Betrothed (currently being edited)

Chapter 23-Ufa (Just revised)

(You asked for a photo of Dimitri, this is how I picture him)

Since they were contained in the plane there wasn't much else to do but talk, sleep, eat or read. "Di?" Carina said turning her head to him.

"Hmm" he said not looking up from his phone.

"What made you decide when you were coming for me?" She asked.

He wondered when she would get around to asking him this. How did he answer her? Now was not the time to tell her the truth. Not yet.

"I don't honestly know when I decided, but I was getting tired of letters, emails and phone calls and I felt it was time. Your emails were always so full of life and humor but what I really looked forward to the most was the hand written letters and phone calls.

I found myself asking for the mail more than I used to and I would check my phone for missed calls or texts from you. I wanted the real you, the flesh and blood you; I was done with technology. It wasn't giving me what I needed and that was you sitting where you are right now." He hoped to God that would satisfy her.

Carina reached over and pecked him on the mouth and said "I love you Di" and then she went back to her book.

He sighed on the inside; boy he'd dodged a bullet there.

"This is your captain speaking" said a disembodied voice over the intercom. "We are starting our final approach to Ufa and the flight attendant will be coming around with the necessary instructions. Thank you".

Carina looked over at Dimitri like an excited child and he found himself loving her reaction.

The sun was just starting to come up and Carina could just make out land masses and forms on the earth below.

Katarina came around and took up glasses, etc. anything that needed to be stowed away for landing. They buckled up seat belts as they felt the plane starting to descend.

"So it's Saturday?" Carina asked as the time change had her all screwed up. Dimitri nodded as they went down the stairs and on to the tarmac and into an awaiting car.

She was glad she had listened to him when he said to bring a heavy coat. It was freaking freezing and there was a lot of snow on the ground but it was absolutely beautiful here and she couldn't wait to get home; their home.

"How far is the drive?" Carina asked.

"About 30 minutes" Dimitri said.

Sitting back in her seat Carina just watched the scenery. Dimitri apparently was preoccupied and she wasn't going to bother him with childish questions.

The roads seemed pretty well traveled so there wasn't any danger from icy road conditions; of course they knew how to handle the roads here not like back home where everyone loses their minds if it snows just a bit.

It looked like they were heading further away from the city when she felt Dimitri take her hand and squeeze.

"We're home dorogaya" he said as Carina looked over to the left when Marco turned into a gated driveway, punched in a key code and the gate whirred open.

Carina noticed two armed guards at the gate but didn't make a big deal of it as they followed a long drive way back into the trees and that's when she saw it...their home.

No one could find you if you didn't want them to. It was way off the main road and between the gate compound and the trees you couldn't see it.

There were two smaller houses, which Carina assumed Dimitri's men stayed in and then the main house. It was two stories, white with at least two fireplaces; it was beautiful and Carina loved it.

She was brought back from her thoughts as Marco brought the car to a stop by what she thought was the back door.

He jumped out and opened their door and then some men came out of nowhere as he instructed them in Russian to get the luggage and take it to the master bedroom.

Sliding out after Dimitri, Carina took his offered hand as he led her to the back door and before she could blink he picked her up and carried her inside.

"Welcome home Mrs. Alexandrov" he whispered setting her down.

Carina looked around smiling widely. They had come in by the kitchen and it was huge; a big granite topped island, the kitchen counter went from one side of the room to the other along one wall and the cabinets were really beautiful with glass panes so you could see into them; the floor was beautiful hard wood and there was a breakfast nook area that had a round table that looked like it seated 6 people.

Dimitri took her hand as they went further into the house. They walked into a larger room with vaulted ceilings; big chocolate brown leather sectional that could easily seat 12; huge stone fireplace with knotted wood mantle and an entertainment center that she was told housed an 80" flat screen TV.

They passed a formal dining and living area and then she saw the staircase.

Dimitri said there were three bedrooms upstairs and five downstairs and technically the three upstairs bedrooms had been added on to the master bedroom so their room was huge!

There was a basement that had been transformed into a gym, so Carina was excited about that and she could do her yoga and other activities that were in the area of health and fitness.

Dimitri threw open the door to their room and oh my God! Straight in front of you sitting in the corner was a massive 4 poster bed, it looked to be a king size, with a canopy and beautiful maroon wispy looking sheers tied to each post.

That was sexy as hell and the bedding looked like a deep maroon and gold rich looking fabric, and Carina couldn't wait to fall into that.

Then the wall to the left facing the foot of the bed was the other fireplace, there were two huge dressers and an armoire in the room.

If you looked to the right, one of the added bedrooms, there was a huge entertainment center, couch, love seat and two recliner looking chairs; the third added room looked like Dimitri's office. It had glass French doors and she could see a desk, laptop, credenza and couch in there.

Lastly Carina went to check out their bathroom. There was a massive tub, looking like it was built especially for her giant specimen of a husband, two walk in showers and a huge vanity that went wall-to-wall with three sinks and finally two very large walk in closets; one was hers and the other one was Dimitri's.

Curiosity got the best of her as she opened the door and walked in.

Walking down one row of suits, ran her fingers along the fabric and the next row was all dress shirts; black, blue, red, maroon, and grey

Then there was a dresser sitting in the middle of the closet and had his watches, some chains and a tray of cuff links but none that looked like what she had bought for him.

Along the floor were all kinds of dress shoes, boots, and athletic shoes and finally he had a row of coats and jackets ranging from denim jackets to hot leather jackets and nice wool mid-calve pea coats, jeans and casual shirts as well.

She felt like she had learned a little bit more about her husband from his closet and she somehow felt closer to him.