I am so pleased that you are all still enjoying this! I didn't think I'd make it to 15 chapters! Thank you all so much for the comments and reviews they are all gratefully recieved.
The four emerged from the taxi outside Hanssen's house. He took Serena's hand gently, helping her out and was only mildly surprised when she wouldn't let it go again. Keeping hold until they reached his front door.
They said their goodnights to Derek and Gloria who watched them carefully and nudged each other discreetly when they saw the two holding hands.
Hanssen opened the door and they entered to stand in his hallway. Serena looked around. The place was bright, classically styled.
'So, are you staying or…?' Hanssen asked, unsure of whether Serena had really meant it when she told Derek she was staying over or whether she planned to leave again.
'If you'll have me.' Serena replied.
Hanssen nodded. 'Shall I…?' he gestured to take her coat and hung it on a coat rack. Leaving her bag on a side table.
'Would you like a glass of water or anything?' he asked.
'Yes, please.' Serena answered. She wasn't sure why she was suddenly feeling nervous. Being in the lion's den, she supposed, and then smiled to herself at the analogy. Hanssen seemed equally nervous. Gloria had said they never saw him bring anyone home. As she followed him to the kitchen, she wondered who the last person had been to be in this house aside from Hanssen himself.
The kitchen was all clean lines and everything in it's place. I wonder if he cooks, she thought. Hanssen poured her a glass of water and brought it to her as she stood beside the island in the kitchen. She took it gently and smiled a thank you.
Hanssen appeared to be staring at her neck.
'There's something…' Hanssen gestured to below her throat. 'It's…' He stepped closer and gently ran a finger across her skin. 'a bit of fluff.' He held her gaze and she found she suddenly couldn't speak.
Hanssen let his index finger gently trace along the gold chain she was wearing, making her skin tingle. He hooked his finger briefly underneath the charm that hung from it and then let it fall again, dragging his finger to the edge of the v-shaped neckline of the top she was wearing. Just as he had with the chain, he let his finger trace down along by the edge of the material to the centre of the V. Serena realised she had been holding her breath and gasped a little as he tugged gently downward on the material of her top. He stopped and let his finger rest against her skin. He looked her in the eye again, his lips parting as if going to say something. She was breathless and her body instinctively wanted to arch towards him.
Suddenly he removed his hand and stepped away. 'I'll show upstairs.' He said and walked away briskly.
Serena wanted to shout after him but she still could not find her voice. She grabbed the glass of water and took a gulp. Her heart was pounding, her skin still tingling from his touch and her head felt as if she had just been on a rollercoaster.
She went upstairs after him and found him emerging from a room holding a shirt. He offered it to her.
'You can wear this tonight if you'd like.' He said, avoiding her gaze now.
She took it without a word. What on earth was going on? She followed him into a room. Like the rest of the house it was non-fussy, bright, not quite Spartan but bordering on it. She realised it was the spare bedroom.
'There are clean towels in the bathroom for the morning.' He told her. 'Everything else should be satisfactory.' He almost attempted a smile but still wouldn't meet her eyes. 'Sleep well.'
And with that he was gone. Serena stood dumbfounded staring at the shirt in her hands. Was he really going to make her sleep in the spare room? After a few minutes, her annoyance spurred her into action and she made her way to the other bedroom he had stepped out of earlier. She knocked on the door but did not wait for a reply before entering.
She found Henrik, barefoot and unbuttoning his shirt. He looked mildly startled at the intrusion.
'Is something the matter?' he asked.
'You are the matter!' Serena exclaimed. 'Are you really going to make me sleep in the spare room? Alone?' she demanded.
Hanssen turned away from her, removing his watch and leaving it on the bedside table.
'I thought we agreed that what happened last night was a once-off.' He said quietly.
'We did.' Serena agreed. 'But then we did it again this morning. And then you brought me for dinner. And there was… whatever the hell that was downstairs!' Serena threw the shirt she was still holding onto a nearby chair. 'I'm not sure last night's agreement still holds up!'
'I apologise for my behaviour downstairs.' Hanssen hung his head remorsefully.
'I don't want you to apologise.' Serena told him. 'I want you to…' she stopped. What did she want? She shrugged helpless at him and sighed. 'I want… to not be acting like a hysterical teenager.'
She shook her head dejectedly. She hated feeling like this, so unsure and desperate. She should just go home and stop making a fool of herself.
'I should leave.' She said.
'I'm sorry.' He apologised again. 'I told you I'm not very good at this.'
'Henrik. You're the kind of person who's good at whatever you put your mind to.' She gave a painful smile. 'It's alright to say you simply don't want me. I'm a big girl. And perhaps it's me who should be apologising to you for being so pushy.'
'Relationships don't work.' He said.
Serena shrugged. 'Perhaps we just don't really want them to, not deep down. Maybe we're too selfish.'
'I thought we could be friends.' He said, offering a small desperate smile. 'I thought that would be best. For both of us.'
'I'm not sure we'd be any better at that.'
'I ruined it.' He said sadly. 'Downstairs. My behaviour. I thought I had more self-control.' He was clearly annoyed at himself.
'I've been told relationships aren't supposed to be about control.' Serena said, thinking back to an argument with her ex-husband.
'I've been told that too.' He said. He took a step towards her. 'I don't want you to go.'
'And I don't want to go.' She told him. 'But are we just going in circles here? What do we do tomorrow? Tell ourselves this was a once-off too?'
'I have no answers.' He said simply. 'All I do know, is that I have felt more alive in the last few days in your company than I have in a long time. Maybe we can just see how it goes. Release some of that control we both enjoy so much.' He smiled.
Serena was quiet for a moment and he stepped closer to her. Running his finger along her cheek as he wondered what was going through her mind.
'You really are ridiculously tall.' She said a second later. She held a straight face for a moment before breaking into a grin.
Hanssen laughed, tilted her chin upwards and bended to kiss her.