Chapter 11 - Dahlia

Opening my eyes, I stretched out and lay staring at the ceiling. The sun was barely peeking in, and shadows still danced on the walls. Turning, I slid out of bed. I was excited to learn how to fight. After taking a quick shower, I dressed as comfortably as possible.

Heading to the kitchen, I found Mila seated at the island. "Good morning," I said entering.

The air between us was still thick but I was sure she was warming to the idea of having me around. "Morning," Mila mumbled as she rose and left.

I wasn't going to allow her to spoil my mood. I went to sit on the porch. The sun had just started greeting the world. The sky was filled with striking yellow, orange, and blue hues.

The door opened as I rose from the chair. Konstantin came waltzing out. "Good morning, sugar, you ready to go?" he enquired in a light tone.

"Yes, I am."

I ran up and grabbed my bag. I felt excited about learning more. Konstantin was waiting for me in the car. We drove to the offices in silence. My mind was flipping through the types of fighting I had seen in movies. I wondered if he would teach me some of those.

Once we arrived at the office, he quickly checked his schedule. After clearing his meetings, he smiled at me. "Right, let's go," he said, holding out his hand.

Konstantin took me back down the stairway leading to the rooms in the small corridor. This time, we went to another room. The floor in this room was covered with thicker foam flooring. It was much softer and harder to walk on. We removed our shoes at the door so we wouldn't damage it.

There were no tables in this one. In the middle of the room was what looked like a puffed-up scarecrow. The arms were out to the sides. The entire thing was covered in cloth. On both sides of the room were similar apparatus. However, the one was made of wood with no covering. It had wooden sticks protruding from it, facing different directions at varying heights. The other one looked a lot like a punching bag with a ball to the side and one for a head.

Konstantin walked to the center of the room and turned to me as he spoke. "Ready to start?"

I felt slightly nervous. Yet, I was excited and maybe a little scared as well. As I stepped closer and nodded, I felt my smile running from ear to ear.

Konstantin smiled back at me as he spoke. "First, I'm going to show you how to get out of a rear naked choke hold."

I couldn't contain my amusement. The name of the hold was absurd. I burst out laughing. As I bent over, gasping for air, Konstantin stepped in behind me. He placed a hand on my shoulder and his other arm around my throat, pulling me up against him.

"Push your head and lower your chin as much as you can," Konstantin breathed over my shoulder. "Now grab my arm with both hands. Hold my arm on the sides under your cheeks."

I took hold of his arm, feeling his muscles tense as I held him. A fresh, minty odor flowed over my shoulder. Closing my eyes for a second, I felt my stomach knotting.

"Now, lift your feet into the air while holding tightly and swing back down. As you land, bend forward and turn. Try to go down on one knee and twist me to the side."

Lifting my legs fast, I got enough movement. As I came back down and kneeled, I bent my head down and twisted out of his grasp. Konstantin went down to the mat with ease. Stepping back, I clapped at myself. "Yes," I huffed. "I can do this."

"Slow down, sugar," Konstantin said as he stood back up. "Remember you're pregnant, and you must take it slow."

"I totally rocked that move," I huffed, feeling excited. "What's next?"

"Let's move to the punching bags," he said, walking to the side where there were three different kinds of bags. One was a round ball hanging from the ceiling. Next to it was a long bag also hanging from the ceiling. The last one was also a long bag with a big ball at the top. It also appeared to have arms of sorts. To the sides were thin straps with round balls on the ends.

We went through some basic kicks and practiced punches on the bags. Once we covered this, it was lunchtime. Konstantin ordered chicken wraps and had the food with fruit juice delivered to the practice room. We sat on the mat, having lunch.

After lunch, he showed me how to get out of another chokehold. This time, we were on the floor. Konstantin softly sat over my thighs and leaned forward, gripping my neck. "If someone sits over you and tries to choke you, there are a couple of things to keep in mind," he said, smiling down at me.

My mind drifted slightly feeling his breath pass over me. Nodding my head, I listened as he continued. "You can grab at my wrists and pull my hands to the side while lifting your butt to push me forward."

I did as he instructed but only managed to lift him. "Right," Konstantin said. "Now, once you have your assailant in the air, roll over to one side and get up."

He repositioned himself over me again. This time, I moved with force. I heard him breathe out hard as he rolled over, and I got up. "Very nice," Konstantin commented as he stood. "You can also jab the person in the throat or the solar plexus."

We did two more simulations so I could practice before we started sparing. "Place your feet about a foot apart. The best is about shoulder-width apart," he said, looking down at my feet. "Good, now take half a step forward with your dominant foot."

Konstantin watched as I did what he asked. "Bring your hands up bending your elbows so your hands are before your face," he lifted his as he spoke. I couldn't help but notice the muscles popping on his arms as he did this.

"Now you are ready. Turn your hands so your palms are facing me. This way, you can stop a hit with the least impact." He made a fist and slowly imitated punching me. As he brought his fist closer, he continued to instruct me. "Use your palm to stop my blow, or you can also turn your hand and slap the inside of my forearm. This way, you will be hitting my fist away from your face."

We did this several times until he was sure I was doing it correctly. "Now, when you want to hit someone, you simply close your hand into a fist." He was still talking when I swung my fist at him. Grabbing hold of my hand, he laughed a little. "Slow down. You need to form your fist correctly, or you will break your fingers, sugar."

He gently pulled my fingers open. His touch made my stomach turn. I felt my lips pulling into a smile as he showed me how to close my fist properly. We started sparing but I noticed every hit and touch he made was soft and light. Most of the time, he barely touched me. I wanted him to touch me, I wanted to feel his skin against mine.

As we practiced, I felt my anger growing. I wasn't made of porcelain. I wasn't going to break. I wanted a real practice. I needed to get rid of the stress building up inside. He either dodged every swing I took or grabbed my wrists and moved out of the way when I swung at him. I wanted to fight. I had to work off my frustration, but he wasn't allowing me to do so.

He was handling me like a child, and it drove me up the wall. Pulling all my strength, I made sure the next hit landed hard. I struck him center just below his ribs and must have hit his solar plexus. Konstantin puffed as he bent forward and gasped for air.

I wanted him to take me seriously. But he straightened out and carried on as if nothing happened. I would swing at him, and he would step past me and tap my arse. By the third time, I could feel my blood boiling.

As he stepped past me and turned to tap my rear, I swung around. I threw an uppercut at his jaw. I was slightly stunned as his head bobbed sideways. Looking back at me, I noticed a flash of anger crossing his eyes. He shook his head and grinned at me.

Stepping forward, I lifted my leg and kicked out. He stepped back, still grinning, which only made me angrier. As I swung at him again, he softly took hold of my arm, and in a swift move, he turned me around, pulling me to his chest.

Placing his arm around my neck and the other around my waist, he whispered in my ear. "If I had a knife, you would be dead, sugar. Anger doesn't help in a fight."

He let go and gently pushed me forward. Spinning back around, I tried to get another knock on his jaw. I was determined to show him I could do this.

Konstantin blocked my fist and grabbed both my wrists. He was ready for me this time. He pulled me closer. I could feel his breath touching my lips as he spoke. "Calm down, sugar."

Calm was the last thing on my mind. My hormones were up and down, my emotions were on a constant rollercoaster ride, and I felt like I was losing my mind. As he let go, I pushed him back with force. Konstantin fell back on the mat. I could see the surprise on his face as his eyes grew larger.

"What is up with you?" he enquired as he stood.

"I'm not a baby; you can really take the gloves off." I huffed as I turned and headed for the door. "No," I added as I glanced back. "Never mind, I'll ask Piotr to teach me."

As I reached out for the door handle, I felt his arm closing around my waist. He lifted me into the air and swung me around. Facing the mat again, I felt him let go and shove me forward. Before I could find my footing properly, he pulled at my feet. I went down to the mat like a bag of vegetables.

Konstantin was still holding my ankles and swung me around to my back. He came down on me at an amazing speed. He pinned my hands above my head as he lightly sat over me. "What is up with you, sugar?" he breathed out over my lips as he looked into my eyes.

His gaze was penetrating. I felt a fire lighting inside me. I couldn't pull my eyes from his. "Nothing is wrong, or up with me," I replied softly. My voice wavered as I spoke; it felt like my throat was suddenly tightening. A range of emotions surged through me.

I had to get him off. I tried shifting sideways and pushing up, hoping to shove him off. But nothing worked. The more I struggled, the warmer I felt.

"You appear upset, sugar. Is something bothering you?" Konstantin whispered into my ear as he leaned down.

I didn't dare speak. My voice would surely not hold. My insides were churning. I felt like I was swimming in the purest ocean, staring into his blue eyes as he pulled up. His blond hair was like the ocean floor, and his lips seemed to scream at me.

As I studied him, skimming his body, I wondered how he could not notice the desire in my eyes. I needed to release some of the tension driving me up the walls. I wanted him more than I could have imagined.

Lifting my head, I grazed his lips with mine, speaking softly. "I don't know what is happening." Lowering my head, I turned my gaze away. "My hormones appear to be all muddled up."

I felt his lips touching my neck and shivered. "I know what you need, sugar," he whispered. "Please don't fight me anymore or push me away. I promise you won't regret it," he added before letting go of my hands and shifting his weight off me.

Glancing up at him, I nodded as I spoke. "Okay."

I lay watching him as he moved to one of the tables. He cleared the equipment from it and placed one of the mats on the table. Walking back to me, he smiled. He held out his hands for me as he came to stand by my feet. "Ready to relax?" he asked tenderly.

Placing my hands in his, he pulled me to my feet and lifted me into his arms. He walked with me to the table and laid me on the mat. Konstantin stood between my legs that hung off the side. Leaning over, he kissed my cheeks, then my neck, and finally came to my seeking mouth.

His lips burned with passion, and I welcomed his sensitive kiss. I felt his hands on my sides moving down as our lips toiled. Konstantin pushed his hands in under my top and moved it up. I felt the air touching my stomach, then my chest, as he pulled it up and over my head.

Our lips parted only for a second as he pulled my top free and dropped it to the floor. His touch woke all my senses. Konstantin moved from my mouth down my neck to my chest. His kisses grew more intense as he moved. I felt my body reacting to each. Closing my eyes, I allowed my body to take what it wanted.

He affectionately cupped my breasts as he kissed my nipple. I let out a gasp while arching my back. My skin felt like it was tingling. As he sucked each nipple, it felt like I had entered a warm, soothing whirlpool. My body ached for more of him.

I breathed out slowly as shivers ran through me. His hands moved down my sides and stopped at the seam of my pants. As he slid his fingers into my pants, grabbing hold of it, I let out another gasp. Konstantin kissed my stomach, making it turn as he slid my pants down my legs.

I felt him pulling my sneakers off and then removing my pants. Moving back up, Konstantin kissed one leg from my foot up to my knee and then the other. His hands moved slowly back up to my panties, with his kisses following closely. His warm kisses on my thighs made me wiggle as he came back to my stomach.

He kissed my belly just above my panties before pulling them down. There I was, lying naked on the table before him. A storm was raging inside me. I craved his touch, yet I felt a bit shy as well. He softly pushed my knees apart, opening my legs.

Glancing up at him, I spoke softly. "What are we doing?"

Konstantin smiled warmly at me as he replied. "Relax, sugar, you'll enjoy this."

He stepped in between my legs. Leaning forward, he kissed my forehead and my eyes. Then, our lips met again. This time, there was a fury in them. A hunger I couldn't describe. As he pulled back, I inhaled deeply. My mind and body were spiraling out of control. I could feel the heat growing between my legs as moisture built up.

Closing my eyes, I absorbed his touch like it was all I needed to live. I felt him step back. His breath was hot on my thighs, and his lips were tender as he kissed them. Breathing hard, I grabbed hold of the sides of the table.

As he moved up, I felt his hands locking my legs in place. His sensuous kisses moved up the inside of my thighs. As his lips met my pussy, my senses shot through the roof. Feeling his tender kisses up and down my pussy, I softly started moaning.

Konstantin tenderly bit at the top of my pussy. I squirmed and moaned harder. Then I felt his tongue licking my pussy from the bottom to the top. My body ached as I gasped. He was right; this felt so good.

I glanced down as he stopped. He was smiling up at me as he spoke. You want me to stop sugar?"

Grinning, I turned my gaze to the ceiling as I replied. "Please don't." I felt his head lower back between my legs and closed my eyes.

There were a couple of soft and hard kisses before I felt his tongue moving up and down my pussy again. My stomach was turning as he moved faster and faster. I felt his fingers crawling up and joining his mouth.

He opened my pussy hole and pressed his tongue into me. My body shook as he made circles with his tongue inside me. The sensation streaming through every inch of my being was phenomenal. He pulled back slightly, and I could hear his breathing was labored.

I felt his mouth surrounding my pussy as he kissed it with his mouth open. His tongue moved in quick strokes up and down. "Oh, baby," I heard myself moaning. It felt like I was swimming in clouds.

His mouth closed a tad, and I felt him sucking my clitoris into it. He moved one hand up my body and started massaging my breast. As he sucked soft and then harder and soft again, I squirmed. I was tingling all over and knew I was almost there.

As I groaned, he slid a finger into me, and I let out a soft scream of pleasure. I pressed my fingers through his hair as my body started to shake. His finger was moving in and out as he nibbled and sucked my clitoris, bringing me to climax.

My entire body shook and shuddered as I came. Gasping for air, I tried not to scream and allowed the loud moans to escape me. Konstantin took hold of my hips and tenderly kissed my pussy, my stomach, and my breasts as he moved up.

Every touch of his lips sent a new shiver through me. I lay with my eyes closed, enjoying the euphoria as he worked his way up.

"I believe you are feeling better, sugar?" he breathed out into my neck before pulling up and looking down at me. I nodded with a smile. It felt as if the smile on my lips was stuck there. I couldn't get it away. Konstantin kissed my forehead before helping me to sit up.

He helped me get dressed without a word. My stomach was still whirling from the butterflies, and my jagged breath. Konstantin held out his hand to me once I was dressed. Taking his hand, I noticed the smile on his lips. This was something new to me and I wasn't sure if I should say anything.

"Ready to go home?" he asked as we headed up the stairs.

"Yes, please," I said, looking down as we walked.

He told his secretary to forward any emails and calls before we went to the parking lot. The drive home was also spent in silence as I still didn't know what to say. Back at the mansion, I went upstairs. After taking a long relaxing bath, I dressed and headed to the kitchen to see if I could assist with supper.

As I came down, I heard voices. I stopped and listened. Piotr, Leon, and Konstantin were talking. All the siblings were present. I wondered what the big meeting was about. I didn't want them to know I was there, so I quietly moved to the passage wall. Standing in the shadows, I listened.

"We have to get to the bottom of this. We must stop the Dubow Bratva before they get what they are looking for." I wasn't sure, but it sounded like Leon was talking. "Two of our sources have now come forward. They're tapping our connections for her whereabouts."

"Are you sure?" Konstantin asked.

"I've had someone from outside look at our connections," Piotr added. "I must say more than the two have been neared. The rival Bratva family wants to get to her. We have to speak to the Morozov family."

Biting my nails, I quietly moved back upstairs. I had to warn my cousin. He could be in danger. I needed to find a way to warn him without telling him what was going on. After all, he was innocent, and the truth could hurt him as it did me. I had to keep him in the dark.

Sitting on the edge of my bed, I sent him a text.

Hi, Aleksandr. I hope all is well. I am fine, doing good, actually. Just wanted to let you know. Please stay safe, love Dahlia.

I wanted to tell him everything but feared if he knew the truth, he could end up getting killed. Laying back on the bed, I could only hope he was safe.