Hope is a Four Letter Word - Complete

Chapter Seventeen

Rose couldn't help but smile the next morning at training, despite the ungodly hour. The night with Lissa had been just what the doctor ordered. They'd caught up on a truckload of gossip, shared confidences, had a good cry watching a chick flick then talked as they fell asleep.

While neither of them said it, they both knew they were coming to the end of an era. Rose was going to be eighteen in a few weeks. Within months school would be finished, and the next stage of their lives would begin; University for Lissa and guarding for Rose. They both now had significant others they were sharing their lives with, but amongst all the craziness it was nice to spend a bit of time together remembering when it had been just the two of them and all they'd been through together.

"You're looking happy this morning, milaya?" Dimitri said approvingly as they ran side by side along the running track. With a flush on her cheeks, her long dark hair up in a ponytail streaming out behind her, Dimitri honestly thought Rose Hathaway was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

"I am happy," she acknowledged. "It feels like everything is falling into place. Things are back to how they should be with Lissa, your allocation with Adrian means you can stay here until I graduate. Lissa and Christian are both for us guarding them when I finish, and I'm even feeling a bit better about my family. Don't get me wrong, I'm still upset, but Deirdre was right – I need to give them the chance to explain. Can you see if you can get this weekend off?"

"If that's what you want?"

"I do. I know it's going to hurt to talk about it all, but I want everything settled. I want to be able to lay that pain to rest. I need to let it go and move on."

The two of them went inside to continue their workout. Cardio, today. Both in a good mood, they went at it hard until they were both sweating, despite the chilly temperature.

"Come on, let's go back to the suite. You can shower there while I cook you breakfast," Dimitri tempted.

Rose grinned. "I like your shower," she said in a low, seductive voice causing an unconscious flush to grace her Russian God's cheeks.

"So I noticed," he laughed as they shouldered their bags and walked back to the guest accommodations.

Rose had a quick shower and went into Dimitri's room to change. His things still hadn't arrived from Minneapolis, so the room was completely bare other than the contents of his duffel bag. She'd just finished changing when Dimitri walked in, clad only in a towel, honestly looking like the sexiest man on the planet. Rose gave him an appreciative grin before sitting on the edge of the bed watching him intently.

"Do you intend to sit there and look at me as I get dressed?" he asked, a little perturbed.

"That's the plan, Comrade," she said, watching as he got out clean boxers, socks, pants and a top.

He quickly got changed, flushing a little as Rose silently observed him, her dark carnal gaze letting him know she very much liked what she saw.

"You'll be the death of me," he murmured as he quickly zipped up his pants, willing the blood rushing to his nether regions to disperse. As much as he'd love to spend the morning making love to Rose, he had breakfast to cook and a charge to wake!

Waking Adrian turned out to be easier said than done. After bashing several times on the door, without success, Dimitri entered the bedroom shaking the reticent Moroi awake. Using language that would make a sailor blush, Adrian finally opened his eyes, looking at his Russian cousin in bemusement.

"Come on Adrian. Time to get up. You have five minutes to shower while I make breakfast," Dimitri warned, picking up empty liquor bottles from the nightstand.