Serena tried her best to ignore Darien's hand on the small of her back as he escorted her into an elevator in the back of the gallery. It seemed as though he had not stopped touching her since they'd left her apartment. It didn't make her uncomfortable . . . but it was strange. "I didn't know you owned any other floors." The first floor of the building was larger then the ground floor of Saks Fifth Avenue; there was more then enough room for the artwork to be beautifully displayed.
"Of course, darling. I own the entire building. That shouldn't surprise you by now. I lease the top seven floors as office space for other groups, but the others are used for Fantasy business. The second floor is used for special exhibits, like yours will be."
"Oh." She frowned to herself. Was there no end to the man's wealth and power? "So where are we going?"
"Publicity uses the third floor. I'm taking you up to Lita's studio." The elevator doors opened onto a large lobby area.
"Darien! Did you find her?" Serena looked over to see an Amazon bearing down upon them. The woman was incredibly tall, with clear green eyes and a luxurious riot of auburn curls held u in a ponytail. She grabbed Serena's face and turned it up toward the light. "Wow! You've finally given me something to work with, boss-man. Even if," she glared playfully at Serena, "she's too bubble-headed to pick up her phone."
Serena had the grace to blush. "Sorry about that." She couldn't find it in herself to be affronted by this woman, despite her apparent tendency to handle others without so much of a by-your-leave. Her eyes held too much gleeful charm.
"Serena Kyle, meet Lita Roberts. She's going to make you even more gorgeous then you are now, if that's at all possible."
"You bet. Then I'll subject you to a torturous three-hour photo session." Lita grinned, and Serena returned the smile.
"Well, I've got some phone calls to make, so I will leave you ladies to it." Darien nodded to Lita and pressed Serena's hand in farewell before striding back into the elevator. He turned as the doors slid closed and said, "Serena, I'll try to be up at six. We'll catch an early dinner."
"But-" It was too late; the doors were shut. She sighed and turned to meet Lita's considering gaze.
"Well, I gotta say, you're a lot better then his last girlfriend. Why don't you go slip into that outfit you're holding?"
"Girlfriend? Oh, no. I, um . . ." Serena stuttered to a halt as the taller woman ushered her through a pair of double doors at the other end of the lobby. "We're not dating."
"Girl, you'd have to be blind to miss the lust in that man's eyes." Serena sputtered in astonishment at Lita's confident statement. "Oh, don't worry. There are other things, too, like interest and affection. Good job."
"But we haven't even known each other for a full week! And I don't want him!" Serena protested as she entered a changing room, even though she knew the second part to be a blatant lie. She frowned to herself again as she changed into the outfit Darien had chosen for her.
"You'd have to be blind, deaf and stupid not to want Darien Chiba," Lita said as she emerged from the curtained room. "Oh, that's a fabulous color for you. You've got great skin, you know. Anyways," she continued while urging Serena to a chair and taking a comb to her long hair. "Darien's one of the most eligible bachelors in New York. Probably in the country. If I weren't happily married, I'd have tried to snag him for myself! God, you've got a lot of hair. I'm going to keep it simple. A chignon, I think."
It only took Lita a few minutes to achieve the style she wanted. Next, she began to apply makeup, again deciding to keep it light and simple. She chatted away the entire time, about everything from Darien to her husband, Nephrite –"stole my heart the first time I laid eyes on him"- to New York traffic –"the one and only reason I hate the city"-. Serena's head was whirling by the time they were finished.
"Okay! All finished, at least with this part" Lita spun the chair around for Serena to look in the mirror.
She gasped. "It's great!" Her hair had been pulled smoothly back into a twist, and the makeup, a hint of blush, a dusting of dusky shadow over her eyelids, and a pink-violet tint on her lips, created an overall look of pure elegance. "Lita, you're wonderful! I've never been able to apply makeup."
Lita laughed. "I'll give you some tips. You may think I'm great now, but wait until I've made you sit still for three hours of photos! Right this way."
***
The session only took about two hours; Lita was thrilled to have such a cooperative subject. "You wouldn't believe how difficult most people are when it comes to having their pictures taken. Total nightmare."
Darien had phoned up to say that he'd be about an hour late, so Serena made herself comfortable in Lita's office as they chatted. Lita supplied her with some very tasty gossip on Darien's past relationships, as well as some perfectly scrumptious cookies.
A knock on the door interrupted them. It swung open without waiting for Lita's reply, and a tall, distinguished-looking man entered. "Lita, darling, are you gabbing another artist's ears off? You know it makes their publicity shots look awfully funny."
Lita laughed. "Pictures are already taken. It doesn't matter whether Sere has ears or not, now. Serena, I'd like you to meet my partner, Malachite Wilns."
Malachite shook back his impressive mane of silver-gray hair and accepted Serena's hand with a small bow. "Ah, yes. The latest find. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Kyle."
"Please, call me Serena."
"A pleasure indeed." Malachite relaxed on a sofa and studied Darien's latest acquisition. She was certainly a pleasure to look at. He felt his heart twinge. She looked so much like . . .
He stood and crossed back to the door. "Serena, I'd like to arrange a meeting with you over the next day or so to discuss your bio. Is two o'clock tomorrow fine?'
"Sure." Serena had noticed the play of emotions over Malachite's face, and she made a note to herself to ask Lita, who seemed to know everything about everyone. "I'll see you then. It was nice to meet you."
"Goodbye."
The moment the door was closed, she turned to face her new friend. "Seems like a nice guy."
Lita nodded. "He's a teddy bear. Lost his wife five years ago to cancer. Nearly broke his heart, the poor dear." She stopped and studied Serena. "Actually, you look an awful lot like her. She had the same blue eyes and blond hair."
"Oh." Her reply was cut short as Darien walked in.
"Sorry I'm late. Are you ready to go?"
Lita sighed. "Don't you ever knock, boss-man? What if I'd been in the middle of some really hot sex, right here on my desk?"
Darien just smiled. "It would be an educating experience, I'm sure. Serena?"
She rose and crossed to him. "Thank you, Lita It was wonderful to meet you, and Malachite as well. Oh, and thanks for the cookies. They were really fabulous. I wish I could cook half as well."
"Tell you what. Come over some time and I'll give you a crash course in that and in makeup. We'll have a girls' night or something." Lita winked.
"Sounds good."
She followed Darien down the elevator and out to the limo before asking, "Where are we going?"
Darien leaned back against the upholstered seat. "My house."
***
The hour-long drive that took them out of the city and to Darien's residence was silent. Darien watched with amusement as Serena slowly dozed off before pulling out some papers and continuing the work he had left unfinished at the office, but he couldn't seem to concentrate on the wording. His eyes kept creeping up to scrutinize the beauty across from him. She looked so innocent and fragile when she slept.
*What is it about her that fascinates me so? She's infuriating and charming and stunning. But I've dated my share of stunning women who could charm the hair off a cat, and not one has been able to hold my attention the way this one does.*
He noticed that they were approaching the turn-in for his home, and began to put away the contract he had been trying to work on. His movements woke Serena, and she blinked drowsily at him before curling her legs up and dropping back to sleep.
Darien reached across and shook her gently. "Time to wake up, princess."
She shook her head groggily. "S'pose to wake princesses with kisses." Her words were adorably slurred, and he laughed softly.
"Very well."
Serena awoke fully as his lips met hers for an electrifying kiss. It stirred the very synapses of her brain into a jumbled cocktail. And, she was sure, left the hair on her head standing straight up.
She curled a hand in his jacket shoulder and nudged him away. "You can stop now. I'm awake."
Darien stared at her in bafflement, and burst into laughter. "Only you, my dear Serena. Only you."
Serena watched in bewilderment for a moment as the man tried unsuccessfully to reestablish his calm before giving up and turning her head to look out the window. She gasped as a magnificent mansion came into view. "How gorgeous!" The building was a baroque masterpiece, complete with flying buttresses and gargoyles peering down from the roof.
"I'm glad you like it." Darien was inexplicably pleased at her reaction. Why did her approval seem so important?
"Yours, I take it?" At his nod, Serena only sighed. "I can definitely see you living in a place like this, lording it over your servants and yeomen."
"I don't know about that. I bought it because it caught my fancy. I wanted something big and imposing where guests could run amuck without bothering me, and it fit the bill."
Serena opened the car door without bothering to wait for the chauffer and stared eagerly at the wonderful building "It fit the bill." She shook her head. Where's your sense of romance, Darien? You're sounding like more of a recluse then I am."
"Not at all." He led her through the lovely atrium and into a tastefully decorated parlor. "Can I get you anything to drink? The bar is-"
He was cut off as Ray entered the room. "Darien, I want to borrow the chauffer and limo tonight. Is that all right?"
"Of course." Darien placed a quick kiss on her cheek. "You remember Serena Kyle, don't you?"
Ray's pleasant expression hardened, and Serena found herself subjected to an intense scrutiny from deep violet eyes. "Of course. The glass artist. It's very nice to see you again." She turned to her brother. "By the way, someone called from WorldWide Inc. about twenty minutes ago. Something about a problem in Venice? They wanted you to call back immediately."
"Damn! Of all the incompetent . . ." Darien turned apologetically to Serena. "I need to take care of this. It shouldn't take more then fifteen minutes. Ray can get you that drink." He strode from the room.
"So." Ray draped herself over an armchair and continued to stare at Serena, hostility burning in her eyes. "I guess I was wrong about you."
"What?" Serena was very confused. What had she done to make this woman angry with her?
"I have to say that I'm surprised. My first impressions are rarely wrong. I thought you were a decent individual, the first time I saw you. But I see you're just another of the many after my brother's money."
"Now wait just a-"
"They come and go about every week or so, thinking that, because they interested him in their art, they can interest him in them. But let me tell you, missy, you're dreaming."
"Hold on a second!" Serena stood straight and tall, and looked Ray deep in the eyes. "Where exactly do you get off, accusing me as soon as I've stepped into your home? For your information, Darien came onto me. I'm not even sure yet if I want to be involved with a guy as pushy and confident as he is! And if I do, it will be because he's kind, and generous, and attentive, and has the body of a god, but not because of his damn money!" She broke off and frowned over that last sentence, which had pushed its way from her mouth before she'd thought it out.
Ray looked startled, and then she grinned. "Well put, Serena. He is cute, isn't he?" She straightened in her chair. "I guess you'd want an apology, but I'm not really in the habit of giving them."
Serena blushed and took a deep breath, startled out of her anger by Ray's lightning-quick change of temperament. "You shouldn't make me angry. I tend to let my mouth run away without me."
The brunette shook her head. "Don't ever take back words you've already said. I don't. I will, however, explain that I've become accustomed to watching women throw themselves all over my brother. It's disgusting to watch the little tramps."
"Hmmm." Mildly insulted that she had automatically been included in that group of women, Serena restrained herself to a noncommittal shrug. "I agree, but you can't really blame them."
"I suppose not. It just annoys me. They give women a bad name. Money-grubbing thieves."
"Sounds like you speak from experience." Serena waited patiently. Ray was a beautiful woman, but it appeared that she was very, very unhappy. She realized that she was no longer angry with the mercurial woman sitting across from her. It was hard to remain irate when faced with such badly hidden pain.
The raven-haired woman shrugged. "Been through two divorces. I was determined to find a man that I could be happy with, one who would love me for me, and not for my money. Never mind that everyone thought both men were not at all perfect for me; I was too determined to prove that I was right." Ray snorted softly. "Both pigs left me flat broke and ran off with everything."
"That's horrible!" Serena exclaimed. "I could see why you'd take such a pessimist's view to relationships." The words almost made her smile sadly. Look who was talking.
"Yeah, well. I've pretty much given up all hope of ever finding someone. I guess it leaves me a little bitter."
Serena immediately thought of Jadeite. "I don't think you should give up hope yet. Sometimes the best thing is hiding right under your nose."
Ray crossed her eyes and looked down her own Grecian nose, making them both laugh. "I tell you what. You let me know when this Prince Charming pops out from under my nose, and I'll give you a fair chance at my brother. Deal?"
"Deal."
***