A Basketball Affair

by My Veggie Burger

The life of Serena Charles is turned upside down when she conspires a plot to destroy her married basketball coach Mr.Darien Shields. What she never expects results in a scandalous basketball affair, and consequences that could destroy both their lives.

14. Chapter 14

Hey Everyone! So here's the deal. I tried really hard to put weeks 3 and 4 together, but the chapter was turning out waaayyy too long. So this is just week 3. For whatever reason, this chapter was the most difficult one for me to write yet, and I hope it turned out ok. I think many of you will like it. As always thanks for the reviews! I'd love to hear your opinions on this one. Enjoy!

Chapter 14

Week Three

Taking a quick look down both sides of the vacant street, I hastily ran across the road. I pulled my baseball cap closer to my skull, folding my arms over my chest and the big hoodie that I wore. It was a rather chilly night by the Caribbean's standards, and the rain that had been pouring for the last hour didn't show any signs of letting up. A lone shiver ran through my body as the wind roughly blew against me, its lonely howl sounding through the isolated street at the late night hour. I quickly ran up the stairs and into the 24 hour corner shop, sighing in relief at the warmth and dryness that welcomed me there. Immediately taking a quick surveillance of the store for customers, I was relieved when I saw none. I had been banking on the fact that not many people would be out of their homes 11 o'clock in the evening on such a rainy night. And I was extremely pleased to see that I was right.

Knowing that my luck would only last for a time, I quickly set out to complete my mission. I hurriedly walked through the few isles of the small store, my eyes glued on the shelves in my search. After ten minutes of searching and walking through the isles twice, I began to get nervous. The cashier, who was the only other person in the store at the moment, had intently kept his eyes plastered on my moving form. He probably thought I was some juvenile trying to steal something from his store, which only proceeded to make me more uneasy. As I neared the front of the store for the third time, he finally spoke.

"Excuse me little lady, but do ya need any help with findin' somethin'?"

I gave him a quick scan, taking in his old white t-shirt, his faded jeans, and the white hair behind his receding hairline. His southern accent stood out like a sore thumb. I'd guess him to be in his 60s, about 5'6 with a thin build, and I couldn't help but wonder why this little old man was manning a store on his own; in the middle of the night no less! Shouldn't he be home resting or something? I mean, he seemed to be the age of my own grandfather. Could this get anymore embarrassing? Deciding that he definitely didn't look like anyone I knew, I decided it might be safe to solicit his help. The quicker this was over with, the sooner I could leave. I started making my way towards him, keeping my head low and my hands in my jeans; just as a precaution.

"Um, yes sir. I'm looking for some uh, condoms."

I whispered the final part of my sentence, and then raised my head slightly. I was met with a confused look on the store keeper's face.

"Wha'd you say? I didn't catch that young lady, you gotta speak up. My bad ear is acting up; probably due to this here horrid weather."

Taking a quick glance around to make sure we were still alone, I absentmindedly wondered if this was God's way of punishing me. Or maybe this old man was getting some enjoyment from seeing me suffer. I counted to ten in an effort to calm myself. Raising my voice a little higher, I tried again, twiddling my thumbs under his intense stare.

"I'm looking for some con—"

"You have to speak up girlie. I can't hear what you're saying. Come on now, spit it out."

Breathe Serena, breathe.

Taking a huge breath to in an effort to calm myself, I looked up to fully stare him in the eye.

"I'm looking for some CONDOMS, ok?"

The little old man stared down at me, a tooth less smile forming on his face as he finally processed what I had asked.

"Oh, condoms! Well why didn't ya just say so! I keep 'em all right here behind the counter for safe keeping. That's a very good decision you're making there puttin' a foot forward to protect yourself. Most young people nowadays don't seem to care. In my day, there weren't even any need to use dem there rubbers. The ol' pull out method was our strategy. Heh he. .. But of course that was before AIDS and dem there diseases came along. I think….."

I shifted my feet uncomfortably as I looked up at the old man behind the counter. He just kept on his ranting, and I really needed to get out of there before anyone else came in. But it seemed liked my luck had just ran out. The familiar jingle of the store's door opening caught my attention, and my heart sunk to the bottom of my feet.

Please God, let it just be caused by the wind.

I turned around slowly, but immediately turned back after I noticed the group of five young men entering the store. There appeared to be two black and three white guys within the group. Thankfully, I did not recognize any of them, but this nightmare just kept getting worse. The old man kept on talking about how AIDS came from the monkeys (or something like that), but I was too panicked to care. I needed to get out of there. Now.

"Look mister, that's all interesting and everything but I'm in a hurry here. Would you just sell me the condoms? How much do they cost?"

The old man paused and took a few seconds to wave to the group of guys. It seemed like they were familiar with each other because they waved back. Finally returning his attention back to me, he again presented me with his tooth less smile.

"But of course little lady! All you had to do was say the word. Now which kind and size would you like?"

"Uh…Size? Kind?"

I stared up at the many boxes the man was currently pointing to. I had no idea what type or size condom I needed to get. Heck, I didn't even know there were that many brands. Having never bought them myself, I really did not know where to start.

"Um, well I'm not exactly sure. Whichever one is the good one?"

"Well these are all good ones, but I can't say I'm too sure myself. I ain't used one of these in forever since my wife passed away. Do ya at least know what size you're looking for?"

Images of Darien's er…assets came flooding into my mind. My face flushed a bright red at the thoughts, recollections of the things that I had done to his member running through my mind. How did one measure sizes? Darien had seemed extremely blessed in that area of his anatomy from what I could tell, but I really had no basis of comparison. I'd never really compared male sex organ sizes before. Talking in a low whisper, I stared up at the old man again.

"Well I'm not exactly sure about that either, but I'd say one big enough to cover…um, this size?"

Placing my two hands together, I tried to recreate the girth of Darien's manhood as I had held it. I was almost beet red at this point, but I was too close to call it quits.

The old man lifted his glasses and leaned closer to my eyes, his eyes widening as he got a close up view.

"Wow. Are you sure? That's quite the tool ya suggesting right there."

The heat on my face was almost unbearable at this point, and I quickly dropped my hands.

"Yes, yes. Now pleeeeeease, is that like a large or something? I've really got to get going."

"Well I can't be too sure myself on that either, but maybe these youngsters can help."

Before I fully understood what was going on, the old man had signaled the five young men to the counter. I stood completely mortified as they approached us and stood right next to me.

"Hey Mr. G! What's going with you on this cold night? Oh, excuse me. I didn't see you there beautiful. How are you doing?"

I slightly turned my head to face the tall red head, trying my best to keep my face concealed as I responded to his greeting.

"I'm fine thank you."

Quickly responding to his comment, I turned back to face the old man to inform him that I had changed my mind. With the group of guys standing near me this situation was getting out of control. I'd just get them another time. However, his voice broke my thoughts before I had the opportunity to announce my departure.

"Boy, do you guys have the best timing. This little lady here has been trying to decide which one of these here condoms she wants to buy, but she ain't sure about the type and size. Maybe you boys can help her out?"

As I felt the blood rushing to my face for the millionth time that night, I concluded that God was indeed punishing me. I hastily tried to pull myself together and prevent the situation from getting any more embarrassing than it already was.

"Oh that really isn't necessary. As a matter of fact I changed my mind. I'll jus get them another time. You guys—"

"Oh that's ok. We'll be happy to help out such a lovely lady as yourself. Won't we fellas?"

The remaining four guys nodded their heads in agreement, the smiles on their faces making me even more uncomfortable. I assumed that the red head, whom had interrupted me, was the ring leader.

What in the world had I done to deserve this?

The next thing I knew, the store keeper had the various brands of condoms lined on the counter, and the guys started a debate amongst themselves on the best brand. I was completely mortified as they discussed the durability and 'real feel' of the brands, and just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, the ring leader turned and spoke to me.

"Do you know the size you're looking for?"

I shook my head, too embarrassed to use my voice as all the guys stared at me, awaiting my response. The store keeper made my night even better with his next actions.

"Well she said earlier he's bout this size right here."

A very audible thud sounded through the store as I fell back to the floor. A brief image of the store keeper trying to imitate the size I had showed him earlier using his own hands filled my terrified mind. The guys all released whistles of awe and disbelief.

Using the counter to assist me in pulling my body back upright, I was met with five stunned faces.

"Whoa. That's pretty unbelievable there. Are you sure?"

His voice was laced with extreme skepticism, but before I could answer, one of the black members of the group stepped forward, a cocky smile on his face.

"Well I don't know Rocky. It's very much believable to me. Welcome to my world."

The other guys rolled their eyes.

Turning to face me, he presented me with a smile and wink.

"He's black, isn't he?"

I again felt myself staggering to a fall as a wave of embarrassment again struck my body, but this time the boys held me up.

"Hey, maybe you should head home. If you keep staggering like this you might hurt yourself."

I nodded in agreement, trying to stabilize my body and bolt out the door, but the guys seemed to want some closure to my problem.

"Based on our assessment, we recommend that you go with the magnum. Extra large seems about right based on our observation. Its got a pretty good feel, and the size should be good based on your description."

I watched in a semi delusional state as the store keeper selected the brand and type that they had selected and placed it in front of me. A quick glance revealed a price tag of $3.99. Retrieving a five dollar bill from my pocket I quickly threw it onto the counter, grabbed the box and made a fleeting dash to the door, muttering a quick thank you as I ran. If I stayed in that store a second longer I would surely die of embarrassment.

When I was safely seated in my car, panting from the sprint I had taken to get there, I stared down at the box in my hand; so much trouble for one tiny box.

I had decided yesterday that I would just get some condoms as a precaution. At the rate Darien and I were moving and the way that we both felt about each other, I couldn't help but feel like something might happen soon. I was afraid of the magnetic connection we seemed to have with each other and where it may lead, but another part of me was secretly anticipating taking things further with him. I definitely wasn't planning anything, but just to be on the safe side I decided to purchase some protection; especially since I wasn't on the pill. I had no idea that a simple trip to purchase a few condoms would have ended up being quite the interesting adventure though. Sighing as I turned on the car, I started the trip back through the rainy streets and towards my room. At least I had gotten what I came for, so the night was not a complete waste. Man, the things we do when we're in love.

The following day I found myself running through the rain once again as I made a dash to the gym doors. After I was safely inside, I closed off my umbrella and headed towards the locker room. It was a rainy Tuesday evening, much like it had been for the last two days. According to the weather report there were two tropical storms heading to our area, and we were to expect the rain to cease for a few days starting on Wednesday, but resume on the weekend. The storms weren't a major concern despite the huge quantity of rain that they brought to the island, but I hated extended rainy weather. At least the weren't hurricanes. Ah, the joys of Caribbean life.

Shaking off my thoughts I headed to the locker room to change. I hadn't seen Darien the day before. I had decided to skip practice to stay home and work on some of my homework assignments. Having gone sailing with him for the entire weekend I hadn't gotten any work done, and the semester would be over in about three weeks. I needed to stay on top of my work and the 3.5 GPA required to maintain my scholarship. Knowing how crucial practice was for the team at this time I was apprehensive to inform him of my decision, but his reaction was totally unexpected as he told me that my education should always come first. He was very understanding and had kept his distance the entire day, allowing me the time to finish off my work. How anyone could not love such a guy, I wondered.

Upon entering the locker room, I noticed that my teammates were all there. Everyone was psyched about our next two games. If we won, we would be travel off island to the championship game the following weekend. The last time our team won a championship title in girls' varsity basketball was about a decade ago, so this was big news. Apparently, the team kept getting close every year, but just couldn't make that final cross to the finish. The media had been closely following our success, printing numerous articles questioning if this would be the year at long last. I had even been featured in one such article, my addition to the team being praised as the possible key to our success this year. The praise was flattering, but I didn't feel that way. The team as a whole had worked hard this season, and we would win the league championship from everyone's contribution.

Hearing my entrance, my teammates turned to me, greeting me with cheers and high fives. Beryl gave me a knowing wink that I pointedly ignored. The atmosphere in the room was electric. I was overridden with emotion as I laughed with the 11 girls that had also become some of my close friends over the course of the year. I couldn't wait for our games in the next few days. This would be our year.

After we were all dressed we headed onto the court. We all froze as we took in the sight of Darien and Jason occupied in a little one on one game. Standing at the sidelines the girls started to whistle, the sight of a shirtless Jason and Darien in his wife beater and shorts causing quite the stir. I took note of the sweat running down Darien's exposed chest and arms, his muscles tensed and his eyes focused as he attempted to score a shot against Jason.

My hands had run down those toned muscled and then some, I thought with a satisfied smirk as I watched my teammates ogling at the guys.

I had to admit that Jason's defense was pretty good, and he kept up with every move that Darien was trying to make. He didn't look that bad physically either. I took note of the six pack and chest muscles that he had on display, feeling a sense of pride at the fact that although he had quite the body, Darien's own screamed of male dominance in comparison. For a quick second Jason took his eye of Darien and turned to me, presenting me with a quick wink that completely caught me off guard. It took us all by surprise (apparently including Jason), when Darien took advantage of his distraction and shoved him onto the floor as he drove up to dunk the ball.

A resounding 'oooooohhhhhhhhhhhh' echoed through the gym as Darien finished his dunk and let go off the rim.

The girls and I all laughed at Jason's expense, his face a bright crimson as he sat on the floor. Looking at the innocent smile on Darien's face I wondered if he had spitefully knocked Jason to the floor, but I shook off the thought. Darien just wasn't that type of guy. I watched in a state of amusement as Jason glared up a Darien, a look of pure anger of his face. Like most of the other girls I just laughed it off as a result of his injured ego. There was no need t be a sore loser. It was just a game among friends after all.

Darien hoisted Jason to his feet and gave him a good 'ol pat on the back as he joined in the laughter. A smile slowly made its way to Jason's face, and the guys shook hands. Afterwards they walked towards the group.

We all congratulated Darien on his spectacular dunk, but I knew his eyes were focused on me the entire time. He laughed idly among the girls, but I literally felt the heat from his gaze, causing my legs to shift uncomfortably beneath me. Some of the girls headed over to Jason as well. Since our mishap in Jamaica his popularity with the team had slowly improved. I tried my best to avoid looking at Darien as well, afraid that the need in our eyes would give us away. We hadn't seen each other for a whole two days, and I knew that one touch, one look, would be all it took to take us over the edge. So engrossed in trying not to look at each other and at everywhere else, we missed the eyes that carefully observed our behavior, the seeds of suspicion continuing their growth.

Darien eventually broke up the tirade within the group and instructed us to start heading onto the court. Practice that night was to be pretty light, and we were just to review our plays for our game the following day. As I did my final stretches and started my jog to the court, Jason intercepted me.

"Hey Serena! So are you girls ready for the game tomorrow?"

"Oh Yeah. We're all really looking forward to it. It should be a good game."

I absentmindedly turned to the court, observing my teammates beginning their lay ups. As my eyes drifted to the left, I made eye contact with Darien, and he did not seem at all pleased at the conversation I was having at the sideline.

"Um look Jason, we'll talk later. I'm about to start practice and I don't wanna hold up the team."

Jason nodded in understanding, but I couldn't stop my frown as he began speaking again.

"Ok cool. I was just wondering if you'd like to have lunch with me again sometime this week. I really enjoyed our last one. It was fun catching up and everything; if you're interested."

I blinked at Jason, wondering if agreeing to have lunch with him the past week was a bad idea. I didn't need him having any illusions about anything rekindling between us; EVER. But I didn't want to hurt his feelings either. He had been helpful and provided me with information that erased my skepticisms about Darien. Darien was now intently staring at me, and I realized that I really needed to head onto the court.

"Um no. I'm sorry, but I'm gonna be really busy this week… and all the weeks after that.! With the semester coming to an end in the next month and the season ending and everything I'm just super preoccupied. Sorry, but I'm just booked."

Jason actually seemed really disappointed for a few seconds and I felt a little pang of guilt, but I quickly blew it off.

"Oh ok. That's understandable. Well good luck with practice and the game. If you change your mind or anything let me know."

I nodded at Jason, but I was already making my way onto the court. With a quick wave I joined my teammates. I felt Darien's stare boring into the back of my head, but I just ignored it.

Practice that night ended on a positive note, and Darien released us with instructions to get a good night's rest for our game tomorrow. When all of my teammates had headed back to the locker room, I approached him on the court while he was stacking up the balls.

"Hey Coach."

Darien turned to me, his charismatic smile instantly on his face.

"Hey Rook. What's up?"

We shared a knowing smile at our public display, amused at our impersonal demeanors when people were near. That joke just never seemed to get old.

"Nothing much. Practice is over and I'm here trying to figure out what I'm going to do for the night. So far the options are more homework and sleep, but those aren't too intriguing. I was just wondering if you were planning to do anything more…..exciting."

Darien eyes immediately darkened, and it seemed like the very air around us became heavy beneath the weight of our gaze.

"Hmm well I didn't have anything in particularly planned, but I was hoping I would at least get to talk with you tonight. Two days is way too long Sere. Did you get all your work done?"

I nodded, my body set a flamed by the hunger I saw present in Darien's eyes.

"Ye-yeah, I did. Thanks so much for understanding."

There was an awkward pause as we starred at each other, and I quickly averted my gaze to the floor. I knew that Darien was trying his best to keep his distance and hands to himself due to our current location, and I didn't trust myself either at the moment. I needed to feel him or do something to change the path we were about to head down. Otherwise, this night could end on a really bad note.

" Soooo I'm going to head up to my room and shower. I guess I'll call you after I'm done?"

Darien nodded, his eyes raking over my entire frame. He wasn't trying to hide the fact that he was undressing me with his eyes, and it was having quite the arousing effect on me. Traveling back up to my face, he gave me a smile, but it did nothing to extinguish the fire I saw in his blue orbs.

"Ok, you do that. I should be done with my pre-game preparations by then. I'll be awaiting your call Ms. Charles."

I spared Darien a final glance before quickly nodding my head and practically sprinting to the locker room. I could feel his gaze at my back as I exited. Being around that man was dangerous.

After I had showered and was comfortably dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank, I phoned Darien. I caught him just as he was entering his car to head home. We spoke throughout his ride about our last two days and our anticipation of the game the following day. When Darien arrived at home we had a brief debate about my coming over to visit, but in the end Darien concluded that it would be best if I stayed home to rest. I laughed as he almost painfully fought with himself to tell me this statement. He had concluded that it was in my best interest to stay and get some sleep that evening, because there wouldn't 'be much sleeping if I came over.' I was disappointed in his decision, but I understood he was trying to be responsible. We agreed to have lunch the following day at a publicrestaurant and bid each other a very reluctant good night.

Around 12:30 the next day, I met Darien at the restaurant he had chosen. We had both driven our separate cars from our respective jobs. Darien was as usual, impeccably dressed in a grey pin striped business suit. I had changed from my scrubs into a comfortable knee length spaghetti strap sun dress and had left my hair flowing down my back. I was agitated as I observed many of the women in the restaurant eyeing him down, but I cast my anger aside. I could only imagine he felt the same as I rolled my eyes at the men ogling at me. He had gotten us a secluded sit in the corner that provided a comfortable view of the ocean, but there were still a few eyes glancing at us. With the rain gone for a few days the ocean was at a peaceful calm, but the people around us were just ruining my mood. Couldn't he have picked a less crowded restaurant?

"Darien, is this place usually this packed? "

Eyeing the lunch time crowd, Darien nodded his head and smiled at me.

"Well yeah. I chose this particular restaurant because its food is one of he best on the island. You're not going to find another restaurant that can spruce up local dishes like this one. Unfortunately, many people share my sentiment, but I wanted you to have an enjoyable meal before our game tonight. Is the crowd bothering you? We could leave if you like."

Shaking my head, I presented him with a warm smile of my own.

"No, its ok. Leaving would entail finding somewhere else, thus taking up time that we could be spending here together. I want as much time with you today as I can get. I've missed you these last couple days Dare."

Darien removed the sunglasses he had been wearing and gently touched my hand across the table.

"I've missed you something fierce too baby. It was REALLY hard denying you last night, but you needed your rest, and I wasn't exactly in the mood to let you sleep."

My eyes flew to the floor at Darien's words, the bright blush staining my cheeks revealing the effect they had on me. I felt my body heating up as I wondered what he had had in mind instead.

Darien gently caressed my hand, and I chanced gazing up at him. The want that I saw in his eyes caused my breath to hitch in my throat, my own want breaking free of the restraint I had tried to place on it. Suddenly, the restaurant, all its occupants, and everything else in our surroundings ceased to exist. As Darien and I held each other's stare, something in the atmosphere shifted. I stared almost hypnotized at the man that sat before me, the man that I now knew I was madly in love with. I barely recognize the ragged whisper that escaped my mouth as I spoke.

"What did you have in mind last night Darien?"

Darien's eyes darkened at my words, and as if in a trance himself, pulled closer to the table. I almost flew off my seat as I felt a slightly calloused hand on my leg beneath the covered table. As Darien's hand gently caressed its way up my leg he spoke. I was having trouble trying to breathe as the hairs on my body rose to attention, a familiar sensation forming in my stomach.

"I was imagining just ravaging your mouth against my door as soon as I opened it for you, then taking you into the house and making you scream my name in pleasure all night like you did last weekend."

My blush thickened at Darien's words, and I gently shifted my legs against his hand beneath the table. Imaging the scenario had had presented only added to my excitement at the moment, and I gazed at him through hooded lids as he stared me down. I almost moaned as Darien's hand reach the edge of my dress and pushed it aside, the slightly calloused feel of his hand sliding up my smooth thighs causing me to shudder in need. Of their own free accord my legs parted, giving Darien more access to do as he pleased.

And he took the open invitation with wide arms.

My breathing labored at this point, I momentarily closed my eyes as Darien's hand drifted up my thighs to my center. My eyes flew open and I buckled against his touch as I felt his fingers grazing against my already wet underwear. I opened my eyes and stared up at Darien, his arousal evident on his face. He was starring at me like I was the main dish of our lunch date, his demeanor tense. I knew he was trying really hard to control himself, but he was driving me insane.

"Darien, yo-you need to stop this. I'm going crazy over here. What if someone notices what we're doing? What if-Oh-Oh dear lord."

In a ragged whisper I abandoned what I was about to say as Darien's fingers gently pushed my underwear aside. Grabbing onto the long white table cloth I heavily bit down on my lips in an effort to remain quiet. Darien's gaze was intensely set on me as he brushed his thumb across my clit in one smooth swipe.

I could do nothing to fight the soft moan that escaped my lips at that point. I practically lost it as I felt Darien's finger gently slide into my wet floats. Leaning back in my seat I gripped onto the edges of my chair and sat erect, trying my best not to give us away. Thanking the lord above that we were at least away from everyone else, I opened my legs even further. I couldn't help myself. Denying that I wanted what he was willingly giving would be lying to myself, and I was too lost in the feelings of it all to care. I needed him somewhere deep within me that even I wasn't sure of, but I would give him what he wanted; what we both obviously wanted. Darien took the opportunity and pushed his finger into my dripping core to his knuckle.

Instinctively I pushed my body down against the invaded digit, trying my best not to start my own rhythm to match the one Darien's finger had ensued. Darien's finger mercilessly assaulted my wet core, causing me to squirm in my seat. When I thought it couldn't get any worse his thumb found its way back to my clit, brushing against it in a rhythm that matched the finger buried within me. I thought I was surely about to loose my mind. I was hot all over, sweat glistening at my brow, as I felt myself rising to the familiar euphoric height. I couldn't take it, couldn't take the intensity of it all, I felt myself heading to the edge-"Sorry I took so long."

We both straightened in our seats as the waitress started to place our meals before us. How hadn't we noticed her arrival? I struggled to keep my embarrassment from my face, but I was even more mortified as I realized that Darien had not removed his finger from my core. Evidently, he had no intentions of stopping either, because he still maintained an agonizingly slow rhythm within my folds. It took all my might to stay upright and smiling at the young waitress as I felt his finger begin its rhythm once again. I stuck one of my hands beneath the table and latched onto his assaulting arm in an effort to stop him, but Darien would not cease his movements. Quickly turning my gaze to him, I observed him with his free hand under his chin as he stared at me, a very focused look on his face. He suddenly winked at me causing my blood to boil, but I could do nothing to fight the sensations his fingers were stirring. Damn him to hell! What was he trying to do to me?

I reminded myself to breathe. With the waitress present I was trying to remain as still as possible, but that was becoming increasingly difficult as I felt his pace quicken. The damn waitress was taking her sweet time placing our food on the table while idly chatting away, but neither of us was listening. We were oblivious to anything but each other, and it seemed like she finally caught onto the fact.

"Are you guys like on your honeymoon here?"

I forced myself to take a deep breathe and looked up at her.

"Wh-what?"

She gave me a warm smile and absentmindedly twirled a lock of her hair between her fingers.

"Yeah. You guys are like the cutest couple ever! I've just got a sixth sense about this sort of thing, and the atmosphere around you guys right now is electric. It's like you guys are so into each other I can practically see your connection. This place is absolutely beautiful for a honeymoon spot tough. I just moved here myself a few weeks ago."

I blinked at the waitress, wondering what in the world she was still doing at our table. Darien's finger were still maintaining there torturously slow movement within me, and I absentmindedly wondered if the waitress had any idea what was going on beneath our table. Was our connection that visible to everyone else around us? Darien's voice took me out of my thoughts.

"Unfortunately I'm not that fortunate of a man. This beautiful young lady is just a friend of mine."

"Oh really? Well you guys should definitely consider taking that next step. I bet it would be a timeless love."

I rolled my eyes at the stars evident in the waitress's eyes from Darien's words, turning my attention to him. Biting on my lip to prevent the release of another moan as he again brushed my clit, I gave him the most pleading look I could muster at the moment; she needed to get away from us. Now.

Seeming to sense my impatience he took matters into his own hands. Well hand, since his other hand was rather…occupied at the moment.

"Thank you, we'll see. We'll be sure to let you know if we need anything else. Everything looks great."

Finally taking the hint she waved us goodbye as she headed to another able, and I released the breath I hadn't known I was holding.

Darien gave me a mischievous smile before he pulled even closer to our table. With the waitress gone, he resumed his menstruations with full force, and I continued to struggle in my attempt to appear normal. The effort had caused beads of perspiration to collect at my brow, and I buckled over as Darien inserted a second digit into my core.

Breathe Serena, breathe.

The bolts of pleasure coursing through my body increased, and I released another low moan as Darien's fingers made direct contact with what must have been my G spot. Involuntarily my legs spread even wider, my excitement growing as Darien repeatedly inserted his fingers into my womanhood and my most sensitive spot.

I grabbed down on the tablecloth, keeping my head low and hidden. I didn't trust myself to look at Darien or around the restaurant at that instant, and I started my own movements against his hands as the pleasure grew. At that moment nothing else seemed to logically matter except the peak that I was about to reach. And I was soooooooo close.

When I thought that things couldn't possibly get any worse Darien utilized his thumb to once again rub against my erected clit, and that was the breaking point for me.

I toppled over our table, my eyes tightly closed as my body shook with the force of my orgasm. The electric shocks traveled from my core, down to my toes and throughout my whole body. My breathing labored, I pulled at the table cloth, fighting with all my might to remain as quiet and still as possible. My walls continued to clench around Darien's fingers, and I wondered in a half delusional state when the pleasure would end, but I didn't want it to. The intensity of my climax caught me completely off guard.

When I finally stopped shaking and returned to earth, I slowly sat up in my chair. Darien had a smug look plastered on his handsome face that had me wanting to smack the living daylights out of him. I bit into my lip as I felt him gently remove his fingers from within me.

I nearly fainted as Darien proceeded to lick the withdrawn fingers, a wicked smile on his face after he had done so. Suddenly I was hot all over again. This could not be good for my health.

Darien released a hearty laugh and wiped his hands in his napkin. When I had finally regained my composure I quickly fixed my clothing and sat up in my chair. Darien was still looking at me like I was the curried chicken and rice on my plate, but I fought to get pass that.

"Are you absolutely nuts? Why in the world would you do that in our current location? What if someone saw us? What if they-"

"Well you didn't seem to mind about five minutes ago my dear. Actually you seemed positively radiant from it all, if I do say so myself."

I glared at the smirk plastered on Darien's face. Damn the man! He knew the effect that he had on my body and had completely taken advantage of the fact!

"You are insane Darien Shields. Absolutely nuts! It doesn't matter if I liked it or not. The point is, you shouldn't have started that. You're impossible!"

"Well I didn't see you making too much of an effort to stop me Baby. As a matter of fact, I think this is probably one of the fiercest orgasms I've seen you experienced since we started being intimate. Tell me, do you have a thing for committing dirty acts right beneath the nose of the public eye?"

The blood immediately rushing to my face left me in a slightly faint state. I quickly grabbed onto my glass of passion fruit juice, bringing it to my mouth. I was afraid about the route that this conversation was taking, and Darien seemed to have the upper hand. What if he was right? What if I did get off on doing intimate acts in public? What if I was some kind of freak? Sweet Jesus, what was this man doing to me?

I decided that I'd deal with him when we were in a more private location. He hadn't heard the last of me for this little stunt. Of all the crazy things to do!; and my reaction to it all as well! I was thanking the lord above that at least no one we personally knew seemed to be at the restaurant when a familiar voice nearly had me choking on my drink.

"Serena? Dare? What are you guys doing there?"

My heart fell to the bottom of my feet. Please God, no, not him; anyone but him.

I slowly glanced up to find none other than Jason standing a few feet from Darien. What was it with my horrible luck this week?

Darien turned to look up to Jason as well, a smooth smile on his face. I watched in complete horror as Darien proceeded to perform the special guy handshake that he usually did with Jason, using the same right hand whose fingers had just recently been buried within me.

This time, I did choke on my drink.

Coughing up the liquid that had gone down the wrong pipe from the sight, Darien and Jason turned their worried eyes toward me.

"Hey, are you alright Serena?"

Laying my drink up on the table, I raised my hands to assure them the guys that I was ok.

"I'm ok Jason. My drink seemed to have gone down the wrong pipe there for some reason."

The raspy voice that emerged from my lips did not sound like me. I stared at Darien, taking note of the smirk he was miserably failing at trying to hide. The bastard! He knew exactly why I was choking! Ignoring Darien, I focused my attention back to Jason. He seemed to be scrutinizing me quite closely, and I managed to plaster a small smile on my face.

"So what are you guys doing here?"

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. How could I logically explain having lunch with Darien when I had just turned him down with the excuse of being busy just the night before? What could I possibly say? Darien seemed to realize my distress and answered for me. Taking a final gulp from the wine he had been drinking he turned to answer Jason.

"I asked her to have lunch with me earlier today. I needed to have a conversation about my expectations of her on the court tonight. She has to really step up her game if we're to clench this championship. I wanted to ensure that she fully understood her role in it all."

"Oh, I see."

Jason nodded his head and again turned to face me. I said a silent prayer of thanks for Darien's smooth lying ability.

"Well I'll leave you guys to it then. I just came here to have lunch with a few of my friends. We just love the food here. We're all the way in the other room though. I spotted you guys coming from the restroom. Anyhow, I guess I'll see you guys at the game tonight."

I gave a slight nod at Jason. He stared at me for a second, as if he would say something else but changed his mind. As he walked away from the table he looked back at us one final time, and I actually felt a little bad about lying to him the previous night.

Darien did not share my sentiment and laughed at the whole affair. He announced that he was heading to the bathroom to wash his dirty hands and I looked away as a blush formed on my cheeks. Darien's laughter accompanied him as he walked away.

The remainder of lunch was quite enjoyable, and the food truly did live up to the hype.

After we were done Darien and I said our reluctant goodbye in the parking lot. I wanted to kiss him something terrible, and I could tell he wanted to do so as well, but we couldn't risk it in the busy parking lot. We headed back to our jobs with promises to see each other later that night at the game.

At exactly 6 o'clock that evening I walked into our gym. Three hours later, we were one game closer to a championship title. The win was truly a team effort, and my teammates wanted to celebrate. Seeing that I had a chemistry exam the following afternoon I opted to skip out on the celebration. I needed to head to the library and put in some serious study time. They disappointedly let me leave, and informing Darien of my decision was even harder. After our lunch date I knew he was dying to get his hands on me, but I had plans for him as well. That would all have to wait though. We both understood the importance of my classes.

The following afternoon I confidently took my chemistry exam after pulling quite the all-nighter. I had decided to skip out on work and had also spent a portion of the morning studying. After the exam was over I headed to my room and fell into a deep sleep until it was time for practice that evening.

With one final game between us and the championship, practice that night was as exciting as ever. Since our game was scheduled for the next day and we had just played the night before, Darien did not want to tire us out. Practice was really light, and we mainly discussed game tactics and reviewed the plays. Afterwards he sent us home with instructions to get lots of rest. We spoke for a few moments, but he practically ushered me out the gym with instructions to shower and go right to bed. He understood that I had had quite the day and needed to fully recuperate. I was disappointed, but I couldn't help but love the man even more.

Friday evening rolled around in the blink of an eye, and we stood face to face with our opponent team for what we hoped would be our final match before the championship. The game proved to be quite vicious and resulted in several of our players getting fouled out, but we struggled on. As the fourth quarter rolled around our stamina became our biggest asset and we out-ran the less fit team. When the final buzzer sounded announcing the end of the game, our fans roared to life at our 6 point victory. The euphoric feeling of a hard earned victory had us all jumping on each other and into a huge heap on the court floor. There were flashes going off every second and cameras all in our faces. We would be heading to the Cayman Islands for our championship game against the five year reigning champions of the Inter- Caribbean league the following weekend. We had just made history, but there was more to do yet.

Darien gave a heartfelt post- victory talk that had us all cooing at him. I could tell that our victory had him quite shaken up, and I longed to wrap my arms around him. He was so proud of everything we had done for the year, but he urged us to remain humble. We had a lot of work to do if we were to dethrone the reigning champs. After his talk he left our locker room, our eyes locked as he exited. My teammates decided that we were heading to the club to celebrate. I wanted to go, but I also wanted to spend some time with Darien. We hadn't spent any time with each other in private for the entire week and I missed our openness when we were alone. I phoned him to inform him that I had decided to ditch my teammates and spend the remainder of my Friday evening with him, but he insisted that I go out and enjoy myself with the team. However, he did make me promise to be his for most of the following Saturday. I happily agreed and told him it was a date. After we hung up the phone I called my own friends, asking them to join us at the club. We hadn't gone out in quite a while, and it would be fun to be out together.

Later that night we all walked into the club dressed to impress. I had to admit that the night turned out to be quite fun, and we danced the time away. They guy's team were also present having also won their game that evening, and we all had a blast together. At one point Jason approached me with a congratulatory hug that I skeptically accepted, but I turned down his offer to dance. The last time we had danced in a club together had been quite the sensual experience, and I did not want to share that with him again. I was getting tired of turning down all his offers. When would he get the point that nothing had changed and I still wasn't really interested?

We made it back to our rooms around 5 o'clock that morning and I tiredly dragged myself into bed, a sleepy smile on my face. I would be spending some one on one time with Darien today, and I couldn't wait.

The rumbling sound of thunder roused me out of my bed around 2'oclock Saturday afternoon. I looked out my bedroom window, taking note of the overcast sky that promised the predicted rain later that day. There was a slight breeze blowing, but it didn't seem like anything major. It didn't matter though. Nothing was going to ruin my day with Darien. An hour and a half later I left my room freshly showered and dressed in a pair of jeans and a tank and headed towards the Shields estate. I did a quick double take in my back pack to make sure that my hard earned condoms were still there; just in case.

Thirty minutes later I was ringing the familiar doorbell.

The door flew open, revealing an elderly woman dressed in a maid's uniformed. I stared at her, having never seen her at the house before.

"Um hello. Good afternoon. I'm looking for Mr. Shields. Is he at home by any chance?"

The woman presented me with a warm smile and seemed like she was about to answer me when the door suddenly flew open even wider, revealing a grinning Darien.

"Serena, this is our housekeeper Mrs. Barnes. She's been with us since forever and comes in to tidy up on the weekends. This house would be quite the mess without her. Mrs. Barnes, this is Serena. She's one of my star basketball players."

Mrs. Barnes extended her hand to me and I accepted her gentle handshake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you young lady"

"Oh no ma'am, the pleasure is all mines."

Mrs. Barnes regarded me for a moment and then smiled at me. She then bent to pick up a bag that I had failed to realize was at her feet.

"Ok Darien. So everything is set for this coming week. You better keep all that mud from this rainy weather off the carpets I just vacuumed or I'll have your hide next weekend."

Darien raised his hands innocently and released a short laugh.

"Yes ma'am! I will try my best to keep the carpets clean. Now you head home and enjoy the rest of this cozy rainy weather. Have a pleasant week and see you next weekend. Give Mr. Barnes my regards."

"Oh I will dear. It was nice meeting you Serena. See you next week Darien."

With those words she headed off onto the front porch and to the parking area. We looked on at her departing form until she was out of site, and I finally turned to face Darien. In a flash he had pulled me into the house and had my body pinned against the closed door. Bringing his face a few inches from mine, his hands slipped into my hair.

"Excuse my haste, but I've been dying to do this all week."

Darien's lips suddenly came crushing onto mine in a kiss that was anything but gentle. I moaned as his tongue roughly invaded my mouth, not bothering to ask for permission.

Wrapping my own arms around his neck I drew him in further, my own tongue brushing against his in a manner that very much matched his aggressive disposition at the moment.

Our mouths brushed, retreated, and immediately found each other again. Hands roamed and grabbed, caressed and claimed. Darien's urgency had my body tingling everywhere he touched, his lips and tongue doing wondrous things to my mouth that left my knees buckling beneath me. The angle of the kiss was continuously changing, Darien and I seemingly in a battle to devour each other whole.

I gasped into his mouth as my legs were suddenly lifted off the ground and instinctively wrapped them around his waist. We both groaned as our centers made first contact with each other, our kiss never ending. Darien pressed his hardened length further against my body, causing me to arch my back and dig my nails into his shoulder for support. I could feel our hearts pounding against each other due to our close contact.

He suddenly pulled away from our kiss, giving us both the opportunity to take the much needed breath that we had ignored until that point. A split second later he was placing rough kisses along my face, trailing down along my jawbone and down to my sensitive neck. Amidst his kisses Darien started to speak, and I struggled to understand what he was trying to say.

"You've -*kiss*- had me-*kiss*- so fucking-*kiss*- frustrated this week. God, -*kiss*- I've missed you so much woman -*kiss*-.

Darien halted in his kisses and lowered his forehead to mine. Above our ragged breathing I stared into his eyes.

"What have you done to me Serena Charles?"

The honest despair that I saw in Daren eyes shook me to my very core, and I gently brought my hand to cup his cheek.

"I don't know Darien, but I can assure you it's a mutual feeling. I can't begin to tell you how much I've missed you this week."

Darien gently cupped my face, his body leaning in closer to mine.

"Oh baby, you have no idea."

His lips again found their way to mines, but this time the kiss was gentle. The yearning and emotion that I felt from that kiss left me even more rattled than our previous one, and I released a contented sigh when we finally broke the kiss. Darien gave my nose a final peck before finally releasing my legs and leading me into the house. Throwing my bag onto one of the living room sofas he ushered me towards the kitchen. I was greeted by the scent of something absolutely delicious, which reminded me that I had neglected to eat before I left.

"I've got quite the evening planned out for us, but I need a little bit more time for the dinner I've been preparing for the last hour to be complete. Everything is just about set, but the roast needs to stay in the oven for at least another 40 minutes. Now, I want nothing more than to lock you up in this house and just show you how much I've missed you this week, but we'll be doing enough of that later; I promise you that. But for right now, I just want to spend some time enjoying your company."

Darien turned me so that we were face to face and gently kissed my lips again. I was disappointed when he pulled away, but it was just hard to stay upset with the man for a second.

"If you don't mind, I was thinking we could take a walk across the grounds and talk until the meal is prepared. The stove will turn off automatically when the timer goes off, so we have nothing to worry about. I've missed you so much Serena. And I don't just mean the physical part. I mean don't get me wrong, I've REALLY missed that part, but I've missed a lot of other things as well. Like your witty comebacks, the silly things you say and do that crack me up, our open and carefree attitude around each other and so much more. The list could go on forever. So what do you say? Will you grant me the pleasure of accompanying me on this walk?"

I stared down at Darien's outstretched hand, a smile plastered on my face from his honest words. Grabbing onto his hand without a second thought, I gently brought it to my lips.

"I'd love to walk with you Darien, but shouldn't we be concerned about the weather?"

Darien kissed my own hand and started to lead me towards the front door.

"No, I don't think it should be a problem. It's pretty overcast, but it's not supposed to rain until later this evening. We'll be back long before that."

I nodded, and he led us through the door and onto the plush green grass of his front yard.

Taking in the rolling downhill landscape I released a soft sigh in appreciation at the site. The property extended as far as my eyes could see, freshly cut green grass covering the land as it gently sloped downhill and eventually ended at the sea. The rose bushes along the edges provided the air with a sweet comforting fragrance, and I greedily took in their wonderful smell. With the sun making its way down for the night behind the glooming rain clouds, the sky displayed a unique array of colors, the bright oranges and purples of the setting sun providing the picturesque background against the dark clouds. The wind gently blew across the land, causing the leaves of the few scattered fruit trees to quiver in its wake. I unconsciously wrapped my own arms around my body, trying to fight of the cold that I felt creeping in.

A pair of strong arms suddenly covered my own, pulling me back against a warm and hard body that I was now very familiar with. Darien slowly leaned in and kissed the side of my neck, his hands gently sliding up and down my arms in an effort to keep me warm. I closed my eyes as my body shivered from the contact, pushing back even further into the warmth his body was providing. His warm lips crept up my neck leaving lingering kisses in their wake, and I sighed as he started to whisper in my ear.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

I opened my eyes, taking another lingering glance at the exquisite view.

"Yes, it truly is. Somehow this rainy weather actually makes it more…comforting."

Darien's hands gently moved to my waist and he pulled me back against his body.

"I've always thought so too. There's just something magical about rainy weather. I'm happy we share that sentiment."

I nodded, and he began to walk forward, grasping my hand within his. We started a leisure walk across the property and down the hill towards the harbor. We held hands the entire time, sharing stories from the week that we had missed out on sharing with one another. I recalled my evening celebration at the club with the team, neglecting to include Jason's dance request. Darien recited a funny story about another one of his secretary's futile attempts to get him to notice her, and we shared a laugh at her expense.

When we started to discuss our lunch date that week I reprimanded him for his crazy actions and shaking his soiled hand with Jason, trying my best to keep my facial expression stoic while I spoke. When I was done talking we both seriously stared at each other for a few seconds before erupting into a full fit of laughter. Seemingly neither of us could believe we had done what we did, and it was highly amusing now that it was over. Darien made a joke claiming that Jason should be thankful for that handshake because 'that's the closest he would ever get to touching me down there', and I swatted him across the head as my face turned beet red. This only caused him to laugh further, and seeing him so happy placed a smile on my own face.

I took the liberty of confirming my suspicions and asked him if he had deliberately thrown Jason on the ground during their one on one basketball game, but he turned all innocent looking on me and started to whistle while he quickly walked ahead. I released a hearty laugh as I sped up to catch him.

The sun was slowly disappearing beyond the horizon by the time we stood at the top of the downhill slope. Darien insisted that we should try rolling down the hillside, and I apprehensively looked down the winding decline. It seemed safe enough and was covered smoothly by green grass, but I was still hesitant. Darien kept trying to convince me that it was a fun experience not to be missed, but I still wasn't sure. Making up my mind I turned to tell him ok, but I felt myself slowly tipping downward as two large hands made contact with my side. It took one second to realize that I had been pushed, and I quickly snapped my head in the direction of a grinning Darien before I made contact with the ground. The next thing I knew, we were both rolling down the hill, Darien having joined me immediately after. I tried to remain upset, but with the grass tickling my body as we rolled and the thrilling feel of the spins, I found myself laughing along with him. This was fun!

We eventually rolled to a stop, and we lay on our backs, laughing out at the experience while we tried to catch our breaths. The sky was slowly succumbing to the darkness above, and I flinched as Darien suddenly rolled on top my body, his lips claiming mines in quite the moving kiss. We breathlessly pulled away a couple minutes later, and he hoisted me to my feet.

We started our uphill climb back towards the house, and I paused mid-step as I saw a flash in the sky, followed by a booming roll of thunder. Darien urged me onward, saying we would make it back to the house in time. Halfway up the hill I feigned exhaustion and was rewarded with a piggy back ride from him. I laughed as he attempted to gallop like a horse, causing my body to bounce up and down on his back. When we were just about near the top of the hill I felt the first raindrop.

Darien gently set me back on the ground, and in the course of that one movement the rain was upon us in full force. I screamed and started to sprint towards the house, Darien hot on my heels. I was under the impression that we were both sprinting to the same goal, but Darien obviously had other ideas. I shrieked as I felt him tackle me to the ground from behind, my body falling onto the soft muddy ground.

In one swift movement I turned my body to stare up at him, my anger showing on my face as I took in the huge grin on his. Oh, so this was how he wanted to play was it? I pushed him off my body and quickly stood. Releasing a battle cry I tackled him to the ground myself, the stunned expression on his face revealing that I had caught him off guard. I smirked as he regained his composure beneath me, but quickly tried to recover when I saw a very devious smile forming on his face. As I scrambled to get off his body and away from him Darien grabbed my leg, effectively causing me to fall right back onto the ground. I angrily turned to him, my clothes completely soiled with mud. He was experiencing quite the laughing fit from my appearance, and I couldn't distinguish whether the water on his cheeks was from the rain or tears of joy.

As an ingenious plan formed in my mind I presented him with a sweet smile of my own. Seductively crawling over to his body, I watched as his expression turned from one of amusement to one of desire. Crawling over and between his parted legs I gently brushed my body against his, the wetness of my tank exposing my hardened nipples to his heated eyes. Darien's eyelids dropped and his hands found their way to my waist, pulling me closer to his body as the rain poured down on my back. I slowly leaned in to his face, our lips slightly parted and barely touching. When I was less than an inch away and could feel the hot breath from his lips, I lifted my hand and dumped the clump of mud I had collected within it right onto his head.

Darien was immediately shaken out of his aroused state and stared up at me in shock. His expression was absolutely exquisite, and I released a hearty laugh before quickly standing and sprinting towards the house. I heard the splashing sound of footsteps to my rear, and I increased my speed, tears of joy escaping my eyes as I ran. I hadn't had this much fun in what seemed like forever!

I headed for the fruit trees in an attempt to loose Darien, and I thought I was in the clear as I rounded around the huge trunk of an aged mango tree. I stopped for what seemed like one second to catch my breath, when I was suddenly grabbed by the waist and found myself pressed against the tree trunk.

Biting down on my lip I stared up at a soaked Darien, his beautiful black bangs plastered to his face. His breathing was ragged from his run, and his hands tightly latched onto my waste while he utilized his body to trap me against the tree. The rain was showering down on us in the form of a light sprinkle due to the protection provided by the tree's leaves. I took a quick glance above us, gasping at the image that the remaining daylight between the spaces of the soaked leaves created. Darien followed my gaze briefly before bringing down my face to his level.

With his right hand grasping my cheek, we made and held eye contact. I'm not sure how long we stood there just staring into each other's eyes, but we were oblivious to the rain gently drizzling down on our bodies. Of their own accord our bodies started to drift towards one another, my lips slightly parting to accept the kiss that I was suddenly warm from anticipating. As Darien pulled my body closer, I wrapped my arms around his neck, never breaking our eye contact. In that moment, with the rain sliding down our faces, the thunder rumbling in the distance, and my back comfortably nestled against the protective tree, the very atmosphere around us changed. Nothing else seemed to exist, and nothing else mattered. I lost myself in the blue depth of Darien's eyes, closing my eyes as our lips made first contact with each other. My body flared to life, the coldness in my bones due to the icy rain chased away as Darien's hands found their way around my body. I opened my mouth, purring as his tongue invaded its depths, brushing our tongues against each other with a fever that had me wanting to take him right there out by the tree.

In the back of my mind I heard a splashing sound and realized that Darien had just dropped some mud he had been storing in his hands.

Hm, I guess playtime was over.

Pushing his knee between my legs, his hands skimmed over the front of my wet shirt, grazing my hardened nipples in a move that had me gasping into his mouth. The kiss intensified, our arms wrapping around each other's bodies. Darien grinded his pelvis against mine, bringing our arousals in contact. We both groaned from the heat between us, and I blinked as Darien suddenly pulled away from me and grabbed my hand.

Before I could ask what he was doing we were running through the rain again and back towards the house, our hands clasped together. Running onto the porch I followed Darien's lead and removed my soaked shoes, and we entered the warm house. Not uttering a single word to me, he shut the door behind us and led me upstairs to one of the bedrooms.

Darien hastily walked like a man on a mission towards the bathroom, our hands still locked together. When we entered the bathroom he headed to the huge tub and turned on the faucets. Retrieving some bathing oils from the side he quickly poured some into the hot water, the scent of vanilla and strawberry filling the room. I stood to the side, watching as he gently mixed the water's contents and suddenly turned to face me.

"Come here Serena."

I blinked at Darien, but my legs had already started to move in his direction before my brain had even processed what he had requested of me.

When I was within his grasp he brought one hand to gently lay on my waist, while the other grabbed onto the spaghetti strap of my tank top and gently pulled it off my shoulder. I closed my eyes as his warm lips tenderly replaced the location where the strap had been, tilting my head to lean against his.

Darien repeated the action with the other strap, and I grabbed onto his wet waist for support as the warmth of his kiss traveled down my body.

With the straps removed Darien stepped back and pulled up my top. I raised my hands to accommodate him, sighing as the wet clothing left my body and was replaced by Darien's warm hands. Standing in just my white bra and faded jeans, Darien gently ran his hands over my breasts and down my flat stomach. Our faces were inches apart, our breaths touching in the dimly lit room while he slowly undressed me. I looked down as he got on his knees in front of me, his nimble fingers quickly making work of the button and zipper of my jeans.

Darien grabbed onto my jeans and slowly started to pull them down my legs, his fingers gently caressing my skin as he did so. Stepping out of the wet material I gasped as his lips softly grazed the inner part of my thigh. His hands lightly traveled up from my toes to my hips, his mouth following closely behind. I fisted my hands into Darien's hair for support as my knees buckled from the sensation of his teeth grazing the front of my white underwear. Struggling to breathe, I latched on as his wet mouth continued to kiss my most sacred spot through my underwear, his hands simultaneously traveling over my lower body.

Darien paused and looked up at me, and the intensity I saw in his eyes left me completely breathless. Completely catching me off guard he grabbed my underwear and pulled it of in one smooth move. Urging me to lift my legs, he gently pulled it of and tossed it aside.

I stood nervously in nothing but my white bra, Darien on his knees in front of me. I began to move my legs in an effort to cover myself, but his hands stilled my movement. In a husky whisper, he finally spoke to me.

"Please don't. You're so beautiful. Don't hide from me."

As if in a trance from his words, I felt my legs slowly opening once again. Darien glanced up at me appreciatively before slowly running his hands up and over my exposed rear. I released a low moan as he cupped both cheeks within his hands, but his next action had me practically flying off the bathroom floor. I buckled over as Darien's lips made contact with the fine hair above my womanhood, his tongue shyly sneaking out to brush against my core. Looking down at him, I fought to gather enough air to speak.

" Da-Darien?

Darien looked up at me, and in one smooth move he was standing in front of me once again. I didn't dare move as he gently removed my bra, my arousal so high at this point that even his innocent touches were driving me near insane. With my bra off, I stood in my naked glory in front of Darien. Taking a lingering look at my body, he stepped forward and pulled me into a warm embrace.

Darien groaned as he made contact with my naked body, and I couldn't help but push myself against his hard length through his jeans. Pulling back, he grasped my face within his hands and stared down at me. The want I saw in his eyes was almost frightening, but it only seemed to increase my arousal.

"I need you to understand something Serena. Right at this instant, this very moment in time, I want to fucking devour you. I want you more than I've ever wanted anything else in my life. I want you so bad that it literally hurts, but we can't start this right now. I have a special night planned out for you, and if we go down this road I guarantee you it's not going to happen. Now, I hadn't planned this part of the evening, but it works out perfectly. I promise you that before this night is said and done, we WILL finish what I started just a few minutes ago. But right now I need you to take that delicious body of yours into this tub and enjoy a warm bath before I loose what control I have and say fuck it to my planned evening. Do you understand me?"

I nodded at Darien, bringing my own hands to his face before I leaned in to kiss him. A few seconds into the heated kiss he reluctantly pulled away, shaking his head in obvious frustration as he led me into the tub.

When I was seated and covered with bubbles to my chest, he kneeled next to the tub and ran his hands through my wet hair.

"When you're done with your bath I've left something for you to change into on the bed in the bedroom. After you're changed and ready, head down to the living room. I'll be waiting for you. Now I gotta get outta here this instant before I do something I regret."

I giggled as Darien rose to his feet and headed out the room. Pausing at the door he gave me one final glance before shaking his head and exiting the bathroom.

One hour later I found myself walking down the winding staircase and into the lavish living room. I felt absolutely beautiful in the strapless white dress that Darien had provided for me, my hair flowing behind me as I walked. After my bath I had entered the bedroom to find a package on the bed. Opening it, I had gasped as I examined the exquisite strapless knee length gown that was within the bag. Further inspection even revealed a matching pair of lacy black underwear. Putting on the underwear, I wondered how Darien had so accurately guessed my size, but quickly forgot the thought as I got into the beautiful dress. The dress snuggly hugged my full breast and slim waist, but it flowed loosely over my legs and to my knees. It was extremely beautiful, and I could only guess from the intricate diamond pattern on the bodice that it must have cost a fortune. A pair of strappy silver heels was also within my package, and I pulled them on. Afterwards I dried and brushed my hair, wishing that my make up bag was present. I decided to just leave my hair flowing down my back and headed towards the stairs, feeling more beautiful than I had in a long time despite my lack of cosmetics.

When I was about halfway down the stairs Darien emerged, dressed in a black silk dress shirt, black tie, and a pair of black slacks. I stood amazed at how handsome he looked, his wet hair combed off his face as he stared at me. Slowly moving my gaze up his body, I near tripped when I saw the expression on his face.

He was looking at me like I was the most beautiful person in the world, his lips slightly parted in awe as his eyes roamed over my body. I felt my face warming at the word less praise. I slowly resumed my descent, and Darien walked forward to meet me at the bottom. A fleeing image of Trista descending the very stairs not too long ago crept into my mind, but I immediately crushed the idea. Tonight was about us and I wasn't going to ruin that.

Stepping off the final stair Darien gently grabbed my hands, bringing my fingers to his lips.

"Wow. You look….unbelievable Serena. When I saw this dress I thought it would look perfect on you, but I had no idea it would turn out this gorgeous. It screamed of purity and appeal in one package, and I immediately thought of you. You look amazing baby."

"Thank you; for the dress and everything else."

I blushed as Darien pulled me into his body and gave me a tender kiss on my lips.

Pulling back I gave him a once over.

"You don't look too shabby yourself either. Black definitely suits you."

Darien grinned and popped his collar.

"You think so? I've always thought I was my sexiest in red."

We both laughed at the comment as he reached into his pants pocket.

"I've got something else for you. I had this specially made, and I think you'll appreciate its symbolism."

Darien handed me a long jewelry box, and I reluctantly stared at it before he urged me to open it. Within the case was what appeared to be a pair of diamond stud earrings and a beautiful platinum basketball pendant encrusted with diamonds attached to a simple silver necklace. I gasped at the gift, my hand immediately covering my mouth. Darien grinned down at me expectantly.

"Well? Do you like it? If it wasn't for the sport of basketball we wouldn't have ever met one another, and I want you to forever remember the sport that brought you and happiness into my life that faithful night."

I stared at the pendant in my hand, my tears truly accumulating at Darien's words.

"It's absolutely beautiful, but I can't accept such an expensive gift Darien. This must've cost a small fortune."

Darien grabbed the necklace from within the box and moved to stand behind me. Pushing my hair to the side, he began the task of clasping the chain around my neck, lightly kissing the area when he was finished.

"It's really not too expensive, and I can afford it Serena. Please, I want to do this for you. It will make me very happy if you accept, and even happier every time I see it around your beautiful neck."

I turned around to face him, my hand moving to grasp the little pendant lying against my chest. I looked up at his hopeful face and released a sigh. How could I ever deny him anything?

"Ok, I'll accept it, but you can't continue buying me such expensive gifts. Thank you so much. I love it."

Darien grinned and pulled me into a quick but passionate kiss that left us both wanting more. When we broke apart I put the simple diamond studs into my ears, a smile covering my face as Darien whistled in appreciation at my completed look.

He then led me off the stairs and into the living room area. As he paused near the wall to turn off the lights, the soothing sounds of raindrops on the rooftop were the only ones present in the house. I was about to ask where we were going when I noticed the candle lit table at the far end of the living room. Darien led me to the table and pulled out my chair so I could sit.

Taking in the beautifully set table, the candles, the flowers in the middle, and everything, I got misty eyed all over again at the fact that Darien would go through all that hassle for me.

Darien smiled above me and grasped onto my shoulder.

"After the week we had I wanted to do something really special for you; for us. Seeing as we can't be open when we dine in public I thought I'd make you dinner and take you dancing for the night."

I nodded my head, afraid that my voice would break from the weight of my emotions if I dared to speak. He momentarily disappeared into the kitchen, and when he returned he was carrying two trays. Placing one in front of me he disappeared again and emerged with two more.

I observed him as he finally took the seat across from me and began the task of opening the bottle of wine that was sitting in the middle of the table. Darien filled both our glasses and handed one to me.

Raising his hand in a toast, I followed suit with my own glass.

"To a memorable night that we both shall cherish forever. May this be but the first of many such nights to come."

"Here here."

Our glasses met and touched at the center of the table, and we shared a promising gaze with each other before Darien removed the tray covers and we started our meal.

The meal started out with a delicious salad that included tropical fruits, followed by a main course of glazed roast beef, grilled shrimp, homemade mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli. I moaned in appreciation as I bit into my meal, amazed at Darien's cooking ability. He had turned on the surround sound system in the house, and the smooth sounds of jazz drifted through the air as we talked and laughed during our meal. When the main course was complete Darien returned from the kitchen with the most amazing strawberry cheesecake I had ever tasted in my life for desert. Licking my spoon, I asked him if he had really cooked the desert as well, and he laughed while admitting that Mrs. Barnes had helped with that portion of the meal.

With desert done we were both just enjoying the time with each other, the candle light dancing over our faces. Darien excused himself for a second, and I sat up in my chair when the sound of KC and Jojo's All My Life came flowing through the speakers. A tap on my shoulder caused me to turn in my seat, and I stared up at Darien's outstretched hands.

"May I have this dance my lady?"

Holding eye contact I warmly smiled and placed my hands within his.

"It would be my pleasure."

Darien led me to an open area of the room and locked our right hands together. Using his left hand he gently pulled my body to his and wrapped it around my waist. Following his lead we began a gentle two step motion, our bodies swaying against each other as the words of the song drifted through the air.

All my life, I prayed for someone like you

And I thank God, that I,

That I finally found you

For all my life, I prayed for someone like you,

And I hope that you feel the same way too

Yes I pray that you, do love me too

I laid my head against Darien's chest, listening to his heartbeat as both his arms tightened around my body. The song continued on, and I marveled at the accuracy of the lyrics to my feelings, wondering if Darien was trying to convey a message by picking that particular song. My eyes drifted to a close as his hand continuously found its way through my hair, and I held onto him wishing that the moment would never end.

As the song drifted to a close and the melodic sound of the raindrops on the roof again sounded through the dim room, I pulled back and looked up at Darien. There was so much I wanted to say in that moment, but I was afraid to utter a sound, reluctant to ruin the serenity and the mood we were in. Darien did not need to say anything, for his eyes spoke volumes of the emotions he was feeling for me at the moment, and I saw them loud and clear. I briefly wondered if my own eyes were such an open gateway to my heart.

Leaning forward, he gently closed his eyes as his lips tenderly claimed mine in a soft kiss. My own eyes closed of their own will, and I leaned up to wrap my arms around the neck of the man I loved like no other. The kiss started out gentle enough, our tongues and lips lightly brushing against each other as we tasted and teased what we were each offering. But the intensity of the kiss increased, and we soon found ourselves panting for air as we hungrily slanted our mouths across each other, our hands roaming and pulling on the material of our beautiful evening clothes. Darien pulled back, resting his forehead against mine as we caught our breaths. He dislodged himself from me for a moment and quickly started to blow out the candles on the table. Noticing my bag on the sofa I promptly retrieved it. He then proceeded to turn off all the lights on the floor and activated the alarm system.

Returning to me, he hooked his arms within mine as he led us both up the stairs. I turned a questioning brow to him, and he rewarded me with his breath-taking smile.

"I have one more surprise for you tonight. I promise this will be the last one."

I gazed at him skeptically, but we continued up the stairs, passing several doors until he stopped at one of the bedroom doors. Opening the door, he gently ushered me inside.

I gasped as I took in the sight of illuminated room.

There were countless candles located all over the room, providing a comforting glow of orange light that provided quite the warming effect. The huge curtains covering the massive glass windows were tied to the side, and I gazed out at the water hitting against the glass, the trees in the distance seemingly tilting from the force of the howling wind. Traveling to the bed I blushed as I finally took notice of the red rose petals covering the silky white sheets, and I followed the trail of petals to the very door we were standing in front of.

He had done all of this for me in hopes of making my night memorable. Could there really be a more perfect man on earth? What in the world had I ever done to deserve being on the receiving end of his affections? I turned to face Darien, the emotions I was feeling choking me up at the moment.

"What do you think? Do you like it? I know the roses may be a little cliché, but I thought they would add a perfect final touch to the evening. I even picked them myself from the garden this afternoon. Serena, are you ok? Don't you like it?"

I stared up at the beautiful man before me, overwhelmed beyond belief at the lengths he had gone through to make our evening as special as it turned out to be. Fighting off the tears that threatened to spill from my eyes, I smiled and gently brought my hands to cup his concerned face. Silly man. How could I ever not love such a beautiful display after all the work he had put in?

"I absolutely love it Darien. It's perfect. I'm just so touched that you would go through such lengths to make me happy. It overwhelmed me there for a second."

Bringing his own hands to my face he gently brushed my cheeks with his thumbs.

"Oh baby. I'd do this all over again and then some if it would put that beautiful smile of yours on your face again. I'd do anything within my power to make you happy Serena. You deserve all that and then some."

Getting onto my toes I reached up and pulled him into a kiss that I hoped conveyed exactly what I was feeling at the moment. He responded, wrapping his arms around me as he deepened the kiss. I pouted when he pulled away a few seconds later, but his expression chased that pout right off my face.

Darien seemed pleased at my response and smiled down at me. Shutting the door, he led me through the room to stand in front of the huge glass doors. As he wrapped his arms around me from behind we gazed out at the stormy evening view, the occasional streaks of lightning illuminated the night sky as the rain continued to fall mercilessly onto the earth. There was a storm raging on outside, but within the warm room and Darien's embrace I felt like nothing in the world could touch me. I sighed as I leaned back into his frame, trying to remember the last time in my life I had felt this content.

I frowned as the warmth of Darien's body moved away from me, but he soon reappeared to stand in front of me. Grabbing my hands, he gently brought them to his lips. He seemed nervous, and I wondered what would have him in such a state at a time like this. Taking a deep breathe he started to speak.

"For the last five years I've lived pretty much in acceptance of how my life had turned out. Despite all my marital woes, Trista and I created two beautiful children together, and no words can express the extent of my love for my daughters. I always thought that loving them and receiving their love in return would be enough to keep this marriage going, and I wanted nothing more than to provide them with a complete home. For a very long time, I thought that having both their parents within the same household was vital in keeping them happy. I was content to deal with my personal misery in secrecy for as long as we could manage if it meant their happiness. And then, you came along."

Darien's gaze locked onto mine, and he leaned back against the glass door, his hands comfortably placed in his pockets. I sat down on the sofa to my right, starring up at him as he continued to talk.

"At first, I thought you were just a cocky new freshman who was obviously used to getting your way, and I would have none of that. You had talent, and I definitely wanted to keep you around, but I'd have to be on my grounds. "

He smiled down at me before continuing.

"I deliberately called you those names just to rile you up, proving to you time and time again that you could not, and would not have your way as far as I was concerned."

I frowned at this confession, and Darien released a hearty laugh.

"But as time went by and I got to know you better, I realized that you were actually a pretty good person. The night that you had dinner with us and you helped to cheer up the girls after their mom left, I was shocked to realize that I held quite the respect and admiration of you."

I blushed as images of that night returned to my mind.

"When we shared that brief kiss in the kitchen it scared the living day lights out of me. Despite my problems with Trista I had never done anything with another woman, and it terrified me beyond belief that I was possibly that attracted to you. I tried to convince myself that nothing had happened and the unbelievable connection that I had felt was just a fragment of my imagination"

Darien glanced down at me for a brief moment before looking out through the glass door.

"When you decided to cut off things between us for those two weeks, I was more miserable than I could ever remember being in all my life. I reprimanded myself, wondering when my need for you had grown to that level. But as time wore on I realized that I truly needed to have you in my life. After we made up the night of the gala and started to really get to know each other, I realized that for the first time in the last five years I was genuinely happy. When I was with you I could just be myself, and nothing else seemed to matter."

I blushed at the open praise of Darien's words, wondering where he was heading with his confessions.

"When we shared our first real kiss on that cliff I knew I could never get you out of my system. The feelings and emotions I felt in that kiss was nothing short of magical, and I had never experienced anything like that with another woman before; not even Trista. I told myself that those feelings would diminish as time passed, but with each subsequent kiss since that one those feelings have just intensified."

Darien pushed himself off the glass door and knelt before me on the plush rug.

"When we played our one on one basketball game and had our movie night I knew I could spend forever just doing those simple things with you and always be satisfied. I love the time that we spend talking with each other. I feel like I can tell you anything and not worry about any judgments on your part."

Grabbing my hand, he stared into my eyes.

"I know my situation is pretty bad right now, but I promise I will set things right to be with you the right way. There could very well be hell to pay if the wrong person discovers our relationship and takes it public, but I know you're worth the risk; we're worth the risk. I want to spend my time making you happy Serena. I want us to travel and grow together. I want to show you the wonders of my world and get to intimately know yours."

Darien sighed and leaned in closer to me. My heart was racing at this point, ideas racing through my mind at where the conversation was headed. Tears started to accumulate as Darien's words hit right at home with my own feelings. Outside the house the storm continued to rage on, ignorant of the heart wrenching conversation occurring in the room.

"I know this may sound crazy, but I think we've found our soul mates in each other. The way I feel when I am around you is like this priceless gem that I know I will never be able to find with anyone else. I want to know everything there is to know about you on a mental, emotional, and physical level. Despite the insane level of my physical attraction to you, your mind and personality are undeniably my favorite things about you. What I'm trying to say is…..I love you Serena Charles, and I want to be with you the right way; more than I've ever wanted anything else in my life.

I couldn't stop the tears that finally broke free and fell from my eyes. Darien had just poured out his heart and confessed his love to me, and the honesty of his words had touched my very heart. I tried to stop my tears to tell him that I felt the very same way, but I could do nothing to stop the cascade of tears flowing down my face. The weight of our situation finally fell on me, and I wept in realization at the unfairness of the world. Why couldn't we have met under different circumstances where our love would not cause anyone to get hurt? Why did we have to fall in love with each other while in our impossible circumstances?

Darien's concerned face came into my view, and he gently cupped my face.

"Hey, don't cry. It's ok if you don't feel the same way or you don't want to be with me that way. I just had to tell you how I feel. I understand that this is a lot to ask due to our situation, and I know there is a little gap in our ages. I…totally understand if you feel differently, but please don't cry. It breaks my heart to see you in any kind of pain."

Mustering enough strength to wipe the tears from my face, I gently cupped Darien's.

"You silly man. I'm crying because I feel the exact same way Darien, and it just seems unfair. I love you so much that it hurts to think that a feeling so right could cause pain to someone else. I tried so hard trying to prevent this, but I think a part of me always knew that it was inevitable. Nothing in this world would make me happier than being yours; in every sense of the word. I want to get to know you even more than I already do. I want to share myself with you; mind, body, and soul. I've never felt this way before either, and I'd love the opportunity to explore it. I don't want to hurt Trista, but if we could right the situation I would love to be yours."

Darien blinked at me, his face in a state of disbelief at my own confession. I laughed as I leaned in toward his face.

"Yes Darien, I want to be with you too. I love you."

The frown on Darien's face immediately turned to a warm smile, and I squealed as he threw his body onto mines on the sofa. Placing frantic kisses all over my face he stopped to stare down into my eyes.

"I don't know what I ever did to deserve having you in my life, but I am eternally grateful. I love you so much Serena. So much."

I found myself nodding my head as Darien slowly started leaning forward, his intent to kiss me underlying beneath the happiness I saw in his eyes.

"Ditto."

As soon as the word quietly left my mouth, Darien's lips claimed my own.

We had shared many kisses before that one, but the bond that I felt with Darien during that kiss was incomparable to anything else we had shared before. With our feelings out in the open it seemed like all apprehensions were gone, and we both locked tongues with a frenzy that left both of us shaking with want. Darien lifted me off the sofa, and I instinctively wrapped my legs around his waist as we headed towards the bed.

The passionate kiss continued on, and my fingers dug their way into his gorgeous black mane. Repeatedly slanting his mouth across mines, I was lost as his tongue evoked sensations somewhere deep within my body. Darien gently sat me down on the edge of the bed, and the sweet smell of the rose petals immediately assaulted my senses.

I groaned as he softly leaned over to kiss my exposed neck, his hand slowly traveling up my back and to the zipper at the back of my dress. With the dress unzipped Darien moved to stand between my open legs and gently pushed me back down onto the mattress. As our bodies descended towards the soft material our eyes remained locked, and I marveled at the effect of the warm candle light dancing on his features. So lost in each other's eyes, we scarcely realized when we were finally laying on the bed.

Coming out of the trance first, I reached up and quickly removed Darien's tie, and his shirt quickly followed. The rain was still heavily pounding down on the roof, but I couldn't hear anything above our ragged breathing as we both hastily removed the clothing that still separated our bodies. The need to feel his skin against mine near overwhelmed me, and I tried to maintain my excitement as I stared at his stunning body in nothing but his black boxer shorts. Clad in just the lacy black underwear he had provided me with earlier myself, I reached up to gently run my hands over the bulging muscles of his upper body. Darien rewarded me with a soft moan from the contact, and tilting his head to the side he softly kissed my wandering hand.

As a brilliant flash of lightning brightened up the room, I focused on the expression in Darien's eyes. The warmth and love that I saw within his blue depths spread through my own body like a fire on a hot summer day, and I urgently pulled him down for another kiss.

Daren's hands were actively roaming and caressing my body as the kiss intensified, and I groaned when his fingers accidently brushed over one of my erected nipples. Sensing my reaction he reached behind me and quickly removed my brassiere, and I sighed as my bare nipples made contact with his exposed chest. Intent on finishing what he started, I gasped as his hands gently cupped my mounds. Lowering his head he slowly started a trail of kisses from my neck, an involuntary whimper escaping my throat as he gently nibbled on my collarbone. Darien's kisses continued downward, and I couldn't help but dig my fingers into the sheets in anticipation as he neared my hardened nubs.

I was left squirming beneath him as he teasingly kissed his way from the bottom of my breast up to my nipple. When Darien's hot and wet mouth finally made contact with my sensitive nub my back instinctively arched. I released a loud moan as his tongue repeatedly traveled over the hardened tissue, teasing and suckling on it until I felt like I would surely die from the sheer pleasure of it all.

Darien lifted his head to stare at me for a moment, and I had but a mere second to catch my breath before he resumed his trail of kisses downward. As his tongue gently licked its way down my stomach I gave into the wondrous sensations and closed my eyes, my legs left squirming against each other as I felt the evidence of my arousal flowing from my body. In one smooth move Darien's tongue delved into my navel, and I latched onto his shoulders as the tingling sensations traveled from my lower stomach and throughout the rest of my body. By that point I was near panting from the rollercoaster ride of pleasure that he was taking me on, but I had no idea that we were just getting started.

Darien's hands finally released their hold of my hips and gently nudged their way between my slightly parted thighs, opening them even wider. Settling himself between my spread legs, his fingers began to gently caress the inside of my thighs, traveling towards the center of my arousal at a pace that was beyond agonizingly slow.

When his fingers finally grazed over my soaked underwear, an electric shock so great traveled through my very core and down my legs. I could do nothing to stop the quivering of my legs from the contact, and Darien took no pity on my shaken body.

His head suddenly lowered from my view, and I shot off the bed as his warm lips made contact with my womanhood though my underwear. Strong hands immediately brought my body back to the bed, and I struggled to breathe as Darien's teeth latched onto my panty and pulled it off my legs.

I was immediately aware of the fact that I was laying completely nude with my more private parts staring him in the face, and I attempted to close my legs for some coverage. But Darien would have none of it. He quickly re-separated my legs with his arms, and we held eye contact as he lifted his head to meet my stare.

"You're going to have to get out of that habit. You're absolutely perfect Serena. Don't you trust me?"

I slowly nodded my head at Darien, but I was still a tad apprehensive at just being so exposed in front of him. He leaned forward and gently kissed me on the lips.

"Please baby, let me do this the right way. Let me please you."

The longing I saw in his eyes slowly melted away my doubts, and he smiled as I slowly relented and opened my legs even further. With one final smile he suddenly disappeared.

I was given no warning as the wetness and warmth of Darien's tongue brushed up against my bare core. As the intense shock of pleasure traveled to the tips of my toes, my upper body sprang off the bed.

"Oh God! Darien, please."

Darien paid me no mind and continued on with his task. As his tongue repeatedly traveled across my throbbing clit and the entrance of my womanhood, I couldn't help the scream that escaped my throat. My body thrashed about the bed, sweat forming on my brow as my arousal continued to grow. I was on fire, and my eyes involuntarily rolled to the back of my head as another wave of pleasure crashed through my body. In a frantic move I tried to push Darien's mouth away, afraid that the sheer intensity of his actions would be my undoing. Darien would not relent to my actions, and they only seemed to fuel him further. He quickly removed my hands from his head and pinned down my smoldering thighs against the bed.

Going full force his tongue repeatedly traveled over the full length of my entrance, and I squirmed beneath him, wondering if it was possible to die from too much pleasure. Darien's tongue suddenly entered my body and brushed against my inner walls. I cried out his name at the contact, which only seemed to urge him on even more. By then I was so lost to the sensations over powering my body, I didn't even notice that I had latched onto Darien's head and was pulling him further into my core. I had no control over my body whatsoever, and I shut my eyes as I felt myself nearing my peek. Darien's thumb suddenly joining his tongue in rubbing against my clit was the final straw, and I screamed as an orgasm the like of which I had never experienced before shook me to the very core. My body repeatedly convulsed as the waves of pleasure crashed through me. My eyes rolled towards the back of my head and my toes curled of their own accord, but all the while my body just kept on shaking. Darien refused to stop his actions and continued despite the orgasm that was taking me for quite the ride, and his tongue against the highly sensitive nub provided even more pleasure to the out –worldly experience. As the time slowly passed and I came crashing back to earth, I slowly opened my eyes to find Darien starring down at me in amazement.

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you look right now?"

I imagined that I was quite the site with my hair spread all wildly across the pillows, my body covered in a light sheen of sweat, and my breathing ragged, but I definitely didn't think beautiful. Mustering enough strength to smile at him, I gently pulled him towards my body.

"I love you. That was….unbelievable."

Darien gave me a soft kiss, and I marveled at the lingering taste of my juices on his lips. As his body fell across mine his erected shaft brushed against my thigh, and I paused as I realized that for the last hour he had completely ignored his own needs to please me. There was no question in my mind whatsoever that Darien's love for me was real, and knowing that he was such the willing lover left my heart aching. I lifted his head, starring into his eyes as I pulled him in for a loving kiss. It didn't take long for our kiss to turn into one of uncontrolled passion, and I groaned as Darien grinded his manhood against my core, my arousal back with full force.

As the pace of our grinding increased I took note of Darien's attempt to restrain himself from me, and it brought a gentle smile to my face. Catching him completely unaware, I slid my hands into his boxers and gently began to pull them off. He paused in his movements to questionably stare at me.

"Serena?"

I smiled as I continued on with the task. Darien hesitantly obliged with my decision and kicked off the article of clothing before turning back into my body. As our naked bodies made first contact we both shuddered, the sensations from the simple act almost paralyzing us on the spot.

Darien attempted to pull himself closer to my body, but we both stilled as the head of his manhood gently made contact with my moist core. We both groaned out loud, and his head immediately fell to rest on my shoulders.

I felt the trembling of his body as he attempted to remain perfectly still, perhaps afraid that any movement would take him into me. In the moment that it took me to realize his ragged breathing on my neck, the strain in his arms as he struggled to remain motionless, and the sweat that I saw forming on his brow from his valiant efforts, I had already made up my mind. My hands slowly slid between our two bodies, and I grabbed onto his shaft. Before he could react I gently brought the tip to my entrance and started to rub it against my now drenched core.

Darien groaned, and he slowly pulled back his head to stare at me.

"Se-Serena? Ohhhh. You should stop doing that love. I don't want us to do something that we'll regret."

I smiled and looked up into his eyes, but I did not stop my movements.

"What if I don't want us to stop Darien?"

Darien did not attempt to hide the surprise on his face from my words, and I smiled as he bit down on his lips in an effort to remain quiet from my ministrations.

"What- what are you saying?"

Staring into his beautiful eyes, I ceased my movements and cupped his face.

"I'm saying that I don't want you to stop Darien. Make love to me tonight."

Darien blinked, and I internally giggled at his expression. Coming out of his stupor he leaned into my face and gently ran his hands through my hair.

"Hey, you don't need to do that to please me Sere. I'm content with what we have going so far. Really, I am. We can wait to take that step until you're absolutely ready. We-"

Leaning forward I pulled Darien into a soft kiss, halting his words. As I pulled back from the kiss I held his face in my hands, effectively forcing him to look down at my eyes.

"I don't need to wait for anything else Darien. I love you, and I am ready. Regardless of what happens after tonight, I know that there is no one in the world I would rather share this experience with, and that isn't going to change tomorrow, or the day after that. I never imagined that I would find a love like ours in my lifetime, and now that I've experienced what being genuinely loved and loving that person back feels like, I can think of nobody else in this world I would prefer to share this experience with. So please, do me the honor of being my first, my one, and my only."

Darien gently smiled down at me with love radiating from his eyes. As I took in his expression, I knew that I had made the right choice.

"The honor is all mines baby. I'd love nothing more in the world than to share this experience with you as well. I love you so much Serena"

Darien swooped down to my face and we shared quite the loving kiss. Our emotions from all of the night's events came flooding in, and I near sobbed as we eagerly roamed our hands over each other's bodies. Our bodies were seemingly hungry for one another, and I wondered if our urgency was due to our anticipation from what was to come. Darien started to kiss on my nipples, causing me to moan out loud. I had just grabbed onto his shaft when he suddenly shot up to look at me.

"Damn it. I'm sorry Serena, but I don't think I have any protection in the house. I haven't used a condom in years."

At the mention of condoms and the disappointing look on Darien's face, I suddenly remembered the hard earned condoms lying in my bag. Gently urging him off my body, I hopped off the bed and retrieved the condoms from the bag I had dropped on the floor. When I returned to the bed with the box, Darien was starring down at me with shock. I shyly smiled at him and handed him the package.

"I got them as a precaution about a week ago. And you wouldn't believe what I went through to get them."

Quickly scanning the box, he raised a brow in my direction.

"Good thinking. But how did you guess my size and favored brand?"

I blushed as images from the night at the shop ran through my head.

"Um, let's just say I had a little help."

He stared at me questionably, but he had already opened up the box and was putting on one of the condoms. I stared in amazement as the condom fitted perfectly over his very large member, and I was suddenly consumed by fear as I realized that his huge shaft would have to fit into my body. Maybe this wasn't such a bright idea after all.

Darien slowly crawled towards me, and I backed away until I was pressed against the pillows.

"Hey, don't be afraid. I promise I'll make this as painless as I can manage. You have my word."

I nodded, and I wrapped my hands around his neck as he gently leaned in to kiss my fears away. I trusted him with my life, and I believed everything that he had said. About five minutes later I was once again dripping wet with arousal, Darien's use of his tongue providing quite the reassuring effect.

As he lifted his head from between my legs and covered my body, we locked eyes. A roll of thunder suddenly echoed through the room, but I scarcely heard its boisterous effects.

Darien positioned himself at my entrance, and I held my breath as he slowly inched forward. As his head slowly slid into my wet core, I latched onto his shoulders for support, digging my nails into the skin of his shoulders. I gasped as my walls were immediately filled by his large member, and a feeling unlike anything I had ever experienced before flooded through my unsuspecting system. I was consumed by the need to take him further into my body, knowing that he needed to move forward to touch an ache within me that was begging to be soothed; an ache that he alone could cure. Darien stilled in his movements, allowing me time to accommodate my body to his size. When I finally opened my eyes I stared up at his strained face, and I could tell that the effort to remain still was probably paining him. I gently touched his face, drawing his attention to mine.

"Hey, are you ok?"

He stared down at me, trying his best to place a smile on his face.

"I'm fine Sere. God, it's just that you're so fucking tight. It's taking all my effort not to come on the spot. Jesus. I feel like there's a vice gripe latching onto my penis."

Taking a deep breathe, I braced myself for what I knew was to come. I didn't want to cause him any unnecessary pain.

"Ok Darien. I'm ready."

Darien leaned forward and hungrily devoured my lips in a kiss that totally consumed me. I was so distracted by its delicious effects, I did not realize he had taken a thrust forward until I felt the tearing of tissue within me.

I cried out at the pain of the contact, tears instantly springing to my eyes. Darien immediately started to kiss the corners of my eyes, whispering words of love and comfort in a soothing tone.

"It's ok baby. The worse is over now. I promise you Sere. It gets better from this point."

I tried to believe the truth behind Darien's words, but as the stinging sensation between my legs continued it was a very hard thing to do. Darien remained still the entire time, gently coaxing me to relax.

After time passed and I felt adjusted to his size, I attempted to move a little. As the pleasurable sensation resulting from that act spread through my body I moved some more, effectively pulling Darien's shaft further into my body. Darien groaned above me, his fingers latching into the sheets for support. He slowly started to move forward, pushing his member even deeper into my core. I gasped as his head made contact with that aching spot within me, bolts of pleasure immediately coursing through my body.

Darien was encouraged by my actions, and he withdrew for all of a second before slowly plunging back into my warm depths. We both moaned as he again made contact with my walls, and I grabbed onto his shoulders for support.

Daren needed no more encouragement and quickened the pace of his thrust. The room was filled with the rising sounds of pleasurable moans and ragged breathing as we hung onto each other for our dear lives, our bodies experiencing a height of pleasure new to the both of us. As I felt myself growing to my peek the second time that night I opened my legs further, giving Darien even more room as he repeatedly slammed into my walls and that spot. We were both covered in a light sheen of sweat, and we held eye contact as I felt myself suddenly reaching my peek. I released my hold on Darien as my body convulsed in pleasure. There were stars floating in front of my eyes, and my toes curled as I my body seemingly flew off the planet. I felt my walls clamping down on his hardened shaft, its continuous movement sending me even further off the edge.

"Oh—Darien!"

Darien took three final hard thrusts after my orgasm and collapsed above me, using his arms to prevent crushing me with his weight. I tried to focus on his expressions as he shook on top of my frame, but my own climax had me unable to do anything but bask in the pleasure it was providing. As we both regained control of our bodies, Darien lifted his head to stare at me. We both smiled, and he tenderly kissed me on the lips.

"That was absolutely amazing Serena. Are you ok?"

I nodded, a dream like expression plastered on my face. I was sore between my legs, but I knew that would pass in time. Not even that could diminish the euphoric state I was in at the moment.

Darien laughed and dislodged himself from my body. As he walked towards the bathroom the night's events started to take their toll on me, and I started to drift off to sleep. A few seconds later I opened my eyes at the feeling of something warm between my legs. Darien was wiping the effects of our love making off me with a warm wash cloth, and I smiled appreciatively at him. When he was done he disappeared into the bathroom once again. As the bed slowly indented I struggled to open my eyes, and I tried to listen as Darien spoke something about stained sheets. Pulling the sheet aside he gently pulled me into his body as he lay back on the pillows. I opened my eyes for a brief second, wondering when he had blown off all the candles, but opted to forget it as sleep once again tried to claim my body. Darien pulled me closer to his chest and stroked my hair.

"Sweet dreams my love."

I snuggled into his chest, enjoying the warmth his body was providing.

"Sweet dreams Darien."

As exhaustion finally claimed my body, I realized that the rain had been reduced to a light fall on the rooftop. While Darien's own heavy breathing assaulted my senses I smiled. I was beautiful exhausted and sore in several places, but I was happier than I could ever remember being. As the wind gently blew across the sleeping island I wrapped my arms around the love of my life, saying a silent prayer of thanks to the forces that brought us together.