Betrothed (currently being edited)

Chapter 18-Reception (just revised)

The reception area was beautifully decorated with round tables, ivory linens, and arrangements that varied with each table, but the one thing they all had in common was white roses in emerald green vases.

There wasn't to be a full course meal served, just appetizers, booze and the cake.

Their cake was simple, beautiful and elegant.

The top layer was a lemon cake with raspberry filling, the middle layer was an almond flavored cake with buttercream filling and the last layer was a white cake with lemon curd filing.

As they made their way into the room, the DJ announced them.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Alexandrov!"

Carina pulled a very reluctant Dimitri to the dance floor, looked over at the DJ, giving him the signal, they had their first dance, as husband and wife, to Train Marry Me.

Dimitri rested his hands around her hips as Carina put hers on his chest, just letting the words wash over her.

They were exactly what she wanted him to know as she mouthed these words to him when this part of the song played. "Now that the weight has lifted, Love has surely shifted my way, Marry me, Today and every day, Marry me".

These were her words, her sentiment to him and she knew he got what she was saying as he bent his head down and kissed her tenderly.

They had a few more dances, father-daughter, son-mother, etc and then they found their way to the cake table for the cutting of the cake.

Putting her hand on top of Dimitri's, they smiled for pictures and then pressed down into the cake, cutting the slice in two.  Carina moved it to the plate and then they faced each other for the last part of this day.

Picking up their pieces of the cake, they fed it to each other; Carina ended up with a big blob of icing on her thumb and when she went to lick it off, Dimitri grabbed her hand, stuck her thumb in his mouth and licked it off.

She knew she must have had fuck me written all over her face when he did that, because he grinned at her, like a Cheshire cat!

Asshole was deliberately trying to turn her on; and it worked too!

One last thing to do and they were out of there!

Alessio pulled a chair out into the middle of the floor so she could sit down, then he went over and said something to the DJ, ending with them high fiving each other.

Carina shouted at him "What did you do?" He just shrugged and laughed.

Blaring out of the speakers was American Woman by Lenny Kravitz as Dimitri strutted towards her.

Carina almost died as he dropped to one knee, watching as all the single guys gathered behind him.

His hand went up her dress and when he reached the garter, she closed her legs trapping his hand, getting a huge reaction from him and the crowd.

He lowered his head, shaking it and then lifted it back up again and shaking his finger as if to say naughty girl.

Carina threw her head back and laughed as he pulled the garter off.

She thought he did pretty well considering he's Russian by birth and not entirely used to their customs.

He got up and was twirling the garter around as the men cheered him on.

He put the garter in his fingers, pulled back and let it fly. Alessio Costas caught it!

The look on his face was to die for and then it was her turn for the bouquet.

She walked over to the DJ and instructed him on what song she wanted for this.

"Alright now all my single ladies come on down!" he yelled and spun up Beyonce' Single Ladies as the girls screamed out.

Carina took the smaller version of her bouquet, turned her back and let it fly.

Clarissa caught it! Carina was happy for her and ran to give her a hug, before going to see her mom and dad one more time.

"Well this is it mama" Carina said, grinning through tears.

Her mom held her, hugging her tight. "Ya lyublyu tebya, dorogaya!" (I love you sweetheart) she whispered.

Her dad was next waiting to hug her.  "Papa, don't cry please!" She cried as he grabbed her tight.

"Carina you have been a light in an otherwise dark and sad world. Thank you for that and don't ever lose it."

She promised she wouldn't.

Dimitri was talking to his parents, hugged them and then walked over to his new bride.

He grabbed her hand and said "Are you ready to go?"

She nodded and they walked out to the limo as everyone blew bubbles at them while they passed.

"Congratulations" Marco said as Carina got in.

She laid her hand on top of his and said "Thank you so much Marco. I mean it. Thank you"...he actually smiled!

She laid her head on Dimitri's shoulder as they left St. Peters, not saying much, as she was still raw with emotion.

From the age of five, she had never seen her father cry like that and she couldn't help but think what caused his sudden outburst of tears.

"Car, you're awfully quite. Are you okay?" She could tell from his voice he was concerned.

This was her honeymoon damn it, not a funeral.

She turned to him and smiled as brightly as she could and said "I'm more than okay! I had an amazing wedding and now I have an even more amazing husband sitting next to me...I'm perfect" Carina whispered, as she drew closer to his mouth, engaging him in a rather passionate kissing session.

She started to pull back, but before she did, she latched on to his lower lip with her teeth and gently pulled causing him to groan.

"I liked that" he said softly.

"Me too" She replied. Carina took his hand and looked at the wedding band on it and how it seemed to fit him so perfectly.

"I know you wouldn't know this, but take off your ring for a minute. I want to show you something." He did as she asked.

"Look at the inside." He held up the ring twisting it as he read it.

"Do you really feel that way" he asked.

"With everything that I am" she said, leaning in to kiss him again.