it doesn't answer my question." He deadpanned, though his eyes held amusement.
"I know that, sir, but I'm getting there. When she was hunting me down in Russia, Roza did a lot of things, killed a lot of Strigoi. That made her a desirable target for any Strigoi to take down. It's not every day you find someone that can take on that many Strigoi and live to tell the tales."
"My Rosemarie did." He said proudly.
"As I said, she's a remarkable woman. She stirred up trouble in Russia, but there aren't many Strigoi left from Galina's empire, my empire, that would have that vendetta against her, but the ones that do remain probably have a strong hatred that's just festered until now."
"Why now?" He asked. With each answer, his casual demeanor shifted into the hard and stony look I'd grown accustomed to seeing on him.
"My guess is that word has got out that she's no longer at Court and has moved out into the human world. Strigoi would think that this would leave her more vulnerable, but she's actually stronger this way."
"Dimitri, why aren't you out here, yet?" I heard Roza call for me. I could practically see the pout she was giving me by her tone of voice.
"Your daughter is calling me," I said inching my way to the door.
"Tell her you'll be out in a minute," Abe said with the hardened expression. I narrowed my eyes, trying to figure out his angle and informed Roza of my delay. "So, what you're telling me is that Rose is the target of the entire Strigoi population because of you?"
"No. I'm telling you your daughter is an amazing woman who happens to be the number one target of the entire Strigoi population because she's good at what she does. She's made it her mission to kill as many Strigoi as she can. Her time in Russia could have influenced her decision, but I'm pretty sure that Roza was on this path from the start. Yes, she wanted to guard Vasilisa, but Roza was always destined for something more purposeful. She's strong, and everything that she's had to deal with has just made her stronger." I reply firmly, letting him know that my time as a Strigoi was not my fault and anything that happened to Roza at the time helped her grow stronger.
"I'm just here to let you know that your job just got a lot harder, Belikov," Abe said pushing away from the wall and coming to stand in front of me. Even though I had a few inches on him, he made it seem like he was towering over me. "You better do your job and keep her safe."
"You have my promise, sir. I will protect your daughter until my dying breath." I vowed. We stared at each other for a few more minutes before his glare lessened slightly.
"I'm starting to like you, Dimitri. Don't make me regret it." With that, he turned and walked away. I shook out the tension that had built in my muscles and went outside to find Roza.
She was floating in the ocean, much like she had been my first day here, but this time I could approach her without fear of rejection.
"What took you so long, Comrade?" She asked when I got within earshot of her. The water was cool enough to cause goosebumps to break out on my exposed skin as I waded out further into the water.
"Your father was just informing me that my job was about to get a lot harder," I said grabbing her ankles to pull her closer to me. She righted herself in the water and wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my hips.
"Why would your job be getting harder?" She asked quietly, giving me a beautiful smile that almost made me forget it was my job to protect her. I might be getting paid to keep her safe, but I'd do it without the money. As long as Roza was safe, I'd be happy.
"You've got a price on your head. Your presence in Russia didn't go unnoticed, and now that word has gotten out that you're in the human world, Strigoi are more comfortable with going after you. I'm not sure that they know where you are yet, but you're about to be making a huge dent in New York's Strigoi population so we'll need to be more careful when we're out hunting. The Strigoi will figure out you're here sooner than we think, but I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Roza, you have my promise."
"I'll be okay, Dimitri. As long as I know you're safe, I'll be perfectly fine." She said, never once losing her beautiful smile. "Plus, you'll be beside me the entire time. There's nothing in this world that we can't take on together."
"Wait. You're not at all worried about this?" I asked incredulously. Her smile turned sad before she responded.
"Let's face it, Dimitri. It won't be the first time Strigoi were after me. The difference this time is that you're fighting alongside me." I now understood her sad smile, and I couldn't help the horrible feeling that overtook me.
"I'm so sorry, Roza," I whispered, pain filling each syllable.
"It's okay, Dimitri. It's not your fault, and it never will be. I don't blame you for anything that happened over in Russia. If anything, I'm grateful that it happened and wouldn't change it even if I could. I put myself on their hit list by doing my job, and if that's what it takes to get on that list, I will remain on that list until the day I die." She said gently, lifting my chin so she could look me in the eye.
"If it was in my power, you would never die, but all I can do is keep you safe and living," I said bringing that beautiful smile back to her face. Her happiness filled me as it had the night before. There aren't words powerful enough to explain how much power her happiness gave me. "Is there any emotion from me that makes you feel as strong as I do when you're happy?"
"Your pain has been the most empowering thing, but I hate your pain being there. There was a point last night where I'm pretty sure that it was jealousy I felt from you, but it didn't last long enough for me to get a good taste." She said shifting herself in my arms.
I was getting used to water's temperature. It also helped that I had a warm body latched onto me.
"I'm trying to keep my negative emotions in check," I mumbled petulantly, and she chuckled.
"I'm okay with you being a little jealous, Comrade. As long as it doesn't escalate to physical violence, that is. Though I will admit, you defending my honor would be a huge turn on." She said smiling, running her fingers through my hair and tugging at the ends.
I moaned quietly and tightened my grip on her. Her chest moved gently against mine as she leaned her head on my shoulder. Her fingers kept up their ministrations as she closed her eyes. I laid my cheek on top of her head also closing my eyes.
The movement of her chest as she breathed in and out was synchronized with the gentle motion of the tide. I stood there, just holding her and letting myself enjoy the feeling of her in my arms.
I tried not to think back to a time where I couldn't have her in my arms. I tried to focus on the few times where I got to hold her without fear of someone tearing her away from me. This was one of the few times.
"Don't be sad, Comrade." She whispered against my skin.
"I'm sorry, Roza," I mumbled. "I've wanted this for so long. I didn't think that I'd actually be able to have it. There was a moment before I was turned when I saw you standing in the light right outside the caves where I thought we would be able to make it. It was taken away from me the next second."
"It's okay, Dimitri. I'm here. You're here." She said tightening her grip on me. In return, I tightened my grip on her.
"After I was restored…I couldn't help but think that you wouldn't want me anymore. I pushed you away to keep me from getting hurt. I couldn't bear to think that you would push me away because of what I did to you, so I acted first and did the pushing. I can't express just how much I hate myself for pushing you away. You were the best thing to ever happen in my life. You are the best thing to ever happen to me." I said tightening my grip with every sentence.
At some point during my revelation, I'd buried my head in her wet hair, breathing in her scent mixed with the salty ocean water. I was calmed and reassured by her presence. She was here in my arms, and she wasn't going anywhere without me.
"I love you, Dimitri. We've been through a lot, but nothing, not even the undead, is going to keep us apart. Face it, Comrade, you're stuck with me." She said pulling back. She held my gaze with a gentle smile.
I couldn't help the smile that took over my face.
"I wouldn't have it any other way."