~DIMITRI POV~

Walking into the office the next morning wasn't a pleasant experience. I had behaved horribly the day prior and had given Rose no explanation as to why. I'd closed myself off from her after she had opened up to me without a second thought, despite admitting that she shouldn't have. It was a defense mechanism that I had always hoped would pass one day but yesterday had proven otherwise.

I owed her an apology, that much was obvious. We didn't know each other that well but she had willingly let me have a look into a treasured part of her life. I had let myself be carefree and get truly close to someone only once. Ivan had been the most loyal friend I could have ever asked for. After the threat to our business, I'd ignored it and it had cost me the one person I knew I could trust completely.

My family was in Russia where they could be safe but I hadn't visited since Ivan's death and only spoke with them once a month. My mother and grandmother constantly reminded me that I had a home there if America became too much. It had been tempting to go back to my constantly growing family where everything was familiar and the memory of Ivan wouldn't haunt me every time I walked down the hall.

We'd started this business together and I felt an obligation to stay because he couldn't. The business was thriving but it didn't ease the ache in my heart from the loss. It was why I hadn't allowed myself to get close to anyone else. The loss of someone I had considered family because of a stupid decision had made me want to draw away from everyone. It was the reason I had pushed Rose away as I had.

She was still so young and though I didn't know what, the haunted look in her eyes showed that she'd been through her fair share of hell. Still, she had taken a chance and opened the door to her life. The realization caused a wave of guilt to wash over me. I was beginning to think Adrian was right about me being a complete ass. He'd never know that but it was bad enough for me to admit it to myself.

She was straightening up her desk when I came into her area of work. I could see several workers try to carefully look our way as I approached her. A blonde woman whose name I couldn't remember at the moment had a smirk on her face. She was one of those who was always overjoyed to see someone fired and it raised the question of why I hadn't extended the courtesy to her yet. Today wasn't that day.

"Are you firing me now, Comrade?" Rose asked bitterly, not turning to look at me but I could hear both the anger and hurt in her voice.

I was about to argue when I saw a few employees looking our way and the absent sound of typing. "May I see you in my office?"

She finally looked my way and placed a hand on her hip in a defiant posture but gestured with her other hand to lead the way. She didn't argue but I knew that there was one coming my way. I didn't know her well but the look in her brown eyes reminded me of embers ready to blaze.

The moment I closed the door to my office behind me, she let loose. I barely had time to look at her before she said: "Go ahead and get it over with. You may as well have fired me out there because everyone knows it is going to happen. They may not know the reason why but I don't exactly fit the rich bitch persona your female workers have around here."

I let her finish what she was saying before quickly interjecting: "I wanted to apologize for yesterday."

"Yeah well that's-" She looked up in shock before asking: "Wait, what?"

"I was inexcusably rude to you yesterday and without cause," I told her as I crossed my arms over my chest, not once looking away from her eyes. "I hope you can forgive me."

She seemed to be waiting for something else but after what seemed like an eternity of silence, she calmly asked: "So... you are apologizing for being an asshole and I still have a job?"

I arched an eyebrow at her and she put her hands back on her hips, waiting for confirmation. "Yes, Rose."

"Well... can't say that's ever happened before." Her posture suddenly turned defensive. "Not without someone wanting something in return."

"The only thing I want is for us to remain on respectful grounds. I'm your boss and nothing else." I told her, feeling the need to emphasize the last part.

She snorted before saying: "Figured that out yesterday, Comrade." I arched an eyebrow and she smiled coyly before saying: "The nickname stays. It's the least you can do considering the fact that you were an ass to me after I took you to my dead mother's studio area."

"If I refuse?" I asked, the annoyance clear in my voice.

"Then nothing." She said with a shrug. "You just get to know what it feels like to be a horrible human being because of the guilt you'll feel when I call you Mr. Belikov."

As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. I did feel guilty when she used my professional name. The nickname, though annoying, showed that she was forgiving me for my actions. The strictly business attitude just didn't belong to her. "Fine."

She smiled before saying: "Well, since I still have a job, I have to get back to work, Comrade."

She was about to walk out the door when I realized something. "What did you mean that I would get to know what it feels like to be a horrible human being? What makes you think I don't feel that often?"

She smiled before placing her hand on the door handle. "I've been around them my whole life. I wouldn't be standing here at all if you were a horrible human being, let alone receiving an apology."

She didn't give me time to let her words sink in before she walked out of my office door. I walked over to my desk and sat in my chair before running a hand through my hair. She had been here for such a short amount of time and already seemed to see right through me. I'd never felt so exposed to someone in my life but it seemed like Rose's eyes could stare into my soul and locate every secret I'd never shared.

I shook my head before throwing myself into my work, welcoming the distraction that had always been successful in the past. It worked to an extent but my thoughts occasionally wondered back to Rose. She was unlike anyone else I'd ever met. In a short amount of time, I had found that she was fearless in ways most could only dream of but had a certain tenderness to her that she kept locked away.

She was dangerously alluring and I knew that my book publishing was not the only work I would have to see over while she was here. Yesterday had shown me that it would be easy for me to let my guard down around her. To feel safe and to know what it was like to care for someone again. Those were walls I wasn't willing to bring down.

Keeping them up was going to be a job that required constant attention.

***It's an update! I know it's kind of a sucky one but I finally had time to sit down and write a little bit. The next chapter will be much longer and will hopefully be up this weekend. College and family life have been hectic lately which is why this update took so long. I wanted to say thank you so much for the reviews on the last chapter. You guys are amazing and thank you for being patient. Anyway... I hope you enjoyed this chapter and have a great day!