Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own V. A. :( Richelle Mead does.

Authors Note: this is mostly scenes/dialog from SB chapter twenty five, but I've sort of changed it. Will hope you'll like it. R&R

It was a sweet dream. Not a spirit dream with Adrians livly presences, but of one linked to my own subconscious dreaming.

It was nice to have my head to myself for now.

The dream was also a memory of the night Adrian and I had made love for the first time. The night before I was accused of murdering the late Queen Tatiana Ivaskov. Adrian's favorite Great Aunt. Before I was sent into running, while my friends tried to put together clues to find out who the real murder was.

That night I was made powerless beneath his skilled hands and mouth.

Adrian cupped my face in his hand, his eyes filled with intensity and desire-and a bit of wonder.

"What are you Rose Hathaway? Are you real? You're a dream within a dream. I'm afraid touching you will make me wake up. You'll disappear." I recognized a little of the poetic trance he sometime fell into, the spell that made me wonder if he was catching a little of the spirit-induced madness.

"Touch me and find out." I said, drawing him to me.

He didn't hesitate again. The last of his cloths came off, and my whole body heated at the feel of his skin and the way his hands slid over me. My physical needs were rapidly trampling over my logic and reason. There was no thought, just us, and the fierce urgency bringing us together. I was all burning need and desire and sensation and-

"Oh, shit."

It came out as kind of a mumble since we'd been kissing, our lips eagerly seeking out the other's. With guardian reflexes, I barely managed to shift away, just as our hips started to come together. Losing the feel of him was shocking to me, more so to him. He was stunned, simply staring in astonishment as I wriggled further from him and finally managed a sitting position on the bed.

"What . . .what's wrong? Did you change your mind?"

"We need protection first," I said. "Do you have any condoms?"

He processed this for a few seconds and then sighed. "Rose only you would pick this moment to remember that."

"So do you have any?" I asked impatiently. Just because I was in responsible mode, it didn't mean I wanted sex any less.

"Yes," Adrian said sitting up. "Back in my room."

We stared at each other. His bedroom was far away, over in the Moroi section of court.

He slid nearer, putting his arm around me and nibbling my earlobe. "The odds of anything bad happening are pretty low."

I closed my eyes and tipped my head back against him. He wrapped his hands around my hips and stroked my skin.

"What are you a doctor?" I asked.

He laughed softly, his mouth kissing the spot just behind my ear. "No. I'm just someone willing to take a risk. You can't tell me you don't want this."

I opened my eyes and pulled away so that I could look at him directly. He was right. I did want this. Very, very badly. And the part of me -which was pretty much all of me- burned with lust trampled every reasonable thought.

I kissed him fericly, putting every needing feeling I had into it, he responded caressing me, positioning me he lay on top with me under his weight, his hands gliding down my legs and hitching them on his hip, I wrapped my legs around him waiting in anticipation of our joining.

His beautiful green eyes searching mine of any sign that might indicted I wanted to stop.

"Are you sure?"

I urged him on rocking against him, as he slid into place my hips rose to meet his, it was only my second time so when he glided in it hurt, I squeezed my eyes shut gasping and grasping tightly to his arms. Then I felt like I was on fire.

"Are you okay, Rose?"

I nodded.

He waited as I adjusted to his immense size.

"I'm ready," I said moving my hips against his.

Adrian was loving, gentle. He was good.

It was beautiful, he made me feel beautiful looking at me with complete adoration. . . and love. My breath caught again. Tears blurred my vision as I blinked them back.

After Dimitri I thought I could never want sex with another who wasn't him. I was so very wrong.

With Adrian it wasn't just sex and lust, it was about making love. He moved slow, our bodies rocking to one rhythm, both of us savoring every moment in each others arms. My nails dug into his back as I arched into him, allowing for deeper penetration, he sighed in contentment near my ear which sent a shiver through me. Every cell in my body came alive, it was perfection.

That night he and I had thrown caution to the wind and let our passion clash. It was reckless behavior, but we were to far gone in the moment, in the absolute feel of each other.

Who knew later I'd blow it all up.