sorry for the delayed chapter!

There is some smut in this one, just Rose taking care of Dimitri ❤

Dimitri stood behind me with his arms crossed, seeming to all that looked like he was watching my form as I moved through the sets he ordered me to do with the weights. But I knew that look in his eyes now; there was nothing innocent about it. It had practically become a game for me now, occasionally moving in a way or making a sound that would make his eyes darken and jaw clench.

I had been doing so for the last three days he'd been training me. I had given up on acting like I didn't want to sleep with him again—though I refused to admit to any feelings formed.

No matter how much I teased Dimitri, he seemed determined to ignore it until I'm willing to talk. I don't think I've had to work this hard to get a guy in bed before; I've definitely never wanted a guy this much before.

Each day, he would train me during the day and then patrol with us; and not once say a word about the sexual tension between us. He was waiting for me to crack, and it pissed me off more because I was close.

Whenever I considered it, I would remember how much of an ass he was to me then I would push all of it back down. I wasn't here to have feelings for him.

I finished my last rep, happily returning the weights to the rack, and took a moment to catch my breath and roll my shoulders. Last night we came across another Strigoi that managed to knock me off my feet and onto the road; I knew a bruise had formed, and my shoulder didn't like moving.

Dimitri caught my wince, tilting his head, "What's wrong?"

"Just sore," I admitted, trying a different stretch to see if it helped. He stepped toward me, hand lightly grazing my shoulder.

"You said it didn't hurt last night," he commented gruffly.

"It didn't, and now it does. It's nothing." I could feel the heat of his hand through my thin shirt, eyes closing as I wished he would touch me more.

I really was addicted to his touch now.

Fuck.

"Come on."

I was pulled from my daze, his hand around my wrist leading me to the storage room. My eyes darted around us, but no one paid any heed. I was well aware this would be our first time alone in a room together since that night in my apartment.

Dimitri closed and locked the door behind us, flicking on the dim light so we weren't standing in complete darkness. "Take your shirt off."

I raised my eyebrows, surprised that he was cracking first. "Damn, comrade, don't you think you should buy me dinner first?"

His eyes narrowed, unimpressed by my comment. "Let me see your shoulder," he clarified, marching past me to the far wall where a first aid box was attached to the wall with a table and chairs beside it.

I couldn't keep the pout off my face and then scolded myself for being hopeful. I was in way too deep. Accepting that nothing would happen, I removed my shirt, so I was just in my sports bra and leggings and crossed the room. "It's not bad. It just hurts a little when I move in the wrong way."

"You need to take care of it so you're able to defend yourself properly. If it hurts to move you need to rest it." I rolled my eyes and made faces at his back—quickly schooling my features when he faced me with a tube in his hand. Dimitri eyed me like he knew exactly what I was doing. "Just stay still," he instructed.

Dimitri stood behind me, and nothing happened for a moment. I heard him remove the cap and then felt him apply cool cream to my shoulder. I inhaled sharply at the sensation of him pressing against the bruise and his touch.

How he ignited these feelings of want in me with a brush of his fingers—I would never understand; I just needed more each time.

"Sorry," he apologised, lighting the pressure. I bit my lip, on the edge of telling him how much I enjoyed it.

The cream started to heat as Dimitri worked it into my skin, steadily applying more pressure to massage the muscles. I relaxed against him, and small gasps and moans fell from my lips. Whenever we had been together, it was with quick hands, chasing the finish line; this felt more intimate, even though that wasn't his intention.

Maybe it's because he was taking the time to care for me without expecting anything in return.

Dimitri cleared his throat; voice sounding strained, "Is that okay?"

I bit my lip again, a blush working its way up my face, nodding in response. I couldn't trust my voice not to give away how I felt. I couldn't believe I was falling apart in front of him like this from such an innocent gesture. At this rate, I was going to lose any respect he had for me.

I considered telling him to stop. I should step away before I start to paw at him. But then his other hand came to rest on my waist.

My breath caught, feeling his thumb rubbing back and forth, fingers splayed, brushing against the underside of my bra.

The hand massaging my shoulder moved to my neck, nimble fingers working out the knots. My hair was tied up, leaving my neck exposed, which Dimitri took advantage of when his lips pressed lightly to the sensitive skin.

My breath caught, my body leaning back against his, silently asking for more.

"Roza," he whispered against me, deep and husky. The sound shot straight through me and settled in my lower stomach, feeling it clench. "You make it very hard to resist."

A smirk pulled at my lips as my head tilted back, giving him room to kiss up the side of my neck, "Then don't."

He paused, and I dreaded that he would walk away from me, so I turned to face him. "Do you want me, Dimitri?"

I could see him fighting himself on how to respond; his eyes clouded before he focused on me again, the emotion in them raw. "Yes."

When our lips met, there was something different, the energy thicker, charged by something other than an urgency to find release. It was just as passionate as before, but there was something more.

I took control, hands finding purchase on his hips and encouraged him to turn and back up to the wall until the back of his knees hit the seat of the chair, falling to sit in it. When he tugged me forward to sit on his lap, I shook my head with a sinful smirk. Instead, I lowered to my knees between his legs.

I took a moment to be grateful for the carpeted floor before I focused back on the man in front of me, taking joy in the look of awe and anticipation on his face when he realised what I was planning. His hand trailed up my arm and neck until his fingers threaded through my hair.

"You don't have to–"

I shushed him, my fingers playing with the waist of his pants, "Let me take care of you this time."

Dimitri's lips parted as he raised his hips so I could tug his pants down low enough to expose him, his member already thickening. I felt bad for not taking the time to please him like this previously, not taking the time to truly explore his body. He knew how to make me come undone, and I wanted to do the same to him.

I licked my lips in anticipation, excited to feel him hot and heavy in my mouth. My fingers wrapped around his length, gently squeezing at first as I dragged my hand from the base up to the tip. Dimitri's head dropped back with a soft groan before lifting his head back up to watch me through hooded eyes. The hand in my hair tightened, holding on rather than trying to pull my face forward.

Too many times I had been with a guy that would try to force me forward before I was ready, but Dimitri was giving all the control to me, allowing me to set a pace I was comfortable with. It made me more eager to please him, desperate to hear more of his gasps and groans as I brought him satisfaction.

My hand moved again, sliding along the velvety skin of his cock as it hardened in my hand, tightening my grip and picking up the pace with each pass. Precum beaded at the tip, my thumb swiping over it and using it to ease the glide of my hand. It was only once I had him breathing heavily that I leaned forward to wrap my lips around the head.

Dimitri released a deep moan, both hands tangling in my hair. "Roza," he rasped.

It encouraged me to keep going, taking more of him into my mouth, swirling my tongue over the tip as my hand continued to move. Dragging my lips down, I pressed my tongue to the underside until he hit the back of my throat. I couldn't fit all of his length, wrapping my fingers around the base.

My tongue worked along the thick vein, feeling him twitch from each pass. Pride filled me with how affected he was; tasting his precum told me just how much he was enjoying it. Hollowing my cheeks, I began to bob my head in earnest, trying to take more of him in each time.

Dimitri's breath would hitch, fingers twisting in my hair as he held on. I could feel his thighs tensing each time I flicked my tongue over the head, hips stuttering as he tried to keep himself still. My name dropped from his lips, repeating it like a prayer.

I picked up the pace, doubling my efforts to bring him closer to finishing. I wanted him to come in my mouth, to see his face as I swallowed him down. I focused on the head with my mouth; as my hand slid up and down, moving in sync.

"That's perfect," he praised, his soft groans filling the room. Warmth flooded my body. Having him come undone like this turned me on more than I had expected.

I dropped my other hand up to cup his balls, massaging them; I felt Dimitri tense up, his hands trying to pull my head back, whispering in warning that he was close. I continued to suck him, tongue pressed under the head, licking along the vein; my hand picked up the pace again to bring him to the edge.

"Roza." Dimitri stilled under me, a low moan falling from his lips as he came into my mouth, the salty taste hitting the back of my throat. I gently sucked on the tip, working him through his orgasm until he softened.

Pulling back, I glanced up to find his eyes on me, a glazed look in them, panting as he sat boneless in the chair. I made sure to lock eyes with him before I swallowed, dipping back down to lick the tip one last time. A shiver went through him, hands releasing my hair to cup my face.

"That was…" he trailed off, attempting to catch his breath, "You are amazing, Roza."

I was surprised by how satisfied his words made me feel—how my heart skipped a beat at the tender look he gave me.

This was more intimate than I thought it would be.

Everything before this was just to have a release, whether it be anger or the adrenaline from fighting. This was very different.

Pleasing Dimitri had brought me a kind of pleasure I hadn't experienced before, stirring a feeling of warmth inside me that I wasn't expecting—a feeling I had been burying.

I smiled awkwardly at him, using his knees as leverage to get to my feet, stretching the sore muscles of my legs from being on my knees for so long. I snatched my shirt off the table, pulling it over my head as Dimitri pulled his pants back up.

I could tell he wanted to say something, a look in his eye made it easy to guess what. I pulled up my mask to hide my emotions, backing away from him to the door, "Thanks for the massage, comrade."

He stood from the chair, expression morphing into confusion, "Wait–"

"See you later for patrol," I cut him off, quickly unlocking the door and slipping out.

I practically ran back up to my room. My heart was beating widely in my chest as I realised with dread that I was falling hard for Dimitri.

I was falling in love with him.

"You're very quiet," Lissa commented, elbows on the table and resting her chin in her hands, "Is everything okay?"

We were sitting in the cafeteria, forcing myself to try to eat before I had to be out patrolling again—with Dimitri.

For eight hours I would be stuck with him and the feelings that were churning in my stomach since the storage room a couple of hours ago. It wasn't the fact of what I did that was upsetting me; it was how I felt for him.

This was way more than a crush.

Maybe three weeks ago, I wouldn't have been completely against developing feelings towards him but now…

Now there was so much more going on in my life; I didn't know if I could handle falling in love. I was still barely a part of this world, while this world was all he knew and the only reason we had crossed paths to begin with. I needed to talk to him about why he broke the rules and started talking to me at the diner, but there was a fear that I wouldn't get the answer I wanted.

Yet when I thought of the look he gave me earlier, the tenderness and care in his eyes, I could almost fool myself into thinking that he felt the same.

I knew that the moment I gave in, this wouldn't be a small fling. What I felt for him—the connection between us—this was a full commitment kind of deal.

"Yeah," I managed to force out, eyes focused on my meal that had lost all appeal. "Just a lot on my mind."

"Like what?" She asked, inching closer to me. Lissa had noticed my moods this past week, even catching me eyeing Dimitri once. There was always a hopeful look in her eye.

I told her how I met Dimitri; since then, she's had it in her head that we were meant to be. If I told her I had serious feelings for him after sleeping with him multiple times, she would never let it go.

I could feel myself cracking under her gaze. The words wanted to spill out, to be told to someone so I could make sense of it all. Biting my tongue, I looked at Lissa's watch on her wrist, making a big show of the time and needing to prepare still before escaping from the table.

As much as I got along with Lissa and had grown close these last couple of weeks, I wanted to talk to Riley first. No one here knew me the same way Riley did. She had seen me at my worst and pulled me back from it too. She would know what to do.

I frowned at my phone, feeling personally offended Riley was still working. Her shift wouldn't be over for two hours, and we started our patrol soon.

Eight hours with Dimitri.

There was so much going through my mind; thoughts of Dimitri and my feelings. Then there were thoughts about patrolling.

Though they said I would likely have nights where nothing happened on patrols, we had had a run-in with at least one Strigoi each night. We were surprised by it, and all ended up with a couple of bruises.

Dimitri and Alberta didn't mention it, but I could tell they were worried by the number of sightings. I already knew the large number of Strigoi that attacked me outside my building was unusual, and yet it seems to be happening more often.

Something was up, but they weren't telling us.

This place was just full of secrets, and I kept getting a feeling that I was involved in some way. It filled me with apprehension each time.

"Rose, we are going."

My eyes snapped up to find the very man I wanted to avoid looking down at me. Though he kept his face impassive, emotions were swirling in his eyes. The most obvious was hurt.

My stomach felt like it was twisting in knots, words on the tip of my tongue that I had to bite back. I didn't know what I wanted to say—switching between telling him to leave me alone or to stay close.

I didn't know what I wanted.

Dimitri wasn't waiting around for me to decide, either. He dropped his eyes and ventured further into the garage; the others had passed me, and I didn't even realise.

Seeing the back of Dimitri's broad shoulders as he walked through the garage to the car sent another sense of dread through me. I wondered if he would go back to disregarding me again.

Why did I have to like him?

Why couldn't I stop myself from falling for him?

Why couldn't I decide what I wanted?

"Rose! Hurry up!" Alberta ordered, giving me a disapproving look. I scowled, shoving my phone into my pocket.

This night couldn't end sooner.

Just wanted to mention that I will be taking a small break from posting after next week, should only be for 2 wks, a month at most.
Gotta rest so I don't burn myself out ❤

Hope you enjoy the chapter ❤