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59.
"Don't," Ayesha whispered against his cheek after he turned his head to avoid her kiss. "Don't say I am the only one that feels like this."
He rested his hand against her hips and pushed her away. She didn't allow him to pull away, holding on tight with her hand on his shoulder. Her eyes, dialled from the adrenaline of her run, were filled with questions and doubt.
"Say something," she whispered, allowing her hand to travel from his shoulder to his jaw. "Did I deceive myself? Or read you wrong?"
Dimitri closed his eyes, his head hanging low. What was he supposed to do now? When she said she wanted to talk, he didn't think she would confess having feelings for him.
All that came to mind was his conversation with Steven. He cared for her, admired her ardour for life, and, somewhere along the line, started seeing her as something other than a friend, but he was ready to ignore it. Ready to ignore the glances, the insinuations in her tone, and his own thought
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An Unroyal Alliance 60.
Dimitri walked her to the door of her apartment. While he was the one to oppose their relationship because of public opinion, he didn’t seem as hyperaware of their surroundings as she became. He moved carefreely, walking beside her with a straight face from the park to the elevator and down the hallway.Was he putting on a show for anyone watching? So they didn’t suspect anything was going on? Or did he change his mind during the drive and waited to let her down easy the second she slipped her card on its reader?“Do you want to come in?” Her voice was shaking. It was embarrassing, but she couldn’t hide that she was nervous. It didn’t help that he was suddenly so calm.“Not today.” He replied, smiling. “I have things to do in the office. I am already running late.”“Then I won’t keep you.”“Take it easy today. You did a lot this morning. You must be sore.”
An Unroyal Alliance 61.
Ayesha was out of her apartment early Saturday morning and on a long bicycle ride to meet with Dimitri. She had called him the previous day as promised and talked him into coming out to meet her.She got there before he did and waited, slumped against a tree. She entertained herself by picking apart a flower, plucking petal after petal from its stalk. Most trees in the park were high, with fattened stems and robust branches boasting bright green leaves and some spotting fruits. The floors were covered with dried, fallen leaves that crunched whenever she moved her feet.Though unseen, she could hear the birds twittering and moving from branch to branch. Their calls rang clear in what would have otherwise been silence.It was a lovely spot for a first date. Peaceful and quiet, especially early in the mornings on weekdays. Ayesha hoped they would have a bit of privacy and space to themselves. She didn’t come around often, but it was the first place that came
An Unroyal Alliance 62.
"Good evening, everyone." "Dimitri!" Vienna flew to him, hugging him enthusiastically. "Guess what?" "What?" "I got all As." He grinned, lifting her into his arms. "Four semesters in a row. You trying to give me a run for my money?" "Two more, and I'll be taking your crown." He set her back on her feet and bumped his fist on her shoulder. "I couldn't lose to a more worthy opponent, sweetie." "Good evening, dear." "Hello, mother." He smiled at his mother before hugging her as well. "How are you." "I am good. And you? You've been eating well and keeping yourself healthy?" "Everyday." Vienna disappeared, and his mother took his arm, walking by him to the dining table. "That's good. And you haven't had any issues? Healthwise, I mean." "No. Nothing." "That's good to hear. What about work?" "Running smoothly. There is a trip coming up in three months. I have a conference
An Unroyal Alliance 63
"It looks like it might rain today."Ayesha looked at the clouds. "No. I don't think so."She dropped from the car. She grabbed her jacket from the seat and skipped to Dimitri.When he invited her out to go on a day's trip with him to Abbots Langley, she was pleasantly surprised. He told her he had someone he needed to meet, but the meeting wouldn't take long, and they could enjoy the village a little before heading back to Watford in the evening.Ayesha giddily accepted the offer. They didn't have much time to meet during the week because she worked most of the day till evening, and so did he. So, aside from grabbing breakfast and lunch here and there, most of their interactions were on Saturdays or over the phone."Thanks for inviting me."He smiled. "You can't be the only one carrying this relationship. I am sorry I left you alone all morning, though. I hope you weren't too bored.""Not at all. I walked into the garden and read a b
An Unroyal Alliance 64.
Before they could make it out of the parking lot, the rain was pouring heavily. They decided to wait it out, talking in the car, hoping the showers would recede, but with no luck. It went on for an hour, showing no signs of stopping, and Dimitri finally decided it was best to find a motel to sleep for the night."Room 32." Dimitri read the number on the iron plate screwed into the ebony door. "That's me. 33 is yours.""The keys are with you.""I am sorry about this." Dimitri apologised as he handed Ayesha her room key."You predicted the rain first, remember. I am just glad you didn't suggest driving in this.""I wouldn't dare. I know what I can and can't do. Driving in this would be suicide, even in an emergency.""Hm.""Well, it's early, but try getting some sleep. Tomorrow we'll leave for the town.""Alright."He kissed her, and waited for her to get in before walking to his room. He tugged off his shoes and crawled o
An Unroyal Alliance 65.
Sofia stared into her cup of coffee, watching the rich brown liquid ripple as drops fell from the spoon she held over it. She returned to town after signing the contract, but her mind remained in the village. She saw them when she thought of Dimitri. She saw them laughing, his hands on her and his lips on hers.It didn’t take a genius to figure out there was something between them even before then. What she couldn’t figure out was how long they had been together. Dimitri told everyone she was a friend, someone he met when he arrived, but what if he just wanted to keep the relationship under wraps. Given her age and lifestyle, he might have remained quiet to avoid fighting or quarrelling with anyone with an opinion regarding their pairing.Or maybe they started dating recently, and he didn’t feel like announcing it until they were ready for people to know.But what was he thinking? She would never have pegged him as someone who would go for a yo
An Unroyal Alliance 66.
"Hey, you." Joseph greeted as Ayesha walked into the apartment. He lifted the glass of juice he held in a toast. "Welcome. Hungry?""Starving."She sat at the table, dishing some food on her plate and immediately began wolfing it down."Missed lunch?""Something like that.""How are things going with Dimitri?"Her face immediately lit up. "Great. We can't see each other much during the week because I work all afternoon and he has his job, but we talk more often. The more time passes, the more comfortable he is becoming. He offers up more and more opportunities for us to spend time together and isn't as angsty as before."
An Unroyal Alliance 67.
The doorbell rang, and Dimitri dropped the rag and listened for the second ring. He left the kitchen and made a beeline for the door, pleasantly smiling when Ayesha waved at him."Bright and early.""Bright, but not so early." He responded and eased away from the doorway. "Come in."She pulled the strap of her purse over her head before taking off her jacket. Dimitri helped her set them aside. He walked behind her, watching as she took in the house."You changed a few things since last time.""Yes. Moved a few things into other rooms and brought things from other rooms out here.""It still looks stunning.""Thank you.""And it smells like a bakery."Dimitri locked his arms around her front, pulling her close to him. She rested her hand over his."I remember someone was pleasantly surprised when they heard I knew how to bake. So," he stretched, steering her towards the kitchen. "I did."She jumped. "Oh reall
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