Only Him

Chapter 9

When I woke up I thought at first it was because I was going to be sick. It took me a moment of pause to realize that it was in fact due to a slow, tickling trail of kisses being placed up and down my bare back. I'd apparently been cuddling a pillow and Dimitri found this the perfect position for his current activity. The tickling sensation left my muscles quivering in its wake, the aftermath of the tremors being felt all the way in my stomach muscles. So, not sick after all. Once I registered the difference a lazy smile crept onto my face and I leaned back into Dimitri's touch.

"Good morning, milaya," Dimitri breathed into the small of my back, sending shivers rocketing up my spine. "Happy birthday."

I murmured some sort of thanks and arched my back receptively. He chuckled and trailed upwards before deviating off his original path and placing a final kiss just below my ear.

"You should get up. We have practice in an hour."

At the moment I could have kicked myself for insisting on continuing with Christian's class today but I knew that two hours of my day could be spared actually having an excuse to kick Moroi ass. We'd progressed far enough over the past three months of practice that we were actually letting the Moroi pair up and skirmish. The results were often comical but I did enjoy stepping in and showing them the proper stances. Besides, Eddie, Angeline and Sydney had agreed to stop by and put in their two-cents today. It was the promise of sharing our progress with my friends that finally got me out of bed.

Dimitri made sure I was awake and moving before slipping out of the room himself. As I was collecting my workout clothes the smell of bacon began wafting through the tiny apartment.

I smiled. I may not be the girly type of girlfriend who cooked for her man but I'd found a man willing to cook for me.

I was halfway to the bathroom to get changed before the scent of breakfast took hold in my stomach and, instead of making it growl as it usually did, sent a revolting spasm through me. I barely made it to the toilet before I was sick.

Okay, so maybe it had been more than Dimitri's kisses that woke me up after all.

I glared accusingly at my reflection in the mirror as I quickly cleaned up my mess and wiped a cool cloth over my face and neck. No need to worry Dimitri. And he would be worried.

Dhampir's very rarely get sick. The only times I'd ever actually thrown up were either because I'd been kicked in the stomach during a fight or once when I'd had a particularly bad hangover in Portland.

I had no idea what had caused this bout of illness but it was gone now and I wasn't about to let it ruin my birthday.

"Tuck your elbows in," I ordered the middle age Moroi royal, swatting at his flailing elbow as I circled him. "I know you think you're making yourself look bigger and more intimidating but all you're really doing is making more surface area for her to hit." I nodded at the twenty-six year old non-royal who was sparing him.

The man grumbled something unflattering under his breath and I quickly stepped between him and his partner.

"Care to share with the class?" I demanded, arms crossed. This man was notorious for his prickly attitude and disruptions to the class.

The man looked like a teenager caught passing notes in class, that mixture of faux defiance and embarrassment at being called out on it. He straightened his shoulders and gave me his best nonchalant look.

"I said what's the point of this?" he snapped.

I raised my eyebrows. "Of training? I would have thought that was obvious to you. You did sign up for this class of your own free will."