THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT
Disclaimer: I donot own Naruto or its characters.
AN : A reviewer asked the ages of my main characters so here:
Itachi-30
Noriko/ Ino/Sakura-24
Izumi -28
Sasuke/Shikamaru-26
Menma/Hinata-23
Minato-46
Kushina-44
Shishui-32
Karin-27
Chapter Three: Of honeymoon, silent treatnent and second chance
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Itachi sat on the beach, scooping up handfuls of sand and letting it fall between his fingers. He'd never thought that his honeymoon would be filled with so much damn introspection, but here he was, sitting alone on the beach, watching the sun setting over the water and thinking about how he'd never screwed up anything as badly as he'd screwed up his marriage to Noriko
After one week in paradise, he hadn't gotten any further with her than when they first arrived. He'd taken her to one of his favorite places in the world, Tahiti. Being rich had afforded him the luxury of visiting many different places, and he definitely thought Tahiti was heaven on earth. He owned a property in Toahotu that he'd never shared with anyone else. He liked his privacy and space, but he'd wanted her to share it with him. He thought that the relaxation might do her good. Even if it just meant her sitting on the beach day in, day out.
To be fair, at the time he'd also been thinking about him and Noriko sipping cocktails, watching the sunset, and perhaps skinny dipping. That was before he knew he would have to threaten her to get her to walk down the aisle. He sipped at the glass in his hand.
After the wedding, she'd had something akin to a breakdown. She'd called him morally bankrupt and a controlling egomaniac. Normally he didn't give a damn what people thought of him, but he hated that Noriko thought he was all those things.
He'd done things he regretted before; he'd made mistakes, but never one like this. Blackmailing her was about the worst thing he'd ever done and now it looked as if she intended to make him pay for a very long time. She was miserable, and he in turn was miserable.
He'd severely overestimated his ability to win her over. He had no idea what to do with her. She wouldn't eat. She wouldn't talk to him. Hell, she wouldn't even look at him most of the time.
He was starting to worry. No, he was more than worried. At moments he'd had thoughts of coming clean and telling her he never would have hurt her family, but the damage was done. Besides, would she really think of him in any better light if he told her the truth? He could see it now, 'So Noriko you remember how I told you I'd take everything away from your family if you didn't marry me, well I lied. I lied to get you to marry me.' Yeah, he didn't think it would go down much better than the threat itself.
The most concerning thing was that she wouldn't eat. She looked like she was losing weight; something she could not afford to do. He didn't know how to get her to eat, short of forcing food into her mouth or threatening her. Neither of those options appealed to him, but nothing else was working.
He'd tried charming her and he'd tried keeping his distance. He'd been nice and polite, but that was getting him no where fast. He had to change track. Anything was worth a go at this point. Perhaps he had to say goodbye to the idea of her liking him at all. She saw him as a controlling bastard anyway. He might as well be one and get her to eat. So that was it then; no more playing mister nice guy.
He pulled out his phone and dialed a number he knew off by heart. If anyone could make Noriko eat, it would be Kurenai. He finished his conversation and stood up. He had a stop to make before he returned home.
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Noriko sat on her bed, listening to her iPod. She had a book sitting open on her stomach, but she didn't feel like reading. She didn't feel like doing much of anything at all. Itachi had brought her to what he called 'his little slice of heaven,' but she didn't want to see or explore any of it. If she were completely honest, she was too busy indulging in self-pity to pay any attention to the scenery outside.
She was managing to avoid him by never going outside and not eating. He'd given her a bedroom of her own, and other than letting her know when their food was ready and trying to convince her to eat, she never saw him. For a week, she'd been in these four walls. Instead of thinking of it as a prison, though, it felt more like a safe haven.
She drifted off to sleep for a while and when she woke up she knew straight away he was there. He was standing in the doorway, watching her. She sat up quickly, feeling far too exposed in her short shorts and bikini top, and feeling slightly vulnerable because she was still groggy from her slumber. Even casually leaning in the doorway, he looked imposing. His facial expression was quite dark, she noted. Her gaze traveled from his bare feet, over his black shorts and black polo shirt, to his onyx eyes, which seemed cool.
"It's time for dinner," he said simply.
"I'm not hungry," she told him.
"Too bad," he told her, "I have the best cuisine on the island and I promised my friend that I would tell her exactly what you think of her food."
She was about to refuse, when she smelt something divine. Her mouth watered and her stomach rumbled.
He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're not hungry, because I'm happy to throw yours…"
"Okay, maybe I am a little bit hungry." She expected him to gloat or do a victory dance, but instead he just left her room. She slipped on a tank top and walked out to the patio.
The table had been set up with everything they'd need, including two full glasses of white wine and candles lit up all over the place. She wanted to see what was for dinner, but she was momentarily distracted by the color of the sky. The sun looked as if it had gone down, but there were fingers or pink and red over the water.
"Sit," Itachi told her. She sat down in front on a plate of salad, fish and very large chips. It looked good, but it smelt amazing. She picked up her fork and attacked the fish on her plate. She moaned out loud when she tasted it. The fish melted in her mouth, a delicious combination of butter and herbs she didn't recognize. Her taste buds felt as if they were dancing.
Itachi tried not to let her moan of satisfaction affect him too much, but it was a swift reminder that it had been far too long since he'd had sex. As if he needed a reminder.
"This is incredible," she told him.
"I know," he said, before he popped one of the chips into his mouth. She reached for her glass and tasted the refreshing chardonnay. She didn't know whether it was the scrumptious food, or the mouthful of wine on an almost empty stomach, but when Itachi smiled at her, she smiled back.
"It's nice to see you smile, Noriko,"
As soon as he said it, she felt a nervous tension spread throughout her body.
"Don't think that just because I smiled, I'm going to fall into bed with you now."
Itachi looked at her but didn't bat an eyelid.
"Us going to bed together is inevitable. The sooner you get used to that idea, the easier it will be for you."
She glared at him, and put down her fork, her appetite suddenly gone. "Easier for you, or easier for me?" she asked him.
"Easier for you," he told her, not skipping a beat. "It's going to happen sooner or later, and you'll be more comfortable if you come to accept it."
"No, you'll be more comfortable if I accept it. You don't want to bed an unwilling woman, Itachi, but guess what, you're going to have to, because I'm not willing to go to bed with you. I won't willingly sleep with a man who cares for no-one but himself. The only reason I'm here is because you blackmailed me, and if you think I'm going to just melt into your arms, you have another thing coming."
"Let me be perfectly clear, Noriko I have not touched you since we arrived. I have respected the fact that you are not entirely happy with me…"
"Not happy! I'm…"
"I'm not finished," he cut in. His voice was quiet but something in it told her he would brook no further argument from her. "I know you are not entirely happy with me at the moment, but you made me a deal, and you were going to back out of it. How I responded was unfair, yes, but you would never have been able to pay me back. You know it and I know it. What should I have done?"
"I don't care what you should have done!" Her voice was rising but it didn't stop her. "What kind of man threatens a woman's family so she marries him? What you did was despicable, and I will never forgive you, Itachi Never. And when we do go to bed, I will hate you even more for forcing me to do that!"
She stood up and threw her napkin on the table, before turning to storm away. Unfortunately he captured her wrist in his hand and turned her roughly to face him, ruining her attempt at a dramatic exit.
"Let go of me," she cried out; his fingers biting into the soft flesh at her wrist.
"Listen carefully, Noriko. I will never force you into bed with me, but I won't need to. Both of us know how easily and quickly you respond to me."
She flushed from anger and embarrassment, as their bathroom incident flashed before her eyes in vivid detail. "I didn't hate you then."
"No, you didn't, but hate me or not, you're attracted to me. You want me."
She wanted to deny it, but she didn't dare. Knowing him, he'd kiss her just to prove his point. She couldn't risk it.
"What, no comeback? You're going to admit you're attracted to me?"
"Well, I've been telling my body what a jerk you are, but it doesn't seem to have listened yet."
Itachi burst into laughter; a deep laugh that she had never heard before. She glared at him, annoyed that on top of everything tonight, he was now laughing at her.
"I'm sorry," he said after he stopped laughing. "Please come back and finish your dinner."
"I'm not hungry," she told him.
"Eat anyway," he told her. "We'll be back home soon, and the last thing you want after all you've done for them, is to worry your parents by returning home looking the way you look now."
"Resorting to emotional blackmail now, are we?"
He was, but he was beyond caring. He needed her to eat. He needed her to be okay.
"If that's what it takes to get you to eat, then yes," he said. "You can't go home looking the way you look right now."
"And how do I look?" she asked, not completely sure she wanted to hear his answer.
"You look as if you haven't slept for a month or longer, and like you haven't eaten in just as long. I worry the wind might blow you over at any moment, and you look so miserable that even the wildlife is depressed when it sees you."
She rolled her eyes at him. He was being overly-dramatic. Why did he care anyway? Her health really was no concern of his, unless it all came down to what she was to give him. She supposed that he wanted the future mother of his child to be in good shape. That was why she could glimpse concern in his eyes. Whatever the reason for his concern, he was right. It would worry her parents to see her looking sickly.
Reluctantly she joined him at the table again, picking up the fork and eyeing him warily. They both resumed eating in silence.
"So," he said, finally breaking the silence, "I understand you want to punish me for my…despicable ways," he raised his eyebrows at her and grinned evilly, "but we're only here for a few more days, and it would be a pity for you to miss out on the beauty of the island, just to spite me."
She felt like a child being given a dressing down, which was ridiculous since she'd done nothing wrong. She couldn't keep the defensiveness out of her voice when she replied.
"I haven't felt like doing much sightseeing lately."
"Well, I hope that won't be the case tomorrow. For the next few days, I'm going to show you some of my favorite sites around here, so you'd better be ready to sight see."
She looked at him. His gaze was heavy lidded as he leaned back in his chair casually, as if he didn't care either way. She wasn't fooled, though. He was telling her they were going to be spending the next few days together, just like he'd told her they would go to bed together and she would succumb. Was there any point in attempting to fight him? She knew that the passion between them, whether she hated him or not, would explode into something the moment it was allowed to.
Fighting with Itachi would be like waving a red flag at a bull and saying, 'come get me'. She didn't want to wave that flag at him anymore tonight. Besides, she preferred to keep the peace unless it was necessary to take a stand. She'd taken her stand. She'd told him what she thought of him, of going to bed with him. He, however, did not care what she thought about him. Her thoughts hadn't deterred him at all. He didn't care about anyone, so why would he care what she thought about him?
Spending time with him was the last thing she wanted to do. She'd thought that she'd successfully managed to avoid him for the past week, but now she suspected that the only reason she hadn't seen that much of him was because he had left her alone. Now, however, her grace period was over and she was expected to go back to spending time with him as if nothing had ever happened; as if he hadn't threatened her family or blackmailed her to the altar.
She'd never felt so trapped before in her life. If she fought him, he'd see it as a challenge and try and conquer her. And if she gave in, she feared she would stop hating him all too quickly. She found the only answer was a compromise. She would be polite but cool. She would spend time, but not get involved, and whatever she did, she must never ever forget what Itachi Uchiha was capable of.
"Fine," she told him finally, attempting to keep her voice only a notch above zero. "Some sightseeing tomorrow would be acceptable."
"Glad to hear it," he said, giving her such a charming smile that she regretted her decision almost immediately.
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The next day they went snorkeling. Itachi took them out on his boat, and it was the first time she had actually looked around her. She reluctantly admitted that the place was indescribably beautiful. The palm trees; the white sand beaches, the clear water and blue skies with white fluffy clouds gave the place an outer world feel. Itachi had been right about it being like a little piece of heaven.
She didn't make conversation with Itachi, but she answered his questions politely. She was sure she saw him smirk once or twice at her overly polite demeanor, but she didn't mind. At least she wasn't falling all over him, and she was almost managing to keep her eyes off his fantastic body. Today he wore navy shorts with a navy and black striped polo shirt. It wasn't an Armani suit, but he still looked like he could have stepped off the cover of GQ magazine.
The word edible traveled through her mind twice before she gave herself a mental slap. She already knew he tasted amazing; that his kisses were amazing, that going to bed with him would also be amazing. She groaned inwardly as she felt the dull ache of desire start between her legs. Her hormones were going to shoot her plan to hell, she was sure of it.
She let him apply sunscreen to her back when they were getting ready to hop into the water. She didn't want him to, but she thought telling him she'd prefer to be sunburnt than let him touch her would be childish. As his hands stroked over her flesh, applying a liberal amount of cream, she was aware that her heart was beating a little faster than normal. When it was over she breathed a sigh of relief, but then he asked her to return the favor. As she applied sunscreen to his back she tried to keep her touch as clinical as possible, but found herself enjoying the feel of his muscles underneath her hands.
She must have taken a little too long because he looked over his shoulder at her and raised an eyebrow. "Finished yet?" he asked, smirk in place. She flushed and stopped what she was doing.
They waited a few minutes to let the sunscreen start taking effect before he slipped over the side of the boat, giving her his hand and indicating for her to follow.
She'd never been snorkeling before, but it didn't take her long to get the hang of it. Before long she was swimming around looking at everything, delighting in the beauty of the ocean. She was completely overcome with the sights, and she found that it was easy to enjoy herself in the water, exploring.
After a while she stood still for a moment and poked her head out of the water to see where Itachi was. Whilst she was standing there, a school of brightly colored black and yellow fish surrounded her; swimming in circles.
"Oh my goodness, itachi, you have to see this." She couldn't tamp down her excitement as she was surrounded by fish.
He quickly joined her, standing in front of her. She pointed to the fish swimming around her and laughed as they brushed against her leg, tickling her.
"Aren't they beautiful?" she asked him.
"Yes, extremely."
Something in his voice made her look at him. He was gazing at her intently. His dark hair was wet and slicked back off his face. She was so caught up in his eyes that when something brushed against her foot, it startled her. She squealed and then lunged forward into Itachi. He laughed as his hands went around her waist.
"Something brushed against my foot," she mumbled, aware that this was the closest she'd been to him since their wedding day. Her bikini clad breasts were pressed into his naked chest and she could feel his hands at her hips, stroking her with his fingertips. His caress sent such intense heat through her that the water suddenly felt quite cool. Her body pulsed with need for him, and it was all she could do not to wrap her legs around him and demand he take her now. She couldn't do that, though; not after what he'd done. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but his hands held her tight. She looked up to find him staring at her lips.
"No," she said, as he leaned in ever so slightly. She hadn't intended that word to come out so breathy and inviting.
His eyes flicked upward and locked onto hers. For a moment she didn't move, then she wriggled harder.
"I wouldn't do that," he said in a voice that sounded strained to her. She was about to ask why, when she felt his erection nudging her. How typical, she thought, that he should find her resistance exciting. What was it she'd said about red flag to a bull?
"Let go of me, Itachi," she said. This time her voice came out relatively firm, which was lucky because inside she felt like jelly. She was relieved when he let her go, and swam away from her. Her keeping her distance emotionally depended on her ability to keep the distance between them physically. She wasn't sure at this point, however, just how long she could hold out for, or just how long he would let her.
"Come on," he said, after stopping for a moment, "There's plenty more to see."
He gave her a smile and motioned for her to follow him. She sighed before giving in and following him. Itachi wasn't going to give her much of a chance to put any distance between them. Not anymore.
The next day he took her for a chartered helicopter ride around some of the islands before they picnicked next to one of the most beautiful waterfalls she'd ever seen. The day after that he showed her some of the local markets, and she found herself a lovely sarong and some souvenirs for her parents and Menma. Then finally the day came when they were leaving.
On one hand she was happy to be going home, but on the other hand she had actually just started to relax and enjoy herself a little bit. Still, at home Itachi would go back to work, and she wouldn't have to spend so much time with him.
As they reached the main airport, she was just complimenting herself on getting through the entire honeymoon without sleeping with Itachi, when his phone rang. He looked at his phone and frowned.
"Sorry, I wouldn't take this but it's Izumi."
"Well, if it's Izumi," she muttered sarcastically under her breath. He didn't hear her, however, because he'd already answered the phone and walked away. Noriko couldn't help but feel a little miffed that he was taking what she could only assume was a work call on their honeymoon. It was silly for her to feel that way since she'd not treated this break away as a honeymoon, but it bothered her anyway.
When Itachi came back, Noriko thought he actually looked a little nervous.
"So," he said. He ran his hand through his long hair, and looked at her. "I know I said we were going home, but I was wondering how you felt about a little detour for a few days or so. Something has come up with the business and it would be better if I could attend to it straight away. I'd prefer not to have to go home and fly out again."
"How little?" she asked.
"Italy," he told her. "I need to go to Italy."
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Noriko picked up the travel brochure in the plane. She scanned over the information but quickly put it back when she came across the phrase; 'Italy – Place of Love'. What a joke, she thought. She should have said no. She should have told him that she wanted to go home, but she'd agreed to go to Italy with him for some absurd reason.
"Will Izumi be joining us when we arrive?" she asked him.
"She'll arrive tomorrow. Why?"
"I suppose the honeymoon is officially over then?" She tried to keep her voice civil when for some strange reason she felt like snapping at him.
"I suppose it is," he said with a wry smile.
"So, will I be entertaining myself for the next few days?" she asked now.
"I hope not," he told her. "I'm hoping to wrap this up in a couple of days, and then I can show you around a bit. There are some amazing sights to see, not to mention some of the most mouth watering food you'll ever experience."
They weren't here to sight-see. They were here so he could fix a work related problem. Just because she'd agreed to accompany him to Italy didn't mean all was forgiven and everything was hunky-dory. It just meant she was sympathetic enough to understand he didn't want to fly back to Japan and then out to Italy. From what little he'd told her, it sounded urgent.
"Don't worry about me. I'll keep myself entertained. You focus on your work."
Itachi looked at her and raised an eyebrow.
"Are you telling me you don't want to spend time with me?"
"I just want to get home as soon as possible."
"Very well," he said, returning his attention back to the paper he was reading. "If that's what you want."
Within forty-eight hours Noriko realized she'd made a mistake by telling Itachi to concentrate solely on work. For a start, she missed him. They'd spent the last three days in Tahiti together, and now she felt as if she was going through withdrawals because she hadn't seen much of him for the past two days. She should have been trying to get her head together, to keep her defenses intact; but she found herself wandering around the house aimlessly, counting the hours until he returned home. She felt…pitiful.
Shizune was Itachi's housekeeper and cook. She was lovely, but didn't speak much English. She frequently told Noriko to go out for a walk. "Too pale," Shizune would tell her; "need sun." She'd gone for a brief walk yesterday, but that had been a mistake too. There were couples everywhere and she didn't need to see people in love; it reminded her of what she'd never have.
If none of that was bad enough, her attraction to her unloving husband seemed to be increasing. She couldn't stop thinking about him. Last night she'd dreamed about him. Her physical attraction to him was so strong that she'd come to a decision.
Noriko rummaged through her suitcase, but couldn't find what she was after. Shizune had unpacked most of her things away in the dresser, and she didn't know where it was. She zipped up her suitcase and dumped it unceremoniously on the floor, before marching over to the dresser to search through the drawers again. Finally she found it in the top drawer, buried under all of her undergarments. This would help her with her mission.
She removed all of her clothes and stepped into the lacy red and black teddy that Sakura had made her buy. Itachi would never be able to resist her in this.
It was going to happen. He'd told her it was inevitable. What were her options here? If she waited a month, and he came to her, he would seduce her. She didn't want to be seduced. She didn't want to have her no changed to a yes. If this was going to happen, they would do it her way; on her terms. She would go to him. She would have sex with him and keep her feelings turned off. Maybe if she thought about it as the business transaction it was, that would help.
After she did up all the fastenings, she walked over to the mirror and applied a small amount of make-up. She sprayed on her favorite perfume. Once she thought she was finished, she studied her appearance in the mirror. Finding herself passable, she donned a black dressing gown and made her way into his room. He should be home anytime now.
One hour later the phone rang. Noriko knew that Shizune had gone home for the day, so she picked it up. It was Itachi. He told her he wouldn't be home for another hour. She went back into his room and waited for an hour. Once that hour was over, she waited for yet another hour. By that time she'd been waiting for three hours, and she felt remarkably stupid; stupid for having the idea in the first place, and stupid for spending that long waiting for a man. Was this what married life would be like when they got home? Would she spend her nights waiting for him to return home from work and his extremely beautiful P.A.?
Izumi. She had been helpful and kind when Noriko needed help planning the wedding; but that didn't mean the P.A. wasn't interested in Itachi. What if Itachi was so sexually frustrated that he decided to go to bed with Izumi? She was suddenly bombarded by images of Izumi spread across Itachi's desk; of him taking her hard and fast while she cried out his name. The sudden urge to lop Izumi's head off with a machete or something equally sharp and hopefully painful, was unexplainable and certainly undesirable.
She made her way to the kitchen and opened the cupboard, looking for something; anything that would help take away some of the anxiety she was feeling right now. Finally, her hand landed upon a bottle of wine. She took it out and looked at the label. Grappa. That should do the trick. She located a glass and poured a fair portion into it. She was well into her second glass when Itach arrived home.
"Well," she said, "is this what you call an hour later?"
Itachi took one look at his wife and knew that the trouble at work was only the start of his troublesome night. She was almost swaying in her chair, a glass of wine in front of her. He didn't need this, not tonight.
He took off his jacket and hung it over the back of the dining room chair, before he removed his tie and threw it on top of his jacket. Then he walked over to Noriko and picked up the bottle in front of her. Grappa. He shook his head.
"Where did you find this, Nori?"
"It was in the cupboard," she told him. "What else is a girl to do, when she's left alone for hours by her husband?"
The word husband was slightly slurred, but not enough to disguise the almost seductive quality to her voice. What had gotten into his wife, other than the Grappa?
"You said you wanted to go home as soon as possible. If I'm working around the clock it's because you wanted me to," he told her.
"I'm sure it's made all the more appealing by your oh so helpful personal assistant."
"Yes, Izumi is helpful, and my job is made easier by her efficiency and dedication. So what?"
"And the fact that she is very beautiful has nothing to do with why you like spending time with her?"
"I would prefer to be spending time with you, Nori, but you made it quite clear you wanted me to focus on work. That is all I'm doing." He leaned over her, "I'll keep myself entertained,' is what you said."
Itachi grabbed her glass, walked over to the sink and poured out the contents. He didn't want to tell the office he wasn't coming in tomorrow because his wife had alcohol poisoning. He opened the fridge and pulled out a container of ground coffee beans. Measuring the right amount for the two of them, he put the coffee into the coffee machine, added the water and turned it on. He would have preferred a nice stiff drink, but she needed to sober up, and coffee would have to do.
"How many glasses have you had?" he asked her.
"I don't know. I was waiting for you and I was drinking while I waited."
He opened the cupboard above his head and took out two large mugs, before walking over to the fridge and taking out cream.
"You were waiting for me? I called you. I told you I wouldn't be home for a while."
He poured the coffee into the mugs, added cream and sugar for Noriko, and left his black.
"You said you'd be home in an hour. I waited an hour. When it became obvious you wouldn't be returning home any time soon, I found the Grappa."
He walked over to the table and handed her a mug before he sat down opposite her with his own coffee.
"Why were you waiting? Is everything okay? Did you call home?"
"Yes I called home. Everything was fine. Perfect. They wanted to hear all about how much I was enjoying myself, about how wonderful Tahiti was."
"What did you tell them?"
"What they wanted to hear."
He nodded. "Very wise of you," he murmured.
"Yes, I just love lying to my parents." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"Confidentiality was always part of our agreement, Noriko. You knew that when you signed the papers."
His words were cold; his voice devoid of any emotion whatsoever. Did he not realize what she'd done? Did he not realize what she'd given up? Did he have any idea how much this had affected her? Of course not. He didn't care about feelings. He was Mr. logic.
"Of course, the agreement." She slapped the palm of her hand against her forehead. "How could I be so stupid, to forget that I signed my life away for money; that I'm nothing but your whore?"
"If you were my 'whore', Noriko, I would have slept with you by now. A whore wouldn't share my home with me."
She wanted to throw her coffee cup at his head.
"Am I supposed to be grateful that you're waiting? Am I supposed to be grateful for being given a roof over my head while I fulfil my duties? The only way to save my family was to marry you. The only way you would give me money was if I agreed to have your child. How did you think I would feel about this? What did you think I would feel about myself? I married a man who will never love me, for money. I agreed to sleep with him, for money. How could I not feel like a whore?"
He'd thought this night couldn't get worse; but now she was telling him she felt like a whore. Could he feel any lower than he did right now? Yes they had an arrangement, but the word prostitute had never entered his mind – not once. He realized now, however, that that was how she saw herself, and that was worse than almost anything else she could tell him. To be responsible for this woman disliking herself in anyway almost tore him to pieces.
"I never thought you'd feel that way. I thought it would be convenient for both of us. I never thought you'd see it as prostitution," he told her quietly.
His honest confession sounded so sincere and for a moment she wondered if it was regret she heard in his voice, before she decided she was mad. This man wasn't capable of regret.
"At the time when you made this proposal, we hardly knew each other at all. Sasuke said you chose me to because you wanted to get back at him for what happened with Karin."
He wanted to grind his teeth together at the sound of his brother's name. Of course his foolish little brother would tell her that. He wanted to tell her that Sasuke was a philandering and selfish twit, but running down his brother wouldn't win him any points with her.
"Is that what you believe?" he asked her instead.
"How should I know what to believe? I don't know you, Itachi. Whenever I've asked you questions about yourself, you've brushed them off."
"Do you want to get to know me better?" He surprised himself by asking.
Noriko looked at him as she sat back in her seat. If he'd asked her that question before their wedding she would have said yes without much hesitation. Now, however, she wondered if getting to know him better would be good for her at all. It was much easier to stay angry with the man she believed he was. What if getting to know him better shattered all her ideas about him?
"Of course if you're afraid to delve into the dark recesses of my mind, I understand," he told her.
"Why would I be afraid?" she asked, wondering if he'd guessed what she was thinking, and hoping that she wasn't that transparent.
"You might actually find you like me."
She struggled to hide her irritation that he'd been able to read her so clearly.
"Trust me, there's no chance of that happening," she told him.
"Then it's settled, tomorrow we'll have dinner, and I'll answer whatever questions you want to know."
"Any questions?"
"Any and all of them. I'll be an open book."
"Fine," she mumbled.
They sat in silence, drinking their coffee. Itachi was staring out the window. It was completely dark out, and Noriko wondered if he could actually see anything out there. She couldn't help but notice that he looked tired tonight; he looked weary. She didn't think she'd ever seen him look like that after work before.
"So, Dear, how was your day?" she asked, striving for half sarcastic and half sincere.
"Full of unpleasantness," he returned, keeping his eyes on the window.
Noriko suspected he wasn't simply referring to work. Well, whatever animosity she had towards him, he deserved. Perhaps he deserved whatever happened at work too.
"What did you do to deserve such unpleasantness?"
He turned back to her, his eyes as cold as ice, his jaw and face impossibly tight. She instantly regretted her remark; not because she thought it was unfair, but because she'd never seen him look that angry before nor had she ever been on the receiving end of a look like that. It made her want to crawl underneath the table.
"What did I do to deserve such unpleasantness? I trusted someone is what I did, Noriko. A young man in his twenties came to me several months ago. He told me that his wife had just given birth to a girl who had some rare disease I'd never heard of. He said he would have to leave my company to find a better paying job because he couldn't afford to pay for the care she needed on the wage that I was paying him. My wages are above average I might add, but understanding his plight I did some research and looked into the disease he'd mentioned. It was awful, heartbreaking. The child can need up to fifty operations and still may not live. Wanting to help in some way, I created a position in my company for him, with a bigger salary and added health benefits for him and his family. In this position he had access to some very sensitive information. Today I discovered he's been selling it to my business rivals. Oh and here's the kicker, he never had a sick daughter. His daughter was born perfectly healthy. Some would call me foolish for not double checking his story. Now, I can see that I was a fool; a fool for trusting him without proof. Stupidly, I didn't want to turn up on his doorstep, when he had so much to deal with already, to check he wasn't lying to me."
The anger and the hurt in his voice; the obvious betrayal he felt, were absolutely heartbreaking. Noriko didn't know what to say. She felt sick to her stomach that someone would do something so cold. To lie about having a sick child just seemed so calculating. Her face must have shown her shock because he let out a small harsh laugh when he looked at her.
"Surprised to know I may not be the morally bankrupt man you thought I was? You asked me what I did to deserve such unpleasantness. I was asking myself the same question before I arrived home, but the answer is sitting right here facing me."
It took Noriko a moment to realize he was talking about her.
"I blackmailed you into marrying me. What kind of person does that?"
He wasn't looking at her anymore. She assumed the question was a rhetorical one, which was good because she had no words for him.
"I never meant it to come to what it did. I never wanted you to feel like some kind of prostitute, Ko-chan."
This time she knew it was regret she heard.
"It's done now, Itachi. You can't take it back, no matter how much you might want to."
He looked at her now.
"Do you think…? Can you ever forgive me?"
"I…I don't know," she answered honestly.
"Will you try?" he asked her.
"I'll think about it."
He nodded, accepting her answer.
She picked up her coffee cup, and was about to stand up when he gently took hold of her wrist.
"You never told me why you were waiting for me."
She remembered her earlier plan. There was no way she could go through with it. She didn't hate him. She wanted to hate him. She should hate him; but she didn't. Her emotions were all over the place when it came to this man. Sleeping with Itachi while trying to control her emotions, would be like lighting a bonfire and trying to contain it while pouring gasoline on it. Somehow she already felt like he'd slipped through one of her barriers tonight. She didn't want him to slip through any more.
"It's not important," she told him.
He let her wrist go, but she sensed his reluctance to do so. He pushed back his chair, grabbed his coffee cup, and joined her at the sink.
Still feeling like the emotions between them were running high, she wanted space.
"Why don't you go to bed?" she asked him. "You've had a long day. I'll wash these up."
She ran a tiny bit of hot soapy water and put the mugs in there. Instead of leaving, he picked up a tea towel.
"Seriously, billionaires don't dry dishes, do they?" she asked him.
"Technically, you're a billionaire too. So you tell me."
"No, I'm married to a billionaire. There's a difference."
"We're married. What's mine is yours."
She thought he was joking, but when she looked at him she realized he was deadly serious.
"You take this whole marriage thing pretty seriously don't you?"
"I do," he said. "Everything I have, I will share with you. If you want me to."
Except your heart, Noriko thought bitterly.
Once they were finished, Itachi put down the tea towel and he turned around to leave, before turning back to her for a moment.
"You asked me if I chose you because I wanted to spite Sasuke for what happened with Karin."
She was momentarily confused by the change of topic before she nodded.
"It's true in a small way it was my reason, but…"
He broke off mid-sentence and stared at her. She looked down to find her dressing gown was gaping at the front and he was looking at the black and red teddy she'd worn to seduce him. The lust and desire in his eyes as he looked at her, hit her like a freight train. She pulled the dressing gown so it covered her, but it was too late, her face felt like it was on fire, and the rest of her body was heating up all too quickly at the look on his face.
"You were waiting for me in that?" he asked her so huskily that it sent heat pulsing straight to her core.
How was she going to explain this?
"It's what I sleep in," she said.
"Mm-hmm," he said with a smirk, walking slowly towards her.
"You wanted me to see you in this. Why?" he asked.
Perhaps honesty was the only way to go.
"I was going to seduce you, but…"
"Mission accomplished," he said softly, as he lowered his lips to hers.
Things spiraled quickly. His hands went inside her robe, stroking her body through the lace. His mouth was hot and insistent on hers for some time before he nuzzled her neck. He found a particularly sensitive spot on her neck and he sucked her there softly, causing her nipples to pebble in immediate response. He cupped her bottom with his hands and pulled her flush against his erection. The feel of his hardness against her, made her body throb with need. She ground her hips against his, feeling feverish all over. She was growing wetter and wetter by the second. All she could think about was how much she needed him; how much she wanted him.
Then, without any warning, he stopped kissing her.
"You said but," he said to her breathlessly.
"What?" she couldn't for the life of her work out what he was saying, or why he'd stopped.
"You said, 'I was going to seduce you, but…,"
After he'd aroused her beyond belief, he wanted to stop and discuss what she had been going to say before he'd cut her off by kissing her.
"But…I changed my mind," she finished quietly. He took his hands off her and took a small step backwards. Things obviously wouldn't be going any further tonight, but she couldn't understand why. If anyone should have been stopping things between them it was her. Why hadn't he taken advantage of her willingness to sleep with him?
"Why did you stop? I would have…"
"I know. But after everything you've said tonight, I don't want this to be something that you regret. I don't want you to wake up in the morning and feel disgust with either yourself or with me. I want you more than anything," he told her, again pulling her against him, so she could feel just how hard he was for her. The action made her gasp. "But I don't want you to feel regret."
"What if that never happens?" she asked him.
"I don't know," he said with a shrug. "All I can hope for is that eventually you stop hating me; eventually maybe you will even come to like me."
"What if it takes longer than a month?" she asked.
"Then I'll be in for a lot of cold showers and a lot of hand relief." His smile was so gorgeous; her heart felt like it was melting. He was giving her more time.
She pulled her robe back around her and tied the sash tightly.
"I'm tired. I think I'm going to go to bed."
Itachi brushed one last soft kiss on her lips. "Goodnight, Ko-chan. Sleep well."
She gave him a polite smile before she turned away and walked to her bedroom. She shut the door behind her, sat down on the bed, and tried to work out what had just happened between them. He regretted his actions. It shouldn't matter to her; he'd done something nobody should do, yet it did matter. It was something – a start anyway. He'd asked her if she could forgive him, and she'd said she would think about it. He was giving her more time. He didn't want her to have regrets. He didn't want her to feel disgust with herself or with him.
And he took marriage seriously. She'd already guessed that much, but she'd never realized just how much he thought of the institution. If he was talking about sharing everything with her, then he couldn't just think of her as a possession, could he? It seemed the whole reason he wanted a wife was to have someone to share his life and things with him. There was almost a sense of loneliness and solitude about the man that she'd never picked up on before. What else had she missed?
Her head whirled as their conversation played over in her mind. The story he'd told her about his employee showed he had compassion. He couldn't be some unfeeling monster if he was prepared to help someone out like that. She wanted to think of Itachi as heartless, but he wasn't. And if he wasn't the monster she made him out to be, what was going to stop her from falling in love with him?
The next day he called her just after midday.
"What is it?" she asked him, worried that he was again going to be detained by work, or worse, that something else had gone wrong.
"I've done everything I can do regarding this situation at work. What happens now is up to the solicitors and police."
He paused, waiting for some acknowledgment from her.
"Does that mean we'll be leaving Italy shortly?" she asked him, wondering why instead of feeling pleased she felt a small amount of disappointment.
"I've been in touch with the airline. We can leave late this evening."
He paused again, and Noriko wondered what he was going to say next.
"But," she prompted.
"But I have some things; some places here that I'd really like to show you. And I still want us to have dinner tonight. I want you to get to know me, Ko-chan. But it's up to you. If you want to leave tonight, we can. If you want to stay for a couple more nights, we can. This decision is up to you."
He was giving her a choice. For the first time since they'd started their 'relationship' he was letting her decide on something. She felt like he was trying to put their relationship back on the right track. He was indirectly asking her for a second chance.
For a short moment she wanted to say no – self preservation was highly desirable; but she was fast realizing the futility of fighting what was between them. The physical and emotional connection between them was so strong, that it could only be denied for so long. It was going to win out in the end and all she could do was say yes, and prepare herself for the roller coaster ride that she was about to be taken on. She'd discovered that she didn't like to be out of control, however, she'd also discovered that this thing between them couldn't be contained; it couldn't be controlled.
"Okay," she told him.
"Okay, you'll stay?" she could hear the thinly veiled hope in his voice.
"Okay, I'll stay."
"Okay then, how about I book tickets for three days time?"
"Fine," she said.
"I'll be home no later than six tonight. I've still got some paperwork to complete, but it shouldn't take me long."
"I'll see you then," she replied.
He said goodbye and she hung up. So this was it then; she was making a conscious decision to explore whatever was between them, no holding back. Her head screamed danger, but for some crazy reason her heart seemed to be doing a little dance at the idea of being allowed to finally feel what it wanted, without a limit being placed on it.
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STAY TUNED FOR MY NEXT CHAPTER. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND THANKS ALOT TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN REVIEWING IT MEANS ALOT TO ME.
NAMIKAZE ICHIME
