"Again?!" I gasped, putting up no resistance as Dimitri started to kiss and nip at my neck as a prelude to other activities.
"Something about you in our bed in our place is a huge turn on," he moaned in apologetic explanation. "I can't get enough of you," he said, pushing his arousal into my hip as proof.
Not that I was complaining. Dimitri had been like this for the last fortnight as we'd broken in every possible part of the unit, and I loved it. We were doing our best to limit the PDA in front of the Guardians, but as soon as we knew we had our privacy, we were at it like rabbits.
After the first few days at the property, we'd all settled into a routine, and I was stunned by the amount Dimitri and his team had already achieved. The gym equipment my Russian God ordered had arrived, so every morning Dimitri and I would workout with three of the Guardians. Although most of my workout was simple weights training or stretching, Dimitri and I did do some gentle sparring together which was nice. After breakfast, Dimitri and the team would work on the property while I studied. If the weather were fine, they'd garden – clearing undergrowth and years of rubbish for the many projects Dimitri had them working on. I'd sit outside nearby in a comfy outdoor chair reading or using the laptop to make sure I kept up to date with everything I'd need to know for my exams.
After lunch, Dimitri would split the Guardians into pairs and assign them different tasks. Some of the team had not worked together before, so it gave them a chance to get to know their peers. Every afternoon Dimitri would work with a different Guardian on the cottage – and already the progress was astonishing.
They'd started by ripping out the electrics and most of the plumbing. It was so old Dimitri maintained it would be more efficient and safer to replace it than patching and extending where necessary. Then they'd stripped out all the boards on the porch as many were rotten and not sound. Gutting the inside of the cottage, they'd taken down walls, built new ones where required and put in massive beams to support a proper attic floor and to allow the open plan kitchen/living/meals space. The old kitchen and bathroom were ripped out, and one side of the structure extended, leaving my little cottage looking decidedly worse for wear. It was actually quite depressing, but Dimitri kept assuring me he had seventeen weeks to get it ready and ready it would be.
Coming back to the here and now, specifically Dimitri's lips at my neck, I knew the pleasure my man was proposing would have to be a 'quickie.' We were due to leave for the Court airstrip in an hour for our first trip back to St. Vladimir's since we'd left. After the whole fire thing, no one was prepared to take any chances, so I was going to be traveling with Dimitri, Kirk, Fernandes and two of Abe's guardians I hadn't yet met. We'd be staying together in a three-bedroom unit in Guest quarters, and I was to be accompanied by at least two Guardians at all times. We'd be staying two nights, and I'd be sitting four exams. I'd be switching back to Moroi time, which was going to be a bitch; especially since I couldn't take a sedative to help me adjust. But I was very excited about seeing my friends.
No one bar Alberta knew we were coming. There were a number of exams over the next six weeks, but it had been negotiated that I would do some on campus, and others would be done via Skype. I'd already done two Skype exams, and basically, they'd email me the exam I'd print it out, and I'd sit there on Skype while someone at St. Vlad's got to sit and watch me do it so there could be no claim I'd cheated. So far I'd had Alberta and Celeste.
Alberta muted the sound from her end, but I could see her doing paperwork and having meetings, occasionally looking over to her computer where I was. Celeste had spent the time in her room painting her toenails, shaving her legs using a razor, shaving foam and a cup of water, clipping and buffing her fingernails, folding and putting away her washing as well as putting in a deep conditioning masque in her hair and leaving it for the full three hours. I'd finished the exam in two hours, but because of the time difference I had to keep Skyping for the extra hour until the St. Vlad's students had gone in to sit the exam. Celeste and I had used the time to chat, her bringing me up to date on the Academy goss.
I was confident for my exams, and with Dimitri and the other Guardians checking my assignments before I submitted them, I knew I would do well on them, too. More than anything, I wanted to see my friends and be one of the Novices again. Even if I was going to be the big fat one who had to go to the toilet twice during each exam flanked by two Guardians.
Closing my eyes and grabbing Dimitri's hair, I roughly pulled his lips to mine. I didn't care if it was the pregnancy hormones or just how things were between us, but I was into sex every bit as much as he was, and I wasn't going to waste the opportunity to show my man how much I loved and wanted him. His sexy growl as I tugged at his hair was arousing. Always so in control, I loved the noises of pleasure he couldn't hold back when we were intimate. The way he let himself go, showing me the part of him that wasn't able to be controlled. That didn't want to be.
I pushed him onto his back, deciding today I wanted to take the lead. Slapping his large hands away as he tried to fondle my breasts, I leaned forward and clasped his wrists, holding them above his head. Of course, this brought my breasts within range of his mouth, so he leaned up and nuzzled my swollen twin globes, marveling at their size as my body prepared to nourish the baby that would be arriving in a few months time.
Ordering him to keep his hands above his head, I straddled my naked man, sitting on his mid thighs and visually surveying his long, lean, ripped body. He was a magnificent specimen, and he was all mine. I could sit and admire his body all day, but his little grumbles of discontent reminded me there was a rather sizeable problem. My poor man needed some loving.
Crawling up his body, my baby bump just skimming along the toned muscles of his abs. I gave my Russian God a kiss, settling my heated core right above his turgid manhood.
"Roza!" he groaned beseechingly. I knew he was seconds away from grabbing me and taking control if I didn't assuage his need. So reaching between us I brought us into alignment before sinking onto him, letting his thick, hard manhood penetrate my slick folds. His eyes rolled a little, and he groaned loudly as I took him all, despite his impressive length.
"I want to touch you," he grumbled mulishly, his hands opening and closing uselessly where they rested impatiently above his head. I gave him a small nod, and he brought his hands to my waist, helping to guide my movements as I rocked my hips against his. Knowing we didn't have much time, I set a brisk pace that would deliver us release sooner rather than later.
Seeing I was favoring the instant gratification route, Dimitri stuck his thumb into his mouth, wetting it before guiding it to the swollen pearl between my legs. His hands had always been calloused, but a fortnight of hard manual labor had made them even rougher; another reminder my Russian God was all man and so fucking sexy!
Rubbing me, I could feel the tingling across the top of my breasts, and the tensing of my lower back that signaled my orgasm was close. My moans were becoming more urgent, and I was struggling to keep up the regimented pace as I pushed down again and again on my lover's cock. Using one hand on my hip to steady me, Dimitri waited until I was on the precipice of relief before he reached up to tweak my nipples between his fingers, causing me to plummet into an abyss of satisfaction, screaming inarticulately as pleasure overcame me.
"Fuck! Roza!" he roared, my orgasm provoking his own. A hand firmly on each hip again, he held me in place as he bucked up from underneath, spurting his seed within me.
We were lying together loved up and feeling cuddly afterward when, as usual, Junior decided to note his or her approval. At first, Dimitri had been embarrassed that the baby responded to our frequent lovemaking, but he'd calmed down about it now; sometimes cheekily asking me in public whether I'd felt the baby move recently as a covert way of suggesting we slip away for a little one-on-one action.
Junior was especially active, so I grasped Dimitri's large hand, placing it where I could feel the most movements. Dimitri was softly stroking my bump when we both felt a big, unmistakable kick right beneath his hand! An elated grin on his face, Dimitri had the bed covers off me in an instant, resting his cheek against my stomach and crooning in Russian. Dimitri's 'bump worship' was no new occurrence; almost every night when we watched TV, he'd rest his head on my lap so he could whisper loving words to our baby. But as the first time he'd felt movement – well – this was something different.
After fifteen minutes of his gentle kisses and reverent words, I was finally able to drag my Russian God's attention away from my belly and remind him he needed to pack for St. Vladimir's.
"I packed already," Dimitri gloated as I got up and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Well, I didn't" I grumbled, giving Dimitri a huge smile when he took the hint, getting out my duffel bag, and under my direction loading it with clothes, underwear, my laptop and everything else I'd need for a couple of days away.
Walking over to the chest of drawers we'd bought on our first joint visit to Murray at the second-hand store, I opened the top drawer and pulled out my charm bracelet. Everything had been so mad on the night Dimitri had given it to me, I hadn't had a chance to have a good look at it – but when I did, I'd been moved by what he'd given me. A plain silver bracelet, he'd added charms for each significant event we'd shared. A hazelnut charm symbolizing our first meeting in Portland, followed by one of a woman in a fighting stance. Then a sun symbolizing the Equinox dance, a love heart for when we realized we cared for one another, a double love heart for when we became one, a miniature matryoshka doll for his time in Russia, a letter for him getting my e-mails and finally an '18' charm for my birthday. There was now another charm he'd surprised me with after he'd visited Court the other day; a little key to represent our first home together.
I dressed in a pair of jeans and a V-neck tight long top, taking the focus away from my belly by adding a long, loose cardigan. While the V-neck did show my cleavage to advantage, it was still pretty tame on the Rose Hathaway dress scale. But I was twenty weeks pregnant – I'm pretty sure the only man to find me sexy these days was Dimitri!
Adjusting my pendant, so it sat nicely above my breasts, I put on a little makeup and came out to where Dimitri was reclining on the sofa. He quickly put away his phone with a slightly guilty expression.
"Who were you texting?" I asked him indulgently.
"Mama," he confessed with a blissful look. "I wanted to tell her the baby kicked!"
"The baby's been kicking for a while now," I muttered under my breath, feeling a little put out that all Dimitri's attentions were on Junior and not on me.
"She's going to have a mean roundhouse kick, just like her Mama," he said, pulling me down onto his lap and kissing me soundly, wisely recognizing that if he touched my stomach at that moment, he might end up the victim of my roundhouse kick! I'd given up correcting Dimitri's assertions that the baby was a girl, so I smiled and enjoyed his kisses before standing up and reminding him it was time to go.
I was a little nervous to be going back to St. Vladimir's. I knew from Celeste that the students knew about the fire in my room and that there'd been a fire in the Guardian wing too, but not which room. The rumors about my whereabouts were rife – and it didn't help that when anyone asked Lissa, she denied all knowledge and Christian got quite defensive about the whole thing. While the Guardians had been discreet, the Novices had witnessed Tasha try and attack me with Celeste that time, and Brandon knew Tasha considered Dimitri to be her boyfriend, so there was at least some level of speculation about who was behind the fires and why.
I spent the plane trip revising for my first exam, Kirk quizzing me from my text as Dimitri sat beside me working on Guardian rosters for the week. While they left the day to day running of the property to Dimitri, Abe and Pavel visited the main house most days. They were staying in the Court accommodation arriving at 9 am for an hour or two to consult with the interior designer and contractors. Abe had also become my personal Moroi Culture Four tutor, spending two mornings a week with me putting all the tedious Moroi political machinations into context and explaining all the Moroi customs and the reasons behind them.
"I grew up never knowing these things, so I had to learn them too," he'd said enigmatically one day while explaining the complicated hierarchical royal Moroi seating allocations at formal dinners and other social events and then listening to me recite the associated guarding priorities.
While Abe was helping me study a few days ago, Pavel had taken Dimitri aside for a mini-feedback session, complimenting him on the way he was handling the crew as well as the work on the property. Dimitri had been able to show him detailed training plans for each of his six Guardians, focusing on skills and weaknesses he'd observed in each and identifying training opportunities to address both. To say Pavel was astounded was an understatement.
"I've never seen anything like it," I'd overheard an awed Pavel tell Abe later. "The guy has a half-inch thick file on each of them. He identified Fernandes would be more likely to hit a target by throwing his gun at it than shooting, so he's got the guy out there every afternoon doing target practice with tins. Fernandes has been with us four years – why's no one else worked that out and helped him before now?"
I sat on the plane smiling at my diligent boyfriend as we came close to landing. I'd been worried, at first, he'd wear himself out in his new role. But he was truly in his element. In fact, I don't think I'd ever seen him so happy and relaxed. He managed to walk that fine line between friend and leader where people followed him by choice not because they were obliged to, and he was relishing the opportunity to do some practical manual work.
We landed, and I was surprised to see Alberta waiting with the van at the airstrip. We hugged for ages, and I wasn't too proud to admit I might have cried a little; and I think Alberta might have, too. Dimitri busied himself with the luggage and directing the Guardians, giving me time to reconnect with the woman who was the closest thing I had to a Mom. In the van, we drove the back way to the guest quarters, Alberta briefing Dimitri and the other Guardians on the security plans. Dimitri and the Guardians brought our bags up to guest accommodations, and then it was time to head to my exam.
"You're in uniform?" I noticed as Dimitri stepped out of our bedroom looking delicious. The man always looked sexy, but something about his uniform did things to me, especially now it was looking a little tighter thanks to the muscle mass from all his manual labor. He hadn't worn it since we'd moved to the property. None of the Guardians wore it there. I wasn't sure whether to suggest Dimitri stand behind me in the examination hall so I wouldn't be distracted, or to get him to stand in front so I'd be inspired!
The entire senior grade, Moroi and Dhampir, were already seated when I entered. Walking past Ashford, Castile and Dragomir I settled at the table marked Hathaway. Dimitri, Kirk and one of Abe's Guardians followed me, positioning themselves against the closest walls. Dimitri pulled my chair out for me and gave me a loving look, bending to whisper in my ear just to lift a hand if I needed a toilet break. While his lips were hidden in my hair, he also whispered his love and kissed me.
"A bit of warning would have been nice," Lissa grumbled to Rose as we sat together at lunch. "I nearly fell off my chair when you walked in!"
"I'm sorry. After last time we thought it might be better if no one knew we were coming," Rose replied.
"Yeah. Keep the news away from my crazy aunt," I said bitterly.
"She didn't say that," Lissa admonished.
"No. But she's thinking it. Everyone is."
I looked across the cafeteria to where Brandon sat with some of the other royal Moroi. We were still friendly, but we hadn't hung out since he'd let slip to Jesse that Tasha had a thing for Dimitri. After that, everyone was able to join the dots. While no one blamed me, I hated the way conversation stopped whenever I walked past. It reminded me why I'd avoided hanging out with Royal Moroi for so long.
"Actually, right now I'm wondering if Dimitri is going to lecture me if I have a doughnut, and whether I could convince him it's a genuine pregnancy craving," Rose joked trying to change the subject, catching the huge Russian's eye.
Dimitri rolled his eyes and unfolded himself from the bench seat, walking across to the lunch line. Back at the table, he placed a fruit salad in front of Rose as well as a choc-iced doughnut.
"How can you live with her?" Mason joked, oblivious to the tense undercurrent of Lissa, Rose, Dimitri and I sitting at the table together.
"It's all about compromise," Dimitri laughed, gesturing to the fruit salad and the doughnut.
It would have been easier if they were all over one another. The tender little looks and loving gestures screamed to anyone watching that they were in love. That despite everything, they were blissfully happy. Lissa grabbed my hand under the table. Things were still strained between her and Rose, but I knew she missed her and was trying to make things right. Which is why I was sitting here watching the man my aunt was obsessed with looking at Rose with adoration.
"So how long are you here for?" Lissa asked Rose.
"I'd better not say."
"Um sure. Can you tell us how things are going where you are?" she tried instead.
"A little," Rose replied, nodding at a warning look from Dimitri.
"I'm not going to tell her, you know," I hissed, standing up. "She hasn't been in touch, and I've even left messages trying to get her to call so I can tell everyone where she is. I don't agree with what she's done!"
"I didn't say you did," I heard Rose say quietly as I dumped my food in a bin and threw my tray back on top of the pile before I stalked off to the feeders.
I was relieved to be back in Pennsylvania in our own place. After Christian's outburst on our first day there, things had been decidedly strained. We'd hung out with Eddie and Mason as Lissa spent most of the time trying to tell Christian no one blamed him for what Tasha had done. While that was true, I did still blame him for telling her about my pregnancy, which had made things so horrible for me. But as Dimitri kept reminding me – what did it matter now? I was still going to graduate, and we were together.
We settled straight back into our routine, with one notable exception. I, Rose Hathaway, decided to learn how to cook. It was time. I was going to be a mother soon – I needed to be able to make some basics.
With six Guardians, plus himself, Dimitri had set the obvious cooking roster of one night each per week. The food was pretty good, each of the Guardians having a few decent dishes they could cook, although it had to be said Fernandes' Portuguese inspired Goan food, and Dimitri's Russian meals were the most popular.
I'd spent three days planning my first meal and had rung Alyce for advice. She'd ended up coming out to the property to supervise my first attempt at Sunday lunch – crockpot lasagne with a green bean salad and garlic bread. Dimitri had taken off early to go to the human town to get some supplies he needed for the cottage, assuring me he'd be back in time to cook the usual Sunday barbecue lunch for us all. But I'd made other plans!
Arriving not long after Dimitri had left, Alyce brought a second slow-cooker up to the unit and sat chatting with me as I made an authentic tomato-based sauce on the stove top, splitting it into two portions. I fried up some beef mince and onion and added half the tomato sauce and herbs. It smelled delicious. Setting it aside, I did the same thing with chicken mince and the remaining tomato sauce. The béchamel sauce was harder, especially since I was quadrupling the recipe, but with lots of stirring, I got that right, too.
Under Alyce's watchful eye I loaded each crockpot, layering meat sauce, béchamel, and dried lasagna sheets, topping each stack with cheese until I had two slow cooker meals ready to go – chicken and beef lasagna. I was cleaning the surfaces ready to prep the salad when Alyce pointed out the lasagna would never cook if I didn't turn the appliances on. Rookie mistake!
Once that was sorted, I made a huge salad. I'd spotted the recipe in one of the beginner's cookbooks Alyce had insisted I order. It looked simple enough, and it was. Sure I wasn't going to win any housekeeper of the year awards, but it looked like I might just pull this off! I rang Dimitri and asked him if he could stop at the bakery on the way back through and pick up three French sticks. Guardians ate a lot, so I figured I'd make a mountain of garlic bread to supplement the lasagna. I chopped the garlic and mixed it with butter ready to spread onto the bread when Dimitri brought it home. With everything bubbling away, the salad ready and back in the fridge and the kitchen spotless, Alyce wished me luck and departed, so I sat down to wait for my Russian God.
"Something smells awesome!" he said in surprise when he opened the unit door. "What is it?"
"Oh does it?" I said with feigned nonchalance. "I thought since you were busy this morning I'd make lunch today. I've done a beef, and a chicken lasagna with a green bean salad and I'm going to make garlic bread with these," I finished, grabbing the French sticks and giving my astonished man a gentle kiss.
"You cooked all this?"
"I did," I said giving him a proud little smile. "I thought I should learn to make a few meals."
I stood at the counter, slicing the French sticks into individual rounds, coating one side of each with the garlic butter and placing them on a lined baking tray.
"Comrade? Can you put these in the oven for me?" I asked while loading the second tray.
Carefully setting the oven timer, I reached across to the notepad and pencil on the fridge door and added 'platters' to the list of things we needed. It wasn't until lunch was only a few minutes away that I appreciated it was going to be problematic to transport all this to the Guardian quarters. Our table in the unit could extend to seat six, but there were eight of us. And I only had plates, chairs and utensils for six.
Dimitri solved the problem, ringing the Guardian quarters to tell them lunch would be served in our unit today, and they needed to bring two more chairs, plates, glasses, etc. with them. A knock at the door a few minutes later announced our lunch guests' arrival. The guys came in, looking admiringly at our little domain. They'd seen it when we'd moved in, but not since it was all set up. Dimitri was pretending it was no big deal, but I could tell he was proud for us to be 'entertaining' for the first time.
Everyone was quickly seated, Dimitri dishing a serving of beef lasagna onto each plate and handing them out, the Guardians helping themselves to salad and garlic bread. Grabbing my camera, I took a few photos of our guests, getting Kirk to take a few of Dimitri and I, too. As we prepared to eat, I made sure to take a few photos of the food with my phone as well.
"You're not one of those people who takes pictures of everything you eat are you?" Kirk asked in amusement.
I just laughed shaking my head.
"Rose cooked this from scratch today," Dimitri announced proudly. "It's the first time she's cooked for so many."
"Unless you count a microwave dinner, it's the first time I've cooked anything, Comrade! Alyce came over to make sure I did it right, but she didn't make any of it."
"Well I know we're all going to enjoy it very much, aren't we?" Dimitri asked the Guardians, looking around at the assembled company lifting an eyebrow meaningfully. Thankfully the meal was pretty good, so no false praise was required. After we'd finished the beef, everyone had seconds, finishing the chicken lasagna too. We'd sat around for ages joking and laughing afterward. I enjoyed it so much I thought I might give cooking Sunday lunch a go next weekend, too. Dimitri insisted I rest on the sofa as the Guardians did the washing up, so I texted Eddie, Mason, and Lissa the picture of my loaded plate.
Lunch. Lasagna, bean salad and garlic bread for eight. Believe it or not, it was all made by me!