Author's Note:

Yes this is an early update! I had the chapter finished and I just couldn't wait until the weekend to post it! I can't guarantee that I will have another chapter up this weekend but I will try really hard!

Disclaimer: Lemon Ahead

Enjoy xx

-RCap

I guess being a cunning businessman meant you needed to know your way with suits.

"Baba always says that "you can't play the part if you don't look it". He always made sure that Rose and I looked our best"

Words straight from Alexei himself and you could see it. Abe always wore lavish and out there suits that showed his wealth and even his own type of style. Rose always dressed in a way that made her look incredibly sexy but at the same time, in a way that showed everyone she was a businesswoman and that she wasn't easily fooled. I had yet to see Alexei in anything other than his dark blue jeans and black t-shirt but if his family was anything to vide by, I knew that he would look his best tonight.

I was alone in the suite at this time though. Aaron and Alessia had left earlier with Abe to accompany the Queen to the engagement party so I was left alone to get ready. The all black suit that Alexei had picked for me was laid on my bed in the confines of the garment bag. I didn't get a choice in what he made me buy; he simply picked the colour and size and didn't even let me get fitted.

Finally putting on the suit for the first time and looking in the mirror I was pleasantly surprised by his choice. It was all black and extremely sharp. The fit was perfect which surprised me even more. The off white colour of the dress shirt made my tanned complexion look darker and more exotic. I tossed up whether to leave my hair out or tie it at the name of my neck. Thinking about the times that Rose had weaved her hands through the loose strands, I decided to let it hand loosely at my shoulders and allowing it to frame my face.

I didn't know what to expect when I'd walk into that ballroom but I was in for a shock. I arrived with both Alexei and Vasili in similar suits to mine, the only difference being I wore a black tie instead of their bowties. Upon entering the large ballroom, the party was in full swing. When a Princess gets married you can bet that they were going to make it a big deal, especially with Tatiana grooming Vasilisa to be her advisory.

I was almost attacked by the green and blue colour scheme. They weren't colours that could normally be mixed well, but somehow they had pulled it off. The hall was filled to the brim of Moroi and Dhampir guests as well as the Guardians that lined the walls. Laughter and chatter circulated the room creating a very festive but formal event. A band had been set up against one of the walls, which was producing soft music that bounced from wall to wall, complimenting the sounds of chatter well.

Vasili and Alexei immediately branched off towards the bar but I was more interested in finding Rose, and it didn't take me long until I spotted her.

The black floor length gown that she wore was simply divine on her. It clung seductively to her curves and the strapless sweetheart neckline showcased how well endowed she actually was. It stirred something in me, something deep. Her hair fell down her back in loose waves and swayed with each twist and turn she made, it made my heart ache. She was dancing with her father, one of the rare moments of true father-daughter love that they would share. I didn't want to interrupt the moment she was having with her father, so I stayed by the entrance and watched her smile and dance with my own smile.

When the song came to an end, Rose and Abe mock bowed to each other and laughed as she headed towards the bar while Abe made his way towards Aaron and Alessia on the opposite edge of the room. As she walked, I noticed the split up the thigh of her dress; it almost brought me to my knees. It showed how tanned and toned her legs were, they were as perfect as she was.

She caught sight of me and stopped walking, staring hungrily at me she cocked one hand onto her waist and stood there beckoning me towards her with a teasing finger. I obeyed like a loyal servant and walked towards her, not stopping until I was only mere inches away from her.

"You look beautiful" I sighed taking her hand and kissing in softly.

"You scrub up good as well" she giggled, a slight hint of pink flushing in her cheeks.

"Dance with me?" I questioned, not breaking the eye contact we have from when she caught sight of me.

"Well that depends, can you dance?"

"Roza, you have no idea what I can do" I smiled as I kissed her cheek.

We made our way into the thick of dancers and found an available spot near the band up front. As I placed one of my hands on her hipbone and the other in the sweet dip of her lower back she trailed her hands up over my chest and let them come to rest around my neck. I pulled her close to me, so close that I could feel her chest rise and fall with every breath she took and could feel her hot breath on my neck.

As the song progressed, it felt relaxed and I allowed a smile to take over my face as I looked down into her bottomless brown eyes. Every turn was elegant and our bodies in perfect sync with each other, each touch was like touching her for the first time.

She moved closer into my arms and rested her head against my chest. Her signature black heels giving her a little more height but she still didn't reach the height of my shoulder. We didn't hurry the dance; we simply took pleasure in being close to each other and without responsibility for once.

I caught sight of Alexei standing at the bar grinning eagerly at us and I couldn't help but laugh under my breath,

"What?" Rose lifted her head from my chest and looked up at me,

"Your brother" I smiled, using my head to point at him over at the bar behind her. She spun her head around to see and went bright red upon seeing him making kissy faces at us

"He's not subtle is he" she sighed lowering her head

"Funny, he said the same about you yesterday at breakfast" I laughed at the look of aghast on her face

"You had breakfast with my brother?" her previously horrified look turned into one of amusement as she pulled back slightly

"I did," I laughed, pulling her in close again, "It was weird getting interrogated, I'm usually the one doing that".

"I'm not even going to ask what he said," she giggled before resting her head back on my chest.

The song came to a end and we slightly stepped back from each other, kissing her hand and bowing my head downwards.

"Can I interrupt?"

We both looked to the left to see Alexei standing there, a childish grin on his face, "Of course" I smiled, handing Rose over to her younger brother.

The new song had already begun and it was faster than the one Rose and I danced to. Alexei immediately picked Rose up and spinning her around which elicited a loud laugh from her and a few disapproving looks from the Moroi around them. I laughed softly to myself as he spun Rose away and I walked towards the bar to get myself a drink.

"Vodka please" I asked leaning towards the bar. Within seconds, a small glass with clear liquid was placed in front of me. I nursed it smiling to myself.

For the first time since Ivan had died, I was happy.

Hearing the music and the laughter coming from behind me made me smile more and knowing that Rose was apart of that laughter made me feel warm inside. She deserved to be happy and knowing that I was now contributing to that happiness made me even happier.

"I've never seen her smile like she has been tonight"

I looked to my side to see Vasili with his back up against the bar, looking into the crowd at Rose and Alexei. I turned my body so I was doing the same. The smile on his face bigger than Alexei's had been.

The celebration went on well into the night. Vasilia and Christian were announced shortly after Vasili came over to me and they mingled with the crowd well. One person stood out however. Adrian.

Adrian was at the other end of the bar with a drink in one hand and in the other, a pack of cigarettes. He played with the cardboard box, flipping it through his fingers and lightly tapping it against the bar. His features were screwed up, like he was either concentrating hard on something or fighting some inner turmoil.

When he looked behind him, it confirmed which one. He stared daggers towards Rose who was chatting with Eddie and the red headed Guardian that had greeted us when we first arrived at Court. I believed that was Mason Ashford, one of Eddie's friends that had had a crush on Rose when they were teenagers.

Adrian threw back whatever dark liquid was left in his drink and pushed his body away from the bar, but not before looking over and seeing me staring at him. I had already been caught; It was too late to avert my gaze. The daggers he had been giving Rose quickly transferred to me and he slid the now empty glass over the bar. There was genuine hatred in his eyes.

When he had originally confronted me, I didn't see that Rose had ended their 'relationship' because of me. I definitely did now and if he had seen our dance, it would have confirmed it. I had taken her away from him, but she was never his to take from him.

"Dimka"

Someone was surely playing a fucking joke on me. I knew exactly who's voice had broken my eye contact with Adrian and I was hoping I'd never have to see her again.

Black hair and blue eyes. Complete contrasts of the colours I would have hoped to see. Tasha stood before me in a blinding red dress. The fabric must have had some reflective quality to it, because looking at it in the wrong light would disrupt my line of sight considerably. The smile on her face made my stomach turn, she was meant to be far away from here, anywhere but here.

"Tasha, what the fuck are you doing here?" I hissed at her

"My nephew is getting married Dimka" she purred, "Did you really think I would miss something like that?"

No, I didn't expect her to miss something like that. But I was hoping she would have. If Rose spotted her, this wouldn't go down well for either of us. Rose still had the Alchemist on standby if Tasha wasn't to stay away. I wasn't sure what Rose had planned for Tasha if she came back, but I had a feeling I was about to.

"You need to leave before Rose or Abe see you Tasha"

Tasha pursed her lips and narrowed her cold blue eyes at me, "Yes, your boss" venom dripped from her voice as she moved from my direct line of sight to the spot beside me and motioned the bartender for a drink, "How is your lover going Dimitri? Trouble in paradise yet?"

I rolled my eyes and asked gestured the bartender for a refill, "Why would there be trouble?"

"Well I thought you would have already discussed your futures with each other?" her amused tone started poking at me, "Like, you're already twenty-seven Dimka. Are you going to get married and start a family?"

My head snapped to face her; she knew she was walking through dangerous territory bringing up starting a family. But I also knew she was purposely doing it. She was using my desire to have my own children against my feelings for Rose. It was a dirty tactic, and I could see she was going to use it to her full advantage.

Our Dhampir genes prevented Rose and I from ever being able to have our own children together. I didn't even know if Rose wanted children in her future, she was still only a young woman and enjoying her early twenties but she had also been forced to grow up fast and she'd matured well past her actual age.

"You can't have the children you so badly desire with another Dhampir Dimka, especially not Rose. You can with me however" Tasha purred at me.

"No Tasha. You have always been a dear friend of mine but I don't see you and I ever having that kind of relationship nor do I want to" I calmly said back much to her disgust.

"Come to your senses Dimka," she snapped, "You are the Guardian of a mobster's blood whore daughter. You should be protecting someone worth protecting, like me. If Rose was to die no one would bat an eyelid, she is nothing but a Dhampir. She doesn't matter" Tasha said softly as she took a step closer to me, resting her hand on my sternum.

I was stunned at what I had just heard. Tasha had always been a strong campaigner for Dhampir rights. She had never talked down about Dhampirs or treated them like they were property. It's amazing what jealousy will do to a person's morals or beliefs. 'Blood whore', and 'she doesn't matter'. It took me a couple of seconds to regain my senses as I processed the insults against Rose. I grabbed her wrist with my free hand and pushed her away from me, breaking the contact she had on my chest.

"Stop Tasha. Rose is not just some blood whore; she is an amazing woman that you should actually look up too. Not even you have been through as much as she has. I don't need children to be happy for the rest of my life, not if I get to spend it with her" I clinked my glass against her own and threw back it's contents, placing the glass back on the bar beside Tasha before turning away from her.

"You're making a big mistake Dimka" she said, I turned back towards her, and closed the distance between us so that I was whispering in her ear.

"You can say that all you want Tasha, but the only person here that is making a mistake is you by returning to court. A lot of people here want you dead, and if you don't want to join the court graveyard I would leave for good this time and finally disband your little group of vigilantes".

"What are you going to do Dimka?" she scoffed, "You wouldn't hurt me. We've already established that when you sent me away instead of letting Rose kill me".

"No, I guess you're right, I couldn't kill you. But I can't protect you anymore from those that can Tasha. I wouldn't take my caution lightly" I smirked as I pulled my body away from hers, a look of pure terror on her face that hadn't matched the strong voice she had been trying to put on.

I turned away on my heels going on my search for Rose, but a quick inspection of the hall showed she wasn't anywhere to be seen. Where could she have gone? I did a quick walking sweep but came up with nothing. I even did a quick look on the balcony and only found Adrian smoking a cigarette and muttering to himself.

Without being able to find Rose I seeked out Aaron or Alessia and with my luck they were together, keeping a watchful eye on the room and on Abe.

"Have you seen Rose?" I asked, urgency filling my tone.

"Might have" Aaron grunted, not looking at me.

"What's with the grunt?"

"You tell us" Alessia chimed in finally looking at me, "It was great working with you I guess Guardian Belikov, I hope protecting royal blood sustains any need you have to prove yourself"

I was beyond confused at this point. What made them think that I was no longer working with them? Proving myself?

"Excuse me? What are you talking about?" I growled,

"You could have told us you were accepting the Lady Ozera's proposal. I guess you didn't feel that Rose was good enough to protect" She turned away, focusing her attention back on the crowd before her.

"But-but, I didn't" I stuttered, Alessia's head snapped back towards me and her hard eyes widened.

"What? But we all saw you and Rose heard-" she cut herself off before she said anymore.

Tasha. They had seen my conversation with Tasha. What the hell had Rose heard?

"Alessia, what did Rose hear?" I growled beneath my breath.

She looked at Aaron with a panicked look in her eyes, he simply nodded to her, "She heard-" she gulped "She heard what Tasha called her, the blood whore, and when you didn't defend her she came straight over to us. We couldn't believe what we had heard. Aaron was going to approach you about it but you were whispering something to her, and when we looked to Rose…she was gone" Alessia sighed, her eyes going from mine back to Aaron's and then resting down at her feet.

"I did defend her" I muttered, "I threatened Tasha's life for gods sake" I ran my hands through my hair roughly before taking the nearest drink that was being brought around by a waitress, downing the entire glass before screwing my face up at the sweetness of the wine.

"Where did she go?" I snapped.

Alessia and Aaron looked between each other, both of them lost for words and shrugging. I was starting to get anxious now. Rose had heard only the first part of the conversation. She heard Tasha talking down about her and insulting her, she hadn't stuck around to hear me defend her. it broke my heart and I didn't know where to find her so that I could make it right.

"I saw her heading to her room" a new voice chirped in, I turned to face glittering green eyes, Dragomir eyes. The Princess.

Relief flooded me. Her room. Thank god.

"Thank you Princess" I gasped as I kissed her hand "Thank you so much"

"It's my pleasure really Guardian Belikov. Anyone who threatens the life of my fiancé's wretched Aunt is good in my books" she winked at me before turning back around to the group of young Moroi women waiting behind her.

I teared out of the ballroom and sprinted towards the guest housing. As I got to her suite, there was strip of illuminated light coming from under the door. She was in there.

I knocked on her door, "Roza please…" I sighed into the door, "Please let me in".

I rested my forehead against the hard wood. I could hear hear her footsteps walking slowly towards the door from the other side but the lock didn't click open nor did the door handle move.

"Roza…" I began again.

"Don't Dimitri" she whispered from the other side, interrupting my pleads.

"Roza please, just let me in so I can talk to you…so I can explain myself".

I heard nothing for almost a minute. It was so quiet that I though she had walked away from the door. Taking a step back, I took a final deep breath and prepared myself to leave her be when I heard the lock click and the door creak slowly open. Rose stood in the door way, still in her dress and heels but her hair in a messy bun, some strands that hadn't been captured in the bun hung around her eyes, her bleary and wet eyes. She had been crying.

"Oh Roza" I said moving toward her but she jumped back before I could touch her.

"Please don't do that Dim-itri" her voice breaking as she said my name, putting her palms up in front of her in case I tried to reach for her again.

This was it. This was where I had to be honest. I had to tell her everything that as on my mind. I had to tell her about my love for her and this was my only shot. If she didn't accept it...it was all over and I sure as hell didn't want that. I wanted to fight by her side for the rest of our lives. I wasn't going to let her go so easy. I was going to fight for her. Three weeks wasn't a long time, but it was all it took for me to fall completely in love with this woman.

"Roza, I didn't accept Tasha's proposal, nor was I going to. I wouldn't leave your side for anyone or anything" I hung my head, "I was repulsed by what she said about you"

She just stared at me not saying anything. I had to just say it and get it out there, I couldn't avoid it.

"Roza…I love you and nothing would change that" I hung my head, waiting for whatever outburst she had for me, any insults she could throw at me. But nothing came. I lifted my head to gauge her reaction; her almond shaped eyes were wide in shock and mouth slightly agape.

"You-you love me?" she stuttered.

I scoffed, "How could I not Roza? Everything about you entrances me" I took a tentative step towards her and she didn't move back this time.

"W-what to love about me?" she whispered.

A smile began to form on my lips, "Your hair".

I reached out and unclasped the pin holding her hair high up and let the locks cascade down her back and over her shoulders. I dropped the pin to the floor and slowly touched the wavy locks that had fell forward; I looked directly into her eyes and caressed the scar on her collarbone with the pad of my thumb.

"I love your scars; they make you the woman that you are, they show how strong you are" I took one more step towards her, closing whatever distance was left between us, our lips were mere millimetres apart, her breath caught as I snaked my arm out and wrapped it behind her, caressing the small of her back.

"I love the way you dance" I whispered finally, "the way your body moves and how beautifully it-it…"

"What does it do that's so beautiful Dimitri?" Rose whispered, her lips grazing mine as she spoke, I shuddered as tiny electric pulses fired through my lips and jaw.

I could feel my arousal coming to the surface; whatever animal was inside me was coming alive and it had found its target.

"Everything" I growled as I closed that tiny distance between our lips, kissing her softly at first until both of our desires picked up, the kiss turned hungry as my tongue grazed over her bottom lip, asking for entrance to her mouth. Her lips separated without hesitation and our tongues danced ferociously together.

I kicked my leg behind me and slammed the still open door shut as I pulled her even closer to me.

I trailed my hands down her back, capturing the dress's tiny zipper between my fingers and bringing it down with my hand. I broke the kiss to watch the dress fall to the floor, leaving Rose standing before me in nothing but her black panties and heels.

She was perfect. She looked like a goddess standing before me. I could feel an appreciative moan forming deep in my chest as my eyes surveyed her body. She stood proudly as well, she knew she was beautiful and she wasn't planning on hiding her body from me.

She leaned up and captured my lips again and my hands returned to her waist as our lips fought for dominance, neither of us was willing to submit. I moved from her waist to the backs of her thighs and hoisted her up, her legs wrapping instinctively around my waist, as if they were destined to be there.

I began to trail bruising kisses across her jawline and then down her neck. She let out a moan and she tightened the hold her legs had on me as I left my mark on her neck. Reaching back, I removed her heels and they fell to the carpeted floor with soft thuds before carrying her over to her bed, sitting down so she was straddling me. She immediately went for my belt buckle, undoing it in record time and undoing my zipper; with a quick change of position I had the suit pants off and they were discarded at my feet.

My hands cupped her breasts, showering them with kisses as her hands delicately removed my tie but then fumbled with the buttons of my shirt. She eventually found them too tedious, so with a strong tug she broke the shirt apart allowing the remaining buttons to fly in random directions and then threw it away from us.

It was the hottest thing I had ever seen. I dropped my hands from her breasts so that they rested on her hips and looked up at her. Her fingers trailed down the skin of my chest, her nails leaving little red lines against my tanned skin. This wasn't the first time she had seen me without a shirt on, but it was the first time she as able to run her hands over the body that I worked hard for.

I couldn't handle not touching her or kissing her, so I wrapped my hand in the hair at the nape of her neck and I laid myself down, pulling her down with me and flipped us over so that I was hovering above her. I finally saw her how she was in my dreams. Her dark hair splayed over the duvet like a crown, and lips swollen and her chest heaving from anticipation. She attempted to reclaim my lips but I softly pushed her back flat onto the bed and began kissing her neck, nipping softly at the skin. Slowly moving my lips down to her breasts, I captured her left nipple in my mouth and tugged greedily as I palmed the right one.

She bucked her hips into me and moaned loudly in approval. I let out a low growl as she began tugging at my hair, trying to pull me back up her. I had other ideas though.

"Dimitri…where…" she moaned softly, closing her eyes and spreading her legs slightly, allowing me more access to her. I trailed my kisses from her breasts and moved further down, kissing the skin under her breasts, her stomach and then down to her abdomen.

She whimpered again as my lips left fiery trails over her flesh, the delicate flesh of her inner thighs this time. My short stubble lightly scratching the sensitive skin "Roza, Roza, Roza" I chanted as I kissed her.

When I reached her heat I gave her one final fleeting look, a look that asked her to give herself over to me completely. She met my eyes for a second and gave me a swift nod. Without teasing her any further, I placed my thumb on her clit and rubbed small, soft circles until her moans became louder.

"Dimitri" she whimpered, "I love you too,"

I withdrew my lips from her inner thighs and swiftly removed the now soaked lace panties; her only remaining clothing left and replaced my thumb with my tongue. I couldn't handle not being able to taste her any longer.

She was like a drug. One taste and I was hooked instantly. I was completely as her mercy now.

I didn't get a chance to bring her to climax with my tongue though, she wrapped her hands in my hair again and tugged a bit rougher so that she pulled upwards and was hovering over her again. My shoulder length hair created a dark curtain around us as she brought her hands up and cupped my cheeks softly.

"I love you so much Dimitri".

"I love you too Milaya".

With those word, my lips came crashing back down to hers with more fire that I had ever experienced. I removed my boxers, which were the last piece of clothing either of us were wearing and held one of her legs up against my waist. She looked down and her eyes widened in shock.

"Dimitri, I don't know if that will fit" nervousness filling her voice.

"We'll take it slow then" I whispered as my lips trailed along her neck.

Slipping my fingers down to her core, I probed softly to ensure that she was ready. She definitely was.

I slowly came closer and closer to the sweet apex we had been teasing each other with for the past month, her leg locked around my waist as she secured her position beneath me and arched her back up so that there was not a part of us that wasn't touching and with her arch I began filling her up and causing us both to cry out with pleasure.

We stayed like that for a couple of seconds before I began moving into her. I started slow, letting her become acquainted to my size but within seconds she was grinding her hips into me, causing me to go deeper and deeper.

I moved myself in and out of her as her cries became louder and more pleasure filled. She locked her eyes with mine as our hips became closer faster and harder, with each stroke my groans became more and more rough.

She moaned loudly as I brought myself into her over and over again. I didn't know how much longer I would be able to go for; she was like my own version of kryptonite. When I felt her walls tighten around me and her body begin to shiver and convulse with her orgasm, I knew that I wouldn't be far behind her.

I helped her ride out her orgasm as she threw herself back on the bed, her hands clutching the duvet above her head and allowing me to grip onto her hips to bring myself deeper and deeper into her and as her orgasm came to an end, mine began. I strained as her walls became too much for me to handle as my orgasm filled her.

I collapsed ontop of her chest, my face resting on her breasts as she caressed my hair away from my face.

"You really are a God," she whispered breathlessly.

"And you, my goddess" I breathed back.