Caius POV

I got out of my car after parking in the garage and headed for thr front door, the bouquet of flowers and the box of chocolates in my hands . I put in the passcode and entered , walking down the hallway feeling a bit ridiculous that I was even doing this .  Years ago I wouldn't even be caught dead near a flower shop much less to have entered one and chocolates wasn't something I had even known the price of because I never bought any but, Bria had changed that and I had yet to know whether I liked that change or not.

I had expected her to be upstairs on the second floor in her room but, I found her in the living room on the ground floor curled up on the couch, her hair spilling over her shoulders, her laptop on her lap. Her eyes were focused, her lips slightly parted as she read what was on the screen, completely lost in whatever work she was doing.

For a moment, I just watched her, my chest tightening again, but this time it felt different. Warm. Strange. Having gotten my degree in medicine myself I knew from experience how stressful and back breakingly  hard it was and I was proud of her . I also made a note to take care of all her expenses during the entire time of her studies just so she could focus on one thing only, getting her degree.

There was nothing more attractive to me than a woman who was educated .

I cleared my throat and she looked up, her eyes widening when she saw me standing there. "Caius! yuh come back a re...." ,  Her words died, her gaze dropping to my hands. Her mouth parted, her eyes going wide.

"Are those…?"

I shifted, my  fingers tightening on the flowers, my throat suddenly dry.

"Yeah… They’re for you". My voice sounded rough, almost annoyed, and I hated how vulnerable I felt, standing there like an idiot with flowers and chocolates.

Her laptop slid from her lap onto the couch , forgotten as she stood, her steps slow, cautious, like she was approaching a wild animal. Her eyes never left my hands, her face softening, her lips curving into a gentle smile.

"You get mi flowers?"

My jaw tightened, heat creeping up my neck. "Yes and chocolate. Thought you’d like them". I thrust the bouquet and chocolates toward her, the motion abrupt, my chest tightening as I waited, my body tense, ready to bolt if she laughed, if she looked at me like I was crazy.

Her hands trembled as she took the flowers, her eyes wide, her lips pressing together as she looked at the vibrant petals, the delicate colors.

"They’re beautiful…"Her voice was a whisper, her fingers brushing over the soft petals, her eyes shimmering.

"honestly yuh shock mi but, these are really nice and I appreciate the chocolates too. This a the first time anybody ever got me flowers and I am surprised it came from you ".

My chest twisted, something sharp and unexpected cutting through me.

Never? How could no one have never given her flowers before? How could no one have seen how deserving she was of every damn flower in the world? But, then again it was just as well because I would have killed them . I was the first and it was going to stay that way .

Her eyes lifted, locking onto mine , the depth of emotion there hitting me like a punch to the gut. "Thank you, Caius". Her voice was soft, vulnerable, and I felt that strange tightening in my chest again, my throat constricting.

I shrugged, forcing my expression to remain cold, indifferent.

"A just  flowers Bria . Don’t get all sentimental about it".

But her smile widened, her eyes sparkling as she stepped closer, the scent of the flowers mingling with her own sweet fragrance. She reached up, her fingers brushing my cheek before she rose on her tiptoes, her lips pressing softly against mine.

I froze, my body going rigid as her warmth washed over me, as her lips moved gently, tenderly against mine.

My heart slammed against my ribs, my mind going blank, my hand tightening around the box of chocolates.

And then, just as quickly as it started, she pulled back, her cheeks flushed, her eyes sparkling. "I love them and I appreciate you whether you want to believe that or not ", Her voice was soft, vulnerable, the words wrapping around me , tightening, suffocating.

I stared at her, my chest aching, my pulse racing. I didn’t know what to do with that, didn’t know how to respond. So, I just stood there, my fingers clenching around the box of chocolates, my body tense, my throat tight.

She didn’t seem to mind my silence.

She just smiled, that sweet, breathtaking smile, before she turned, her attention returning to the flowers, her face lighting up as she admired each petal, each color.

I watched her, my chest twisting painfully. I should have bought the whole damn flower shop. I  should have bought every damn flower in the world just to see that smile, just to hear her laugh, to feel her lips on mine again.

I swallowed hard, my jaw clenching as i

I watched her. my heart thudded, my fingers tightening around the chocolates.

No one had ever told me that simply getting someone flowers could feel like this, aching, suffocating, terrifying but, as I watched her smile, watched her light up over something as simple as flowers, I realized… I didn’t care.

For her, I  would buy every flower in the world. Infact starting from today , I would ensure she wouldn't ever have to ask for any . She took the flowers and chocolates and went in search of a vase to put them in and I went to my room to freshen up before I made dinner .

" yuh know that I can cook too right?", she asked later as she sat down on one of the chairs placed around the kite just island, her gaze switching between watching me cook and whatever she was busy doing on her laptop. I flipped the fish that was frying in the pan and turned from the stove to look at her her .

" nuh have a problem wid that Bria and yuh will get yuh chance but, mi like cooking. Mi like inna eh kitchen and mi know mi neva mentioned this but, I have studied culinary as well as medicine suh mi nuh si cooking as nuhun fi just women alone do, a one a mi passion dem ".

She steared at me and instead of looking away I held her gaze and she eventually broke as she looked down at her laptop screen , a smile on her face then I deciee to break the news to her of going to Russia.

" Bria?"

" yes?"

" wi aguh Russia next week Friday", I said and she raised an eyebrow at me .

" yuh realise seh yuh just tell mi seh wi aguh a Russia right? Yuh nuh ask mi" and I leaned back against the counter folding my arms .

"yuh nuh have a choice, cause mi nah lef yuh alone a Jamaica Bria. Anyweh mi guh yah come and if yuh try otherwise yuh know wah guh happen".

She sighed " Caius wi really need fi work pon yuh communication.  Yuh cah force mi fi do sumuh weh mi nuh wah do and mi have college, weh mi aguh do bout that and yah carry mi guh a Russia which part yuh fada deh who yuh still nuh tell mi bout or even want to?"

" I know but, I want you there with me.

You can still continue your studies from there and we won't be staying long , three days max , just enough time for Ivan to hand over to his next in command of the Romanov empire ", I finished and saw the utter confusion on her face and so I explained her leaving out all the macabre details of what the Romanov empire truly was .

In short I gave her the description of an extremely wealthy ,  cold , emotionless family that I simply didn't choose to be apart of but, had no choice.

" suh yuh have 3 brothers,  1 sister and your father Ivan Romanov and yuh hate all a dem ? And yuh family have connections all over Russia and a eh second richest over there?"

" yes".

" Caius Romanov who the actual hell yuh really be ? How yuh mada who a Jamaican even end up wid yuh fada wah Russian man?"

" same thing mi ask miself everyday but, wi cah choose wi family but , as I said I don't intend on staying long ".

" ok but mi nuh understand nuhun bout Russia and I don't intend on forming any form of relationship with your father or your siblings because mi only cah manage one mad man from Satan prison, nuh more than that ", she said as she returned her focus to her laptop and I smiled, it felt good to agree on something.