A Little Too Much, A Little Too Deep

Chapter 38

October

I clutch to Dimitri for one last kiss which he happily gives me, but when he tries to pull away from me, I wrap my arms around his shoulders and press my cheek against his chest. Dimitri chuckles and runs his fingers through my hair while his other hand travels down to my hip.

"Roza, if you don't go, Lissa is going to drag you out of here by your hair."

I snort and rub my face against the cotton of his shirt. He's not wrong though. Lissa has been pestering me all week about 'keeping tradition' and not spending the night before our wedding with Dimitri. I pull back enough and cup his cheeks softly. "I'm going to go check on the kids one more time," I say as I pull away. Dimitri winds his arms around my waist and pulls me back to him.

"You checked on them five minutes ago. You are stalling," Dimitri says into my hair and I roll my eyes. Dimitri swats my bottom playfully and moves both of us to the door. "Alright. Time to go," Dimitri says and presses a kiss to my temple before opening the door. I turn to find Lissa standing behind the door with an impatient look on her face, her Guardians standing behind her.

Lissa huffs and throws her hands in the air. "Finally! I thought I would have to barge in." I roll my eyes at her and Dimitri as Dimitri hands Lissa my overnight bag and she practically yanks me from my room in guest housing. I shake my head and look back at Dimitri who has a grin on his face.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Roza," he says with humour and I stick my tongue out at him. I pull my arm out of Lissa's grip and take my bag from her, slinging it over my shoulder as we walk to the room that she is staying in while we are at the Academy. We step in to find the room full of people. Well I wouldn't say full as it is just my bridal party, Sydney, Mia, my mother, Olena and Yeva along with a few members from the salon back at court.

"What is going on here?" I ask as I set my bag down on the table and Vika jumps up from her spot and pulls me further into the room.

"Your bachelorette party!" I look around the room, slightly stunned. I insisted that I didn't want to go out and have a bachelorette party and Lissa, Mia, Sydney, Karo, Sonya and Vika had gone out for dinner earlier this week instead.

I sigh as I am dragged across the room and Vika pushes me to sit on the couch between our mothers. I look at my mother who simply gives me a smirk and hands me a solo cup that smells strongly like coconuts. I sip it tentatively before spitting it back into the cup. "MOM! What is in this? It's disgusting," I exclaim and set it down on the table in front of me.

Mom snickers behind her own cup and points to the liquor cart that I hadn't noticed when I came in. I squint at the cart to see a large white bottle of rum and gag. I set the cup down on the table in front of me and swipe Mom's cup and gingerly sniff it. "Well this doesn't smell disgusting," I say, taking a sip.

Ambrose pops up in front of us with a large smile and extends his hand to me. "Come on Mrs. Belikova-to-be, let's get you pampered," he says and guides me into the other room where an area has been set up for pedicures and manicures. Ambrose hands me a robe and walks out of the room while I change. I chuckle at the bedazzled "Bride" on the back of the white satin and strip, tugging my robe on and tying the belt.

Lissa knocks on the door a moment later and she and Ambrose come back in, sitting down in front of me on the stool and lifting a tray of nail polish up to me.

"What colour would you prefer?" Ambrose asks, and I point to a colour that matches the colour of the bridesmaid's dresses. Lissa sits down in the chair next to me and another esthetician comes up, sitting down in front of Lissa. Lissa points to a second bottle of nail polish that matches mine and we get started.