Hey everyone. As always, thanks for the lovely reviews. They are my motivation to continue writing. I actually got a few pretty good ideas for this chapter from your comments. So, here's the next installment. This chapter is pretty long, and covers the entire first week of Trista's absence. I'd really appreciate some feedback on what you guys thought of the chapter. Don't forget to review at the end, and I hope everyone enjoys it!

Chapter 12

Week one

Darien Shields pulled his black BMW into the familiar driveway of the Nicolson National Airport. In the back seat sat his two little girls, both chatting away with excitement about their upcoming trip and the airplane ride. To his right sat his wife, her head lazily resting in her hand as she gazed out the window at the passing scenery. The ride to the airport had been a solemn one between the two adults, as it usually was when they rode together. Neither had exchanged many words to each other for the duration of the trip, but instead opted to communicate with their daughters that were bubbling with excitement. As he geared his car into park in his familiar spot, Darien turned around to face the beaming twins.

He inwardly chuckled as he observed the familiar round ponytails that both girls sported. They had yet to tire of the "Meatball Hairstyle" as they called it, and it amused him to no end to see their little heads adorned that way. He was constantly reminded of another meatball wearing lady that had been occupying his thoughts for the last few weeks, and the girls' new look had not helped one bit. They were both dressed in their favorite matching yellow sweaters, and observing them as they absentmindedly chatted away with each other he couldn't help the faint ache that spread through his heart. The prospect of being away from his girls for a whole month was not one that he was in favor of, but he understood that they needed visit their grandparents as well. Nothing in his life was more precious than the two girls that sat ahead of him, and he would miss them dearly over the next four weeks.

"Alright ladies. It seems we're here. I can't believe my princesses are going to be leaving me for a whole month. Are you guys sure you don't wanna just stay here and keep your poor old Dad company?"

The girls released amused giggles at their father's dramatic proposal, but sobered up as they realized the true sadness on his face. Kailie released her seatbelt and jumped forward, resting her hands on the extended arm of her father in a show of comfort.

"It's ok Daddy. We promise to call you everyday. Right Kay?"

Kayla, who had also released her seatbelt came forward and stood opposite to her sister, resting her hands on her father's arm as the girls stood between the two front seats.

"Uh huh. We promise Daddy. Cross our hearts all full with pie. We'll call you all the time!"

Darien couldn't help the chuckle that escaped after Kayla's promise despite the honest despair that he was feeling at the moment. Across from him, Trista covered her own mouth as she struggled to hold in her laughter, not wanting to ruin the moment. He'd have to correct her on that crossing the heart promise later.

"Well you guys had better call me everyday, but it's not going to be the same. Who am I gonna read bed time stories to every night? Who am I gonna have spaghetti and meatball night with on Saturdays? Who am I gonna play airplane with after bath time? I'm gonna be left here all alone while you guys have all the fun without me."

The twins sympathetically stared at their father before sequentially climbing between the two seats to sit in his lap. Leaning into his frame, both girls wrapped their tiny arms the best they could around his torso in a reassuring hug. Darien brought his own arms around both his girls, squeezing them close together as he gently laid his face against their soft hair. The girls broke into an all out open laughter as their father squeezed them even closer together.

After a few moments they pulled back, and Kayla presented her father with a full smile.

"I know Daddy! You can play with Meatball Lady until we come back!"

Thanking God for years of practice in keeping his expression stoic, Darien struggled to keep his face as neutral as he could. However, he simply could not fight the light blush that formed on his cheeks.

Kailie seemed to agree with her sister and continued on before Darien overcame the shock of his daughter's proposal.

"Oh yes Kai! She can come to sghetti and meatball night and you can play airplane with her after bath time!"

This time, Darien did not try to hold back the full blush that took over his entire face as a fleeing mental image of him 'playing airplane' with Serena after bath time formed in his mind. Across from him Trista broke into a hearty laugh as she observed his expressions.

"Well girls, it seems like you guys made your Daddy blush."

She momentarily paused to laugh once again before continuing.

"Daddy will be just fine you guys. We'll make sure to call him everyday, but I'm afraid we'll miss our fight if we don't get out of the car and head onto that plane."

At the mention of their upcoming plane ride the girls excitedly moved to start heading out the car. Darien silently thanked Trista for her interference, because he had no idea how he would've responded to Kailie's, uh, interesting solution. Opening the door, he gently lifted both girls to the pavement before getting out the car himself.

Flipping open the trunk he lifted both the girls' tiny suitcases and Trista's luggage from the back. The girls excitedly pulled their bags as Darien lagged behind with Trista's luggage.

While they were being checked into their flight, Darien stood between his daughters, a sad smile on his face as he realized that this would be goodbye for the next month. Bending down, he gently scooped both girls into his arms in a final departing hug. With a few parting words about being on their best behavior, a reminder to call everyday, and a final sloppy kiss to their cheeks, he finally released them and stood. As the girls chatted between themselves, Darien's gaze fell on the image of his wife as she slowly walked towards their group.

Observing her flowing dark hair and the hip hugging jeans that she wore, he silently admitted to himself that she was still as beautiful as she had always been. There was a time when starring at her in this manner would cause his heart to overflow with warmth, his heart to beat wildly in his chest, and his palms to perspire. Starring at her now, he felt no such feeling. She was still a beautiful woman and was the mother of his children, but whatever chemistry they had between each other had slowly dissipated over the years. Trista ultimately chose her career over his love, and although he scarcely showed it to her, her actions had left a deep wound in his heart. He absentmindedly wondered if it was even possible to reclaim any of the feelings they used to feel for each other, but quickly dismissed the idea as she stopped in front of him. Around them, they were already receiving many stares as people recognized who they were, and he wasn't in the mood to deal with public opinion at the moment.

Trista slowly approached her family, her heart slightly warming at the image of Darien hugging the two girls. She really didn't like keeping him from the girls for such a long period of time, but it couldn't be helped; her duty called and her family hadn't seen the girls in ages. Darien was such a wonderful father to the kids. She simply couldn't ask anymore of him as a father. As a husband however, she honestly had no idea when they grew so far apart. There was a time when he would cross her mind every five minutes of everyday. A time when she wanted nothing more than to spend all her available time in his arms and bringing that handsome smile of his to his face. But that had all changed. Darien simply could not understand her drive for her career at this point in their lives, and she had simply given up on trying to make him understand. This was the time in her career where she would basically establish her reputation and make a name for herself, but Darien couldn't understand the significance of getting as much exposure as she could at the current time. She initially tried her best to maintain a balance in spending time with him, the girls, and her job, but it just never seemed like enough for him. She eventually gave up and simply concentrated on the girls and her career, but she often wondered if choosing her career over her husband had been a mistake. Noting the other women starring at him, she admitted to herself that he was as breathtaking as he had always been. In his fitted jeans and blazer, he was perhaps the man of every woman's dream. And he was hers. Only issue was she wasn't sure if being together held any benefits for each other anymore, other than providing a complete home to their daughters.

Stopping about 3 feet in front of him, she stared up at his handsome face.

"Alright. It seems like we're all set. The plane boards in thirty minutes so we should start heading in through customs."

Darien gave an acknowledging nod with his head as he stared down at his wife. As usual, he felt no great sorrow at her departure. He scarcely saw her while she was at home, so her leaving would make no difference. He could not help the excitement that ran through his system at the prospect of being in the company of another certain blonde hair female for the upcoming month. He knew that he probably shouldn't be feeling the way that he was, but he was actually excited at the possibility of getting to spend time with Serena without too much worry for the next month. He had never gone behind his wife's back during the course of their entire marriage, but he was actually relieved to realize that he held little remorse about his plans for Serena. He loved the way that she made him feel, and he was thoroughly looking forward to exploring their feelings as they got to know one another.

Trista's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"I'll make sure the girls call everyday, and I'll keep in touch."

Darien again nodded as he placed his hands into his pants pockets.

"Good luck with your surgeries and presentations. Give your parents my regards."

Trista leaned forward and gave her husband a quick hug that he briefly returned before raising on her toes to give him a brief kiss on the lips. Darien played his usual part for the watching crowd, briefly wrapping his arms around her as she gave him her farewell kiss. He inwardly analyzed their so called kiss. When his lips barely brushed Serena's he felt a fire consume him, his lips tingled in anticipation, and he felt a hunger for her that rivaled that of a starving man placed in front of a feast. As he responded to his wife's kiss however, he felt absolutely nothing. It was as if they were both just going through the motions. After she was through he gave the girls one final hug before they headed into the customs area. Placing his sunglasses back on his eyes he silently watched after his family until they were out of sight, and then turned to head to his car. He had a busy day ahead of him, and he couldn't wait to see Serena.

Serena's POV

"Hello. Earth to Serena? Geez Serena, you've been spacing out this entire meal. What's up with you?"

The annoyed sound of Raye's voice brought me out of the day dream that I had been having about Darien. As my eyes slowly regained focus I presented her with a lazy smile that definitely reflected my inner mood at the moment. This only seemed to upset her more, but I wasn't about to let Raye or anyone else bring me down from the cloud nine that I had been on since my date with Darien.

"Hmm, I have no idea what you're talking about Raye. I've been listening the whole time."

Raye angrily crossed her hands over her chest as she stared at me.

"Oh really? What did I just say then Meatball brains? Your coach was so accurate in giving you that nickname. I'm sorry I didn't think of it myself."

At the mention of 'my coach' I pretended to tie my shoe laces beneath the table so the girls wouldn't see the blush that covered my face. When I had calmed down I rose back up.

"You were saying that since we've all gotten accepted in the student exchange program, we should all consider doing it next fall."

The rest of the girls gave amused chuckles as Raye angrily stared at me, but Mina kept starring at me with a very odd expression that was making me uncomfortable. Deciding to ignore her and elaborate on the topic at hand, I faced Raye.

"I know we all decided to try the exchange next year, but I'm not sure if I'm still in favor of leaving for an entire year. Things have changed since first semester. I'm part of a team now, and I have an obligation to them. Plus, I'm gonna be doing research this whole summer away from home. I'm just not sure if I want to spend that much time away from my family."

As the girls processed my answer, I contemplated on the exchange program further. We had all excitedly decided to sign up for it as incoming freshmen, and we had all been accepted. While the reasons that I gave the girls for not wanting to leave were valid, I neglected to mention my biggest reason of all. Being away from Darien for an entire year just wasn't appealing to me at this point. Since my mentor had insisted that I conducted some research at another institution over the summer, I would already be absent for most of our summer break. Thus, I just couldn't leave for the whole year as well.

Mina decided to speak up and focused her attention on me.

"Ok guys. Well we're just in the ending of March so we have time to decide on this issue. Now Serena, good attempt at changing the topic, but I would really like to know the reasoning behind your jolly mood as of late."

I turned crimson red as all eyes on the table turned to face me.

"Why do I need a reason to be happy? School has been going great. I have no real drama with anyone anymore, and we're here having lunch together for the first time since forever. Is that not reason enough to be happy?"

Amy presented me with a smile as she took charge of the conversation.

"Serena's right you guys. With our busy schedules we hardly ever eat together anymore. It's been really nice just hanging out and catching up again."

I nodded at Amy. She was always the peace maker in the group and I was so very thankful for her at the moment. Lita , whom had been pretty much quiet for the entire conversation decided to voice her concerns.

"I agree with everyone. This is nice. Say Serena, you haven't told us how your payback scheme for your coach is going along. What's the progress on that adventure?"

I focused on swallowing the water that I was currently drinking so I would not choke. Lowering my glass, I turned to Lita.

"Oh, it's actually been going pretty bad. He actually isn't as bad as I thought so I may just decide to abort that mission."

The girls all stared at me like I had grown two heads. Raye spoke up first.

"Are you serious? You were so hell bent on making this guy pay and just because he starts being a little nice to you, you forget your master plan? Wow. This doesn't sound like you at all Serena. I thought you were going in for the kill."

The other girls nodded in agreement, causing me to shift uncomfortably in my seat.

"Yeah well, people change. I'm just not sure if it's worth it going after the idiot. The least amount of time we interact with each other, the better I'll be."

I immediately felt terrible after releasing that lie, but it couldn't be helped. I had contemplated on telling the girls about my relationship with Darien many times, but I knew they wouldn't understand and would just blow things out of proportion. I didn't need anyone else's opinion on the matter until I had figured things out myself, and I still wasn't exactly sure about where our relationship was headed. I was sure however, that I wanted to find out. Perhaps I would tell them in time…

The girls seemed a bit skeptical, but accepted my response. For the remainder of our lunch we chatted with each other, catching up on all the juicy details of each other's lives. I pushed down my guilt as I again neglected to mention Darien. I absentmindedly wondered how he was faring at the airport. He should have been dropping off his family as we were speaking. Images of him kissing his wife goodbye surfaced in my mind, but I pushed them aside. Those kisses weren't real. Nothing at all like the inferno we created when we kissed. I couldn't wait to see him at practice later tonight.

At exactly 6 o'clock I found myself walking into our school gymnasium. Practice was scheduled to start at 7 pm, but I decided to show up a little bit earlier to get some reading done in the study rooms. I couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu as I walked into the building and headed to the second floor. Walking down the hallway, I paused as I realized that there was a light emanating from beneath Darien's office door. Stopping mid step, I considered what my next action should be. I could just walk up to the door and knock. God only knew that I had been anticipating seeing him for the whole day. On the other hand, this was also a very dangerous time to be together with Darien knowing how we usually uh, interacted around each other. There were students still moving around, and the team would be arriving soon. If things got out of hand there was a pretty high probability that we could get caught. Giving an absentminded shrug, I proceeded to knock on the door. I'd just have to make sure that things didn't 'get outta hand'. I heard the sound of shuffling feet before the door flew open revealing an initially surprised, but then beaming Darien. Taking a quick once over at his attire, I stood impressed at the bulging muscles that were on display due to the muscle shirt that he was wearing.

"Serena! What a pleasant surprise. What brings you to the gym at this early hour?"

I forced myself to stop starring at Darien's impressive body as he ushered me inside and shut the door.

"Well I actually came to get some reading done before practice, but I saw your light on so decided to say hi."

Darien nodded as he moved towards my body. I unconsciously took two steps back and found myself pressed against the office wall.

Focus Serena. Keep this meeting friendly. No hanky panky stuff.

I took note of my conscience for a brief moment before turning back to the breathtaking man before me. Darien placed his hand at the side of my head, our bodies still slightly apart.

"Well I'm very happy you decided to stop by."

Leaning into my body, he gave me a soft hug as he nuzzled his face against my hair. As he pulled back, he gently nuzzled at my earlobe, causing involuntary shivers to run through my body.

"I've missed you today."

I found myself nodding as Darien softly whispered in my ear, my eyes closing of their own accord.

"Ditto."

Opening my eyes, I was met with the smoldering gaze of Darien as he stared down at my eyes. He slowly started leaning closer to my face, and I forced myself to remember to breathe. When we were a few inches apart, he gently brought his hand to my hair.

"I'm going to kiss you now. I've been dreaming about tasting those lips of your again all day, so I'm not going to hold back. If you have any objections, you should tell me so right now."

My conscience again emerged in my mind, frantically reminding me of my earlier promise. As Darien's lips hovered above mine, I instead chose to focus on the excitement forming at the core of my stomach in anticipation. One kiss couldn't hurt, right?

My decision made, I heard myself responding to Darien in a ragged whisper that I hardly even recognized.

"Just kiss me Darien."

That was the last coherent thought I would have for the next five minutes as Darien's lips came crashing onto mines. I was immediately consumed by the raging heat that I felt every time our bodies touched, and I wrapped my arms around his neck in a desperate move to bring us even closer. In some distant part in my mind my conscience reprimanded me that this was secretly my plan all along, but I again shut it out as I tried to concentrate on the wondrous feelings Darien was making my body feel.

My hands frantically roamed over his body, as if trying to assure myself that he was real and we were actually sharing the moment. The need that I had felt for Darien all day surfaced with a vengeance, and I found myself breathless as our tongues skillfully glided across each other. The need for air forgotten, I absentmindedly realized that Darien was becoming more aggressive with his menstruations. It seemed like his desire for me rivaled, if not surpassed my own, and I found myself releasing a deep moan as Darien backed me up further against the wall. My body tingled at the full body contact. His hands were in my hair, caressing the sides of my neck, trailing down my back, and everywhere all at once. In a split second Darien broke our kiss to lift me up against the wall, and I immediately wrapped my legs around his narrow waist. We both released strained gasps as our pelvises were brought into full contact with that move, and I momentarily remained shocked as I felt my arousal amongst the heat between our bodies. Clad only in our gym shorts, there wasn't much of any barrier between us.

Darien's lips found their way to my neck, and I latched onto his shoulders for support as I felt my legs weaken. The electrifying shock from his kisses traveled throughout my body, and I struggled to withhold my moans as I hazily recalled that we were in his office. His kisses trailed from my neck to my collar bone, leaving the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. Not wanting to miss out on the opportunity to taste him as well, I brought my own lips to his neck, lightly nibbling as I felt him pause in his movements above me. Darien released a low moan as I continued with my exploration of his neck, and I released a surprised gasp myself as I felt him press his erection against my core. Resting my head back against the wall, I opened my eyes to look up at Darien's heated gaze. I assumed that my eyes must have been conveying a similar message as well, because the next thing I knew Darien's lips painfully latched onto mine as his hands dove beneath my t-shirt and onto the warm skin of my flat stomach. This kiss was brutal, rough, and urgent, but I was enjoying every second of it as I responded with my own need. My back immediately arched as Darien's fingers lightly glazed over my nipples through my sports bra, and I found myself quite frustrated at the clothing between us. Perhaps sensing my frustration, Darien began lifting my shirt off my body, but I felt all the heat drain from my body as we heard a knock at the door. My heart beat immediately sped up for an all new different reason. In a split second, a million scenarios went through my mind where we were discovered. Coming back to earth, I realized that we needed to do something to prevent those catastrophes and started to move.

"Shit!"

I immediately dislodged myself from Darien, frantically fixing my clothes and running my hands through my hair as he adjusted his own clothing. After I was done, I quickly flew to the chair in front of his desk and turned to face him. Taking a deep breathe, we both stared at each other before Darien walked towards the door and pulled it open.

On the other side of the door stood the last person that I would care to see at that moment. Jason took a step towards the door as he faced Darien. He seemed to pause and did a double take as he took in Darien's slightly disconcerted appearance.

"Oh hey Dare. Man, are you ok? You seem a little flustered? Is everything good?"

Darien gave a confirming nod, and with a brief wave of his hand assured that everything was ok.

"Yeah. Everything's great man. I'm probably flustered because I was just laughing out of my mind at something one of my girls said. They were just on the phone with me. What's up?"

"Oh ok cool. How are the little divas? I haven't been around in a while since I've been so busy lately. I hope everyone is ok."

After Darien assured that all was well with his family, he prompted Jason into revealing the reason for his visit. I inwardly chuckled as I noted the underlying impatience in his voice.

" Oh yeah! I was hoping that I'd catch you here. I was wondering if you would have any time in the upcoming week to help me with my reverse dunk. I'm just having trouble timing it correctly and—"

Jason paused as he tilted his head pass Darien's looming figure and finally recognized my presence in the office.

"Oh, hey Serena. I didn't realize you were here as well. Long time no see."

I turned to face Jason, and I struggled to keep my face from showing my disgust as I responded to his greeting.

"Hello Jason. Long time no see indeed."

Jason stared at me for a second and then shifted his gaze to Darien. I was actually getting quite nervous as I saw him shift his eyes between the two of us, but he finally shook his head and seemed dismissed whatever thought that had been going through his mind at the moment.

Darien decided to intervene.

"Of course we can meet sometime this week. I'll let you know what days I'm available, but right now I'm having a meeting with one of my players, so we'll have to continue this conversation another time."

Jason nodded at Darien, but kept starring at me. Since our incident in Martinique we hadn't so much as exchanged greetings with one another. The entire boys basketball team had stayed clear of me for a whole month following that incident, but they had slowly started interacting with me again. Once word around the school got out that Jason and I were officially no longer an item, the guys had again reassumed their pursuit of me, much to my annoyance. I tried to refrain from rolling my eyes as he again started to address me.

"Listen, Serena. I know you probably don't want anything to do with me after what happened and everything, but if you'd give me the chance I'd really like to take you out to a friendly dinner so we can at least talk. It doesn't have to mean anything, but I feel terrible after what I put you through. I was stupid and I did a mistake. You didn't deserve that from me and I'm ashamed of myself. I'm really not a bad person. Darien can tell you so himself. You don't have to answer me now, but at least consider it."

I gave a short nod to Jason. I really wasn't in the mood to deal with him and the moment and I just wanted him to leave. A smile came upon his face at my response.

"Ok then. I'll leave you guys to your meeting. I'll see you around, and Dare, we'll talk."

Darien gave a brief nod himself and ushered Jason out the office. After he had locked the door he walked towards me. Neither of us said a word as he lifted me from the chair I was sitting in and sat down himself. When he was seated, he pulled me onto his lap and I snuggled my face against his chest. We were quiet for what seemed like a minute. It seemed liked neither of us wanted to tackle the issue at hand. Darien started to run his hands through my hair, and I refrained from purring as the comforting sensation ran though my scalp. The sound of his voice brought me out of my dreamlike sate.

"You're gonna be the cause of my insanity Serena. I don't know why I can't seem to keep myself away from you. Even in situations where I keep telling myself that I should. You're like this drug that I just can't seem to get enough of."

I raised my head from Darien's chest, starring down at him as I pondered on his statement.

"I could tell you the same. That was a really close call just now. What if Jason hadn't knocked and had just opened the door? Could you imagine the consequences if he saw us in the position we were just in? Was the door even locked? This is crazy Darien. What are we doing?"

Darien sympathetically looked up at me as I voiced my inner turmoil.

"I don't know Serena. Honestly, I don't. I just know how I feel when I'm around you, and I love it. We'll just have to be more careful from now on, but if you want us to quit right now just say so. It will be hard, but I'll try my best to keep away from you if that's what you'd like. I don't want to be the cause of any additional stressors in your life. I just want to make you happy. I want to be the reason that you smile. I want to make your days as worth looking forward to as you have made mine."

I couldn't help but caress the side of Darien's face as he spoke. Could I even call it quits at this point? More importantly, did I even want to? I knew that the answer to both of those questions was an affirmative no.

"I don't think I could walk out on us at this point even if I wanted to. I mean, I'm always in a constant battle with my conscience over our relationship, but I can't help wanting to be with you. This is the happiest I've been in a very long time myself, and I enjoy spending time with you. It makes me even happier knowing that I make you feel the same way."

"You make me feel beyond the same way Serena. I can't imagine my days without you right now."

Darien slowly pulled me forward and into a soft kiss. After a few moments I pulled back, and I presented him with a loving smile.

"Ok then. I guess it's decided. But I should probably leave your office now. We don't need another visitor forming any ideas about our 'meeting' as you called it, Coach."

Darien released a hearty laugh before kissing my cheek and setting me on his office floor.

"Wasn't my acting superb? But you know Serena, maybe you should really consider his offer. He seems truly sorry for his actions, and he really isn't too bad a guy. He just followed the wrong crowd."

I couldn't help my surprise at Darien's advice. He wanted me to meet with Jason? A mischievous smile made its way to my face as I prepared to answer him.

"Ok Darien. I guess I'll take your advice. We'll go out to dinner, and who knows, maybe I'll really see him for the guy that he truly is. We may just pick up where we left off and—"

I was cut off from finishing my statement as Darien roughly pulled me to his body and latched onto my lips in a punishing kiss that left me breathless. After a few seconds he pulled back, and I struggled to make out the figure of his face through my hazed state. Leaning his forehead against mine, I vaguely registered that Darien was speaking to me.

"You know what I meant woman. I was referring to you guys talking on friendly terms. Don't tease me like that. I don't find it at all amusing."

I absentmindedly wondered if Darien was truly upset or just playing around, but quickly sobered up as I realized that he was dead serious. So it seemed like I had a possessive man on my hands. I stored that information at the back of my head for a later time as I released a playful laugh.

"Of course I was joking Darien. My mind can't possibly think of anyone else when all it's time is occupied with thoughts of you."

Darien seemed content with my answer and gave me a quick kiss and hug before releasing me. I informed him that I was going to head down to practice, and he agreed that'd he'd meet me there in a few minutes. As I walked down towards the gym I noticed Jason and some of his friends starring my way, but I ignored them as I headed into the locker rooms to prepare for practice.

Practice that night was pure torture. We were nearing the end of our regular season, and playoffs would be starting in the next two weeks if we qualified. As Darien taught us our new playoff plays I was highly conscious of how we interacted with each in front of the team. As he pulled me by my arm to my new positions, his fingers gently caressed my skin, and I fought to control the blush that threatened to form on my cheeks. Darien seemed highly entertained with my restrained reactions to his teasing, and I tried my best to ignore him as we proceeded with the plays. I also struggled to maintain my jealousy as I saw him interacting with the other girls on my team. It was no secret that many of the girls on the team had crushes on Darien. I mean, who wouldn't? However, it tore at me just observing the rather bold ones flirt with him openly. And being the social butterfly that he was, he just seemed to flirt back. This never seemed to bother me before, but I couldn't help myself as I watched one of the girls batting her fake eyelashes at him. By the end of practice I had gotten quite upset despite my conscience's constant justification that my anger was unwarranted. As we stood in our final huddle for the night Darien stood behind me. Once we released our cheer, I quickly headed to the locker rooms to change and headed to my car. Darien intersected me as I was heading out the gym.

"Hey, where are you off to in such a rush?"

I gave a brief shrug as I looked away from him. How could I possibly explain that I was bothered with his flirtations with my teammates when he was also a married man? I felt like a complete idiot.

"I'm going to head up to my room and try to get some problems done. I guess I'll talk to you later."

I thought I had gotten away when Darien didn't respond for a few seconds, so I started to move towards my car. However, the grabbing of my arm caused me to stop mid step. Darien's voice softly reached my ear.

"I thought we promised to always be honest with one another. What's really bothering you Serena?"

I took a deep breathe as I recalled our promises and boundaries that we had set. He was right, but I still felt silly over my jealousy. Turning to face him, I stared down at the ground as I softly stroked my own arm.

"I'm not sure Darien. Seeing you flirt with the girls in there just had this weird effect on me. I felt really bad because I knew that I had no right to be feeling the way that I was, but I still couldn't help it."

Darien stared at me, and I could tell that he wanted to pull me into his arms, but he thought better of it as he took in our location.

"Look at me Serena."

I tilted back my head to stare up at his concerned eyes.

"You have every right to feel the way that you did. I'm sorry, but I didn't even take your feelings into consideration as I just continued on with my old habits. But you're right. We're in a relationship now and I could understand how that could make you feel funny. In maintaining our normal behaviors I won't stop it cold turkey, but I'll cut back and refrain from doing it in front of your face."

I gave a thankful nod as Darien continued to speak.

"You should know that none of that stuff means anything to me though. You're the most important person to me in that gym at any moment and I really don't care about anyone else that way."

I gazed up at Darien, desperately wishing that we were somewhere more private so I could lean into his strong body in a hug. I needed to feel his arms around me at the moment.

"I know Darien. And I believe you. I feel much better now. Thanks for the reassurance."

Darien presented me with his award winning smile, and we started to walk towards my car. After I was seated, he stood above my window with his hands casually placed in his pockets.

"So I guess I won't be seeing you tonight then?"

I considered spending time with Darien that evening, but after the day we'd had it probably wasn't a good idea. And I still had classes in the morning. I guess it was my turn to maintain one of our set boundaries.

"Yeah. I just don't think it's a good idea, but I'll definitely see you tomorrow."

Darien tried to hide the disappointment on his face, but I saw it none the less as he gave me a soft smile.

"Ok. I guess I'll talk to you later then."

I gave him a smile of my own as I geared my car into reverse.

"It's a date. I'll talk to you later."

Darien stepped back from my car and I fought against the despair that I felt in my heart as I saw him standing in my rear view mirror. This was for the best. I'd see him the following day.

After my homework was complete, I had showered for the evening, and I was tucked into my bed for the evening, I called Darien. He seemed extremely pleased to be hearing from me, and we started the conversation about our days. I shed quite a few tears as he retold the story of Kailie's proposal at the airport. I told him about my day and my lunch date with my friends. The conversation shifted from one topic to the other as we both found out more about each other. Before I knew it, four hours had passed and we both decided that we should try to get some sleep. The conversation lasted for another 15 minutes as we argued back and forth over who should hang up first. I eventually relented, and bid Darien a final goodnight before I reluctantly hung up the phone. As I drifted to sleep that night lazy smile made its way to my face as a final image of Darien formed in my mind. That night, we met up in my dreams. In our dreams there were no boundaries, and Darien and I explored our relationship to the fullest. A fleeing image of Trista surfaced in my mind, but she was quickly cast aside. I couldn't wait to see him tomorrow.

For the remainder of the week Darien and I dedicated most of our time towards getting to know one another. The more I found out about him, the further I fell for him. By the weekend, it was as if we both knew almost everything about each other. It was hard to believe that we'd only known one another for a few months. We had lunch at three public restaurants that week in an attempt to stay within our designated boundaries, but we still somehow managed to find little private places where we could have our stolen intimate moments. Following the rules that we had set was becoming more difficult with every passing day. Darien and I kept in contact with each other throughout the entire day via text messaging or phone calls. Practices weren't my favorite part of the day, but they were getting better. Pretending to remain upset when Darien called me Meatball Head or Rook was becoming quite the drag.

Darien had invited me to his house for an evening of 'just chilling' since I had no classes the following day. It was Friday night, and the weekend had just commenced. Driving through the gates of his estate, I asked myself for the millionth time if I had made the right decision in deciding to come to his house. As I parked my car and walked towards the front door, I shrugged my shoulders and decided to just enjoy the evening for what it was. After all, nothing did not have to happen that neither of us didn't want to. I silently admitted to myself that I was also very excited at spending the time with Darien in a private setting with no worries of getting caught. I again took in the breathtaking beauty of the estate after I rang the doorbell. Darien opened the door a few seconds later, clad only in a pair of basketball shorts and a wife beater. He took in my appearance with my white shorts and blue tank top for a quick second before grabbing my arm and ushering me inside the house. Before I could utter a greeting, Darien slammed the door close and had me pressed against it as his lips met my own. I immediately brought my arms around his neck and responded to the kiss. We hadn't kissed each other yet for the entire day and we were both in desperate need of the contact. Darien's tongue invaded every crevice of my mouth while expertly exploring the surfaces of my lips. I released a deep moan as his fingers trailed up my bare legs and moved up to my waist. Running my own hands beneath his wife beater and onto the hard muscles of his chest, I felt him shudder beneath my fingers. When we both couldn't go another second without any air we broke the kiss, panting as we both struggled to catch our breaths. I regained my composure first.

"I could definitely get used to being greeted like that."

Darien released an amused laugh before pulling me into a hug and running his hands through my hair.

"Sorry about that. I've just been dying to have a private moment with you all day. I hate not being able to do that to you whenever I want to. Not being able to touch or hold you when we're in public has been pure torture to me this week."

I brought my own hands to the back of Darien's neck and ran my fingers through his soft hair.

"No need to apologize. I know exactly how you feel. I've missed you today Dare. It feels like we haven't seen each other in days, but in reality it's only been a few hours."

Darien kissed my temple and nodded before he pulled back.

"I definitely get that feeling. Come on, I've got some fun stuff for us to do tonight."

Darien led me into the house and into the lavish living room. I noticed a box of pizza and several drinks on the center table, as well as a few DVDs.

"Ok. So we've got some pizza and some hot wings, and you can have your choice of non-alcoholic or alcoholic drinks. Whatever you want. I've got a few movies that we can choose from to watch, and I also want to challenge you to this dance revolution game on the wii. It's a pretty difficult game, but I'm a beast at it. I just want to see where you measure up."

I cocked an eyebrow at Darien's statement. Didn't he know that I was quite the skilled dancer? Well it would certainly be fun throwing him down from his high horse. I wasn't about to let him know that bit of information though.

"Oh ok. Sounds like fun. Where do we start?"

Darien ushered me to the carpet and we opened up the boxes of pizza and chicken.

"I guess we can eat first. After this week I now know what your appetite is like."

"Hey!"

I gave Darien a playful slap on the arm, which he caught and brought to his lips. I blushed at the action and smiled despite myself as he offered me a paper plate.

"What would you like to drink?"

I stared at the drinks laid out on the table, but couldn't decide.

"I'll just have whatever you're having."

A smirk formed on Darien's face as he assessed my answer.

"Are you sure about that? I'm planning to have wine. I know you told me that you're a drinker, but how much can you handle? I don't want you getting drunk on my account."

My challenging nature arose as I stared at Darien.

"Why do you keep underestimating me? I can handle my liquor just fine, thank you very much. Don't you worry about me Mr. Shields."

Darien rose his hands in surrender and he poured me a glass.

"Hey. I'm just looking out for your best interest, but drink away."

He raised his glass to mines in a brief toast, and we starred at each other over our glasses as we took the first sip of our drinks. Darien turned off the lights and turned on the huge flat screen TV on the wall.

The night actually turned out quite entertaining as Darien and I laughed away while watching Meet the Fockers. After the movie was over, we started on the dance revolution game. I must admit that I was impressed at Darien's dancing skills as he moved about on the pad, but I knew I was better. He won the first round and had no problems displaying his victory in my face. I laughed as he held onto his crotch with one hand and released a victorious scream. I informed him that the game wasn't over and we still had two more rounds to go. He seemed pretty confident that his victory was assured at this point and told me to 'bring it!' I laughed as I took in his playful manner. It was nice seeing him so relaxed and carefree around me. He seemed like a little boy having a good time, and it made me happy to see him that way. However, I would sadly have to bring him back to reality.

For the next round I stepped up my game. After I won, I danced my way over to Darien and teasingly moved my body against his. He was trying real hard to remain upset at his loss, but I inwardly chuckled as I saw him struggling not to respond to my movements. Just when he moved to put his arms around my waist, I stepped away and told him it was time to finish the game. Darien seemed a little upset.

"You little vixen. But that's ok. It'll only make kicking your beautiful little ass even sweeter in this final round."

"Bring it on Shields."

The final round commenced. Darien was relentless in his attempt to win the round, but I also wanted to claim the victory as my own. Our bodies quickly moved to the beat of the song, and I struggled to maintain my balance as the beat picked up. As we neared the final minute of the song I noticed that Darien was still in the lead. Stepping my game up even further, I matched my movements to the beat. The final seconds of the game flew by, and we both stood still as the game announced the winner. When my name popped up on the screen I ran to Darien's face, releasing a victorious howl as I paraded around his body. He stood in a state of shock for a few seconds before releasing his controller and clapping his hands in congratulations. I stopped dancing and turned to face Darien, a full grin covering the length of my face.

"Ok, ok. You win; this time. I admit defeat. You have bested me oh great Meatball Headed one."

I laughed before I threw myself into Darien's body. He brought his arms around my torso in a tight hug. Pulling back, I stared up at his face.

"That was so much fun! What do you want to do next?"

Darien gazed into my eyes for a second before slowly lowering his head and claiming my mouth in a gentle kiss. I stood in a hazed state as he pulled away, and I somehow managed to hear him speaking.

"Well, we can just sit and talk, or we can entertain ourselves another way."

Darien's voice had lowered on the final part of his suggestion, and I shivered as I envisioned the oh so many ways we could keep each other entertained in the big house. All alone. With the lights turned off. Maybe talking some more might be a good idea.

"I know, let's play a game!"

Darien released me and guided us towards the carpet. After we were seated he poured us each another glass of wine. I vaguely registered that this was my second and his third glass, but I was feeling fine so there was nothing to worry about.

"What do you have in mind?"

Taking a long sip of my wine, I placed my glass back on the table.

"Let's play two truths and a lie. You basically say three things about yourself. Two of them are true, and one is a lie. I have to guess which one is the lie based on my knowledge of who you are."

Darien nodded in understanding.

"So what happens if you guess the wrong lie?"

I placed my hand on my chin as I contemplated on his question.

"Hmm, I've never thought of that. I guess the person should take a shot of liquor?"

Darien's brow rose in skepticism, but he smiled as he agreed.

"Ok. As long as you're sure this is what you want. I'm pretty good at games."

"Well if you're as good as you were just a minute ago, I have nothing to worry about."

Darien smiled at my witty comeback, but instructed me to start off the game.

"Ok. Here I go. I absolutely hate chocolate, I secretly wanted to be a stripper when I was younger, and I slept with a blanket until the 8th grade."

Darien inquisitively observed me as he took a sip of his wine.

"You don't seem like the type to want to be a stripper. You're still a virgin at 19."

"Is that your final answer?"

Darien nodded, and I filled an empty wine glass about a quarter ways up with some wine. Handing the glass to him, I told him to drink up.

"I actually did want to be a striper until I reached the 7th grade. I did have a blanket until my mom forced me leave it behind when I went to camp in the eight grade, and I actually really love chocolate."

Darien took the glass from me and downed its content in one gulp.

"Ok, my turn. I danced ballet as a kid for several years, I'm a very talented piano player, and I actually wanted to be a doctor until my first year of college."

I stared as his features as he recited his options, looking for some hint that would reveal his lie. Finding none, I took my best guess.

"Well there's a piano in your house so you could be a player, you seem like you could be the doctor type, but I can't imagine you as a ballet dancer."

"Is that your final answer?"

I nodded, and Darien proceeded to pour me a quarter glass of wine and gave it to me.

"My mom had me in ballet classes until I was in the 5th grade, I am actually pretty good at the piano, but medicine never appealed to me. Too much blood."

I gulped down the contents of the glass as I started to formulate my next statement.

Two bottles of wine later, we decided to end the game after Darien's final upcoming turn. At this point, we were both feeling really, really, good and many of our inhibitions were long gone. The statements had turned slightly more revealing over the course of the hour, and I found myself getting quite aroused as I inched towards Darien's body. I wondered if he was feeling the same way, because we were both barely a feet apart. Darien started to recite his final set of facts/lie.

"I've sailed the entire Caribbean on my own, I actually really love watching cartoons, and I haven't had sex in over two months."

I stared at Darien as he said his final option, but the distant look in his eyes when he spoke along with the averting of his gaze had given him away.

I gently brought my hand to the side of his face and tilted his face up to face mines.

"Wow. That's a long time for a guy. Or so I've I heard. What happened? How do you manage?"

Darien released a slight chuckle as he pulled me closer towards his body.

"I work out a lot and , uh manage to get by. I just decided that there was no sense in the act anymore. It felt like an obligation rather than something that should be enjoyed between two people. I didn't like the awkwardness after the act was completed either. It just felt….wrong. It just wasn't enjoyable anymore."

I nodded in understanding as I placed my forehead above his, kissing the top of his eyelids in reassurance.

"It actually wasn't that bad maintaining the abstinence, but lately, it's been at the forefront of my mind due to this unbelievable woman that I met."

I smiled at Darien's statement and decided to play along with his game.

"Oh really? What's she like?"

Darien brought his lips to my neck in some light kisses that left me nuzzling my neck against his face.

"Well she's the most beautiful girl you'll ever see, but that's not what makes her so special. "

I released a soft moan as he bit into the side of my neck, but continued on with our game. We both knew that the evening was about to take a turn in direction, but I don't think either of us wanted to stop it.

"What makes her so special then?"

I barely recognized the ragged whisper of my voice as Darien ran his hands along my exposed legs.

"She's smart, and she's very caring. She cares a lot about the well being of other people, and she's actually a pretty decent ball player. She listens intently when I speak, and I know that I could count on her to listen or make me smile if I'm dealing with a problem. She has a pure heart that would make even a nun envious, and she's really fun to be around."

I pulled back to stare at Darien, flattered that he thought so highly of me.

Bringing his hands to my face, I was taken aback at the emotions that I saw in his eyes as he whispered his next sentence.

"And I think I've already fallen for her."

My heart skipped a beat at Darien's words. I sat immobile, unsure of what to say and do. He gently pulled me towards his body, and the kiss that we shared was unlike any of the previous ones we had experienced together. Darien gently brought his hands to my face as he tenderly ran his lips against mine. I observed him through my lowered lids as he proceeded to kiss the corners of my lips, followed by the tip of my nose, and finally my eyelids. Everywhere his lips touched was left tingling as I tried to control the emotions that threatened to overtake my body. When he was done he ventured back to my parted lips, and I sighed in contentment as he finally inserted his tongue between my lips and into my awaiting month. Needing to feel him closer to my body, I pulled him forward as I moved back toward the carpet. Darien continued his menstruations on my mouth when he was fully lying on top of me on the plush carpet. I brought my hands to his neck, running my hands through his hair as I pulled him closer. Our movements were gentle as we gave into the emotions that we had been building up for the entire week between us. As Darien disconnected himself from my lips and moved to my neck, I fought off the tears that threatened to form in my eyes. At that moment I was utterly consumed by the need to have him completely. I wanted to be the one making him smile on a daily basis. I wanted to see him as playful as he had been with me tonight. I wanted to make his body feel the wondrous things that he was making my body feel, and I wanted to share my body with him; completely. But the tears lingered as I realized that we just couldn't take that step.

Darien leaned back to stare at my face, and his expression was all I needed to know that he understood what I was feeling. The anguish that I saw in his eyes practically broke my heart to pieces, and I almost lost it as he kissed the sides of tear filled eyes once again. When Darien returned to my lips our kiss turned to one of desperation as we both struggled to release the pent up emotions that we knew we couldn't voice out loud. I clawed into his back as he pressed his lower body into mine, our need to be one overpowering all logical thought at the time. As our tongues battled against each other, our hands traveled over each other's bodies. Darien started to lift my shirt from my body, and I didn't even hesitate as I lifted my hands so he could completely pull it off my arms. I quickly followed suit and started to pull off his wife beater, but he paused and just threw it to the side himself. When our bare torsos came into contact with each other, we both released audible moans. Darien' hands traveled over my stomach and up to my breasts, while his lips trailed hot kisses from my neck to my collar bone. I grinded my pelvis into his erection as I felt his hot mouth latched onto my nipples through my bra.

"Oh God Darien. Please, don't stop."

Answering my plea, Darien moved to my other breast, and I released a content moan. But I still wasn't satisfied. Perhaps it was all the liquor that we had consumed that night, or perhaps I just didn't care, but I found myself pulling at Darien's shorts. Darien lifted his body for a brief second, and I pulled down his pants as far as I could. Using his legs, he completed the task and kicked his shorts to the side. I licked my lips as I tried to sit up to take in the complete view of Darien's body clad only in his boxer shorts. Taking in his muscular legs and thighs as well as the impressive six pack above me, I attempted to switch our positions so I was on top. Darien complied, and in the process proceeded to remove my shorts as well. Clad in only my matching black panty and bra, I stared down at his intense eyes. I started to grind my lower half against his erection, causing him to close his eyes in pleasure. While I continued my movements, I started my own trail of kisses from his neck, to his collar bones, and finally across his nipples. Darien's grip on my waist tightened as he struggled to maintain his control, and this realization only made me bolder.

I slightly lifted my lower half as I trailed the kisses down towards his navel and along the trail of hair that led to his manhood. His body shuddered beneath my grasp, and I continued on with my menstruations. Darien attempted to lift up his upper half to stare at me, and I felt somehow empowered at the strain that I heard in his voice.

"Serena, you should stop right there if you don't want us to take things any further tonight. I'm fucking dying here trying not to just flip you over and have my way with you. You're gonna make me loose my fucking mind."

I paused to look down at Darien. With my hair out and trailing down my body to his, I imagined that I must have been quite the vision in front of him on knees clad only in my underwear. Hearing him talk dirty was strangely very arousing. I softly whispered my answer.

"What if I don't want to stop? We haven't technically broken any rules. Our underwear is still on. Please, let me do this for you. I want to."

Darien stared at me before flipping us over once again so he was on top.

"The fact that you'd be willing to do that for me touches me to the core of my very heart, but I'm unsure if I'll be able to control myself if you do that so I can't let you. Maybe at another time, but not tonight. I know we're both a little bit on the risk taking side due to the liquor that we consumed. I don't want us having any regrets."

"But—"

Darien silenced my response with his lips. I was upset that he wouldn't let me please him the way that I wanted to, but soon forgot that thought as he again started using his lips across my body. He left me squirming beneath his grasp as he trailed kisses from my stomach and down to my own private area. He continued on lower, placing a light kiss over the top of my underwear that left me buckling from the shocking sensation of his lips against my most sacred spot. Darien continued lower still, trailing kisses down the length of my leg and then back up my legs with his tongue. When he again approached my underwear, I clawed my nails into the carpet in anticipation. Starring up at the ceiling, I felt like I was going to die if I didn't get what my body was asking for real soon.

"Darien, I need, I want….Oh God"

Darien rose above me, starring down at my face as I squirmed in need beneath him. At this point I was so aroused, that the mere contact of our bare torsos touching again had me buckling in pleasure. Darien forcefully grinded his erection against my core, causing me practically scream as I struggled to gain control of my body.

"What do you want Serena? What do you need?"

I tried to stare up at him through my delirious state, wondering why he was torturing me so. I forced out a whisper as I finally focused on his face.

"You Darien. I need you. Please."

Darien brought his lips to mine in a rough kiss that I eagerly responded to. At the same time I felt his fingers trailing up my legs, and I completely stopped responding to the kiss as I felt his hands cup my private through my underwear.

I couldn't even breathe as Darien continued massaging my core through my underwear. My vision clouded and I saw stars as I spread my legs further to give him more access. Darien's thumb masterfully found its way above my clit, and I arched my back as I gave into feeling. Feeling my arousal pouring out of my body, I started to moan as I felt myself building towards a climax. When I thought that it just couldn't get any better, Darien slipped his finger beneath my underwear and against my drenched core. I shuddered at the skin to skin contact, my toes digging into the carpet beneath me as I heard myself scream out his name.

"Oh Darien! Oh yes! Don't stop! Please, don't stop!"

Darien was the ever compliant lover, and I literally hissed as I felt his finger briefly rubbing against my moist clit and finally entered my body. I released a loud moan at the intimate contact, trying my best to pull him closer to my body. Before I knew it, Darien had started an antagonizing slow pace as he inserted his finger in and out my body. Leaning in to claim my lips in a kiss, he continued his movements, but I couldn't concentrate on kissing him back as I made my body match the rhythm of his finger. As I felt myself nearing my climax I latched onto Darien's shoulder. Our bodies were covered in a light sheen of sweat and I stared up at his face for a final moment before I felt myself go over the edge. My body broke into involuntary spasms as I climaxed, and I felt my walls clamping down around Darien's finger. I saw stars, and my body became highly sensitized to everything around me. I shuddered again as Darien moved his finger within my still pulsing core.

After a few moments I slowly came back down to earth, only to be met with the image of a grinning Darien on top of me.

In my drained state, I still couldn't even move, but I couldn't help but shake my head at his cockiness.

"Ok, I get it. You're pretty proud of yourself. No need to blind me with that smile of yours."

Darien released an amused laugh as he wrapped his arms around me.

"I'm just happy that I could bring you to that point. You're so beautiful when you climax. I could get used to seeing that expression on your face."

I stared up at him, the disappointed that I hadn't been able to return the favor apparent on my face.

"But I didn't even get to make you come. I feel terrible."

Darien tilted my head up so I could stare at his face.

"Hey. I got all the pleasure I needed just seeing you enjoy yourself the way you did. Don't worry about me. Let's just say tonight was all about you. "

I gave a curt nod, but still felt uneasy about the issue. I suddenly realized that I was actually quite drained from our night, and I started to doze off. Darien released an amused chuckle as he lifted us both from the carpet and carried me up the stairs. At some point, I realized that I was in a bed, and Darien's arms were wrapped around my body from behind. Snuggling back into his body, I bid him a final goodnight before submitting myself over to sleep completely.

"Goodnight Darien."

Darien tenderly kissed my temple, wrapping his hands even tighter around my body as he snuggled against my neck.

"Goodnight Serena. Sweet dreams."

With those final words Darien fell into a restful sleep as well, and we spent the night safely tucked away within each other's arms. Our hearts content, and our bodies at home within each other's embrace, we once again met up in our dreams.