Chapter 18 - Konstantin

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I glanced back. Dahlia was still sleeping. She looked so peaceful. The cool breeze coming through the window was refreshing. I sat feeling the sun's gentle rays warming me.

Thinking back to our conversation, I felt conflicted. I wanted her to be happy. But my need to protect her was stronger. She wanted to be a part of our operations, which scared me. Forcing her to stay and just caring for her wouldn't make her happy. I would feel better as it would keep her safe. But I was sure it wouldn't do.

I would have to increase her skills if she wanted to join the organization. I had to give her more training in weapons and martial arts. Plus, I must heighten her ability to see when things are taking a turn for the worse.

Rising slowly, I entered the bathroom. I dressed in a simple black tracksuit. If we were going to train, I had to be comfortable. Coming out of the bathroom, I noticed the bed was empty.

Heading down the passage, I saw that her door was open. I popped my head inside, but she wasn't there. She must have already gone downstairs.

Entering the kitchen, I found her seated at the island. Kissing her cheek, I greeted everyone. Mila and Piotr just smiled and nodded. "Did you sleep well?" Mila said, handing me a cup of coffee. "You seem cheery this morning."

"I did, thanks," I replied before sliding onto the seat next to Dahlia. "Would you like to train some more? If you're up for it," I whispered, leaning towards her. I tried stating it as plainly as possible. I didn't want her to know that I needed to know she could protect herself.

Dahlia looked at me, puzzled. Her eyes narrowed slightly but seemed to fill with joy. At that moment, I knew I had made the right choice. Her smile lit up the room. Her beautiful face filled with excitement. I felt sure that I had fallen for her. She was the one that made my world turn.

Once we finished our drinks, we headed to the office. She wore a black gym-type short skirt combination with a baby blue shirt. Her clothing was suitable, and there was no need to change. Driving to the office, she couldn't stop talking.

"There was this movie I saw," she said enthusiastically. "The guns in it were larger than the ones you had on the table." Dahlia fell silent, and I glanced at her. She was turning her head and squinting her eyes; I almost laughed. I felt sure she was thinking very hard.

Looking at me, she smiled. "It looked kind of heavy. But he swung it from his side like nothing. He shot at the group of people continuously. It was interesting." She concluded. I nodded and smiled. The kind of guns she spoke of were mostly only used in movies.

Once at the office, we headed to the training rooms. As we approached the first door, Dahlia turned to me and stopped. She spoke in a sweet, smooth tone as she wrapped her hands around my neck. "Can we practice with the guns first, if you don't mind?"

Smiling warmly at her, I replied as I kissed her cheek. "Sure, anything you want, sugar. I just want you to be able to protect yourself. How you do that is up to you."

Turning and heading to the weapons room, Dahlia appeared to have a skip in her step. I felt my heart swelling with pride. She was an angel, and she was mine. Opening the door, she glanced back at me. "Thank you for taking the time to teach me some more." She said and walked in.

She stood by the table waiting as I took the gun she had used before from the safe. Placing it on the table, I spoke softly. "I think it is important that you learn the parts of a gun and how to clean it properly."

Dahlia nodded, her smile stretching across her face. Placing the gun on the table, I explained to her how to take it apart. After explaining all the steps and showing her twice, I handed her the gun. "Now it's your turn."

I observed as she dismantled the gun. She only got stuck twice, which was very good for the first time. Once she had it in parts, she started to assemble it again. She looked at me a couple of times. She turned her head and waited for me to nod. She was making sure she was placing the parts correctly in the designated spots.

She was almost done when she suddenly stopped. Her eyes widened as she looked at me, and she placed her hand over her mouth. I laughed, knowing she realized one of the parts needed to go in before the one she had in her hand. Dahlia quickly undid the two previous steps and placed in the missing part.

Once she had fully assembled the gun, she placed it down and grinned. "Feeling good?" I asked, shoving her gently.

Her head bobbed up and down as she responded. "Yes, I did it."

"You sure did," I added. "Now let's see if it still works," I joked as I walked to the safe and collected some bullets.

Turning back, Dahlia was standing with her hands on her hips. "Did I do something wrong that you think it won't work?" she inquired.

"One never knows with these things," I said, handing her the bullets and mag.

Dahlia loaded the mag and slid it into the gun. We walked to the small range. After putting on our earmuffs, I pointed at the board, showing her how to fire. She stood uncomfortable, and I had to move closer to correct her stance. Once I felt she was in the right position, I stepped back.

After about an hour of practicing, Dahlia started hitting the target nicely. At least one in every three or four were body shots. I could see she needed a break. Her hands were lightly trembling. Taking the gun, I spoke gently. "Come, let's take a break."

Turning, she didn't hesitate. She walked to the bench in the corner and sat down, rubbing her hands. Placing the gun down, I collected a bottle of muscle oil I always kept around. Sitting next to her, I poured some into my hand. "Here, let me," I said, taking her hand.

I started slowly and softly massaging her hand. I stretched out her fingers and made sure they were loose. Moving to her shoulders I could feel the tension in her muscles. This was surely from the recoil of the gun. For an inexperienced person, it could strain the muscles even though it was minimal.

After a while, Dahlia glanced up at me. "So, what gun do you prefer to use?"

Smiling, I reached under my jacket, pulling my gun from its holster. Before handing it to her, I ensured the safety was on. "It's a Desert Eagle, the gun that started my love for weapons."

She looked at if fascinated, studying it as if she had never seen a gun before. "It is beautiful. But it weighs more than the other one," she said, grinning.

"Would you like to fire it?" I asked, holding out my hand.

Dahlia nodded profusely. She handed me the gun and rose quickly. We walked back to the range, and she took her position. This time, her stance was perfect. Looking at me, she held out her hand.

"it's got a kick, so hold firmly," I said, giving her the gun. Moving in behind her, I stood close. I didn't want her to lose balance or get frighted by the loudness and kick.

She aimed and took her first shot with a bigger gun. Her hands lifted a tab as the recoil kicked. Turning to me, her eyes were wide. "You call that a kick?" she asked, taking a deep breath.

Taking my gun, I placed it back in the holster. "Are you okay," I asked as I removed the earmuffs.

She shook her hand but was smiling. "Wait here," I said as I bounced back to the table. Coming to her I held out the gun she practiced with. "Shoot this one again," I said.

Dahlia took the gun from me and turned back to the target. She took three quick shots. The third one hit the bullseye. She stared at it for a second before turning. Overflowing with excitement, she jumped up and down. Taking the gun from her, I placed it on the small stand.

She grabbed my face and kissed me. But it was over before it barely started, as she was still jumping from excitement. "Did you see," she huffed, turning halfway and pointing at the target.

"I saw," I replied, pouting my lips. I hope she will feel sorry for me and kiss me again. It didn't work, though. All it did was make her laugh. Calming slightly, she took my face in her hands again. "Aww, sweety, did you want more?" she teased.

Pulling her into my arms, I kissed her neck. "Oh, my sweet woman," I huffed. "You have no idea how much I want you right now."

Dahlia burst out laughing. She was so sexy as she shook in my embrace. Giving me a quick kiss on the lips, she whispered. "Then why don't you show me you stud?" Her tone was teasing, and her eyes sparkling. She turned out of my arms and stepped backward.

"No, you don't," I said pulling her back. Resting one hand on the small of her back, I gently took hold of her hair with my other one. Pulling softly, I leaned in and kissed her passionately.

Kissing her like there was no tomorrow, her sweet floral scent entered my nostrils. Closing my eyes, I allowed my mind to drift off. She filled me with a love I couldn't explain. As our tongues met, it felt like they were dancing to music we couldn't hear.

Dahlia pulled away, taking a deep breath. "Slow down, tiger," she said as she gasped. Finding her breath, she licked her lips as she continued. "Let's go home."

Once we got home, we decided to do a bit more training. We headed to the home gym. We went over everything I had taught her about hand-to-hand combat and practiced for about an hour.

Laying on the mats, breathing hard from the excursion, we stared up at the ceiling. "Want to go for a swim?" I asked after a bit of silence. Rising, I held out my hand and assisted her to her feet. "Meet me at the pool," I said as we went to change.

"Sure," Dahlia replied, entering her room.

After changing into my swim trunks, I went to the kitchen. Grabbing two juices and some fruit salad, I headed out. Dahlia was sitting on the edge of the pool with her feet dangling in the water.

"Is it cold?" I asked as I handed her a juice.

"It's refreshing," she replied.

Sitting down next to her, I lowered my feet in. The water was a tad cold. But she was right. It was refreshing. She was wearing a black and gold one-piece bathing suit. It was fitted with a short skirt that made it almost seem like she was wearing a dress. The hints of gold brought out the flecks in her eyes. It complimented her well.

Dahlia leaned forward and, with her hand, flung cold water at me. "Oh, you didn't," I breathed out. She giggled as she lowered herself into the water. "I'm coming for you," I said, standing up.

She turned and started swimming away. Diving in, I swam forcefully underwater to her. Taking hold of her legs, I pulled her under with me. She turned and twisted in my hold. Coming up, we both laughed. "Now, that was fun, right?" I asked after catching my breath.

She nodded as she held me around the neck. We swam a couple of laps before deciding it was enough. I carried her up to her room. Placing her down, I took her face in my hand and kissed her.

"Sugar," I said, letting go. "Can we sleep in the same room from now on?"

Dahlia lowered her head. I didn't want to pressure her, so I waited. The last couple of times we spent together were magnificent. I wanted to wake up next to her every day.

Finally, she looked up and smiled. "Yes, I think we can," she whispered.

Filled with love, I picked her back up and headed to my room. I went straight to the bathroom before lowering her. I ran a bath and filled it with bubbles. Turning to her, I bent over as I spoke. "My lady, your bath awaits."

Dahlia giggled as I stepped closer. I pulled the swimsuit's straps down her shoulders, kissing each one as I went. Moving slowly, I went down her body, kissing as I pulled it to the floor. Dahlia stepped out of it and got into the bath.

Jumping in with her, I welcomed the hot water. After bathing her and myself, I felt tired. I could only imagine how she was feeling after all the day's activities. I ordered some take-out and put on a movie. After dinner, we snuggled into bed.

I still wanted to chat, but she was asleep as I wrapped my arms around her. Closing my eyes, I smiled. I was the luckiest man alive. I would show her how much she meant to me, I thought as I drifted off.