Disclaimer: I do not own VA and thank Richelle Mead for writing such an awesome series.

I feel like I'm always starting my chapters with apologies and I worry they will lose their meaning and seem insincere…

But I'm sorry that it's taken me soooooo long to update – exactly a month since the last chapter was posted!

It's hard trying to find a few hours to just sit and write undisturbed when you have two kiddies...one who is going through her 'terrible twos' and wants constant attention and the other a 9 month old who is having major teething/colic filled couple of weeks…and they are both going back and forth with colds/coughs…That plus hubby having a medical procedure…sleepless nights…making sure my piece for the Father's Day compilation was done on time…well, life has been one big ball of drama!

I can't churn out quick chapters as I need to cover soo much and since I write each chapter from scratch – all I have pre-planned is the general structure/content for the chapter – you can imagine it takes me some time to write the first draft…And when I actually start writing, things always seem to change from my initial plans… So what I'm trying to say is it's not a simple endeavour…(And don't get me started on the countless times I edit, cause I'm my harshest critic!).

Anyway, enough of my babble…here is the next chapter – hope you enjoy it!

Danke (German – thank you)

PS. Please read AN at the end of the chapter…
_

Two rival restaurants and chefs – what happens when love joins the menu?

Restaurant Wars

CHAPTER 19

Rose POV

Last weekend was life changing!

I can't believe we finally confessed our feelings to each other – it still feels surreal. Of course, I hated that we couldn't be open about it. If I could, I would gladly shout to the world I was in love with Dimitri Belikov! But since we hadn't figured out how we were going to break the news to our families or found a way to move past the feud, we had to keep our relationship a secret.

It had been an amazing experience working alongside Dimitri – we were perfect and so in sync that most of the time we didn't need to say a thing. And the intensity and passion he brought to his cooking! God, I just wanted to ravish him in the truck, virginity be damned! But being the sweet gentleman he is, Dimitri stopped us from going beyond your standard 'make-out' – even if we did get close to second base a few times!

As I laid in bed after a crazy day at work, reminiscing over that perfect weekend, my fingers twitched next to my phone. We had exchanged numbers and had been texting one another almost every day. It also seemed like the safest way to communicate without being caught out by our family or colleagues.

He saved me on his phone as 'Moya dusha' (my soul) and I saved him on mine as 'Kalbim' (my heart) and we made sure our phones were pass code protected, so our nosy siblings wouldn't 'accidently' see something they shouldn't. So far our texts had been innocent – asking how our day was, confessing to missing each other, sharing recipes and food ideas in general. But tonight, thinking about my make-out sessions with Dimitri, I felt a bit naughty – so wanted to try something different.

I messaged Dimitri while I chewed on my bottom lip in nervous apprehension.

Me: Hey…hope you had a good day. Mine was tiring, as always! So hmm…where are you?

I stared at my phone and watched the time change as I waited impatiently for his reply – it came 5 mins later.

D: Hey…yeh my day was ok. Like you, just a busy day. I'm at home – what about you?

I started typing my reply even before I finished reading his message…

Me: I'm home too…just lying in bed…wishing you were here next to me

His reply came swiftly now that we were in 'chat' mode.

D: I know what you mean moya lyubov…I can still remember the night you spent at my place – one of the best nights of my life!

I couldn't help the smile that stretched across my face as I too recalled that beautiful night…our intense make-out and then falling asleep in his warm, strong arms.

Me: Last weekend was pretty amazing too… God, I wish I wasn't a virgin! You have no idea how much I wanted to jump your bones every time I see you!

I bit my tongue to stifle the moan I wanted to emit as I recalled how gorgeous he looked without his shirt…Damn! Just thinking about it made me hot and bothered. The buzz of my phone broke through my naughty thoughts…

D: I know the waiting sucks but you have no idea how much it means to me to know that you want to give me this special honour, which is why I don't want us to rush it…I want to make it a memorable experience for you. In fact I wish I had waited as well because with you…it won't be just sex…it would be making love with the person who I know is the missing part of my soul 3

I felt tears prickling my eyes by the time I'd finished reading his reply. He could be such a sap sometimes but he was my sap. I took a deep breath to reign in my emotions – after all I had wanted to try something tonight that was more on the naughty side than emotional.

Me: Just because we're waiting for the right moment to make love doesn't mean we can't have fun in the meantime….

I held my breath while I waited for him to take the bait – I'd never done this before and was nervous on how I would manage if he wanted me to proceed. I finally released my breath when my phone buzzed with his reply.

D: What did you have in mind?

I suddenly felt super nervous. How was I going to pull this off when I'd never had done the deed in real life?

Sure had watched my fair share of R-rated movies and even peeked at a few pornos, but watching something and experiencing if yourself are too different things. Luckily I had a great imagination.

First I had to get myself physically in the 'zone'. I took off my t-shirt and wriggled out of my pj bottoms. Looking down at my simple bra and panties I frowned – they weren't sexy at all and felt more like a hindrance than a helpful accessory, so without a second thought I took those off too. I'd never slept naked in my own bed, so lying completely nude sandwiched between my mattress and quilt was a new experience – one that strangely boosted my confidence.

I could feel a tingle building in my lower abdomen and my skin erupted with goose bumps in anticipation. I became hyper aware of certain sensitive areas getting brushed by the soft cotton cocoon that surrounded me. My room was completely dark apart from the light being emitted by my phone and I was glad I had locked my door since the last thing I needed was to be interrupted – my family, especially my brothers, didn't understand the concept of privacy and personal space.

My phone buzzed again just as I'd finished propping myself up against my pillows, my duvet just barely covering my breasts. I checked Dimitri's message and couldn't help but giggle.

D: Hello? You still there?! Hope you haven't fallen sleep already… Especially after giving me that little teaser :P

With a sly grin, I quickly typed my response to assuage his concerns.

Me: Sorry – got a bit delayed…Its strangely warm in my room tonight so was thinking about sleeping in my underwear…but even that felt like too many layers…so… ;P

I bit my lip and hoped he could read between the lines – I wasn't the type to use subtlety to communicate, but it was necessary for the sake of the 'game' I was playing with him tonight. His reply was instantaneous.

D: Fuck Roza! Are u telling me…you are currently naked in your bed?!

I tried to imagine his expression as he read my message and wondered how the rest of his body would be responding. I quickly typed my own response.

Me: Well not completely naked – I have my nazar necklace on…Its sitting snuggly between my breasts…Hey, u have more knowledge & experience than me when it comes to sex…Any idea why my nipples are sooo hard and perky when the room and the rest of my body is burning hot? I thought they only did that in cold temperature…

I knew I was being evil and possibly playing a dangerous game but it was wonderful to be in a position of power. I sent him another message, eager to move things along rather than wait for his response and direction.

Me: How are things at your place? Are you experiencing unnaturally 'hot' weather as well?

My phone buzzed again but this time it was due to a call and not a text. Seeing that it was Dimitri, I hesitated – sexting was one thing but phone sex – could I really do this? Taking a deep breath, I answered the phone.

"Hello?"

I barely recognised my own voice – burning desire and lust that was overwhelming my body had made it husky with a touch of sexy.

"I know we had an unspoken agreement to only text, but shittttt Roza! Why do you live with your family?! If you had your own place I would've been there in a heartbeat! …. It's a saving grace you live with your folks…Otherwise if I had turned up tonight, I wouldn't have kept my promise to wait… And to answer your other text…My place strangely started heating up as well and now I'm in bed with just a sheet over me…and nothing else…"

FUCK!

My eyes closed as images of the hot, muscly naked Russian with a sheet barely covering him kept flashing behind my lids – What the hell was I doing? This was starting to feel more torturous for me than him. I had to turn things around.

"Damn Dimitri! So tell me…If you had been able to see me tonight…What would you've done?"

I don't know where I found the courage and boldness to push him along. My nerves tingled throughout my body and the molten heat between my legs intensified, making me squirm. My fingers wanted to explore the throbbing below while I imagined it was Dimitri's fingers and not my own that caressed me.

"Fuck Roza! You are playing a dangerous game here…Shit…I'm so hard for you right now… If I had turned up at your door, I wouldn't have been able to stay in control…The moment you opened it, I would have lifted you into my arms and slammed the door shut – locking it…I'd be too impatient to walk to the bedroom so would have pushed you against the nearest wall, all the while kissing you senseless as my arms held you up and my hips grinded against you – letting you know just how much I needed you…."

This time a soft moan left my lips as I visualised the scene. I felt breathless just imagining the searing kiss and felt myself shiver in wanton desire just thinking about what would be pressed against me as our hips brushed against each other. I had felt him in passing during our make-outs so knew he was packing something big! Sensing that I wasn't going to respond any time soon he continued.

"…I would let my lips possess yours and my hands caress every inch of your body… I'd imagine you would've answered the door in just a robe (since you're currently naked)…and that would be perfect because with just one flick I would have your tie undone and disrobed…My lips would move slowly away from your delicious lips and make their way to your neck where I would find that sweet spot which would turn your legs to jelly…forcing you to cling to me tighter and closer…

With a start, I realised I had let him lead the chat and had barely said anything – so lost in the vivid world he was painting before me. I tried to keep my voice steady as I gave him a response, but it came out sultry and shaky.

"God Dimitri! You have no idea how much I wish I lived by myself right now…Fuck!….I'm just itching to run my hands all over my body, desperate to imagine it's you who is touching me…caressing me…teasing me…".

I could almost imagine the seductive smirk on his face while he gave me his own husky response.

"Oh Roza…The night is still young and I've only just begun…"

Before I could come back with a sexy retort of my own, someone jiggled my doorknob. I bolted upright, half in panic as I looked around frantically for something to cover myself with.

Who the fuck was trying to come into my room in the middle of the night?

"Rosieeeeeeeeeeeeeee…you awaaaaaaaaaaaaake?"

I rolled my eyes in annoyance as I recognised the drunken whisper hiss of my eldest brother Christian. I'd almost forgotten about Dimitri in my haste to pull on a robe but remembering the phone I still held in my hand I quickly ended the conversation, hating that we had to part just as things were getting interesting.

"I'm soo sorry but one of my brothers needs me and is making a racket to get my attention. I don't want the idiot waking everyone else up. So I will try and call or message you back later…hopefully it won't take too long to sort him out. Seriously…really…really sorry to leave you…hanging…"

Dimitri groaned in frustration and I stifled a giggle, as I imagined his 'strained' position. He gritted out his response, trying to not let across just how 'unsatisfied' he was with us ending our call early.

"It's ok Roza…. I really hope to hear from you soon!"

We said hurried goodbyes to each other before hanging up. Closing my robe around me, I gave myself a quick look in the mirror. I'd only had the side lamp on but it was enough to show my appearance was 'presentable'. Christian hadn't eased up in his endeavour to get into my room but thankfully wasn't loud enough to wake the rest of the household. Opening the door a crack, I prepared myself to berate my eldest brother for his insensitivity and incessant need to disturb me so late into the night, when I caught the look on his face.

He was swaying, so definitely drunk, but still sober enough to stand up straight. His eyes were bloodshot, but the puffiness and redness appeared to have come about from tears and not just the alcohol. My anger disappeared in an instant as my strong sense to protect my family took over. It took a lot to make my brother to display any kind of vulnerability and I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen him cry – something big had to have happened to cause such a reaction from him. Knowing this wasn't something I could brush aside or sort quickly, I messaged Dimitri, promising to make it up to him somehow and begging for his forgiveness. He, of course, understood my predicament and wished me luck. I briefly wondered how he would 'handle' his frustration and found my mind slipping back down the 'salacious' rabbit hole, but one look at my sniffling, swaying brother and I no longer needed a cold shower to clear my thoughts.

Pulling him towards his room, I quietly ordered him to have a quick shower while I fixed us some Turkish coffee and some snacks. While he was busy showering, I quickly returned to my room to change into my night clothes, not wanting to have a long chat naked with just a robe on. By the time I had the coffee and snacks, Christian was already out of the shower and lying in bed, staring hard at the ceiling.

Christian and I have had a strange relationship. Even though I had great respect for him as the eldest child of our household, I've always bantered and argued with him like an equal and what was even stranger was that he let me. I think it because it challenges him and keeps him on his toes – Eddie and Mason are more than happy to roll over and do as he commands. Regardless of our constant need to belittle each other and 'fight', we are fiercely protective of each other. Which is why right now, instead of ripping into him for disturbing my 'night' or making fun of his drunken state, I want to take him into my arms and hold him. He clearly needs some form of comforting, otherwise why would he be waking me up at 2am.

"Chrissy, why don't you sit up and have some coffee with me. Then you can tell me what's bothering you…"

He quietly followed my request and sat up on his bed and took the offered coffee and small assortment of snacks to nibble on while I patiently waited for him to 'spill his beans'.

"We had a big fight tonight…I can't even remember what it was about…But it was bad and….and I think she broke up with me…"

It was more his blurted confession than the reveal that he had a girlfriend that had caused he to gasp softly. Eddie and I had long since suspected Christian had a mystery girlfriend, someone he met around the time the competition commenced but we figured it was either casual or too early for him to feel comfortable enough to share with the family.

His eyes weren't as bad as they were before, but still held some unknown pain as they met my own. It was his turn to gasp when he saw I wasn't surprised by his big 'girlfriend confession'.

"Eddie and I suspected you were seeing someone. You've practically stopped attending family dinners now for some time. In fact this is the first time I've seen you in weeks. We figured you weren't ready to tell us, so didn't want to push the matter".

Guilt and shame flickered across his face as he looked away. Silence fell over us again while we gathered our thoughts. Christian broke this bout of silence as well.

"It's not like I didn't want to tell you guys…I did...I do…I mean….It's complicated….She wanted to keep our relationship a secret…Apparently her big brother is the overprotective type…Plus…Hmm…There are other reasons which I can't get into at this time…Not that it matters anyway since we are no longer together…"

He tried to state the statement with nonchalance, but I noticed his quivering lips and the sad slump in his shoulders – he did not want to go back into the 'singles' market.

"What exactly did she say tonight that makes you think she ended things between you?"

I may not have had any serious relationships, prior to Dimitri, but had watched enough soaps and read books to know guys and girls interpret certain things differently – Exhibit A Friends, where Ross thought them being on a 'break' meant they were broken up and so it was ok to sleep with another girl…when what Rachel meant was needing a 'break' from the relationship so some personal space not 'this is the end' of our relationship.

He gave me a strange look, like I was questioning how two plus two is four. I glared back at him, not budging from my request – he choose to drag me into this, so he now had to deal with the bloody consequences.

"She said she was tired from all the sneaking around – even though it was her idea to keep us a secret…She complained that I didn't understand her or her needs and finally said she wanted some time to think things through…"

He ended his tirade with a bitter laugh. I could see how he thought they had broken up, but clearly this girl, whoever she was, just needed some space to understand her feelings. I reached over and took his hand to comfort.

"Look, I think you should just give this girl some space. Let her come to you. Don't rush the process or go do something stupid like hooking up with someone…I'm sure you can keep it in your pants for a few weeks, right?"

He gave me an exasperated look for my 'keep it in pants' comment, otherwise remained quiet while letting me continue.

"From what you've just told me, she is clearly confused because she is dealing with a myriad of emotions. She just needs some 'alone' time to filter through it all. Once done, she will come back to you".

He shook his head, still not convinced that this was just a simple pause in their relationship.

"How can you be sure she didn't dump me? What if I wait for weeks, months only to realise she really had broken up with me?"

I sighed in frustration – sometimes it was like talking to a wall when trying to get your logic across to Christian.

"If it had been a break-up she would have said it… 'we should see other people' or 'it's better we end this' or 'I don't see this progressing anywhere'…no, she said 'she wanted time to think things over'….it's possible that at the end of the 'thinking' phase she might end the relationship…which if it happens, it happens and you can move on…but it's also possible that she might realise just how much you mean to her and she may change her stance about keeping the relationship a secret. Like I said…the best thing you can do is just give her the space she needs…"

Christian was looking at me in a strange way – I guess it was mix of awe and love. He pulled me in for a hug and I tightened my arms around him.

"When did you become so wise and worldly little sis?"

I heard the emotion waver his voice and felt tears prickle my eyes. I hugged him tighter and interpreted his question to be rhetorical. Just in case I asked one of my own.

"So any chance you will reveal who your mysterious girl is? It's not nice keeping secrets from family, especially your sweet, loving sister…"

I pulled away to give him an innocent smile but faltered when I saw his answering smirk.

"Yes well, everyone has secrets Rosie…even you it seems…How about you tell me yours and I will tell you mine?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Eddie and I loved going to all kinds of food festivals – guess it was natural since we both loved to cook. We had heard some great reviews about these night markets that were happening this week near Sydney Harbour, so tonight we clocked off early to check it out.

As we walked around the various stalls and soaked in the smells & atmosphere, my eyes caught sight of a familiar tall Russian. A grin instantly stretched across my face, as my mind recalled our interrupted late night phone call from two days back – unfortunately neither of us had been able to chat much beyond wishing each other good nights. I tried to think about something else to distract my raging hormones – last thing I needed was to constantly squirm next to my older brother!

I was about to point out Dimitri to Eddie when my world came crashing down. He had his arms around the shoulders of a beautiful woman with long raven hair. I couldn't see her features well, since it was night time and they were a few stalls down, but from what I could see she was stunning with a gorgeous body. If I stood next to her, I'm certain I would have felt fat and frumpy. Eddie was busy sampling some French crepes so hadn't noticed my mood plummeting, as I watched Dimitri and the mystery woman walk around, chatting and laughing.

I had seen Dimitri's sisters & mother and I didn't know much about the other members of his family since he hadn't mentioned anyone else beyond his immediate family. I wanted to desperately believe she was just a relative or a good friend, but he seemed so opened and relaxed, nothing like he was with me – even if things were improving for us.

Biting my lips nervously, I pulled my phone out and messaged him. Pretending that I had no clue what he was up to.

Me: Hey…was just thinking about you. What are you up to tonight?

I figured if his outing tonight was an innocent one he'd have no problem replying back to my text with the truth. I watched as he moved his hand off her shoulder and pulled his phone out. I caught the small smile, one that I'd only ever seen him give to me, but to me utter horror he placed the phone back in his pocket – without acknowledging my text!

I felt tears pooling in my eyes and blurring my vision. My nails dug into my palm as I tried to elicit physical pain to shift my attention away from the emotional pain I felt in my heart and soul.

How could he do this to me?

Was he lying when he confessed to loving me?

Was it all a ruse to get into my pants after all?

"Hey…what's wrong Rosie?"

I almost screamed when I felt Eddie's hand tap my shoulder. Forcing a tight smile, I turned to look back at him, praying the limited lighting would hide my tears.

"Can we go home? I'm not feeling too great…The mild headache I had during the day has gotten worse…Think I just need some rest…"

I hated lying to Eddie but I just didn't have the headspace or energy to explain what had caused my sudden depression. Without waiting for a response, I practically power walked in the opposite direction – my aim to leave the nightmare inducing festival.

WEEK 7 CHALLENGE – BACK IN STUDIO

I really didn't want to be here today.

I still wasn't feeling great.

It had been a long time since I'd taken any sick days from the restaurant but ever since the food festival I had fallen into a dark void and all I wanted to do was remain in my bed, curled up. My family knew how rare it was for me to take time off from the restaurant, so kept bombarding me with concern and unhelpful advice – since only Eddie knew the real reason behind my melancholy. It got so bad that my parents begged me to see a doctor. I doubted the doctor could cure my heartbreak.

What hurt even more was that Dimitri never messaged me back. Not that night or the rest of the week.

Did I really mean that little to him?

I was tempted a few times to message him, maybe even call and confront him but stopped myself because I was worried he would somehow charm his way back into my life again.

If I'd pushed hard enough I know I could've convinced baba to let me miss this week's challenge, but I when I had woken up this morning I felt disgusted with myself. When had I become a snivelling, desperate girl? When had I ever let anything or anyone come between me and my career? I was not going to give Dimitri Belikov the satisfaction of mentally screwing me over. I was going to help baba win this damn competition so I could rub it in his smug, stupid face!

Avoiding looking his way as I walked to our workstation, I noticed Avery was helping Adrian out today. She waved enthusiastically in my direction and practically skipped over before startling me with a tight hug.

"Oh my God! How are you? Feels like it's been ages since I've seen you! Congrats on winning last weekend's challenge – heard you got paired with the Russian…Surely that couldn't have been too bad?"

She winked at the end before wriggling her eyebrows suggestively. I didn't have the energy to get into any kind of discussion regarding the Food Truck challenge and I definitely didn't want to talk about Dimitri with her. But Avery wasn't discouraged by my continued silence, instead changing the topic from last week's challenge to the night market festival.

"Oh did you get a chance to check out the night markets this year down by the Harbour?! They were amaaaaazing! And you will never guess who I saw down there the day I went – Dimitri! And the girl he had with him was smoking! I was so tempted to go over and introduce myself but they seemed to be in their own little world and I didn't want to intrude…"

I felt what remained of my heart sink to the bottom of my stomach and I had to stop what I was doing and sit down. The damn tears returned and I bit my lip hard to halt the strong emotions. Avery finally seemed to notice my lack of response and whatever she must have seen on my face caused her to step forward and wrap her arms around me, enveloping me in a tight hug.

"Hey, what's wrong? I hope I didn't say anything to upset you, did I? You know you are gorgeous right? It's a shame you don't play for my team, otherwise I would be all up in your face".

Despite her crude comment I couldn't help but give a little giggle – not certain if she was serious or not. Regardless it made me laugh and momentarily receded the dark thoughts and feelings that had been welling up within me as images from that night kept flashing in my head. Even Avery had sensed 'their closeness' so whatever I had seen I hadn't imagined. The pain in my chest returned and I wondered if it was too late for me to back out of this week's challenge. Before I could make a move, Galina had strolled in and prepared to commence filming the episode. Sighing in defeat I resigned myself to my fate and decided I would do everything in my power to ignore Dimitri Belikov.

After the usual introductions, recap and individual 'catch-ups', Galina finally explained this week's challenge to us.

"Ok guys this week's challenge is called Farmer's Market. Today you will make a dish which will contain an ingredient that is considered to be a major export for the countries your cuisine is associated with. You've all given me your explanations and plans for the dishes…And so, here they are!"

With a theatrical flourish, she pointed at the large screen above the judges table.

Turkish – Two-way Baklava [showcasing Turkey's exportation of dates and dried fruits]

Japanese – Sushi Platter [showcasing Japan's exportation of seafood and seaweed]

Italian – Penne la vodka [showcasing Italy's exportation of pasta]

Russian – Kulebyaka [showcasing Russian's exportation of seafood]

Thai – Thai pineapple fried rice with spicy sausage [showcasing Thailand's exportation of rice and spicy sausage]

Indian – Andhra fish fry with cumin rice [showcasing India's exportation of rice and seafood]

"And because no one was eliminated last week, this week we have double eliminations! So by the end of today, we will be saying goodbye to two restaurants, so you've got to give it your all! Good luck everyone and let the cooking commence!"

I'd just gotten up from my stool when I felt my phone buzz. Even though I had my suspicions on who the message was from, I still checked in case it was Eddie or anne. Seeing Dimitri's name and his text, I promptly switched my phone off and placed it back in my pocket, ignoring the heated gaze that was fixed on me since I'd walked into the studio.

I threw myself into the cooking process, remembering the little lesson's Eddie had taught me when it came to cooking baklava. Focusing 100% on the task at hand, I was able to briefly forget the problems that plagued my personal life.

It always ends up being the case – when you want the day to go by fast it drags slower than a snail's pace and when you want the day to go by slowly its flies by and is over in a blink of an eye. I was having one of the latter days, which meant that before I knew it we were all crowded around the stage waiting for the final verdict. I was hyper aware of Dimitri and his intense gaze, which he was now blatantly throwing my way, clearly forgetting about not making things obvious around our fathers. I stubbornly refused to even acknowledge his existence, a part of me suddenly wondering whether our family feud could have stemmed from a lover's quarrel – if it had been the case, I'm certain it would have been caused by an insensitive, pig-headed Belikov and not the intensely passionate and loyal Mazur.

I pulled my focus back to the front, having tuned out on the segment where the judges passed comments on the dishes before Galina took charge to announce who was being eliminated.

"As I mentioned at the start, two restaurants are going home today. It is with great sadness we will be saying sayōnara to Kōgō and lā kxn to Phra Rāch. You guys have done such a great job by making it to the final six – you should be proud! But alas this is a competition and restaurants have to go home and this week it's you guys. We wish you both the best with your future endeavours! Now next week's challenge is an interesting one – it's called The Banquet and we want the remaining restaurants to serve their dishes to the judges at their actual restaurants! You will be required to make a five course banquet and it's up to you how you structure the 'menu'. So till next week guys – keep cooking!"

Once the final 'Cut!' was yelled I sprinted to our van. We had already packed up and I didn't want to hang around in case I bumped into Avery or worse Dimitri. I needed to maintain my distance and push the emotions that were constantly overwhelming me aside. This was probably for the best – we hadn't even been able to figure out how we were going to reveal our relationship to our family. Guess the universe helped me out by revealing Dimitri's true character – once a manwhore always a manwhore!

To avoid any foolish moments, I threw my energy and focus into the restaurant and the competition. This week's challenge was going to be interesting since baba had to travel to Germany for an international restaurateur convention. He was a guest speaker so couldn't back out, which meant the Banquet would fall on me. It was a lot of pressure, but baba reminded me how well I'd performed during the food truck challenge plus he suggested we would plan out the 'menu' and everything else before he left for Berlin. I appreciated his confidence in me and wanted to make him proud again. Being reminded of how well I'd managed the food truck unfortunately bought forward someone who I'd been trying to forget.

Dimitri…

Damn it! Just thinking his name was enough to bring forward a rush of feelings I had been repressing since that night. I thought pushing him out of my mind and keeping distance would make things better, but I just kept feeling worse. I had become so desperate to avoid him that I'd refused to turn on my phone after the studio, telling my family my phone was having technical issues.

It had been a few days since the filming and today was a crazy day at the restaurant, especially with baba now in Berlin. I'm sure he-who-must-not-be-named has been trying to get reach of me and I'm surprised he hasn't had the balls to walk directly into the restaurant, demanding to see me. This was for the best – a nice, clean break. I probably should be glad I hadn't lost my virginity to him as well – boy, I would have been mad if that had happened only for us to end things this way.

I was glad this day was finally over – I had been standing non-stop all day, cooking, tasting and plating. The restaurant had really picked up so much extra business since the competition commenced and thanks to the free publicity via the show we had a busy day almost every day. Today was no exception with back to back functions and half the restaurant still operating as usual. I had sent everyone home by 12, giving myself some much needed peace and quiet to do some paperwork and menu tweaking for the restaurant and the competition.

It was almost 2am by the time I was done, and I was glad I had today off so I could sleep in and relax. As I locked up and headed out the back door, I felt the hair on my neck stir in warning. I wasn't a big fan of leaving work this late, but I knew enough self-defence to protect myself should the need arise. Sensing something lurking in the shadows, I pretended to be oblivious as I finished locking up and headed towards my bike. Just as I passed the spot where I sensed a presence, I spun around hard and slammed the intruder against the wall, while I clutched the pepper spray tightly in my other hand poised in front ready to use.

It was through my sense of smell that I properly registered his presence, followed by touch, as my body recognised the warm, hard muscles under the arm that was pinning him to the wall. I pulled back in frustration, finally allowing the shadow to move into the light.

Dimitri looked at me with a mixed bag of emotions – surprise, awe, desire, and frustration. I moved back further and folded my arms defensively across my chest, hoping to keep the distance between us.

"What do you want Dimitri?"

I saw him flinch at my cold, harsh tone. He obviously knew something was up since I had given him the cold shoulder at the filming and had refused to contact him in any manner – I wouldn't be surprised if I was to turn my mobile on and find endless texts and voicemails from him. He seemed to finally find his ability to speak and took a tentative step forward, while one hand reached out for me. I took a few more steps back, maintaining the distance I desperately needed for my sanity.

"I've been worried sick Roza! You wouldn't look or acknowledge me at the filming and have not replied back to a single text of voicemail. Did I do something wrong?"

He looked so pained and adorable – like a sick puppy.

Be strong Rose! Don't fall for his crap again!

I straightened up my back and took a menacing step forward, this time causing him to back away.

"You can stop with the act Dimitri. You don't have to pretend you love me anymore. Clearly you've moved on and it's probably for the best. I'm happy for you and would like you to leave me alone so I can go back to focusing on my career".

He looked at me like I had spoken Turkish to him. Daring to test the waters, he took a step forward, closing the distance between us.

"What are you talking about Roza? What do you mean I've moved on? That I pretended to love you? You aren't making any sense!"

I could see the confusion was being replaced by frustration and anger, as his mind tried to figure out what exactly he had done to make me act this way. I snorted in annoyance – typical guy behaviour, make the mistake and plead ignorance!

"For fucks sake Dimitri! I saw you with her so don't act all innocent! Hell even Avery saw you two that night. I guess I can't blame you – you are a guy after all and weren't getting 'any' from me. So yeh… look…nothing major happened between us… we had our fun…you moved on and that's that. Now if you don't mind I want to go home…"

I tried to push past him, feeling the strain from my emotions bubbling under the surface. All I wanted to do was curl up in a corner and bawl my eyes out but I couldn't show him just how much he had hurt me.

I had barely taken a side-step when in a blink of an eye he was right in front of me, this time slamming me against the wall with this hard body and intense gaze. All I could do was let out a sharp gasp, as my body betrayed my feelings even though my mind screamed at me to kick and punch. He pushed himself closer, staring hard into my eyes like he was trying to bypass the outer shell and delve straight to the soul.

"Fuck Roza! I don't know what you are talking about but understand this…I fucking love you! So something major did happen between us! And what makes you think I 'moved on' – honestly Roza I'm so lost right now but I don't like nor appreciate the way you are belittling my emotions and feelings for you. And do you think so little of me that I would give up this amazing thing we have and lose my soulmate just because I haven't had sex in a while! I know I was a bit of a manwhore before I met you but you must know and believe that since I met you that night at the club, all I've thought about is you – no other person even registers on my radar!"

By the end of his raging rant I was completely squashed against the wall and was trying my damn hardest to ignore the warm body that was holding me in place. I took a deep breath and placed my hands on his chest to push him off with what strength I had. I didn't want to show any weakness, plus it was time to call his bullshit!

"I saw you that night at the festival…walking next to a woman with dark hair….You guys looked pretty friendly…And if that wasn't bad enough you had the audacity to ignore my text message and not reply back the entire fucking week!"

What I was saying finally registered in Dimitri's mind and he took a step back, cringing with a guilty face. And just like that my anger deflated into a throbbing pain.

"Like I said Dimitri…its fine…Whatever…I wish you a lifetime of happiness…Now, please let me go…"

I dropped the façade and let him see how much he truly hurt me. Whatever he saw on my face finally broke through his own demeanour. Pushing me back against the wall and he grabbed my hands from his chest and pinned my arms to the side as he brought his face almost menacingly close.

"You've said your piece, now you will listen to me! The woman I was with was a relative. She is close to my age, but is actually my father's half-sister!"

It was my turn to be frozen and stare at him dumbly as he continued with his explanation.

"Tasha and I have always been close since I've felt bad with how she is treated in my family for being the illegitimate lovechild of my grandfather. I can assure you I have no 'romantic' feelings for a woman who for all intents and purpose is my aunt! As for ignoring the text, I owe you an apology for that. I wasn't ignoring you on purpose or anything. I hadn't seen Tasha in a while since she had been on a long overdue vacation backpacking in Europe. That night she got me to promise her that I would give her my undivided attention, which included ignoring calls and text messages. I meant to reply to your text when I got home that night but forgot. Then in the morning as I was rushing to get to work I dropped my phone on the pavement and cracked the screen which rendered it useless of the rest of the week as it was getting fixed. So as you can see I wasn't avoiding you or trying to hide something salacious".

His explanation made sense and my heart screamed at me to drop everything and wrap my arms tightly around his neck, but my mind held me back. It may have been a simple misunderstanding but the pain I had felt and the depression that had consumed me made me realise just how much I had fallen for Dimitri in such a short time and I was freaking out.

He gently tilted my face up and brushed his lips against mine, eliciting a small needy moan from me.

"God Roza don't scare me like that…Damn it… What can I say or do to prove to you just how much you mean to me? Fuck… Do you want me to call my family right now and confess my feelings for you, cause if that's what it takes to convince you I'm all in for the long haul I will. Hell, I will even call my father, who is currently in Berlin – not sure what time it is over there – but just say the word and I will call him and tell him I'm head over heels in love with you… I will even climb on top of our restaurant and shout to the world that I'm completely and madly in love with Rosemarie Mazur!"

I think in a strange way I needed to hear him say he would take such actions – that he was willing to lay it all out for his family and they would just have to deal with it. I think the fact we hadn't come up with a solution on how to handle our relationship with our families, a part of me was worried that he wasn't serious or that I would be dropped when something simpler/easier came along. Hearing his passionate words stirred something within me because next minute I had pulled my arms free, grabbed his face hard and started smothering him in a heated kiss.

Damn I'd missed him!

He recreated the scene he had described from our phone conversation, by gently pushing me back against the restaurant's wall and deepening the kiss. Bracing me against the hard brick, he freed his hands from my hair to caress and massage the rest of my body. His lips left a hot, searing trail from my lips to my collarbone. His large, gentle hands found their way into my shirt and were moving closer to my heaving breasts and straining nipples. I could feel his hard length pressing against my hot core and my hips automatically grinded against him.

I didn't want this moment to end – I forgot the late hour, the place we were in, just about everything around me faded to nothing. All five senses were busy devouring and savouring the gorgeous creature before me.

"Rosie, you there?"

Hearing Eddie's voice was like having cold water thrown over us.

Dimitri quickly let me go and stood behind me, in an effort to hide his throbbing excitement. I was busy straightening out my hair and clothes just as my brother walked around the corner and saw us.

"Oh, what are you doing here Dimitri?"

He asked politely but his eyes held the dangerous Mazur glint I had seen countless times in baba's eyes – it showed people they meant business and that they should tread carefully. Dimitri cleared his throat, slightly lost for words – luckily I worked well under pressure.

"Dimitri was working late too and saw me leaving the restaurant just now so came to offer a ride home. What are you doing here?"

Eddie raised a questioning eyebrow – he wasn't completely convinced with my 'story' but let it go, for now. Instead he answered my question.

"Anne sent me, saying she was worried because you were all alone and working late. You know she doesn't like you travelling by yourself this late in the night. So I was meant to be your 'knight in shining armour' but it seems someone else beat me to it".

Dimitri finally found his voice and spoke up, wanting to defend his actions in case my brother saw him as a creepy stalker.

"Like Rose said I was working late and as I was leaving I saw she was getting ready to leave and came over to offer a ride home, not realising she had her bike with her. I'm still happy to give you that lift Rose?"

His face was passive and neutral, but I could see remanets of the desire and longing elicited from our previous activities still lingering in his eyes. It was tempting to take him up on the offer, but then what would happen with my bike? As if reading my mind, Eddie answered my unasked question with an amused smirk.

"Don't worry about your bike Rosie, in fact it's probably a good thing you leaving it here. Mason needs to borrow it for the next few days since his own is getting serviced – you ok with that right?"

I quickly nodded, wanting to finish this conversation so Dimitri could take me home and we would have more time together.

"Okkkkkkkk guess that's my cue to leave. I will let anne know I just missed you and you are getting dropped off by someone so see you at home. Night Dimitri."

The moment may have been interrupted, but the tension remained, and when we heard Eddie's car pull away, we fell into each other's arms, resuming our kissing – though with less intensity. Dimitri was the first to pull away, albeit reluctantly.

"I probably should drop you off home, don't want to worry your mum any more than you already have tonight".

I too reluctantly agreed and we made our way to his bike, keeping close but not holding hands, in case someone we knew was nearby.

As I mounted the bike, with my helmet in place, I scooted closer and wrapped my arms tightly around Dimitri's waist. Even through two helmets I heard a low growl from Dimitri, which made me smile with mischief. Keeping one hand in place, I used the other to rub up and down his chest, moving closer to his nether regions at the end of each loop but not quite getting there.

Picking up on my teasing act, he grabbed that hand and shouted through the motorbike roar.

"Unless you want us to get into an accident, I suggest you stop your little teasing game, moy malen'kiy miks!"

I giggled, enjoying the strain I could hear in his voice. I listened to him, for now, but I was not done with my teasing.

In fact, I was just getting started!

Google translate

Sayōnara = Goodbye (Japanese)

Lā kxn = Goodbye (Thai)

Moy malen'kiy miks = my little minx (Russian)

First Dimitri, now Rose experiencing a misunderstanding. At least it was resolved. And I know…I know…very mean to tease you guys with the 'almost' phone sex…but spare a thought for Romitri who are actually going through the 'teasing' experience!

I'm posting now before my family distracts me again, but will do another round of edit so if there are any glaring mistakes, please let me know.

Week 8 = Banquet…so…

LITTLE HELP

What dishes do you think would be good to have for a five-course banquet in the following cuisine types?

Turkish
Russian
Indian
Italian

Answer via review or PM me…