I'm so glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter. I know it's a little sudden about Dimitri's sudden change in attitude, but I promise it'll be explained later on in the story. I really hope you guys like this next chapter and please leave a review to tell what you think about it. Enjoy!

It had taken a hot shower to get my heart to finally slow back to normal, but the pull was still blaringly obvious. The feeling of it had me reeling and everything inside of me rebels against it. I've barely known the man and yet I couldn't seem to displace the whirlwind that's taken over me lately. Sighing I duck my head back under the water before shutting it off and stepping out.

Looking into the mirror I remember the last time I really observed myself in it. The change was extremely noticeable. Gone was the skeleton that once stared back at me. Now looking back was a normal healthy-looking girl. The only thing that stood out were the slight shadows under my eyes giving a clue to my troubled and sleepless nights. My hair and skin had a bright clear shine to them and my figure had filled and, while still slender, had grown curves. I'd even grown just a tad bit.

Quickly drying off I head into my closet and pull out a pair of dark jeans and tuck a in my black button up. Throwing on a pair of sensible shoes, I throw my satchel on and rush down the stairs as I put up my hair. The smell of French toast and laughing coming from the kitchen signal the rest of the house has awaken for the day.

"Good morning Rose!" Olena sings as she slides a mug towards me.

"Good morning." I chime back as I grab the mug and inhale the chocolate contents.

"ROSE!" The sound of Paul's excited squeal is my only warning before I'm body slammed by the Karolina's little boy.

Putting down my mug I scoop him up and plant a kiss on his cheek. As much as I tried to distance myself I just couldn't resist the little boy. I like to put it off on the cuteness factor but the truth is…he's so innocent. His intentions and dreams were so pure I loved being around it. It also helped that he had somehow convinced himself that I was amazing. Who knew giving the kid one push on the swing set out back would do the trick.

"Paul be careful!" Karolina sighs as she comes into the kitchen. "I'm sorry Rose."

"It's fine." I tell her simply as I strap Paul into his booster seat. Smiling at me she kisses Paul's cheeks before sitting down.

"Rose I was looking at your schedule and I was wondering if they have to schedule you so early?" Olena's voice sounds concerned. "A growing girl needs sleep and I'm just worried that they're keeping you from getting any."

"I'm getting plenty of sleep." I assure her as I cut up Paul's French toast before setting it down in front of him.

Karolina looks to me gratefully and I nod. I was getting better about not shying away from the family. Besides, being pregnant must make her tired so I don't mind helping her out with Paul.

"You're leaves look greener today."

I roll my eyes as Yeva enters the room. She never ceased to have some metaphor to say to me. While I'd gotten used to it, I still tended to dislike her odd sight. She sits down as Olena sets a plate in front of Karolina. I pour myself a cup of coffee this time to help me get through the day ahead of me.

"You should eat something Roza." Dimitri's voice sounds behind me, causing me to jump.

"Fuck Comrade!" I shout before shooting an apologetic look around the room.

He shoots me a disapproving look before reaching past me for a mug. Arm brushing mine, I feel my body break out in goosebumps. I look down in my cup.

"You need to eat." He reiterates.

"I'm about to leave." I tell him as I move to rinse out my cup.

"OH NO!" Olena exclaims, waving her finger at me. "You finally look like you're not being starved and I want to keep it that way."

Before I can protest I'm being seated at the table and a plate stacked with food is set in front of me. Grumbling under my breath I dig in. Dimitri sits across from me and I ignore the slight blush spreading across my face. I can feel Dimitri's eyes pass over me every now and then and I divert my attention to Paul's syrup covered face. The little boy's face isn't enough to distract me.

"Okay I really have to go." I say getting up and putting my plate in the sink.

"Let me give you a ride." Olena says putting down her fork.

"No." I tell her quickly. "I like to walk."

Escaping the kitchen before she can protest I grab my coat, hat, and gloves. Hearing heavy footsteps behind me I tug the clothes on fast as I rush out of the door. Please don't follow me. Please don't follow me. Everything inside of me is begging for a break.

"Roza!"

Freezing in my place next to the gate entrance I turn slowly as Dimitri walks up to me. His duster flutters in the winter breeze. Hair tied at the nape of his neck and muscles bunching and releasing beneath his simple black v- neck and jeans…he looks like a badasss…a Russian god. I feel my body start to heat up and groan softly under my breath. Let's not even forget the name Roza.

"Mama said you're working late tonight." He says when he reaches me. I nod in confirmation and watch him look off behind me for a second before piercing me with his chocolate gaze. "I'll be by to walk you home."

"What?" I ask confused at the offer. The recent change in attitude still confuses me and sets my heart clenching at the same time.

"It'll be late when you get off and walking home alone is risky." He tells me, raising an eyebrow.

"I think I'll be just fine Comrade." I let him know as I start walking towards the center of town.

I can hear him following me and feel his stare burning into the back of my head. I feel my chest tug but irritation flood through me. I'd been working for the last two weeks and walked to and from work plenty of times. His seeming lack of confidence in my ability to walk somewhere was offensive. After five minutes of walking I stop and groan in frustration…and not the good kind. Spinning on the spot I fix him with a glare.

"Stop following me." I tell him feeling exasperated.

"I was being polite and walking you to work." He tells me as if I'm being rude.

"I told you I was just fine." I grumble.

His eyebrow raises, yet again, and he shakes his head as if saying, "Silly Rose." The thought turns my irritation to anger. I wasn't two years old. I could walk places just fine. I should give him a piece of my mind. As if picking up on my line of thought I watch him raise two hands and walk past me and towards town.

"I promised to run some errands for Karolina." He throws over his shoulder. My eye starts twitching.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Dragomir Bakery was the one of two in town. The Bakery was a one of the many original buildings of the town. I guess the perks of being a smallish town was that the history wasn't forgotten, but preserved. It was home to Lisa's famous coffee and homemade baked goods. There was a place to sit and eat or you could order through the quaint storefront ordering window. You could also buy some of the latest books or magazines from the giant book case behind the counter. To preserve the small-town feel, it also seemed to be the place most teenagers hung out.

"I'll take a Columbian coffee cup with a shot of expresso, a chocolate raspberry turnover, and the latest addition of Times Magazine." Viktoria smiles widely at me from across the counter.

"What size would you like your coffee?" I ask professionally as I let a slight smile loose…she's just so contagious.

"The largest cup you have." She tells me giggling. "It'll be for here too."

Ringing up her order I provide her with the correct change and watch as she places it immediately into my tip jar. Jill starts making her coffee as I pull a magazine off the giant book case behind me and set her turnover on a plate. Placing the finished order on a tray I make my way to the table she sits at.

"Do you like the job?" Viktoria asks excitedly.

"I've told you a billion times already." I sigh lightly. "I like it."

In all honesty, it wasn't a bad job. I'm allowed as much free coffee/cocoa as I wanted. I get paid $8 an hour plus tips. Everything was pretty straight forward and I don't mind working long hours. I enjoy my job. I like making drinks. I like wiping down tables and sweeping the floor. I even like the early morning routine of making fresh pastries. Who would've thought? Maybe it's the sense of stability that's finally in my grasp after so long without it. I quickly finish serving Viktoria and move back behind the counter.

The day passes by in a blur and before I know it closing time is looming just over my shoulder. Sighing, I get to wiping tables and stacking up chairs as I listen to Lisa counting out the register in the back room. Finishing my task, I set to wiping down counters and loading the leftover pastries into a box. By the time I've finished restocking the books and magazines, Lissa has joined me in getting ready to close.

"I love school vacations!" Lisa practically sings as she sweeps behind the counter. "Profits triple!"

I nod at her excitement but get distracted by the ringing of the bell over the door.

"Welcome to the Dragomir Bakery. How can I help you?" I ask as I turn around.

My whole body freezes and I'm not sure if I can be anymore annoyed. Standing behind the counter I find Dimitri looking at me. Sensing my annoyance, I watch as his lips twitch slightly in amusement before settling back to being expressionless.

"Dimitri!" Lissa calls out happily. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Sorry Lissa I've been busy grading papers." He says politely.

"Well what can we get you?" She asks moving forward.

"I just finished running errands for Karolina and I thought hot chocolate sounded nice. I also thought since you were closing I could walk Rose home." He explains.

I don't say anything as I get to making the hot chocolate, but am quickly shooed away as Lissa takes over.

"Go ahead and clock out and I'll make this." She says kindly.

Smiling I nod and quickly make my way to the back and punch my card. I take my time putting on my winter outerwear and put my apron back into my satchel.

"Lissa am I still allowed to take the left overs home?" I ask as I enter the front again.

"Of course!" She exclaims, handing me the box. "Oh, and Rose, I'm closing down on Thanksgiving so you don't have to come in."

"Okay." I say simply. "Thank you for the pastries. Paul has been begging for pumpkin pie and Karolina craves your apple turnovers."

Calling out goodnight I take advantage of the conversation she's having with Dimitri and make my way outside shivering at the frigid air and start walking home. I don't even wait for Dimitri to follow or catch up. You would think he got the hint this morning but apparently not. The fresh snow crunches beneath my feet and I take a moment to enjoy the view of the town. Even I can appreciate the classic beauty of it…like something on a post card or an old painting. The center of town held a beautiful park and around it the town made a giant square. Old fashioned light posts lined the sidewalks and the buildings gave off a historic Victorian feel. Christmas lights were already hung and it gave the place a beautiful glow. Plus, the quietness had a peaceful ring to it that I could easily loose myself to.

"Roza!" Dimitri's voice shatters the moment and I feel anger surge up in response. "You didn't wait for me. That's rude."

"It's not rude considering I told you I wanted to walk home on my own already." I tell him without stopping.

"It's late at night and young girls shouldn't be walking on their own." He explains condescendingly.

"I like being on my own and I can handle myself if something pops up." I seethe at him.

"You don't need to get so angry Roza."

I spin around without any warning and go to punch him in the face. A strong hand catches my fist and I quickly drop and sweep my foot out and knock him down and jump onto him, straddling his stomach. As if anticipating my moves he uses his weight to flip us over so my body is pushed into the snow. Twisting my wrist in his grasp to distract him I swing my other fist up at the same time as I lift my leg to kick him in the back of the head. He tightens his hand on my wrist and he catches my other fist before moving sideways to avoid my foot.

"This is not an example of my being able to handle myself." I gasp out. "What are you a fucking ninja?"

"I train." Dimitri doesn't even sound like he's out of breath. "I'll give it to you though, you could probably handle yourself against anyone else."

Indignance rises in me and I feel my eyes narrow. Groaning internally at how stubborn I am, and how much this is going to hurt, I lurch forward and slam my head into his. Letting out a loud shout, Dimitri's grip loosens a little and I take the opportunity to roll us back over before pinning his arms. I ignore the throbbing of my head and stare at him triumphantly.

"Fuck you Comrade." I gasp out of breath.

I feel him tense beneath me and feel my thighs tighten in response. Looking down I meet his brown eyes and feel myself start to breathe heavier for an entirely different reason. The realization that Dimitri's muscled body iss under mine sent a thrill rocketing through me. Warm tingles spread through me from wherever our bodies touched and suddenly the cold air doesn't feel so bad. Heart slamming against my chest, I feel my throat go dry. I can't find it in myself to move. Why were these feelings so strong? I feel Dimitri's breathing grow faster and I wonder if he's just as affected as I am. I open my mouth to ask him when I feel something firm underneath me.

"Dimitri…" I start to draw out questioningly but I'm cut off as I'm suddenly thrown off him and into the snow.

Confusion takes over me as I watch Dimitri quickly rise. I try to read his expression but I can't find anything there and I can't seem to focus much as my stomach twists and the warmth between my legs seems to throb. My bodies reactions surprise me as much as the ache of my heart at the loss of his touch. Shaking my head I stand up trying to ignore my slight panic at how things took a turn and brush snow off before I find him quickly walking away from me. What the hell? I guess I'm walking home alone after all.

Please leave a review and let me know what you think! I'm having a little trouble figuring out how to move them along at just the right pace so if you have any suggestions I'm all ears. Hope you enjoyed it!