The Blossom of Rose

39 • Certain

"Are you sure the dress doesn't make me look fat?" I glance at Luca who has me latched onto his arm, drawing circles on the spot of my waist where his arm sits.

He's wearing a suit the same shade as the navy in my sapphires and decided to put on a black shirt. Trust him to always wear a dark colour.

I'm obsessed with the back of the dress, it is dipped with a net of embroidered dusty blue flowers. I decided to twist my hair back into an elegant bun for the Orlov wedding and after that was too exhausted to apply any makeup, and I reluctantly decided to go bare faced.

Luca said that I look "exquisite" without makeup because my skin has a "glow like a cluster of stars." My heart beat erratically and I wondered when did he get so poetic?

I tried to hide my baby bump with a white wrap draping from the crook of my arms. The dress is quite loose on my body anyway, thanks to Luca's smart thinking, so anyone at a kick glance shouldn't be able to notice.

We've already greeted the few individuals at the entrance and now we're entering the garden.

"You look immaculate," he whispers with a dazed look in his eyes, "I can't believe you're actually real."

A massive smile bubbles through me and I lean up, pressing a kiss on his cheek, "you believe it now?"

"Not yet," he smirks and I roll my eyes at the dare in his eyes. I can see his mischief of what he wants me to do.

"Armani," a deep voice calls and we both focus our attention on him. By the power in his voice, I know he is Daniel Orlov. He's an inch taller than Luca's 6'2 height but is not as built as him, making him a little skinnier. He has tattoos all from his hands to the top of his neck, and a small one under his eye reading Orlov.

I thought Luca was bad, but this man is wearing a midnight black suit, with a black shirt, his black hair styled back and his predator, black eyes scowling.

I can't lie and say he isn't good-looking, but he scares me more than he attracts me.

"Danny," Luca unlatches from me to give him a bro-hug, "this is my girlfriend, Rose."

"Charmed to meet you, Rose." Daniel takes my hand and instead of kissing the back of it, he shakes it. I'll take it that's out of respect to his friend.

"And you," I politely smile back and Luca places his arm around my waist again.

"How you been?" Luca queries and Daniel grabs two drinks from a passing waiter. He passes one to Luca and offers me the other which I'm forced to deny.

"Not as fucking great as you," Daniel's eyes flit to me and he quickly scans my body. I fist the white wrap in my hands, hiding the baby bump.

"Anya and Max here?" Luca arches an eyebrow and Daniel nods, curtly. Clearly, that's a topic not to be touched on.

"That's," Luca brings his head in line with mine and nods at a pretty, brunette woman in a champagne-coloured dress, "his wife, Anya, and his mom," he guides me to the older woman in front of her cradling the toddler, "is holding their son, Maxim."

Daniel sips his drink and says, "you're a real beauty, Rose. Krasivaya. I can see why my boy is so obsessed with you." [Beautiful]

"That's how you know Russian," I state to Luca and his lips rise slightly. He gulps the drink down and I watch his Adam's apple and the muscles in his neck contract, rolling in my lips.

"Nikolai causing any trouble?" Luca asks, coldly, placing the glass down on a passing tray. We all turn to where Ivan Nikolai is seated, in the corner of the garden under a large arch of flowers.