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Chapter 2-The Dinner Party

Katerina Kolosov's POV

Present day

"Sebastian, what is that on your ears?"

I looked up to see my mother scrutinising Sebastian with her arms crossed. "It's an ear piercing." He said nonchalantly as he shrugged and slurped from his milkshake.

"When did you get one?" Mom questioned as she turned Sebastian's head from left to right and then right to left as she studied the gold studs in his ears.

"Yesterday, dad took me."

"What? I didn't approve of this. Slade Kolosov!" My mother called and I snorted and returned my attention back to my phone. "What?" Dad drawled out lazily as he entered the kitchen with his arms crossed.

Mom sighed and pointed to the earrings in Seb's ears. "The earrings."

"Yeah. I got one with him too." Dad answered drily before pouring himself a beer.

At this, I looked up to see a small gold ring in his left ear. I burst out laughing and mom gasped. "What why?"

Dad smirked and shrugged lazily before flashing a suggestive grin, "I think it's sexy isn't it?" At this, Sebastian and I groaned and gagged while mom shook her head before turning away from him.

"Sebastian where is Charlie? School is starting soon and Kat could you please send them?" Mom asked with her big brown eyes begging. And of course, I couldn't say no to her when she was making that face, "Alright. But I'll be going to the mall with Lexi before college starts next week."

Mom beamed and kissed my cheek before yelling up the stairs, "Thank you darling! Charlie! Hurry up!"

Dad sighed and sat in front of me at the table before glancing at his phone and I studied the gold ring in his ear. "Why did you get a piercing?" I questioned as I tried not to let a snicker escape.

Dad raised his eyebrows before answering. "Because Kitty Kat, I want to look like a pirate for Halloween this year."

I burst into laughter while beside me Sebastian snickered. "Dad you look more like a pimp." Sebastian answered and snorted into more laughter.

Dad smirked, "Sure, your mother will be the lovely wench-"

"What did you just call me?" Mom demanded as she entered the kitchen. Sebastian let out a loud whistle and I snickered under my breath. "My lovely wife of course." My dad answered with an innocent smile on his face.

Mom rolled her eyes and scoffed before turning back to the dishes. "I'm here!" Charlie yelled as she came into the kitchen. I glanced at my watch and looked up to see Dad and Sebastian sniggering together.

"Hurry up! I have to go to the mall." I groaned in annoyance as Charlie spooned her cereal into her mouth slowly.

"As long as you're back for dinner. We have guests over." Mom added and ran her fingers through her hair. At this, I narrowed my eyes at her and frowned. "Guests?"

My mom nodde and beamed brightly, "Guests. Alright both of you have to go now or you'll be late!"

With a dutiful kiss on mom's cheeks, the twins were gone and I grumbled under my breath before heading out behind them.

***

"So where do you want to head to first?" Lexi asks as she fiddles with the radio. I shrugged and flipped my hair behind my shoulders. "Anything. I was thinking of getting something to eat."

Lexi hums and nodded before rummaging through her purse. "Alright. Besides shopping for stuff we need at college, I have to get an anniversary present for mom and dad today as well."

"What are you going to get them?" I ask curiously and Lexi sighs, "I have no idea. Both my brothers are getting vintage wine bottles for them and Raphael was suggesting to get a jewellery set for mom but I don't know."

At the mention of his name, I curled my lip in disgust and of course Lexi noticed this before an amused smile crossed her face. "Well, you have to suck it up. We're coming over for dinner tonight."

I grimaced and cursed under my breath, "What. Ugh, I'm glad you're coming over but your brother?" Lexi laughs obviously knowing which brother I was talking about.

A comfortable silence starts and I was already brooding on how I could escape out of dinner tonight. Suddenly, Lexi disrupts the silence and asks thoughtfully, "I know I've asked this many times but are you sure that there isn't anything going on between you and Rapha-"

"FUCK NO!" I shouted and slammed the brakes just as a traffic light turned red.

Lexi burst into laughter at my reaction and I scowled at her. "Alexandria Doukas! I swear if you continue that absurd idea of yours! I will throttle you!" I threatened and Lexi smirks before raising her hand in surrender.

"Alright. Alright. I'll stop. But if you have to know, both of you always behave like a old married couple every time we have a family meet."

I shot her a deadly scowl before starting the car when the light turned green. "Yeah well, if your brother can keep his bloody mouth shut, everything would be fine and dandy."

Lexi rolls her eyes before giving me one more smirk. "Well, if there is anything going on, I wouldn't mind."

I scoffed and muttered some more curses under my breath that would have made my mother demand at least a hundred dollars for the swear jar.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to me and I shot a sly knowing smirk to Lexi. "Well, then I wonder what you see in a Mr. Trevor Kellan Henderson."

I glanced at Lexi to see her cheeks turning pink and she glared at me before shaking her head, "No, I do not! I mean he's just a family friend remember?"

I clicked my tongue and shot Lexi a knowing look, "Liar." Lexi groans and looks away, "Whatever, it's just a silly crush alright?"

I huffed before replying, "Right. You've been in love with him like forever." Lexi remains silent and stares out of the window deep in thought and I felt a little bad. What kind of best friend was I? A fucking bad one.

"But fucking hell! Have you ever seen his shirts?" I questioned trying to get rid of the sombre mood in the car.

At this Lexi burst into laughter before turning bright red. "Yeah." I shook my head before laughter bubbled out. "I mean where does he even find them?"

Lexi chuckles before blushing, "I have no idea. But I like the shirt where it says the FBI stands for Female Body Inspector."

I snorted before giving her a suggestive grin. "I like the shirt where it says 'You don't need a vibrator when you have me.'"

Lexi laughs but turns bright red and I poked her cheek and teased. "You're so innocent my little Lexi." Lexi sticks her tongue out in response and makes a face while I smirk at her.

"What about the one that says ' Is it raining? If it's not, I think I'm the one making you wet.'?"

Lexi and I exchanged glances before bursting into raucous laughter. "Alright alright. We have reached." I announced and removed the key from the drive.

Lexi got out of the car and I grabbed my purse before joining her. We were almost at the entrance to the mall when a boy swaggered up to us before giving up a leer. "Don't the both of you look fine on this day?"

In response, both of us ignored him and continued walking but the boy stepped in front of us, "Wait where are you going? We could have a threesome. My car is big enough."

I glanced at Lexi to see that she seemed speechless beyond words and I looked at the boy in front of me before scoffing. "Firstly, stop trying to act cool so pull your pants up, I could just reached forward to pull them down and then I'll be graced with the sight of something that I would like to cut off with the pocketknife in my bag. So in other words, fuck off!"

The boy seemed stunned by my snappish reply before hurrying off as he pulled his pants up. And I straightened my back with a smug smirk on my face. Beside me, Lexi who had been stifling her laugh behind her hand finally exploded into laughter.

"Oh god Kat!" She exclaimed and continued laughing her head off. "What?" I asked with a proud smirk on my face before succumbing to the laughter building up.

***

"Ugh, do I really have to go?" I groaned as I pulled up in the driveway of my family's home. Lexi shot me a glare before rolling her eyes, "Ask you mom, she's outside of the car now."

"What?"

"Hi Kat, Lexi, good to see that you're here now, your family is already inside." Mom greeted while eyeing me smugly, obviously pleased with herself that she managed to catch me on time before I 'disappeared'.

Lexi greeted mom before entering the house and I glared at her retreating figure. Traitor. "Alright, Kat lets go. Please be on your best behaviour tonight?" Mom pleaded and I slumped my shoulders in defeat.

"I always am mom." I mumbled and she snorted before I glared at her. "Okay come on Kat, hurry we're all waiting for you."

Reluctantly, I followed her and into my house and then to the backyard where raucous laughter was heard along with murmuring. The minute I entered the backyard for the barbecue, I could feel an intense gaze land on me.

Looking up, that very pair of crystal blue eyes belonging to Raphael Doukas swept across my whole body and I tried not to shiver at the feeling of it. Noticing that no one was watching me, I flipped him off.

His response was a sexy devilish smirk crossing his lips. Lips that I had kissed two years ago. Lips that I wanted pressed against mine again.

I quickly snapped myself out of my thoughts before shooting a deadly glare in his direction before turning my attention elsewhere.

"Here." Lexi handed me a plate of the food and I bit into a bread irritatedly. "Your brother pisses the fuck out of me." I complained and she laughs. "It doesn't really matter does it, we're going off to college soon! There will be parties and boys." She offers and I continued chewing.

"I know." Guilt hit me like a truck. I hadn't told Lexi about me kissing Raphael. I didn't know why but I had never shared about it with anyone. I guess that I was scared that if I did tell her, she would romanticise it into something more and I would never hear the end of it.

Also, what if she had accidentally blurt it out to Raphael that I've actually not forgotten about the kiss? He would think that I was his little sister's pathetic best friend, still hung up and moony all just because of that damned kiss with him!

Oh hell. I groaned inwardly and Lexi still prattled on and on before stopping abruptly with a squeak. I turned to the direction to where she was staring at to see Trevor's family entering. "Oh my god." Lexi mumbled and took off, most probably to hide.

Before I could say anything, she was gone. I sigh and threw my empty plate into the trash before looking around for my best friend that was scared of talking to her crush.

Of course searching didn't help, she was definitely not in the backyard. All of our parents were huddled together laughing and talking, the Doukas twins were laughing uproariously with Trevor and my siblings were together with the youngest Doukas' son, Henry.

Heading into the house, I called out as I entered my room. "Lex? Lexi?" Feeling a little worried, I walked out and almost bumped into a tall broad figure standing in front of me.

"Oh fucking hell." I cursed before turning away to ignore him and continued stalking down the hallway.

"Katerina."

I stopped and sighed and turned around before demanding, "What do you want Raphael?"

"I'm just here to pass a message from Lexi. She went home. Claimed that she wasn't feeling too well. She took your car." 

I nodded and tried not to let my eyes wander down his lean but muscular build, "Thanks." I said simply and turned to leave when his magnetic voice drawled out, "It's not a problem Katerina."  

I whirled around and crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow, "Why can't you call me Kat? Everyone calls me that." 

Raphael studied me with an intense expression on his face. "But I'm not everyone aren't I? After all, you do not kiss most people." With that he raked his eyes all over me, lingering on my face before turning to leave. And I was pretty sure I resembled a bright red tomato right this instant. 

My cheeks flushed and I shivered before shooting him a venomous glare. Even though I was wearing jeans, I felt like I was just in my undergarments from just the way he looked at me.

"Oh yes, one thing before I go." He called out as he turned around to face me once more. He stalked towards me slowly, like I was prey and he predator and I could feel the urge to move backwards. However, that was a sign of weakness and I wasn't going to show it.

"What?" I demanded and crossed my arms over my chest. As he stopped in front of me, I resisted the urge to reach out to run my fingers through his hair. I wanted to know if they were as soft and silky as I remembered.

His hand reached out to trace my bottom lip with his fingers before leaning towards me. "You shouldn't curse. It's mostly unladylike."

I narrowed my eyes, trying to ignore his fingers on my lips, "Well sorry to disappoint you, your Royal Highness, but I'm not a fucking lady!"

Raphael's eyes darkened and his gaze was snagged onto my lips. "You'll probably hit me if you know the thoughts about you in my head when you swear." His kissable lips curved into a rakish grin before continuing, "Also, your hair looks better when it's down."

He reached out to pull the elastic from my hair, letting the brown curls cascade down my back. "There." He murmurs as he fingers a lock of my hair that framed my face.

Raphael gives me another sexy grin before turning around and sauntered off leaving me stunned and freaking out internally.

What the bloody hell was Raphael Doukas up to? 

***

A/N:Hey guys, sorry for the quite late update, had a minor writer's block and I'm still trying to figure out how to let the plot flow. So here's the next chapter. Really amazed by the response gotten from the previous chapter. AHAH. Please vote and comment and let me know what you think! Thank you for reading! :)