"I don't understand why we couldn't take my car," there was no way she was going to give up the fight so easily.
He swiftly glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. "You just cannot give up can you?" he questioned as he gave his attention to the road again.
"Well forgive me for having a mind of my own!" she replied hotly.
Turning to her with a serious expression, "And it is something you do not need anymore... From now on, I make the decisions, understand?"
"You are pig-headed..." she started pausing to think of more adjectives to describe him and added, "and I-- I just hate you!"
Chuckling to himself, Darien merely turned up the volume for the car radio. However, he realized his error when a familiar song started to stream out of the stereo in a crisp sound only achieved by the best technology offered.
"Oh! Turn it up a bit more will you? This is my favorite Star Lights song," his wife squealed with delight as she straightened up in her seat.
Darien tried to control his anger by tightening his grip on the steering wheel. However, as the song progressed, his worst enemy's voice murmuring lyrics describing a bout of beautiful love making mixed with his wife's soft voice singing along-- eyes closed, he imaged her in bed laying with another man, Seiya, moaning another names name, Sieya's name... instead of his. He could not take it anymore. His focus shifted from the rode to savagely slamming his right hand on the controls feature of the steering wheel.
Bolting from her trance when the force of Darien's hand sounded throughout the car and the music cut off, Serena turned to him with a look of confusion. "What was that about?" she asked bewildered.
"What do you think it was about? Damn you!" he replied following it with a stream of ungentlemanly curses. Breathing in deeply for control, he continued, "The song was about-- about making love... and I do not like it! He should not be singing about private actions such as that and especially when it involves someone else's wife!" He was furious, not only as Seiya and Serena, but at himself for letting such a small thing affect him so.
His mood turned into that of slight confusion when Serena started to laugh. And, boy was she laughing. Irritated, he asked, "What is so funny, may I ask?"
"You! I can't believe how stupid you are... for such a smart man."
"I do not get what you are saying. Perhaps you would care to explain?"
"What I am trying to say is that song is not about me in anyway." Her serious tone pulled at Darien's mind and almost convinced him... almost. However, he was too sharp for such a lie to pass through him.
"Sure," he muttered bitterly.
"Alright, this is the last time I will say it... but I have never ever been Seiya's lover."
"Deny it all you want, but I do not care any longer. What I care about is my daughter's future."
"Our daughter! And her name is Rini!"
"Yes, our daughter, Rini, who you have kept from her father all of her life! My daughter who grew up around her mother's lover instead of her father! Say all the things you want to say, but you cannot deny that Seiya does not look at you with wanting and need." He said Seiya's name like it was poison and bitterly curled his mouth at the word need. " But, everything will change now. It will change to what it should be. You, me, and our daughter. Together. As a family."
"Look, Darien, I understand..."
Suddenly pulling over at the side of the highway with a strong jerk, he cut her off swiftly, "No! You don't. You can't understand at all, you little bitch, otherwise you would not have kept me from my own flesh and blood. You would not have broken your vows. You would have not given that-- that-- man what was all mine. You were mine, damn you!"
"Excuse me! But I am NOT a piece of property that you had your name on. I am not cattle to be branded, Darien," she countered angrily.
He leaned for forward to cup her chin and force her to make eye contact with him. "You were mine! You may not want to admit it, but you were mine the moment you gave me your innocence." Serena looked away with acute embarrassment making his resolve lessen. "Nothing to be ashamed of, cara and I am willing to forget about the past to make our future work, "he assured her with a smile. "I trust you told-- him-- that you would not be working as their manager any longer?"
"Darien, about that-- listen, I really need extra time. You know... please." It must have been the pleading desperation in her voice, but he could not refuse her.
"I will give you a week to settle it, but only for a small prize for me, bella mia." His response started Serena as she was preparing for him to contest until he got his way.
But, then again, he had a clause. "What prize?"
"I want a kiss," he stated simply.
Incredulous, she blinked. "A-- kiss?"
He smiled. "A real kiss like you mean it. I want you to kiss me."
She hesitated.
"I am waiting, mia monglie." His wife...
Wanting to get it over with, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his and quickly pulled back.
"Oh, no. That was not a real kiss..." he teased. "Try again, sweetheart."
Uncertain, shifted from her position to gain better access, leaned over to his sit, and touched her lips with his again. She lingered for a few seconds, certain that he would take control of the situation. However, he remained unmoving, and she quickly realize that she meant what he said. He really wanted HER to kiss him. Lifting her hand to cup the back of his neck to pull him closer and to play with his hair, she lightly traced the soft line formed by his lips.
She became highly aware and sensitive when he responded by traveling his hand up and down her backside. Closing her eyes to the intense piercing want she was feeling, she let her inhibitions lower and gave into the kiss. Her tongue made its way inside his mouth demanding to possesses and to pleasure. Groaning, Darien could not bare to be the idle partner and took over with the urgency that made Serena moan involuntarily.
"Now, that was a real kiss," he murmured softly into her ear as she pulled away. Breathless, Serena could only nod her head in agreement. "It is the kind that I want to get when we renew our vows," he continued as he watched her tense in shock at his words. Before she could contest, he continued in a lighter tone, "Sit down and put your seat belt back on, bella. We need to be on our way or we will be late in picking our daughter up."
Serena was horrified that picking up Rini was the last thing on her mind, so she merely did as she was told without argument for once. There was always later that she could talk to him about his idiotic idea of renewing their vows. How laughable was that? She was no way in hell going to renew her vows with him. She couldn't... not after everything that happened. It didn't matter that she still loved him--
Wait! What!? She was not in love with him. She argued to herself. She was merely infatuated. Yes, that's it. Infatuated. It was infatuation. She couldn't possibly love someone so--so... so sexy, yummy... Shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts, she also added that while he was all of that, he was also a callous bastard.
"Tell me about her, Serena." His voice saved her from her turmoil of thoughts. By her, Serena automatically knew he meant Rini. An odd emotion she could not explain surged through her as she noted how soft and loving his tone became. And, he did not call her any of the endearments, meant to threaten or mock her, as he had been using, but he used her name. Not only that, he had not used it with the contempt he had been showing her. "Please," he added softly, but looking straight ahead.
"Oh Darien, she is so much like you. So smart and confident. You would be so proud of her," she replied with pure emotion. Catching herself, she cleared her throat and continued, "She is amazing when it comes to math and science. And, you know she certainly did not get that from me."
Chuckling, Darien replied, "That I know, cara. She got it from her papa."
She smiled weakly. "That she did. And, she plays the violin. I am sure that Michelle would be pleased." After a pause, "By the way how is Michelle? Is she still with Amara?" Amara was dating Michelle, Darien's cousin, when she had left him, and she was sure that they would still be together. And, she inwardly sighed with relief when Darien confirmed that they were.
"I thought so. They are so perfect for each other. How I wish..." she stopped when she noticed a sudden change in him. "What's wrong? Don't tell me you are still against them... Come on, Dare, we are in the new millennium. You are such a caveman!"
"I have accepted my cousin's sexuality along time ago," he answered curtly.
"That's really good to know. I am glad. I knew you would see the light." She patted him on the shoulders and smiled brightly. But Darien could not get his mind off what she had let slip... while she did not exactly finish saying it, she was going to say that she wished she had what they had. Hadn't he given her all of that and more when they were together? Was he that much of a bad husband? He had given her everything he could give...his money, his protection. Hell, he even married her!
"Take the next right, Darien." His thoughts were interrupted and he concentrated on controlling his nerves as the approached the school building. "And, just pull over at the parking lot area." She directed.
Darien took a deep breath to calm himself has he put the car on park and switched the ignition off.
"I just want you to know that I am really truly sorry for keeping her from you." Serena confessed in an apologetic voice. "I didn't realize... anyway, I-- We should really go because the school will let them out in two minutes." She began to open the door, until she felt Darien's hand on her.
"Cara, I cannot condemn you for bringing her into the world and taking care of her. I am truly grateful that I am going to meet her and you are allowing me to with minimal fuss." Because of the way he said it, Serena knew that he was being serious and sincere. She nodded because she could not trust herself to speak as tears formed on her eyes. Blinking them back, she pushed the door open and anticipated the future.
