Dance Beneath the Moon
Originally written as "On A Moonswept Moor"
(c) 1998 Copyrighted to Michelle Harris
Aka Lady M. Harris
A Sailor Moon Romance Story
Part Seven
Serena and Darien made love throughout the rest of Christmas Eve and into dawn's early light on Christmas Day. Sometime in the predawn hours, Darien carried Serena to his bedroom. Only when the sun finally made its shining presence known to the city of Tokyo, revealing an eighteen-inch thick blanket of white, glistening snow-did Darien finally fall back from Serena, both of them quite exhausted and satiated.
Even though Darien had slaked his fill of Serena for the time being, he did not understand what continually drove him to want her, again and again. Even now, as tired as he felt, he wanted her. He wanted to be once again buried deep within her intoxicating nectar.
She was unlike the others in the past, women whom he frequently associated with, the casual affairs he was used to dealing with including his current mistress. He made it a known fact to the women he dated that he was not the type of man to play childish games with women's hearts. If they fell in love with him, then that was their problem, not his. There was no likely hood of their love being returned in the future--that just the way he operated. There was no hidden agenda to him, he was blunt and brutally honest to the women who knew him.
However, Serena was proving to be an entirely different type of woman altogether. She was the kind of woman that he usually stayed away from. The sort that required protectiveness, the type of woman who looked towards a man of her worthiness with complete trust in her eyes, the sort that appealed to a part of him that he thought was long buried and dead within him. And it didn't make it any easier to deal with, since he didn't believe that he was the type of man she thought he was. He wasn't the compassionate, caring sort - far from it, really. And yet, here he was, hopelessly drawn to her like a bee was drawn to a freshly opened flower amidst a bouquet of flowers. She was proving to be quite the passionate creature underneath her almost, child-like veneer. A pattern that was proving seductively sweet and subtle in its innocent power, all the signs that were wildly attracting him like no other woman before her.
Why does she do this to me, his mind and body tried to rationalized, listening to her soft, contented sigh beside him. What is it about her that calls to him when no other woman before did? For him to examine those feelings within him--of wanting to be the only one for her was out of the question. Even now, unconsciously, he felt himself softening as he pulled her body closer to his.
He smiled wearily into the darkness as he heard a soft snore escape from her lips. His eyelids drooped once more and he found himself unable to think clearly as the sandman began tapping urgently within him, beckoning him with landscapes of peaceful dreams.
"Good morning, sleepy head," were the first words that Serena heard as she slowly opened one eye. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted briefly, teasingly, under her nose. Cautiously, she opened the other eye and smiled sleepily at the sight that greeted her. Darien sat on the edge of the bed, dressed casually in a pair of silky, red-plaid pajama pants. In his hands, he held two coffee mugs, full of steaming coffee.
"And a good morning to you too, early riser."
He smiled back as Serena sat up in the tangle of sheets and accepted the cup of coffee. "Thank you," she murmured demurely and took a sip, both of them watching each other, silently.
His eyes gleamed warmly in the early morning light as his gaze traveled slowly over her disheveled array of curls that surrounded her face and body. A lovely flush appeared on her cheeks and her bright, blue eyes lowered to her hands, where they cupped the coffee cup. He liked the male satisfied feeling that he was able produce such a glow on her just by a look from him. The grin that had perched on his lips grew wider as he got up from the bed and opened the window curtains to let in more of the sun's rays into the room.
Serena gasped with delight as her eyes settled on the white scenery from where she sat. She set the coffee down and ran to the window, her nudity forgotten. "Oh, it's so beautiful from here!" she breathed out as her eyes scanned the view before her. Everywhere she looked, thick, white snow covered everything it touched. It reminded her of a scene from a winter Christmas card.
Darien looked down at her beside him, and chuckled devilishly. "It is, isn't it? But it's no comparison to the beauty standing beside me," he laughed, reaching out to pull her close to him, his gaze devouring her naked glory.
"Oooh!" Serena laughed and gasped out in dismay, her cheeks flushing red as she realized that she had forgotten to grab a sheet. Never mind that she had languished in sensual delight when he had explored every inch of her flesh just hours ago, and she the same for him.
Her arms reached out to clutch him about the waist as he held her. Then putting her nudity aside, she asked excitedly, "Let's go outside. I haven't played in the snow since I was a child and this is the perfect place and the perfect setting to do so. It's so beautiful here!"
He grinned down at her, fascinated by the play of emotions across her animated features. What is about it her that brings out a feeling of protectiveness over him? When he didn't answer, Serena asked again, quite eagerly. "Oh, please, please!" she fairly begged, sounding so much like she did the last time such an opportunity arose when she was a child, that they both started laughing.
"Okay, okay. When you put it that way, how can I resist? Stay here and let me go and find some clothes for you." He smiled and left the room to return with two sets of clothing. "Here, these should fit you. They're a bit out dated as they belonged to my mother," he said, tossing a pair of blue jeans and a cotton shirt toward her.
Serena caught them and smiled her thanks as Darien turned away to open one of his drawers and pulled out a pair of old jeans. She briefly wondered about his mother and father, but refrained from asking, not wanting to spoil the mood between them. Besides, she wasn't sure where she stood with him, especially when it came to delving into personal matters such as his parents and how he felt about them.
"Oooh! It's so wonderful out here!" Serena laughed as puffs of warm air trailed behind her every time she took a breath. She ran forward in her excitement, leaving Darien behind in the process. The snow crunched loudly underneath her borrowed boots as she giggled, looking back at Darien, who smiled back at her as if indulging a child. She continued to run forward, if somewhat clumsily in the knee-high drifts, trying to decipher what the estate grounds looked like without all of the snow covering it. They had come from out of the back of the house and Serena could make out the tennis courts and the stables just ahead of her.
"Let's go to the stables, Serena," Darien suggested when he caught up with her, not even out of breath. "I'm sure the horses would appreciate us giving them some fresh hay and oats until the stable hands return," he said, grabbing her hand as they headed toward the large stable.
Inside the stables, down two long aisles, were a total of six, supple horses. They neighed and stomped their hooves in greeting as Darien and Serena entered. Serena stood cautiously, gazing at the horses in amazement and then offered a hesitant, friendly greeting to each of them.
Curious about what Darien was doing, she walked to where he was busy filling leather bags with oats for the horses to eat. She watched Darien with wonderment as he called out to each of the horses softly. In return, they would neigh softly in response. Darien then went to the last stabled horse and instructed her to come forward. She watched, again with amazement, as he spoke softly to the horse, encouraging it forward with the gentle touch of his hand.
Serena blushed slightly, reminded of the night before and how he had handled and coaxed delighted responses out of her with his gentle and firm caresses.
Darien handed her the bag of oats and instructed Serena to come forward and greet the horse. With a slight feeling apprehension, but trusting his instincts, she did as she was told and greeted the horse as he instructed her to do so. The horse snorted quietly and accepted the bag, eating quietly. As she fed the horse, Darien grabbed a pitchfork and added some fresh hay to the horse's stall. It went that way until they got to the last two stalls, both of them working together in a comfortable silence.
"This horse here, is my fine lady, Purity. She's a pure Arabian, from her delicate snout right down to those prancing hooves of hers." Darien smiled proudly at the dappled gray-white horse as he petted her pert snout. Purity neighed softly, pushing her nose against his hand in a gentle greeting. "She's due to give birth this spring," he stated as Serena looked over the stall at the delicate horse.
"She's lovely, Darien. And I assume that stomping horse across the ways is the proud father?" She pointed toward the stall across from Purity's with a smile. "And what is his name?" She asked, gazing at the large, muscular stallion, who watched her with the same amount of curiosity in return.
"That my lovely, is Nefarious." Darien chuckled as Serena's eyes wide at the meaning of the horses' names. With a lopsided grin and quirk to his eyebrows he added, "Perhaps, like you and I?"
A small laugh escaped from Serena's lips as she surveyed Darien mischievously. "I wouldn't go that far."
"And what do you mean by that?" Darien grinned lazily back at her over his broad shoulder as he started shoveling more fresh hay into Nefarious' stall.
"I'm not quite that pure," she smirked devilishly, hands on her hips as she watched the muscles bunch enticingly underneath his now sweat-dampened shirt. He looked very rugged and raw at the moment with a blue cotton shirt clinging to his back, faded blue jeans hugging his sinew thighs, snow boots covering his feet, and leather work gloves on his hands. He had long ago discarded his heavy coat, preferring to work around the horses with less constricting clothing.
Darien turned and winked, a chuckle rumbling in his chest, commenting, "Ah, but I'm quite the wicked one as the word goes. Are you sure you're not looking for a tumble in the hay, my sweet maiden?" As the eager speculation crossed her lovely features, he couldn't help laughing at her expression of delight. He dropped the fork, having done with the hay and took off after Serena who sprinted out through the stable doors, laughing with glee. After pausing to quickly grab his coat, Darien immediately resumed the chase.
When he left from the stables, the first thing that greeted him was a large snowball. It hit him, right smack in the middle of his chest, momentarily stunning him. His mouth dropped open in astonishment, as he stared at the large spot of splattered snow clinging to the front of his shirt. A piece plopped to the ground, blending back in with the snow. Fits of hysterical laughter erupted from the other side of the stable as Darien caught sight of Serena, bent over holding her stomach in as if she were in pain.
"This is war!" Darien declared, roaring with laughter at the same time, bending over to scoop up some snow into his hands and shaping it into a snowball.
Fortunately for Serena, she already had couple of extra snowballs made before Darien came out of the stables. She hurled them at him with surprising speed and accuracy, all of the snowballs hitting various spots of her moving target. A target, who was at the time cursing and mumbling about how some women like to take advantage of defenseless men. Serena laughed even harder.
"This is definitely not working," Darien muttered underneath his breath as Serena continued throw more snowballs than him; of course, he was being distracted by his position as live target. "It's time to change tactics!" He yelled toward her in warning, dropping his artillery at the same time as he advanced toward her. Serena managed to score another hit on his right shoulder.
Her eyes grew huge as a large body leapt toward her. "Nooooo faaairr!" She yelped in surprise as Darien tackled her to the ground. She screeched in laughter as Darien pinned her solidly into the snow.
"All right now, say 'Darien, you are the smartest man in the world,' " He commanded imperiously, chuckling deeply as he stared down into her grinning face.
Serena looked up at him, serious for a moment and then burst out into more laughter again.
Darien chuckled with her, and then prodded her again, "Say, 'Darien you are the smartest, most handsome man in the world and I'm your slave' or else I'll have to chain you up!" He threatened and commanded again in the same jovial tone.
"Promise?" Serena spluttered with laughter.
"I pro--!" And then he laughed uproariously along with her as he caught on. "You minx!" He laughed again and then reached under her coat and started tickling her mercilessly. Instantly Serena surrendered, answering him quickly with twinkling eyes.
"Okay, okay-Darien, you are the smartest, most handsome man in the world, and I'm your slave!" She laughed. "Stop tickling me-I can't breathe!" She gasped out between breaths of laughter as he ignored her request. "I swear, I'm going to pee in my pants if you don't stop!" She breathed out with more helpless laughter, her body trembling and shaking from the force.
This time, it was Darien's turn to burst out laughing. He stopped torturing her with his hands, the mirth still evident in his voice, "How about it if my slave gives her master a kiss then?" He grinned devilishly, and not waiting for a response swooped down and captured her still giggling lips for a lingering kiss.
Breaking their kiss off, she said to him, "Hey! I thought I was supposed to kiss you first," a slightly affronted look on her face.
"Oh really?" Darien asked, one black eyebrow arching slightly, kingly. Then falling back from her and lying on the snow with his arms spread out, he closed his eyes and said, "Well? I'm waiting."
What he got was another snowball on the chin. Again, laughter and outrage were written all over his features as a slightly shocked Darien struggled to get up from his prone position. She laughed and jumped on top of him. She kissed him this time, meaning to soften the effect of the snowball. And then after a while, the sound of laughter died down and instead, only the sounds of soft sighs and husky exclamations could be heard from the engrossed couple lying in the snow.
Darien and Serena returned to the house to finish what they had started outside in the snow. They spent the reminder of the morning to the early afternoon back in bed. It was now mid-afternoon and they had just indulged in a late lunch.
Darien absently caressed Serena's midriff as she yawned sleepily.
Her stomach was pleasantly full of cold-cut ham, cheese, and crackers. They had washed down their lunches with chilled, wine coolers. Soft jazz was playing on his stereo in the background as his hand made its way slowly past her stomach. His fingers lightly made a map around the indention of her belly button, and then slowly, teasingly, his fingers made its way down to the silky curls of her mound. Having mapped his main course, he leaned forward and with his tongue, wickedly traced the patterns where his fingers had been.
As he expected, Serena moaned softly, immediately responding to his touch. The hot heat flared deeply within him and he acknowledged with a certain male satisfaction of hearing her helpless surrender to his exploiting ministrations. Without further ado he parted her womanly petals with his playful tongue and proceeded with his course of action.
Serena reached out blindly with her fingers to entwine them within his hair, her supple body tightening, clutched in a sensual vise of wild pleasure and torment as his tongue flickered and teased decisively at her womanly nub. Will it always be this way between us, her heated mind wondered with dazed desire. This blazing passion that seemed to engulf them within its tenacious hold every time they were near each other. Or will he, she thought distantly, discard me after he has what he wants? She closed her eyes, as if closing her mind from all the anxious questions that bothered her, allowing herself to be swept up only in the physical aspects of pleasure. She only understood right now, and how this incredible man made her feel physically and emotionally. For now, it was good enough for her. She wondered briefly, as she lifted Darien's face in her hands for another deep kiss, would it be good enough for tomorrow when reality settles in?
Reality decided to invade their little world for two a little earlier than anticipated. Just as Darien settled himself within Serena's welcoming embrace, his cell phone rang shrilly on the nightstand, startling the two with its loud ring.
He had turned it on earlier because the phone lines were still down. She giggled silently like a schoolgirl as he put his finger to her lips, indicating for her to be quiet. Of course, he didn't make it any easier for her either by answering the phone and thrusting deeply into her at the same time. Serena's shriek of desire was muffled swiftly by Darien as he covered her mouth with his hand. As if tantalizing her with the play of his powerful body, he pulled out of her slowly, teasing her with the end of his thick manhood. Serena wanted to gasp in shuddering pleasure, her thighs tightening around his tensely, controlled hips, his corded arms easily holding them in place. But her mouth was firmly covered, not allowing her to cry out her exquisite delight.
However, such deeds were not with out recourse, she thought, knowing that revenge could be sweet and satisfying and that this particular revenge would only benefit the both of them. Her eyes took on a gleaming sheen, a mischievous twinkle shining in her gaze as she suddenly realized that he was talking to Wesley. She lifted her hips clear off the mattress in retaliation, further encasing him deeply within her and then her thighs settled once more atop his slim hips, enjoying herself immensely in the process. His face twisted with startled passion and instantly sweat beaded on his forehead as a silent grunt escaped, and he answered with a partial painful grunt, "Yes, grandfather," into the ear piece.
When Darien hung up the phone, he half laughed and growled out to her, "You're going to regret that, you little minx!" and proceeded to finish what he had started as he rolled her over and on top of him.
Serena gasped with startled passion as her body settled further atop him, the feel of him throbbing deep within her. Her expression echoed his previous face, before she exclaimed, "Ooooh! Darien . . .!"
It was much, much later when the cell phone rang again. They were still in bed with the sheets barely covering their sweat-damp bodies, as they cuddled close to one another. Serena frowned as she listened to Darien speak to the person on the other side of the line.
"Merry Christmas to you too . . ." he said into the phone, "Yeah, the phone lines have down and my cell has been too static to call anyone . . .. No, actually I've been busy."
She looked up into his face, the small frown still marring her features as she wrapped her arms around Darien's chest. He stared down into her face and smiled softly back at her.
"Look, Belinda . . . I think we need to talk . . .. Yes . . . there is . . ." he stated, feeling Serena's body stiffening beside him. "Tomorrow would be fine . . . yes . . . that's fine . . . all right. Bye," he finished and pressed the 'end' button on his cell phone to hang it up. He looked down into her golden-white hair and sighed, knowing that she would start asking questions about Belinda.
After a brief silence, "Are you still seeing Belinda?" she ventured quietly into his chest.
"Hmmm. I was," he started, as his hand reached up to wrap a wayward golden curl around his finger. It was amazing, but that was how he felt around Serena, wrapped within her magical web. The feeling was unsettling and yet, he felt a strange calmness within him, as if he were where he belonged. "But I haven't been her with since our so-called engagement, if that's what you're thinking. I quit seeing Melissa a couple of weeks ago and hadn't gotten around to breaking it off with Belinda." Darien looked up at the ceiling, staring at nothing in particular and then sighed again. "I have to be honest with you, Serena. I've never been one to play with women's hearts. That's not me. I tell them exactly what I want up front and then, if they want to continue dating me, then that's up to them. They take me as I am or nothing at all," he said, taking her face into his hands and he staring into her face with dark tumulus eyes. He started when he gazed into her wide, blue eyes, shimmering with large, unshed tears.
"What about me? Am I part of your collection of women now?" She whispered, her voice breaking with the pain that was filling her chest. Could this be love, she thought with sudden clarity and failing despair, this excruciating feeling of being hurt? The pain was almost mind-numbing and she didn't want to hear what he was going to say, so she shut her eyes, waiting for the despairing feeling to swallow her up and take her back into that black void of pain. But his hesitant words surprised her, and she had a sudden feeling of hope for her all too raw heart.
"I don't know, Serena . . . I don't know where you fit in. You're not like the rest and-I . . . just don't know," Darien stated slowly, almost to himself, his hand reaching up to run his fingers through his hair in agitation.
Serena leaned on her elbows, composing her face from the pain that she wanted to hide from him and instead, she smiled softly at him, her heart fluttering at the sight of his handsome face, his jetted brows lowered over his enigmatic, royal blue eyes in a dark scowl. "That's okay . . . Darien."
"Why don't we try this one day at a time, okay?" He asked, not wanting to commit himself to any promises yet and not wanting to scare to her from him either. His fingers reached up to touch her delicate, upturned nose, a slow smile lifting his lips. Her heart did another pitter-patter at the sultry sight before her. "That's all I can promise at the moment . . . Serena."
"I'll take that for now . . ." she said quietly, and laid her head back down on his chest, her eyes closing as she listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
Darien watched his grandfather in furious silence as he got out of the limousine. He had told Serena that his grandfather would be arriving sometime that evening. His grandfather had made a couple of phone calls and got some the roads to Darien's estate cleared so that he could spend the rest of Christmas day with his grandson. Right now, Serena was still upstairs, putting on the finishing touches with her hair. He had gone downstairs into the receiving room and retrieved the newspaper to pass some time, even though the newspaper was a couple of days old. What he didn't expect to find on the second page-along with other prominent Tokyo residents-was an official wedding announcement between Serena and him.
Darien was already resigned to the fact that his grandfather had been behind the little charade at the house and he hadn't really minded that, especially when he thought about the results. But his grandfather had gone too far now.
He waited silently, still clutching the newspaper tightly in his hand, as he watched Thomas and Karen, Thomas's wife enter the foyer behind his own grandfather. Darien pondered silently, his anger simmering to a constant level, wondering what his grandfather was up to as their eyes clashed in the hallway.
"Ah . . . Darien, it's so good to be home," Wesley stated nonchalantly when he caught sight of his grandson leaning casually against the receiving room doorway as if nothing in the world mattered. And yet, he knew the turmoil his grandson was feeling at the moment. There was nothing but cold fire in his eyes.
"Is it really?" Darien drawled sarcastically, his lips twisting cynically.
"What's with the attitude, grandson?" Wesley chuckled quietly as he stared past Darien to the sight of Serena coming down the stairway. She was dressed again, in Darien's mother's clothing and for a moment, her honest and forthright beauty struck Wesley. The clothing did her justice and he smiled a welcoming grin. This time she was dressed in an oversized, cream colored, cashmere sweater and silk, lounging pants that-for an outdated outfit-covered her in simple elegance. Wesley strode past Darien, ignoring his grandson's scowl and with a knowing smile, said, "Finally, I get to meet the one lady who has managed to capture my grandson's heart, when all the others have failed!"
"Mr. Shields," Serena acknowledged with a soft smile spreading across her face, and then bowing respectfully low, as was traditional custom.
"Aaah, Ms. Ashton. We will have none of that, especially since we will soon be family," Wesley grinned, waving her up from her bent position to hug her instead. "You can call me, Wesley, if you please."
"And the same for me, Mr. Wesley. Serena will do," Serena replied warmly. "It is a great honor to finally meet you," she added. She was startled by their likeness between grandson and grandfather.
"My grandfather has so graciously arranged our wedding announcement for us, Serena," Darien said dryly, as he came up to her. Serena glanced back up at Darien at a loss for words as to what he meant.
"Come now, someone had to put the announcement in the papers. Although, I did think that you were being very remiss of your manners by not informing me of your plans, grandson," Wesley replied, still smiling at Serena, who looked startled by the news.
"There must be some mistake . . ." Serena began nervously as she continued to stare at Darien. His mouth was pinched and hard; a tick appearing on the side of his cheek giving way to his dissatisfaction. Now she understood the dark glower he was giving his grandfather. She knew perfectly well that Darien was furious despite the façade he displayed before her and Wesley, having witnessed such an occasion at the hospital once.
"There is no mistake, my dear," Wesley stated meaningfully, still smiling innocently as he watched the emotional turmoil taking place between the two lovers. Oh, but he did like this girl very much! She would do much for his grandson's broken heart. She was everything his mother had not been, Wesley thought inwardly with a satisfied smirk. Not that Darien needed the comfort of a mother figure, no, that was farthest thing from Wesley mind. What Wesley needed to do was to show Darien that not all women were cut from the same cloth as his mother or the type of women Darien liked to associate with within his exclusive circle of acquaintances.
Wesley shuddered just thinking about Darien's mother. How many times had he cursed his own fate and wondered to himself how he gone so wrong with his own son, Westin. Darien had the misfortune of not being loved by his own mother, a shattering blow to the lonely, young boy growing up without the shelter and love that would have naturally come from his own parents. Instead, Darien had born to a selfish and superficial mother.
It broke Wesley's heart every time he remembered the yearning gaze young Darien would display for his mother. A gesture from the heart that was never to be returned by that despicable bitch his son had married. Children should never want for love, especially from their own mother, yet that had been the case for his grandson.
And Darien's father, Westin was nothing more than a wastrel, barely tolerating his son's presence. Instead, Westin submersed himself in society parties, expensive gambling and drinking. He had been drawn to Darien's mother-Elena's cool, classical beauty. Only after he married her, did he find out exactly what type of woman she turned out to be. She apparently had married just for the money. Darien had been nothing more than 'accident', she had proclaimed to Wesley on the night her and Westin were killed in a car accident, returning from a party. Unfortunately, Darien overheard the heated argument taking place in the library that fateful evening. He would never forget the sharp, haunting pain that had crossed Darien's young face at the time.
That night had been a turning point for all of them. Elena had revealed her true colors to all of them. She had never wanted to get pregnant in the first place, and had already barred Westin from her own bedroom. Rumors circulated through town that Elena was still having an affair with an old flame at the time of her pregnancy and being pregnant ended their illicit affair.
However, Wesley had no doubt about Darien's lineage because his grandson turned out to be the exact image of himself and his son. He would at least give Elena credit for never lying about whom had fathered Darien.
It had been almost a relief when he was informed of the accident. Sure, it had broken his heart that he had lost his son. He had mourned his son, and grieved for the loss that he had not been able to accomplish what he should have as a father would for his own son. But he had gained a grandson too, and another chance to be a real father. And a real father was what Darien needed, someone to be there for him and someone love him unconditionally.
Wesley would never forget the lost demure on Darien's face when he had arrived at the big house, and knowing immediately that the damage had been very deep indeed. Wesley did his best for Darien, far more than he had ever done for his own son and the guilt had ridden Wesley until he had finally been able to come to terms with himself and his own mistakes. The pain and sacrifices Wesley had made for Darien did pay off eventually, as Wesley was very proud of Darien's accomplishments and the type of man he became.
Grandfather and grandson were as close as any other kin, and both loved each other dearly. It would take a very loving and patient woman to heal the hurt buried deep within Darien's heart. And as Wesley continued to gaze at Serena, he came to the conclusion that she would be the one who could change all of that for Darien.
Wesley had failed his own son somehow, but he would not do the same thing to Darien. And he would start by making sure that this lovely girl before him be the one that Darien would call his wife. It was quite obvious, from the looks of tenderness that passed between the two, that she was very much in love with Darien.
"If you don't mind, my dear, Darien and I have some serious matters that need to be discussed right away," Wesley asked.
"Oh no, go right ahead. And since the roads have been cleared, I think I'll go back upstairs and get my stuff together," Serena said, bowing slightly to Wesley. She looked up at Darien, smiling awkwardly to him. He nodded his head toward her, his gaze decidedly cool.
"You know where, grandson," Wesley motioned after Serena left them to return upstairs, his voice carefully neutral.
"After you," Darien replied with the same iciness, nodding his head in the direction of the library.
Stay tuned to the next part! Lady M. Harris - God, I got tired editing this - phew, glad it's over. Sorry for the mistakes.
Originally written as "On A Moonswept Moor"
(c) 1998 Copyrighted to Michelle Harris
Aka Lady M. Harris
A Sailor Moon Romance Story
Part Seven
Serena and Darien made love throughout the rest of Christmas Eve and into dawn's early light on Christmas Day. Sometime in the predawn hours, Darien carried Serena to his bedroom. Only when the sun finally made its shining presence known to the city of Tokyo, revealing an eighteen-inch thick blanket of white, glistening snow-did Darien finally fall back from Serena, both of them quite exhausted and satiated.
Even though Darien had slaked his fill of Serena for the time being, he did not understand what continually drove him to want her, again and again. Even now, as tired as he felt, he wanted her. He wanted to be once again buried deep within her intoxicating nectar.
She was unlike the others in the past, women whom he frequently associated with, the casual affairs he was used to dealing with including his current mistress. He made it a known fact to the women he dated that he was not the type of man to play childish games with women's hearts. If they fell in love with him, then that was their problem, not his. There was no likely hood of their love being returned in the future--that just the way he operated. There was no hidden agenda to him, he was blunt and brutally honest to the women who knew him.
However, Serena was proving to be an entirely different type of woman altogether. She was the kind of woman that he usually stayed away from. The sort that required protectiveness, the type of woman who looked towards a man of her worthiness with complete trust in her eyes, the sort that appealed to a part of him that he thought was long buried and dead within him. And it didn't make it any easier to deal with, since he didn't believe that he was the type of man she thought he was. He wasn't the compassionate, caring sort - far from it, really. And yet, here he was, hopelessly drawn to her like a bee was drawn to a freshly opened flower amidst a bouquet of flowers. She was proving to be quite the passionate creature underneath her almost, child-like veneer. A pattern that was proving seductively sweet and subtle in its innocent power, all the signs that were wildly attracting him like no other woman before her.
Why does she do this to me, his mind and body tried to rationalized, listening to her soft, contented sigh beside him. What is it about her that calls to him when no other woman before did? For him to examine those feelings within him--of wanting to be the only one for her was out of the question. Even now, unconsciously, he felt himself softening as he pulled her body closer to his.
He smiled wearily into the darkness as he heard a soft snore escape from her lips. His eyelids drooped once more and he found himself unable to think clearly as the sandman began tapping urgently within him, beckoning him with landscapes of peaceful dreams.
"Good morning, sleepy head," were the first words that Serena heard as she slowly opened one eye. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted briefly, teasingly, under her nose. Cautiously, she opened the other eye and smiled sleepily at the sight that greeted her. Darien sat on the edge of the bed, dressed casually in a pair of silky, red-plaid pajama pants. In his hands, he held two coffee mugs, full of steaming coffee.
"And a good morning to you too, early riser."
He smiled back as Serena sat up in the tangle of sheets and accepted the cup of coffee. "Thank you," she murmured demurely and took a sip, both of them watching each other, silently.
His eyes gleamed warmly in the early morning light as his gaze traveled slowly over her disheveled array of curls that surrounded her face and body. A lovely flush appeared on her cheeks and her bright, blue eyes lowered to her hands, where they cupped the coffee cup. He liked the male satisfied feeling that he was able produce such a glow on her just by a look from him. The grin that had perched on his lips grew wider as he got up from the bed and opened the window curtains to let in more of the sun's rays into the room.
Serena gasped with delight as her eyes settled on the white scenery from where she sat. She set the coffee down and ran to the window, her nudity forgotten. "Oh, it's so beautiful from here!" she breathed out as her eyes scanned the view before her. Everywhere she looked, thick, white snow covered everything it touched. It reminded her of a scene from a winter Christmas card.
Darien looked down at her beside him, and chuckled devilishly. "It is, isn't it? But it's no comparison to the beauty standing beside me," he laughed, reaching out to pull her close to him, his gaze devouring her naked glory.
"Oooh!" Serena laughed and gasped out in dismay, her cheeks flushing red as she realized that she had forgotten to grab a sheet. Never mind that she had languished in sensual delight when he had explored every inch of her flesh just hours ago, and she the same for him.
Her arms reached out to clutch him about the waist as he held her. Then putting her nudity aside, she asked excitedly, "Let's go outside. I haven't played in the snow since I was a child and this is the perfect place and the perfect setting to do so. It's so beautiful here!"
He grinned down at her, fascinated by the play of emotions across her animated features. What is about it her that brings out a feeling of protectiveness over him? When he didn't answer, Serena asked again, quite eagerly. "Oh, please, please!" she fairly begged, sounding so much like she did the last time such an opportunity arose when she was a child, that they both started laughing.
"Okay, okay. When you put it that way, how can I resist? Stay here and let me go and find some clothes for you." He smiled and left the room to return with two sets of clothing. "Here, these should fit you. They're a bit out dated as they belonged to my mother," he said, tossing a pair of blue jeans and a cotton shirt toward her.
Serena caught them and smiled her thanks as Darien turned away to open one of his drawers and pulled out a pair of old jeans. She briefly wondered about his mother and father, but refrained from asking, not wanting to spoil the mood between them. Besides, she wasn't sure where she stood with him, especially when it came to delving into personal matters such as his parents and how he felt about them.
"Oooh! It's so wonderful out here!" Serena laughed as puffs of warm air trailed behind her every time she took a breath. She ran forward in her excitement, leaving Darien behind in the process. The snow crunched loudly underneath her borrowed boots as she giggled, looking back at Darien, who smiled back at her as if indulging a child. She continued to run forward, if somewhat clumsily in the knee-high drifts, trying to decipher what the estate grounds looked like without all of the snow covering it. They had come from out of the back of the house and Serena could make out the tennis courts and the stables just ahead of her.
"Let's go to the stables, Serena," Darien suggested when he caught up with her, not even out of breath. "I'm sure the horses would appreciate us giving them some fresh hay and oats until the stable hands return," he said, grabbing her hand as they headed toward the large stable.
Inside the stables, down two long aisles, were a total of six, supple horses. They neighed and stomped their hooves in greeting as Darien and Serena entered. Serena stood cautiously, gazing at the horses in amazement and then offered a hesitant, friendly greeting to each of them.
Curious about what Darien was doing, she walked to where he was busy filling leather bags with oats for the horses to eat. She watched Darien with wonderment as he called out to each of the horses softly. In return, they would neigh softly in response. Darien then went to the last stabled horse and instructed her to come forward. She watched, again with amazement, as he spoke softly to the horse, encouraging it forward with the gentle touch of his hand.
Serena blushed slightly, reminded of the night before and how he had handled and coaxed delighted responses out of her with his gentle and firm caresses.
Darien handed her the bag of oats and instructed Serena to come forward and greet the horse. With a slight feeling apprehension, but trusting his instincts, she did as she was told and greeted the horse as he instructed her to do so. The horse snorted quietly and accepted the bag, eating quietly. As she fed the horse, Darien grabbed a pitchfork and added some fresh hay to the horse's stall. It went that way until they got to the last two stalls, both of them working together in a comfortable silence.
"This horse here, is my fine lady, Purity. She's a pure Arabian, from her delicate snout right down to those prancing hooves of hers." Darien smiled proudly at the dappled gray-white horse as he petted her pert snout. Purity neighed softly, pushing her nose against his hand in a gentle greeting. "She's due to give birth this spring," he stated as Serena looked over the stall at the delicate horse.
"She's lovely, Darien. And I assume that stomping horse across the ways is the proud father?" She pointed toward the stall across from Purity's with a smile. "And what is his name?" She asked, gazing at the large, muscular stallion, who watched her with the same amount of curiosity in return.
"That my lovely, is Nefarious." Darien chuckled as Serena's eyes wide at the meaning of the horses' names. With a lopsided grin and quirk to his eyebrows he added, "Perhaps, like you and I?"
A small laugh escaped from Serena's lips as she surveyed Darien mischievously. "I wouldn't go that far."
"And what do you mean by that?" Darien grinned lazily back at her over his broad shoulder as he started shoveling more fresh hay into Nefarious' stall.
"I'm not quite that pure," she smirked devilishly, hands on her hips as she watched the muscles bunch enticingly underneath his now sweat-dampened shirt. He looked very rugged and raw at the moment with a blue cotton shirt clinging to his back, faded blue jeans hugging his sinew thighs, snow boots covering his feet, and leather work gloves on his hands. He had long ago discarded his heavy coat, preferring to work around the horses with less constricting clothing.
Darien turned and winked, a chuckle rumbling in his chest, commenting, "Ah, but I'm quite the wicked one as the word goes. Are you sure you're not looking for a tumble in the hay, my sweet maiden?" As the eager speculation crossed her lovely features, he couldn't help laughing at her expression of delight. He dropped the fork, having done with the hay and took off after Serena who sprinted out through the stable doors, laughing with glee. After pausing to quickly grab his coat, Darien immediately resumed the chase.
When he left from the stables, the first thing that greeted him was a large snowball. It hit him, right smack in the middle of his chest, momentarily stunning him. His mouth dropped open in astonishment, as he stared at the large spot of splattered snow clinging to the front of his shirt. A piece plopped to the ground, blending back in with the snow. Fits of hysterical laughter erupted from the other side of the stable as Darien caught sight of Serena, bent over holding her stomach in as if she were in pain.
"This is war!" Darien declared, roaring with laughter at the same time, bending over to scoop up some snow into his hands and shaping it into a snowball.
Fortunately for Serena, she already had couple of extra snowballs made before Darien came out of the stables. She hurled them at him with surprising speed and accuracy, all of the snowballs hitting various spots of her moving target. A target, who was at the time cursing and mumbling about how some women like to take advantage of defenseless men. Serena laughed even harder.
"This is definitely not working," Darien muttered underneath his breath as Serena continued throw more snowballs than him; of course, he was being distracted by his position as live target. "It's time to change tactics!" He yelled toward her in warning, dropping his artillery at the same time as he advanced toward her. Serena managed to score another hit on his right shoulder.
Her eyes grew huge as a large body leapt toward her. "Nooooo faaairr!" She yelped in surprise as Darien tackled her to the ground. She screeched in laughter as Darien pinned her solidly into the snow.
"All right now, say 'Darien, you are the smartest man in the world,' " He commanded imperiously, chuckling deeply as he stared down into her grinning face.
Serena looked up at him, serious for a moment and then burst out into more laughter again.
Darien chuckled with her, and then prodded her again, "Say, 'Darien you are the smartest, most handsome man in the world and I'm your slave' or else I'll have to chain you up!" He threatened and commanded again in the same jovial tone.
"Promise?" Serena spluttered with laughter.
"I pro--!" And then he laughed uproariously along with her as he caught on. "You minx!" He laughed again and then reached under her coat and started tickling her mercilessly. Instantly Serena surrendered, answering him quickly with twinkling eyes.
"Okay, okay-Darien, you are the smartest, most handsome man in the world, and I'm your slave!" She laughed. "Stop tickling me-I can't breathe!" She gasped out between breaths of laughter as he ignored her request. "I swear, I'm going to pee in my pants if you don't stop!" She breathed out with more helpless laughter, her body trembling and shaking from the force.
This time, it was Darien's turn to burst out laughing. He stopped torturing her with his hands, the mirth still evident in his voice, "How about it if my slave gives her master a kiss then?" He grinned devilishly, and not waiting for a response swooped down and captured her still giggling lips for a lingering kiss.
Breaking their kiss off, she said to him, "Hey! I thought I was supposed to kiss you first," a slightly affronted look on her face.
"Oh really?" Darien asked, one black eyebrow arching slightly, kingly. Then falling back from her and lying on the snow with his arms spread out, he closed his eyes and said, "Well? I'm waiting."
What he got was another snowball on the chin. Again, laughter and outrage were written all over his features as a slightly shocked Darien struggled to get up from his prone position. She laughed and jumped on top of him. She kissed him this time, meaning to soften the effect of the snowball. And then after a while, the sound of laughter died down and instead, only the sounds of soft sighs and husky exclamations could be heard from the engrossed couple lying in the snow.
Darien and Serena returned to the house to finish what they had started outside in the snow. They spent the reminder of the morning to the early afternoon back in bed. It was now mid-afternoon and they had just indulged in a late lunch.
Darien absently caressed Serena's midriff as she yawned sleepily.
Her stomach was pleasantly full of cold-cut ham, cheese, and crackers. They had washed down their lunches with chilled, wine coolers. Soft jazz was playing on his stereo in the background as his hand made its way slowly past her stomach. His fingers lightly made a map around the indention of her belly button, and then slowly, teasingly, his fingers made its way down to the silky curls of her mound. Having mapped his main course, he leaned forward and with his tongue, wickedly traced the patterns where his fingers had been.
As he expected, Serena moaned softly, immediately responding to his touch. The hot heat flared deeply within him and he acknowledged with a certain male satisfaction of hearing her helpless surrender to his exploiting ministrations. Without further ado he parted her womanly petals with his playful tongue and proceeded with his course of action.
Serena reached out blindly with her fingers to entwine them within his hair, her supple body tightening, clutched in a sensual vise of wild pleasure and torment as his tongue flickered and teased decisively at her womanly nub. Will it always be this way between us, her heated mind wondered with dazed desire. This blazing passion that seemed to engulf them within its tenacious hold every time they were near each other. Or will he, she thought distantly, discard me after he has what he wants? She closed her eyes, as if closing her mind from all the anxious questions that bothered her, allowing herself to be swept up only in the physical aspects of pleasure. She only understood right now, and how this incredible man made her feel physically and emotionally. For now, it was good enough for her. She wondered briefly, as she lifted Darien's face in her hands for another deep kiss, would it be good enough for tomorrow when reality settles in?
Reality decided to invade their little world for two a little earlier than anticipated. Just as Darien settled himself within Serena's welcoming embrace, his cell phone rang shrilly on the nightstand, startling the two with its loud ring.
He had turned it on earlier because the phone lines were still down. She giggled silently like a schoolgirl as he put his finger to her lips, indicating for her to be quiet. Of course, he didn't make it any easier for her either by answering the phone and thrusting deeply into her at the same time. Serena's shriek of desire was muffled swiftly by Darien as he covered her mouth with his hand. As if tantalizing her with the play of his powerful body, he pulled out of her slowly, teasing her with the end of his thick manhood. Serena wanted to gasp in shuddering pleasure, her thighs tightening around his tensely, controlled hips, his corded arms easily holding them in place. But her mouth was firmly covered, not allowing her to cry out her exquisite delight.
However, such deeds were not with out recourse, she thought, knowing that revenge could be sweet and satisfying and that this particular revenge would only benefit the both of them. Her eyes took on a gleaming sheen, a mischievous twinkle shining in her gaze as she suddenly realized that he was talking to Wesley. She lifted her hips clear off the mattress in retaliation, further encasing him deeply within her and then her thighs settled once more atop his slim hips, enjoying herself immensely in the process. His face twisted with startled passion and instantly sweat beaded on his forehead as a silent grunt escaped, and he answered with a partial painful grunt, "Yes, grandfather," into the ear piece.
When Darien hung up the phone, he half laughed and growled out to her, "You're going to regret that, you little minx!" and proceeded to finish what he had started as he rolled her over and on top of him.
Serena gasped with startled passion as her body settled further atop him, the feel of him throbbing deep within her. Her expression echoed his previous face, before she exclaimed, "Ooooh! Darien . . .!"
It was much, much later when the cell phone rang again. They were still in bed with the sheets barely covering their sweat-damp bodies, as they cuddled close to one another. Serena frowned as she listened to Darien speak to the person on the other side of the line.
"Merry Christmas to you too . . ." he said into the phone, "Yeah, the phone lines have down and my cell has been too static to call anyone . . .. No, actually I've been busy."
She looked up into his face, the small frown still marring her features as she wrapped her arms around Darien's chest. He stared down into her face and smiled softly back at her.
"Look, Belinda . . . I think we need to talk . . .. Yes . . . there is . . ." he stated, feeling Serena's body stiffening beside him. "Tomorrow would be fine . . . yes . . . that's fine . . . all right. Bye," he finished and pressed the 'end' button on his cell phone to hang it up. He looked down into her golden-white hair and sighed, knowing that she would start asking questions about Belinda.
After a brief silence, "Are you still seeing Belinda?" she ventured quietly into his chest.
"Hmmm. I was," he started, as his hand reached up to wrap a wayward golden curl around his finger. It was amazing, but that was how he felt around Serena, wrapped within her magical web. The feeling was unsettling and yet, he felt a strange calmness within him, as if he were where he belonged. "But I haven't been her with since our so-called engagement, if that's what you're thinking. I quit seeing Melissa a couple of weeks ago and hadn't gotten around to breaking it off with Belinda." Darien looked up at the ceiling, staring at nothing in particular and then sighed again. "I have to be honest with you, Serena. I've never been one to play with women's hearts. That's not me. I tell them exactly what I want up front and then, if they want to continue dating me, then that's up to them. They take me as I am or nothing at all," he said, taking her face into his hands and he staring into her face with dark tumulus eyes. He started when he gazed into her wide, blue eyes, shimmering with large, unshed tears.
"What about me? Am I part of your collection of women now?" She whispered, her voice breaking with the pain that was filling her chest. Could this be love, she thought with sudden clarity and failing despair, this excruciating feeling of being hurt? The pain was almost mind-numbing and she didn't want to hear what he was going to say, so she shut her eyes, waiting for the despairing feeling to swallow her up and take her back into that black void of pain. But his hesitant words surprised her, and she had a sudden feeling of hope for her all too raw heart.
"I don't know, Serena . . . I don't know where you fit in. You're not like the rest and-I . . . just don't know," Darien stated slowly, almost to himself, his hand reaching up to run his fingers through his hair in agitation.
Serena leaned on her elbows, composing her face from the pain that she wanted to hide from him and instead, she smiled softly at him, her heart fluttering at the sight of his handsome face, his jetted brows lowered over his enigmatic, royal blue eyes in a dark scowl. "That's okay . . . Darien."
"Why don't we try this one day at a time, okay?" He asked, not wanting to commit himself to any promises yet and not wanting to scare to her from him either. His fingers reached up to touch her delicate, upturned nose, a slow smile lifting his lips. Her heart did another pitter-patter at the sultry sight before her. "That's all I can promise at the moment . . . Serena."
"I'll take that for now . . ." she said quietly, and laid her head back down on his chest, her eyes closing as she listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
Darien watched his grandfather in furious silence as he got out of the limousine. He had told Serena that his grandfather would be arriving sometime that evening. His grandfather had made a couple of phone calls and got some the roads to Darien's estate cleared so that he could spend the rest of Christmas day with his grandson. Right now, Serena was still upstairs, putting on the finishing touches with her hair. He had gone downstairs into the receiving room and retrieved the newspaper to pass some time, even though the newspaper was a couple of days old. What he didn't expect to find on the second page-along with other prominent Tokyo residents-was an official wedding announcement between Serena and him.
Darien was already resigned to the fact that his grandfather had been behind the little charade at the house and he hadn't really minded that, especially when he thought about the results. But his grandfather had gone too far now.
He waited silently, still clutching the newspaper tightly in his hand, as he watched Thomas and Karen, Thomas's wife enter the foyer behind his own grandfather. Darien pondered silently, his anger simmering to a constant level, wondering what his grandfather was up to as their eyes clashed in the hallway.
"Ah . . . Darien, it's so good to be home," Wesley stated nonchalantly when he caught sight of his grandson leaning casually against the receiving room doorway as if nothing in the world mattered. And yet, he knew the turmoil his grandson was feeling at the moment. There was nothing but cold fire in his eyes.
"Is it really?" Darien drawled sarcastically, his lips twisting cynically.
"What's with the attitude, grandson?" Wesley chuckled quietly as he stared past Darien to the sight of Serena coming down the stairway. She was dressed again, in Darien's mother's clothing and for a moment, her honest and forthright beauty struck Wesley. The clothing did her justice and he smiled a welcoming grin. This time she was dressed in an oversized, cream colored, cashmere sweater and silk, lounging pants that-for an outdated outfit-covered her in simple elegance. Wesley strode past Darien, ignoring his grandson's scowl and with a knowing smile, said, "Finally, I get to meet the one lady who has managed to capture my grandson's heart, when all the others have failed!"
"Mr. Shields," Serena acknowledged with a soft smile spreading across her face, and then bowing respectfully low, as was traditional custom.
"Aaah, Ms. Ashton. We will have none of that, especially since we will soon be family," Wesley grinned, waving her up from her bent position to hug her instead. "You can call me, Wesley, if you please."
"And the same for me, Mr. Wesley. Serena will do," Serena replied warmly. "It is a great honor to finally meet you," she added. She was startled by their likeness between grandson and grandfather.
"My grandfather has so graciously arranged our wedding announcement for us, Serena," Darien said dryly, as he came up to her. Serena glanced back up at Darien at a loss for words as to what he meant.
"Come now, someone had to put the announcement in the papers. Although, I did think that you were being very remiss of your manners by not informing me of your plans, grandson," Wesley replied, still smiling at Serena, who looked startled by the news.
"There must be some mistake . . ." Serena began nervously as she continued to stare at Darien. His mouth was pinched and hard; a tick appearing on the side of his cheek giving way to his dissatisfaction. Now she understood the dark glower he was giving his grandfather. She knew perfectly well that Darien was furious despite the façade he displayed before her and Wesley, having witnessed such an occasion at the hospital once.
"There is no mistake, my dear," Wesley stated meaningfully, still smiling innocently as he watched the emotional turmoil taking place between the two lovers. Oh, but he did like this girl very much! She would do much for his grandson's broken heart. She was everything his mother had not been, Wesley thought inwardly with a satisfied smirk. Not that Darien needed the comfort of a mother figure, no, that was farthest thing from Wesley mind. What Wesley needed to do was to show Darien that not all women were cut from the same cloth as his mother or the type of women Darien liked to associate with within his exclusive circle of acquaintances.
Wesley shuddered just thinking about Darien's mother. How many times had he cursed his own fate and wondered to himself how he gone so wrong with his own son, Westin. Darien had the misfortune of not being loved by his own mother, a shattering blow to the lonely, young boy growing up without the shelter and love that would have naturally come from his own parents. Instead, Darien had born to a selfish and superficial mother.
It broke Wesley's heart every time he remembered the yearning gaze young Darien would display for his mother. A gesture from the heart that was never to be returned by that despicable bitch his son had married. Children should never want for love, especially from their own mother, yet that had been the case for his grandson.
And Darien's father, Westin was nothing more than a wastrel, barely tolerating his son's presence. Instead, Westin submersed himself in society parties, expensive gambling and drinking. He had been drawn to Darien's mother-Elena's cool, classical beauty. Only after he married her, did he find out exactly what type of woman she turned out to be. She apparently had married just for the money. Darien had been nothing more than 'accident', she had proclaimed to Wesley on the night her and Westin were killed in a car accident, returning from a party. Unfortunately, Darien overheard the heated argument taking place in the library that fateful evening. He would never forget the sharp, haunting pain that had crossed Darien's young face at the time.
That night had been a turning point for all of them. Elena had revealed her true colors to all of them. She had never wanted to get pregnant in the first place, and had already barred Westin from her own bedroom. Rumors circulated through town that Elena was still having an affair with an old flame at the time of her pregnancy and being pregnant ended their illicit affair.
However, Wesley had no doubt about Darien's lineage because his grandson turned out to be the exact image of himself and his son. He would at least give Elena credit for never lying about whom had fathered Darien.
It had been almost a relief when he was informed of the accident. Sure, it had broken his heart that he had lost his son. He had mourned his son, and grieved for the loss that he had not been able to accomplish what he should have as a father would for his own son. But he had gained a grandson too, and another chance to be a real father. And a real father was what Darien needed, someone to be there for him and someone love him unconditionally.
Wesley would never forget the lost demure on Darien's face when he had arrived at the big house, and knowing immediately that the damage had been very deep indeed. Wesley did his best for Darien, far more than he had ever done for his own son and the guilt had ridden Wesley until he had finally been able to come to terms with himself and his own mistakes. The pain and sacrifices Wesley had made for Darien did pay off eventually, as Wesley was very proud of Darien's accomplishments and the type of man he became.
Grandfather and grandson were as close as any other kin, and both loved each other dearly. It would take a very loving and patient woman to heal the hurt buried deep within Darien's heart. And as Wesley continued to gaze at Serena, he came to the conclusion that she would be the one who could change all of that for Darien.
Wesley had failed his own son somehow, but he would not do the same thing to Darien. And he would start by making sure that this lovely girl before him be the one that Darien would call his wife. It was quite obvious, from the looks of tenderness that passed between the two, that she was very much in love with Darien.
"If you don't mind, my dear, Darien and I have some serious matters that need to be discussed right away," Wesley asked.
"Oh no, go right ahead. And since the roads have been cleared, I think I'll go back upstairs and get my stuff together," Serena said, bowing slightly to Wesley. She looked up at Darien, smiling awkwardly to him. He nodded his head toward her, his gaze decidedly cool.
"You know where, grandson," Wesley motioned after Serena left them to return upstairs, his voice carefully neutral.
"After you," Darien replied with the same iciness, nodding his head in the direction of the library.
Stay tuned to the next part! Lady M. Harris - God, I got tired editing this - phew, glad it's over. Sorry for the mistakes.