Wedding Belles - Complete

Chapter 8

"You look tired," Rose smirked as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail.

"I wonder why!" Dimitri replied, his lips curving into a lazy, sexy smile, alluding to their night of passion.

It was half past nine in the morning, and hunger was forcing the newlyweds from their bed. Abe had arranged a buffet brunch for them all the day after the wedding, and it was to this that Dimitri and Rose were headed.

"Do you think Alto is going to be there?" Dimitri asked. While Rose might have succeeded in putting Stan out of his mind for the evening, Dimitri wanted to know what his former colleague had been doing at 1.30 am in his sisters' suite, and why he seemed so interested in Sonya.

"If he is, then you're not going to make a scene," Rose said firmly. "We will have brunch, see our friends and family, and afterward you can speak with Alto." Dimitri looked as though he'd like to argue. "I mean it, Comrade. Don't ruin this morning. Besides – it will be fun to watch him squirm as he's waiting!"

Chuckling at his wife's devious nature, and longtime dislike of Guardian Alto, Dimitri conceded her plan had merit. Accordingly, when they walked into the dining room put aside for their brunch, Rose and Dimitri greeted everyone pleasantly, neither making eye contact with Stan Alto who, sure enough, was seated next to Sonya.

"Here they are! The newlyweds... Have a good time last night, you two?!" Christian asked suggestively.

"That's enough, Christian," Lissa said reprovingly. The Moroi Queen wasn't a prude, but she did think matters of the bedroom should stay behind closed doors.

"Yes, quite enough!" Janine Hathaway said, giving Christian a stern look that silenced him instantly.

"Sorry, Guardian Hathaway. Sorry guys." Rose's mother scared the shit out of Christian. Between her neck full of molnija, and the way every Guardian he'd ever met deferred to her, she was a frightening woman. Rose waited until her mother turned to speak with Abe before poking her tongue out at Christian.

"So, do you have plans for the day?" Olena asked, smoothing over the awkward moment.

"Not really," Rose said, secretly thinking she wished she could return to bed so she could sleep. "It's going to be warm, so maybe we could go swimming?"

The swimming pool at St. Vladimir's was indoors but had glass side windows that tilted to open the pool to a large grassed area outside. During term time, it was primarily used during darkness, but when St. Vlad's reverted to a daylight schedule over the summer break, it was a popular destination for off-duty Guardians.

"That sounds great!" Eddie said enthusiastically. He'd be traveling to Missoula and then on to Palm Springs in the late afternoon, so he was eager to hang out and catch up with Rose and Dimitri before he left.

"I'm in," Mia agreed.

In the end, almost the whole party decided to go swimming. Abe and Janine were conspicuous in their refusal, but the way they kept yawning over brunch made Rose suspect their evening had been spent in much the same way as Dimitri's and her own. It wasn't something she wanted to dwell on, so Rose was happy to accept their excuse of 'business to deal with' at face value rather than contemplate the possibility her parents were tired after a night of intimacy. No child wanted to imagine that!

"Why don't you all go ahead, and we'll meet you there? I just wanted to have a word with Guardian Alto," Dimitri said, lifting an eyebrow in challenge at his previous workmate. Sonya gave Rose an imploring look before handing Katya to Karolina to dress and take swimming.