Not long into the movie, Lissa decided it wasn't her cup of tea, so announced her decision to retire to her suite to 'read.' Recognizing an excellent opportunity for some couple time while everyone else was occupied elsewhere, Christian followed, leaving the rest of their group to see the film through to its bloody conclusion.

"Crazy bitch! Some chicks just don't get the message, do they?" Eddie joked as the credits rolled.

"Apparently not," Celeste replied, suppressing a giggle, and pointedly not looking at Tasha.

After they'd talked with Abe, Rose revealed to Dimitri that the only people now not aware, or at least suspecting Tasha's involvement in Tatiana's murder, were Christian and possibly Grigor. Celeste and Eddie's thinly veiled comments seemed to support this conclusion. Thankfully, Tasha didn't seem to have any idea she was under suspicion.

"Let's start another movie. And sorry, Baba—I refuse to watch anything older than I am!"

After some back and forth, they decided on a Marvel movies marathon. Adrian declared they were of little interest to him, so accepted Abe's offer for conversation in his study. While, in reality, Adrian had no particular objection to the marvel movies, he could do without watching Rose and Dimitri cuddling on the sofa, even if he enjoyed seeing how much it enraged Lady Ozera.

As the second movie played, Dimitri and Rose were starting Abe's plan to devastate Tasha: part one being over the top public displays of affection. Or more aptly put hardcore make-out sessions. With no care for the movie, Rose wrapped the sofa's generous throw blanket around herself and her man, straddling Dimitri's lap and kissing him fiercely while slowly grinding her crotch against his rock-hard package. Using the cover of the throw to conceal what he was doing, Dimitri slipped his hands up under Rose's hoodie, using his thumbs to stroke her breasts through her filmy lace bra.

By the time Dimitri's lips found their way to Rose's neck, it was clear neither of them had any recollection they were on a sofa in clear view of Tasha and several Guardians who had a fair idea of what they were doing. In fact, Rose was reaching between herself and Dimitri to find the zipper on his pants to release his manhood when Eddie's amused voice interrupted her ministrations, causing Rose to quickly remove her hand from Dimitri's fly.

"Guys? While we're all thrilled to see you two back together, maybe you need to find a room?"

"Agreed. What the hell is wrong with you two?" Tasha snapped, furious at seeing the man she considered hers dry humping the bitch she thought she'd got rid of. "None of us want to see you getting it on!"

Instead of apologizing or slowing things down with Rose, Dimitri stood—holding her firmly cuddled against him, with her legs wrapped around his waist while he cradled her against his chest. His erection pressed hard against Rose's cleft felt like titanium, so he was grateful for her body and the throw wrapped around them, which concealed his excitement.

"You're right. Excuse us. Rose and I need privacy. Don't expect us down for lunch… We might be down by dinnertime." And with no further conversation, but many kisses and Rose's giggles, Rose and Dimitri adjourned upstairs, the former carefully carried by the latter. Eddie and Celeste regarded one another, both noting Tasha's incensed expression. Since neither of them liked her, it was an ideal opportunity to lay the boot in, at least a little.

"They are so into one another," Celeste declared, looking at Eddie. "I'm glad my room is on the other side of the house, cos' their suite is gonna be rocking, and I don't wanna be knocking."

"It's been that way since we arrived," Eddie scoffed. "Actually, almost since they first met. He adores her. You were there… He's always had a thing for her, even early on."

"That's true. No matter how many women tried their luck, before or after he thought she was gone, Dimitri's never shown a lick of interest in anyone else."

Not wanting to push things too far, Celeste started setting up the next movie while Eddie and Grigor disappeared to use the bathroom and get more snacks for movie number three.

"You've been Dimitri's Guardian partner for a while… Did Guardian Belikov have many female admirers at St. Vlad's?" Tasha asked Celeste while it was just the two of them. Aiming for a nonchalant voice, she failed abysmally.

"St. Vlad's. At Court. At Lehigh," Celeste said with a giggle. "It seems almost every woman takes a second look or tries something. Even the sixty-year-old lunch lady at St. Vlad's used to give him double helpings and all the best cuts of meat. And that's not even including the males who hoped he batted for the other team. I swear… It's a rare shift when I don't get someone slipping me a phone number, email address, or explicit message to pass on to D. It's quite annoying, really."

"Yet you weren't tempted?"

Hearing Tasha's jealous tone, Celeste laughed to herself. "No. He's a great guarding partner, but I've never felt that way about him. Besides—from almost the moment he arrived at St. Vlad's, it was obvious he'd fallen for Rose and her with him. Sure, they didn't do anything about it, but he couldn't hide the look in his eyes. He's been in love with Rose from almost the moment he met her. There'll be no one else for him."

"Anyone else for who?" Eddie asked Celeste, arriving back in the room with a bowl of fresh popcorn and a six-pack of soda, ready for movie number three.

"No one other than Rose for Dimitri."

"True, that," Grigor commented from a step or two behind Eddie. "I always thought Guardian/Guardian relationships were wrong. But seeing how Belikov and Hathaway are with one another, I am reconsidering my stance. Who knows... Maybe one day, I'll find a special woman to spend time with."

"You think two Dhampir should be allowed to be together?" Tasha snapped. "In a relationship?"

"I think we all deserve love. We only have one life, or in Rose's case, two. If she and Dimitri want a life together, why should anyone stop them? And if I have a chance at finding love, I'm going to go for it," Grigor declared, sitting on the sofa and ignoring Lady Ozera. For someone who claimed to be a champion of dhampir rights, the talk and the walk did not match her squawk!

"I can't believe Baba wants us to make out in front of Tasha," Rose said, giggling and pulling off her clothes when Dimitri threw her onto her bed. Lying on top of the duvet, she watched as he hastily stripped his top, then unzipped his pants, pulling them down along with his boxer briefs. Rose was going to say more but was distracted by Dimitri's hard-on. Already comfortable being naked around her man, it was easy to forget that other than the cabin at St. Vlad's, they'd only been lovers for a few days, hence Rose was still inexperienced. There was one act she'd yet to attempt, and with Dimitri standing naked at the end of her bed, this seemed the perfect time to try.

Rose scooted down to the foot of the bed, lying on her stomach, bringing her mouth up to the weeping tip of Dimitri's cock. Opening her lips, Rose's tongue sneaked out to lick the viscous fluid seeping from his slit, finding that she quite liked the salty, manly taste. She wondered whether that's what his cum would taste like and decided she wanted to find out. With one quick peek at Dimitri's excited face, Rose moved a little closer and wrapped her lips around the top of his dick, enclosing it in the wet warmth of her mouth.

Dimitri groaned, his fingers dropping to Rose's head. Rose had never sucked him off before, at least other than in his dreams, but just seeing her plump full lips surrounding his manhood was enough to make him almost uncomfortably hard, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't want to cum in her mouth and watch her swallow his jizz. Still, he'd be guided by her in this first attempt. If she didn't want to swallow, maybe he could cum on her breasts? He liked the idea of marking her as his.

After a moment or two of running her tongue around the head, Rose started sucking. Softly, at first, then harder. Encouraged by Dimitri's grunt of surprise and pleasure, she intensified what she was doing.

"Wrap your hand around the base," Dimitri instructed, appreciating there was little chance Rose could take him all on her first attempt at giving head. Once her hand was wrapped around his shaft, he put his hand over hers, guiding her movements. "Move it up and down with your mouth as you suck." After a couple of tries, Rose settled into a comfortable tempo and got the hang of what she was doing. Dimitri groaned loudly. She might not have the technique down pat, just yet, but she more than made up for it with enthusiasm. He'd literally dreamed about this more than once. The reality of Rose, his dick in her mouth, was better than anything he'd imagined. It already felt so freaking amazing. He could only imagine how good it would be once she had a little practice!

With one hand now on either side of her head, her small hand gripped tightly around his shaft, Dimitri flexed his hips in time with her hand. Not to fuck her mouth, it was enough to push his dick further inside her hot, wet orifice. Careful not to go too far, or make her gag, it gratified him when Rose moaned loudly; the vibration aiding his already rock-hard member. Torn between closing his eyes, to more fully appreciate the sensation, and watching Rose as she sucked him off, Dimitri compromised—his eyes half-open as Rose went to town on his downtown. Determined to hold out as long as possible, when Rose dropped her hand and all but swallowed his cock, Dimitri couldn't hold back any longer.

"Fuck! Roza!" he shouted as he ejaculated into the back of Rose's throat. Her hands holding his outer thighs while his dick spasmed in her mouth, Rose welcomed his seed, swallowing once and then again. The only reason she pulled back, just a little, is that she wanted to taste Dimitri's cum. So moving back until only the first few inches of his cock were in her mouth, Rose enjoyed the twitching of his manhood as it spurted a final few times down the length of her tongue.

Not too bad, she thought, letting Dimitri's jizz settle so she could taste before again swallowing. Creamier and more salty than his pre-cum. She didn't mind the feeling, or the taste, of him releasing in her mouth. Lissa had always described giving head as a chore, but Rose certainly didn't feel that way. In fact, looking up at Dimitri's blissful expression, this was something she hoped to do again often. Speechless as he came down from his orgasm, finally her man could talk.

"Roza? That was amazing. I've never… I mean… Fuck!"

Taking her time to make sure his member was clean, and her mouth free of cum, Rose gave Dimitri's dick a final, soft suck before releasing it from her mouth.

"You look spent," she giggled, grabbing Dimitri's hand, and pulling him onto the bed next to her. Lying on their backs side by side, for now, they were both feeling great. "How about you rest for a while?"

"Just a little while. There are things I want to do. Do to you. I know this is all new, but there are so many things I'd like to try. Together, we can explore what we enjoy."

"I'd like that."

Rolling to cuddle Dimitri, Rose was tucked under his arm. Resting for a while, Rose soon leaned up to give him soft kisses. Gentle pecks became more passionate, and before she knew it, Dimitri had Rose on her hands and knees, telling her to stay still as he kissed and licked her slit from behind. His first time giving her oral, he fingered her until she orgasmed—and as soon as she did, he entered her from behind.

"It's so deep this way," Rose moaned in satisfaction as Dimitri slid in and out of her dripping hole. It seemed like minutes, but also hours, as he pleasured her repeatedly.

"You're so wet!"

"For you. Only ever for you," Rose vowed.

"Damn right!" Dimitri growled as he exploded within her. Their best sexual experience, to date, he could only imagine how much better it would get as they learned more about one another and their preferences. He was hers, and she was his. Forever. No matter how their future played out, it was going to be side by side.

"What's going on with Pavel and your father?" Dimitri asked, observing the former's tense stance toward the latter. Looking at Pavel, and then where her father was chatting with Adrian, Rose could tell something was definitely going on. At meals, Pavel used to sit to Abe's right. When her friends arrived, he'd taken to sitting to his left. Now Pavel sat down the other end of the table and didn't even make eye contact with his boss.

"Give me a second," Rose mumbled, before turning to Lissa on her other side, asking her quietly what she could see of their auras. The group was at dinner, and while no one was saying anything controversial, the overall feeling was edgy. Grigor was doing his best to lift the mood, recounting an amusing story from a previous allocation, but no one was really into it.

"He's jealous of Adrian," Lissa said, surprised Rose had not noticed it earlier given she was usually quite perceptive. Lissa had recognized it, even without consulting Pavel's aura. Abe's long-term career Guardian felt he was being replaced and was seriously hurt.

"Adrian?"

"Your Dad has been spending a lot of time with him since we've been here," Lissa explained. "Pavel is feeling a little put out."

Now she thought about it, Rose could see why Pavel was upset. In the time she'd spent at Abe's St. Petersburg home, he and Pavel had been inseparable. More than Guardian and charge, they were also best friends and co-conspirators. But Lissa was right. With Adrian here, things had shifted. Her father was spending most of his time with the Moroi Lord, and not with Pavel.

"I'll talk to Dad about it," Rose whispered to Lissa, before turning to Dimitri and explaining the situation. Pavel and Abe were like ham and cheese, or peanut butter and jelly. Discord between them just didn't happen. Knowing Pavel felt overlooked upset Rose, and she was sure it would worry her father, too, once he noticed it.

Rose got her chance to speak to her father after dinner. Still pissed off by what she'd witnessed between Rose and Dimitri before lunch, Natasha said she didn't fancy watching another movie and selected a book to take to bed. Grigor, Eddie, and Celeste chose to spend the evening in the gym with Pavel and some of Abe's other Guardians, while Lissa and Adrian decided to make Rose some charms, Christian keeping the two Spirit users company.

"Why don't you go upstairs and pour us a bath?" Rose said to Dimitri. "I just need to talk with Dad, then I'll be right up."

"Don't keep me waiting too long," Dimitri replied, his eyes darkening as he thought about his plans for the rest of the evening.

"Hey Dad, got a minute?" Rose asked, stepping into her father's study. Looking up at her from his laptop, it surprised Rose to see her father wearing eyeglasses. "I didn't know you wore glasses?"

"Just for the computer - I'm getting old, kiz."

"Not old enough to keep you out of trouble."

"That's true," Abe chuckled. "What can I do for you?"

"Have you noticed anything different with Pavel?" Rose asked, sitting in the chair opposite her father.

"Pavel? Hmm… can't say I have?"

"You haven't noticed he's changed since my friends arrived?"

"Well, he's been busy with extra people in the house, but that's to be expected."

Rose mentally rolled her eyes. Clearly, she was going to have to spell this out.

"I've just noticed his routines have varied. Usually, at breakfast, Pavel brings in the newspaper, takes the sports section, and hands you the business pages, then halfway through breakfast you switch. But today he gave you the whole paper. And he always sits on your right at the table, but now Adrian has claimed that spot."

"What does it matter where everyone sits?" Abe asked, genuinely mystified.

"Well, tonight, he sat at the far end of the table."

"What of it?"

"Dad, I think he's feeling a little neglected. You guys have been together for so long, and now Adrian is here, you've been spending so much time with him, and hardly any with Pavel…"

"He's my Guardian—it's not like we're a couple!" Abe snapped, wondering whether his daughter thought there was more to his relationship with Pavel.

"I'm not suggesting you are. But you have been Guardian and charge for over twenty years. You have your own habits and ways of interacting. Pavel is used to being the person you trust and sound things out with, and I think your new friendship with Adrian might have interfered with that."

Abe said nothing, although he looked pensive.

"I'm not saying don't talk with Adrian, but Pavel has been loyal to you for years. It wouldn't hurt to invest some time making sure he knows you still value and appreciate him."

"Pavel is a grown man, Rose. If he had an issue, he'd come to me, and we'd discuss it. Like men."

"If you say so, Baba. But if that's the case, why is Pavel downstairs in the gym and not up here having an after-dinner drink and chat like the two of you have done every other evening before my friends came to visit?"