It's a monster of a chapter. Grab a coffee. And maybe some chocolate.

21. Out in the Open

Dimitri slept poorly that night, and when he arrived at the hidden clearing for morning training – five minutes late and unshaven – Rose was nowhere to be seen.

He paced restlessly as he waited for her to show, his mind obsessing over everything that had happened at Mason's proposal dinner. When he'd seen the tears welling in Rose's eyes he wanted so badly to comfort her, to hold her and tell her it was going to be okay, but then Adrian Ivara turned up and everything went wrong. Now, for whatever reason, Rose was angry at him and he didn't know how to fix things between them. He didn't even know if she wanted things to be fixed.

Seeking to escape the endless circling of his thoughts, he squared up to the punching bag, giving it a wallop that set the heavy bag swinging jerkily on its rope. The explosion of power helped to relieve his tension a little so he struck again, the rope moaning softly against the tree branch above. Looking around to check he was still alone, he stalked the flour bag, sizing him up, then unleashed a furious assault; pounding it again and again until the sweat streamed from his brow and he eventually had to pause to catch his breath.

'Please don't stop on my account,' a voice called out to him, soft and bitter, making Dimitri's heart clench.

'It's a rare pleasure to see you actually express some emotion for once. I was beginning to think you didn't feel anything at all, but I see that Boris inspires more passion in you than I do.'

The deputy turned and saw Rose standing a few feet behind him in her training clothes; her arms folded and a tight frown sharpening her features. While she appeared to be calm on the surface, he could see the anger and hurt simmering just underneath, threatening to boil over at the slightest provocation.

'Why would say that, Roza?' he advanced towards her slowly, as one would approach a skittish horse. 'You can't really believe that's the truth?'

Her lips were set in a hard line and she threw her hands in the air to vent her frustration.

'Well what else am I supposed to believe? One minute you make me think that maybe – just maybe – I might mean something to you, and then you spend an entire night trying to push me into the arms of two other men. Two! How could you do that to me?'

Dimitri's face dropped, finally understanding why she was so upset with him.

'What?... No! I never meant to push you away. I only wanted you to know that you always have a choice. I'd never stand in the way of your chance at happiness if you thought you could find that with Mr Ashford or Mr Ivara – no matter what I feel for you.'

'What you feel for me?' she asked, incredulous. 'What do you feel for me?'

'Don't be silly, Roza. You must know my feelings by now,' his expression was tender as he reached out to stroke her arm, but she twisted her body away from him just like she'd seen him do when they were sparring the previous morning.

She raised her eyebrows, a sarcastic twist to her mouth.

'Must I?' and without warning her hand flew on its own accord, striking out at his chest.

Acting on instinct, Dimitri defended himself, knocking her arm out of the way, but she wasn't finished yet.

'And how do you figure that? I'm not a mind reader,' her left hook glanced off his ribcage as he deflected the blow with a quick twist of his torso.

'You think because we've been living in one-another's pockets for the last three weeks that we have developed some kind of magical bond where I know exactly what you're thinking without you saying a word?'

She kicked out at his ankles but Deputy Belikov saw the move coming a mile away and side-stepped to avoid the sharp toe of her boot, keeping his expression calm so as not to antagonise her further. His lack of reaction had the opposite effect, however, making Rose more furious than ever.

'Maybe you could try actually talking to me instead of assuming I know what you're thinking all of the time,' she hissed, pelting his stomach in a relentless attack. All but one of her punches failed to hit their target, and the last one that did get through only made contact because Dimitri caught her wrist and held it to his chest, urging her to stop.

She didn't.

'But no,' she continued mockingly, aiming a kick at his knee.

'You're like a stone wall with everybody else – why should you be any different around me?' her knee to the groin missed its mark, digging into his lower, inner thigh, and Dimitri knew he was going to have a bruise there by the next morning.

'Calm down, Rose! Stop before you hurt yourself!'

He fended off another vicious attack, grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her roughly away from him; breaking the contact that only seemed to fuel her anger.

Rose stumbled backwards, eyes wide with shock and anger that he had laid a hand on her.

'There! I knew it! You are alive under that mask of control you wear. Well? What are you waiting for? Come and fight me, cowboy. You know you want to!'

A crazy laugh fell from her lips and she dropped to a defensive pose, tempting him to advance.

Dimitri's expression was impossible to read – not because he was in control, but because there were a dozen emotions warring across his face.

'Do you know what I really want, Roza?' his shallow, choppy breaths made his accent trip over the words, waking something deep inside her.

'No, I don't! Come and tell me!' she challenged him.

He stood his ground, eyes glued to hers, until something inside him snapped and he paced towards her with determination.

Rose saw him coming and a little madness took hold of her. When he was only a step away, she struck out with her foot, sweeping it under his weight-bearing leg and toppling him to the ground.

The deputy struggled to right himself but having nothing else to grab onto, he clung to the only thing within reach.

Fingers closed around Rose's wrists and she was dragged forwards and downwards in slow motion to land atop him; her breathing haggard as a trickle of sweat slid down her temple from where the perspiration was beading along the edges of her hairline. The fallen-god beneath her was in a similar condition and she shivered as she registered the hot, muscled length of his body pressing closely to hers. All her anger turned to longing at the turbulent look in his eyes, and she wanted to scream at him to hurry up and do something but the words stuck in her throat.

Pushed to breaking point by this tiny, wild, mesmerising woman, Dimitri took one deep drink of her wanting gaze and caged her to himself, flipping them over so that their positions were reversed, his weight hovering less than an inch above her exquisite body. Gazing down upon her as she stared back up at him, he was a man on the precipice and he held himself there, trying to calm his racing heart before he gave into his most urgent desire to claim her mouth as his own.

There was a stir of movement and Dimitri's eyes fell closed with a shudder as a small pair of hands made contact with his body, sliding their way over his shoulders and neck until they fisted in his hair.

'If you can't tell me, show me. Show me what you want,' she whispered, thrumming with need beneath him.

His eyes flashed open. The vein in the middle of his forehead was swelling as he balanced over her, worshipping her from above, but when his gaze dropped to her lips a pained expression came over him and he rolled off her with a muted groan, pulling himself up into a seated position beside her, his head in his hands.

'I can't.'

'Why? Just tell me why,' her voice cracked into a rough, tearless sob and her body, now exposed, curled slightly as if to protect itself.

Dimitri wanted to pull her up into his arms but he didn't trust himself just to hold her... But he couldn't leave her broken on the ground either. He reached out a careful hand and combed his fingers through her hair, his brown eyes nearly black with tempered passion.

'Because if I let myself kiss you, I won't be able to stop until you are mine in every way.'

Flushes of heat rolled through her loins at his admission and she reached up to clutch his hand, the only part of him that was close enough for her to touch.

'Maybe I want that too,' she whispered, the tension from their fight giving way to a new, building tension in the pit of her stomach.

She heard his breathing accelerate but knew by the look on his face that it was futile to hope he would give in to her desires.

'Sheriff Peterson hired me to protect your reputation, Roza, not to ruin it,' he squeezed her fingers to soften the blow.

'Reputation? That again?' Rose sat up to face him, her forehead dimpled in frustration as she clung to his hand, refusing to let him slip away again.

'You know I don't care what other people think!'

The deputy shook his head, love and apology written across his face.

'But I care what other people think about you. Mason Ashford believed the worst of you because of that stupid painting Mr Ivara had hanging on his wall, and he's your friend. Imagine what horrible things people would say - and do - if they found out about us… What Alberta would do if she thought I'd used my position to seduce you. What Madam K…'

'Us?' Rose cut him off urgently, the rest of his speech a hum in the background against that one, solid little word. 'Did you say us?'

Dimitri's eyes softened at the corners and he clasped her hand in both of his, bringing it to his lips.

'Just wait, Roza. A little longer. Please? I can't act on how I feel – I won't act on how I feel – until I know I can provide a life for you. For us. I will need to find a stable job and buy a house before I can even entertain the idea of offering myself to you – and I still have the responsibility of providing a better future for my mother and sisters too.'

Her face fell. How long would that take him? Months? Years? She didn't think she could wait that long.

'Don't look so gloomy,' he brushed a knuckle under her chin.

'There are plenty of things to keep us distracted in the meantime. We've got a murder case to solve for one, and an outlaw in need of capturing, not to mention a whole lot more training to do before you're ready to take me on in a real fight!'

Her eyes widened in annoyance, pride winning out over disappointment.

'I'm getting better,' she said huffily. 'I bet that spot above your knee is a pretty shade of purple right now!'

Deputy Belikov let out a soft laugh – a light, joyful sound that reminded Rose that there was a God and he knew what he was doing.

'Yes. You're getting better by the day,' the deputy agreed, but I want my partner to be able to best me whenever she pleases, not just when I let her win.'

Rose considered punching him in the guts as punishment for his impudence but she was too blissed at the knowledge he returned her feelings and saw a possible future with her. Instead, she pulled herself up onto her hands and knees and crept forward slowly until she was nestled between his legs, rising up to kneel in front of him.

The man looked upon her in fear and wonder as she brought a hand to either side of his face.

'What are you doing, Roza?' he demanded warily, his breath picking up tempo again. 'I thought I just made it clear I can't act on my feelings for you yet.'

It was Rose's turn to give him a quiet, knowing smile.

'I remember clear as a bell, cowboy, but I don't believe I made any such promise.'

Her fingertips traced over the planes of his forehead, cheeks and jaw searching for the perfect place to bestow her gift, and eventually she found it – the crease between his eyebrows, furrowed by years of trouble and loneliness. She stretched up to press her lips to his skin in a slow, chaste kiss, tasting the salt on his brow and feeling his hands come to settle on her waist – fingers digging in firmly to stop himself from going back on everything he'd just promised and bedding her right then and there in their secret place among the pinyon trees.

'You're different,' Sheriff Peterson looked her daughter over with a critical eye as they shared their breakfast.

'Different how?' the younger woman responded cagily.

The sheriff was like a bloodhound when it came to sniffing out a secret, and Rose couldn't afford for her to find out about the forbidden love affair that had been blossoming right under everybody's noses.

Alberta put down her spoon.

'For the last few weeks you've been walking around with a face like a cat's ass nearly every time I've seen you, but right now you look like the cat that just finished another cat's bowl of cream.'

'Hmm. Cream,' Rose feigned a dreamy expression, anxious to put her off the scent. 'I wonder if Mr Ivara has any I can put in my coffee.'

She lifted her mug and took a slurp, obscuring her face to hide any tell-tale signs of her clandestine happiness.

Alberta raised an eyebrow, taking the bait.

'Hrmph. I've had just about as much of that man as I can take. He might be easy on the eye, but he sure gets a bit grating on the nerves after a while.'

There was a splutter from Rose as she choked on her drink.

'Says the pot to the kettle,' she scoffed.

The sheriff narrowed her eyes threateningly and they continued their morning meal in silence until Rose found a topic safe enough to broach.

'Did you hear about the surprise birthday dinner for Lisa on Saturday night?'

'Yes. I got invited too.'

Rose groaned internally. She'd been hoping to steal a few moments alone with her deputy, but if Alberta was there she'd never get the chance to enact her sordid plan. A vague idea had been starting to form in her mind whereby she would sneak away from the party and hide in the treehouse down by the creek. Dimitri would come hunting for her – because that's what he did – and she would use her feminine wiles to seduce him into giving her what she wanted. A kiss. That's all she was asking for. One lousy little kiss. Actually, if her instincts were right, there would be nothing lousy about his kisses. They would be nothing short of breath-taking, heart-stopping, inspirational…

'Cat with the cream,' Alberta's voice parped into her private thoughts, and she quickly shook off the tingling feelings that had been creeping up on her at unexpected and inappropriate moments throughout the morning.

'Sorry. You were saying?' she glanced across the table guiltily.

She had to be more careful or the sheriff would be onto them in no time.

'I was saying that I've decided not to attend.'

Rose was doing a happy dance on the inside, but she schooled her expression and responded politely.

'That's a shame. Why aren't you coming? I thought you said you were feeling a lot better?'

'Well, somebody's got to hold down the fort while you young things are off having a merry time. As far as Lisa is aware, the party is a farewell dinner for Christian O'Hara seeing as he's heading away on another survey mission next week, so several young gentlemen have been invited to balance up the numbers.'

'Who else is going?' a cold hand clutched at Rose's heart.

She didn't want to spend the whole night being subjected to hurt, accusing looks from Mason. Or avoiding romantic advances from Adrian, for that matter.

'Apart from you - Lisa, Natalie and her little chum Mia will all be in attendance under the supervision of Madam Kiroy. I believe the boys' side will be represented by Deputy Belikov, Mr O'Hara, Mr Ivara, that Drosman boy Lisa was sweet on,' she paused, covertly watching for a reaction, 'and Mason Ashford.'

Rose closed her eyes, squeezing the lashes tightly together, and expelled a heavy breath.

'That bad was it, love?' Alberta's voice was strangely gentle.

The girl blinked her eyes open again, her expression bleak.

'Who told you?'

'A little birdie who likes to deal in gossip.'

'Adrian bleeding Ivara,' Rose hissed.

The sheriff shushed her.

'Language, Rosemarie… Do as I say, not as I do,' she added, seeing her daughter pull a face. 'Mr Ivara said Mason charged out of the saloon raving on about something to do with an actress and a painting.'

Rose cast a dark look towards the framed portrait that hung in pride of place behind the bar, and Alberta followed her gaze, making a series of astute deductions that led her to a conclusion she didn't much like.

'Did Mr Ivara also tell you he tried to make a pass at me himself after Mason left?' she asked, flashing a glare at the well-dressed peacock who was enjoying a fruity alcoholic beverage at the bar even though it was only nine o'clock in the morning.'

There was a spark of disapproval in Alberta's eyes.

'I trust you turned him down?'

'Of course!' Rose frowned, resenting the insinuation that she might have accepted.

Adrian was a charming man, and eye-poppingly handsome, but he wasn't husband material. She needed a man she could depend on who would face life's troubles by her side – not someone who hid from his troubles in the bottom of a glass.

'I just hope he got the message I'm not interested in him that way. He can be quite… persuasive.'

'He won't bother you again,' Sheriff Peterson announced decidedly, stacking their plates and shifting her chair back from the table.

'I don't suppose you got any other offers, did you?' she asked innocently.

The younger woman dove for a table napkin.

'No. Not as such,' she mumbled into the linen taking her sweet time to dab at the corners her mouth.

'A pity,' Alberta stood, walking around to lay a hand on Rose's shoulder.

'I once got three proposals in a fortnight. I was half-hoping you'd challenge my record.'

Rose twisted around and looked up at her with a shocked expression.

'Alberta! You shameless hussy! Hank Croft would be beside himself with jealousy!'

'Hank was one of them,' she replied with a smirk, giving the girl's shoulder a squeeze before ranging off to seek a private audience with somebody who should have known better than to mess with the daughter of the fearsome Sheriff Peterson.

Rose returned to the sheriff's office after breakfast and spent the next few hours trying to figure out how to behave around the Russian deputy now that they had both put their feelings out in the open. Glances turned into stares, the short space the separated them on either side of the desk felt like miles, and when Dimitri returned from a quick errand to the general store, Rose nearly died of pleasure to feel him come up behind her and rest a hand on her shoulder to let her know he was back.

It was only when a pony express rider arrived to deliver a letter from Lisa that her day took a turn for the worse.

Rose. I need you. Can you come right away? L.

In ten seconds Dimitri had read the note and grabbed his hat, and in ten minutes they were mounted on their horses, ready to leave for the Draymore ranch.

Rose spent the half-hour ride going over all the things that might have happened and Dimitri did his best to reassure her, but the note had made him anxious too and he pushed the horses to go at a faster pace than usual, only slowing when they reached their destination. Rose was immediately out of the saddle and standing at the front doorstep and there was an agonising wait before the door finally opened and Lisa peeked outside.

'Thank goodness you got my message! Quick - come inside!' she commanded breathlessly, barely acknowledging the deputy who followed in after them, eyes darting watchfully around each room to check for danger.

'Is everything alright?' Rose grabbed Lisa's hand, forcing her to slow down.

'Did something happen out on the prairie last night? Did Mr O'Hara try to take advantage of you?'

The blonde girl gave her a strange look which morphed into one of apology.

'I'm so sorry Rose! When I wrote that note I was going for mysterious and exciting, not damsel in distress. I didn't even think that it might make you worried.'

Rose felt relieved her friend was okay but a little annoyed that she'd just dragged Dimitri away from his work when there was no real emergency.

'So what's the big mystery then?' she asked curiously, deciding to make the most of their unexpected time together.

Lisa's expression brightened and she grabbed Rose's hand, towing her towards one of the bedrooms and leaving Deputy Belikov to his own devices.

'You came!' Natalie launched herself across the room to give the visitor a welcoming hug.

'Look what Daddy sent ahead for us!'

Rose let out an audible breath. Three evening gowns were spread out on the bed, each more refined than the last.

'What are these for, exactly?' she asked, her mind boggling as she tried to guess how much the dresses must have cost.

'They're for Mr O'Hara's farewell dinner, of course!' Lisa exclaimed triumphantly. 'Natalie said she wanted the night to be perfect so she had these made up especially for us! Aren't they divine?'

Miss Dashley bustled over to the bed to give Rose the grand tour.

'This one is mine,' she pointed out a striking red-and-white dress with an impossibly-wide skirt - all ruffles and ribbons and bows.

'...And this one belongs to Lisa.'

Reminiscent of a wedding dress, Lisa's gown was as beautiful and elegant as its owner; its gauzy skirt falling softly from a tight, ivory bodice; the neckline and elbow-length sleeves hung with fringes of delicate beads that sparkled when they caught the light.

'...Which makes this one is yours,' the girl finished with a grin, holding it up for Rose to admire.

Rose had never seen such a creation in all her life. The dress was frothy and feminine; its multi-layered skirt a waterfall of cream and dusky-pink, with an off-the-shoulder neckline that would have given Alberta a heart-attack.

'Do you like it?' Natalie and Lisa chorused.

She held the dress up to her body, still deciding.

'I think so...,' she bit her lip. 'You don't think it's a bit too revealing?'

She was used to wearing dresses that buttoned up all the way to her neck, with full length sleeves and skirts the brushed the floor. The idea of parading around with her décolletage on show filled her with mixed emotions - mostly embarrassment and guilt, but nervous excitement as well.

Natalie giggled.

'It's the latest fashion in evening wear. Everybody wears their shoulders out nowadays. Get with the times, Rosie.'

'I'm still not sure,' she frowned.

Rose Hathaway wasn't usually adverse to pushing the boundaries, but Mason's allusion to her being as loose as an 'actress' had stung her deeply and she had a feeling that wearing this dress to the party would only confirm his darkest suspicions.

Sensing her discomfort, Lisa placed a reassuring hand on her friend's arm.

'If the low neckline makes you uncomfortable we can do your hair so it hangs down over your shoulder. Once you've got your jewellery on nobody will even notice a little bit of skin on display.'

'What jewellery?' Rose asked uneasily.

The Dashleys had been more than generous already, and if what Adrian told her was correct then all of this finery had been paid for with borrowed money.

'You'll see,' Natalie winked at her, taking the dress from her hands and replacing it next to the others on the bed.

For the next half hour or so, the three friends sat on the floor and caught up on the dinner party plans, but their conversation was cut short by a rap at the door.

'Excuse me, Miss Hathaway,' the accent was unmistakable.

'We're needed back at the hotel. I'm heading out to ready the horses now. Please come immediately.'

The other girls looked mildly shocked at the deputy's direct manner, but Rose heard the veiled urgency behind his words and quickly moved into action.

'Sorry ladies. Gotta go. I'll see you Saturday,' she kept her tone light, not wanting to alarm them, but she could already feel her heartbeat quickening as thought through the possibilities of what might have happened.

She and Dimitri had hoped to stop by at Reverend Karp's house on the way home to speak with Christian about his contribution to their investigation, but clearly something more pressing had arisen.

When Rose emerged from the house, Deputy Belikov was standing near their horses, deep in conversation with Victor Dashley and his manservant Spiridon. He turned at her approach and motioned for her to join them.

'Thank you for coming so quickly, Miss Hathaway,' he greeted her formally, and she knew from the look on his face that something terrible had happened.

'I'm afraid Mr Dashley brings bad news. There has been an attack in Argenta - the town I visited recently with Micky Tanner. The outlaw, James Nathan, showed up yesterday with two sidekicks and held up several businesses on the main street, shooting anybody who resisted. On their way out of town, they stopped in at the bordello and cut up a few of the working girls because the madam refused to hand over all of her takings when they demanded payment. Sheriff Alto and his deputy pursued the gang but they were both shot dead. The outlaws were last seen heading in our general direction. We have to tell Alberta and prepare ourselves for the possibility of a similar attack on Saint's Town.'

Rose settled into her saddle, watching unseeingly as Dimitri made his final farewells to the gentlemen below. A few minutes ago she had been worrying about the cut of a dress to wear to a party. What a foolish, pointless thing to waste her cares on. There were real things in this world to be worried about. And they were headed right for her.

After meeting with Alberta, Dimitri and Rose returned to the sheriff's office to make their preparations. Errand boys were sent out by horse and on foot to spread the news of James Nathan's activities, and over the next few hours, Deputy Belikov dealt with a steady stream of people stopping by to enquire if any further news had been heard of the outlaw's whereabouts. In the late afternoon, Rose set about cooking dinner for them both - a stew that wasn't entirely inedible - and it was well past sundown by the time the deputy was finally free to retire to his camp for the night.

'Would you rather stay in here tonight?' Rose suggested as she walked him to the door, worried he would be a sitting duck outside if they did get unwanted company.

Dimitri paused in the open doorway and turned to face her.

'Thank you, but no. I'll be fine, I promise. I'll hear him coming long before he sees me.'

He hoped to sound reassuring, but even if his words were light, he couldn't hide the deep line that sprung up between is brows as he contemplated what would really happen if the wanted criminal arrived in town before dawn.

'What is it, cowboy,' Rose mirrored his troubled expression.

He gazed down at her, solemn and silent, unsure of how much to tell her.

'James Nathan… I've had a run in with him before,' he said at last, glancing down the street to make sure they were alone before taking her hands in his, his thumbs stroking restlessly over her skin.

'He's a bad man. And a clever man. If he finds his way here to Saint's Town I need you to promise me you'll stay out of the way so you don't get hurt.'

Rose frowned.

'But I want to help. That's what you've been training me for, isn't it? To defend myself? To defend the people that I care about?' her voice was hushed and passionate as she laid out her case.

'I won't just lock myself in my room while you're out there putting your life on the line for us. And I know I might have had some differences of opinion with a bunch of people in this town, but this is my home. I don't want anyone I know to suffer at the hands of that outlaw if it's within my power to stop him.'

The look in Dimitri's eyes softened but his expression remained stern.

'You have the heart of a mighty warrior, Roza, and I admire you for your selfless courage, but this isn't a punching bag we're talking about. He's a living, breathing, evil sonofabitch with a string of murders behind him and nothing to lose. He wouldn't stop at killing you because you're a woman – normal rules don't apply to him. And – God forbid – if he got wind of my attachment to you, then I'm sure he would like nothing more than to kill you right before my eyes, just to make me suffer.'

The man's hand crept up to cup her cheek.

'Please don't make me go through that, milaya. It would kill me to lose you before our life together has even begun.'

Shock and sadness, love and fear played across Rose's face as she squeezed his fingers.

'I don't plan on throwing my life away, cowboy. But if it comes to a fight, I want you to know I'm ready to do whatever is necessary. I won't let you down.'

The deputy dropped his lips to her forehead, barely brushing the skin before pulling back again.

'Well, let's pray it doesn't come to that. Here...,' he reached for his belt and pressed something hard and cold into her hands.

'My knife. I want you to have it.'

She recognised it instantly. It was the same knife Dimitri had used to pierce the flour bag at their first training session only a few short weeks ago. The weapon was heavy. Its steel blade was no less than eight inches in length, double-edged and tapering to a sharp point. The wooden handle felt smooth and sturdy in her grip, and the wide cross-piece at the base of the hilt made it look more like a small sword than a knife. Rose noticed a scrolling engraving along the top of the blade, and on closer inspection she saw that it was not a random pattern but an inscription; the fine, flowing script spelling 'justice' on one side, and 'freedom' on the other.

'I can't take this,' she pushed it back towards him. 'You might need it.'

He shook his head.

'I've got others in my pack that I can use, but this one's special. It's saved my life on several occasions, and has been in my hand or on my hip for so long it almost feels like a part of me. If James Nathan does show up and I'm not here to protect you for whatever reason, I'd feel better knowing you had this to defend yourself.'

The girl looked from the weapon to its owner, grateful and sincere.

'Thank you. I'll take good care of it.'

'And it will take good care of you,' the deputy replied, with the shadow of a smile.

'Tomorrow we should meet a little earlier so I can teach you how to use it properly.'

Rose cringed.

'Earlier? Isn't five o'clock early enough?'

Deputy Belikov saw that she needed a little extra motivation and he was happy to provide it, leaning down to whisper something in her ear.

'I thought my girl might look forward to spending a little extra time alone with me,' his accent thickened deliciously, adding to the intoxicating tickle of his stubble against her cheek.

Rose grabbed at the lapel of his duster to keep from keeling over in a dead faint.

'I'll be there at half-past four.'

Author's Note:

Oops. I royally overshot the word count on this chapter, but I came up with Alberta's scene at the last moment and had to include it.

ROMITRI ARE OUT! (Well to one another at least). Happy?! Smooching will come. Very soon.

Want to write more but my eyes are closing - stayed up till 2.30am to finish this & post before bed. Feel free to reward me with your stellar reviews! :-)