Chapter 11
Rose
I rubbed my eyes and tried to wake up. I was currently sitting at our usual lunch table, the whole day I kept on dozing off almost falling asleep once in history. And this may seem weird but I love history. I don't doze off in one of my favorite lessons, that isn't me. It just proves I barely slept last night, even after Dimitri and I could get back into the apartment and I lay in bed I couldn't fall asleep.
"Rose? You okay?", Lissa asked.
"Hmm?", I asked. "Yeah yeah, just tired."
"Uhhh", Adrian said and waggled his eyebrows. "What kept you up all night?"
"Shut up, Ad -", Dimitri started but got interrupted by a huge yawn of his own.
Christian snickered.
"Yeah, case closed."
"Just shut up", Lissa grumbled.
I smiled at her and she smiled back. Lissa was kind, I knew that much, but I still wasn't comfortable enough around her to call her an actual friend. I could talk to her, but I couldn't be sure she kept it to herself. Maybe she and I could get there someday, I hoped we would eventually.
"So", Adrian said, trying to start up a conversation again. "You ladies got dresses and stuff for the dance on Friday?"
Right, I thought, the ball on Friday night. Eddie had told me about it the day I fainted. I had totally forgotten about it with everything that was going on right now.
"Oh my gosh, Rose do you have one?", Lissa gushed. "Because if you don't we can totally go shopping together. Oh please say yes, it would be so much fun to go -"
With every word Lissa spoke, I became more and more awake and my face became paler. No. I always hated shopping and Lissa looked like a maniac just talking about shopping. No way was I ever going to go shopping with her. I guess Dimitri saw my face because he – Thank God! - came to my rescue.
"Sorry, Liss but we already made plans."
Lissa face immediately fell and I think she even pouted a little. But I looked at Dimitri and smiled gratefully. He winked back at me and I, of course, blushed. You would think I got used to the effect Dimitri had on me or well, on my body, but I didn't. I somehow just couldn't get used to it and a small part of me didn't want to. And this part, it was once so small but became bigger and bigger with every wink, every blush, every small interaction.
"Well, then some other time?", Lissa asked full of hope.
"Eh, rrhm", I cleared my throat. "Well, sure."
"Awesome!", Lissa squealed. "I have to go plan everything!"
And she was gone in a second. With wide eyes, I turned to Christian, Lissas's boyfriend, who had a huge grin on his face.
"What does she mean: Plan?", I asked frightened.
"You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into", Christian said smirking.
"Come on, she isn't that bad", Adrian said.
Christian gave him a look which said: "Be honest here, man" and Adrian looked a little torn.
"Okay, she is. Good luck Rosie."
Adrian winked at me – no blush here – and got up from his seat. He took all his belongings and was gone. A minute later Christian followed and Dimitri and I stayed alone at the table. The bell rang and we both didn't move from our spots.
"Don't you have class?", Dimitri asked.
"No, Miss King called in sick."
"Oh, okay", he said and smiled. "Come on."
"What? Where to?", I asked.
"You remember the lady from your first day?", Dimitri asked. "Mrs. Clark? The one who needed more information about you?"
Frowning, I tried to remember who he meant and after a while I did. It was the first day of school during lunch were Dimitri practically told the lady to shut up and leave us alone. It was also the lunch were we both were all lovely dovely around each other. Involuntarily I smiled at the memory.
"I remember."
"Let's go see her now", Dimitri said and beckoned me to follow him.
So I stood up and did just that. A tingling feeling spread over my whole body when Dimitri took my hand in his. No one was there so we didn't need to act, but he still took my hand. Just the thought made me smile and blush a little. The walk to the office was spent in silence, a comfortable one that didn't bother me I actually enjoyed it.
The office was small and you couldn't say it didn't smell weird. I don't even know what the smell was, but it was something my nose didn't appreciate. Mrs. Clark, the woman Dimitri talked about, sat behind a desk with a lot of files and a big old computer on. She looked up when she heard us enter and looked well, pissed when she saw Dimitri. But looking at him and his smirking face, he looked totally at ease.
"Mr. Belikov", Mrs. Clark said monotone. "What can I do for you?"
"You wanted to ask my wife a few questions, right? I told you we would come by."
She nodded and went through her files for a while before she shook her head and used the computer. While she rummaged through her files Dimitri and I went to her desk and took a seat on the two plastic chairs. Really uncomfortable by the way.
"Okay", Mrs. Clark said. "Name?"
"Seriously?", Dimitri asked. "You know who she is."
"Her former name", Mrs. Clark snapped.
"Hathaway-Mazur", I replied. "It's a double name."
She typed some things for a while and Dimitri and I waited. I think only absently Dimitri began playing with my fingers and the ring on my finger. He didn't look like he even realized what he did which made my smile even bigger.
"Okay, your legal guardian?", she asked.
"Excuse me?", Dimitri suddenly growled.
Mrs. Clark glared at him from the other side of the table.
"I asked who her legal guardian is", she repeated.
"She is 18, she doesn't need a legal guardian", Dimitri snapped.
"And who do you think we should call if she gets into an accident for example?", Mrs. Clark snapped at Dimitri and her glare intensified.
"Me!", he shouted and stood up. "I'm her husband!"
"For what? A week?"
"Don't you dare speak to me like that!", Dimitri growled. "You know who I am and what I can and will do. Rose is my wife and you better treat her as my wife, understood?!"
Without another word, Dimitri stormed out of the room, me hot on his tail because my hand was still in his. He dragged me along for a while until he finally came to a stop outside the school. He let go of my hand and took a long, deep breath.
"Sorry", he mumbled. "She just …"
He slowly released another breath.
"Forget it."
"Are you sure, you're okay?", I asked a little worried.
Dimitri nodded with a little smile. He looked younger when he smiled I realized, he didn't look so mature more boyish in a way and I liked it a lot!
"Let's go get you a dress", he suddenly said.
"What?", I asked laughing a little.
"A dress, for the ball on Friday?"
"I know", I said rolling my eyes. "But why now?"
Dimitri shrugged. He draped his right arm over my shoulders and walked me away from the school and to his car. It was a sunny day, no clouds and no possible rain. The city was quiet probably because at this time everybody was working and not outside, taking a walk.
"I don't know, I feel like it", Dimitri answered shrugging.
"What kind of guy are you?", I asked laughing. "You volunteer to go shopping? Really?"
Dimitri came abruptly to a halt and looked at me with a frown on his face.
"Here I am", he said a hand over his heart. "behaving like a good husband and you laugh in my face. I'm wounded honey, I'm really really hurt!"
He fake pouted and I couldn't help but smile. I probably did it worse when I ruffled through his hair, but he looked so damn cute.
"Don't touch my hair", he grumbled with a smile on his face. "I'm hurt and you owe me an apology."
"No, I don't", I said. "It is unusual for a guy to say 'Hey, let's go dress shopping'. Come on, you have to admit that."
Dimitri shook his head smiling.
"You owe me", he grinned.
I sighed. This wasn't going anywhere and the smarter one caves, at least that's what my mom told me.
"Okay, my lovely husband what do you want?", I asked giggling.
This was way too funny to be serious. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face.
"I want an apology, a real one", Dimitri answered grinning.
"Dimitri, I am rea-"
"On your knees", Dimitri butted in with a huge grin on his face.
"Seriously?"
Dimitri just nodded, looking more than satisfied with his choice. I heaved a heavy sigh and rolled my eyes.
"I can't believe this", I told to myself and went down on my knees. "Dimitri Belikov."
He nodded for me to continue.
"You know I feel even smaller now and I am already really short", I complained.
"Just get on with it Rose", Dimitri chuckled.
Rolling my eyes I smiled up at him and I couldn't help but laugh a little at this situation.
"I am really, really sorry I hurt you and your feelings", I said. "Happy now?"
"Very", Dimitri laughed and helped me up.
"I can't believe you really made me do this", I said laughing.
"I enjoyed it very much", Dimitri laughed.
He let one of my hands go and kept a hold of the other one. He brought my hand to his lips and kissed the back of my hand smiling.
"I didn't think you would do it", he said it and began walking again.
"Well, there wasn't much of a choice, right?"
"Right", he laughed.
-o-o-o- Thrown Into His World -o-o-o-
After forty minutes we arrived at a small store, not at the mall like I expected. The store we were in now wasn't big but it wasn't small either and it had a french name I couldn't pronounce. Currently I was in the changing room, changing out of my school uniform and into a silver floor length dress.
"You alright in there?", Dimitri asked. "You've been in there for quite a while."
"Yeah, it's just- ." I let out a frustrated groan. "This stupid zipper!"
I heard a deep chuckle and then the door to my changing room was opened and Dimitri came in, smiling like an idiot.
"What the hell are you doing?!", I cried and turned my very naked back so he couldn't see it.
"Helping you with your zipper", Dimitri said laughing. "Turn around."
I shook my head, biting my lower lip. Dimitri just gave me a look and hold his hand up with the ring on his finger. Oh please, as if that would be a good reason.
"I'm your husband, turn around."
"You -"
"Just do it", Dimitri said shaking his head but still with a smile on his face.
Sighing I turned around. When I exposed my bare back to Dimitri I think I heard either a sharp intake of breath or a gasp, I'm not really sure but I definitely heard something. The smile broke out without my doing just knowing that I had even a little effect on Dimitri made me giddy all over. When his hands made contact with my back I gasped. I didn't get sparks like people did in books or movies, instead his fingers left a burning sensation on my skin. His hands moved up and down my back not touching the zipper once, not that I was complaining. The smell of his aftershave engulfed me and I inhaled deeply. Who knows why but this scent was intoxicating. A sigh of contentment escaped my lips and my eyes closed involuntarily while Dimitri's hands explored my back.
"Hey!", a high pitched voice interrupted my blissful moment. "The changing rooms are for one person only."
Something between a sigh and a growl came from Dimitri before he zipped me up.
"There, all good", Dimitri said and then clearing his throat.
We both got out of the changing room, Dimitri because he had to and I because I wanted to see me in the floor length mirror outside the room.
"Mr. Belikov, please stay out of the changing rooms if other persons are occupying them", a young woman said. "You know the rules."
The woman was tall, had an awesome body, long blond hair and she was obviously flirting with Dimitri.
"I'm sorry, Sarah", Dimitri replied smiling a little.
Then his eyes wandered back to me and his eyes grew a shade darker. His hand got behind me again and trailed his hand along the same path as before.
"But I couldn't resist", he murmured.
It was a surprise my cheeks could still get this red from just a few words he uttered. Shouldn't it hurt or I don't know, stop eventually? But no, my blush seemed to become permanent.
"And she is?", Sarah snarled.
"The wife", I snapped right back.
Her eyes went wide and she gawked at me for a moment. But I had to give it to her that she blushed embarrassed and backed down. She smiled apologetically and went back to … I don't know where she went but she was gone after she found out Dimitri wasn't available and that was enough for me.
"Are you jealous?", Dimitri chuckled when he saw I was still glaring after Sarah.
"What?", I shrieked. "Pff, no I mean: Nooo."
Dimitri and I both knew I shook my head too violently and my shriek gave me away, as well as my burning cheeks – again. I tried to change the subject so I looked at myself in the mirror.
"I don't like this one", I told Dimitri.
"Why not?"
"It's too shiny, I look like a fish or an alien. It's just too flashy", I said shaking my head.
"Okay, then we'll look for another one", Dimitri replied. "Go change, I will pick one."
So I did. I went back into the changing room and undressed. For a while I just stood there in my underwear and was glad there was no mirror. I mean okay, the underwear wasn't that embarrassing, it was a matching set, black and with lace and actually was one of the sexier ones but still. I didn't need to look at myself. The longer you looked the more flaws you found and I didn't need to become more insecure or nervous than I already was in Dimitri's presence. A few minutes later a soft knock was on the door and it opened slowly. I went to it and kept it closed.
"Don't come in!"
"Why not?", Dimitri chuckled. "I have your dress."
"Just give it to me."
"And how Miss Smart-ass?", Dimitri laughed. "The door goes from the ceiling to the floor, there is no space for a dress between floor and door or ceiling and door."
"Damn it", I mumbled.
"Come on Rose, just let me in. Husband, remember?"
"That's a shitty excuse", I giggled. "Just give me dress and stay outside."
Chuckling, Dimitri tried to open the door again and this time I wasn't strong enough to keep him out. I hold my hand out for the dress but Dimitri didn't give it to me, he just took my hand in his and pushed himself through the small gap and came in.
"Dimitri!", I shrieked. "You were supposed to give me the dress, not come in!"
Dimitri stood there in front of me in all of his 6 foot 7 glory. He hold a blood red dress in his right hand that fell to the ground when he came in. Dimitri's gaze was intense and his breathing became ragged and deeper the moment he laid eyes on me. His breathing was the only sound in the small changing room but I barely heard it over my pounding heart. His eyes, which normally held a dark chocolate brown, became black and clouded with lust. His eyes ran over my body from head to toe and back up. His eyes stayed the longest on my legs and well, my boobs. While he looked at me and my whole body I only looked at his face and saw the different emotions flicker in his eyes.
I think most girls feel insecure about their bodies and so do I but in this moment I felt wanted, sexy, desirable.
"I know", he said huskily, his breathing becoming even louder and more ragged. "And I don't care."
In one long fast stride Dimitri was in front of me. My back hit the wall, Dimitri's arms were on either side of my head, his face inches from mine and his whole body pressed against mine. Our breaths mingled and I could actually tastes Dimitri on my tongue. And in this moment I didn't think about all this pretend crap and I'm sure Dimitri didn't either. It was just him and me … in nothing but my underwear.