Reality Bites - Wattys 2018 Shortlist

Prologue

"... we shouldn't."

Resting my forehead against his, I looked into Dimitri's molten chocolate eyes, seeing his sympathy for me but also his caring. While I might never know just how he felt about me, that he had feelings I now knew was undeniable.

Unbidden, another tear started to roll down my face as I realzed the depth and futility of my love for him.

"No, Roza," he whispered, brushing the teardrop aside gently with his thumb. He pulled me beside him, cradling me in his arms with my head against his chest. "Please don't cry," he murmured, his lips pressing against my hairline, his hand gently stroking my hair and back.

Closing my eyes, I nestled into him, feeling the warmth of his arms and the comforting beat of his heart. Despite my fears about the darkness and my sadness, I could feel myself slowly calming – reassured by his physical contact. I really couldn't do this without him.

Feeling the tension leave me, Dimitri murmured, "That's better, Roza." As always, hearing him use his pet name for me made me smile. Lifting my head to face him, I gave him a wan smile.

"You know, I love it when you call me Roza," I admitted shyly, quickly nuzzling my head back into the safety of his sweatshirt before he had a chance to reply.

"A beautiful rose," he mumbled, pulling me closer. Still rubbing my back, he rested the side of his face on the top of my head for a moment, breathing in deeply before turning to place feather-light small kisses on the top of my head. "My beautiful, beautiful Roza," he whispered into my hair.

Fearing he might stop, I didn't reply other than moving my head slightly towards his chest. Inhaling deeply, I was suddenly immersed in his scent. Familiar from our many training sessions, his aftershave had a slight pine fragrance - which always reminded me of snow and Christmas. But underneath that, I could smell him. It was so primal and manly, and so damned sexy that without me realizing a small sigh escaped me. I could feel his lips pause for a moment, and then continue kissing my hair. Not stopping to think too hard about it, I leaned in and kissed his chest.

His grey workout shirt was soft from many washes and felt smooth against my lips. Inhaling his manly scent again, I placed a second kiss on his chest and then a third beside it.

"Oh Roza," he moaned, using his hand to bring my chin up to face him. Looking at me for a moment, he leaned in and placed the lightest, softest kiss on my lips. The feeling was amazing! It was like all the blood in my body raced to the parts of us which were touching, and that was all I could feel.

"Dimitri," I sighed, leaning in to return his kiss.

Gently our lips joined again, and I closed my eyes to let the sensations wash over me. Without breaking our delicate contact, Dimitri lifted me up to sit on his lap. One hand in my hair, he rubbed my back with the other – sending little shocks across every part of me he touched. Everything felt so intense – it was hard to believe that such tantalizing kisses and touches could elicit such a response! Pulling back for a moment, I looked into those beautiful brown eyes and saw his lips turn up in a soft smile. Smiling myself, I wrapped my arms around him and eagerly returned my lips to his, pressing my breasts against his chest.

Inside my blood was churning. Everything was about his touch and my need. His kisses were becoming firmer and more urgent, and opening my lips to sigh, his tongue slipped in and found mine. Stroking my tongue against his, a small growl of satisfaction rose in his throat.

His hands were wandering freely across me, now – one hand playing with my hip and the other rubbing the base of my spine. One of my hands slipped under his shirt. I was finally freely touching his magnificent back! The reality was even better than anything I'd imagined. Firm and muscled, his skin was smooth and without blemish. Starting at the back of his neck, I lightly ran my nails downwards. Dimitri's lips left mine, and he threw his head back, biting his lower lip then moaning thickly "God yes!" His accent was so much thicker than usual, and the sound of it made something deep and carnal clench in my lower belly.