Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura or any of its characters.

Chapter Four
Enslaved

Sakura was sitting on the living room sofa, reading the newspaper, as she had nothing else to do. It had been three days since she moved in with Syaoran, and so far, things had been going smoothly, apart from the boredom she had to deal with every single day. Of course, she still hasn't gotten used to Syaoran's nightly insistence of sex but what more could she do but submit?

It was already midday and the penthouse was deafeningly quiet. Syaoran had already gone to work early in the morning. She had let out a small yawn when she heard the main door open. Promptly, she rose, thinking it was a thief. It couldn't be Syaoran, she thought. The master of the house would call her whenever he comes home.

Taking light, quiet steps, she made her way to the foyer, to see a petite, ageing woman with round, gentle face and soft brown eyes that peer behind a pair of rectangular glasses, hair of ebony tied back into a tight bun. Upon seeing her, the eyebrows of the woman knitted, as she raised her eyeglasses to get a better view of her.

"Who are you?" the woman asked her. "What are you doing here?"

Sakura didn't know what to answer her. "Ling Ma?"

The woman looked surprised. "How do you know who I am?"

"Uh… Xiao Lang told me you were… W-what I'm trying to say is… I was… expecting you—" all words that Sakura were about to, or, rather, trying to say were cut off by the entry of another person: Syaoran.

"Sakura! I'm—" he stopped midway, finally aware of the presence of another person in the house.

"Xiao Lang?" Ling Ma eyed him curiously, raising both brows.

"L-Ling Ma! I see you've returned," he said, his gaze shifting from his caretaker to his mistress, who avoided his gaze and looked down.

"Indeed, I have. And who, may I ask, is this?" the elder woman signaled to Sakura, whose eyes were still downcast.

Syaoran cleared his throat. "Ling Ma, this is Ying Fa. Ying Fa," Sakura looked up, finally meeting his eyes, upon hearing her name. "This is Ling Ma."

The young woman turned to the elder one and bowed. "Pleased to meet you."

Ling Ma gave her a smile and bowed as well. "And you as well. Ying Fa."

Sakura gave Syaoran a nervous look before turning to her heels "I-I guess I'd better leave." She gave one last bow to Ling Ma and went back to the living room.

Amber eyes watched her fixatedly as she retreated until a voice cut Syaoran's thoughts off – whatever those thoughts may be.

"Interesting."

Syaoran blinked and turned to see the amused face of his caretaker. He raised his brows in inquiry.

"For the first time ever since I saw my little Xiao Lang grow up, my little wolf brought home a woman," Ling Ma remarked.

The businessman once again drifted his eyes back to where his paramour was.

"She must be something special," the elder woman commented.

If you only knew, Syaoran thought, shaking his head.

"Would it be okay if you'd help Ling Ma with her things, Xiao Lang?" she smiled.

Syaoran smiled and chuckled as he took the caretaker's bags. "Of course. Do you even have to ask, Ling Ma?"

"She seems to be a sweet girl," Ling Ma mumbled, holding onto Syaoran as they made their way to her room. "Beautiful. With nice green eyes." Syaoran merely nodded as she spoke.

"But she doesn't look Chinese to me, does she?" she pondered.

He shook his head. "She's a Japanese, Ling Ma. Hong Kong-based." Syaoran opened the door to her cozy sanctum.

"Ahh! I see. Where did you meet her?" she asked casually. He froze.

"Where did I meet her?" he repeated as he placed her bags on the floor by the foot of her bed.

"Yes. Where did you meet her?"

"Depends," he said, much to Ling Ma's confusion. "Depends on whether you want me to tell you the truth. Or whether you don't want me to make her look bad."

"And why would that be?" Ling Ma asked, mystified.

Syaoran sighed. "I'll tell you later, Ling Ma. But right now, I need to see Ying Fa before I go back to work. I have a meeting due at 2:00."

"Alright then. Take care, my Xiao Lang!" she bid him goodbye.

He spun on his heels and walked to the door before turning once again. "Oh and one more thing, Ling Ma."

The elder woman looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Please make Ying Fa feel welcome."

Ling Ma chuckled, her ageing dark eyes twinkling. "Do you even have to ask, my little wolf?"

Syaoran chuckled and winked before walking out the door.

The old woman watched her ward's retreating figure with a satisfied grin. "My Xiao Lang," she whispered to herself. "Finally learning to love."

Sakura was sitting on the living room sofa, again, reading an entrepreneurial magazine that she found quite interesting. She had been taking up a business course before she dropped out of college some time ago so she wasn't exactly business-illiterate. Her reading session was interrupted by the opening and eventual closing of the door. She looked up to find the owner of the house standing by the door, a feral look on his handsome face.

Setting the magazine aside, she stood up. "Syaoran? Is there something wrong?" She was barely finished with what she was saying when the magnate pounced on her and began kissing her.

"Syao—"

"Ten minutes! I promise I'll be done in ten minutes!" he panted as he started unzipping his pants.

It was then that it hit Sakura. He wanted to have sex right there and then.

"S-Syaoran?! Are you saying you want to have sex—"

"YES! Yes! Oh Sakura, yes!" He moaned as he began fumbling with the button of her shorts.

Sakura froze. She had no way out of this.

"Y-you mean to say you came home just to… just to… well," she trailed off.

He smirked as his lips went to her left ear. "Yes," he whispered huskily, sending shivers to her body. "I want you, Sakura. I want you now."

Sakura's face flushed red. He was getting hornier and hornier every second. And refusing wouldn't do her any good. She let out a moan when she felt his hand on her private part and realized that his hand had made his way inside her knickers.

How does he do that? she wondered as he continued stripping her.

"Promise," he whispered as he lay her down on the sofa, spreading her legs, beginning to cover his erect manhood with the rubber contraceptive. "I'll be quick."

And with that, Li Syaoran once again, just like the past night and the nights before, penetrated the cavern that Kinomoto Sakura had once reserved for the man of her life.

"Syaoran, don't you have a meeting in five minutes?" Sakura reminded her lover, who was still kissing her neck like crazy. They had—or rather, he—had finished their heated session in exactly seven minutes, he took note. And what was supposed to be a short goodbye turned to a necking time when Syaoran pinned Sakura to the wall.

That got Syaoran to stop. He stared at her hungrily one last time before finally deciding to go. "Until tonight, my flower."

With one smug look at her, he turned to the door and left.

Once the door slammed shut, Sakura leaned sideways against the wall and sighed. So much for her life. Here she was, living in one of Hong Kong's poshest penthouse, yet as Hong Kong's most eligible bachelor Li Syaoran's sex slave. She was his whore. His bitch. Women would kill her to be in her position, if they knew. But they'd never know what Sakura would give to be free.

Sighing for the second time, she turned around and saw Ling Ma watching her from the bottom of the staircase, a smile on her lips.

Sakura stopped on her tracks and bowed her head down, making a detour to avoid the older woman in embarrassment.

"Would you like to join me for lunch, Ying Fa?" Ling Ma called to her.

She stopped once again and looked at her. "If it's okay with you, Ling Ma." Her heart-shaped face flushed pink.

Ling Ma chuckled. "Of course, my dear. Why would I ask you if I'm not okay with it?"

This had only caused Sakura to blush deeper and let out a nervous laugh.

From the moment Sakura and Ling Ma sat down to eat, awkward silence reigned. Sakura found it difficult to start a conversation with the caretaker, fearing it might lead to something embarrassing.

"I hope Xiao Lang has been feeding you well," Ling Ma said humorously. "It seems to me, with the way you're eating, you haven't been fed for a long time."

Sakura turned red. It was then that she realized that she had eaten six shrimp dumplings and was now into her third bowl of soup.

"H-he has been feeding me well. It's just that your—"

"My cooking is better than his, am I correct?" Ling Ma completed her.

"Yes," Sakura half-lied. Truth was, Syaoran was an amazing cook. But even though she had to admit that Ling Ma was better, what kept her from eating much was the awkwardness she felt towards Syaoran.

Ling Ma laughed. "But of course! Even Li Xiao Lang says so himself. Nothing beats Ling Ma's cooking!"

Sakura chuckled.

"If it helps, I won't tell Xiao Lang his girlfriend thinks his cooking sucks compared to mine," Ling Ma winked, causing Sakura to redden and laugh uncomfortably.

After minutes of hesitation, Ling Ma drew up the courage to ask the delicate-looking girl. "Ying Fa, would you mind if I ask?"

"Ask what?"

"How…" Ling Ma hesitated for a while, remembering the conversation she had with Syaoran. "How did you and Xiao Lang meet?"

The question drained all the color from Sakura's face and she froze.

"Xiao Lang and I… well…" Sakura took a deep breath. "We met… we…" Inside her chest, Sakura could feel the frantic beating of her heart. How was she going to answer the question? Then, she felt a warm, soft hand on hers. Emerald eyes locked with gentle brown eyes.

"It's okay, Ying Fa. Ling Ma won't think of you less if you answered me honestly," she comforted her.

Sakura saw that she was sincere with what she said. Taking one deep breath, she began. "Xiao Lang and I met… I'm not…" She squeezed her eyes shut. "I… I'm not… exactly… his girlfriend, Ling Ma."

The old woman creased her forehead in confusion. "You're not?"

Sakura shook her head. "I'm not. I'm…" she trailed off, thinking of the appropriate term to use. "I'm his… lover, if you know what I mean." She looked up to see the confounded expression on Ling Ma's face.

"I-I met Xiao Lang in a… brothel," she revealed. "I worked there… to earn money… to pay my debts… Xiao Lang… h-helped me pay my debts… And now, I have to pay him back."

Minutes of silence followed until Ling Ma found her voice to speak. "I-I-I see," she managed to say, her hand still on Sakura's.

"I'm… I'm sorry… if I'm not what you expected me to be," Sakura told her.

Ling Ma, to her surprise, gave her a sad, understanding smile. "There's nothing to be sorry about, Ying Fa. I admire you for your honesty. I thank you for your honesty."

Her words, however, failed to soothe Sakura, who looked down to avoid Ling Ma's gaze, her eyes beginning to well with tears. Ling Ma gave Sakura's hand a squeeze before she stood up. "Well… I guess I'd better clean the table."

Sakura sat still on her chair as Ling Ma tidied the table, her head still bowed down, her teary green eyes glued to her hands that were on her lap. And she was still on a state of trance when Ling Ma took one pitying look at her and left her to her lonesome.

Two weeks and two days had passed since the conversation between Sakura and Ling Ma took place. Syaoran had no knowledge of it and didn't even wonder why Ling Ma never asked him again about his first meeting with Sakura. Ling Ma kept her word. She didn't think less of Sakura. At least judging from the way she acted towards the girl. Chan Ling Ma was still the kind, caring woman Syaoran had told his lover.

That day, Sakura wasn't feeling well. She woke up with a headache and began to feel dizzy in the afternoon. Her body ached and she had vomited her lunch right after eating. She felt like she was coming down with flu. Of course, she didn't tell Ling Ma or Syaoran about this. She couldn't. Especially Syaoran.

"Ying Fa?" Sakura heard Ling Ma call her.

Unsteadily, she rose from the sofa and held onto the redwood table on the side of the couch for support. She mustered her strength and feebly walked out of the living room and into the kitchen, where Ling Ma was.

The elder woman smiled at the younger one as she entered.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, dear. But I decided to try cooking ramen for tonight's dinner and… well, I can't say that I'm the best cook when it comes to Japanese cuisine," Ling Ma explained with a chuckle.

Sakura smiled weakly at Ling Ma. She was beginning to love the woman greatly.

"You want me to taste it?" Sakura asked.

"Could you, dear? It would be horribly embarrassing if it turns out bad," the elder female said in worry.

Sakura chuckled. With a spoon, she sipped a spoonful of thin soup and savored its hearty taste. She turned to Ling Ma and grinned.

"It's delicious!"

Ling Ma sighed with relief. "I'm glad!"

Suddenly, Sakura's vision started spinning and slowly became blurry. She felt herself collapse on the cold marble kitchen floor before everything turned black and the last thing she heard was the panicked voice of Chan Ling Ma calling her name.

Midnight was only two and a half hours away yet Hong Kong showed no sign that it was about to call it a night. Bright lights illuminated the streets, radiating its energy into the dimly lit hospital room where a handsome brown-haired man stood by the window pensively before a moan broke his mood. Eyes of amber drifted to the angelic figure that lay on the bed, asleep. The man sighed.

Syaoran looked out one last time before he turned and walked towards the bed where his lover slept. He stared at the beautiful face and frowned. He had been planning on a night full of intense passion that he wanted to go straight home from work, which he did. Only to come home to find his lover on the kitchen floor, burning with fever and unconscious. Needless to say, he brought her straight to the hospital out of panic, extinguishing the passionate flame that was about to get the better of him that Friday night.

"I guess you got the break that you wanted now, huh?" he mumbled, half-expecting her to wake up and respond. She didn't. He sighed in defeat.

His eyes found a chair across the room and he dragged it to the bedside. Sitting down, he leaned towards the sleeping girl and stared once again.

"What did you do to me, Ying Fa?" he whispered. His finger traced the soft outline of her face. "You have me addicted to you. You have me going crazy thinking about you."

His eyes studied her face for the first time. Ever since he first slept with her, he never did scrutinize her features the way he was doing at the very moment. He had always looked at her and sucked in her beauty as a whole. But now… She was more striking from where he was looking at her.

Her lashes were long, dark, and naturally curved. Her usually rosy cheeks were flushed from the fever she was having. Even so, she was breathtaking. Her nose was perfectly sculpted, long and thin. Her lips. Goodness, her lips. They were ravishing. Pink, moist, full, and soft. The softest lips he had ever kissed. The sweetest lips he had ever tasted.

Then, like a sudden bolt of lightning, a tremendous feeling engulfed him. It was an outrageous feeling of wanting to kiss her, right there and then. His eyes bulged startlingly and he immediately leaned back against the chair. Inside him, he felt the agitated beating of his heart.

What the f*ck was that?!, his mind rang as he ran his hand through his hair.

Syaoran looked at the sleeping girl once again. His heart galloped and he gulped. His hand reached for her face and he let his thumb brush her lips ever so lightly. The want to kiss her was still there, increasing by the second. It was hard to resist it. Slowly, he leaned towards Sakura's flushed face and grazed her lips lightly with his. Realizing what he had done, he pulled back instantly and let out a low growl.

"Dammit," he cursed. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. He could not possibly want to kiss this woman because he wanted to, right?

He stood up and walked towards the window. Below, the honking of the cars persisted and the lights continued to glow. Syaoran turned around and leaned against the wall between the windows. He shut his eyes and pressed his palm against his forehead.

What was that?! he wondered.

Then, it came to him. He had kissed Sakura several times. But it was all for the sake of foreplay. All out of pure lust. But now, the reason he did so couldn't possibly for foreplay. And it sure wasn't lust that drove him to insanity that second. It was… something different. He bit his lip hard, as if trying to keep himself from kissing her one more time. Then, he crouched down before settling his eyes on his lover, who was undisturbed by and obviously unaware of his previous actions.

"What did you do to me, Kinomoto Sakura?"

To Be Continued

A.N.: Like it or not? Tell me if you don't and I'll revise it :) And if you think there has been far too much intimacy for the first chapters, pardon me but that's how it's supposed to be :) Otherwise I won't be true to what I created in the first place.