You guys! Oh my god, I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to update! Unfortunately, my pc went crazy yet again and I lost the Valentine's day oneshot I'd written just for you amazing people. I've tried to rewrite it staying as close to the original, but then this story just took off! Anyway, I've made it longer than the last one, as an I'm sorry present, a replacement Valentine's day oneshot, and to wish a really special lady a very happy birthday!

So this one goes out to my sister, friend and beta Mitrioselove! She celebrated her birthday the other day but I couldn't get this done in time for it, so here it is now! Do enjoy chica! And everyone else, of course ;)

Let's raise our glasses in honour of this really amazing gal whose stories most of us can't get enough of, and whose editing skills is simply badass! Oh and I don't own VA!

Summary: He's the queen's new guard, and she's the head of the royal guard. When they meet sparks fly immediately, and it isn't long before they're getting to know each other both in and out of the bedroom. But Rose has a secret vow that could make or break them. Can Dimitri break her walls down and get her to let him in?

Love, Lust and Chocolate Roses.

Just one more time, only one more night. If I had a penny for every time I'd said that, I'd be one of the richest guardians around here if not the richest. It wasn't as if I could really help it though. Ever since I'd met the infamous guardian Dimitri Belikov a few weeks ago, it was as if life before him didn't exist.

It had been another one of those long winter days and I had to spend it in meetings which Lissa couldn't get out of. I mean, she was the queen after all. Like me, she would've much preferred spending it elsewhere say like in her warm apartment snuggled up in front of the TV with Christian or something, but that's where the similarities in our moods ended. Unlike Lissa, I would've much preferred locking myself in my apartment and sleeping the day away or maybe I would've invited Adrian over and we'd drink the day away. Oh wait, Adrian gave up the boos when he fell in love and got married to Sydney all those months ago. Well, even if I had to drink alone would've been better than listening to royal moroi snobs talk shit about us dhampirs all day, anything would've been better than that honestly. But it was my job and at least they had the decency to do it to our faces.

Still though, it pissed me off enough that the moment a very frustrated and ticked off Lissa slammed a gabble down on the table in front of her effectively wrapping up the meeting for the day and instructed that she not be disturbed unless it was absolutely necessary, I stormed out of that place as if my feet were on fire. I knew that she was in very capable hands when I saw Christian walk up beside her and wrap an arm around her waist looking as pissed off as I felt. I pushed through the throng of moroi and guardians alike knowing, and not caring, that people were giving me nasty looks. I needed to get out of here fast or someone would be on the receiving end of my fists.

Once I'd put enough distance between myself and where the meeting had been held, I forced myself to calm the fuck down. I dragged in multiple lungfuls of the cold Pennsylvania air and then like an avenging angel of mercy, I saw the double doors of the gym. There was no thinking of my next move. I took off, lightning fast and flew through the doors with a loud bang. The music that always blared in here welcomed me with the warmth of a mother's embrace and I was home.

The gym was thankfully empty and it wasn't long before I found myself pounding the punching bag. It was as if nothing else mattered in that moment. All I knew was that I'd just had a shitty as fuck day and now I could finally let go. With every kick, every punch, the bag swung wildly and I felt my heartbeat becoming one with the bass pounding through the blaring speakers.

I don't know how long I stayed there, but by the time exhaustion hit and I fell to the ground desperately trying to catch my breath, I felt lighter and the day's events did not matter as much. I'd pushed myself a little harder than I should, though. I felt it the moment I tried to stand. My entire body ached, and mother fucking hell would it have killed me to put some gloves on before I went all badass on the dam punching bag? I now had bruised, bloodied knuckles because of my own stupidity and anger, and not to mention the aches. Oh well, it was nothing a nice, long shower couldn't fix and I could always ask Liss to heal me, not that I was going to, she had enough to deal with without my tantrums thrown in the mix.

I hadn't even gotten 5 steps away from the gym when I crashed into a wall of solid muscle. I opened my mouth ready to tell this idiot to watch where they were going, but the words dried up the moment I saw just who I'd walked into. Well, I didn't actually know who he was, but that didn't matter.

He was tall, possibly 6-6 or 6-7 with chestnut brown hair that fell to his shoulders and looked like the finest fucking silk I'd ever seen. My fingers itched to run through those locks and I had to clench my hands into fists to keep my control. Well, that was the plan, but Mr. Tall, dark and handsome had my hands in his large, warm ones, and it took me a few seconds to figure out why that was. Then I remembered how I'd crashed into him and would've fallen on my ass if he hadn't reached out and grabbed my hands to steady me.

My eyes continued to drink in the sight of his god-like hotness as if they had minds of their own. Chiseled features, a strong jaw, full lips that looked quite kissable from this angle, a slightly crooked nose, almost as if it had been broken before and fuck my panties were wet. I dragged my eyes further down his body to the muscular shoulders and chest, and further still to the abs that were visible even though he was fully clothed. His legs and thighs were just as muscular as the rest of him and in a purely uncharacteristic move; I took a peak at his crotch. As if I needed another reason to want to get to know this man on another level, there had to be a slight bulge in the front of his pants.

I dragged my eyes back up to meet his and instantly, I was trapped. He had a pair of the deepest, most soulful eyes I'd ever seen and I wanted to drown in their chocolate depths. They darkened somewhat as he stared deep into my eyes, almost as though he was searching for something. I wasn't sure if he found what he was looking for though, because a guardian mask much like the one I used came over his face but those oh so passionate eyes still blazed with the lingering embers coursing through me. He let go of my hands and backed up a few steps. Instantly, I was very much aware of the loss of his hands in mine and the lack of warmth which his body had been providing.

"S-Sorry," I said surprising myself and him to if the look on his face was anything to go by. "I guess I forgot to look where I was going. Thanks for saving me back there." His lips curved into a half smile and my heart did a few flips before settling down.

"No problem, you looked kind of distracted." Holy hell. If I thought he was sexy before, then there were no words to describe that accent. Well, I could think of a few, but they weren't the kind of words I would ever say to anyone.

"I'm Dimitri Belikov." He continued that half smile growing just a little. He held out his hand and I stood there stupidly for a few seconds until some rational part of my brain, probably the same rational part that warned me against doing something stupid, reminded me to shake his hand.

"Rose, Rose Hathaway." His face broke out into a full grin at my words causing me to raise my brows.

"Yes, guardian Hathaway, I know who you are." He said by way of explanation. I was about to ask what he meant by that and why the hell he was being so formal but then like an alarm, his name rang out in my head and something very important clicked into place.

"Wait, you're Dimitri Belikov?" Now it was his turn to raise his brows, but unlike me, he only lifted one and nodded. Dam I was so jealous, I always wanted to learn to do that. "Lissa's new guard?"

"I am here to replace guardian Johnson and protect her majesty queen Vasalissa." Well dam, I nearly choked on my tongue.

"Right, well I'm the head of the royal guard, and you don't always have to address her so formally or me for that matter." Dimitri only nodded and something about that didn't set well with me. It put me on full alert, but not because I felt he was a threat. Oh no, this was the kind of awareness that told me that something had happened in his passed, something he had not been able to let go of just yet.

"Feel free to call her Lissa or Liss. She doesn't like being addressed so formally unless it's absolutely necessary. I imagine she's told you so?" He nodded yet again and I wished he would say something, anything. I liked hearing him talk dam it.

"Did you get your schedule already?" He nodded again, dam him and dam Lissa to for hiring such a sexy god to replace Johnson. "Alright well, if you ever need to figure out how you're rustered or anything like that, there's always a list up at guardian headquarters." Somehow I got the feeling that once he had his schedule he wouldn't need the ruster.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around, Dimitri. If you ever need anything else, come see me, k?" Jesus, did I have to be so dam desperate? You would think I'd learn from my last experience with men.

"I will, thanks, Roza." Roza? Who the hell was Roza? Could she be the reason why I saw that haunted look every time I looked into his eyes?

"It's Rose," I said feeling like I had to correct him. For whatever reason I couldn't stand the thought of him with anyone else, and I didn't even have that right.

"I know, Roza is your name in Russian." That made me feel a lot better and I found myself flashing him a sexy grin in spite of the fact that I knew letting myself get close to him was a bad idea.

"Hmmm really, I quite like it." I said, and flipped my hair. His eyes followed my hair and I found myself smiling cheekily.

"Well, I guess I'll be going now," Dimitri said. I racked my brain looking for a reason to get him to stay but at the same time wouldn't look like I was obviously hitting on him. Plus, it was starting to get really cold out here.

"Are you busy?" I was so busy trying to find something to say that hearing his voice made me jump slightly and it took me a few minutes to figure out what he'd said.

"Nope, not at all, why?" He hesitated for a few seconds before answering, and in those few seconds I managed to convince myself that I was crazy.

"Well, I was wondering if you might want to go grab a drink before I have to go to her majesty/I mean Lissa's for dinner?" Oh hell no, there was no way he could've just asked me out. I hesitated a bit and Dimitri was quick to pick up on it and reassure me that I had nothing to worry about.

"Yes, I would love to go grab a drink with you. I have to go over to Lissa's for dinner to, so what do you say we meet up in an hour? I kinda put myself through an intense work out just now and a shower really would do me good." Dimitri's eyes widened when I mentioned shower and I couldn't help but giggle. The next thing I knew, Dimitri was leaning forward and then he was kissing me and I forgot where I was and why I shouldn't get too close.

"See you in 30, Roza." Holy dam. Needless to say that we did in fact meet up and went out for drinks that night. We showed up at Lissa's together causing quite a scandal to her and the only reason why she didn't grill me for details was because Dimitri and I left together. I dragged him to a bar, one where no moroi would dare set foot. He turned out to be quite the drinking buddy both because he could hold his liquor and because he was actually a really great guy. Not to mention that he didn't really know me, so he didn't know my problems.

By the time we were both ready to leave that place, we were well on our way to becoming drunk. That however, did nothing to curb the lust within me. If anything, the vodka only seemed to intensify the feeling and I knew I couldn't last. I needed Dimitri. I needed to have him fuck me hard and fast. I needed him to make me scream his name over and over. If the way he kissed me when he walked me back to my door was any indication, he felt the same way I did.

"You should come in," I said somewhat breathlessly. I fisted my fingers into his hair and pressed my lips to his once more.

"I promised you that you wouldn't have anything to worry about, Rose. I gave you my word that tonight wasn't about sex." I shook my head.

"Oh baby I'm not worried." I kissed him again, this time starting off slow and then picking up the pace as I shoved my tongue into his mouth repeatedly. "Does this feel worried to you? Come on, baby, come inside." That was all the convincing he needed. He pushed me inside and kicked the door shut as his hands started wandering my body.

"You look breath taking." Dimitri said as I opened the door and stepped outside.

"Awe, thanks. You don't look so bad yourself." I leant in and pecked his lips. "Those better be for me," I said teasingly.

"Oh these? No, they're not for you." A stab of rejection hit me so hard I would've fallen over if Dimitri didn't have an arm wrapped around my waist. I struggled to pull away, but he tightened his grip.

"Hey, Roza, relax. I was just kidding. Of course they're for you, who else would they be for?" He placed the bouquet of flowers, roses to be specific into my hand. Usually, I hated rose things because people only got them for me because of my name. Coming from Dimitri though, I knew it wasn't just because he wanted to get me something but didn't know what to get. He gave them to me because he was sweet and thoughtful.

"Watch out for the thorns," He warned. I nodded and grinned up at him.

"Just give me a minute to put these in some water and then we'll go, ok?" Dimitri flashed one of those full out smiles that he only reserved for me and took his arm away. "You can come in if you want."

A few minutes later we'd locked up and Dimitri was driving me somewhere. I had no idea where since he refused to tell me. I'd tried to get it out of Lissa, but even she refused to tell me. I knew better than to go snooping around in her mind on a day like Valentine's day though, So here I was, riding in the front seat while some country singer sang about his achy breaky heart or something.

"Dimittrrrrriiii, where are you taking me?"

"It's a surprise, Roza." I shook my head wishing that he would at least play some better music.

"I don't like surprises though," I warned.

"You'll like this one." Ug he was so dam infuriating.

"How do you know?" He only flashed me a smile.

"Are we there yet?" He shook his head.

"Are you ever going to tell me where we're going?"

"No, now stop with all the questions."

"Fine, but can't you at least play better music?" In a purely uncharacteristic move, Dimitri glanced away from the road to shoot me an exasperated look.

"No."

"Why not?" I whined.

"Because, we're here." Before I had a chance to say another word Dimitri had gotten out of the car. By the time I undid the seatbelt, he was opening my door. I jumped a little, something I always seemed to do. Dimitri had been doing thoughtful things like that since day one, but I still hadn't gotten used to them. Oh, don't get me wrong, I loved that he did them, I just wasn't used to them.

"Oh, this is so pretty," I said as I took in my surroundings. We were literally in a forest. There were trees all around us and wild flowers that shouldn't even be blooming at this time of year I realized. If he was going to commit murder this would be the place to do it, but those flowers meant that someone, either Lissa or Adrian knew that we were out here so I wasn't too worried.

"I'm glad you like it," Dimitri said placing his duster around me. "Come on; let's get you inside and out of the cold." He took my hand and together we navigated our way up to a cabin that looked like a cottage straight out of a fairytale.

It was made entirely from wood, but it was a 2 story cabin. This would be a really great place to explore in the summer, but the cottage feel that engulfed me as we entered was perfect for winter.

There were candles scattered all over the room giving off the smell of jasmine and lavender, a surprisingly pleasant aroma when mixed. Little heart shaped chocolates were placed on the table along with lots of covered trays that smelt like heaven and around the room in crystal vases were beautiful bouquets of different flowers.

"Oh Dimitri, this is beautiful." I said making him smile.

"I'm glad you like it, my Roza. Now sit." He pulled my chair out for me and again I was in awe. When he opened up the tray and I saw what was in there I couldn't help the smile.

"Peperoni?" I asked still grinning like an idiot. Dimitri's answering smile was answer enough and it wasn't long before I'd eaten almost half the food.

"Did you make all of that?" I asked around a mouthful of delicious pizza. Dimitri nodded and placed another slice onto my plate.

I was always amazed at how he just accepted my eating habits. Not many men did that, and those who did were my friends. The last guy I dated hated that about me and tried to get me to eat less. Because I was stupid and convinced that I was in love, I let him. As fate would have it, he ditched me a few days before our wedding. Apparently he'd met someone else and she made him happy. I hadn't taken it well and I vowed to myself that day that if I ever let another guy get that close to me I wouldn't let him change me. No one had even come close to coming close to me like that, that is no one but Dimitri.

"You ok, Roza?" I glanced up startled to find Dimitri watching me, a puzzled look on his face. "I was talking to you and the next thing I knew you spaced out."

"Hmm, oh yeah sorry. This is just so good, you know?" I took a big bight out of my pizza just for extra measure. It wasn't as if I was lying, this really was good. Dimitri was a man of many talents, one of which included reading me like an open book. He wasn't convinced that I was ok, and I couldn't blame him.

"Dimitri, I'm fine, really. Don't worry about me." He still didn't look convinced though so I leant in and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips.

"Mmm your kisses are the sweetest Roza, but I know there's something on your mind. I'll be here whenever you're ready to tell me, ok?" Dam it, did he really have to be that sweet? If the universe was just going to let me fall for him and then take him away like before, then there would be no doubt in my mind that fate really hated me.

"You're right," I said without meaning to. "There is something on my mind. You Dimitri. You and your hotness." That got me another one of those full out smiles that I lived for. Those were the highlight of my days sometimes, the reason why I didn't meet up with Jack Daniels as often as I did before.

I was about to say something else, but the moment he leant in closer and pressed his lips to mine, every coherent thought vanished straight out of my mind. His tongue tangled with mine in a deadly battle for dominance that Dimitri won of course. I submitted to his kisses and climbed onto his lap. His arms wound themselves around my waist pulling me closer as his lips trailed kisses down my jaw and neck. I could've had an orgasm right then and there and he hadn't even touched me yet.

"Roza." It was one word, hell it was my own name, but there was so much power in it that I would've done anything he wanted right then and there. Except when he actually spoke, I had a hard time understanding a single word.

"As much as I want to do this, I'd much rather feed you dessert first." I shook my head, confused and all hot and bothered. When he lifted me off of his lap, I felt a stab of rejection hit me so hard I had to sit down or it would've knocked me over. He disappeared into the kitchen and for a second, I didn't even think to look for him.

All I could think was that it was happening all over again. I'd broken a vow I'd set for myself. I'd once again stupidly let someone into my life and now I was going to pay the price. I'd put my heart on the line and all because I thought he was different. I was just a fool who still believed in the fairytale ending and in Dimitri's affections. Sure he never said he loved me, but all the signs were there.

"You're going to love this. Roza? Hey, what's wrong, love?" Startled and certain that I'd finally lost my mind, I closed my eyes. But the feel of his hands on my face, his fingers brushing against my cheeks, the softness of his voice were too real and I snapped my eyes opened. There he was, all 6/7 feet of muscled hotness. I could've cried with relief, wait, I actually was crying. I was suddenly aware of the tears trickling down my cheeks. Dimitri's concerned gaze and gentle stroking made a lot more sense now.

"Oh god, you're here, you're not like him," I was rambling, I knew it, but I couldn't stop and I saw the moment Dimitri's defense went up.

"Who am I not like, Roza?" Great, Rose. Now you have no choice but to tell him. I didn't even hesitate. Words came up and spilled out like word vomit.

"Gearry. You may know him as guardian Dickerson. He and I used to date. We did more than date actually, he asked me to marry him and I said yes. He ditched me a few days before our wedding. He cheated or as he so beautifully puts it, found someone else and she makes him happy." I didn't even stop to hear anything Dimitri was about to say.

"I vowed from that day that I'd never let anyone get that close to me ever again. I was at an all-time low, but then I met you and every reason I had for keeping my distance faded like dust in the wind." That was where I drew the line and made myself shut up. There was more I wanted to say, but I wasn't sure it was the right time. I needed to see how he'd take what I just said first.

"He did what? That son of a bitch. He's lucky he transferred out of here before I got here," Dimitri said angrily. At first I didn't exactly understand why he was so mad in the first place, but then I saw something in his eyes. Something that melted my heart. Those eyes were warm and soft and that look in them made my heart flip.

"You deserve so, so much better Roza, I'm so grateful that you let me in in spite of your vow. I promise that if you give me a chance, I'll spend the rest of my life giving you everything you deserve. My life's mission will be to make you happy always and even when times get rough I won't leave. I-"He stopped and I watched as that confidence that always surrounded him faded. "I-"He blinked and all that nervousness was gone. He cupped my face in his once again and stared straight into my eyes as he said his next words.

"When I came to America, it was all about escaping my guilt. I had myself convinced that it was my fault my last charge died even though I wasn't even there. But Ivan was more than just my charge, he was my best friend and, after his death, I sank into a really bad bout of depression. Lissa's request couldn't have come at a better time. My plan was to stay low, do my job and send money back home to my family. Then, I met you and something that I swore had been dead suddenly came back to life. I love you Rose Hathaway, I tried to deny it, but I can't change my feelings for you. It certainly didn't start off as love, but there was always an attraction there that I couldn't deny. And I know we have known each other for only a short time, but I know what's in my heart. I love you."

I couldn't doubt his feelings even if I wanted. They shone through as clear as day in his eyes and I felt myself tearing up at his sincerity. Before he had a chance to misunderstand me, I leant in and pressed my lips to his in a slow, sweet kiss. He responded instantly, moving his lips just as slowly over mine, and when our tongues brushed against each other, fire ignited within me.

"I love you too Dimitri; I've been wanting to tell you that for quite a while. I just couldn't find the words to tell you and I was scared of how you would take it." His only response was another sweet kiss and then he pulled away and grabbed a box of something from the table.

"Wow, is that brownies?" He flashed me a smile and broke off a chunk of the chocolate fudge goodness before lifting it to my lips. I took it greedily as Dimitri worked on getting me my own plate. I watched curiously as he made his way over to the assortment of flowers set around the room and plucked off some of the roses.

"Chocolate roses? Dam comrade, you sure went all out tonight." That got me another grin and an extra chocolate.

"Of course, anything for you my love," He said sweetly.

Eating would've been a lot easier if we could've only kept our wandering hands to ourselves or if we didn't keep stopping to kiss every second. As a result, we got more chocolate all over each other than we actually got in our mouths. It was faster though, and there was something much sweeter about eating it off of Dimitri's face.

I wish I could say I remember everything that happened after Dimitri kissed me, but I don't. All I knew was that that kiss hadn't been like anyone we'd ever shared before. There was something different about it. It sent electric shocks through every nerve ending, and sent my heart into a frantic rhythm. Dimitri surrounded me in every way, his smell, his voice, his taste, everything and I was home.

The next thing I knew, I was lying on the couch with Dimitri hovering over me and then at some point he'd peeled off my dress leaving me in nothing but black lace panties and a hot pink bra. The only warning I had before Dimitri's mouth closed around one of my hard nipples was a rush of cool air on my skin that made me shiver. Then he was working my nipple with his tongue and the other one with his hands and I was lost.

Desperate for some kind of friction, my hips flew up to meet his as I ground my centre against his length. The hiss and low curse told me just how much he liked it. But even that wasn't enough. I'd been waiting for this moment all night and now that it'd finally come, I couldn't stand to waste a moment more.

"Dimitri, I need you," I said desperately. Apparently, I wasn't the only one. Dimitri stripped quickly and I followed suit ripping my panties down my legs and then flinging them somewhere behind me. It didn't matter where they went to me, all that mattered was that urge to have him inside of me, pleasuring me and making me scream his name.

"Oh, fuck!" He'd slammed into me without warning, And with such an intensity that I couldn't help but scream out. Dimitri froze instantly, but I wrapped my legs around his waist. "No, don't stop, please."

He was quick to obey my wishes and before I knew it my release had taken me over. Before I even had a chance to come down from my high, Dimitri had thrown me down roughly on the bare skin rug that covered the cabin floor.

"Get on your hands and knees," Dimitri demanded. I knew better than to argue and so obeyed his wishes. He took his place behind me and slammed back into me. A few more quick thrusts, some really dirty talk both in English and Russian, and spanks later, Dimitri's release over took him triggering another orgasm for me.

I came over and over, my body shaking in pleasure as I milked him taking everything he gave me. I could no longer hold myself up and so I fell onto the floor face first. Dimitri was quick to shift his weight so he fell beside me rather than on top of me. I snuggled up to him and his arms wrapped tightly around my waist as we both tried to catch our breaths.

"I love you, comrade." I said quietly. I barely heard Dimitri's response before sleep over took me, but I felt his lips brush across my forehead before my eyes drifted shut.

The next time my eyes opened, I was lying in the bed with my head on Dimitri's chest. His arms were wrapped tightly around my waist and I could've stayed there all day. The window on the other side of the bed caught my eye and I couldn't help but smile. Outside a misty fog covered the area giving off an almost enchanted air. It was perfectly fitting to, because for the first time in my life, I was certain that I'd found my prince. I was finally going to get my fairytale ending.

So, how are we feeling? Am I forgiven? Let me know in a review guys, please? You know I love hearing what you have to say, even if it's to yell at me for taking forever to update! You all know I love ya either way, right?

Review and Dimitri/Adrian will take you to a little cabin in the woods ;)

XXX

Roza

You guys! Oh my god, I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to update! Unfortunately, my pc went crazy yet again and I lost the Valentine's day oneshot I'd written just for you amazing people. I've tried to rewrite it staying as close to the original, but then this story just took off! Anyway, I've made it longer than the last one, as an I'm sorry present, a replacement Valentine's day oneshot, and to wish a really special lady a very happy birthday!

So this one goes out to my sister, friend and beta Mitrioselove! She celebrated her birthday the other day but I couldn't get this done in time for it, so here it is now! Do enjoy chica! And everyone else, of course ;)

Let's raise our glasses in honour of this really amazing gal whose stories most of us can't get enough of, and whose editing skills is simply badass! Oh and I don't own VA!

Summary: He's the queen's new guard, and she's the head of the royal guard. When they meet sparks fly immediately, and it isn't long before they're getting to know each other both in and out of the bedroom. But Rose has a secret vow that could make or break them. Can Dimitri break her walls down and get her to let him in?

Love, Lust and Chocolate Roses.

Just one more time, only one more night. If I had a penny for every time I'd said that, I'd be one of the richest guardians around here if not the richest. It wasn't as if I could really help it though. Ever since I'd met the infamous guardian Dimitri Belikov a few weeks ago, it was as if life before him didn't exist.

It had been another one of those long winter days and I had to spend it in meetings which Lissa couldn't get out of. I mean, she was the queen after all. Like me, she would've much preferred spending it elsewhere say like in her warm apartment snuggled up in front of the TV with Christian or something, but that's where the similarities in our moods ended. Unlike Lissa, I would've much preferred locking myself in my apartment and sleeping the day away or maybe I would've invited Adrian over and we'd drink the day away. Oh wait, Adrian gave up the boos when he fell in love and got married to Sydney all those months ago. Well, even if I had to drink alone would've been better than listening to royal moroi snobs talk shit about us dhampirs all day, anything would've been better than that honestly. But it was my job and at least they had the decency to do it to our faces.

Still though, it pissed me off enough that the moment a very frustrated and ticked off Lissa slammed a gabble down on the table in front of her effectively wrapping up the meeting for the day and instructed that she not be disturbed unless it was absolutely necessary, I stormed out of that place as if my feet were on fire. I knew that she was in very capable hands when I saw Christian walk up beside her and wrap an arm around her waist looking as pissed off as I felt. I pushed through the throng of moroi and guardians alike knowing, and not caring, that people were giving me nasty looks. I needed to get out of here fast or someone would be on the receiving end of my fists.

Once I'd put enough distance between myself and where the meeting had been held, I forced myself to calm the fuck down. I dragged in multiple lungfuls of the cold Pennsylvania air and then like an avenging angel of mercy, I saw the double doors of the gym. There was no thinking of my next move. I took off, lightning fast and flew through the doors with a loud bang. The music that always blared in here welcomed me with the warmth of a mother's embrace and I was home.

The gym was thankfully empty and it wasn't long before I found myself pounding the punching bag. It was as if nothing else mattered in that moment. All I knew was that I'd just had a shitty as fuck day and now I could finally let go. With every kick, every punch, the bag swung wildly and I felt my heartbeat becoming one with the bass pounding through the blaring speakers.

I don't know how long I stayed there, but by the time exhaustion hit and I fell to the ground desperately trying to catch my breath, I felt lighter and the day's events did not matter as much. I'd pushed myself a little harder than I should, though. I felt it the moment I tried to stand. My entire body ached, and mother fucking hell would it have killed me to put some gloves on before I went all badass on the dam punching bag? I now had bruised, bloodied knuckles because of my own stupidity and anger, and not to mention the aches. Oh well, it was nothing a nice, long shower couldn't fix and I could always ask Liss to heal me, not that I was going to, she had enough to deal with without my tantrums thrown in the mix.

I hadn't even gotten 5 steps away from the gym when I crashed into a wall of solid muscle. I opened my mouth ready to tell this idiot to watch where they were going, but the words dried up the moment I saw just who I'd walked into. Well, I didn't actually know who he was, but that didn't matter.

He was tall, possibly 6-6 or 6-7 with chestnut brown hair that fell to his shoulders and looked like the finest fucking silk I'd ever seen. My fingers itched to run through those locks and I had to clench my hands into fists to keep my control. Well, that was the plan, but Mr. Tall, dark and handsome had my hands in his large, warm ones, and it took me a few seconds to figure out why that was. Then I remembered how I'd crashed into him and would've fallen on my ass if he hadn't reached out and grabbed my hands to steady me.

My eyes continued to drink in the sight of his god-like hotness as if they had minds of their own. Chiseled features, a strong jaw, full lips that looked quite kissable from this angle, a slightly crooked nose, almost as if it had been broken before and fuck my panties were wet. I dragged my eyes further down his body to the muscular shoulders and chest, and further still to the abs that were visible even though he was fully clothed. His legs and thighs were just as muscular as the rest of him and in a purely uncharacteristic move; I took a peak at his crotch. As if I needed another reason to want to get to know this man on another level, there had to be a slight bulge in the front of his pants.

I dragged my eyes back up to meet his and instantly, I was trapped. He had a pair of the deepest, most soulful eyes I'd ever seen and I wanted to drown in their chocolate depths. They darkened somewhat as he stared deep into my eyes, almost as though he was searching for something. I wasn't sure if he found what he was looking for though, because a guardian mask much like the one I used came over his face but those oh so passionate eyes still blazed with the lingering embers coursing through me. He let go of my hands and backed up a few steps. Instantly, I was very much aware of the loss of his hands in mine and the lack of warmth which his body had been providing.

"S-Sorry," I said surprising myself and him to if the look on his face was anything to go by. "I guess I forgot to look where I was going. Thanks for saving me back there." His lips curved into a half smile and my heart did a few flips before settling down.

"No problem, you looked kind of distracted." Holy hell. If I thought he was sexy before, then there were no words to describe that accent. Well, I could think of a few, but they weren't the kind of words I would ever say to anyone.

"I'm Dimitri Belikov." He continued that half smile growing just a little. He held out his hand and I stood there stupidly for a few seconds until some rational part of my brain, probably the same rational part that warned me against doing something stupid, reminded me to shake his hand.

"Rose, Rose Hathaway." His face broke out into a full grin at my words causing me to raise my brows.

"Yes, guardian Hathaway, I know who you are." He said by way of explanation. I was about to ask what he meant by that and why the hell he was being so formal but then like an alarm, his name rang out in my head and something very important clicked into place.

"Wait, you're Dimitri Belikov?" Now it was his turn to raise his brows, but unlike me, he only lifted one and nodded. Dam I was so jealous, I always wanted to learn to do that. "Lissa's new guard?"

"I am here to replace guardian Johnson and protect her majesty queen Vasalissa." Well dam, I nearly choked on my tongue.

"Right, well I'm the head of the royal guard, and you don't always have to address her so formally or me for that matter." Dimitri only nodded and something about that didn't set well with me. It put me on full alert, but not because I felt he was a threat. Oh no, this was the kind of awareness that told me that something had happened in his passed, something he had not been able to let go of just yet.

"Feel free to call her Lissa or Liss. She doesn't like being addressed so formally unless it's absolutely necessary. I imagine she's told you so?" He nodded yet again and I wished he would say something, anything. I liked hearing him talk dam it.

"Did you get your schedule already?" He nodded again, dam him and dam Lissa to for hiring such a sexy god to replace Johnson. "Alright well, if you ever need to figure out how you're rustered or anything like that, there's always a list up at guardian headquarters." Somehow I got the feeling that once he had his schedule he wouldn't need the ruster.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around, Dimitri. If you ever need anything else, come see me, k?" Jesus, did I have to be so dam desperate? You would think I'd learn from my last experience with men.

"I will, thanks, Roza." Roza? Who the hell was Roza? Could she be the reason why I saw that haunted look every time I looked into his eyes?

"It's Rose," I said feeling like I had to correct him. For whatever reason I couldn't stand the thought of him with anyone else, and I didn't even have that right.

"I know, Roza is your name in Russian." That made me feel a lot better and I found myself flashing him a sexy grin in spite of the fact that I knew letting myself get close to him was a bad idea.

"Hmmm really, I quite like it." I said, and flipped my hair. His eyes followed my hair and I found myself smiling cheekily.

"Well, I guess I'll be going now," Dimitri said. I racked my brain looking for a reason to get him to stay but at the same time wouldn't look like I was obviously hitting on him. Plus, it was starting to get really cold out here.

"Are you busy?" I was so busy trying to find something to say that hearing his voice made me jump slightly and it took me a few minutes to figure out what he'd said.

"Nope, not at all, why?" He hesitated for a few seconds before answering, and in those few seconds I managed to convince myself that I was crazy.

"Well, I was wondering if you might want to go grab a drink before I have to go to her majesty/I mean Lissa's for dinner?" Oh hell no, there was no way he could've just asked me out. I hesitated a bit and Dimitri was quick to pick up on it and reassure me that I had nothing to worry about.

"Yes, I would love to go grab a drink with you. I have to go over to Lissa's for dinner to, so what do you say we meet up in an hour? I kinda put myself through an intense work out just now and a shower really would do me good." Dimitri's eyes widened when I mentioned shower and I couldn't help but giggle. The next thing I knew, Dimitri was leaning forward and then he was kissing me and I forgot where I was and why I shouldn't get too close.

"See you in 30, Roza." Holy dam. Needless to say that we did in fact meet up and went out for drinks that night. We showed up at Lissa's together causing quite a scandal to her and the only reason why she didn't grill me for details was because Dimitri and I left together. I dragged him to a bar, one where no moroi would dare set foot. He turned out to be quite the drinking buddy both because he could hold his liquor and because he was actually a really great guy. Not to mention that he didn't really know me, so he didn't know my problems.

By the time we were both ready to leave that place, we were well on our way to becoming drunk. That however, did nothing to curb the lust within me. If anything, the vodka only seemed to intensify the feeling and I knew I couldn't last. I needed Dimitri. I needed to have him fuck me hard and fast. I needed him to make me scream his name over and over. If the way he kissed me when he walked me back to my door was any indication, he felt the same way I did.

"You should come in," I said somewhat breathlessly. I fisted my fingers into his hair and pressed my lips to his once more.

"I promised you that you wouldn't have anything to worry about, Rose. I gave you my word that tonight wasn't about sex." I shook my head.

"Oh baby I'm not worried." I kissed him again, this time starting off slow and then picking up the pace as I shoved my tongue into his mouth repeatedly. "Does this feel worried to you? Come on, baby, come inside." That was all the convincing he needed. He pushed me inside and kicked the door shut as his hands started wandering my body.

"You look breath taking." Dimitri said as I opened the door and stepped outside.

"Awe, thanks. You don't look so bad yourself." I leant in and pecked his lips. "Those better be for me," I said teasingly.

"Oh these? No, they're not for you." A stab of rejection hit me so hard I would've fallen over if Dimitri didn't have an arm wrapped around my waist. I struggled to pull away, but he tightened his grip.

"Hey, Roza, relax. I was just kidding. Of course they're for you, who else would they be for?" He placed the bouquet of flowers, roses to be specific into my hand. Usually, I hated rose things because people only got them for me because of my name. Coming from Dimitri though, I knew it wasn't just because he wanted to get me something but didn't know what to get. He gave them to me because he was sweet and thoughtful.

"Watch out for the thorns," He warned. I nodded and grinned up at him.

"Just give me a minute to put these in some water and then we'll go, ok?" Dimitri flashed one of those full out smiles that he only reserved for me and took his arm away. "You can come in if you want."

A few minutes later we'd locked up and Dimitri was driving me somewhere. I had no idea where since he refused to tell me. I'd tried to get it out of Lissa, but even she refused to tell me. I knew better than to go snooping around in her mind on a day like Valentine's day though, So here I was, riding in the front seat while some country singer sang about his achy breaky heart or something.

"Dimittrrrrriiii, where are you taking me?"

"It's a surprise, Roza." I shook my head wishing that he would at least play some better music.

"I don't like surprises though," I warned.

"You'll like this one." Ug he was so dam infuriating.

"How do you know?" He only flashed me a smile.

"Are we there yet?" He shook his head.

"Are you ever going to tell me where we're going?"

"No, now stop with all the questions."

"Fine, but can't you at least play better music?" In a purely uncharacteristic move, Dimitri glanced away from the road to shoot me an exasperated look.

"No."

"Why not?" I whined.

"Because, we're here." Before I had a chance to say another word Dimitri had gotten out of the car. By the time I undid the seatbelt, he was opening my door. I jumped a little, something I always seemed to do. Dimitri had been doing thoughtful things like that since day one, but I still hadn't gotten used to them. Oh, don't get me wrong, I loved that he did them, I just wasn't used to them.

"Oh, this is so pretty," I said as I took in my surroundings. We were literally in a forest. There were trees all around us and wild flowers that shouldn't even be blooming at this time of year I realized. If he was going to commit murder this would be the place to do it, but those flowers meant that someone, either Lissa or Adrian knew that we were out here so I wasn't too worried.

"I'm glad you like it," Dimitri said placing his duster around me. "Come on; let's get you inside and out of the cold." He took my hand and together we navigated our way up to a cabin that looked like a cottage straight out of a fairytale.

It was made entirely from wood, but it was a 2 story cabin. This would be a really great place to explore in the summer, but the cottage feel that engulfed me as we entered was perfect for winter.

There were candles scattered all over the room giving off the smell of jasmine and lavender, a surprisingly pleasant aroma when mixed. Little heart shaped chocolates were placed on the table along with lots of covered trays that smelt like heaven and around the room in crystal vases were beautiful bouquets of different flowers.

"Oh Dimitri, this is beautiful." I said making him smile.

"I'm glad you like it, my Roza. Now sit." He pulled my chair out for me and again I was in awe. When he opened up the tray and I saw what was in there I couldn't help the smile.

"Peperoni?" I asked still grinning like an idiot. Dimitri's answering smile was answer enough and it wasn't long before I'd eaten almost half the food.

"Did you make all of that?" I asked around a mouthful of delicious pizza. Dimitri nodded and placed another slice onto my plate.

I was always amazed at how he just accepted my eating habits. Not many men did that, and those who did were my friends. The last guy I dated hated that about me and tried to get me to eat less. Because I was stupid and convinced that I was in love, I let him. As fate would have it, he ditched me a few days before our wedding. Apparently he'd met someone else and she made him happy. I hadn't taken it well and I vowed to myself that day that if I ever let another guy get that close to me I wouldn't let him change me. No one had even come close to coming close to me like that, that is no one but Dimitri.

"You ok, Roza?" I glanced up startled to find Dimitri watching me, a puzzled look on his face. "I was talking to you and the next thing I knew you spaced out."

"Hmm, oh yeah sorry. This is just so good, you know?" I took a big bight out of my pizza just for extra measure. It wasn't as if I was lying, this really was good. Dimitri was a man of many talents, one of which included reading me like an open book. He wasn't convinced that I was ok, and I couldn't blame him.

"Dimitri, I'm fine, really. Don't worry about me." He still didn't look convinced though so I leant in and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips.

"Mmm your kisses are the sweetest Roza, but I know there's something on your mind. I'll be here whenever you're ready to tell me, ok?" Dam it, did he really have to be that sweet? If the universe was just going to let me fall for him and then take him away like before, then there would be no doubt in my mind that fate really hated me.

"You're right," I said without meaning to. "There is something on my mind. You Dimitri. You and your hotness." That got me another one of those full out smiles that I lived for. Those were the highlight of my days sometimes, the reason why I didn't meet up with Jack Daniels as often as I did before.

I was about to say something else, but the moment he leant in closer and pressed his lips to mine, every coherent thought vanished straight out of my mind. His tongue tangled with mine in a deadly battle for dominance that Dimitri won of course. I submitted to his kisses and climbed onto his lap. His arms wound themselves around my waist pulling me closer as his lips trailed kisses down my jaw and neck. I could've had an orgasm right then and there and he hadn't even touched me yet.

"Roza." It was one word, hell it was my own name, but there was so much power in it that I would've done anything he wanted right then and there. Except when he actually spoke, I had a hard time understanding a single word.

"As much as I want to do this, I'd much rather feed you dessert first." I shook my head, confused and all hot and bothered. When he lifted me off of his lap, I felt a stab of rejection hit me so hard I had to sit down or it would've knocked me over. He disappeared into the kitchen and for a second, I didn't even think to look for him.

All I could think was that it was happening all over again. I'd broken a vow I'd set for myself. I'd once again stupidly let someone into my life and now I was going to pay the price. I'd put my heart on the line and all because I thought he was different. I was just a fool who still believed in the fairytale ending and in Dimitri's affections. Sure he never said he loved me, but all the signs were there.

"You're going to love this. Roza? Hey, what's wrong, love?" Startled and certain that I'd finally lost my mind, I closed my eyes. But the feel of his hands on my face, his fingers brushing against my cheeks, the softness of his voice were too real and I snapped my eyes opened. There he was, all 6/7 feet of muscled hotness. I could've cried with relief, wait, I actually was crying. I was suddenly aware of the tears trickling down my cheeks. Dimitri's concerned gaze and gentle stroking made a lot more sense now.

"Oh god, you're here, you're not like him," I was rambling, I knew it, but I couldn't stop and I saw the moment Dimitri's defense went up.

"Who am I not like, Roza?" Great, Rose. Now you have no choice but to tell him. I didn't even hesitate. Words came up and spilled out like word vomit.

"Gearry. You may know him as guardian Dickerson. He and I used to date. We did more than date actually, he asked me to marry him and I said yes. He ditched me a few days before our wedding. He cheated or as he so beautifully puts it, found someone else and she makes him happy." I didn't even stop to hear anything Dimitri was about to say.

"I vowed from that day that I'd never let anyone get that close to me ever again. I was at an all-time low, but then I met you and every reason I had for keeping my distance faded like dust in the wind." That was where I drew the line and made myself shut up. There was more I wanted to say, but I wasn't sure it was the right time. I needed to see how he'd take what I just said first.

"He did what? That son of a bitch. He's lucky he transferred out of here before I got here," Dimitri said angrily. At first I didn't exactly understand why he was so mad in the first place, but then I saw something in his eyes. Something that melted my heart. Those eyes were warm and soft and that look in them made my heart flip.

"You deserve so, so much better Roza, I'm so grateful that you let me in in spite of your vow. I promise that if you give me a chance, I'll spend the rest of my life giving you everything you deserve. My life's mission will be to make you happy always and even when times get rough I won't leave. I-"He stopped and I watched as that confidence that always surrounded him faded. "I-"He blinked and all that nervousness was gone. He cupped my face in his once again and stared straight into my eyes as he said his next words.

"When I came to America, it was all about escaping my guilt. I had myself convinced that it was my fault my last charge died even though I wasn't even there. But Ivan was more than just my charge, he was my best friend and, after his death, I sank into a really bad bout of depression. Lissa's request couldn't have come at a better time. My plan was to stay low, do my job and send money back home to my family. Then, I met you and something that I swore had been dead suddenly came back to life. I love you Rose Hathaway, I tried to deny it, but I can't change my feelings for you. It certainly didn't start off as love, but there was always an attraction there that I couldn't deny. And I know we have known each other for only a short time, but I know what's in my heart. I love you."

I couldn't doubt his feelings even if I wanted. They shone through as clear as day in his eyes and I felt myself tearing up at his sincerity. Before he had a chance to misunderstand me, I leant in and pressed my lips to his in a slow, sweet kiss. He responded instantly, moving his lips just as slowly over mine, and when our tongues brushed against each other, fire ignited within me.

"I love you too Dimitri; I've been wanting to tell you that for quite a while. I just couldn't find the words to tell you and I was scared of how you would take it." His only response was another sweet kiss and then he pulled away and grabbed a box of something from the table.

"Wow, is that brownies?" He flashed me a smile and broke off a chunk of the chocolate fudge goodness before lifting it to my lips. I took it greedily as Dimitri worked on getting me my own plate. I watched curiously as he made his way over to the assortment of flowers set around the room and plucked off some of the roses.

"Chocolate roses? Dam comrade, you sure went all out tonight." That got me another grin and an extra chocolate.

"Of course, anything for you my love," He said sweetly.

Eating would've been a lot easier if we could've only kept our wandering hands to ourselves or if we didn't keep stopping to kiss every second. As a result, we got more chocolate all over each other than we actually got in our mouths. It was faster though, and there was something much sweeter about eating it off of Dimitri's face.

I wish I could say I remember everything that happened after Dimitri kissed me, but I don't. All I knew was that that kiss hadn't been like anyone we'd ever shared before. There was something different about it. It sent electric shocks through every nerve ending, and sent my heart into a frantic rhythm. Dimitri surrounded me in every way, his smell, his voice, his taste, everything and I was home.

The next thing I knew, I was lying on the couch with Dimitri hovering over me and then at some point he'd peeled off my dress leaving me in nothing but black lace panties and a hot pink bra. The only warning I had before Dimitri's mouth closed around one of my hard nipples was a rush of cool air on my skin that made me shiver. Then he was working my nipple with his tongue and the other one with his hands and I was lost.

Desperate for some kind of friction, my hips flew up to meet his as I ground my centre against his length. The hiss and low curse told me just how much he liked it. But even that wasn't enough. I'd been waiting for this moment all night and now that it'd finally come, I couldn't stand to waste a moment more.

"Dimitri, I need you," I said desperately. Apparently, I wasn't the only one. Dimitri stripped quickly and I followed suit ripping my panties down my legs and then flinging them somewhere behind me. It didn't matter where they went to me, all that mattered was that urge to have him inside of me, pleasuring me and making me scream his name.

"Oh, fuck!" He'd slammed into me without warning, And with such an intensity that I couldn't help but scream out. Dimitri froze instantly, but I wrapped my legs around his waist. "No, don't stop, please."

He was quick to obey my wishes and before I knew it my release had taken me over. Before I even had a chance to come down from my high, Dimitri had thrown me down roughly on the bare skin rug that covered the cabin floor.

"Get on your hands and knees," Dimitri demanded. I knew better than to argue and so obeyed his wishes. He took his place behind me and slammed back into me. A few more quick thrusts, some really dirty talk both in English and Russian, and spanks later, Dimitri's release over took him triggering another orgasm for me.

I came over and over, my body shaking in pleasure as I milked him taking everything he gave me. I could no longer hold myself up and so I fell onto the floor face first. Dimitri was quick to shift his weight so he fell beside me rather than on top of me. I snuggled up to him and his arms wrapped tightly around my waist as we both tried to catch our breaths.

"I love you, comrade." I said quietly. I barely heard Dimitri's response before sleep over took me, but I felt his lips brush across my forehead before my eyes drifted shut.

The next time my eyes opened, I was lying in the bed with my head on Dimitri's chest. His arms were wrapped tightly around my waist and I could've stayed there all day. The window on the other side of the bed caught my eye and I couldn't help but smile. Outside a misty fog covered the area giving off an almost enchanted air. It was perfectly fitting to, because for the first time in my life, I was certain that I'd found my prince. I was finally going to get my fairytale ending.

So, how are we feeling? Am I forgiven? Let me know in a review guys, please? You know I love hearing what you have to say, even if it's to yell at me for taking forever to update! You all know I love ya either way, right?

Review and Dimitri/Adrian will take you to a little cabin in the woods ;)

XXX

Roza