Mafia Legacy

by Serenity Angel14

You can't escape your past. No matter how much you wish you could. At 12 Serena's mother told her the truth about why they had to remain hidden. At 18 he came for her with painful and bloody consequences. Now, Serena's only chance to be free is to take down the man who wants the one thing from her that she will never give. But that means trusting someone she's never even met.

7. Chapter 6 - Remember the Plan

Hi Everyone, hope all is well out there.

Now, I had a lot of difficulty with this chapter and in the end I took a lot out and moved some events to the next chapter. This chapter was initially planned a little differently than how it turned out, but in the end I decided that the characters needed a chapter to deal with some issues and think some things out before both their relationship and the story can progress.

Enjoy.

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Chapter 6 – Remember the Plan

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Darien woke to the tangling scent of woman filling his senses, and for a moment he couldn't remember where he was.

Darien remained still, not even opening his eyes so that anyone watching him would not be aware that he was awake.

He instinctively knew he was in a place in which he hadn't slept before but at the same time he didn't feel the customary wariness that usually went hand in hand with waking up in a strange place.

Instead Darien felt strangely at ease but at the same time he felt frustrated – the sexual kind – and he felt . . . .

Peaceful.

Wow. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt at peace like this.

And then Darien became aware of the warm softness that was pressed into his side from his shoulder all the way down to his knee. A softness too which is body promptly responded.

Not opening his eyes Darien breathed deeply in through his nose, drawing in the familiar scent that was sweeter than anything he had ever known. It could tempt the angels on high into the deepest depths of hell. It was the one scent he would never forget. It was branded on a part of him, even if he lived to be one hundred he would never forget Serena's tantalising scent.

And he was very aware of the feel of her warm soft body pressed against his.

Serena was laying against his side, her head resting on his shoulder, her hand laid on his chest directly over his heart that was picking up its pace as a result of his building state of arousal. He could feet the mounds of her breasts pressed into his ribcage and feel her slim legs that were all but wrapped around his leg. She had her top leg draped over his thigh, her foot moulded to the other side of his calf muscle, while her other leg was pressed against the side of his. She was snuggled into him like he was her favourite giant teddy bear that she hadn't wanted escaping from her during the night.

Darien flexed his fingers, wanting to know the exact location of said limb.

Beneath his fingertips Darien felt warm naked flesh that was smoother than silk.

Darien opened his eyes and turned his head slowly so not to disturb Serena in her sleep. Serena was laying exactly as he knew she was, but it was the location of his arm that he was curious about.

His arm was wrapped around her. His hand was resting on her side, just below her shoulder.

His fingers mere millimetres away from brushing the underside of her breast.

Beneath the covers, a certain predominant body part twitched at the mental image that filled Darien's mind and he quickly slid his hand downward a couple of inches, away from temptation.

He wasn't a saint for crying out loud! Just how much was he expected to take? He wanted to howl or cry or hit something. Hell, he wanted to do all three. He wanted to do something that would both release some of the tension that was plaguing his body as well as distract him from what he REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted to do!

But he didn't move. He couldn't wake her. No matter how much the temptation of holding her was, he couldn't wake her. If this was as close as he could ever be to her then he would take this sweet torment. He would bask in what it felt like to hold her close, to keep her safe for as long as he could as she slept trustingly in his arms as tranquil as a little kitten.

She had the cutest tiny sated soft cat-like smile on her beautiful sleeping face.

The moments turned into minutes as he laid there, watching her sleep. She was so trusting and comfortable in his arms, almost like she had no place in the world she'd rather be. And he hadn't failed to notice how they fit each other perfectly, whether she was at his side or beneath him.

Oh, how he wished he could make love to her for real! But sadly, no matter how much he wanted it otherwise it just wasn't going to happen.

Serena had stressed repeatedly to the FBI that that absolutely couldn't happen because she couldn't risk getting pregnant.

Serena had made it perfectly clear that she'd die before she gave her father a grandchild.

And if Darien was completely honest with himself, Serena's fear of falling pregnant wasn't the only thing that kept him from going all the way with her.

Truthfully he was really concerned, and a little unnerved, about his near complete loss of control last night. He'd never come as close to losing control over himself like that before. Well, not since his teenage years anyway when he'd learned the necessity of iron fast control, especially when it came to love making with an opposite sex that was so vulnerable – physically – against his greater strength.

He had never hurt a woman, and especially never in bed, and Darien was proud of that fact. Just two months before his father had lost his life, he had taken his young son aside and had had the "men need to be careful with their women, need to be respectful" talk. His mother had laughed when she'd found out, fondly referring to his father's speech as his "women rule the roost" talk. It had been then that his father had walked in. Darien had watched delightedly at his father who'd grinned affectionately, replying with a jovial "that's exactly right son." And then he had hugged and kissed his wife with so much love and joy that little Darien had just smiled and silently promised himself that one day he'd love a woman of his own like that.

That had been the moment that Darien had seen just how much his father had loved and cherished his wife. On that day, not the night that they had been taken from him.

That had been the night that Darien had learned how completely the loss of love could shatter a man's very soul. Hell itself could not have devised a torment worse than what his father had endured in his final moments.

Serena stirred and Darien looked down and realised that he was the one disturbing her. His body had become tense beneath her and his fingers were digging into her flesh, not enough to leave a lasting mark on her soft skin but enough that she felt the discomfort in her sleep.

Darien forced his body to relax, and was relieved when Serena sunk back into deep sleep.

And despite the direction his thoughts had taken, his body was still reacting to her closeness.

Oh boy. There was no telling just how many times they'd have to re-enact last night's performance. Just how long could he last before his control snapped and he ended up turning their fake intimate relationship into a real intimate relationship?

He wasn't an idiot. Darien had known from the first time he'd laid eyes on her that there would be times when their fake "intimate relationship" would becoming somewhat uncomfortable for him, challenging even, but he NEVER could have anticipated the physical agony that he'd have to endure. He was a healthy red-blooded man who had never really had any problems getting himself laid when he'd been so inclined so abstinence wasn't something he dealt with on a regular basis.

He wouldn't have called himself a womaniser. He made it a point to make sure that the woman knew going in that he wasn't the commitment type, and he had tried to avoid breaking any hearts.

And now that he had finally found a woman with whom he wanted to get serious with – relationship wise as well as sexually – and he couldn't have her. He could hold her, he could kiss her but he couldn't have her.

Fate was an ironic cruel bitch.

Serena was the most fascinating, most exciting woman that Darien had ever met. If they'd met under normal circumstances, bumping into each other on the street maybe, Darien had no doubt that he would've perused her with every ounce of his skill and wouldn't have stopped until they'd firmly imbedded in a serious relationship.

As it was, thoughts beginning with the phrase, "maybe after all this was over . . ." were starting to worm their way into his mind, and such thoughts were dangerous distractions that he couldn't afford to take right now right now.

Nothing like this had ever happened to him before, on or off the job. He'd never let anyone get in the way of his work, of his life's mission, his vendetta to bring Kenneth Cedrone and those like him to justice. But Serena . . .

The depth of his feelings for her were starting to scare him. He was so close to bringing down the man who had personally murdered his parents in front of his young eyes all those years ago, but he couldn't seem to keep his mind on Cedrone; his thoughts kept wandering back to Serena.

What he should do was distance himself from her, not physically as they both still had a part to play for her father, but mentally.

Unfortunately the very thought left a cold nauseous feeling in the pit of his stomach and Darien knew that any form of distance between them was the last thing he wanted.

Why did it have to be Cedrone's own daughter that he was falling in love with? Why her? Of all the billions of women in the world, why did the one he want the most have to be blood kin to the man he hated most in the world?

Caring for Serena felt like a betrayal to his parent's memory.

And knowing that his parents would've absolutely adored Serena only made it harder.

If only Serena were anyone else's, anyone else's daughter!

He felt so conflicted, so torn, that all Darien wanted was to do was go back to sleep holding her in his arms where he knew she was safest.

Darien looked down into Serena's radiant sleeping face and a small grin spread across his lips.

Well maybe going back to sleep wasn't all he wanted.

Darien leaned down, gently swept her hair back and planted a gentle tender kiss on her forehead. His hand gently cupping the side of her head for a moment before it continued on its way along to her shoulder, where he gently cupped her upper arm and slowly ran his hand down along her arm in one smooth caress, all the way down to her hand.

Serena was so petite that his hand could almost wrap completely around her upper arm, and wrap almost once and a half around her thin delicate wrist.

Darien carefully picked up her hand and spread it out on top of his own.

Her hands were so small, so delicately made, especially when compared to his own that Darien was fascinated and more than a little protective. Her bones felt as light and as delicate as a birds beneath flawless pale milky-pink skin that felt like warm silk. Her fingers were slim but long, ending in perfectly curved unpolished fingernails.

Serena was so delicately made that if it hadn't been for her indomitable inner strength and fierce will, she would've been left at the mercy of any man's strength, and in her current situation the though was downright terrifying.

A surge of fierce possession and the urge to protect her flooded him, along with intense anger directed at the men who continued to hold her prisoner here, exposing her to the terrible evils of the world that Darien and the men and women like him fought against every day.

Darien carefully closed his hand around hers, almost completely encasing her hand with his and he pulled her close, holding her in the protective ring of his arms as she continued to sleep with complete trust in him.

No matter what happened. Darien was going to keep her safe. He was not going to let anything happen to her, even if it cost him his own life, because he'd rather die himself than ever let anything bad happen to her.

Darien's other hand twitched, craving the weight of his gun.

Serena stirred in his arms, woken by the tension in his body and his near desperate hold on her, a soft sleepy moan escaping her perfect pink lips. "Darien?"

Darien forced himself to relax, forcing his violent thoughts and urges away for now. He then pulled away from her enough to look down into her barely open eyes.

He loosened his hold on her, and gave her a gentle smile. God bless her, Serena was still more asleep than awake.

Darien would've loved to stay in bed with Serena all day, even though being so near her like this without being able to do anything about it was the sweetest torture he could ever had imagined, but he had to get up. He had a job to do and a part to play, although it was becoming less and less of an act in a lot of ways.

"I need to go." Darien told her softly, reluctantly releasing her completely and pulling away from her. "Your father needs to see me at breakfast. You stay here and sleep, I'll bring your breakfast up in a few hours."

Darien slipped out from between the covers and rose from the bed, stretching as he did. He wore only his boxer shorts which he'd kept on after returning from his search of Ken's office, having found two safes that he didn't have the tools to open.

Something he was going to have to do something about.

Serena moaned sleepily as she closed her eyes and snuggled down into her pillow, already falling back to sleep, "Don't make it too obvious." She murmured sleepily into the soft pillow, wrapping her arms around it as if it were in danger of getting away from her.

Darien grinned broadly at the sight, trying not to laugh affectionately while fighting the urge to climb back into bed with her.

Not trusting his already battered self-control, Darien quickly pulled on his pants, and zipped them up but didn't bother fastening the button as he was only slipping from her room to his room next door.

Darien gathered up the rest of his clothes from the floor where he'd left them the night before when they'd climbed into bed and Darien had been forced to endure one of the most sexually frustrating nights of his entire life – and that included his teenage years which he'd spent most of as horny as a . . . well, a teenage boy. Yes, he'd come last night but it hadn't been enough. He'd come inside his shorts when what he'd REALLY wanted was to come inside her.

With his clothes tucked up under his arm in a messy ball and his shoes hanging on two of his fingers, Darien headed for the door. He had to get to breakfast so that he could pretend that he was the young man who'd just slept with the daughter of the dangerously powerful man of the house who was trying to pretended that he hadn't slept with the daughter of the dangerously powerful man of the house. And all while Ken pretended that he didn't know what by now the whole house knew.

Darien shook his head at the absurdity of it all. He had to pretend that he hadn't done something that he really hadn't done. He hadn't had sex with Serena but now he had to go downstairs and pretend for her father that he really had but was trying to act like he hadn't.

With one last longing glance at the goddess in the bed, Darien whispered "sleep tight" to her already sleeping form as he closed and locked the door behind him.

Scanning the corridor to assure that the coast was clear, Darien soundlessly slipped into his own room. He intended to take a long cold shower and put on some clean clothes before going down to breakfast, and he wasn't going to hurry either. Darien needed some time to get his head back in the game before facing the next round of this sick game between Cedrone and Serena.

When Darien had first accepted this assignment, he'd known that he was taking a huge risk; he could meet his end in any number of ways. He could be found out and shot, or tortured and then shot. He could take a bullet in the processing of apprehending Cedrone from one of Cedrone's goons when this thing met its conclusion. He could be discovered on one of his little midnight reconnaissance strolls and be shot or mistaken for an intruder and shot.

Or he could be killed by a bus crossing the street or be forced to take a bullet meant for Serena as Cedrone had many enemies and rivals who'd love to see him die without an heir.

But never, not once, had Darien ever considered the idea that it would be sexual frustration that brought about his untimely end. It was one thing to live like a monk but it was another thing entirely to be hot and heavy with such a beautiful and passionate woman without going all the way while pretending that he had.

Darien had the dreading feeling that there were a lot of cold showers in his immediate future and the even stronger suspicion that no matter how many cold showers he had they were never going to be anywhere near enough to cool his fervour.

Maybe he would have to start keeping ice packs down his shorts.

---

Darien's bedroom door closed slowly behind him with a soft metallic click and Diamond stepped out of his hiding place further down the hall, his eyes narrowed with malicious fury, his fists clinched in barely restrained violence.

So, somehow this pathetic whelp had managed to convince the little bitch to give up the goods. That had been real fast work. Darien had been in Ken's house a week and already he had Serena on her back!

If Diamond hadn't hated Darien's guts so much he would've been impressed. But he did hates his guts and so instead Diamond was furious beyond words.

Diamond was going to have to do something about Darien and he was going to have to do it quickly or else the little bitch would be pregnant with Darien's kid instead of his!

Ken had told him that once his little bitch was pregnant that Darien was history, but Diamond didn't trust it. Ken was coming to like this pathetic playboy and he might just keep him around to keep his difficult bitch of a daughter in line.

If that happened then Diamond would lose everything that he had coming to him, everything that was rightfully his.

Diamond pushed away the very idea. He would kill all three of them before he ever let that happen. Cedrone's empire and his bitch of a daughter were his and nothing stood between him and what was his by right.

Nothing.

---

Feeling fresher but no less sexually frustrated after his shower and shave and change into a very nice suit – sans the tie – that Cedrone had gifted him as part of his "signing bonus" Darien left his room, making sure that his bedroom door was locked behind him.

Darien was no fool; he knew that locking the door accomplished absolutely nothing because he knew for certain that his was not the only key, but he played along with the pretence that he had privacy as it was all part of being undercover.

Besides, there was nothing in his room that could give him away, not one thing. Darien was very careful about that. The only thing that could give him away was not in his room, but in Serena's. It was sitting in plain sight in her bathroom and had been since Serena had been dragged back after her first escape attempt that had ended with her being smuggled out of the FBI so that her father would never know she'd been there.

And it was so cleverly – but simply – disguised that no one would suspect what it really was and that made it as safe as it could be.

Now that last night, which had been a key part in Serena's Plan, was said and done – with only his lingering sexual frustration remaining – Darien now had to face the "morning after breakfast" with Serena's father and to tell the truth he was really curious as to how it was going to play out. Was Cedrone going to act like a real father and warn him against hurting or using his little girl? Or maybe Cedrone would be so delighted at the belief that he was making progress with Serena in terms of getting a grandchild that he would do something not-father-like, like give him another bonus?

Or perhaps Cedrone would try not to show that he knew about what he thought had happened last night?

Darien had slept with the man's daughter for crying out loud! Or at least Cedrone believed that he had. Yes, Cedrone had wanted him too so he could have his precious grandson – he had brought Darien into his household and treated him like some prized stud after all – but Serena was still his daughter, his blood! Surely Cedrone would show at least some small semblance of paternal protectiveness or fatherly concern.

But with Cedrone you just never knew. Darien even had his doubts that there was any humanity or compassion or mercy left in the man after all the people he'd killed and innocent lives he'd ruined over the past three decades.

Darien was almost at the bottom of the stairs when Diamond stepped out and purposefully stepped into his path, his expression spiteful and the look in his eyes was dark and dangerous.

Diamond opened his mouth to speak, no doubt to dazzle him with some clichéd insult or threat but Darien just wasn't in the mood for Diamond today. How many times did he have to warn Diamond that Serena was off limits to him and to stay away from him?

"Don't bother." Darien told him as he reached the bottom of the stairs and sidestepped him. "Whatever you have to say to me I'm not interested."

Diamond growled and stepped back and to the side, blocking Darien's path.

Darien couldn't believe it. Diamond had growled at him. Actually growled! To add to his animalistic behaviour Diamond curled his lip, flashing his white teeth like an infuriated bear. He even puffed out his chest as his hands curled into fists.

What was Diamond going to do next, thump his chest like Tarzan?

"Don't you EVER speak to me like that again!" Diamond fumed furiously. "I'll kill you where you stand!"

Wow. Just how many mob movies had this guy watched? Now he was acting like some corny mobster off an old low budget film that was written with the intention of hitting every cliché branch on its fall down the corny movie tree.

Darien couldn't help himself, he actually chuckled in Diamond's face. He wasn't afraid or intimidated by Diamond and he was going to let Diamond know it. So far all Darien had seen of Diamond was that he was all talk – his FBI file spoke a different story but for all Darien knew it could've just been Diamond taking credit for someone else's crimes. He hadn't seen anything from Diamond that had made him take Diamond as a serious threat to him.

Diamond posing a threat to Serena was another story but Diamond wasn't going to get anywhere near her ever again. Diamond would die first.

"You're wasting your breath," Darien told him flippantly. "You don't scare me. You don't intimidate me. You aren't a threat to me but I am one whopping big threat to you, aren't I? That's why you're so jealous of me. I managed to get in one month what you couldn't manage in a year."

It was childish to rub it in Diamond's nose but Darien just didn't care. He wanted to make it clear to Diamond that Serena was his and that that was not going to change.

"You think I couldn't have the little bitch if I really wanted her?" Diamond spat back venomously, the muscles and tendons in his neck corded from the intensity of his rage.

This time Darien laughed, really laughed at him.

Black rage flared in Diamond's cruel murderous eyes.

Darien couldn't help himself. He poked the bear again.

"You couldn't get her if you had one hundred years, but I wasn't just talking about her." Darien looked him up and down derisively, telling him without words that he wasn't impressed by what he saw. "Look at you, playing right into the "big bad thug" stereotype but that's all your doing, playing. And Cedrone knows it. Why do you think he kept you away from his daughter even after a year? He knows you're not worthy of her or anything he has. That's why I received such a warm welcome."

Darien lifted both his arms in a "look at me, I'm all that" gesture.

Darien wanted to shake his head at himself. He was real close to sinking to Diamond's level, but he just couldn't help it. He was enjoying himself too much to act like an adult right now.

And it wasn't like the sexist jerk didn't deserve it anyway.

"Cedrone likes me." Darien went on, intentionally accentuating certain words. "He sees potential in me. Face it, Diamond. I'm Cedrone's new favourite, and not just because I managed to get Serena's affections without forcing myself on her. It's because he knows I'm just what he needs in a son-in-law."

Diamond's fist came up fast, heading straight for his jaw, but Darien saw it coming, he'd been expecting it, and he was faster. In fact, Darien was surprised that Diamond hadn't lashed out at him before now.

Darien ducked under Diamond's swing and swung his entire body around, kicked out his leg as he span, gathering as much force as he could and using the perfectly executed full body wide swing kick, Darien knocked Diamond's feet out from under him.

With a cry Diamond fell to the floor like a bag of bricks, landing on his back with a grunt as the oxygen was forced from his lungs by the force of the impact. Momentarily stunned and winded, Diamond lay on the floor struggling to regain his scattered senses.

Darien straightened, standing his full height over Diamond as finally sucked in a long deep breath and started scrambling to get to his feet. With any luck Diamond had hit his head when he'd landed on the hard floor with his limbs flailing like an upside-down turtle.

"Give it up, Diamond. This is one fight you aren't going to win, no matter how dirty you fight."

And with that, Darien stepped casually over him and continued on his way to the dining room.

Normally Darien wouldn't have turned his back to him, especially given that Diamond was armed, but Darien wanted to really ram home the fact that he wasn't afraid of him.

Besides, even though Diamond was exactly the kind of coward who'd shoot an unarmed man in the back, Darien knew with all certainty that he wouldn't do it right this moment. Not in Cedrone's house without orders and not on this particular morning with Cedrone – and the entire house – believing that he was on his way to knocking Serena up.

So both he and Serena were safe enough for now. Who knew, if Cedrone was in a good enough mood Darien might even be able to get Serena a few more liberties, a little bit more freedom.

Anything would be better than what she had now.

---

Serena knew her Darien had left not that long ago and normally she would've stayed in bed and really enjoyed a long uninterrupted sleep-in but for some reason she just couldn't fall back into her blissful sleep, no matter how hard she tried.

So, only half an hour after her Darien had left her bed, Serena reached for her dressing gown that she kept beside the bed – she was forever mindful of the cameras – and threw aside the covers with a frustrated sigh.

Last night, her Darien had given her the most mind-blowing experience of her life but it still hadn't been . . . . enough. He'd made her come just from his mouth on her neck and the friction between their semi-clothed bodies, but what she had wanted, what she still wanted, was to feel him inside of her.

She was a virgin and at her age that was a little unusual but it hadn't bothered her before now. Now she'd found someone she wanted with a burning desire that was surely going to drive her insane.

Last night she'd learned what it was like to have a man's weight on top of her, grinding against her with such delicious friction that her body had exploded with pleasure, but it hadn't BEEN ENOUGH! She wanted the full experience, she wanted to feel her Darien inside of her, to come together as man and woman in the truest way possible. She wanted to know what her Darien was like when he completely lost that damn unyielding control of his. She wanted his hands on every inch of her naked body. She wanted-.

STOP!

Serena brought that line of thought to a screeching halt, not because she wasn't enjoying the images and ideas but because she was enjoying it entirely TOO MUCH. She wasn't going to get what she wanted and right now was not the time to be getting herself all hot and bothered – too late – when she had the entire day to endure beneath her father's attention as he would want to know as soon as possible as to whether last night had gotten her pregnant or not.

Too bad that he had no idea that it was impossible for her to have gotten pregnant last night as she hadn't actually had sex last night – never mind the other thing. The both of them had come last night it was true, but she had kept her underwear on and her Darien had come into her mattress.

Which reminded her, she'd have to make sure the maids changed her sheets as they weren't due to be changed for another three days, but it was very likely that the entire house knew that her Darien had spent the night in her room and would assume exactly what Serena wanted them to assume.

The maids would change her sheets today.

Right now though, Serena wasn't going to worry about her sheets. She had a more pressing problem, one that was quite uncomfortable and a shower seemed like the only fix.

Serena felt strange. The sexual frustration was still there – it had been since that first make-out session on her Darien's couch – but now there was something new, a sensation she hadn't felt before. It was hard to describe but her body felt . . . drained and refreshed all at the same time. Deep inside her lower belly she felt strange, soft of . . . strained but the rest of her felt vibrant and there was a bounce to her step that hadn't been there before.

Wow. Serena could see why sex was so addictive.

So this is what she'd been missing. Huh. She guessed that she hadn't really believed the girls when they'd tried to explain it to her. Maybe this was something that had to be experienced to be believed.

Or maybe her Darien was just that good, that skilled.

Serena froze in the middle of closing the bathroom door behind her.

Hang on a minute. Just when had she started referring to Darien as "hers"? Darien wasn't hers and he wouldn't even be. Not in that way at least. He was an FBI agent and he was just doing his job, playing a part.

Serena could feel her buzz draining away and there was nothing she could do to hold onto it in the face of the truth.

Yes, there was something between them – sexual chemistry, the same goals, even real affection – but there was no telling until all of this was over just how much of it was real. If any of it was real. After this ended, if it ended in their favour and Darien was willing, maybe they could explore where this went, but as things stood now she couldn't let herself fall for her own con.

Darien wasn't hers. She had to remember that.

No matter how badly she wanted it to be otherwise.

No matter what Serena couldn't let herself fall anymore in love with Darien.

But deep down Serena greatly feared that it was already too late.

Serena closed the door and reached for her vitamins. Taking out the small round pill, Serena popped it in her mouth and swallowed it dry.

She needed to take a shower and get her head back in the game. It was only the start of the third quarter and she'd be damned if she was going to let her emotions ruin everything now. If she couldn't have Darien or anything else, she was at least walk away with her freedom.

---

Cedrone couldn't have been more obvious if he'd been holding a flashing sign above his head like a Warner Brothers cartoon character.

Darien half expected him to pat him on the back or raise his hand for a high five.

This man could do intimidating. He could do dangerous. He could do charming and persuasive, but it appeared that what Cedrone couldn't do was discrete or subtly.

From the moment Darien had stepped into the dining room to see Cedrone seated at the head of the table with a breakfast feast spread out across the table in front of him – it was obviously a celebration meal ranging from pastries to eggs and bacon and various other breakfast delicacies – he had been blaringly self-satisfied and downright smug.

Geez, anyone would've thought that it had been him who'd gotten lucky last night instead of his only daughter.

The only points Darien could give Cedrone at all was that he hadn't actually mentioned what he thought had occurred last night, not even using double-entendres. He had greeted him good morning and they had engaged in polite small talk but other than that Cedrone hadn't said anything.

But his expression and demeanour proclaimed everything. He knew. And he couldn't have been more thrilled. Or more smug. He reminded Darien of a male peacock.

Darien half expected him to run straight upstairs to Serena with a pregnancy test; it wouldn't surprise Darien at all if Cedrone had a dozen or so somewhere in the house all ready to go for just this occasion.

It was sick. It really was. What kind of father wanted his daughter pregnant when she didn't want to be?

But regardless, this was expected and Darien was going to take full advantage of it. Cedrone would never be more accommodating short of actually getting the grandson he craved.

"Mr Cedrone," Darien began, his tone polite and respectful. "I've been meaning to enquire about Diamond. He seems to be somewhat hostile. Is he a threat to either Serena or myself?"

Cedrone waved his hand through the air dismissively. "Don't worry about Diamond. If he was a problem I assure you that he won't be again. I'll have a word with him. You just worry about my darling Serena."

"She's all I worry about." Darien told him honestly. It was the truth, everything he had to worry about was in some way connected to Serena.

"Excellent!" Cedrone beamed delightedly. Too delightedly. "As it should be!"

Darien took a sip of his coffee so Cedrone wouldn't see his scowl. 'As it should be'? If things were as they should be then Serena wouldn't be in this mess. A father was meant to protect and nurture his daughter, not keep her prisoner like this in hopes that she'd get knocked up by someone who was barely more than a stranger to her.

"Now, I want you to take Serena and go and go have some fun."

Darien choked on his coffee, the hot liquid going up his nose and splashing all over his face. He hastily set his cup down on the table before he spilt the steaming liquid on himself any more than he already had as he spluttered and coughed, trying to clear his airways, not caring that he was using an expensive cloth napkin to cough into and wipe away the hot sticky liquid.

By God! Hot coffee had gone up his nose! OUCH!

Darien finally cleared his airways and his coughing subsided, he then wiped the entire bottom half of his face and focused for a moment on just breathing. Hot rich coffee going up the nose and down the wrong way was a painful thing. Thank god his coffee hadn't been hot enough to scold him, having cooled over the past ten minutes or so from scolding to very warm.

Have some fun?! Had Cedrone meant that as the double entendre he'd taken it as or was his mind just buried that deep in the gutter because he still yearned for Serena so much?

Cedrone's chuckles reached his ears which in turn made Darien suspect the former.

"Go and take Serena for a day out." Cedrone emphasized as though that had been his real meaning from the beginning once both his chuckles and Darien's deep measured breaths had subsided. "Relax and just be young people. Of course you'll be accompanied but at a distance of course. I can't risk Serena's safety, especially now."

'You mean now that you think there's a chance that Serena's fallen pregnant.' Darien didn't say it out loud but by God he wanted too. He desperately wanted to call Cedrone on his bullshit.

"That's up to Serena." Darien cleared his throat and replied in what he hope was a convincing cordial tone. "After our night out last night, Serena might want to relax here at home. Maybe tomorrow, if she wants too."

"Of course, of course." Again Cedrone waved his hand through the air. What was with that habit? "I'm sure the both of you are exhausted after the events of last night."

Darien couldn't take it anymore. The double entendres had started in earnest and he feared that they weren't going to stop.

Rising to his feet and leaving his plate only half finished, Darien pointed at the ceiling. "I'd better go see if Serena's up yet. I don't want her to miss this amazing breakfast."

"Don't be too concerned about Serena missing her breakfast. Serena does love her sleep-ins. The kitchen staff always take care to keep a fresh plate ready for when she's ready to eat. If she sleeps too late the tray is taken upstairs for her. I always assure that my daughter eats well."

'I'm sure you do.' Darien snarled in his mind. 'The healthier a woman is the easier it is for her to fall pregnant.'

"I'm glad." Darien said instead. "I might take her tray to her now, wake her myself."

Darien turned his back to Cedrone to leave the room, wondering if Cedrone knew he was grinning like the Devil's own Cheshire cat.

---

As Darien disappeared up the stairs with a silver service breakfast tray, Diamond stepped out of his hiding place, an expression of pure hatred and rage twisting his handsome face into something ugly.

So Cedrone was going to take care of him, was he? After everything he'd done for Cedrone, THIS was how he was repaid?!

Diamond was going to have to do something and do it fast. Either he found a way to discredit Darien and retake his place as Cedrone's favourite, or he was going to have to deal with both men himself.

Either way, everything Cedrone had was going to be his, even his precious daughter.

Darien may have gotten into Serena's bed first, but after he put a bullet in the man's head, Diamond was going to make sure that he was the only and the last man in her bed.

After he was done with her the little bitch was going to wish wholeheartedly that she'd never been born.

---

Darien knocked before entering but when there was no reply he figure that Serena was still in bed and he let himself in.

He was a little surprised to find the bed empty. He had expected Serena to be sleeping in. No, not because of what they had done together last night in the bed – his ego wasn't that big! – but because Serena loved her sleep.

As he stepped further into the room, Darien could hear the sound of the shower running in the bathroom and for a moment was sorely tempted to join her but if he did then there was no way in hell that the possibility that she could fall pregnant wouldn't become a concern.

Besides, there was also no telling what state of mind she was in this morning after last night. She might just need her space.

So instead of joining Serena in the shower he deterred to the bed. He WAS NOT going to think about what they'd done in said bed last night. He WAS NOT going to think about Serena in the shower, naked and wet and-.

HE WASN'T GOING TO THINK ABOUT IT!

Darien sat himself and the tray on the bed and in a desperate ditch to distract himself, he picked up a piece of sliced watermelon and reflected on how fresh and juicy it tasted.

He didn't notice the absence of the sound of the shower until the bathroom door opened to reveal Serena, who was glistening from the shower, wearing nothing but a fluffy white towel.

All Darien could do was stare dumbly at the exquisite beauty before him.

---

Serena stopped dead after taking only two steps out of the bathroom door.

Darien was on her bed. What was he doing on her bed? He was meant to be downstairs with her father, playing the "boyfriend who had just slept with his boss's daughter".

What was he doing on her bed? Was that a tray? Her breakfast tray. Had one of the maids brought it up or had he brought it to her thinking that she wouldn't make it down for breakfast?

Why was he staring at her like that? He was sitting frozen on her bed with his mouth hanging open and his eyes bugging out of his skull.

Serena watched as he rose to his feet and without breaking eye contact with her Darien walked straight over to her, as transfixed on her as a zombie on an immobilized target.

Serena stopped breathing. The way he was looking at her . . . it was like he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing but what he was seeing had completely bewitched him.

He came to a stop only just short of touching her and he raised his hand and gently brushed the side of her face with his fingertips in the softest of touches.

"You're beautiful." He whispered reverently, his hot breath – that smelt like coffee – washed down over her and her face, stealing her senses and made her release her breath all in one rush.

Serena couldn't look away from. The world could've shattered and broken apart around them but still she couldn't have looked away from his intense eyes. The way he was looking at her, like she was the most precious and beautiful thing in his entire world, made her feel beautiful and special and precious.

The way he was looking at her made it so difficult to believe that any of this was a performance for the eyes that were always on them, watching them.

Serena remained perfectly still, standing beneath his searing gaze in nothing but the towel she was holding tightly against her breasts, as Darien's hand slowly went from her cheek to the back of her neck where he gently cupped the back of her head, burying his long strong fingers in her hair. Not once did his fingers leave her skin, his touch leaving a delicious warm tingling sensation in their wake.

Darien didn't pull her up to meet him, instead Darien lowered his head, using his hold on her only to tilt her head back and after what seemed like an eternity, his lips descended down upon hers, caressing her lips in the barest of touches, in the softest of kisses.

And just like that time ceased to have meaning. There was nothing outside of their little bubble. Serena wasn't aware of the floor beneath her feet or the warm sunlight shining in through the windows onto her still damp skin. All there was was the two of them and the soft gentle kisses that Darien was planting on her hunger lips.

These kisses were so different from those they'd shared last night, but no less intense, no less potent.

Last night the kisses had been fierce and hungry and passionate, and this morning the kisses were soft and tender and . . . caring.

Last night the kisses had been for their audience, acted out according to the "Plan", but this, these kisses, were solely for them. Darien was kissing her because he wanted to not because he had to.

Serena was in sensory heaven. She couldn't get enough of his taste, his touch, his smell. He tasted like every masculine and coffee, his touch was gentle and warm and electric, and his smell was driving her crazy. Almost as if he were secreting some sort of potent human pheromone.

Oh, God. She was his for the taking. He could do anything he wanted to do to her and she didn't have the strength left to deny him anything.

And that should have terrified her, for someone to have such sway over her, but it didn't. In fact it only excited her even more.

Without warning, heaven came to an abrupt halt and Darien was gone, leaving Serena blinking in confusion.

Darien had broken off all physical contact with her and had stepped back, as though he wanted to distance himself from her mentally as well as physically.

Serena didn't understand, and hurt swelled in her chest as she struggled to understand why Darien had pulled away from her so abruptly. Had she done something wrong?

For a long moment Darien just stood there, staring at her with wide unreadable eyes. He looked strained, as though he were in physical pain but that was all Serena could read in him.

Serena felt his distance, and she didn't just mean to distance between her feet and his. He had pulled away, in the space between one moment and the next something had changed in him.

"Darien?" Serena didn't like how timid and uncertain her voice sounded, but she wanted him to tell her what was wrong.

But without looking at her again, Darien suddenly whirled on his heel, turning his back to her and he walked straight to the door. "You'd better get dressed if you want to go for a run."

And before Serena could utter another word, Darien had closed the door behind him.

Serena stared at the door in confusion and hurt. What had happened? Why had he stepped back from her in more ways than the physical and all but run out the door?

Talk about blowing hot and cold. What had gotten into him?

---

Closing the door behind him, Darien groaned heavily, releasing his breath in one big rush and leaned back against the door for support. He ran his fingers through his hair and tried to calm his rapid breathing and his pounding heartbeat.

And his raging lust.

Serena couldn't know it but he'd been so close to losing it completely. To losing his hold on his control, to losing himself to his lust, his need, his raging hunger for her.

Serena had no idea how close she'd come to losing her towel and finding herself laying on her back beneath him on the bed that had only been a few short strides away.

And nothing would've stopped him if he hadn't managed to stop himself in time. No one in the house would've disturbed them – on Cedrone's strict orders no doubt – and Serena was too inexperienced with men to have regained herself enough to stop him. Had he not found that last desperate shred of self-control at the last possible moment he would right now have her on the bed, naked and penetrated.

When Serena had stepped out of the bathroom fresh from the shower wearing only a towel he'd been too raw, too worked up, from sitting there on her bed where they'd shared intimate moments together only hours before trying desperately – and failing miserably – not to think about her wet and naked in the shower, that he hadn't been able to stop himself from going to her.

He had gone to her intending only to kiss her, only to taste her again, but then he'd been so overcome by her beauty, her innocence and her tantalising taste that for a short while he hadn't cared about anything but having more of her.

Serena was more addictive than anything Darien had ever known.

In the end it had only been the trust Serena had shown in him at letting him kiss her while covered only with a towel that had given him the strength of will to break their kiss long enough for him to flee from the room.

The hardest part to bare though was that he knew that he'd had left Serena hurt and confused. He had seen it on her face and in her wide hurt eyes.

He would make sure to apologise to her later and in the end she would eventually be grateful for his restraint.

But damn! It was getting harder and harder to stop. He'd never known a wanting, a lust, like this before and he'd once been a horny teenage boy. He wanted Serena more than he'd ever wanted anything in his entire life, more than he wanted his next breath.

And the fact that he could touch and kiss her to his heart's content only made it even harder for him, it made the temptation to seduce her harder to resist. They could make out all they wanted but they couldn't go any further than that.

Just how much was one guy expected to take?! How much more could he take?!

They had taken all the precautions they could have under the circumstances and if they did go all the way the chances that Serena would actually fall pregnant were next to nothing-.

But there was still a chance goddamn it! And it was a chance they couldn't afford to take, no matter what.

Darien sighed and raised his head, but he wasn't seeing the halls of the mansion, instead all he saw was Serena in his mind's eye.

He was grimly determined to find a way to get a better hold over himself or else he risked blowing everything.

For both their sakes, no matter what, Darien had to be strong enough to resist the one thing that was quickly becoming his greatest weakness.

Serena.

It was ironic that the greatest threat to Serena right now wasn't her father or Diamond or gangster, but rather than one person who had promised to help her, who had sworn to protect her.

---

Serena stepped into Luna's Café as Darien held the door open for her, entering after her and letting the door close behind them to preserve the crisp cool air-conditioned air.

Serena was feeling their run this morning. Her entire body felt strange.

This morning, for some reason Darien had wanted to run twice their usual distance and she'd felt frustrated enough that she'd agreed.

As it turned out, not having sex when you really wanted too – when your body was practically screaming for it – was turning out to be a real bitch. The longer run had been welcome but it had done absolutely nothing to relieve her sexual frustration or even do as much as take the edge off.

It had been bad enough when she'd woken feeling really frustrated, but after Darien abruptly broken off their kiss and left her room she'd been left really frustrated and irritated at being left frustrated.

If this kept up, if Darien kept teasing her like this, Serena would be left with no choice; she'd either have to jump him or kill him.

Both were really tempting ideas.

And despite everything that had happened between them in the past twenty-four hours – or maybe because of it - Darien's possessiveness and protectiveness over her hadn't reduced in the least, if anything it had increased.

That meant that there had to be more than just the physical between them, right? That Darien felt more for her than sexual attraction between them?

Right?

Since Serena had left her room this morning, dressed in one of her usual jogging outfits, Darien had remained as close to her as possible, jogging so closely beside her that anyone who saw them immediately knew that she was his and the stern expression on his face wordlessly warned the entire world that she wasn't to be approached.

Even now inside the coffee shop, Darien had his arm wrapped possessively around her waist, holding her pressed against his side. Serena felt very protected and possessed all at the same time.

What was strange – and was at the same time proof of her own increasing feelings for him – was that the possessive behaviour that should've been getting on her nerves by now, wasn't. Not even a little bit.

Rather, it made her feel safe and cherished.

Serena had to be really careful. She was running to risk of becoming way too comfortable with how things were going in their blooming relationship, which she couldn't risk right now. At least not until she knew if Darien was willing to give their relationship a go – for real – after all of this business with her father was over.

The truth was that the whole situation with her father and again the whole situation with Darien was beginning to wear her down. In the situation with her father, Serena knew what had to be done, she knew what couldn't happen and knew the risks, but she was so sick and tired of being locked in her gilded cage. She just wanted to be free of him once and for all.

The situation with Darien wasn't so simple, but it was something she wanted to embrace rather than end like the situation with her father. Her heart and her body knew what they wanted, they wanted Darien, no if buts or maybes about it, but her mind refused to follow suit given how many questions remained unanswered. Was Darien coming to care for her as much as she cared for him or what it all just an act for the sake of bringing down her father?

And how could Serena even trust what she was feeling? Serena had always believed that she knew her own heart and her own mind but what if she was just experiencing some form of hero worship or damsel-in-distress thing that was making her think she was falling in love with Darien?

What if after all of this was over one of them realised that what they had felt had just been an in-the-dangerous-moment thing?

It was theses doubts that made Serena hesitate. As much as she wanted to believe in what she was feeling, the doubts she had wouldn't be ignored or rationalized away.

So what should she do? Go with her head or her heart? A voice in her mind warned her to wait and see where things went with them before she dove in and took a chance on their relationship. But with how she felt about Darien, with how adoringly he treated her, Serena was finding it harder and harder to keep it in mind that she had to watch her footing because if she took one wrong step all sorts of things could end up going wrong.

And in the game they were currently playing, one or both of them could end up dead.

And yet ending up dead didn't seem like the worst possible thing; losing Darien would be worse than death. She had already lost people whom she'd loved, she wouldn't be able to take losing even one more.

Serena mentally shook her head. She really was falling for him and she was falling fast. Maybe it was already too late for her, maybe she was already so deeply in love with Darien that she would rather die than have him break her heart.

Serena looked at him, drinking in the sight of his handsome profile as though it were the last time she might get to do so. He was strikingly handsome, the male-models-eat-your-heart-out kind of handsome, with his well-defined features and raven black hair, but it was his eyes that made him stand out the most. They were his most striking feature.

His eyes were a deep rich blue that at times made it seem like he could look at someone and see them for exactly what they were, all secrets and sins laid bare for him to see. There was also a sharp intelligence in his eyes that betrayed the even sharper mind behind them. His eyes could be penetrating and dangerous, appearing almost black which made him even more intimidating when he faced an opponent.

And when Darien looked at her, his dark blue eyes held only a tender softness and gentle affection that Serena suspected only she had ever seen.

But right now his eyes were taking in their surroundings, scanning the coffee shop and its occupants with cold hard serious alertness. He was alert, watchful for any danger to her.

Serena didn't know why Darien was so highly on the alert, why he was so protective of her that since the moment they had called an end to their run for the day he'd held her securely at his side, but he was obviously on the lookout for something.

Or someone.

Serena wanted to ask him but didn't. She didn't want to risk letting onto something that might risk their deception being discovered.

No matter what was going on between them on a personal level, they had to protect the Plan. It was their only way out, the only way either of them would survive this.

Serena drew in a slow deep breath and made the decision that for the rest of the day she was going to forget all about the Plan and her father and everything else. She needed a few worry-free hours, she wanted to relax and clear her mind. She wanted to be herself again and have a little bit of carefree fun.

If only for a few hours.

So Serena cleared her mind and turned her focus outwards.

Behind the counter, there were four attendants all dressed in their coffee brown uniforms, three women – all seemingly under the age of twenty-five – and one man. A man Serena hadn't seen before which definitely meant that he was new.

Serena had been coming to this coffee shop for a year; she knew all the regular staff.

Besides there was no possible way she would've missed this guy. He was gorgeous! Not as gorgeous as her Darien, but damn close.

The new guy was very close to Darien's height, maybe an inch or so shorter, and lean like Darien too – though a little slimmer – and he had medium-dark blond hair, two or three shades darker than her colour. His eyes were medium green and he had a big friendly smile on his face, the warmest and cheeriest smile Serena had seen in a long

Serena liked him at first sight. He was the kind of person who Serena could see being a close cherished friend.

Sadness filled her. She couldn't be friends with him. Anyone who was friends with her was in danger. She couldn't do that to anyone else, not ever again. As long as her father was alive she would always be on guard, always be looking over her shoulder and on the run.

As long as her father was alive she would always be alone.

Except for Darien, but who knew how long it would be possible for him to be around? The FBI wouldn't keep him undercover in her father's organisation forever and her father wouldn't wait for a grandson forever. The clock was ticking against them, counting down until something went wrong.

"Hi, my name's Andrew." The new guy behind the counter introduced himself cheerfully. "What can I get you?"

Even his voice was friendly, and genuine friendly, not that professional phoney friendly that most people who worked in a customer service industry used.

"What would you like, Serena?" Darien asked her, looking down at her and waiting patiently for her to decide.

Serena gave him a small smile and turned her attention away from her thoughts. "A strawberry milkshake please Darien."

Darien turned back to Andrew with a small smile and re-laid her order. "Also, a black coffee with one sugar and half a dozen chocolate chip cookies. To eat here." He added before Andrew would ask whether or not the order was to take-away.

Serena knew Darien well enough that she knew he didn't like drinking out of disposable coffee cups; he preferred an actual coffee mug.

Andrew put together the order, then took Darien's money and promptly handed him the change.

Had Serena been paying attention she might've noticed the small slip of paper Andrew handed to Darien with his change that wasn't made of the traditional shinny thin receipt paper.

---

Serena was trying to kill him, Darien was now certain of it.

After returning from their run, Serena had stated out of the blue that she wanted to take a swim. She'd asked him if he'd wanted to join her but after last night not even their extended run had been enough to work out the sexual frustration that was plaguing him he had politely declined. He had never been much of a masochist; he hadn't wanted to torture himself further by being half naked in water with her.

Instead Darien had decided to take a book and sit by the pool. He'd had little interest in reading anything, but intended to use the book as a means of discretely keeping an eye on Serena without appearing too overprotective of her.

Darien also intended to make sure that Diamond kept his distance while Serena was in her swimwear. The bastard was not going to get within twenty feet of her while she was in a state that was anything less than fully clothed.

That had been Darien's main reason for declining Serena's offer to join her in the pool.

And he was a complete idiot.

Darien had thought that being in the pool with a wet half-naked Serena would be the greatest threat to his self-control but he'd been wrong.

So so so VERY wrong.

Darien sat on one of the white padded pool lounge chairs, his book in his lap and his eyes were glued to the siren in the pool.

The gorgeous siren wearing only a baby pink bikini, the kind with the tie-up straps. He'd been staring doggedly – doggedly was right, he was surprised that he wasn't drooling – at her ever since she'd dropped the white beach towel she'd worn down from her room. He hadn't seen this much of her last night when she'd been in nothing but her underwear, lying spread beneath him . . .

Darien promptly adjusted the position of his book that was sitting strategically in his lap. For the love of God, just how much was one man expected to take?!

The sun shone down on the crystalline blue water of the large in-ground pool, the golden rays shimmering on the water's surface like white liquid gold, shimmering on Serena's wet slightly-tanned skin as she moved gracefully through the water, her golden hair swirling and gliding in the water behind and around her. She looked like a golden sun goddess taking a leisurely swim.

And it was all Darien could do to keep himself from falling to his knees before her in reverent worship.

Thank God he'd chosen to put on a pair of dark sunglasses before coming down. He didn't want Serena to see the animalistic hunger in his eyes. It was only from years of practice that he managed to keep a blank expression on his face. If it hadn't been for all those years of practise at keeping a straight face in life and death situations right now his mouth would be open with his tongue hanging out like an overheated overexcited dog.

Darien tried to swallow, but couldn't. His mouth was summer-in-the-desert dry.

Was Serena even aware of what she was doing to him?! He was sitting in the shade but he was sweating like he'd been sitting in the hot sun for hours. Sweating from his body's need for her and the strain it was under at being denied. He was threaded as tightly as a bow. He wanted her. He more than ached for her; he was in actual pain from his lust for her.

Damn her trust in him! Trust that she'd shown in him last night in bed. She'd made it clear in the beginning before they'd even met that nothing could really happen between them. She couldn't even take the slightest risk of getting pregnant.

But the kicker was that last night he could've had her and she never would've objected, not even afterwards!

He wasn't a damn gelding, damn it! The physical attraction between them was VERY real and VERY potent. Just how much did she expect him to take before he snapped? If they'd met under normal circumstances, there was no doubt in his mind that he would've pursued her until she was his in all ways possible.

One of the worst parts was that now Darien knew for sure that they'd be dynamite together in bed. The fire, the passion, the attraction was there in spades. He'd had a taste of it last night but that had been all, a taste. He'd come in his boxer shorts, grinding himself into her mattress. He'd come because of her but he hadn't come inside of her and he wanted that. Oh, sweet lord how he wanted to be inside of her . . .

Pain in his hands and fingers brought Darien out of his turbulent thoughts and he looked down to see why. His hands and fingers were hurting because he was grasping the ends of the armrests so tightly that his fingers were digging into the varnished wood.

Drawing in a deep long breath, Darien willed his body to relax and he loosened his hold, relaxing his hands and uncurling his fingers, flexing the digits a few times in effort to ease the discomfort.

And then Darien's eyes returned to the woman in the pool.

Darien groaned inwardly. One way or another Serena was going to be the death of him.

---

Serena could feel Darien's eyes on her. She had felt his sharp gaze boring into her from the moment she'd dropped her towel and dived gracefully into the pool wearing her skimpiest bikini.

Darien hadn't taken his eyes off of her since. Even though he wore those dark sunglasses and kept an expressionless mask on his face, Serena knew that he was watching her with his intense laser-like gaze. She could feel it, feel his eyes on her.

Serena had never felt more like a woman in her life, had never felt sexier or more alluring in her life.

She'd changed since she'd met Darien. She'd come to life and it was all because of him, of what he brought out in her and what he made her want to be.

For so long she'd been living a half-life and she hadn't even known it. Her entire life had revolved around her mother and keeping hidden from her father and then after her mother had died her life had become all about mourning her mother. Then her father had found her and her entire life had become about fighting him and trying to regain her freedom and putting the elements of her Plan together.

Now, even though she was still trapped, even though she was still her father's prisoner, Serena felt like there was more. More to her life, more to live for, more to experience.

For the first time in her memory it felt like there was a future out there waiting for her, one she wanted to embrace. With Darien.

She was a prisoner but she'd never felt more alive, strangely she'd never felt more free.

Which spoke to just how deeply she'd fallen in love.

And if this here and how was all that they had, this fake relationship, then Serena was going to enjoy it for all she was worth. What did she have to lose? Her heart was already his for the taking, so what was the worst that could happen?

Only this morning Serena had resolved to keep some distance between them, at least until she knew for sure that this "thing" between them was as real as if felt, but now only an hour later, Serena didn't want to keep any distance between them. She didn't want to hold any part of herself back any more.

Serena was so fed up with holding herself in that in this moment in time she was going to forget everything else and just have some fun.

Serena pulled up mid-lap and rightened herself, leisurely treading water in the middle of the pool. She swept her hair back from her face and looked up at Darien. His book lay forgotten in his lap and his eyes behind those dark sunglasses glued to her.

"Want to join me?" Serena called to him from the middle of the pool.

"I'm fine right here," He replied rather tersely. He was fine, downright fine in the sense that he was drop dead gorgeous, but in the sense of his well-being . . well he looked anything but fine.

Serena grinned broadly, wondering if he knew she was intentionally teasing him. "Really, cause you look hot and bothered. Is the heat getting to you?"

Darien said nothing in reply, but judging by the way his jaw clenched, Serena knew that he was grinding his teeth.

He he he. Serena couldn't have been in a better mood. She was actually having fun! She was flirting with him and she was surprisingly good at it. Who would've guessed that she even had such skills given her limited experience?

The seconds passed and neither of them said a word as they continued to stare at each other, Serena as she leisurely treaded water and Darien through his dark sunglasses.

It was Darien who broke the silent spell first. Without any obvious trigger, Darien threw his book carelessly aside, and surged to his feet with all the drive and purpose of a man on a mission, a man who had made a decision and had no other course but to stick to it.

Nervously Serena wondered if she'd pushed him too far. Serena knew he wanted her sexually and that he had to be as horny as she was – if not more so – so it was possible. But despite his lethal prowess and thunderous expression, Serena wasn't afraid of him. That was one thing Serena was certain of when it came to this man; Darien was the one man in her life whom she knew would never lay a hand on her in anger.

Serena was so sure of it that she would bet her life on it, and in a way she was doing just that as it was Darien whom she had placed her trust in to get her out of her current situation.

Darien reached the edge of the pool right in front of her, pulling Serena away from her thoughts and glared down at her through his dark sunglasses.

Like a moth drawn to the flame Serena went to him, moving through the water to the pool's edge.

Serena was submerged in cool water up to her chin, but despite that she felt hot, a heat that was quickly becoming familiar to her. It was the heat of desire and her body was burning for him. In fact she was surprised that there wasn't steam rising from the water.

And Serena was in just the right mood to do a little something about her body's raging desires.

"Come on, Darien." Serena purred seductively. "Get in and play with me."

It took every ounce of Serena's self-control not to giggle at Darien's reaction to her obvious "cone and get me big boy" invitation. His nostrils were flared in the way that Serena knew indicated arousal and his jaw was clenched so tightly that he had to be hurting himself, and even though Serena couldn't see his eyes because of the dark sunglasses he worse, she knew that his narrowed eyes were focused intently on her, only on her.

He was such an intimating badass when he wanted to be, especially with his flawless poker face, but Serena wasn't afraid of him. She knew he would never hurt her and besides, she knew from up close and personal experience that he wanted her every bit as much as she wanted him.

Serena was enjoying herself. This newfound feminine sensuality empowered her, made her feel the strong confident woman she had always known she would become.

It made her want to test Darien, to see how far she could push him. Poke the bear, so to speak.

The moments past but Darien didn't move, didn't give any reply to her seductive teasing, and Serena found herself growing impatient with him. She wanted to play and she wasn't going to be denied, not today. She was so fed up with denying herself.

She wanted to have some fun, never mind that a little metaphorical devil had just set itself down on her shoulder.

Serena felt her seductively smile morph into a mischievous grin before she could stop it. A grin that made fear flash across Darien's face that Serena saw for what it was.

Smart man. Darien was learning. Her mother had had a number of wise sayings that she'd often quoted while raising her daughter, but it was one in particular that popped into her mind one, one that Serena would carry with her all her life.

'It was a smart man who feared a woman's wrath.'

Okay, so maybe she wasn't feeling very wrathful at the moment, but she was feeling playful and to her mind Serena felt that it fitted just as well.

Without any further warning, Serena lunched herself up out of the water, grasped hold of Darien's wrist with both hands and using all the strength in her legs that were braced against the side of the pool, Serena yanked Darien downward.

With a loud splash, they both fell back into the blue crystalline water.

In the chaos that was blue water and white tingling bubbles, Serena did not fail to notice that Darien had lunched himself to the side ever so slightly, enough that he hadn't landed on top of her and as a result Serena was able to resurface much quicker.

Serena resurfaced, drew in a much needed breath of fresh oxygen and before Darien had even popped his head back up out of the water, her boisterous laughter filled the pool area.

The shock of cool water on his heated skin lasted only a moment and the confusion of being yanked underwater lasted even less, but Darien did not resurface right away.

Even underwater, Darien could still hear Serena's jovial laughter, muffled and distorted as it was and it made his smile.

Serena was the most unpredictable woman he had ever met and it surprised Darien that it was one of the things he loved most about her. Pulling him into the pool had been childish but Serena obviously didn't care. She had wanted to pull him into the pool and she hadn't cared about anything else, and had simply done it.

And now Darien was going to show her his playful side. With a mischievous grin on his bloated checks, Darien dived deeper into the water.

If Serena wanted to play, then he would play.

---

As the seconds ticked by, Serena became all the more concerned. She had expected Darien to resurface, maybe scolding her for pulling him into the pool, maybe laughing or maybe even glaring at her.

But he didn't. Resurface.

And now that she wasn't laughing anymore, Serena realised that he wasn't were he'd been. She couldn't see his distorted form anymore.

What the . . .? He had been right there in front of her the moment before.

Where had he gone?

Serena carefully scanned the pool around her, moving into the centre as she looked around. A feeling of unease was creeping up her spine, the kind that screamed that she was not in a safe place, the kind that told her that she was being watched by a predator.

And she was the prey.

"Darien! This isn't funny!" Serena snapped irritably, more from her own nervousness as Darien's retribution that concern for his safety – if he was hurt or something then he couldn't have disappeared like that, the pool wasn't that deep after all! The damn man was turning her own game against her!

Where was he? This was a swimming pool, he couldn't have just disappeared! But as Serena scanned the pool for a second time, whirling in place there was no sign of him.

Drawing in a big breath deep into her lungs, Serena let her body sink body into the water, submerging her head and scanning the waters. It was then that she noticed something out of place in one of the far corners of the pool, in the deepest end. It was too small to be Darien, but her curiosity was snared and she decided to investigate.

It wasn't more than five or six meters from where she'd started out, but by the time Serena reached the corner, her lungs were beginning to demand a fresh supply of oxygen. Knowing she had only seconds before her lungs demands became unescapable, Serena grasped hold of what turned out to be material stuffed into the bottom corner and then pushed her body upwards towards the surface.

Serena drew in three deep breaths before she turned her attention to what was in her hand. It took her a moment but then she realised what she was holding.

Darien's clothes. His shirt, pants and socks. All rolled into a ball and stuffed into the corner of the pool.

Serena had the strange thought that maybe she should try to find Darien's shoes that were no doubt somewhere on the bottom of the pool.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and Serena immediately knew that there was someone behind her. It wasn't movement in the water or ripples that gave him away, Serena could feel him behind her. Sense him.

And she was cornered. Literally. She was in the cornered in the corner of the pool. She had to act fast. She wasn't going to make this easy for him. She wanted this game to last a little longer, she wanted him to work for it before he caught her.

Releasing Darien's clothes, Serena threw herself backward and to the right.

But it was already too late.

Before she could move more than a few inches, something hard and hot closed in around her from behind, and in the blink of an eye later, Serena found herself being pressed into the corner from behind. Her arms were pinned to her sides by Darien's longer thicker arm that was wrapped around her midsection and her legs were pinned between the hard smooth piles of the corner or the pool and Darien's long muscular legs from behind.

Darien free hands slammed down on the edge of the pool beside her head to keep them both above water.

Serena would have cried out at the exquisite sensory delight of it all if she hadn't known for sure that it would alarm Darien that he might have hurt her. Darien's hard heat at her back and the coolness of the water and the tiles at her front. It was very nearly more than Serena could take.

Helpless to do anything else, Serena closed her eyes and let her head fall back onto Darien's shoulder and basked in the wonderful feeling that came from being in Darien's strong arms.

It really excited her that he wore only his boxer shorts. Serena could feel his hard perfectly toned body against hers. It was sending jolting electric zings though her entire body and into her lower belly.

"You shouldn't tease me, Serena." Darien whispered huskily into her ear, his hot breath like an actual touch against her cool damp skin, caressing her ear and the side of her face sending a tingling sensation down her spine. "When I comes to you my control is stretched to the limit as it is. You know I want you."

Darien's words did more to turn her own any anything else he could have done. Well, his words and the proof of his hard desire for her that was pressing against her backside.

If Darien's hold on her hadn't been so constricting – but not painful or even uncomfortable – Serena wouldn't have been able to stop herself from rubbing against that hard bulge that shereally really wanted to explore.

Her entire body felt like liquid heat and her mind was drowning in sensuality so deep that rational thought was beyond her. She didn't care about all the reasons she had to not do this; her body wanted this and right now that was all that mattered.

"I want to touch you." Serena whispered breathlessly.

Her words had all the effect on his as a physical blow. His body jerked around her and then he became as rigid as the pool wall against her front.

At first, Serena feared that he had become so rigid because he was going to use that frustrating control of his to refuse her and pull away, but then with a feral growl Darien loosened his hold on her enough that he was able to turn her around to face him.

Serena had enough time to catch a glimpse of feral intense fire-filled eyes before he hungrily crushed his lips down onto hers and kissed her with a passion that was a hair's breadth away from being violent. His tongue forced its way into her mouth and lured her tongue into a dance with his own.

His hands had found their way into her hair, one cupping the back of her head in a firm grip and the other was curled around her neck, holding her neck in place. Beneath the surface of the water, his body was pressed flush against hers, almost crushing her between the cold hard pool wall at her back and his hard hot body.

She was helpless against his almost violent passion and Serena was loving it.

Realising that her hands were free, Serena willed her hands to find Darien's skin. She wanted to touch him, to explore his semi-naked body that she was free to explore. She flattened her hands against his chest, feeling the hard muscles beneath heated skin that twitched and quivered at her touch.

Without her consciously aware of ordering them to do so, Serena's fingers curled of their own accord and she ran her fingernails down his chest to his stomach.

Darien growled wantoningly into her mouth and redoubled his efforts on her mouth until Serena was drowning in his all-consuming seemingly-unquenchable passion.

And then Darien's hand left her neck and slowly, inch by inch, crept towards her breast.

Darien's large hot hand closed over the mound of delicate sensitive flesh and Serena was lost to him.

---

Two stories above hidden behind a long tall window that reflected the light and kept him from being seen by the couple of unsuspecting young lovers below, Kenneth Cedrone watched with an emotionless expression on his face and a pleased glint in his eyes.

Not even when his rebellious young daughter had pulled her young handsome fully dressed lover into the pool had his expression changed from an emotionless mask. On the surface he was a man hardened by years spent lived in a life of crime, slowly clawing his way to the top, but inside Ken was rejoicing with smug satisfaction as he watched evidence that all his patient waiting had finally been rewarded.

His daughter had a lover. Finally. Ken considered himself a patient man but even his patience had been dangerously close to coming to an end with his wilful and trouble-making daughter. It wouldn't be long now before his daughter fell pregnant. Young Darien had spent every night since their first date in her room and Ken had no illusions about just what it was that they were doing in there behind locked doors.

Below tucked into one corner of the pool where Serena was almost completely concealed from view, Ken watched as Darien raised his head and scanned the area around them as if he could sense that they were being watched. It was clear that the young man was making sure that no one was watching, that they were alone, before he returned his attentions back to Serena.

Ken promptly turned his back to the window. Wanting his daughter pregnant was one thing but she was still his daughter; he didn't need or want to watch it happen.

He was delighted with the progress in his daughter's relationship with her young handsome "bodyguard" and because of it he was in a genuinely good mood for the first time since his son had been taken from him by his enemies.

Soon. Soon he would have what he longed for – a male child of his bloodline to carry on his name and his legacy.

Oh, no doubt his daughter would still adamantly refuse to give him a grandchild and no doubt she refused to allow the young man she had so obviously fallen in love with into her bed without the proper "precautions".

Little did either of them know that their "precautions" had already been dealt with. It had only taken a matter of minutes for his Personal Assistant Mrs Raffin to locate Darien's little stockpile of condoms in both his bathroom and beside table and only a few minutes more to make a little adjustment to each and every one of them.

So it wouldn't be long now. In fact the rate his daughter and her lover were going, he'd have his first grandchild within a year.

His plans were coming along nicely.

And maybe, just maybe, if Darien didn't disappoint him, he might even allow Darien to remain with Serena. Maybe even marry her, make an honest woman out of his daughter, and who knew, it might even settle her down a bit. Hell, he might even get more grandchildren from them and the more the better to control his daughter with.

Of course, he would have to test Darien's loyalty first. If Darien proved loyal, and gave him grandchildren, then Ken would reward Darien well. Diamond wouldn't like it, but that hardly mattered. Diamond would get his rewards, but in the end it would be the man loyal to him who fathered his grandson that would eventually get everything.

He would have to keep a very close eye on Darien and maybe in time Ken would let Darien in on what was coming to him.

But first, Ken wanted his grandson. Nothing was going to stand in his way.

Not Serena, not the young handsome protector guarding her. Nothing.

That Serena was his daughter and looked so much like her mother had kept her safe from his impatience this long, but it wouldn't last forever.

Whether Serena liked it or not, she was going to give him his prize.

---

Diamond was seething as he watched the bitch Serena and her pathetic playboy go at it all hot and heavy in the pool for the whole world to see.

Every few minutes or so the pathetic fool scanned the pool area before turning his attention back to the little bitch in heat but there had been no chance of Darien seeing him where he was hidden in the dimly lit room mostly concealed behind the half open heavy drapes.

Oh, how he hated Darien and the little bitch! Black hatred and rage burned hot and powerful within him and it was all he could do to keep himself from reacting violently at the sight of another man taking what was rightfully his!

His hands curled into tight fists, his hands going white and his bones howling in protest, but Diamond didn't care.

He had to do something about Darien and soon because there wasn't a chance in hell that Diamond was going to let some pathetic pretty boy just waltz in and steal everything he'd been working towards. Ken believed him loyal and Diamond knew that one day soon everything Ken had was going to be his – including his little insolent bitch of a daughter.

But first he had to get Darien out of the way.

It appeared that his time to strike had come and it seemed that those two might just be the perfect means to finally get everything that he deserved – which just happened to be everything Ken had.

Diamond narrowed his black furious eyes on the pair, briefly fantasizing that it was him in the pool with her instead of that loser, only in his fantasy the little bitch was screaming in pain from his less-than-generous attentions.

With a disgusted snicker as the fantasy faded from his mind and his eyes once more saw the two fools in the pool, Diamond whirled on his heel and stalked out of the room, away from the sickening display.

Very soon, both Ken and Darien were both going to meet their untimely end, and then Serena was going to wish that she too had met her untimely end once he finally got his hands on her.

A pure evil anticipating grin spread across his lips and twisted his face into a cruel expression.

Serena would wish for death but there was no way that Diamond was going to let her get away from him so easily. Her agonized screams would be music to his ears, music that would echo through the mansion that would be his for a very long time to come. She would learn her place and she would learn who her unforgiving master was.

---

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next hopefully won't be too long.