My eyes snapped open at the sound of the door opening. I sat up and reached for my silver stake that I kept on my bedside table. I knew very well that no strigoi would be here at court. Not with the wards and gaurdians on every inch of the grounds, but there is always the possibility of the rebels trying to kill me too.

My best friend, Lissa, was recently crowned queen, and not everyone was very happy about it. Lissa's half sister, Jill, was killed and my ex boyfriend, Adrian, brought her back using his spirit abilities.

I shimmied off of my bed and expanded my senses outward. Too dark to see much i relied on my hearing. Very quietly, I heard the door close with a soft click. I tiptoed out of the bedroom into the hallway to get closer to whomever had just gotten into my apartment. It was then, that I got a slight wiff of the aftershave I loved so much. Dimitri. I lowered my stake and stepped into the living room looking around anxiously, stake still in hand.

"Roza? Why do you have your stake out?"

I turned around smiling at the sound of his sweet voice. A voice I had only heard over the phone for many months. I looked up into his handsome face. His eyes were alight with amusement as he took in my features, including my ragged beadhead I wish I would have ran a comb through. Dropping my stake, I flung myself into his strong, waiting arms. His arms tightened around me and I sighed in contentment. A deep rumble spread through his chest as he laughed.

"Miss me?" He asked with humor in his voice.

I looked up into the brown eyes I loved so much. A smile still plastered on my face I pulled his head down so I could kiss him.

"I wasnt expecting you until tomorrow, why are you back tonight?" I asked him. "Not that I'm complaining or anything," I added hastilly.

"Well," he played with a strand of my hair while he spoke. He had always loved my hair. "I was going to stay at a hotel and drive here in the morning, but I wanted to see you too much." He met my eyes when he said the last part and I felt my smile grow wider.

"Are you hungry," I asked him after hearing his stomach growl.

He chuckled at his loud stomach and leaned down to grab his luggage. He has been in Palm Springs for the past months doing research on strigoi. I had layed at bed at night and wished he was next to me all those months. We had tried to talk on the phone most days but sometimes it wasn't possible with his research and my job gaurding Lissa. But the nights I heard his silky voice through the phone were the nights I slept the best.

He dumped his bags in our room and came back out to the kitchen where I waited for him. He sat down at the table chair like it was the most comfortable chair in the world. I personally, was still surprised his long, muscle packed body could even fit it. He ran his hands over his face revealing just how tired he really was.

I brought him a glass of water after he rused food, and sat down next to him. I looked at every inch of his body, taking it all in. His chin length hair falling around his face, his dark brown eyes, his tanned skin, even his scruffy face showing he had not shaved yet today. It was a minute or so before I realized he was staring at me as well. His eyes then shifted down to the table where I had put my stake. He looked up and me curiously.

"I didnt know it was you," I told him. "I woke up to the door opening and didn't know who it was. I wasn't expecting you until morning."

"Ah," he said nodding his head, understanding at once. Dimitri grabbed his water from the table and downed all of it at once. I then grabbed his empty glass and took it into the kitchen to place in the sink. The clock on the oven read 2:15 am.

Dimitri had followed me into the kitchen and he wrapped me in his arms as soon as I had put the glass down. He rested his chin on the top on my head and told me how much he missed me. I barried my head in his chest and breathed in the smell of him. A smell I had missed more than I could imagine.

Tilting my chin up with his finger he kissed me tenderly on the lips.

"Come on, Roza," he murmered again my lips. "Im tired."

I nodded and grabbed his hand, leading him to our bedroom. He immediately shed his shirt and jeans and climbed into bed in his boxer briefs only. I stood back and admired the was the muscles moved on his back as he took his shirt off before I climbed into the bed next to him. I curled up on his strong chest and it was as though I could not press myself close enough to his body. He kissed my forehead one more time before he drfted off into slumber. I stayed awake for a little longer, memorizing the details of his relaxed face. I smiled to myself knowing he was home, at least for a little while. Also knowing the kind of things we would be doing tomorrow night when he wasn't so tired. I drifted to sleep aware of his warm body and having the best nights sleep that I had had in months.