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CHAPTER 18

RPOV

In the following weeks, I was more at Dimitri's house than I was at campus. I was even there when I didn't have to take care of the kids. Dimitri usually asked me if I wanted to stay for dinner and then we'd cook together. The kids didn't mind. In fact, they loved it when I stayed over for dinner. I was glad they liked having me around as much as I liked spending time with them. And, of course, I liked spending time with Dimitri too.

Dimitri and I didn't get much opportunities to be alone. He was working and I had to go to class or babysit his kids. And when he got home, the kids would be there too. But the few moments we got to be alone were always amazing. I looked forward to those moments every day. They were the best part of my day.

"Alright, it's bed time, kids," Dimitri announced after we'd watched a movie with them. I'd stayed over for dinner again and they'd asked me to stay and watch a movie with them.

"Can you tuck me in tonight, Rose?" Liam asked.

I smiled. "Sure."

He grinned and walked over to Dimitri, kissing him good night. "Night, Daddy!"

I followed Liam upstairs and into his room. I helped him into his PJ's and then tucked him into bed. I got up to get his teddy bear. I knew he couldn't sleep without it.

"Thank you," he murmured as he held the teddy bear to his chest.

"Good night, Liam," I said, kissing him on the forehead.

"Night, Rose," he mumbled before closing his eyes.

I walked back to the door and flicked off the lights before I left. When I returned to the living room, Dimitri was already there waiting for me on the couch. He smiled at me and patted the spot next to him. I sat down and cuddled up to his side as he wrapped his arm around me.

"Thank you for staying for dinner tonight," Dimitri murmured, kissing my temple.

I smiled. "It was my pleasure."

He chuckled and leaned in, kissing me on the lips. I let out a soft moan as he bit down on my lower lip. I parted my lips, allowing him entrance, and he slipped his tongue inside. Without breaking the kiss, he lowered me onto the couch. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer while his hands rested on my waist.

"Dimitri," I moaned as he trailed a path of kisses down my neck and sucked on my soft spot. His lips returned to mine and he kissed me passionately. All too soon he pulled away from me and lay down next to me on the couch. We couldn't get too carried away with the kids in the house.

"I should probably go home," I said, breathless.

Dimitri sighed. "I wish we could spend more time together," he murmured, caressing my cheek.

"Me too."

"Maybe we could go out for dinner sometime again. Just the two of us," he said. "I could get Christian or Ivan to babysit the kids."

I smiled. "Won't they think that's weird? I mean, I am their babysitter. What are you going to tell them?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. That you have to study and can't come over."

"I guess," I said. "But I feel a little bad we're lying to them."

Dimitri sighed again. "Yeah, I know. But I don't know how they'd react to us being together. I think Liam and Alisa will be okay with it, but I'm not sure about Inna…"

I nodded. "Yeah, we should probably wait a little longer to tell them."

He pressed his lips against my cheek. "You know," he said, "I think Alisa already knows about us."

I looked up at him in surprise. "What? How?"

"I don't know," he answered. "But sometimes she says these things that makes me think she knows. I mean, she once asked me if I liked you."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, really," he said. "And then she said she was okay with it."

"Wow," I said, not knowing what else to say. I glanced at him and he smiled. "Are we that obvious?"

"I guess. Though I think I'm doing a very good job with keeping my hands off of you when they are around," he said teasingly as he rolled back on top of me. I laughed and he pressed his lips against my neck. "Do you know how hard that is?"

"Aww," I said, half laughing. "Poor baby."

He grinned and kissed me. "You are the most amazing woman I've ever met, Roza," he said affectionately. I blushed and his grin widened. "And I love it when you blush."

"Stop it," I said, shoving against his chest.

Dimitri laughed and pressed another kiss to my lips. Then he rolled off of me and helped me sit up on the couch. Sighing, I grabbed my coat and put it on. I hated to leave, but it was getting late and I had a class in the morning. I needed to go home and get some sleep.

"Here," Dimitri said, taking his wallet and handing me money. "For babysitting the kids." Hesitantly, I looked at the money in his hand. "What's wrong?" he asked when I didn't accept it.

"I don't know," I said, looking down. "It feels weird taking money from you."

"Why? You never had any problems with taking it before," he teased.

I looked back up at him. "Things are different now."

"I know, but you're still taking care of my kids when I'm not here. I don't want you to think I'm taking advantage of you."

"I don't think that," I said frowning.

He sighed. "Please take the money, Roza. I'd feel bad if you don't. You deserve to have it. You worked for it."

Reluctantly, I took the money from him. "I still think it's weird, but…thanks."

He smiled and leaned in to kiss me. "Text me when you get home?"

"I will," I promised.

The next day I met up with Christian to catch up after class. I'd only seen him briefly when he'd returned to school last week. We had lunch together and after a while, Lissa joined us too. Christian's face lit up as soon as he saw her and greeted her with a kiss. I smiled. They were so adorable together.

"How was your holiday, Rose?" Lissa asked.

"It was good, thanks," I answered. Christian snorted and I glared at him. "What?"

"I don't believe for one second you had a good holiday. You were all alone," he said scowling.

"I wasn't alone," I retorted.

"No?" he questioned, raising his eyebrow.

"I spent Christmas with Dimitri and his kids," I said.

He looked at me, stunned. "What? Why'd you spent it with them? You know you could've gone home with me. You just had to call me and I would've come and get you. You didn't have to go to them."

I shrugged. "I didn't mind. It was fun actually," I said casually.

Christian crossed his arms. "I can't believe you'd rather spend time with them than your best friend."

I grinned. "Aww, Chrissy, don't be jealous," I said teasingly. He glared at me and I sighed. "I just didn't want to disturb you and your family during the holidays."

"But you didn't mind disturbing Dimitri's family?" he huffed.

"They wanted me to come," I said shrugging.

He smirked and I knew he wasn't really mad. "I think they were just pitying you."

I threw a fry at him. "Christian!"

He laughed and threw the fry back at me. "Just kidding, Rosie."

Suddenly, I felt my phone buzz in my jeans pocket. I retrieved my phone and opened the text. It was from Dimitri, asking me to meet him at my dorm room in ten minutes. I frowned. I thought he was at home with the kids. He'd gotten the day off of work so that meant I didn't have to babysit today. But if he wanted to meet me here, where were the kids then?

"Is everything alright, Rose?" Christian asked.

I looked up at him. "Yeah, sure. There's just something I need to do." I got up and put on my coat. "Talk to you later."

When I arrived at my dorm room, Dimitri was already there, leaning against the wall. He smiled when he saw me and walked up to me.

"Hey Roza," he murmured, kissing me softly.

"Hey," I said, still a little confused. "What are you doing here? Where are the kids?"

"With the neighbor," he answered grinning. "I told them I needed to run an errand."

"Why?"

"So I could see you," he said, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer to him. "It was the only way I could see you today."

"You're so sweet, comrade," I said smiling and I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. "So, how long can you stay?"

"About an hour, I think," he said.

I grinned as I pulled him into my room. "Well, let's make it count then."

Dimitri gently pushed me down on my bed and hovered over me, smiling. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him to me, kissing him fiercely.

"Roza," he murmured as his lips skimmed my skin. I closed my eyes and bit down on my lip when his lips attached to my neck and sucked on it gently. A moan escaped my lips and I tried to pull him even closer. One of his hands tangled in my hair while the other slipped under my shirt and caressed my skin.

Suddenly, a door slammed shut and we both shot upright, startled. Avery stood in the middle of the room, a slow grin spreading across her face as she looked at us.

"Well, don't mind me," she said. She didn't even look surprised to find us here. "I'm just here to get my books and then I'll be gone so you can continue tearing each other's clothes off."

I flushed and glanced down. God, this was embarrassing.

Avery walked back to the door with her books and before leaving, she said, wiggling her eyebrows, "Have fun!"

I looked at Dimitri. "Shit."

He frowned. "What? What's wrong? I mean, aside from just getting caught."

"I think she's going to tell Christian," I said, biting my lip.

"Why would she do that?" he asked, confused. He knew that I thought Avery was a huge bitch and that her feelings towards me were pretty much the same, but he didn't know that she'd been teasing me for months now that I liked Dimitri and that she wondered what Christian would think about that.

"Because she knows it would probably upset him," I grumbled. "And she's been saying for a while now that you and I…" I sighed. "That there was something more between us, but I kept denying it and now… Now she's seen it with her own eyes."

"Do you really think Christian would have a problem with it?" Dimitri asked hesitantly.

"I don't know," I said honestly. "I'm his best friend and your wife was his aunt. He thinks you loved Tasha. He loved her, too. I mean, she's his aunt. He doesn't know that she was actually a bitch." I glanced at Dimitri and added quickly, "Sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Don't apologize," he said. "You're right. She was a bitch."

I let out another sigh and buried my face in my hands. "I don't know what he'll think about it."

Dimitri gently pried my hands away from my face and put his fingers under my chin so I looked him in the eyes. "Before you start to panic, you should talk to Avery," he said. "Ask her to keep it to herself. Tell her you want to be the one to tell him. And if you want," he added, squeezing my hand, "I'll be by your side when you tell Christian. We can tell him together."

I gave him a small smile and squeezed his hand back. "Thanks. But I think it's too soon to tell Christian. Or anyone else. And if we're going to tell someone, we should really tell your kids first."

He nodded in agreement and sighed. "Yeah, you're right."

"I'll talk to Avery when she comes back from class," I said.

Dimitri brushed a strand of hair out of my face and smiled. "Good," he said before pecking me on the lips. "I've got to go now. Will you call me when you've talked to Avery?"

I nodded. "I will."

Dimitri kissed me again. "Bye Roza."

"Bye comrade."

When he'd closed the door behind him, I let myself fall back onto my bed and let out a deep sigh. I prayed Avery wouldn't tell Christian. If she did… Well, I had a feeling Christian wouldn't be too happy about Dimitri and me being together.

Do you think Avery will tell Christian? And how would Christian react if he heard about this? Please leave a review and let me know what you think ;)

Have a nice day/evening! :)