Stirred for you

Chapter Five - The first Kiss!

Mona's mind raced through so many thoughts. She was actually going on a two day business trip with her boss. Her body was exhilarated in anticipation. Why was she happy? Was she happy she was going to see somewhere else apart from Mugeen? Or was it because she was going to spend two days with Daren, getting to know him better?

Mona felt she looked her best in her blue lace dress over stiletto party shoes. She had her hair packed backwards. Staring at herself for along time in the mirror, she applied the red lipstick on the mirror stand to her lips. Then she let out a smile of satisfaction to herself.

Her eyes caught the luggage beside her. She only had one nightie packed into the bag and some work attires. She didn't need much, it was just a two day trip.

The car horn outside got her out of her world of fantasy and admiration. She blushed when she realized where she was going to but maintained her balance. She didn't need to show her excitement to Daren. She believed he might be there with the lady from the conference or some other workers. Her dreams crashed; he might be there with some others. She sighed.

Mona walked outside with her luggage on her left hand making screeching noise as it struggled over the ground reminding her she needed to get a new one.

Daren walked out of the sports car to help her with the luggage. He was dressed in a crisp white shirt and pinstriped navy blue trousers over a white sneakers.

He looks so stunning - breathtaking. It wouldn't cost you your self respect to go for his lips and move yours into it, the mini her was at it again. Corrupt part of her.

Why don't you jump out of there and do that yourself? Another part of her said, the good part.

Daren gave out his charming smile and Mona was charmed again. She managed to gain her balance as she moved more closer to the car forcing a smile across her lips. Something she didn't care to do much of since the death of her parents. Her breath paused when Daren took her luggage from her.

"Good morning"

"How have you been? You're up so early. I thought I would have to wait for you once I got here" Daren smiled as he took the luggage to the car trunk.

"I keep early to appointments. Am an early bird" Mona chuckled.

Daren slammed the trunk shut and turned to Mona. Mona couldn't believe it, she was standing right before one of Mugeen's rich and hottest bachelors. Though they weren't dating, not even in the slightest opportunity would they, but looking into his brown eyes she felt something pass through them.

You are fantasizing now, she heard her critic say in her mind.

"Shall we?"

"Sure - "

Mona unhitched the car door and slipped in. Her eyes went to the back of the car, no one was there. Daren entered and turned on the ignition almost immediately as he shut the other door.

"I thought we would be more than this?"

Daren turned to her, "Oh! It requires only the two of us, that's why"

Mona feigned discomfort but relief swept through her. She wouldn't want the searching eyes of the lady or Marcus trying to get on her nerves like he did after the meeting. She inhaled softly as Daren steered the car.

In twenty minutes, they arrived the airport. Daren carefully parked the car in the garage. Mona walked out of the car first, Daren got out and took the luggage out of the trunk, one for him and the other for Mona. He seemed to be in a much hurry to get to his destination. They moved to terminal 7 and checked in. They sat in the lounge waiting for their plane to board.

Mona was glad they were sitting closer to each other with Daren's shoulders brushing against hers. She enjoyed his fragrance at that moment, orange wave for men. She smiled, the same brand with hers.

There were so many people in the lounge and Daren seemed to be so busy staring at the movements of people, then he turned to her. Her eyes caught his, sending chills over her warm body.

"Is it your first time leaving Mugeen?"

Mona smiled, "yeah, its my first time"

"So this trip must be a great opportunity for you right?"

Annoyance swept through her, the question sounded like an affront.

"I had planned to take a week off after working for six months at the company for a trip"

"Oh! To where?"

"Senegeen"

"That's cool" Daren smiled, "what if you have the company sponsor you?"

"That sounds great but I would love to do it myself" Her answer was firm. Mona didn't want his help, she was sure she would get affronts in the end. She wasn't ready for any of that.

Daren didn't ask her any questions again as they boarded the plane with its dark green interiors. Daren took the window seat with Mona right beside him. They heard a female voice from the radio few minutes after the plane shut to cross their seatbelts.

"Have you been on a plane before?" Daren asked as he was crossing his belt as well as Mona.

Mona was a bit ashamed she'd never been on a plane before, but she'd dreaded it after it took the lives of her parents.

"I hated planes - "

Daren was shocked. Mona could tell from the way he stared at her like "are you serious? You're too archaic I guess"

"Oh! Why?"

"I lost my parents to it - "

Mona felt his shoulders drop. Pity swept through Daren, he'd touched old wounds.

"So sorry Mona. Your reasons are justified - "

"What were you thinking of at first?" Mona asked with mixed feelings of hurt and disbelief.

"A couple of just being timid and archaic. You know - timid amateurs" Daren smiled at her. Mona chuckled, she wasn't any of that though but she didn't know what it felt like to be on a plane.

She felt her intestines churn as the plane moved through the tarmac. Fear gripped her lungs, her hands shivered. She turned to find Daren staring at her, she managed a smile to convince him she was okay but she wasn't. Fear was flowing through her, as though the plane was about to crash right before her. She shut her eyes in fear. Her breath seized as she gasped when she felt a hand cross her shoulders. She opened her eyes to find Daren's reassuring eyes look into hers.

"Calm - Am here" Daren said to her.

Her heart bounced in excitement. Her breath flourished as her pulse normalized. That was all she'd wanted, a reassuring statement for protection, for care.

He says he is here for you, mini her said again. Her inner critic seemed to be too critical in situations like this.

"You don't have to cower like a baby"

Daren's last statement shocked her and crushed her heightening hopes. He was only being kind and too full of himself.

"Are you serious? Am cowering like a baby?"

"Not really - but others would think you are under aged"

Mona sighed, he was right after all. She felt calm having his arm over her shoulders. Daren stared out the window, Mugeen kept becoming smaller and smaller on the window. He had a petite amateur to take care of along with some business deals to handle in the course of the trip. He had rebuffed the idea of bringing Mona along for the trip, but he'd agreed to it in order to help broaden Mona's business knowledge. He'd guessed it was for her own good. She was the only one in the company who hadn't crossed the borders of Mugeen, that was the more reason he'd brought her along. It was official.

____

"What do you mean you have only one reserve?" Daren asked the lobby manager of the Greenwood hotels.

"See, what am trying to explain is - "

"I asked you to reserve two rooms for me and here you are telling me you have two weddings!" Daren was angry, no doubt. Mona stood by the side watching him shout at the young man in his early thirties.

"The wedding guests had already booked a hundred and twenty rooms before you came along. Then we had two extra but the minister pleaded to make use of one of the rooms as he couldn't drive to Mugeen this night - "

"You are giving me a whole lot of memorized narratives. I need two rooms for me and her" Daren pointed to Mona who was silent all the way.

"Sorry sir for the inconvenience. But you could use the room. Its spacious enough for two people"

"What is wrong with you? How do you expect me to share a room with Mona? I mean she is not my - " Daren stopped midway swallowing a lump in his throat as he turned to watch Mona's expression. She was unusually calm.

Mona moved towards him this time and turned to the man ignoring Daren. She knew there was nothing between them to get angry over. "You could give him the space, I'll find another reservation in another hotel"

Daren turned her to face him. He had never been so annoyed all his life. "You will do nothing like that. I brought us here and I'll take care of us. You are my responsibility here - "

"Don't you think you are overreacting?" Mona asked.

Daren sighed, she wasn't wrong. He was overreacting. There were other hotels in the area but not as cosy as this one. He leaded a luxurious life and can't bend that for anything.

"We'll take the room then - "

Mona sighed, she didn't like that idea either. Sharing a room with her boss is the last on her list.

"No I don't like that idea"

"Listen Mona, you don't know your way around here - "

Mona was angry again, he was insulting her the second time since the flight. If he was doing that on purpose, Mona would sure get her revenge.

"I'll find my way around then while we meet for the meeting tomorrow - "

"No Mona! You are my responsibility here. I can't have you wandering the streets of South Leone this night. If anything happens to you here, I'll be blamed for it"

Yes he was right. Scott would blame him, capital project company would blame him, York clan won't spare him either. She had to swallow her pride now and accept the offer. It was only for two days anyways and all will fizzle away.

"OK - "

Daren calmed as he turned to the manager, "the keys - "

The lobby manager gave him the keys and smiled, "room 130"

Daren ignored him and caught his luggage, "thanks for your inefficiency" He turned to Mona and held her hand while she was clutching her luggage with her other hand. "Come let's go"

Daren was being over protective now. She is an adult, taking care of herself since the death of her parents few years back. She wouldn't want anyone's fusisng in the name of protection. Gently, she slipped her fingers out of Daren's grip. Daren stopped as he felt Mona's fingers slip out of his hands. He ignored her and made for the elevator with Mona following closely behind.

____

Daren wasn't so comfortable having Mona in the same room with him. Others would misinterpret them for a couple and he didn't like that idea though Mona was too beautiful to be ignored. He'd been wondering how they would share the bed while he was unpacking his clothes. He wouldn't for once imagine himself in the same bed with Mona.

Mona was quite incomprehensible at first. The first time she came to the company, she looked so innocent and timid but later on reverse was the case. Now she is both innocent looking and arrogant. Mona was simply not interested in any man from her recent show offs but deep down her, she wants arms wrapped around her and lips on hers and all over her body.

Mona was staring out the window when Daren walked into the room. He stood for a while staring at her curves, damn she was too curvy. Her body figure boomed in the skin - tight white dress that barely reached her crotch. He'd wondered if she was only dressed in that manner to seduce him. Daren smiled, that won't happen. They are here for something official.

She wore her hair in a bun which she rarely did. He couldn't believe she was dressed in that manner for a dinner at the restaurant mostly in a private quarter. Who was she trying to impress?

He was too simple that night for her dressed in a black Prada shirt over a pair of dark jean. Then his mind began to wander. He saw his lips touch hers as he felt the soft flesh behind her. He remembered how finely shaped her breasts were. She is just perfect, perfect for his class but damn it! He wouldn't stoop so low to date his creative director. One whose net worth isn't more than five hundred thousand dollars a year. He sighed.

Daren cleared his throat to get her attention. Mona slowly turned to face him. She felt his eyes on her body. Though she wore no make up, her face glistened in the lit up room.

"You look so beautiful. Were you this beautiful when you first came to the company?" Daren knew he was only teasing her. He wasn't ready to flirt with her. Mona knew he was only being ridiculous, he was only trying to make her special knowing she had no boyfriend, does he know that after all?

Mona smiled, "your eyes won't deceive you on that"

Daren chuckled, "your man won't lose sight of you this night in this pretty dress. It fits you so perfectly"

"That's if there is any man - "

Daren stared at her as though she had said her worst, "no man?"

"Yeah, haven't I told you that?"

"Not at all Mona. Anyways, you might want to keep that private, its personal anyways. Shall we have dinner my Lady?"

Mona smiled, Daren would sure make her day if she let him. She stared into his charming eyes and felt them unite with hers.

"Sure, my pleasure boss" Mona smiled again.

"Would you do me a favour Mona?"

"Yeah, if its what I can do"

"Call me Daren not boss"

Mona smiled, boss was too formal. She got it now. He wants them to appear as friends not boss and employee. Mona nodded shyly. Daren flung the door open as he gestured Mona to walk out of the room. "After you"

Mona knew this recent behaviour of his was just to make her feel at ease with him especially with the two of them using the same room.

Daren was too fast while he walked with his shoulders standing unmoved by his fast pace. Mona struggled to keep up pace with him as they walked into the elevator and watched the door shut.

"Could you do me a favour too?" Mona spoke without looking into his eyes this time. Her eyes locked on the elevator doors.

"What's that?" Daren turned to her as he watched Mona's eyes turn to his.

"Could you reduce your pace so I won't have to run to keep up with you?"

Daren looked intently into her eyes with his intriguing dark brown ones. There was more than boss to employer there. She suddenly felt a current pass through her, and then told herself she had imagined it, it wasn't happening. He had very expressive eyes and a very masculine attitude. She wondered if he was a womanizer like Scott, but he didn't look it.

Mona felt their eyes unlock when the elevator doors opened, they were already in the restaurant. Daren swallowed hard as he turned back to her then back to the door as he left followed by her. This time he wasn't fast, he was slow to enable her keep up with him.

They got to the restaurant and Daren asked for a table on the terrace. It was private like he'd said but not officially private. She loved the fact that they would be alone, she didn't like much audience. Daren too hated unnecessary audience, that was why he'd asked for a table on the terrace. Mona looked around, she'd expected to see other tables but it was only theirs on the terrace.

"Don't tell me you got all these because you hate audience?"

Daren smiled, Mona was charmed again. He keeps making her dream of being in his arms and kissing his lips.

"I don't really hate audience Mona. That was the deal. This is where we would be having our dinner. I would want us to be away from the wedding guests in the main restaurant. Don't you love privacy?"

Mona nodded, "its cool though - "

Mona us - he said us! And privacy - What does he want to say? The inner her made things even much difficult for her. Making her think of him and do unimaginable things with him.

A waiter brought their meal to them, he set the tray on the table and got a champagne for them.

"Thank you" Daren nodded to the waiter.

"So tell me Mona, what do you think about getting only ten percent of the shares the company has to offer?"

Mona let the waiter leave them alone then she answered his question bending over on the table, "Why don't you make it thirty?" Mona asked as she poured herself some champagne into an hour glass.

"That would cost a fortune. The shares are invaluable both in the economy now - "

"It will still be more invaluable in the near future. I guess you could make it twenty because it will make most returns by doubling its worth in few years time. Such shares are scarce - "

"Oh! I see - "

Mona stared at him through the glass as she sipped the dark red content of it. She'd wondered if Daren would ever let go of the word "thank you" to anyone. She shrugged, that was what made him unique.

"The printing press seemed to have done much work on your intelligence. Why did you quit?"

Mona's shoulders dropped, she didn't expect that question. Slowly, she dropped the glass to the table. "Its more personal than general - "

"Yeah its not a crime though"

Daren allowed the silence pass through them. None of them spoke to each other until after their dinner. Mona thanked him for dinner as they moved into their room, spacious enough for five to six people. She couldn't believe she would have to spend two nights with Daren, every woman's dream.

Mona heard the door shut behind her. Still feeling his body right behind her, Mona turned to face Daren.

Mona shrugged, "I guess you'll take the bed while I take the couch" Her voice was a little bit unsure of what she had said.

"That won't happen, we'll take the bed. Both of us - "

Mona laughed, "you aren't serious, are you?"

Daren wasn't sure of what he said but he knew what he said. He wouldn't have her feel discomfort sleeping on a couch so small for her size. He twitched his head as he stared at her over again, not wanting to let go of her sexy eyes.

"Don't you think that's a bit awkward? I mean sharing the same bed with you"

"Look Mona I never planned any of this to happen. It just happened - "

"I know boss - sorry Daren. Its no one's fault, but that doesn't mean we'd have to take the same bed. That's pretty much like saying we've got to share the same bathroom at the same time"

Daren's face tightened, "nothing's gonna happen Mona. You are my full responsibility here" Daren swallowed hard, he hated what he was about to say but he had to say it, he could manage that anyways. "I'll take the couch, you take the bed"

"No - "

Daren turned to her face, truly the description of natural beauty. His heart raced, his breath shivered and he felt his groins tighten. Daren clenched his fists. Mona is his employee and nothing more attached to it. But the feeling to touch her succulent lips and feel its softness keeps coming back to him since he met her at the clerk's desk. He wasn't a flirt either and getting Mona to himself was not in his schedule. Mona's eyes seemed to be so locked in his that he was unsure of what he was about to do.

He tried to bring his face closer but stopped to stare into Mona's eyes and see what her expression was but she was particularly blank. Daren continued bringing his face closer to hers, he allowed his right palm hold her head and gently bring it closer to his. Daren shut his eyes and then felt their lips touch in a gentle kiss, one he'd not expected, not at that moment.

Daren came in slow and intensely sensual to allow their hormones take over. He let his hands grab her thigh and gently slid his fingers up her dress to cup her breast. He dropped his hands back to her thigh and was about to touch her panty line when she grabbed his hands and left his grip looking timid and shy.

"I'll take the couch Daren"

Daren sighed, he didn't expect himself to fall for her charms. Without questioning her decision, he made for the bed and slid under its covers.

All through that night, he was restless cursing himself under his breath for allowing himself fall for Mona's charms. His mind wandered on what had happened. Her lips were exceptionally soft and tasted like butter. He remembered grabbing her thigh full of flesh. He smiled, Mona wasn't that bad. She is a great kisser, that must have been why she responded to the kiss so quickly. He remembered the stillness of her breath when he'd grabbed her thigh and felt her tongue. Daren turned to Mona's side to see if she was asleep. He wanted to know if she was smiling through her dreams to show she was particularly happy for the kiss which he'd never imagined would happen that night. He seized his breath when he caught her staring at him. She was fully awake busy admiring him. He wouldn't have to turn over immediately, that would be too clumsy, he had to think of something very fast to stop her from concluding he was restless because of her.

"Don't you feel sleepy? Or is the couch uncomfortable?"

Daren swallowed hard, he couldn't believe he would be any shy before any of his employees not at all, let alone the new Mona.

"Am fine - " Mona shrugged as she turned to the other side. On her part, she didn't want Daren to see any of her exuberance about what had just happened. She smiled to the couch and thought of recoiling into Daren's strong arms and kissing him again. "He is a great kisser" Mona thought. Her heightening hopes were dashed when she remembered the lady at the office, she wouldn't be too arrogant to steal another lady's man. That would be too selfish. Sleep started crawling into her mind, she wanted to see Daren's face one last time before going to sleep. The thought of his name alone exhilarates her body and makes her more enthusiastic to see him. Slowly, she turned around and shook when she saw him standing above her, staring into her. She tried to read his thoughts, one of her weird powers but she couldn't, it was as if he knew she had mind reading powers and was trying hard to hide his thoughts away from her. She would do the same too but what if he'd already read her thoughts when she ead busy thinking about him and about seeing his face. Come off it, he's a mortal. He doesn't have such powers.

"What - what are you doing here?" Mona managed to stammer. An alpha shy before a mortal, what insanity! With the tip of her fingers, she could take his life from him and send him away at once.

"I - thought the couch isn't making your night, so - "

Mona chuckled and sat up in taking her eyes away from his, "the couch is fine, more like a bed"

She had to reassure him she was fine else he won't believe the couch is fine.

Daren felt so stupid again. Why was he always acting on impulse when he is with Mona? First was at the conference, he'd bypassed the normal protocol of formal introductions and document reviews to Mona's presentation. Second, he had gone to Mona's house to pick her up for the airport, he had never done that for any of his employees. Third was in the plane, he had crossed his arms over her shoulders to reassure her of her safety in the plane when she was cowering. Fourth was accepting to share the same bedroom with her just to make sure he was close to her and now this, taking strong discomfort because he thought she was uncomfortable. He's being dramatic now, he has to behave normal and not shy before his employee.

"Are you sure Mona? You can always take the bed - "

There he was again, when would his body retreat from her right now? When would his mind stop thinking about her beauty, her smile, her curves and her sexy voice?

"Do you want me over?" Mona rebuffed herself for saying that to her boss, she has to shape her words, this might be a test. She has to say something to save herself now, "I mean do you like couches instead, I could stay in the terrace to watch the moon while you take the room if my presence is making you uncomfortable"

Now that was harsh Mona - the inner her said.

"I mean - "

"Its OK, I'll go back to bed"

Daren turned almost immediately and walked back to the bed, then he faced the other side with his back on Mona. Mona felt pangs of guilt grip her, she had hurt his feelings. He had done a lot for her starting from her house in Mugeen, he has been nice to her. Now why did she say that? The guilt kept rising in her making her feel sorry for him, then she remembered the lady again. Her harsh eyes and saucy movements. She applauded herself for saying that to him so he would stay away from her and as well away from Scott's jealousy. She remembered how Scott hurt an ordinary guy who had harassed her on her way home from work one day. She hated using her powers on humans but Scott beat the hell out of the guy let alone Daren. She sighed and lay back on the couch allowing sleep to take over her senses.