Despite everything she laughed at him.  He laughed a 
moment too before leaning forward to peck a kiss on her forehead.  
A bit startled she looked up to meet his eyes.  She cursed the 
darkness in the room that wouldn't let her see him clearly.  But 
through the flickers of lightning she could see him gazing back at 
her.  It was only then that she noticed a hotness to her checks.  She 
was blushing!

*Over a little kiss on the forehead?  Come on Serena, he's 
done a lot more than that to make you blush…*

Her thoughts cut themselves off as she remembered back to 
their encounter at the conference.  The same emotions clouded up 
in her heart again as she stared into his eyes illuminated by the 
strobe effect flashes.  Those same warm blue eyes…

She saw them flicker quickly from her eyes down and then 
back to them.  She hadn't noticed how close they were or the 
gentle hand he still held under her chin that was easing her face up 
towards him.

She saw him again glance down from her eyes to her… 
lips?  With that slight realization dawning in her cloudy mind she 
involuntarily looked down to his lips as well.  So close it seemed in 
the lightning lit room.

She looked back to his eyes to see him do the same as he 
closed the last of the gap between them.  Her mind barely 
registered as he turned slightly and finally lost eye contact.  But it 
couldn't help but notice the soft brush of his lips against her.

She slowly let her eyes flutter shut as he touched her again, 
lingering longer this time.  Gently he caught her lips again 
deepening his kiss little by little.

She felt his hand that had been resting on her check trace 
down her neck and then drop down to wrap itself around her waist.  
Slowly he pulled her closer and without thought she slid her arms 
around his neck.  He pressed her close and tilted her back slightly 
as he leaned over her.

Slowly he released her lips enough to reposition as he 
slipped a hand up her back to keep her close.  But she had no 
thoughts of moving away from him.  Very few thoughts existed in 
her foggy mind at all and they were still in the process of figuring 
out what was happening to her.

He pressed his lips back to hers with an innate gentleness 
that was beginning to give way to an increased passion…  And her 
entire world shattered.

His touch chased out every thought from her mind and 
opened her heart like a floodgate.  Emotions she didn't know 
existed washed over her.  She was in no position to stop the deluge 
and her heart laughed at the prospect of ever trying.  She wasn't 
about to stop this.

Every other sense fled from her.  Her entire being was 
transfixed with HIM.

Neither paid any mind to the storm outside.  The storm 
between them had taken over completely.  Neither noticed 
anything but the other.  And neither noticed the older woman who 
had unsuspectingly entered through the open door carrying a 
flashlight.  And neither noticed when she slipped back out just as 
quickly.

Darien cared about nothing else but HER.  His heart was 
racing in his chest and his knees were threatening to give out.  But 
all he was concerned with was the sweet little pair of lips he was 
smothering.

He again pressed her closer wanting to make her stay with 
him this way forever.  To hold her so close and never have to part 
from her lips' company.

He felt her tighten her hold on him as if she could read his 
heart's desires.  One arm wrapped around and down to his opposite 
shoulder blade to press him closer.  Her other hand stayed at his 
neck to keep him from leaning away form her.

But he wasn't about to let go.

He was pouring out every emotion and every passion he 
had ever felt for her.  And a few others he didn't know existed 
before.

His ragged breathing and a sharp crack of thunder finally 
stopped them.  Momentarily startled they both turned towards the 
window.  Darien was the first to recover looking back to her still 
locked tightly in his arms.  She turned to regard him as well.

Staring down into her eyes again he realized that for the 
first time in his life he was throwing caution away and completely 
falling for this woman.  His heart was the only voice he heard and 
he knew he would have died for one more kiss from her.