a/n: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing last chapter. :)

Rose tore her gaze from Dimitri's and fixed it on the young man in front of her. "Ryan, did you say?" she asked with a sweet smile.

His crooked grin was endearing, but Rose didn't want endearing. She wanted sexy…that sexy, knowing grin that Dimitri gave her just seconds before she came.

"Yes," he answered.

Rose nodded, careful to keep the smile pasted on her face. "Here's the thing, Ryan. There's someone here I want to go home with tonight, and it's not you."

His face fell and Rose reached forward, resting her hand on his shoulder. "But if you're willing…I think it would be fun to make him jealous."

Ryan lifted his face once again and looked at her warily. "How?" he asked.

"Oh, you know…just a little dancing. Some nuzzling…"

Ryan grinned. "Maybe a little kissing?" he asked hopefully.

Rose threw her head back with a laugh. Let Dimitri think she was thoroughly enjoying herself. "Nice try, buddy. You in or not?"

Ryan thought about it for a minute. "One question."

"OK…"

"Am I gonna get the shit kicked out of me by a jealous boyfriend?" he asked.

Rose reached for his hand and laced her fingers with his as she began leading him to the dance floor. "Trust me, Ryan. You have nothing to worry about."

Dimitri must have slammed his glass down too hard, because the bartender that appeared in front of him scowled. "Can I help you?" she snapped.

"Scotch. Neat," he answered just as curtly, his gaze returning to the dance floor. Or, more precisely, Roza on the dance floor.

She was wearing the same thing she'd worn to class this morning: a tight chocolate colored skirt that didn't even make it to middle of her taut thigh and a long sleeved white t-shirt with a silver sequined crown smack dab in the middle of her chest. The t-shirt was low-cut and starting at the elbow, it alternated between thick pink and white stripes. A thick, light pink, leather belt completed the ensemble. She wasn't wearing damn thing tight enough, and her hips were barely holding it up.

Hips that at this very moment were shaking fervently back and forth while her ass rubbed against another man's crotch.

Dimitri narrowed his gaze as he watched her dancing. She had her arms out in front of her, her eyes closed as she moved. When her dance partner placed his hands on her hips and then moved them lower until they were resting on the bare skin of her outer thighs, Dimitri was unable to suppress a growl. He lifted his glass off the bar and downed it in one swallow.

Would this fuckin' song ever end?

Rose began to fan herself when the song came to an end. "I need to freshen up," she yelled to Ryan as the next one started. She made her way to the back of the club and was glad to see there wasn't a line for the ladies room. She walked inside and reached between her breasts to pull out her shiny pink lip gloss. After a single swipe, she rubbed her lips together and then studied her reflection for a moment. Rose ran her fingers through a few unruly curls and after placing them where she wanted them, she left the ladies room.

She'd barely taken two steps when she felt herself being gently backed against the wall in the dimly lit hallway. If she hadn't immediately recognized the scent of Dimitri's cologne, she'd have fought back, but as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she finally met his gaze. The look in his eyes nearly made her grin triumphantly, but she held back.

"Professor Belikov," she said coolly.

"Are you going home with him?" Dimitri demanded.

"Would it matter if I was?" Rose shot back.

"Are you going to do the same things to him that you did to me?"

"Of course not!" Rose hissed. She could feel her cheeks heat the very thought of it; she'd done things to Dimitri that she'd never done to any man!

He studied her face for a moment before finally speaking. "Good."

Dimitri's head swooped down and he placed a soft kiss on the curve between her neck and shoulder, then used the tip of his tongue to trace a path up her neck and stopped just behind her ear. When he used his teeth to tug on her earlobe, Rose shivered. She lifted her hands to his shoulders, her fingernails digging into his black t-shirt as she whimpered. "What are you doing?" she asked weakly even as she tipped her head to the side to grant him easier access.

He brushed her hair back over her shoulder. "What do you think I'm doing?" he asked in a muffled voice as he sucked that sensitive spot behind her ear.

"Teasing me," she answered.

"I feel like a jealous fool, Roza," he said in a low voice. "I don't want you to go home with him, but I can't take you home with me."

"Yes, you can!" she said quickly. "You can." Rose lifted her hands to clench the sides of his head, and then went up on her tiptoes to rest her forehead against his, her breathing heavy from his teasing. "Please," she begged feebly. "Please take me home tonight. I promise I won't taunt you anymore. I promise I'll…wear jeans and oversize sweaters to class. Please," she repeated, her grip on him tightening.

"Roza," he said softly as he reached for her wrists and pulled her hands away from him.

"Please," she said again, so desperate for him to say yes. She studied his face as he looked down at her. She could see the warring emotions in his eyes and knew a split second before he spoke what his answer would be.

"I'll bring the car around and meet you out front."

Rose hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath until he spoke. She sagged against the wall as she let it out.

"But Rose. You had a one night stand last weekend," Lissa reminded her.

Rose stuck her lower lip out in a mock pout. "Lissa," she said in a whiney voice. "You know I'm nursing a broken heart."

"You can nurse a broken heart without being slutty," Lissa scolded.

Rose grinned. "You're right. But not tonight." She leaned over the table and kissed her friend on the cheek. No need to tell Lissa she was heading home with the same man she'd gone home with last weekend. Especially if Lissa eventually found out who Dimitri was. Not a good idea to tell her at all. "Don't wait up."

"Bu…Rose!" Lissa sputtered. But it was too late; she was already walking away.

"Condom, Rose!" she heard Christian yell.

Rose threw him a grin over her shoulder. "You, too," she shot back.

By the time Rose exited the bar Dimitri was already waiting out front, as promised. She climbed into the passenger's seat, and before she could close her door, he was already hauling her against him by her shirt.

Their faces practically crashed together, and Dimitri's tongue thrust between Rose's already parted lips. His tongue stroked hers, and Rose groaned at the familiar taste of Dimitri—scotch and something else she couldn't quite identify. She reached blindly forward, her fingers clawing at his t-shirt as he kissed her.

The sound of a horn honking from the car behind jarred them apart. Rose quickly shut her door, but before Dimitri could take off, she rested her hand on his arm. "Wait," she said. "I tasted scotch. Are you drunk?" She didn't want him driving if he was drunk. They would make it back to his place, dammitt.

Dimitri shook his head. "No, Roza. I'm not drunk."

Rose nodded. "Good. That's good," she said, licking her lips as she studied his face. His eyes were dark with desire, and she had all she could do not to crawl over the console that separated them and kiss him again. Instead, she buckled up. Wise choice, as Dimitri's car exited the parking lot with a jolt.

It was nice to know she wasn't the only one in a hurry.