Eeep this is a semi-smutty chapter! No full smut though! This one shows an interesting angle of Rose and Adrian's interactions. I think you guys will like it though. Dimitri will return next chapter I promise though this is still very much a Rose/Dimitri story. The songs I listened to while writing this chapter are once again both Depeche Mode songs they're A Question Of Lust and I Feel You! Hope you all enjoy! :)

Crawling out of the tub I reached for the plush white towel hanging on the rack and dried myself off as fast as possible.

"Just a minute!"

With my yell the knocking stopped and I knew he had heard me. Scrambling back into the room I dug through my still unemptied luggage bags for clean clothes. Time being a sensitive matter I ended up throwing on clean knickers and a knee length emerald green dress. Brushing my fingers through my still soaking wet hair I answered the door to let him in. Standing before me was Adrian in all his strange glory in worn out black slacks and a silky black button up haphazardly pulled out of a tuck into his pants. In his arms were three bottles of the fanciest looking wine I'd seen in a long time.

"I see you're already wet, now where is the fun in that for me?"

His cockiness was ever certain as he gave me a wink and I sighed loudly before gesturing him in.

"I thought I told you to bring something strong?"

He flopped down into one of the giant arm chairs on the opposite side of the room and gestured back for me to sit in the one beside him. Trying to remain civil I walked over instead of doing my normal stomp and leaned back in the chair careful to still keep some distance between us. I wasn't even quite sure I could trust Adrian no matter how much my body wanted to betray that instinct. Setting the wine bottles on the small table between our seats he stood to wander into the small dining area in my room before returning with two Styrofoam cups I wasn't even aware I had in here.

"Nothing says fancy like Styrofoam I suppose."

Mumbling he procured a corkscrew from his pocket and topped open a dark cherry colored wine before pouring us each a full cups worth. Handing me mine I felt our hands brush and found myself blushing at the small contact. Curse my body for betraying me like this to him. He smirked down at me again noticing my reaction.

"As I told you before my little dhampir, I wouldn't even know if there's anything strong enough for you. Plus how are you to fully enjoy my graceful presence if you can't even remember it the next day?"

His tone was questioning but playful and I found myself relaxing in his company. He may be annoying but there really seemed to be nothing harmful or unsafe about him. Besides if anything, I was the dangerous one between the two of us. I was straddling a fine line of sanity and god knows who I even am anymore.

"How'd you know about my drinking problems?"

I suddenly recalled his earlier ability to notice that I was shaking from withdrawals and had yet to let that go. His words always sounded so casual but there was an undiscernible quality to them would randomly sink in deep with a real truth.

"How'd you get that black eye?"

I'd almost forgotten about it. I began to grow used to it and its ever changing shades as the days started to pass. It was still a myriad of dark shades and made me look even more menacing.

"My mother punched me."

Shock would be the closest word to describe the look on his face and he looked away momentarily ashamed that he had asked something that was obviously so personal.

"I would have guessed your boyfriend did it. He's a very scary looking man but that seems like your type the more time I spend around you."

Who in the hell was he talking about?

"I don't have a boyfriend."

His charming silken laughter filled the now awkward silence between us.

"You could have fooled me. I saw you two in the hall earlier after dinner. Are you trying to say the burly giant Russian man who had you by the arm isn't your night time lover? You can't tell me there isn't something between you two with the look I saw him give you after you stormed out of the dinning hall."

He ran a hand through his messy hair and gave me a knowing look. Where was he in the dinning hall? I hadn't seen him when I was looking around. Was it really that obvious that there was something between me and Dimitri? We really were terrible at being secretive, Victor was right.

"We aren't together. There are certain…difficulties that would be too much to deal with."

I tried to hold a casual tone and not give away just how much the situation was hurting me. I wasn't about to give away all of my secrets when I barely know Adrian.

"What a shame, he really cares about you that one. You don't see many looks like the one he gave you around here. His loss I suppose."

He gave me another wink and a smile that screamed sultry and treacherous.

"You still never answered my question you know. How did you know about my drinking problems?"

He took a long drink of his wine before pulling himself up more in his chair and giving me the reply I'd been waiting so nervously for.

"You cut right to the chase don't you? That doesn't surprise me. Didn't you feel the same pull? I've found that damaged people always know when someone else is damaged. It's like this unique bond we all share. Undamaged people tend to take a lot longer to pick up on, but with us it's like we're hardwired. We seek out for others who are just like us, trapped by the same demons. And looking at you I could see them a mile away, all of them surrounding you like a brewing maelstrom. You may be able to fool everyone else but you can't fool me little Dhampir."

His early confidence was worn down and he sounded tired with every word as they left his mouth. I could tell he was endangering letting out the truth of his own demons just by calling me out on mine. Only Dimitri had ever called me out of the problems plaguing me but even he couldn't see this far into me like Adrian was doing right now. I should be scared. I should be desperately trying to build up a wall to keep this new enemy out and protect my secrets. It feels so good though. The tension I usually hold up was gone in this moment alone with Adrian. He already knew so I didn't have to pretend or hide myself and who I really am.

"If you really know what I'm like then why haven't you run like anyone else would?"

I stared him down with a strong fervor anxious for his reply.

"If you know that I'm just like you then why haven't you run?"

The questions hung between us and I couldn't deny the magnetic pull that wanted to drag me even closer to him. It wasn't anything like love. It wasn't anything like what I felt for Dimitri. My feelings for him were so pure and strong and vibrated every chord of my heartstrings. My desires for Dimitri were something that I wanted to cling to forever and never let go of. What I was feeling for Adrian was something so polar opposite. It was low and dirty and made my bones shiver with anticipation. It was weak and full of lust with no repercussions. I wanted to throw our demons into a ring together and watch them fight each other to the death dragging us down with them.

The look on his face told me he was feeling the same feelings and I wanted to leap out of my chair and throw myself over him and close the void between us and feel his hands on my body. I wasn't going to make the first move though. As much as my body sang out for his touch my mind only felt awful about the betrayal. It was Dimitri I wanted to have touching me no matter what these feelings were doing to me. I would feel so dirty taking advantage of Adrian's want to fulfill my own all the while thinking that it was someone else touching me. The more I lingered on the thought though the more my mind began to wonder just where Dimitri was. Was he on duty or was he alone? Was he back in Tasha's room dancing the same emotional dance I was leading with Adrian? Would he take the plunge though and remove all of Tasha's clothes imagining it was me? What if he did but he wasn't thinking of me? The thought of him caressing her slender and lovely body made my body feel slimy. The thought of him taking her being as a whole and only thinking of her was enough to make my skin crawl in on itself. I looked down at the cup in my now clammy hand and chugged it with a new found revelation. I looked up at Adrian who was still looking dead at me with his enticing green eyes waiting to see if I made the move that both of us wanted to make.

"Well are you going to do it?"

My voice quaked but it held strong as I stood up and looked down at him.

"I thought you would never ask."

He stood up and approached me so fast I thought I would fall backwards from the impact but instead his body seemed to mold against mine as he grabbed me by the face and let his lips crash roughly against mine. The gratification was instant as the heat spread through out my body and I returned his kisses with equal want. Shivers ran through my body and I'm sure he was taking them as signs of my desire but I knew they were guilt. He broke the kiss and looked over at the bedroom behind us and looking down nodded his head towards it while waiting for me to give him a yes or a no. Instead of words I chose actions and taking him by the hand lead him inside the room. The lights were off but small glimmers of daylight were filtering in-between the slightly closed shades as daylight was breaking outside. Everyone was already well asleep and the clouds were a barely dusty orange.

Adrian picked me up and I wrapped my legs around him as our lips connected again and my body tremored feeling his hands slid up under the back of my dress and caress my bare skin. I was pressed just against his hip line and I could feel him hard underneath me and failed to suppress the moan that slithered out of my throat and against his mouth. The sound drove him even faster in his progressions and he threw us both down on the bed and I felt my dress ride up my own hips. His hungry eyes flickered down at my black panties and he reached eagerly at the buckle on his belt but stopped. My half closed eyes opened all the way and looked at him confused.

Then I knew why he stopped. His hand was slide up my knee to a spot on my now exposed thigh. Dry and flaked blood crested several raised and swollen angry lines. His fingertips lightly traced them and I quivered at the slight pain that tingled down my leg at his contact. I became more aware of myself as the initial high of the wine wore down and I wanted to be ashamed at him seeing this part of me. He'd only guessed at the demons haunting me but he had yet to see the real solid proof. All the adrenaline in my body was replaced with a sudden fear. This was the closest anyone had ever come to seeing what I was really becoming.

His hand dropped off of my leg and instead began unbuttoning his silk shirt. Pulling myself up on my elbows I still looked at him confused. My body was still yearning for his touch but the entire mood between us had shifted to something else. Something that clung a lot heavier than lust was settling upon us. Throwing his shirt down on the floor he reached over and pulled me all the way up so I was sitting on my heels but his hands didn't let mine go, instead he pulled them over towards his chest. Then I noticed what he was doing.

On the skin above his ribs were long scars that had since long healed over but it was unmistakable what they were. The faint rosy scars felt smooth under my touch and I understood finally what shook him so much. He had done the same before. With a knowing sigh I let my hands drop out of his and away from his skin. All my confidence was drained and I was left empty and melancholy. The moment was gone between us and I didn't want it back anymore. The guilt from earlier sat in my chest again and I knew I couldn't do this with Adrian no matter how much my body wanted it.

"I'm sorry."

My voice felt defeated and I wasn't even sure entirely what I was apologizing for. I felt like I had ruined entirely whatever was happening between us.

"Don't apologize. I understand and I know you don't really want this. I don't want to be another tool for your self destruction but you can still let me in."

His words were sincere and only stung me more when I realized how much they echoed Dimitri's requests. I couldn't let him in when he wasn't the one I truly wanted to let in.

"I can't let you in, I owe that to someone else. Could you still stay here though and lay with me? I don't want to be alone tonight it's not…safe."

With a low nod he gently lay down beside me and wrapped his arm around my waist while nesting his face against my damp hair and the nape of my neck. He wasn't who I wanted but it felt so much better knowing for once I wasn't physically alone when I gave into the world of my night terrors.

I felt myself drifting off into sleep with the only sound I could hear being Adrian's even breathing against my skin. Once again I was back in the courtyard in that blue velvet dress as I felt the gravel dig into the skin on the soles of my feet. As always I trudged forward even knowing I would see the bodies again, knowing I would see the blood seeping across the hard ground in little streams. Knowing that he would once again creep out of the shadows and out towards me my body kept pushing forwards on autopilot.

The moment never came though. Instead when I reached the bodies they dissolved into the dark and out of the shadows didn't step the monster. Instead Adrian stepped out and looked at me with the most gut wrenching look.

"So this is what you're afraid of little Dhampir."

When he reached me he pushed a lose strand of hair off my face and tucked it behind my ear. He looked the same as he did before I fell asleep, in his black slacks and shirtless.

"Blue really isn't your color you know."

He tapped on my dress and the color shifted to a dark rich red that reminded me of the wine we had drank.

"Don't worry little one, the monsters aren't going to get you tonight."

He embraced me and I didn't return the hug, but I felt safe and nodded against him as everything faded to black.