Supernova Rapture

Chapter 4

Kressida enjoyed her welcome back party. But she felt disappointed that Darien excused himself and didn't come back to the party and went back to work instead. She had hoped to talk with him a bit. Surrounded by others was a good chance to speak of unimportant things and get past the awkwardness left behind from their meeting Saturday. At least she hoped that was what it was. She hoped he was just feeling a bit awkward and embarrassed. It could be that Saturday when he told her how beautiful she was he was just being nice and now to have to face her again he wasn't sure he could keep up the façade of being attracted to her. That would hurt. She wanted to believe someone could think she was beautiful. And she really wanted to believe that he did. She walked to her car and thought about that man still sitting at his computer and wished they had met before Carson had wormed his way into her life. She got into her car and turned the ignition and her fuel light turned on. The gauge was at empty.

"Damn it! Someone siphoned my gas!" She had just filled her tank that morning before driving to the office. She grabbed her keys and purse and headed back up to the office to see if Otto could give her a lift to the gas station and back to fill a jerry can so she could at least drive herself to the gas station and refill her tank. Getting out of the elevator she realized the lights were out in the office. Everyone must have gone home by now.

"Oh no." She said, turned and bumped right into the solid mass of Darien's chest as he walked out of the men's room.

"Steady now, How's your leg?" he asked looking worried. He held on to her waist as she carefully adjusted her weight on her leg to be sure she didn't fall.

"It's ok now. But my car isn't. Has Otto already left?"

"Yes he and Ingrid needed to get Eric back to his parents. I thought I was the only one still here and I was about to go. Can I help?"

"Someone siphoned the gas from my car. I need a lift to a gas station and back to my car. Would you mind?"

"Sure, just let me grab my coat." He said and walked over to get his coat from his cubicles small hook. "I remember you took the bus on Saturday, if you have a car of your own why did you use the bus?" He asked as they waited for the elevator.

"My car had a flat tire. I went to the park while it was in the shop waiting for a tire change."

"I see." He said as they got into the elevator. It was an uncomfortable ride to the lobby. The close quarters of the elevator made her aware of how powerfully built he was, and the almost electrical current that seemed to buzz between them, she thought if she touched him they might literally spark. He shifted his weight from foot to foot nervously.

When the elevator reached the lobby she stepped out first and turned to face him and for the second time in almost as many minutes bumped into his chest.

"We have to stop meeting like this." He chuckled as he braced her steady on her feet and let his hands slid from her shoulders to her hands making her knees weak and her heart pound in her ears. The feel of those hands against the silk of her shirt made her want to feel them in a few other places too. She swallowed past the lump desire had put in her throat before she responded.

"Sorry I just wanted to talk to you for a moment before we get in your car." He put his hands in the pockets of his coat. It seemed to her that was the only way he could make himself keep his hands from her.

"Ok, I'm sorry." Darien said in a way that made her feel like she'd missed something.

"Why are you apologizing?" Kressida asked him.

"Your going to tell me I'm making you uncomfortable, that while Saturday when we met we both behaved the way we did it was because we didn't think we'd ever see each other again, but now we know we will have to see each other eight hours a day five days a week and you'd like to forget and start over again but I'm making you uncomfortable right?"