"Ty poslana mne bogom..." My eyes opened slowly as I felt Dimitri's warm breath at my neck. My Russian was very rusty. I knew few words. "It means you were sent to me by God." He whispered, trailing his tongue against my neck. "Oh." That came out more of a sound than a word as I tried to sit up on the bed. "Your guards are probably growing restless out there..." The last thing I wanted was for Dimitri to leave but I was the voice of reason right now and it seemed like the best thing for him. "I told you – I don't care about them."

I wasn't sure what to say to that.

We had been lying in my bed for hours and by the glow behind the window shade it was mid-day, which meant the middle of the night for our kind. "Can we take a walk?" I asked softly – I didn't want Dimitri to remember that he hated me anytime soon so I hadn't said much to him. I knew this perfect life wouldn't last much longer. "Anything for you, krasivyi." Beautiful. Dimitri slid from my lap and stood to his feet in one quick motion – making me look like a klutz as I scrambled to his side. He had fell asleep not long after we returned to my room – I guess not sleeping for several months was bound to catch up with you – and I had held him in my arms as he rested.

It had been the best night of my life.

His guards stirred quickly as the door opened and we emerged from the bedroom. At least it didn't look like we had been having sex the whole time we'd been gone. We both looked well rested and the guardians keep a professional look to themselves as we began to walk. To my surprise Dimitri took my hand in his – holding me close to his side. It was different from being at the Academy – we had to be so secretive there but now I was eighteen and we were out in the real world. It might be frowned upon but no one could stop us from being together.

Court was nearly deserted because of the hour so that gave Dimitri and myself plenty of walking room and very little company – except for the five guardians behind us. "There's one thing that I haven't been able to figure out." I started, unable to help myself as we walked. Dimitri looked at me – knowing he probably wasn't going to like what I had to say next. "It took me at least a month to get to Russia and even longer to find Omsk. When you… found me," I refused to say 'captured me, hit me over the head and knocked me out cold to drag me back to your evil lair', "…you were still kinda like the old Dimitri, well like you are now? Plus, your heart beat..."

Dimitri was quiet for a long moment – swallowing hard before he answered me. It was obvious that he didn't like talking about his time as Strigoi but he was our best hope for learning more about them. I had never been taught that their heart still beat.

"I think that when someone is turned Strigoi it takes a while before it comes into full effect." Our eyes met and I gave him a smile, assuring him that it was okay to talk about it. What had happened to him wasn't his fault. "The first few weeks I was angry… tortured because I had let this happen to me, because I'd lost you... and I knew I had to leave America – to get as far away from you and the Academy as possible."

My mouth hung open slightly – all eyes on Dimitri has he told his sad story.

"Later, after I found you... or, you found me actually – it was harder to be around you. I wanted to be with you so badly but I couldn't allow myself but in short visits. I knew that if I stayed with you... or if we made love again that I would kill you."

All I could do was nod, understanding now why he never went any further with me at the estate. It was bad enough to be turned into his blood whore but surely he still had enough soul left in him to fight the urge for sex and even worse, my death.

"You are very strong."

This caused him to laugh.

"Remember I kept telling you that you had to make a decision? I was fighting my instincts so hard it was tearing me apart inside and I knew that I wouldn't be able to control it much longer. After you..." His gaze fell at the thought. "..escaped. It only got worse... by the time you saw me in Vegas it was pure blood lust…" Dimitri grew quiet after that, lost in his own sea of dreadful thoughts.

"You really should stay away from me, Roza. You are in constant danger with me by your side." We stopped walking and looked at each other. "No. Dimitri – you aren't Strigoi anymore. You won't hurt me." He looked at me as if he wasn't so sure. "What if I… willingly become Strigoi... during my time I found out that it isn't just Moroi… even half moroi dhampirs can become Strigoi if they purposely kill someone.."

He kept his voice low so that the trailing guardians couldn't hear our conversation but the shock on my face was almost a dead giveaway.

"It doesn't matter, Dimitri. Not to me. I know that you'd never do something like that and you won't hurt me and even if you did decide you want to kill me I couldn't think of any other hand I'd want to die by." How poetic. "But you won't, so it doesn't matter."

I let my voice trail. He wasn't listening to me anymore – no matter how much I assured him that he wouldn't hurt me or become Strigoi he didn't believe it himself.

"I should probably go back and get some real sleep before morning. I have a bad feeling that Hans is going to be waiting for me with shovel in hand at sunset."

"Come to my suit, Roza. You'll never get enough rest if you have to walk all the way back to the graduate's quarters. Mine is just around the bend ahead."

Spending the night with Dimitri – even if it was strictly platonic (which is so wasn't) – would only lead to one thing – me trying to have my way with him.

"I don't trust…" His eyes caught mine at the thought of me not trusting him. Of course I did – I trusted him even when he was Strigoi, for the most part - at first. "I don't trust myself, Dimitri… not with you..." He had never let go of my hand and now pulled me in close to himself to brush his lips against my own.

"Krasivyi Roza." Beautiful Rose. "I don't want to let you go…"

Words like that made me melt in his arms.

"Don't let me go." I repeated in a whisper – looking up into his mesmerizing eyes. That was all it took for him to quicken his pace – nodding his guardians to the suit her majesty had so humbly allowed him after the majority of the town agreed he wasn't Strigoi. Once inside the building the Guards took their respected leave to their own quarters close by and Dimitri's mouth finally found mine. It was the same hungry need as before but this time I was ready for him and I matched his advances perfectly.

...................................................

Author's Note: This part gets a little naughty so no kiddies and read at your own discretion! Hope it isn't to smutty and tacky! Ty! ***THIS PART IS RATED M FOR MATURE!***

"Roza..." The nickname he had given me so long ago was at my lips now - pushing me back against his door as he tried desperately to find the key in his pocket without breaking our connection. "Ja hochu tebja tak ploho..." My sweet Dimitri sometimes, most of the time, forgets that I am not fluent in Russian but I caught a few words like, want and so badly in that sentence and I had to agree with him.

After another agonizing minute I heard the lock click open. In my desperation my hand found the knob first and I turned it hard - causing us both to go flying backwards into his room. I let out a muffled yelp when my back hit the floor - Dimitri's hands in my hair trying to shield the blow.

"Are you alright?"

I wiggled beneath him.

"Yeah."

The single word had came out more passionately then I could of hoped for and we began to kiss again - his mouth on mine and then down my neck skillfully. He was so full of life and warmth - my heart was screaming out to him. It was exactly like our first time at the Academy. I felt him move and heard the door close behind us with his foot - his hands finding my face as the kiss continued.

"Roza.. my beautiful, Roza.. I missed you so much... I'm so sorry.."

Dimitri's kisses were growing fewer and further between - causing me to take action. I didn't want to lose him to his horrible memories - not now. "Shh, baby.. I love you.." We kissed again - hard, slipping my tongue into his mouth until he groaned between us. "I love you, Dimitri.." I was in his lap by then - still on the floor with my legs locked behind him. No one could have moved me from this position - it was the one place in the world I belonged - with Dimitri. His arms wrapped around me tightly, bringing me into his embrace - holding my mouth to his as skilled fingers ran through the back of my hair.

Several wonderful moments went by as we kissed, touched and whispered to each other until I felt as though I was going to explode with love and happiness, and something else. "Dimitri..." My voice was thick with emotion as he looked at me - letting his eyes move from my face to my body. Unfortunately we were still on the floor just inside his suit.

"I want you."

It was all the encouragement he needed. In a quick movement he had stood to his feet and latched the door - reaching down to pick me up into his arms. Our lips found one another's again as he laid me back on his surprisingly soft bed and advanced onto me - shedding his long leather coat as he went. I couldn't help but sigh happily as his weight fell onto me - it was the best feeling in the world, knowing that Dimitri was with me - that he wanted me. He had definitely turned a one-eighty on his thoughts of us being together but I wasn't going to think about that now.

All I could seem to think of was Dimitri's rough hands sliding up my shirt and cupping my breasts gently. In another second the shirt was thrown across the room and his mouth replaced his hands. His warm tongue traced a wet line down the valley of my breasts - stopping just before my navel.

"Puzhalsta.."

My voice sounded foreign to me - possibly because I had just spoke to Dimitri in his native tongue - possibly because he had eagerly slipped my jeans off without much effort. Lost didn't begin to describe how I felt when Dimitri was touching me - disconnected from the world barely explained it. Somehow here we were again - completely naked in bed with each other and he didn't so much as hesitate when he entered me this time. Dimitri placed small kisses on my bottom lip as he stared into my eyes - staying completely still as the sensations took over our bodies.

"I didn't mean to hurt.. you.." He groaned against my ear, slowly beginning to move. "..I couldn't.. help myself.." I was at a loss for words by then - staring at him with a look of pure wonder on my face. "I love you." Was all I could seem to offer as he continued this beautiful torment to my body.

................................................