"What don't you like about my office?" Darien asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" She looked away. She smelled Rei's perfume on his bed. Yeah, maybe that wasn't obvious.
"Look at me," he ordered. "What is obvious?" She still refused to look at him. "I said look at me."
She did. "Darien, I never expected fidelity from you—"
"Hold it right there if you don't want to see me really angry." He got to his feet. They were in his 'office bedroom'.
Serena shut her mouth and swallowed the rest of what she was going to say. She had the grace to bow her head and apologize.
"I'm sorry."
"Re-touch your lipstick. We're dining out."
Rei was still in the reception hall when they went out of Darien's main office. The woman was busy with something on her computer but turned it off when she noticed that they were ready to leave.
"Mrs. Lawson?"
Serena was surprised that Rei acknowledged her presence after ignoring her all day long. She turned to face the secretary from Darien's hold that was guiding her to the automatic sliding doors.
"Do you mind if I ask for a lift to town?"
"No. Not at all. Do we wait for you here or at the car park?"
"Follow us to the car park when you're done here," Darien clipped before Raye could answer. He was tolerating her because she was Amy's friend, but even he had his limits.
He tightly held Serena's wrist and pulled her toward the nearest elevator.
Serena used her thumb to press the down button and the circle around the arrow turned green.
"I thought you don't like Raye," Darien began.
"She asked me nicely. Second, it's not my car."
"Of course it's your car, too. We're married."
"Don't make me laugh," she said, really piqued. "Third, if you didn't like the arrangement, you would have said no, right?"
"I don't know how to deal with you." He frowned and Serena caught the expression on his face. He rarely showed emotion. She thought this time he looked quite boyish. It reminded her of the early days of their marriage. "If it would make you happy, I could always tell Raye to take a hike."
"Don't bother. You're making me angry." Too late. She knew he caught the sparkle of a smile in her eyes, even if she did manage to look away. "Would you like to get something from the convenience store?"
"Why would I want to ruin my dinner?" Darien. She pursed her lips as if saying, suit yourself. "What are you going to buy?"
"Something."
He laughed. "I guess I'm paying for it, huh?"
"Get in the car." Darien's voice was almost... tender. It was as if he'd totally forgot about their argument earlier. Like he'd forgiven her accusation of him having another woman.
He opened the door for her and walked toward the driver's side. He noticed Raye approaching and motioned for the woman to get in the back seat.
Darien was already in the driver's seat before Raye could reach the car.
"You should have at least waited until she's inside the car," Serena taunted, certain that Raye couldn't hear them.
"She's rich in her own right. The company pays her well. Heck, she has her own car. She can even make use of one of the company cars and/or drivers."
"Yeah, yeah. You're rich. I get it." She rolled her eyes again.
"I'm going to kiss you if you don't shut up."
"Promises, promises," she taunted.
He shook his head at her. She squealed in mock terror and maybe delight when he moved to "attack" her. He fastened her seatbelt for her instead and settled back in his seat to fasten the one in his.
The rebellious part of her wanted to annoy him more, but yes, she was afraid of how he would retaliate. And with only the three of them in the car, she could hardly expect Raye to save her.
The change in atmosphere was apparent when Raye was finally in the car. The silence was pretty uncomfortable for Serena. Darien turned on the ignition and the hum of the car somehow soothed her.
Suddenly, she was reminded of the perfumed sheets when Raye's scent assaulted her nostrils.
She remembered the items she bought from the convenience store. Smiling, she picked up the paper bag in front of her.
"What did you buy?" Darien asked again.
"Candies," she said, her feelings lightening up already. "Chocolates."
Darien laughed. "Feed me some."
"What?!"
"Ungrateful girl. I paid for those," he said.
That was not the reason why she was surprised and he knew it. "No. These are mine. All mine."
"Are you pregnant? Why don't you like to share?"
He let out an exasperated breath. "Darien Alaric Shields—"
"Okay, okay. You're not pregnant. No need to say my full name."
When he sounded this serious, she knew he was up to no good. Might as well do as he wanted. "Fine, I'm sharing them with you. I'm just tearing the wrapper." She fed him a piece. "Aw! You bit me!" That was not all he did. She was more surprised when his tongue touched parts of her index finger and thumb. Like when one was grounded for a second or two when plugging an electrical device.
"Serena! It tastes like a dead animal. What is it?" he complained. "Poison?"
"No," she said, laughing. "A gummy bear."
"You told me it was chocolate."
"Gummy bears are better."
"I don't think you should be feeding my child that. More like a rotten bear."
"I said I'm not pregnant!" Serena shook her head and concentrated on opening the bottle of water she bought.
"You can drop me here, Darien," Raye said from the back.
He pulled over.
Serena almost forgot that the woman was with them. Raye was so quiet...
"Thanks," Raye said to no one in particular and got out of the car without so much as a proper goodbye.
Serena wasn't really expecting one.
"What would you like for dinner?" Darien asked.
"Anything."
"That's not in the menu."
She smiled at him. The day... the night wasn't ruined after all.
"Give me some of that water," he said and proceeded to drink from her bottle.
On the sidewalk, Raye was ashamed of herself. She let greed talk her into going in the car with Darien...and lying in his bed in the office earlier.
She wanted to feel his body heat, if only by lying down where his head and body used to lay. It was the first time she'd entered his bedroom. Simply because it was the first time he had left it unlocked while he wasn't in the office.
He left it open for Serena. Raye heard him tell the woman to stay there. She didn't. Serena, instead, slept in the executive chair and transferred to the couch to read some magazines while she waited for her husband.
Raye took a very stupid risk. Serena was out in Darien's chair, while she lay there in his bed.
Darien was in the conference room, ready to kill Alex.
Raye wasn't sure if she was really waiting for Darien to return and see her there. What would have been his reaction? Or was she waiting for Serena to enter and think the worst?
Wouldn't it have been for the best had she let it come to that? Having ventured that far, she should have risked it to that point? All the way. Would she have been able to seduce him this time?
Would he leave her? Perhaps the question was, would Serena leave him again?
Serena was spineless--the way she let him be near her husband. And it's not like Darien didn't tolerate Raye's flirting. His casual demeanor, acting as if he didn't notice her feelings for him, only made Raye more determined.
He dated her first. He knew her first. Raye, not Serena. It just so happened that he needed to marry Serena for his family, for business reasons.
She would fight to get Darien's love. And this time, she would win.