Hope is a Four Letter Word - Complete

Chapter One

It had been three weeks since Mason died in Spokane, and they'd started their training sessions again. Rose had needed to get back into a sense of normality, but more than anything she'd needed Dimitri. Things had been difficult for Rose since they got back from the Ski Lodge. Lissa had been preoccupied with helping Christian with what he'd been through, and while she was trying, she was struggling to know how to connect with Rose after everything that had happened. Eddie was dealing with his own grief about losing Mason. Mia had left the Academy, and even Adrian had returned to Court after Mason's funeral . That left Rose alone, and there weren't enough words to describe how messed up things were with her.

So Dimitri had restarted their training, and things started to feel normal again. They'd had a good first day. Running followed by weights, some new attack techniques and then they'd sparred. By the end of it, she felt good. Almost herself again. Their second day had been even better. In the afternoon, they'd sat in comfortable silence side by side next to the sparring mat, and she'd reached over to hug him, putting an arm around him and pulling herself in against his side and chest. "Thank you, Comrade," she'd said, affectionately. "I've needed you."

He'd pulled back slightly, looking into her eyes, and said, " Roza, I've needed you, too." And then he pulled her chin up with one finger and kissed her. A kiss that made their other stolen kisses look poor and mean by comparison. They'd shared more passionate kisses before, so that wasn't what set this one apart. This was different because for the first time he'd intentionally kissed her with love.

He'd smiled and taken her hand. Picking up his duster but leaving their bags he'd guided her out the back door of the gym; the one that led towards the woods. He'd taken her deep within the trees until the exterior lighting of the gym was barely discernable in the distance. Wordlessly he'd thrown down his duster onto the snow, sitting on it before he'd pulled her onto his lap, continuing what he'd started in the gym.

His lips were soft and warm and seemed to be all over her neck and face. They allowed our hands to wander freely, one of his snaking its way under her hoody and stroking her breasts through her sports bra.

"Not here, milaya," he'd mumbled, his voice thick, "But very soon I'm going to kiss you everywhere."

She'd moaned, overcome by the thought of his lips and tongue on her. Fantasizing about him taking her swollen nipples into his hot wet mouth. It was more than she could take, and she'd shifted on his lap, straddling him. Bringing her lips back to his they'd stepped up the intensity of their kisses until they were kissing with complete abandon, his hands on her hips pushing her down against him as she ground herself against the huge bulge in his pants.

"Dimitri! I want you inside me," she'd gasped.

He'd groaned loudly, closing his eyes and rocking his hips upwards as though he was thrusting into her.

"Soon, Roza. I promise soon. But not here. Not like this," and with a tortured gasp he'd lifted her from his lap, sitting her down on the open duster beside him as they both drew ragged breaths and tried to calm themselves. Finally composed, he'd pulled her to face him, cradling her in his arms and laying them back on his jacket. It was cold out. Not snowing but very crisp. However, she was warm curled up in his arms. They lay there talking for almost five hours. He'd been so effusive. It was as though now he'd made the decision to let himself go he was willing to talk to her about anything. It was almost midday when they'd walked back to her dorm.

"What will we say if anyone asks us what we're doing out?" she'd asked nervously, as they collected their gym bags and walked across campus.

"I'll think of something," he'd laughed, all sign of his usual reserved guardian mask gone.