a/n: Thank you for reading and reviewing last chapter! :)

My sincere apologies! The first time I posted this, I accidentally posted a previous chapter. Sorry for the inconvenience.

"You think your mother would like me?" Dimitri asked dryly from his spot on the floor across Rose.

"Oh, yes," she said with a nod. "She likes anything—or anyone—that keeps me out of her hair."

"Really?"

"Mmm hmm," she continued as she swirled her hot wing in blue cheese dressing and then popped it into her mouth. "That's why she likes Lissa so much."

"Your mom likes Lissa because you were never home?" Dimitri asked.

"That's not what I said," Rose told him. "I said that she liked Lissa because she kept me out of her hair."

"What does that mean?" he asked with genuine curiosity. Over the last day and a half he'd become more interested in everything regarding Rose Hathaway. He wanted to absorb every piece of information he could before she left him, but he refused to ask himself why.

"Well, my parents couldn't have cared less if I was home because they were. Their jobs kept them out of the country most of the time. And in case you haven't noticed, I'm just a bit rough around the edges, so while it wasn't hard for me to make friends, I found it tough to keep them," Rose explained. "So every now and then I'd get lonely and call my parents. Not that they I could ever reach them," she muttered with a shrug. "But they'd meet their parental obligation and call back. In seventh grade, though, I met Lissa. After spending the night at my house a few times, she was convinced that I didn't actually have parents because she'd never seen them. The next time her mom dropped her off, she came in and spoke with our maid."

"You had a maid?" Dimitri asked.

"Of course," Rose said with a grin. "And no cracks about how I don't pick up after myself."

Dimitri held up both hands. "No cracks," he promised.

"After that, her parents sort of took me in," Rose continued. "My parents would always call the maid to let her know they were coming home, so she'd call me, and I'd traipse my butt back home for the two or three days they were in town."

"They didn't know you weren't living there?" Dimitri pressed.

Rose shook her head. "No. They never quite figured that out. But I'm not sure they would've cared," she admitted. "Once I met Lissa and began spending time with her family, I stopped calling my parents. Communication with them was nonexistent, and that's when I realized that in all the years they'd been away, neither one of them had ever called me," she said matter-of-factly.

Dimitri frowned. "That doesn't bother you?"

"No," Rose answered honestly. "I didn't need them anymore. I had Lissa's family."

"And now?" Dimitri asked. "Do you talk to them at all now?"

Rose shook her head. "No. Now it's just me and Liss. Well…me and Liss and her boyfriend."

"And her parents," Dimitri added.

"No," Rose said sadly. "Lissa's parents and brother died in a car accident almost three years ago. They were hit by a drunk driver."

Dimitri's brows drew together in disbelief. "It hasn't been easy for you, has it?" he asked in a low voice.

Rose shrugged. "Trust me. It could've been much worse," she reasoned.

"How?" Dimitri asked.

"Well…I could've never met Lissa, for one thing," she pointed out. "And for another, her mother might never have come into my house and grilled the maid."

"Is your glass always half-full, Rose Hathaway?" Dimitri asked.

Rose laughed. "I don't know about that," she answered as she stretched her legs out from their crossed position and rose up onto her knees. "But now that my stomach is, how about dessert, professor?" she suggested as she crawled closer.

Dimitri used his foot to push their plates off to the side and stretched his legs out in front of him as he lay back until he was resting on his elbows. Rose kept moving until she was straddling his ankles, and continued until she reached his waist.

"Sound like a perfect way to end the weekend," Dimitri agreed.

With a groan, Rose faced the inevitable and pulled away from Dimitri. She reached for her panties, and started getting dressed, stopping at whatever spot she found the next needed article of clothing to put it on.

"You know, one of the worst sights in the world is you putting clothes on," Dimitri remarked.

Rose laughed as she pulled her shirt up her arms and then buttoned it up. "All good things must come to an end, right?" she said offhandedly.

"Sure," Dimitri agreed half-heartedly. "Listen, Rose. About your promise."

"Yes!" she said as she walked over and lowered herself into a crouched position beside him. "Sweaters and baggy jeans."

Dimitri leaned forward until his forehead was touching hers and pushed a lock of hair away from her face. "Fitted shirts wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, but have to cover those damn legs. Otherwise, all I'm going to be able to do is remember those damn things wrapped around me…and all hell will break loose below my waist."

Rose laughed. "Well, in the interest of keeping hell intact, my legs will always be covered in your classroom professor." She leaned forward and placed a quick, soft kiss on his lips. "Goodbye, Dimitri."

He grabbed her wrist as she straightened. "I'll walk you out."

Rose shook her head as she looked down at him. "No," she argued. "It'll be much easier this way. Trust me."

"Roza—"

But she shook her head. "Come on," she said with forced teasing tone in her voice. "I never get to be the one who leaves."

"You were last weekend," he reminded her.

"Yes, but you saw it coming this time." She pulled her wrist from his grip. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Rose closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly before she entered her classroom. She'd promised Dimitri that if he took her home one more time, no more trying to get him into bed again. And she was going to keep her word. But it didn't mean she could make her desire for him disappear. She walked into the classroom and sat in her usual seat near the front of the room.

It wasn't long before Dimitri walked in, and Rose's heart immediately skipped a beat. That worried her a bit. Rushing warmth between her thighs she could handle—her heart skipping a beat? Not so much. This was something entirely unfamiliar to her.

Ten minutes into the lecture, Rose looked up from her notepad when there was a knock on the door. Dimitri strode over and opened the door, and less than thirty seconds later, a new student entered the room.

Rose's eyes widened as Christian's gaze landed on her. With a grin, he walked over and took the seat next to hers.

"What are you—"

Rose was interrupted when two things happened simultaneously. Dimitri opened his mouth to continue his lecture—and Christian's head whipped around to get another look at him.

Oh, Fuck. Rose sunk deeper into her seat, and when Christian turned back to her she couldn't meet his gaze.

"Your Russian lover, I presume?"