Collision

Chapter 23

'What's wrong?'
He narrowed his eyes at her sudden outburst.

'Wrong? What could be wrong? We just lost our senses last night. Nothing's wrong! We give in to temptation regularly..what could be wrong..'
Serena ranted on, all that had happened last night, now hitting her hard.
She backed away further.
'Please, go now!'
She looked around the lounge, and spotted Rick's shirt hanging from her coffee table, where it must have landed last night. She went and picked it up, and saw her own on the floor. Leaving that, she turned around, and was startled to see Rick standing right behind her. He had taken off the apron, and was now clad in his jeans, which were still unbuttoned, and brought too many memories rushing to her head.
'Here! Wear this, and go..'
She stretched her hand out, but instead of taking the shirt, Rick grabbed her hand, and pulled her to him. Serena's palms landed flat on his chest, a chest which was warm, and muscled in all the right places. And which sent an electric current running through her entire body.
'What..'

'Exactly my point! What is wrong with you? Why the sudden haughty behaviour?'
Rick caught her palms with his hands before she could move them.

'What haughty? I'm just saying, that you should go now. I have to..'
Serena tried calm instead of hyper.

'Something wonderful happened between us last night!'
Rick watched her closely, not liking her icy attitude.
'You wanted it as much as I did, took part as enthusiastically as I did. So, why are you degrading..'

'I told you I'm not good at all this!'
Serena shook her hands free, and moved back, running a hand through her tousled hair.
'And you...you are here acting as if..as if it's a norm for you to be cooking for us, like we do this everyday..you are so casual..'
She threw up her hands in the air.

'I was just trying to make you comfortable..'
Rick explained.

'Well, it's done the exact opposite, okay?'
Serena couldn't meet his eyes, because he looked as if he meant it.
'All this..'
She gestured to the table with their breakfast, and then waved her hand towards her bedroom.
'It's a bit too much..too soon! And now, if you could stop dissecting it..'
She motioned towards the main door.

Rick didn't reply, but she could see the tightening of his jaw. He put on his shirt, thankfully covering up that naked form of his.
He walked up to her, and Serena stopped herself from stepping back.
'I don't know what's gotten into you, but okay! I'll go for now..'
He saw her look relieved at that.
'But, don't think this is over!'
With that, he planted a kiss on her startled lips.

But, before Serena could react to it, he had opened the door and was gone..leaving her baffled..and feeling..dejected...

***************************

Rick increased the speed of his treadmill, pushing his limits, till his lungs felt as if they couldn't take in more air.
Lowering it back to normal, he kept running, his mind wandering to one tiny, fiery, and sexy woman. A woman who had been in his thoughts ever since he had returned from her place.

Rick had gone there to get answers, and had come back needing more.
He hadn't planned on giving in to his attraction to her, but had ended up having one of the best sex in his life.
Wanting to spend more time with her, he had casually suggested having dinner together, and had ended up having an earful from her.
He had thought she would be excited to be with him, but had had his ego deflated at hearing all her excuses.
Thinking to give her more time, he had left, but maybe he should have gotten to the bottom of things.
Because, it had been almost a week, and he hadn't gotten through to her at all.
He had called her, and she had even received his calls. But, after a very casual hello hi, she had left with the excuse of being busy at the cafè. And that had happened thrice now.
Which meant that she was avoiding him..definitely.
His male ego was miffed, but he wasn't the type to go and inflict himself on an uninterested woman.
The only problem was, he knew she wasn't uninterested.
Then what was the catch?
He just couldn't figure it out.

Leaving his home gym, Rick showered and dressed for work, his mind still on different possibilities.
How to find out without being too eager?

Rick left his house, his drive to his office spent thinking of ways to get her to open up.
He was so full of thoughts about her, that when he saw Serena coming out of a building near his office, he thought he had conjured her up.

Stopping his car in front of his building, he got off, intending to avail the opportunity to go meet her. Handing the car over to his valet, he began to walk along the pavement.
And came to a sudden halt, when he saw that Serena wasn't alone.

Holding her arm, ever so casually, was Paul Carter, her ex....

To be continued..