Vampire Academy 1. Chapter 1

_A/N: So...if you've been reading my stories for a while, you know it's impossible for me to write something and then keep it from you. I was going to wait until after Thanksgiving to start posting, but why wait?_

_If you leave a review and want to leave a Christmas prompt, I will choose one suggestion to include in the next chapter. This holds true for each chapter of the story. (Ex. Christmas Wreath, Fireplace, etc.-feel free to get creative!)_

_Here it is...the first chapter of **Mistletoe & Mayhem. **I hope you like it! :)_

* * *

**~ Summary ~**

Dimitri Belikov has had his eye on Rose Hathaway since they started working together, but she's made it clear she doesn't mix business with pleasure. When he wakes up in her bed the morning after a a wild Christmas party, is it just the beginning for them...or is it the end?

* * *

**Mistletoe & Mayhem**

**Chapter 1**

"I'm just saying...I don't think it'd hurt you to go out and...maybe get a little action," Lissa said.

Rose grinned. "You _know_ I'm not into little," she shot back.

Lissa leveled her with a glare. "That is _not_ what I mean! How long has it been since you've had sex, anyway?"

Rose sighed as she flopped down onto the couch. "Ummm...I think it's actually in the years now," she admitted with a sigh.

Lissa's eyes widened. "_Years_?" she asked in disbelief.

"OK...first of all, close your jaw, please...unless you're getting ready to give me a blow job."

Lissa howled with laughter. "Wow. You _are _getting desperate!"

"Mommy!"

"Haley!" Lissa exclaimed as her oldest daughter ran into the room.

"Hi, Aunt Rose!" There was a breeze as the little girl blew past her.

"Hey, Hales," Rose said.

"What are you laughing at, Mommy?" the little girl demanded.

Lissa bit down on her lower lip, seemingly to give herself a bit more time to come up with something her six year old would believe. "I was just thinking about Aunt Rose's boyfriend," she blurted out.

Haley frowned as she looked at her mother in confusion. "Aunt Rose doesn't have a boyfriend."

"Thanks for the reminder, kid," Rose muttered.

"I've never even _seen _Aunt Rose with a boy!" she continued.

Christian laughed as he walked into the room. "Proof that the male population is wisening up," he joked in a low voice.

Lissa's eyes went to her other daughter, asleep in her husband's arms. "She out?"

"Like a light," he confirmed. "I'm going to go put her down."

Lissa nodded before turning back to Haley. "Go take your boots off by the door, please."

When Haley scampered off, she looked pointedly at Rose. "I think this work party is the perfect place to meet someone."

Rose lifted her eyebrows. "Have you met the men I work with?"

"You know I haven't. Oh!" She clapped her hands together excitedly. "What about that guy you always talk about...what's his name? The one you claim drives you nuts?"

"His name is Belikov," she said through gritted teeth. "And he _does_ drive me nuts."

"I know you say-"

"And I don't _always _talk about him." She couldn't help but notice how hollow her declaration sounded.

Lissa gave her friend a knowing look. "You mention him at least once every time I see you. That's one more time than you mention any other person you work with."

"You know what?" Rose snapped as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I think I liked it better when you were begging to give me a blow job."

* * *

"Want one?" Belikov asked as he opened a package of chocolate powdered donuts, pulled one out, then tried to pass it over the console.

Rose glanced across the car and shook her head, trying to tune out that sexy Russian accent. "How in the hell do you stay in shape eating that shit all the time?" she asked.

A slow smirk spread across his face. "That your way of telling me you think I'm sexy, Hathaway?"

"You kidding, Belikov?"

He chuckled. "One doughnut's not going to kill you."

"Well..." she muttered. "You're right there. But it _will _go straight to my chest."

His head whipped around and his gaze settled on her breasts before lifting to her face. "In that case, eat two. I'd hate for them to be lopsided."

* * *

"You know...they say you should conduct stakeouts in the backseat," Dimitri commented an hour later as he aimed his binoculars toward the house across the street.

"I'm not getting into the back seat with you, Belikov," she said, even as her heart sped up at the thought.

"These bucket seats recline," he pointed out.

"This is true," she said as she gave his arm a pat. "But I've told you before. You can't handle me. I'm _way_ too much woman for you."

He grinned. "At least let me try," he coaxed.

"And ruin this amazing partnership? Not a chance in hell." But she knew he was only half kidding. He'd been chasing her since he'd transferred from the New York precinct two years ago. She'd made it clear she didn't date men she worked with, but he hadn't lessened his flirting. And if his teasing words were anything to go on, his dirty talk alone would be enough to make her tremble.

"Come on. Just once," he teased. "I'll make it worth your while."

She rolled her eyes. "Fuck you."

His eyes lit up. "_Now _we're talking."

"You going to the department holiday party?" she asked, changing the subject.

"It's not really my thing," he told her. "But Captain was _pissed_ last year when I didn't show up." He sighed in resignation. "You?"

"Only so I don't have to listen to him bitch at me for the next twelve months."

* * *

Rose winced and immediately slammed her lids shut when the light hit her eyes. Her head was pounding and her mouth was dry as hell. She laid there for another moment before they snapped open again.

_What. The. Fuck?_

She tried to roll over, but the muscular thigh draped over her waist made it impossible to move and if the probing against the back of her leg was any indication, ready for another round of whatever the hell they'd indulged in last night.

She closed her eyes as she tried to recall last night's events, mortified when one word resounded in her head: Roza.

That in itself wasn't bad, but the Russian accent it was laced with...

_Focus, Rose, _she coached herself even as her mind spun. _You have participated in extraction missions before. Extracting _yourself _should be a cinch._

She started by trying to lift her leg off the mattress, frowning when she realized she was stuck to it. That—along with the cream-colored crusty coat covering her knee—must have something to do with the carton of eggnog on her bedroom floor. God, she hoped it was empty and hadn't leaked into the carpet. She'd hate to lose her security deposit over a half-gallon of eggnog.

Taking a deep breath, she placed her hand on the mattress and elevated her upper body, rolling her eyes when she saw smears of chocolate sauce on her forearm.

She meant to glance quickly to her left, but Belikov's sleeping form made her pause. He was lying on his stomach with one hand beneath the pillow, the other laying beside him on the mattress. She pursed her lips at the sight of the dips and hollows in his back; he was even sexier than she'd imagined. And for God's sake...she'd broken her nearly two year drought and _slept _with him.

Resisting the urge to brush his hair away from his face, she managed to disentangle herself using the tablecloth method: a quick roll to the side until she'd rolled right off the mattress and landed agilely on her feet despite the throbbing in her head.

She made her way quickly to the bathroom before she spent another second gaping at her partner. She closed the door quietly behind her, then sunk against it, her head dropping into her hands.

The three condom wrappers strewn across her bedroom floor hadn't escaped her notice...and neither did the tenderness between her thighs.

She winced as the events from last night came crashing back...


	2. Chapter 2

_a/n: Thank you to everyone who took the time to review last chapter. :) I'm having so much fun writing this. I feel like it's practically writing itself!_

_Thank you to the 'guest' review who left me two prompts to choose from—Santa Baby or fireplace. I chose to use 'Santa Baby.'_

_As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)_

_**Mistletoe & Mayhem**_

_**Chapter 2**_

* * *

The memories were like deluge, and Rose had to brace her hand against the wall in order to remain upright.

_Lissa...curling her hair, giving her a 'smoky eye,' and then insisting she wear jeans that were a size too damn small and a white, three quarter sleeve button up with red 'fuck me' heels that she teetered in..._

_Nearly breaking her neck when she walked into the bar...every man in her damn unit gaping at her entrance..._

_Belikov, insisting on buying her drinks—and introducing her to tequila..._

_Dancing with him to Santa Baby, practically _grinding _against him..._

_The cab ride home... _

She groaned at that one, recalling the way she'd straddled him in the back seat, essentially attacking him with her lips and hands. As it turned out, his six pack was just as taut as she'd imagined. She bit down on her lower lip when she remembered the way Belikov had thrust into her, how her body had been stretched to it's limits...she distinctly remembered yelling out 'harder' and 'yes' too many times to count.

Shaking her head, she took a deep breath. "OK," she said, going into pep talk mode. _"You_ are not a coward. You are _not_ going to hide out in the bathroom while—motherfucker!"

She stomped toward the mirror, eyes widening as she read the single word written across her belly in chocolate sauce.

"Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God!" Suddenly hiding out in the bathroom seemed like a very good idea, but it wouldn't get Belikov out of her bed—or her house. And she _desperately _needed that man out of her house! So she pulled open her hamper and pulled out a pair of dirty, wrinkly sleep shorts and the matching tank top. Once halfway decent, she flung the door open and practically flew across her room.

"Belikov!" she shouted, punctuating it with a slap to the back of his head. "Hey!"

"What?" he grumbled as he stretched.

"Why in the _hell _do I have _sexy _scrawled across my stomach?" she demanded as she lifted her tank top to reveal the chocolate sauce.

He chuckled as he rolled over onto his back. Rose sent up a silent prayer of thanks that he was covered with her sheet. "Because," he started, "you thought we should find a word that described the other one and then lick it off them. Unfortunately you zonked before we got to the licking part," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"What did I write on yours?" she asked, suddenly cursing her sheet for blocking her view.

When he just grinned, she reached for it and snapped it off him. Her cheeks reddened instantly, and she closed her eyes; it didn't help. She could still see the word flashing in her head like a freaking neon sign. Had she _had _to write it in all caps? With a freaking exclamation point?

HUGE! _blink _HUGE! _blink _HUGE! _blink... _

Her eyes snapped open, but instead of falling on his stomach, her eyes flew to his cock and she winced. The soreness she was experiencing suddenly made perfect sense. "OK. You have to go," she said.

"But I had so much fun _coming_," he teased in a low, sexy voice.

Her hands lifted to tangle in her hair and she closed her eyes; when she opened them, Belikov's gaze was on her chest—which she'd inadvertently thrust out when she'd lifted her arms. To her mortification, she felt her nipples tighten beneath his gaze. Her arms dropped to cross over her chest.

"Well...that portion of your visit has come to a conclusion," she said primly. "It's time to go." She walked slowly towards her bedroom door. "I'm just going to...step outside while you get dressed and go on your merry way."

Belikov smirked as he crawled to the edge of the bed, and Rose rushed out of her bedroom.

* * *

The coffee had just started brewing when she heard the shower start. "What the..." she stomped—yes, stomped—into and then through her bedroom straight to the bathroom where she'd had her mini-meltdown.

She hauled the shower curtain back, forcing her gaze to his face. "Want to join me?" he growled before she could say anything. His eyes swept over her body and she felt herself tremble.

"Get. The hell. Out of. My shower and back into your clothes!" she ordered. "NOW!"

Belikov arched a brow at her, and to her dismay she found it sexy. His fucking eyebrow! Sexy! What was _wrong _with her?

"Do you think you might be overreacting?" he asked evenly.

She stared at him in disbelief. "Are you kidding?" she asked. His other brow arched and she groaned. "You have to go. Like...yesterday!" Otherwise she was likely to attack him again. Lips, mouth, hands...she was pretty sure if he stayed any longer she'd attack him with any body part that could get a hold on him.

"Roza-"

"I'm not kidding, Belikov," she said, even as she licked her lips. "You have to go." She hated the breathlessness in her voice, but it wasn't something she could control.

"Just give me five more minutes," he said.

She nodded jerkily, then spun on her heel and left.

* * *

She poured herself a cup of much needed coffee, sipping it as she stood in the doorway between her kitchen and living room. It was far enough away from her bedroom that when Belikov came out, she wouldn't have to...feel him.

Oh, God. She was going to kill Lissa for this. She was pretty sure it had been the heels that had done it—considering he'd made her wear them the first time he'd fucked her. Yep. Lissa. She was such a bad influence!

It was closer to seven minutes before he came out of her bedroom...carrying her sheets. "What are you..."

"These need to be washed," he stated.

"They sure do," she agreed as her eyes fell on the chocolate smears. "And I am more than capable of doing that."

She put her coffee on the closest end table and headed for him.

"It's the least I can do for you after what _you _did for me," he said with a cat that ate the cream look.

She felt her cheeks begin to blaze again—her cheeks had never _blazed _in her life before today—and she knew instinctively what he was talking about, despite the many things they'd done last night. A sudden image flashed in her mind of her kneeling between his legs, her hands on either side of his hips as her head bobbed up and down while she sucked greedily.

She grabbed the sheets and gave them a tug. "Really. I'm all set," she insisted.

He gave a tug of his own until she'd stumbled against him. He wrapped the sheet around her and hauled her closer, his eyes glittering with need. "You'll do anything to get me tangled up in the sheets with me again, won't you, Roza?" His voice was husky, and she shivered against him.

"Let go of me," she said breathlessly.

"Do you mean that?"

"This was...a one time thing," she stammered.

He arched that sexy brow again. "You mean five?"

"Five?" she shrieked. "I only saw three condoms! Are you telling me we had sex _twice _and didn't use protection?"

He chuckled. "No, I'm telling you that twice I managed to make it to the bathroom toss the condom into the trash can."

"Five times? Sweet Lord! It's a wonder I can even walk!"

If it was possible, his eyes darkened further. "I'm going to take that as a compliment."


	3. Chapter 3

_a/n: Thank you all so much for the reviews for last chapter! :)_

_Ahhh...there is nothing like sitting at the kitchen table with my laptop watching the snow fall, sipping coffee, listening to Christmas music, and writing!_

_Just a heads up: this is my last new story for Vampire Academy. It should be finished by Christmas, and I'll be working on Tempting Fate while working on this one. I'm also hoping to get the last chapter of Captured up soon. Running Down is going to take a bit longer, as I need to do some research about adoption laws before continuing on._

_I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)_

* * *

Rose paused for a moment in front of the double doors leading into the station, smoothed her hands over the front of her jeans, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It was time for another pep talk.

She could do this. So almost all of the men in her department had seen her leave the bar with Belikov Friday night; so he'd probably given his buddies every single detail of their rendezvous—including what she'd written across his washboard abs. In all caps. She could handle this. It was one of the repercussions of having too much to drink. And really—it was the least she deserved for not watching her own back.

Exhaling slowly, she pulled the door open and stepped inside—and was nearly bowled over by Belikov who shoved a Styrofoam coffee cup in her hand. "I took you home and tried to get in your pants, but you kicked me out," he said quickly.

Rose blinked in confusion. "What?"

"Just go with it," he told her. "_Trust_ me," he continued when she just gave him a look of disbelief.

"_Trust _you?" she hissed. "You—"

"Do not finish that sentence, Hathaway," he warned, pointing his index finger at her. "You may be able to explain away the night before, but the morning after..."

That was enough to shut her up. Rose pursed her lips as she felt her cheeks heat, recalling just how tangled they'd gotten in her bedroom sheets—on her living room floor—after her 'compliment.' And quite frankly, if she didn't think it would have sent his ego straight into overdrive, she'd have had more for him...but somehow she didn't think Belikov _really_ needed to know he was the only man who'd ever gotten her off just by fucking her. She wasn't sure she'd be able to work with him if she released that little tidbit.

"Fine," she said with forced nonchalance. "I can live with the entire department thinking I didn't fall under your spell."

He chuckled, and then, in a low voice,"Even though we both know you did."

It took effort not to pour her steaming coffee over his head. She arched a brow at him as she continued to her desk. "You have big dick, Belikov," she said, almost in challenge. "I can appreciate that."

She was rewarded with a sputtering noise as coffee spewed into the air in front of him. "Fuck, Hathaway."

"Been there, done that," she muttered as she sat down at her desk.

"Hathaway!" her captain bellowed from his office, prompting her to jump to her feet. "You're late! Still hungover from Friday night?"

"No, sir," she said as she approached his office cautiously. "Bright eyed and bushy tailed this a.m., sir."

"Belikov!" the captain growled, eying her suspiciously.

"Yes, sir!"

Rose jumped at the voice that came from just behind her; it was followed by Belikov's deep chuckle.

"When are you heading out?"

"Soon as Hathaway gets her shit together, sir," he returned smugly; Rose began to seethe.

"Keep a close eye, today," he said, nodding his head. "This case is about to break. I can _feel _it."

"Yes, sir," they said in unison.

"Dismissed."

Rose resisted rolling her eyes at the captain's military demeanor and made her way back to her desk, grabbing a box of granola, an apple, and some bottled water out of her bottom drawer. "'As soon as Hathaway gets her shit together?'" she hissed. "What the hell was that?"

Belikov grinned at her. "Foreplay. God your blood pumping, didn't it?"

"Yeah...well...foreplay wasn't your strength, Belikov," she taunted.

"Oh, come on, _Roza,_" he said huskily, not at all fazed by her words. "Been inside you six times now. Don't you think it's time you started calling me Dimitri?"

"If I call you anything, it's going to be fuckhead," she sputtered as she stalked off.

"Hathaway!" She turned around in time to see Zuko running up to her. "Heard Belikov put the moves on you Friday night," he said as he came to a stop before her.

"Yep," she said as she bit into her apple.

"You resisted."

"I sure did," she said, chewing thoughtfully as she studied the man in front of her. With is chiseled features, hard body, and charming personality, he should have made her heart leap. But the truth was—she felt nothing when it came to Zuko. Belikov on the other hand—

"That's my girl," he said, winking as he chucked her under the chin.

She swallowed her bite of apple. "I'm not your girl, Zuko."

While he may have been a nice guy, Zuko was known as the 'department dog—' and it wasn't because he had good scent.

"Not yet," he said with a wink.

"Not _ever_," she shot back. "You've left a line of women behind you larger than a crowd standing outside of a Wal-Mart on black Friday."

Belikov's roar of laughter had her sighing. "I'd like to say I'm flattered, but I'm not." She turned to Belikov, who was standing a few feet away.

"You coming?"

The lift of his eyebrows let her know _that_ was a loaded question.

"Fucking men," she muttered as she spun around and headed out of the station.

* * *

"I'm so sick of looking at this house," Rose muttered. "It's been weeks."

"Ditto," she heard Dimitri say as he took a bite of his doughnut. "Want to hop in the backseat and fuck?"

She knew he was kidding—Belikov was nothing if not dedicated to his job, but it didn't stop her heart from racing at the thought.

"I'm all set, thanks," she said dryly.

""Yeah," he said with a grin. "You're probably still having a hard time walking."

"Oh for—"

"It's my favorite kind of cardio."

She looked at him questioningly.

"Fucking," he clarified, then grinned shamelessly. "Interested in becoming my personal trainer?"

Rose snorted. "And what do I get out of the deal?" she shot back.

Belikov's grin widened. "Off."

She didn't doubt it for one second.


	4. Chapter 4

_a/n: Thank you all so much for the reviews for last chapter! :)_

* * *

"You could always come with us," Lissa suggested hopefully as she plopped a pile of jeans into Christian's suitcase.

Rose laughed. "And what? Call into work? I'm far too important for that," she teased haughtily.

Lissa arched a brow. "_Or _you're far too desperate to spend time with your _huge _partner," she shot back knowingly.

"You know would really be a Christmas miracle? If you let this go!"

Lissa grinned, then her eyes narrowed. "Have you heard from your parents?" she asked softly.

Rose nodded. "They're spending the holidays in Greece."

She watched as her best friend's face brightened; Lissa was surely biting her tongue in an effort not to say anything.

"I'm used to it," Rose said gently.

"That doesn't make it right!" Lissa snapped.

Rose had gotten over it long ago; she'd never been a priority for her parents, and at this point she knew she never would be. Lissa, however, having been doted on by her two adoring parents until their untimely deaths, still hadn't come to grips with it.

"Of course it doesn't," Rose agreed. "But should I let them ruin _my _holidays by being angry?"

Lissa huffed. "I really hate it when you go all logical on me."

Rose grinned and opened her mouth. But before she could get a word out, Haley and Hannah came tearing into the room, tears streaming down Hannah's face. She threw her face into her mother's legs and clung to her, her little body wracked with sobs.

"What's the matter with your sister?" Lissa asked Haley as she lifted Hannah into her arms.

"I told her that she couldn't bring Mr. Whiskers on the plane with us!" Haley said.

"Why would you tell her that?" Lissa asked.

"You said no toys!" Haley reminded her mother, her little hands going to her hips as she started accusingly up at Lissa. Rose bit back a grin as Lissa rolled her eyes.

"I _said _no electronics," Lissa clarified. "Honey," she softened her voice and ran her arms up and down her younger daughter's back soothingly.

"You _know _I can't put Mr. Whiskers in my suitcase, Mommy!" she wailed. "He's afraid of the dark!"

A fresh wave of tears fell down her cheeks and her sobs came harder.

Lissa sighed. "I don't know why you would _possibly _want to stay here when you could fly to Tasha's with us and enjoy a nice, drama-free holiday," she remarked dryly.

Rose burst into laughter. There was nothing drama-free about Lissa's family.

* * *

Rose wasn't worried about spending the holidays alone; she didn't mind the peace and quiet. But she knew it bothered Lissa. Her friend had always worried about her, and it seemed to have escalated in the years since she'd become a wife and mother. No matter how crazy her life got, it was clear Lissa was happy. She knew her friend wanted the same for her and it was something Rose wanted for herself, too. Eventually.

For now, her career was enough to keep her contented, and if she had any maternal urges, a quick visit to Lissa's cured that.

"Hey."

She looked up to find Belikov's gaze trained on her. "I fucking hate Mondays," he muttered.

She grinned. "I hear ya." The captain had deemed Monday their paperwork day, and there was nothing worse than sitting at a desk working on a pile of paperwork when there was scum on the streets.

Belikov stood. "I'm going to head down to Telly's. Grab something to eat. You in?"

Rose thought about it for a moment. Telly's had the best roast beef on rye in the neighborhood—but going meant she'd be alone with Belikov. In a situation she'd voluntarily put herself in. Would he read too much into it?

Belikov chuckled as her stomach let out a low growl."I'm in," she admitted against her better judgment.

* * *

"So...you've never said why you transferred from the New York precinct," Rose said casually before wrapping her lips around her sandwich and taking a huge bite.

Belikov studied her for a moment before wiping his mouth on his napkin and setting it down. "My partner was killed."

She flinched at his words. It was every cops worst nightmare—the only thing worse than losing your life in the line of duty was your partner losing theirs.

"I'm so sorry," she said, her mouth still full. But the sentiment couldn't wait.

"Yeah. Me, too."

She finished chewing her sandwich. "Was he young?"

Belikov cleared his throat. "She," he corrected, surprising her yet again. "Yeah. She was my age."

There was something in his eyes that peaked her curiosity... "Did you love her?" she asked before she could stop herself.

He shook his head. "Yes, but not the way you mean. She was my best friend's wife."

Rose shuddered at the thought, knowing instantly how he had to feel. Regardless of what had gone down, he'd blame himself. Feeling like you hadn't protected your partner was bad enough, but for it to be your best friend's wife on top of it...

"How are you spending your Christmas Eve?" he asked. A wave of relief coursed through her at the change of subject.

"With friends," she lied, avoiding his gaze as she took another bite of her sandwich.

"Yeah?" he said conversationally.

She nodded fervently. "You?"

"I have a sister who lives close, and the rest of my family flew in from Russia," he told her. "We're gonna spend it Belikov style."

She arched a brow. "And that would be..."

He grinned. "Oh, you know...family fun..."

She nodded like she knew, but she had no idea. Though she'd made her own family over the years with Christian and Lissa, there were times she still felt like she was intruding on their time together with the girls.

"Spiked eggnog..." he continued, his eyes teasing.

She glared at him. "I'm pretty sure it wasn't eggnog that caused..." Her voice trailed off and Belikov sat there, waiting for her to finish. When it was clear she wasn't going to...

"Holiday cheer in the bedroom?" he finished for her.

"Yes," she bit out as she sipped her water.

"What are you doing for New Year's?" he asked.

Her eyes snapped up to his. "Why?"

He held up his hands in surrender. "No reason. I just want to volunteer to be your designated fuck—ahhh...driver. Your designated _driver_," he corrected, but his eyes made it clear his words had been no slip of the tongue.

She rubbed the heels of her hands over her eyes and groaned. "My life is never going to be the same."

He smirked. "And the compliments keep on coming."

* * *

The next night, Rose was settled into her favorite pair of flannel pajamas, the popcorn had been popped, and she'd queued 'Badder Santa' on her Netflix. All she had to do was flop down onto the couch and hit play.

She was getting ready to flop when her doorbell rang. Frowning, she placed the bowl of popcorn on her center cushion, and then headed for the door. She flipped on the outside light and looked through the peephole. Heart racing, she flung the door open. "Was there a break in the case?" she asked breathlessly. "I'll be dressed and ready to go in two minutes!"

She turned on her heel, but before she could take a step, Belikov's hand clasped her elbow and spun her back around until she was facing him. "You lied to me," he said softly.

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"You said you were spending Christmas Eve with friends."

"There was an emergency," she muttered. "They...can't...make it..."

"You think I can't tell when someone's lying?" he asked.

"Fine," she huffed. "I'm spending Christmas alone. So, what?" Her arms crossed over her chest in what she knew was a defensive move but couldn't help herself.

"You're not spending Christmas alone," he informed her.

"Yes, I am, and-"

"You're coming with me."

She blanched in surprise. "What?"

"You can spend Christmas with me."

She looked at him for a moment before understanding dawned. "If you feel some sense of obligation because we slept together-"

His laugh cut her off. "No sense of obligation, Hathaway," he assured her. "I _like _you. I like being with you. And I want to be with you tonight."

"So this is about getting into my pants again?" she asked angrily.

He sighed. "This is about exactly what I said...spending time with you. If it leads to fucking..." he shrugged. "Great. If not, I'm OK with that, too."

"Oh, how generous of you," she said mockingly.

His eyes danced. "Two minutes, Roza. That's how long you said it'd take you to change."

The sound of her name—in that sexy Russian accent of his—sent shivers down her spine. "I can't go with you to spend Christmas with your family," she argued.

"Fine." Another shrug as he stepped inside and shut the door behind him. He unzipped the brown leather bomber jacket he was wearing and slid it down over his broad shoulders, then hung it on her doorknob. He strolled into the room heading straight for her couch. Grabbing the bowl off the middle cushion, he sat down and popped a few pieces of popcorn into his mouth. "What are we watching?" he asked.

The sight of him so at home on her couch...the idea of spending the night alone in her apartment with him...it was way more than she could handle.

"Two minutes," she ground out as she headed for her bedroom. Spending the evening with his family—though daunting—had to be better than spending the evening alone with him.

She was much less likely to end up in bed with him if they had an audience.


	5. Chapter 5

_a/n: Thank you all so much to everyone who took the time to review last chapter! :)_

* * *

"What did you tell your family?" Roza asked as Dimitri's truck came to a halt. He put it in park and turned it off before turning to face her.

"Nothing," he said as his eyes drank her in. Two minutes in the bathroom had turned into twenty, but when she'd walked out like _that, _anything he'd been going to say was forgotten. Dimitri Belikov knew enough to choose his battles wisely, and he wasn't going to argue with Roza for taking so damn long getting ready when the results made his heart skip a beat.

The dark denim clung to her like a second skin, her camel suede boots came up to her knees, and the thick green sweater made her skin look like it was fucking glowing. She'd pulled her hair to one side so the thick, loose curls fell over her shoulder. He'd had to clench his hands into fists to stop himself from running his fingers through them.

No. He wasn't going to argue with her for being fucking gorgeous.

"Nothing," he finally answered as he opened his door, rounding the vehicle before she could step down. She gave him a reproving look when his hands clamped her waist and he lifted her from the vehicle.

"I'm not an invalid," she reminded him.

He grinned. "Any excuse to touch you."

When he let her go to shut the passenger side door, she took a few steps back. "They...don't know I'm here?" she asked anxiously.

He shook his head and reached for her hand. She tried to pull away, but he wasn't about to let her go. His grip forced her to follow him up the walk.

"What are you going to tell them?" she hissed.

She slammed into him when he came to a stop. "Ooops," she mumbled.

He met her gaze and held back a smirk, knowing it would only to antagonize her. While that might be fun for another time, he didn't want her uncomfortable just before she met his family. For some reason he refused to analyze, it was important to him that she like them, and they her. He didn't want her perception tainted before they'd even opened the front door just because he was acting like a jack ass. He'd have to keep that in check.

"What do you want me to tell them?"

"I don't want to lie to them," she said firmly.

"Neither do I," he agreed. "But I won't hide the way I feel about you from them, either."

Roza's forehead wrinkled with her frown, and he felt his jaw clench as he resisted the urge to bend down and brush the tension away with kisses.

"What does that mean?" she persisted.

His free hand reached for hers, and he tugged her against him, surprised when she didn't balk. He wrapped his arms around her, closing the distance between them until her body was crushed against his. "It's only going to take one look at me to know how much I want you, Roza," he said in a low voice. "And I'm not going to try to hide that."

He heard her breathing hitch, and it was a moment before she spoke. "This was a bad idea, Belikov."

"You're probably right," he agreed. "But letting you spend the holidays alone would have been a worse one." His arms loosened, and he reached for her hand again, tugging her with him as he moved backwards up the walk. "Oh, and you should probably start calling me Dimitri."

"I'm a big girl," she reminded him as she picked up her pace, going on as if he hadn't spoken. "Spending the holidays alone wouldn't have killed me."

"Well it would've fucked with _my _holiday cheer," he said, trying to bring the teasing tone back to his voice.

Before she could respond, Dimitri heard a creaking sound behind him. Christmas music filled the air as the front door opened, and a peal of delight resounded as his sister sprinted toward him.

* * *

Rose's head spun as she was introduced yet again to someone new. If she'd had on her detective hat she'd have been able to remember every single detail, but meeting Dimitri's family had knocked her off her game. _Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree _blared through the house, and squeals and laughter echoed as children seemed to come out of the woodwork.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?" Rose asked, tearing her gaze away from Dimitri and the elderly woman he'd made a show of sweeping into his arms. It was hard to tell who was more excited, the children, or the elderly woman as she peppered Dimitri's cheeks with kisses.

"I _love _your sweater," the woman, who Rose was pretty sure was Dimitri's youngest sister Viktoria, repeated.

"Oh," Rose said, looking down at the green cowl neck sweater she'd bought just last week. "Thank you."

The woman grinned, and Rose felt herself flush. "It's hard to tell whether it's my brother or that shade of green that's making you glow," she teased.

"Definitely the green," Rose blurted, causing the woman to laugh.

"I can tell already I'm going to like you."

* * *

When Rose had finally been able to extricate herself from Dimitri's family needing just a moment of peace, she'd slipped into the first empty room she came to-the living room. She was studying the homemade ornaments on the Christmas tree when she felt a pair of arms slide around her waist. "Sneaking off?" Dimitri whispered in her ear.

She shivered at the tickling sensation from his warm breath and stepped out of his embrace, turning around. "It's...a little overwhelming," she admitted.

Dimitri chuckled. "You don't have to explain yourself to me," he said dryly. "They're my family, and I think they're overwhelming."

Rose laughed nervously, then frowned as she suddenly realized it had gone silent. "Where is everyone?"

"The kids are Skyping with Santa," he told her. "My sisters have convinced their children that it's midnight where they live in Russia, and Santa is Skyping from one of their houses with the tree and presents in the background. They need to know they haven't been forgotten."

Rose's heart melted at the amount of thought and planning that went into such a simple action. It was something those kids would never forget."That's really sweet," she said softly.

"It is," he agreed, his eyes darkening as he stepped toward her.

"Wha..what are you doing?" she asked, retreating.

He grinned. "I'm going to kiss you."

"Why?" she demanded.

"Because we're finally alone and...you said sweet."

"And?"

"And now all I can think about is the way you taste," he said in a low voice.

"But..." her voice trailed off as Dimitri's head descended, and her traitorous eyelids lowered only to snap open again at the sound of a snort.

"Just friends, my ass," Dimitri's thirteen year old nephew muttered as he plopped down onto the couch.

Dimitri's cheek brushed hers as he bypassed her lips and settled his face in the curve of her neck and shoulder, chuckling at the ill-timed—or in Rose's opinion, _perfectly-_timed—appearance.

His tongue swept across her flesh causing her to shiver before he lifted his head with a sigh and turned to his nephew. "What's up, buddy?"

* * *

Rose had no idea how she'd wound up here, sitting on the floor between Dimitri's legs, but the fact that she was enjoying it was more than a little unsettling. It wasn't that she was opposed to dating, but she _was_ firmly against mixing her personal life with work. Friends was one thing, but for things to escalate beyond that...it was something she'd never even considered.

With his thumbs beneath her sweater skimming back and forth over the bare skin of her waist, Rose had to force herself to keep her focus on the conversation. As always, his touch was electric.

"Oh, come on!" His oldest sister's tone drew Rose's attention, and Karolina turned to her. "He was behind me in school, and with all of his death glares and threats, I _still _couldn't get a date!" she reminisced. "You see my brother. He's huge! Huge!" she exclaimed.

"Did you hear that?" Dimitri whispered in her ear, causing her cheeks to heat. She knew _exactly_ where this was going. "I'm huge," he said smugly. "All caps. With an exclamation point...if I recall correctly."

She reached for his inner thigh, somehow managing to get a grip despite the fact that there wasn't an extra ounce of flesh on him, and pinched as hard as she could until he winced. "I'm going to kill you," she whispered back.

"Fuck me first?" he teased.

She paused for a moment. "That your dying wish?"

Dimitri chuckled. "Always," he said as he kissed the top of her head.

"Well...far be it from me to deny a dying man his last wish."


	6. Chapter 6

_a/n: Don't hate me...but it's been snowing here today and I'm sitting at the table watching it snow...and I couldn't help but think of Rose and Dimitri's Christmas! I'm working on getting the next chapter of 'Tempting Fate' up by the middle of the week!_

_Thank you to everyone who took the time to review the last chapter!_

* * *

When Rose's ass buzzed for the sixth time, she decided maybe the person on the other end really _did_ need to talk to her. She tried to reposition herself, but Dimitri's legs tightened around her, prohibiting movement.

"Where do you think you're going?" he growled in her ear.

"My phone is buzzing."

"Funny, so is my-"

"And I need to answer it," she cut in before he could finish his sentence. She didn't need him to tell her what was going on between his legs. It had been pressed against her lower back for the last half hour, after all. "It's the six time it's gone off."

Dimitri's legs loosened and she stood, then excused herself and left the room. She made her way to the front porch before pulling her phone out and reading her messages—all from Lissa.

_Tasha's my least favorite relative on the planet._

_I hate the thought of you spending Christmas alone. :(_

_How was Badder Santa? Do you still have your gross crush on Billy Bob Thornton?_

_Eeeew...Green Bean Casserole. Who the hell concocted that recipe anyway?_

_Mayday, mayday. We got matching sweaters for Christmas._

_FREAKING OUT HERE! TEXT ME! SCRATCH THAT—CALL ME. I WON'T BE HAPPY UNTIL I HEAR YOUR VOICE._

Rose laughed as she hit the picture of the green phone and then pulled her cell to her ear.

"Thank God!" Lissa breathed.

Rose laughed. "I'm beginning to see where your girls get their melodramatic tendencies."

"All I could picture was you stuck in a ditch somewhere with a dead cell...or at home, passed out with an empty bottle of tequila lying next to you!" her friend exclaimed.

"I'm happy to report that neither of those things have happened."

"Where _are _you?" Lissa asked. "I hear Christmas music."

Rose cleared her throat. "So...you don't have to worry about me spending Christmas alone."

"Did your parents fly home?"

"Yeah, right," Rose scoffed.

"Then...where are you?" Lissa pressed.

"Uh...I'm actually with Dimitri and his family," she admitted.

There was a stunned silence on the other end of the line that went on for about fifteen seconds before Rose broke it. "Liss?"

"So...it's _Dimitri _now?" she finally said.

"Yeah...he just...showed up while I was in my flannels-"

"Wow. And he's still interested."

"Shut up!"

Lissa laughed. "Hey, I've seen you in those things. He must _really _like what's underneath if he's willing to brave the flannel."

"I regret returning your call," Rose said, turning as the door opened behind her. Dimitri stepped onto the porch in his stockinged feet. Her eyes lifted, taking in his black denim clad legs and red long sleeved t-shirt. The fabric was taut across his chest—taunting her with what she knew was beneath it.

"OK. Fine. I'm _glad _you called, and I'm really glad you're not spending the holidays alone. Even if you are spending them with someone you claim to hate," Lissa baited.

"I'm hanging up now," Rose told her friend, doing just that before her friend could get another word out.

"Everything OK?" Dimitri asked as she returned her phone to her back pocket.

She nodded. "Just a little friend drama. Lissa worries about me."

"Where are your parents?" Dimitri asked curiously.

"Uh...Greece? I think. Or maybe Italy. I can't remember where they said they were this year."

His eyes narrowed and she shook her head.

"Don't look like that," she chastised.

"Like what?" he asked.

"Like my parents should be shot for not spending Christmas with their adult daughter."

"How much time _do _they spend with you?"

"Ummm..." she bit the inside of her cheek as she thought about it.

"When was the last time you saw them?" he pressed.

"A year and a half ago, I think? I'm not sure."

His eyes darkened with what she could only guess was anger, puzzling her. Was he really _that_ concerned about her?

"Your mother lives in Russia," she reminded him. "It's not like you see her every day."

"You're right," he agreed. "I don't see her very day. But we do manage to get together at least twice a year."

"That's nice, but not everyone is able to do that," she pointed out.

He arched a brow.

"It's not like I need to be taken care of," she insisted. She really should stop speaking—she knew she should. But the way Dimitri was staring at her—he really had that interrogation thing down; she felt the need to explain herself when she never felt the need to explain herself to anybody.

"Maybe_ I_ want to take care of you," he said, his eyes softening with the words.

The fact that his admission didn't rile her up scared the hell out of her. "Well...stop...wanting to take care of me!" she ordered, realizing it was possible she was overreacting.

"I don't think I can," he whispered, his hand encircling her wrist and giving it a gentle tug. She stumbled toward what was quickly becoming one of her places—up against him.

Her hands came up between them to splay over the pecs she couldn't get out of her mind—though in all fairness, she hadn't been trying in earnest. Her fingers curled against his hard flesh. "Try harder," she said weakly.

"Too late," he said just before he sealed his lips over hers. His tongue thrust inside of her mouth when she opened it to present exhibit A as to exactly _why_ she didn't need him to take care of her. But his tongue—sweet Lord. It was all she could focus on. He licked the roof of her mouth, the insides of her cheeks...stroked hers roughly as he gripped the back of one of her thighs and lifted her leg off the ground, wrapping it around himself. She rocked her hips against him as she felt a rush of heat between her thighs.

She groaned when he tore his lips from hers, arching her neck to give him easier access as he sucked gently.

There was a slam as the door closed, followed by the unmistakable voice of Dimitri's oldest nephew. "They're on the porch going at it!"

"Fuck," Dimitri said as he lifted his head.

Rose dropped her leg to the floor as she tried to regain her balance as well as her breath. "There might be certain...parts of me...I'd let you take care of," she admitted.

Dimitri laughed. "Roza." She felt his warm breath fan against her face as he lowered his forehead until it was resting against hers. "That's not good enough. I want _all_ of you."

She was pleased that his breathing was as ragged as hers was; she'd hate to think her level of desire was one-sided. "'All of me' isn't up for grabs," she informed him firmly.

He gave her a quick peck on the lips. "We'll see about that."


	7. Bad News

Hey, guys.

No update. I'm sorry. :(

I just wanted to let you know that I am on the east coast of the Unites States, and we are currently experiencing the aftermath of an ice storm. There are almost 80,000 people in my state without power, and I am one of them! They are expecting that our power will be restored by Friday. This is hindering me from updating, and I cannot apologize enough! I will update ASAP, and I hope you all have a VERY Merry Christmas or whatever it is you celebrate! Stay warm! :)


	8. Chapter 7

_a/n: Woo hoo! Power had been restored and I am one happy girl! Thank you so much for your patience! :)_

_Keep an eye out! The next chapter of Tempting Fate will be going up either tonight or tomorrow._

_As always, thank you to everyone who took the time to review!_

* * *

"Rose..." Dimitri's mother said with a smile. "This one's for you."

Rose returned the woman's expression halfheartedly, then turned to Dimitri when she walked away. "I didn't get _her _anything!" she hissed.

"It's not from her."

Rose looked down at the tag and took a deep breath. "I didn't get _you _anything, either," she pointed out.

He grinned at her. "Sure you did. You're giving it to me later." She narrowed her gaze at him when he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"No. I am _not_," she said slowly and firmly.

"I can see you're going to take a bit of convincing." His voice was teasing. "Lucky for you, _I'm_ up for the challenge."

"Yeah. Ya have been all night."

His deep chuckle reverberated in his chest and she felt the vibrations against her back as he tugged her against him. "Don't you want to open it?" he whispered in her ear.

"Is it crotchless panties?" she shot back.

He frowned. "Of course not. I prefer you with no panties at all. Even the crotchless ones are a hindrance."

Rose stifled a laugh, then watched as everyone in the room tore into the single present in front of them.

"Open it," Dimitri prompted again.

"Uh..." Rose was hard-pressed to think of another moment in her life when she'd felt so awkward. _Belikov _had bought her a Christmas present. Though it wasn't as mortifying as the fact that he'd been inside her, it was pretty damn close.

"On three," he said, as he reached for his own gift. "One, two, three..."

She flashed him a sexy grin before ripping into her present. Tossing the paper aside (as that's what everyone else appeared to have done,) Rose pulled the top off the box and peered inside. "You got me pajamas?"

"Tradition," he said with a shrug.

As Rose looked around, she realized everyone else was pulling their own pair of pajamas out of the boxes, including Dimitri. A dark blue t-shirt and green, blue, and red plaid pants were his newest articles of sleepwear.

She lifted a light pink cotton tank out of the box, followed by a pair of matching capri bottoms with thin white stripes and a drawstring waist. The interlocking VS on the right thigh left no doubt as to where they'd come from.

"Notice they're not the skimpy shorts you were prancing around in at your place," he commented.

Rose's brows drew together. "I do not _prance,"_ she argued.

"You were prancing that morning." His eyes danced. "Or maybe you were just walking funny because-"

She twisted in his arms and plastered her hand to his mouth before he could finish. No one appeared to be paying them any attention, but one couldn't be too careful with such little ears around! His grip tightened, and he fell back, pulling her with him. When his tongue flicked against her hand, she pulled it away. "Not a conversation to be had in your sisters house," she warned.

He arched a brow. "You should know, wild cat, that when it comes to you and naughty, there isn't any place that's off limits."

Her heart raced at the endearment—if you could call it that—and she placed her hand on his chest, using it as leverage to push herself up.

"Say cheese!"

Rose's head snapped around in time to see one of his sisters—the middle one, but for the life of her, Rose couldn't remember her name—capture the moment with her camera.

* * *

"I am _not _spending the night here!" Rose announced half an hour later as she followed Dimitri into the bathroom.

"It's a long walk home, wild cat."

"Then I'll call a taxi!" She put her hands on her hips, immediately stepping back as Dimitri reached over her shoulder to close the door. "And...stop calling me wild cat!"

"Don't act like one in bed," he countered.

"Oh, for—" she took a deep breath and tried a different approach. "I can't spend the night here," she said softly.

"Why not?" he asked, as his hand when to the snap on his jeans.

"What are you doing?" she asked as her traitorous heart starting beating wildly in anticipation. She wasn't sure why...it knew damn well she wasn't going to let _that _happen again!

"Changing into my pajamas," he said as he slid his jeans down his long, lean legs and stepped out of them. She sighed in relief when he was true to his word and pulled his pajama bottoms on. "Tell me why you can' stay so I can tell you why you can."

"I don't want to intrude tomorrow morning while your family is opening gifts!" she insisted.

He shrugged. "So we'll leave after breakfast."

"Oh, now the kids are going to have to wait until after breakfast to open their presents because of _me_?" she asked.

"No," he said. "The kids _always _have breakfast before they open presents; they always have. That's what we did when we were younger. My mother knew we wouldn't settle down long enough to eat after opening presents, so we ate first. My sisters' adopted the tradition. Next reason?"

"I think this is sending the wrong message to your family," she said defiantly.

"The only message it's sending is that I want to spend Christmas with you," he said, his voice muffled as he pulled his sweater over his head. She resisted the urge to run her fingertips over the dips and valleys of his abs. Thank God it only lasted a moment before he pulled his pajama shirt on. "And since that's true, it's not an issue."

She sighed. "I have to feed the cat."

"You don't have a cat."

She stomped her foot—something she'd never done before—in frustration. "Dammit!"

"Wild cat," Dimitri declared with a grin as he tossed her pajamas in her general direction. "Hurry up and change. I'm starving."

He opened the bathroom door, then turned around. "Oh...and you'll probably want to leave your bra on. No need to tempt me."

* * *

After a huge feast of turkey and all the fixings that went with it, they retired to the living room to watch 'It's a Wonderful Life-' another Belikov tradition. Though, admittedly, there wasn't much watching—it was mostly conversation and ribbing from the adults while the kids zonked one by one. Rose had never been somewhere before where people had tried so hard to make her feel included, and it warmed her in a way she'd never experienced.

She was soaking up the merriment when the camera—with all the photos that had been taken that evening—made it's way to her. She was scrolling through when the one of her and Dimitri on the floor in front of the tree popped onto the screen.

The scene on camera was enough to stun her. For one thing...she looked _happy_; there was a flush to her cheeks she'd never seen before. And for another...instead of looking at the camera, Dimitri's gaze was on her and the look on his face...well, she hated to sound conceited, but it was pure adoration. There was absolutely no other word for it.

She felt her eyes well up with tears and quickly blinked them back as she thrust the camera at Viktoria. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she wrapped her arm around Dimitri's stomach and kissed his jaw tentatively before snuggling against his side, lifting her thigh so it was draped over his. "Thank you," she said softly.

His only response was a gentle squeeze.


End file.

Vampire Academy, Humor, Romance