1 week later…

RPOV:

"No, Roza!" Olena, Dimitri's beloved mother, ran up to the stove, waving her blue oven mittens in the air like crazy, trying to ward off the strong smoke. "You have to flip the pancakes, honey. You can't just leave them there and walk away!"

As she fumbled to turn off the stove and move the now ruined frying pan, Pavel, the mansions new head chef, laughed whole-heartedly before taking a sip of his steaming mug. "Your kitchen skills never cease to amaze me, Rose. And that's not a compliment."

"Asshole." I gave him the bird.

Olena rolled her kind, warm brown eyes exasperatedly as she mixed a fresh batch of chocolate batter. "Oh, Roza." Was her only response. I loved the woman to bits and pieces. She knew I swore like a sailor and she accepted me for who I was.

"Sorry, mom. What else do you need help with?"

"Nothing!" Olena blurted, then cleared her throat. "I mean…can you help set the table while Pavel and I finish up in here?"

"Sure." I hopped off the counter, smoothing out the silk blouse I'd put on for the traditional Belikov Sunday brunch. After grabbing as many plates I possibly could without having them tip over like dominoes, I headed out, pushing the white doors open with my hip.

I caught a glimpse of Tasha as the doors flapped shut, and smiled. The girl wasn't half bad once you got to know her. I'd realized that the other night when she'd gone out of her way to get me my favorite mint-chocolate cookies. We'd sat down and had a talk as I munched on my treats.

Once she explained why she did what she had with Dimitri, though it was painful to relive that memory, I saw her in a whole different light. She was just another woman trying to make it on her own out in the world. When she knew her job was going to be ripped from her, she'd panicked. Honestly, I couldn't blame Tasha. Desperation could make relatively normal people do insane shit.

"Hey! Watch it! You almost knocked all of these over!" I yelled, steadying the swaying dishes after Darius ran by me in a blur, in pursuit of a football.

"My apologies, senorita!" He caught the ball, brought his beefy arm up, and threw the pigskin across the room to Adrian, Ivan, and Christian. The thing went flying up into the mansions staggeringly high ceilings and across the living room. Christian was the one to catch it.

Right before Darius took off, he kissed my cheek in a brotherly way and apologized once again.

"Yeah, well, if you're that sorry…come and help me set up."

"I'm busy."

I sagged in relief once I set the heavy weight of glass on the table. As I was sorting them out, placing one in front of all twenty five seats of the cherry-wood table, a loud whistle rang out in the air, echoing off the walls. The sound was so loud and so piercing that I cringed.

"Boys!" Yeva glared down at Darius and Ivan wrestling over the football. They stopped struggling and stared up at the tiny elderly lady, looking like children caught with their hands in the cookie jar. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Sorry, Babushka." The men said in unison, getting to their feet and hanging their heads in shame.

"Sports are meant for outdoors." Yeva jabbed her finger to the windows. "Now go before you break something!"

All of the men, including Christian and Adrian who were unaffected by anything or anyone, shuffled their feet towards the backdoor, mumbling their apologies to Yeva who wouldn't have any of it. They disappeared outside to the acres of brilliantly green grass to continue their game of football.

"Old granny." I nodded in acknowledgment, finishing off with the last dish and heading to the kitchen for silverware and napkins.

"Little girl."

On the contrary, our voices were fond as we addressed each other. We both cracked smiles. That was our way of saying Good morning! or I love you!

Minutes later, the dining room was completely set for Sunday brunch and the mouthwatering smell drifting from the kitchen told me that the food was nearly done.

Opening the windows to allow more of the suns beautiful rays to spill into the room—

"Roza," Dimitri came up from behind and gripped my waist, making me jump in surprise. "Do you realize how much of a turn this is seeing you all domestic?"

A very feminine sigh escaped my lips in a rush as I leaned my head against his shoulder, giving him more access to place kisses down my throat.

"Sex is going to have to wait until later, ladies." Viktoria sauntered over to the dining table, holding a bowl of fresh cut fruit in one hand, a carton of OJ in the other.

"Do you need any help?" Dimitri didn't step away from me, but defiantly toned it down a notch, acting like a gentleman in front of his little sister.

I glanced at the perfectly arranged dining table and laughed. "I think it's a little too that for that. Why don't you go play with the boys? We'll come and get you when it's time to eat."

"Thank you, Roza." he kissed me softly and lovingly, earning a disgusted snort from Viktoria.

"Keep it in your pants, big boy. No one is enjoying the show."

Smirking, he pulled back, pecked me on the mouth once, twice, three times. He zoomed out the mansion, pulled off his shirt, and tossed it to the grass. I watched as he tackled a running Darius to the ground and wrestled him for the football.

I laughed when Dimitri stole the pigskin and tore off, leaving Darius behind, muddy and angry as hell. I wasn't surprised, though. Dimitri always won. He always got what he wanted.

"Showoff," Viktoria rolled her eyes, popping a chunk of cantaloupe into her mouth.

"Don't you just love it?"

"Yeah," she grinned. "My big brother's always been a badass. Nothing is ever gonna change that."

"God, I'm so starving...I could eat a piece of fruit. So I think I will." I gnawed on a strawberry and moaned.

"It's good, huh?" Viktoria's lips lifted with pride and satisfaction. "I picked them out myself at the market."

"They're so sweet! Yum! You are a Goddess."

She did a little dance and winked. "Tell me something I don't know."

"Your brother is hot."

"Eww! No he's not!" Her exotically beautiful face scrunched up.

"He's even better when he's naked."

"Oh, God. I'm going to hurl. Come on, Roza, he's my brother!"

"Admit it…you know he's extremely good looking." I crossed my arms over my chest. "If you guys weren't related and you didn't know him…you'd be checking Dimitri out. Big time. Come on, Vika, I know you feel me on this one."

"You're sick."

"So I've been told."

I wasn't surprised when she launched a grape at me. "I can totally see why my brother fell in love with you." Viktoria smiled softly, brown eyes sparkling.

What she said warmed my heart like nothing else. God, I really was blessed to be in this family. They all welcomed me with open arms.

I was brought out of my thoughts by a shattering sound. "Shucks!"

Both of our heads snapped over. Paul's skyscraper that he'd been working on for hours had tipped over, a thousand little multi-colored Lego pieces spilling all over the ivory marble floor.

Dimitri's nephew looked at us with wide, frantic eyes. "I'm so sorry, Auntie Roza and Vika! I didn't mean to make a mess. It just fell over. Don't worry, I'll clean it up as fast as I can."

I gave the kid props. If my Lego statue had ruined, I would have kicked and screamed, not be worried about people being angry with me for making a mess. It really showed which of us carried more maturity, at least in that department.

"I'll help you out, buddy." I ran over, my heels clinking against the ground. "I know Lego pieces can be a real b—"

"Roza!"

"—ummer to clean up." I corrected myself. "Here. How about this? I'll scoop them into a pile and you put them in the bag."

"Sounds great, Auntie Roza." Paul kissed my cheek before we got to work.

Five minutes later, I brushed my hands against my pants. "All finished."

"Thanks!" Paul hugged me. The ten year old was incredibly tall for his age, but I shouldn't have been surprised, considering Dimitri's incredible height. "I really wish my mamma and Auntie Sonya would have been able to seen it before it was broken."

Karolina, Sonya, and Zoya had had to stay at home on the Belikov ranch in Baia. Sonya was too far into her pregnancy to be doing any traveling, especially on a plane. Karolina stayed to watch over her sister.

I ruffled his shoulder-length hair. "What if we make a Lego statue tonight, then take a picture of it so you can show Sonya and Karolina when you get back home?"

Paul positively beamed at me. "Really?"

"Yep. I promise."

Dimitri's nephew squeezed me so hard it moved the bones in my back.

"Can't. Breathe."

"Oops! Sorry!" Paul released me and I gasped for air.

"Food's ready!" Olena, Pavel, Tasha, and Yeva filed out of the kitchen, each carrying huge, steaming trays.

"Those men should be carrying these heavy loads." Yeva grunted as she set the food down on the dining table.

"Yeah, because women are so weak and should never even dare to leave the kitchen." I said.

Olena and Viktoria simply laughed as Yeva shot me a glare.

"Every woman except you, little girl. God forbid, you'd burn the kitchen to the ground."

"That was one time!"

"Who puts a burrito in the microwave for three hours and forgets about it?"

"It wasn't my fault. My fingers slipped and added too many zeroes."

"It just floors me. The burrito was burning for three hours straight."

"I was napping."

"You didn't smell the smoke from the flames?"

"Just be happy that I lived through the ordeal and didn't get burnt to a crisp."

"I am delighted, little girl."

"You're crazy."

"But you love me." Yeva grinned.

"That's true. I do."

Olena clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "That was an interesting tennis match. Now, will someone go get the boys outside?"

"I will!" Paul volunteered, booking it for the backyard.

"Sit! Sit!" Olena demanded, taking her own seat. "Let us eat! Honey, will Victor be joining us for this meal?"

"I hope so. Uncle V is the shit." Viktoria lowered beside her mother and grabbed a fork.

"I'll go check. His last chemo session was pretty rough…but he seemed to be feeling better last night."

I found Victor in his room, fresh out of the shower, dressed in cream slacks and one of his signature Hawaiian shirts.

"Morning, Uncle Victor. You look incredibly handsome today."

"Thank you, dear." he kissed my forehead and gave me a hug.

"How are you feeling?"

"Good enough to eat something." Victor smiled, but the strain from the disease was obvious in his body and face. "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse. How are you feeling, honey?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"Jesus," Victor cursed. "You look so much like your mother at times, it steals my breath away. It's as if I'm living in the past."

Something in my belly tightened. "I'm sorry…what?"

"I miss her sometimes, in spite of the fact that she did all those horrible things to me. She is still my sister." Victor shook his head and locked his emotions away. "I'm sorry, dear. I shouldn't have brought that up."

"You miss her?" I asked bitterly. "I don't."

"She was your mother, Rosemarie. Of course you do."

"Biologically, yes, she was the one who gave birth to me. But…I hate her. And before you object, I have every right to. She didn't give a damn about me. She left me in a goddamn abandoned warehouse when I was sixteen and disappeared without a trace."

"Drugs can change people into entirely different individuals than they once were." Victor's green eyes burned. "Janine was a wonderful woman when she was young. Beautiful. Intelligent. Wanted to go to college. But she took a bad turn somewhere that lead her down the wrong road. Sometimes that's all it takes. One slip up, a mistake. And your whole life is screwed up. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened to your mother."

Tears sprang to my eyes, but I blinked them away. "Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Your mother loved you. She did. I swear by it." Abruptly, he smiled. "I remember the first time I saw you…you were such a beautiful baby. You brought your mother such peace in her world of chaos. But sometimes, not even the ones you love most can stop you from doing something horrible. It was only a matter of time, Rosemarie. Janine couldn't be saved. Heroine really is the monster of all drugs." Victor sat down on the bed as if he was tired. "The only thing I wish for is that you remember Janine as the woman she truly was…before the drugs and the prostitution. She was a beautiful person with an even more beautiful heart. Don't forget that."

I settled beside him and laid my head on his shoulder. "I wish I could change stuff. You know, go back into the past and alter things before they got all screwed up."

"I don't."

"Why not?"

"Because, in spite of the fact that you believe this life is hell, it's heaven to me. What you and I have been through, Rosemarie, has made us stronger. How many people do you know that have been through the things we've been through and dealt with it as we have? We make the most of what we have."

"We roll with the punches." I added, laughing softly. "And go with the flow."

"Exactly." Victor patted my knee. "That's why I wouldn't change things. I get to have my niece in my life. I like the way things are now, whether they're tough as nails or easy as pie."

"Me, too." I admitted. "And you're right, we are pretty strong."

"Very strong."

"We're kind of like superheroes, you know. Batman and Robin."

"I'm Batman."

"Absolutely not. You're Robin. I'm Batman."

Victor groaned. "Robin sucks."

"That's why you're him"

My uncle jabbed me in the side with a finger.

"Ouch!"

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" Victor and I called out, laughing.

Lissa and Christian walked in, hand in hand.

"Hey! Where've you been, girly?" I asked, shooting to my feet.

"Sydney, Liss, and I got the bread from that organic supermarket Babushka sent us to." Christian and Victor shook hands and hugged in that manly way. "Hey, Uncle V, how's it hanging?"

As the two of them conversed, Lissa led me out in the hallway, and whispered, "Mia couldn't make it."

"Really…why?"

"Aaron's sick." My best friend said. "You should have seen the disappointment on Darius' face when I announced the news."

"Ha ha," I said. "That guy is so goddamn whipped he doesn't even know what hit him."

"I feel bad." Lissa brushed some platinum blond hair out of her wide eyes.

"Darius is a big boy. He'll live."

She scowled. "I wished you'd show some empathy!"

"I'm starving. What'd you expect?" Without another glance, I headed for the dining table across the mansion.

"So that's why I am positively convinced that Dimitri is a douche." Viktoria finished.

I burst out laughing, along with everyone else.

"What's a douche?" Paul asked innocently.

Dimitri tensed beside me, clenching his jaw. "All right. That's enough stories about me. Pick on someone else."

Olena leaned across the cherry-wood and handed him a basket of fresh black bread.

"Thank you, mama."

"You're welcome, my son."

"Why'd you make them stop? I like listening to the tales. They were funny." I whispered in Dimitri's ear as Olena and Yeva dived into a story about Ivan and Darius back when they were in Baia high school.

"You're absolutely horrible," On the contrary, his voice was fond and full of adoration. He pressed a kiss to the back of my ear, making me shiver. "You enjoy watching me suffer, don't you?"

Sneakily, I laid my palm on his thigh and inched it higher and higher, getting closer to hitting home. "You bet your sweet ass I do."

Dimitri hissed under his breath and shot out of his chair so quickly it fell back and banged against the floor. I gasped in surprise when he lifted me up and tossed me over his left shoulder.

Everyone except Paul laughed knowingly when Dimitri barked something in Russian. Though I didn't speak the language, and aside from the obvious: me being slung over his body, it was the urgent tone in his voice that gave him away, not his words.

Yeva muttered a curse.

Dimitri broke out in a dead run, flying up the stairs, and into the bedroom.

Those wonderful full lips crashed down on mine.

"I cannot believe you just did that in front of your whole family," I laughed, breathless. "A little urgent...are we?"

"It's been a whole week since we've done anything. My body is aching all over."

"For a release or for me?"

Deep, feverish brown eyes met mine. "For you," He said roughly and meaningfully, making me blush like a school girl.

"You'll get me later. But first, let me take care of you."

"What do you mean?"

*Start of M scene*

Stepping out of Dimitri's arms, I unbuckled his belt and unzipped his fly, dropping his jeans to his ankles. Getting down on my knees, I brought his black briefs down with me. His erection sprang free, and although I had seen his arousal so many times before, the sheer size of him was still shocking. "God, you're huge."

Dimitri cracked a grin, pure male satisfaction at my apparently flattering compliment. It was the truth. I didn't say it to be nice, just honest.

A little more than hungry, I gripped his thick shaft and kissed the head. When my mouth made contact with his most sensitive skin, a sound got stuck in his throat and he kicked his head back.

I loved his reaction. It made me feel powerful. He was at my mercy. He'd surrendered himself over completely to me; I was free to do whatever the hell I pleased.

My hands squeezed the tip of him until he gasped from the pain and pleasure. The next time I grasped it, I held on until the plump head turned purple and a pearl size drop dispersed out the top, glistening and slick.

"Do you like that?" I tilted my head up and looked into his wild eyes.

In response, Dimitri twisted two fists in my hair, sending a sharp pain through my skull. With a nasty thrust, he shoved his shaft so far into my mouth and down my throat that I gagged.

"Bastard!" My God, him being rough with me was the biggest turn on. It made me feel alive. To pay him back for that not so gentle stunt, I smiled and gripped the back of his thighs, digging my nails into the thick cords of muscle and skin, drawing blood.

Dimitri's jaw tightened and he bit down hard on his teeth, grinding them. "Don't do that again." It came out as a snarl.

Something was hidden under that perfectly controlled exterior. Something dark and sexual. I made it my mission to pull it out and expose whatever it was. I didn't want Dimitri to be careful with me. I wanted him to be himself. His passionate, slightly animalistic self. And I would take everything that he had to give.

So what did I do to provoke it? I raked my nails up his thighs and squeezed his ass cheeks so tightly my fingers left marks.

Dimitri repeated the whole pull hair and shove thing. However, with this plunge, he forcefully held himself down my throat until I couldn't breathe. When he pulled out, I sloppily fell forward on my palms and desperately gasped for air.

Cursing to hell and back, I struggled to my feet, all the while Dimitri watched me, not helping one bit.

"That wasn't very nice," I pulled my bra and shirt over my head in one fluid motion, then rid my jeans and underwear. "Now it's time for some revenge."

Dimitri tossed his remaining clothes to the floor, and I lost some of my cool when I saw him in all his glory. His fierce body matched his face perfectly, with those hard angles and slightly sinister eyes.

"Put your hair down. I want it down."

The black hair tie was tossed carelessly to the ground, and his dark, thick mane fell loose around his shoulders.

I walked over to the massive, canopied bed and climbed aboard. "Come here," I growled after having rested on all floors.

Dimitri obliged, mounting the mattress and sliding up behind me. He braced his hands on my hips, those fingers biting into my skin almost painfully so.

"Bless the soul who invented birth control." he hissed, then began a torturous pace of sliding into the heart of my body. We both moaned as I was stretched wide to accommodate him, a lick of pain searing the bottom of my belly.

Once fully sheathed, Dimitri stilled, just breathing heavily.

"Aren't you going to do something?"

"I'm perfectly content with the feeling and sight."

"I bet you are. I bet you are." I started grinding against him, my body going up and down, like the waves of the ocean. It was similar to dancing in a way, just much more raunchy and erotic.

Turning my head over my shoulder, I stared at Dimitri. He was still unmoving, but his eyes had turned into two flames as he stared at our joined bodies, or more precisely, the way I was moving my hips wildly against his. A fresh layer of sweat covered his body, gleaming his tan skin. He reached up and brushed some stray hair out of his eyes.

I turned back to face the wall, keeping up with the whole bump-and-grind action.

Without warning, I felt Dimitri spank me. The slap rang loud in the room and I screamed his name, loosing my rhythm and stopping completely. The sore spot on my ass burned deliciously, and I knew that his palm had to be stinging from the impact.

"Do you like that?" Dimitri growled, taking control. Steadying one heavy hand on my shoulder, he began moving inside me, making me gasp from his sudden viscous pace.

Just to screw with him, I panted, "No. I don't."

He responded by increasing his tempo, which I didn't believe was possible, but evidently it was. My head bobbed roughly with each fierce thrust, I closed my eyes, taking him from tip to base. God, I was going to be sore in the morning. But the sex was so worth it now.

Dimitri slapped me again, this time on the other cheek, only harder. When I cried out, he grunted, "You may want to reconsider your answer, Roza. Do you like it?" Again, with the burning spank on the ass.

My mind was too far gone into ecstasy, my brain numb from his minding blowing pounding, that I just nodded my head like an idiot. "Yeah." I gasped, falling face first into the mountains of pillows, no longer able to hold my self upright on all fours. It felt like my body had been through a marathon, yet we weren't even done yet.

I glanced over my shoulder and watched him. He was glorious in action, every bit the God he was in fighting as he was in the bedroom. Covered in sweat and naked made him incredibly unbelievable.

Reaching forward, he snaked his hand across my skin, wrapping his arm around my thigh. Two fingers found my core, and he began moving them at blinding speed, stimulating my clit.

The pleasure kicked my ass, making my mind go utterly blank as I shattered apart from the force of my orgasm.

"I want to hear the words from your mouth. Tell me you like it." Dimitri demanded, lifting a powerful bicep behind his head, keeping the damp hair from falling into his eyes.

"I like it." I murmured numbly, like a robot.

"You like what?" The pace increased erratically until he was grunting each word with effort. He was holding himself back from his coming, straining to keep from going over the edge. "Tell me what you like. And use my name."

"I like when you spank me."

"No." he snarled. "I like when you spank me, Dimitri. My name. Say it."

"I like when you spank me, Dimitri."

With one last painful slap to my cheeks, he threw his head back and roared his release.

*End of M scene*

Once our heartbeats and breathing returned to normal, Dimitri slid out and fell to the bed. Immediately, he pulled me into his side, draping heavy arms around me.

My body was wrapped in a blanket of bliss and content. I smiled up at him, running my fingers up and down his ribcage and stomach. "That was..."

"Extraordinary." The flush on his cheeks, the fresh sweat, the gleam in his brown eyes, it all took my breath away. It was exhilarating knowing that only I could put such a look of pleasure on his glowing face.

"I don't believe that even begins to cover it."

"I think you're right." his tone went from soft to hard in an instant. "Did I hurt you? I was rough-"

"You think?" I scoffed. When his body went rigid, I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his. He relaxed a moment later and kissed me back, lovingly and tenderly. It was completely at odds with the way he'd handled me earlier.

"Don't worry about me, Comrade. I'm not made out of glass. I won't break."

"But your skin is so soft," Dimitri winked. "You're durable. I know that. But...I'll be easier with you in the future. I promise."

"We'll talk about that later," I yawned, hanging a lazy arm over his hips. "Sleep now. And no waking me up for additional rounds. I'm exhausted."

He chuckled richly. After pulling the blankets up to our chests, Dimitri made sure that my head was properly supported by a pillow. With fingers light as a feather on my spine, he drew three words: I LOVE YOU, over and over again on my skin until I was eased into sleep.

"Alright, Paul. Here's the last one." I slid the shiny photo out of the printer and handed it to him.

Dimitri's nephew gazed at the fifth pic of the Lego statue we'd created. When those brown eyes flicked back up, he beamed at me. "My, gosh. Auntie Roza! Mama and Auntie Sonya are going to love it! I'll show Zoya too, even though she probably won't understand because she's just a baby."

I laughed and ruffled his hair. "You do that, buddy. You do that. Hey, wanna go play with uncle Darius and Ivan in the basement? They're on the air hockey machine-"

"No, no, no, no." Viktoria chided. "It's bed time."

"What?" Paul whined, dragging out the word. "No! Please, Aunt Vika. Don't make me go!"

She shot her nephew a sharp look. "I don't make the rules, I just enforce them."

"Auntttttttt Vikaaaaaa! Pleaseeeeeee! Nooooo!"

Dimitri strode in the room, a glass of clear liquid with ice in one hand. "Listen to your aunt, Paul."

Paul shrunk under his uncles hard tone. Clutching the photos to his chest and nodding, he said, "Okay. Sorry. Goodnight."

After kisses and hugs to everyone, Paul ran up the stairs to his bedroom. I smiled, admitting that Dimitri was a pretty cool uncle to have. Scary at times, but still cool. The Belikov family visited only every few months, but Dimitri still had a permanent room for each one of them in the mansion.

Paul's was decked out in blew and green paint with a space them. Mobiles of the solar system hung from the wall, perfectly aligned planets. Stick a thousand glow in the dark stars to the walls and ceilings, add a plasma screen, an Xbox, and you had the complete hook up.

I would have moved into Paul's room in a heartbeat if Dimitri hadn't laughed and told me no.

I walked over to the God reincarnate and stepped into his awaiting arms.

Viktoria made little teasing kissing noises that had me rolling my eyes.

"Oh, thanks! I'm dying to thirst." Grabbing the glass out of his hand and bringing it to my lips, I swallowed a big gulp.

Only to lurch forward and spray the liquid out. "Christ!" I coughed, my throat and lungs burning. "What the hell is that shit? It taste like gasoline."

Viktoria was rolling on the leather couch, crying her eyes out, hysterical with laughter. "Oh, my GOD! I can't breathe!"

Dimitri was smiling broadly, trying to contain himself. "It's vodka, Roza."

"That ain't vodka." I rubbed my stinging eyes. "I've tasted vodka before. Many times."

"Not the Russian kind," Yeva strolled into the room, Olena right behind her. "You Americans are such lightweights."

"I'd like to see you drink some of this without spitting it all over the room, Babushka. This shit makes you feel on fire." I held up the still full glass.

Yeva walked over and grabbed it, then tipped her head back and downed the whole thing in one fluid motion. She made a refreshed noise and grinned at me.

Respect and admiration filled my chest. My mouth fell wide open, making a perfect O. "Holy shit. That was awesome."