Lissa was talking about Christian, her voice was animated and happy. I just couldn't seem to pay attention. My mind was with Dimitri and his piercing dark gaze. I seemed to feel his eyes on me wherever I went. "Um, Rose?" Lissa had stopped walking and was staring at me with narrowed eyes. "What are you spacing off on?" Sexy eyes, a generous mouth, and midnight colored hair that falls across tanned and deliciously soft skin…

"Nothing. What were you saying?" Lissa's eyes stayed on me a moment longer than necessary. She always was good at picking up my lies. "What? I'm paying attention."

"You've been really preoccupied lately, Rose." I shrugged. I had a lot on my mind. With Lissa's continuous mood changes, strange horrible dreams, and Dimitri's hot body, I had my share to contemplate. And that's not even mentioning the rising Strigoi attacks.

"I know. I'll try to pay attention more." Lissa stared at me.

"I just worry." I broke out into a smile that always lightened the mood.

"I'm supposed to worry. You're my charge." Lissa rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, okay." Her smile was soft, dainty, and entirely feminine. I'd kill to have that dreaminess. "Did you happen to hear anything I was saying?" Well not really. So I just smiled apologetically and shrugged. "The dance, Rose. Are you going?"

"You mean St. Vladimir's version of prom? Absolutely not." Lissa's pretty jade eyes went wide. Her pale blonde hair blew across her face in the cold wind.

"Old Rose would have." My eyes narrowed.

"Old Rose would have spiked the punch. But New Rose has to train to keep Lissa safe." And spend time with her gorgeous and entirely forbidden coach.

"I'll talk to Dimitri. He'd let you go. You could go with Adrian." I couldn't help the snort that escaped. "What? He likes you."

"He also likes lots of other girls. Not to mention worryingly large amounts of alcohol." Lissa put her arm through mine.

"He's not that bad." Lissa sounded a little sullen. I glanced over to her and looked. She really wanted me to go, not as a Guardian, or anything else, but as her best friend. She missed the times where we were only friends, nothing more than a couple of girls who wanted to have fun. But things changed. If I wanted to protect Lissa, I had to train and prove my worth as a Guardian. No one knew how to protect her like I did. We were bonded.

"I could ask Dimitri if I could stop by for a bit." Her answering grin as reward enough. She threw her arms around me and smiled.

"We'll have to pick you out a dress…Something the Old Rose would approve of but the New Rose will love."

"Can I wear my running shoes?" She looked at me with narrowed eyes. "You're right. Running shoes would never look good with a designer dress." My vanity always got the best of me.

Training Room

"Lissa asked me to go to the dance with her." I said as I slammed my fist hard into the blue punching bag.

"Do you want to go?" Dimitri asked from behind me. His voice seemed pensive. I paused in my assault and massage my hands. I turned around and face Dimitri, his long muscular form leaning against a padded wall. The black tanktop he wore complimented his skin and showed of the definition in his arms. Sometimes he made it extremely hard to talk. "Rose?"

"Oh, sorry. Lissa really wants me to go. So yeah, I want to go." He stared at me, his dark eyes searching my face. His gaze was always intense, and it always made me nervously excited. "And I think it might be fun." I cleared my throat and nibbled on my lip. "Why are you staring at me?" A small smile started on the corner of Dimitri's red lips.

"I was just thinking how you'd be able to go. Kirova was very adamant that you aren't to attend any social events." I started to take off my gloves and walk towards him. Dimitri moved from the wall and walked towards me. He picked up my water bottle and handed it to me, our fingers brushing. I sighed at the contact before he drew back. He was always in control of himself. If you asked me, he needed to lose a little bit of that control.

"If I'm going to be Lissa's Guardian, won't I need the practice?" He took up his own water bottle and drank.

"I'm going as Lissa's Guardian. I may be able to persuade her to allow you to go on an observational basis." I set my water bottle down and nodded.

"Lissa also wants to dress me up..." Dimitri's eyes narrowed.

"Are you her doll, Rose?"

"Lissa has been kind of down lately, and I think it might be good for her to have something to distract her. If I happen to get a designer dress out of the deal, then it's just good for everyone." There was a small quirk in his bottom lip. It felt good making him smile. His eyes lightened and his face took on an amused look.

"Oh Roza." I smiled, wide. He only called me that when he was happy with me. He touched my jaw lightly, his calloused fingers sending goosebumps down my spine. I swallowed and looked up so I met his eyes. His face seemed unguarded, open. And there was attraction in his eyes. Maybe he was losing a little of that control after all. But as soon as I thought that, he withdrew his hand and that guarded look was back. He stepped away from me and his posture grew rigid. Had I done something wrong? "I'll talk with Kirova and let you know during our sunrise run. Sound good?" I merely nodded. "You are dismissed."