blueeyedevil06 thank you for being my beta!

Andrew had asked him to come over and stay the weekend at his place. Darien was disappointed that he wasn't able to come up with a good enough excuse why he couldn't on the fly. He was regretting that. Andrew's place was the last spot in the world he wanted to be headed to right now. He lamented that his friend's house was no longer a haven for him. Now that she lived there, he had tried to stay away.

As he drove towards Andrew's home, he reflected that there was a time when "Serena" was just any other name. Andrew had told him quite a bit about her. Darien was even excited for Andrew when he told Darien that his sister was moving in with him. Oh, if he only knew then what he knew now.

He knocked on the door and prepared to spend the weekend pretending that she didn't affect him in the slightest. He was determined to hide his desire from her like he always did.

Andrew opened the door and welcomed him in. He said, "I am so glad you could come! You have been so busy lately, and we don't get to spend nearly enough time together."

Darien felt a little guilty. He didn't relish hurting his only friend.

"I have missed spending time with you." He replied. He was about to say more when Serena came into the room.

"Darien, it's great to see you! It has been a while." Without waiting for any response she looked at Andrew and said, "I am going to get ready. I am getting together with the girls tonight."

Darien breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He would be able to relax without her around the house, popping up and putting his body on edge.

Forty-five minutes later, she popped into the room to tell Andrew goodbye. He regretted his relief. She was dressed in a tight blue dress. It was incredibly short and low cut showing off her gorgeous breasts. She had on silver heels that made her long legs look even longer. Desire flared inside of his gut. Desire and horror. She was going out like that, and he knew she would draw attention. Who wouldn't be drawn to her? He wanted every man to stay away from her. He had to remind himself that she wasn't his. He had no justification to be getting upset.

Andrew scoffed and said, "Serena, you can't be going out like that." Darien mentally cheered his best friend on.

Serena rolled her eyes and said, "You aren't our father. When I moved in, you agreed that you wouldn't try to be."

"Yes, but I know how guys think. You can't wear that out." Andrew insisted. Darien knew he was making great sense. She should stay home wearing that dress. Wait, no. That would be bad.

"I am heading out with the girls. You know Raye can beat up any man. I am always careful too." she pointed out. "Plus, this dress gets me free drinks."

"You should never accept a drink from a guy!" Andrew yelled.

She scoffed, "I'm not stupid. They have the bartender make it for me, and I accept it directly from him or a waiter."

Darien chanced to speak, "You aren't even old enough to be drinking."

"In this dress, you can't tell that." she winked at him.

Darien's breath caught. He tried to help his friend. Well, he also didn't want to picture her dancing with other guys. "What kind of friends take you out drinking?"

"The fun kind. Not everyone wants to stay home and play video games like you two. Have fun being boring." she wiggled her fingers at them in goodbye.

Andrew sighed audibly, "Is this because of him?"

Serena froze, "Him?"

"The mystery guy that you are interested in. I didn't mean to overhear you the other day talking to one of your friends. You said he never sees you. Is this to get him to look at you?" Andrew asked.

She looked him straight in the eye and didn't deny that there was a guy. What she said was, "I guarantee you this outfit wouldn't make him see me. You don't have to worry about him."

When Serena got to the base of the temple stairs, she took off her heels and carried them up as she ascended. When she got to Raye's room, she tossed her shoes in the corner and collapsed on the bed.

Mina looked at her, "Well?"

"Unimpressed. He didn't even check me out." Serena sighed and tossed her clutch in the corner to join her shoes. "Raye, can I borrow something to wear? This dress really won't work for our movie night."

As Raye got her some pajamas, Mina voiced her anger, "What a jerk! You are objectively hot! I mean he doesn't have to even be interested to look. You are sexy in that dress."

Serena shrugged and tried not to let them know how much it bothered her. She failed. They knew her too well.

By the end of the evening. Serena was in better spirits. She was with her two closest friends, and they had her laughing by the end.

When it was time to go, she put her dress back on and ruffled her hair. "There. Does it look like I had fun?"

Raye laughed and Mina said, "I could give you a hickey. That would be more convincing."

Serena burst out laughing and shook her head at her friend. "Thank you for the laugh."

She carried her shoes down the steps of the temple. She had gotten less clumsy as she grew into her body over the years, but she still didn't trust her balance that much.

She unlocked and opened the door to her brother's place and came up short. Sitting on the couch, in the dark, was Darien. In the low light from the street lamp, she could tell his arms were crossed. She couldn't make out his expression.

"Are you drunk?" was the gruff question that greeted her.

She rolled her eyes, but he couldn't see it. "No, I'm not. Not that it's any of your business."

"Your brother deserves better than this." he said.

She kicked off her heels and walked towards him, "My brother told you he was upset?"

"No, but how could he not be?!" Darien huffed.

"So, you have decided he should be upset, even though he hasn't told you he is. And, you waited up for me to berate me about it? Did I get that right?" she was pissed. Since when did he give a damn? That was when she realized that must be the problem. He didn't look at her because he disliked her. There was something about her he strongly disapproved of. She deflated.

Darien hadn't sensed her mood change and responded to her anger. "If you were my sister, I wouldn't let you go out dressed like that. Guys can't be trusted!"

"I'm tired." she responded. Meaning it from the very depth of her heart. She was feeling exhausted and worn down.

She bent over to pick up her shoes. She didn't notice Darien's eyes on her breasts as she did it, but she did hear him suck in a breath. "What?"

He rubbed his hand through his hair and said, "Nothing."

She shrugged and turned to leave, stopping at the last moment and saying, "You should go to bed too. I don't know why you waited up for me." She then walked up to her room, shutting the door and dropping her shoes. She buried her face in her hands and sighed.

After that, she quickly came to a decision. She changed into a pair of shorts and a blouse and packed a weekend bag. She would call Raye on her way to her place. She would let Serena stay the weekend. She couldn't stay under the same roof as him.

She grabbed her bag, opened her door, and walked downstairs. As she opened the front door, she heard, "Where are you going?"

Serena jumped, startled and said, "I thought you went to bed. I am going to Raye's. I will text my brother that I'm there."

"I thought you just got home. Why leave again?" he asked.

She shut the door and turned to face him. She dropped her bag and hissed, "Because you can't stand me. I want Andrew to have a nice weekend with his friend, and it doesn't seem like that can happen with me here! I don't know what I did to make you hate me, but I am dealing with it the best way I know how."

Darien's eyes grew wide and he said, "I don't hate you. That's just ridiculous!"

"Bullshit! You have criticized everything I have done since you have gotten here." she said.

Darien's lips thinned and he said, "I didn't mean to come off that way. I just didn't want to think of other guys seeing you in that dress."

She stomped her foot and said, "You fussed about that dress, but you didn't even like it!"

"You looked so fucking sexy in that dress. What in the hell are you talking about?!" he demanded to know.

"No, you said I looked inappropriate in that dress." she countered. Her heart couldn't take the word sexy coming from him.

"No, I never said anything about that dress. I said you shouldn't be drinking." he insisted.

She bent down to pick up her bag again and said, "I just can't do this anymore. I need to get out of here." She looked at him while she held her bag.

Darien raked both hands through his hair and said, "Shit! And, this was why I didn't want to come. I knew I was going to make everything awkward."

"Wait, you didn't want to come and see my brother?" she asked.

He rolled his eyes, "No, I didn't want to come and see you!" Her hand tightened on her bag, and she turned to leave. "I didn't mean it that way! Dammit, I am in love with you!"

Serena felt like the whole world screeched to a halt. The bag fell from her limp hand and she turned to look at him. Her face perfectly showed her shock. "You're in love with me?"

He dropped his hands to his sides and just nodded.

She swiftly moved across the room to him and into his arms. He wrapped her in his arms as soon as she made contact with him. It was like his body reacted all on it's own. He just clung to her. He looked down at her in shock, and he saw her perfect lip. He slowly leaned down to kiss her. He wanted to give her time to say no. His whole body desperately wanted her to accept his kiss.

When their lips met, he moved to deepen the kiss. He tried to show her his passion for her. He wanted her to accept him, to give him a chance. He heard her moan into his mouth, and it filled him with pride.

When they broke the kiss, both panting for breath, he quickly moved to kissing her neck. He spoke in between his kisses, "You looked so good in that dress. I am jealous of every guy who danced with you tonight. Each one who held you. I want that, I want you."

She pressed herself against his body and relished the feeling of being in his arms. She admitted, "I put on that dress for you."

He pulled back just enough to look her in the eye. "You tortured me, for me?"

She chuckled and said, "I put that dress on in an attempt to get your attention. I thought I failed miserably. I did have someone offer to give me a hickey, but it was Mina."

Now he was even more turned on and confused, "Mina?"

Serena nodded and said, "I didn't go out dancing tonight. I put the dress on to try to finally get your attention. Even a little bit. I went to Raye's and hung out with her and Mina. I borrowed some clothes, we watched movies and joked around."

"You have had my attention ever since I met you. I almost combusted when you walked in wearing that dress." He ran his hands down her body and continued, "I definitely desire you."

"You also said you love me. Did you mean it?" She looked up at him with such an open expression. He could tell that she wanted the answer to be yes. That gave him hope.

"Yes, I am in love with you." he whispered into her ear. "I am in love with everything about you."

"I love you too." she responded.

Darien felt like he had just been given the world. "Please, be my girlfriend. I want that more than anything."

"Yes. I will be your girlfriend. I am hoping you want a bit more than that though." She ran her hands down his back and grasped his butt. "I was hoping for a little relief. I have been so turned on by you for so long. I was hoping you could help me with that." She ground against him.

Darien prided himself on his intelligence. The moment she said that, it felt like all of his brain cells melted out of his ears. The only ones left were shouting at him to touch her. Touch her everywhere, and make her moan. He didn't care that he was in his best friends house, and that this was his best friend's sister. He was going to give her everything she wanted.

She tugged his hand and had him follow her to her room. He gulped and stepped over the threshold.

That night, he finally made love to the woman of his dreams. It had been better than any fantasy he had ever had.