Edited 12/11/2013

Chapter 4

Sunday: Venture

- An undertaking involving uncertainty as to the outcome (especially a risky or dangerous one)

Seto was in a state of shock. On the outside he was the picture of calm, but there could be no other way to describe the feeling that threatened to erupt from inside him.

And what, you may ask, was the source of his shock?

Tea Gardner…did I actually agree to partake in something as scandalous as a seduction game with her?!

Sure, at the time it had sounded like a good idea to accept the challenge Gardner had proposed, but now Seto wasn't so sure. Never in his life had he ever participated in seduction or being seduced. Sure he understood the logistics and direction of sex and foreplay, but he had never actually done anything before. Fuck, he hadn't even had his first real kiss yet. Not that trivial things such as that ever questioned his knowledge of who and what he was in this world.

I am in so much shit…

He scolded himself mentally as he lay still in bed. His room was still in a state of semi-darkness as the sun crept through the windows, slowly signalling the beginning of a new day. He didn't have time to play silly, adolescent games such as this. There was still that infuriating company party to plan that he hadn't made any progress with, and being the perfectionist he was there was no way he could just pass off the planning to a professional party planner – because no matter how professional they claim to be, he could always find fault in their work – so the job was better left to him.

Groaning, Seto hauled himself out of bed. He needed to get work done this morning. It seemed even the smartest of the employees he hired could screw up the simplest things. How his company could ever survive without him he would never know. He moved to go to his closet when he saw a bundle of clothing at the end of his bed. A note lay atop it.

Seto,

Wear this…Please! You look too stiff in the suits you usually wear.

It's spring break, wear something casual.

Mokuba

Seto glanced at the clothes Mokuba had found and fought a grimace. However, there wasn't much he would deny Mokuba these days…that child would be the end of the heartless image he carried. Sighing irritably, he pulled on the clothes and left to brush his teeth in the bathroom down the hall.

It was quiet there. Very unlike the commotion he and Gardner had raised the night before. Seto pulled his toothbrush and paste out of the cabinet hanging beside the mirror. As he began brushing his gaze travelled to the bit of wall he had pinned her against not ten hours ago.

Her eyes had been hazy. They were the most beautiful ultramarine colour he had ever seen, so full of warmth and at that moment they had been alive with fire. Her breath had come in short bursts through her parted lips, and in that moment the desire to meet those lips with his own had been overwhelming. His body had been like a live-wire. Every molecule of his being was alive and screaming her name, begging him to touch her.

The floor creaked as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, bringing him out of the memory. To his complete embarrassment, when he looked into the mirror his face was stained red. Angrily spitting the foam from his mouth Seto rinsed his face and strode out of the bathroom. He didn't look at the spot again.

He began to navigate his way through the halls, on his way to the kitchen where he normally ate a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Seto wasn't a breakfast person. All the food you were supposed to eat in the morning never sat right with him. How were you supposed to go about starting the day when you've eaten so much that your stomach feels like lead bricks weighing you down? Coming up to the kitchen he pushed his way through its swinging door and stopped.

Who the hell…?

His eyes widened and he moved behind a cupboard to his left so as not to be seen by the other figure that moved about the room. He felt a bit of a fool for feeling the need to hide and scoffed inwardly at himself. The great Seto Kaiba, hiding in his own house! Peaking out he realized the figure was the Gardner girl.

She was holding something tenderly in her arms, and shifting about the room. He began to think she was intoxicated from the way she was moving until he heard the soft hum coming from her. Her voice was lilting, floating through the air like a gentle breeze and it held him entranced. Never had he heard a more beautiful sound – not that he would admit the girl's voice was lovely. Ever. To anyone. He began to see that her movements were not as uncalculated as he had first thought. Her hips swayed rhythmically to the tune he could not place as her feet danced lightly across the room. He vaguely remembered hearing something about her being a dancer of some sort. The large windows that made up one wall of the kitchen let in the orangey light of the rising sun which spilled upon her and made her white, night dress glow. She spun gracefully which brought her front to his view. It was the baby she held so lovingly in her arms. Her song felt like it was meant for the child's ears only, and a sense of intrusion filled Seto. She held a bottle expertly and he realized that she was feeding it.

His chest lurched at the sight – maybe a heart attack? Surely that could be the only reason his body would react like that watching her with a child. The idea of any of the nerd herd being responsible enough to look after an infant made him want to laugh.

She looks like a mother…he thought pointedly, and tried to remember his own…

Nothing.

It was always only Mokuba and himself.

Seto clenched his teeth and looked away from the angelic movements of his guest. Damn that girl. She was so confusing and it irritated him to no end. He had always prided himself in reading people and their abilities well, but this girl seemed to be the only exception. He just couldn't figure her out. I never pegged her to be the mothering type. Although, I guess she is always trying to look after that Yugi character and their nerdish friends… Then again it makes sense. I doubt Wheeler could even tie his shoelaces without the help of his friends.

Coming to that conclusion Seto smirked confidently to himself. And as to the shock he'd felt from seeing Gardner and his body's momentary lapse in otherwise perfect health in response, well…it could simply be explained that he never saw the worth in analyzing her before this moment. She was and always would be just another one of Yugi's monkey troop. Albeit one with a nice ass…

Feeling even surer of himself, Seto slipped away from the kitchen unnoticed and made his way to his office. He would forgo breakfast this morning. He had decided that this seduction game would be easy. Seto Kaiba was never a man to grow emotionally attached to anyone and so there was no fear in loosing to her in that sense. The only thing that could get him into trouble was his unfortunate attraction to her. Lust, he believed it was called. The matter wasn't too concerning as Seto prided himself in being in control of every aspect of his life. His self control was a trait to be admired and such a simple thing as lust could easily be overcome. Plus, the reaction she'd had to him in the bathroom easily confirmed her equal attraction to him and gave him an advantage over her as she was obviously not as in control of her emotions as he.

A wicked smile graced his features as he entered his office. This will be a piece of cake, he thought deviously.

Little could our precious male lead know that lust is an emotion that can fell even the mightiest of men and must be regarded with utmost caution.

Tea slipped into a pink striped, long sleeved shirt, dark denim shorts and quickly went to her armoire to brush her shoulder-length brown locks. She gazed at her appearance in the mirror with a slight frown. I wish I had brought just a little more make-up with me…how am I supposed to seduce Kaiba with lip gloss? Glancing at her outfit, she deepened her frown. I should have brought something sexier. I'm so screwed…especially when he can wear just about anything and still look like sex on a stick-

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. The abrupt noise startled the sleeping 'baby' that rested in the car seat on her bed. It began to shriek as Tea scrambled over to it, scooping it into her arms. She rubbed its back and made soft cooing noises as she walked to the door to greet one of the butlers. He looked startled to see the crying infant in her arms.

"Sorry, I guess it doesn't like loud noises…" Tea smiled bleakly at the man and opened the door wider to let him into the room and set a tray of cereal down on her side table. She started swaying her body a little and the baby quieted, her cries turning into a soft whimper and then dying.

The butler smiled warmly at Tea and it was then she realized this was the same man she had defended from Kaiba when she had arrived yesterday. "You are very good at that," he gestured towards the baby in her arms, "Have you had practice Miss Tea?"

"Oh, no, actually I'm an only child," Tea said returning his smile, "I guess it's just instinct. And you don't have to call me Miss Tea all the time. Just Tea is fine with me."

"I'm sorry Miss, but as your assigned personal butler I am required to call you as such. Master Kaiba wouldn't be pleased if I called you by anything other." The man bowed respectfully and prepared to leave.

"I'm sorry but I never got your name," Tea called out, stopping him.

"Wesley, Miss. You may call me Wesley, and I know it is rather inappropriate to say considering my station but, I think you will be a fine mother one day." He smiled at her and the child before slipping out the door.

Tea's face flushed at the complement and she looked down at the now slumbering baby in her arms. Her features softened. It was so tiny. It's a robot Tea, get a hold of yourself. She laid the infant gently back into its car seat and went to grab the bowl of cereal Wesley had brought up for her. It's true, she could have grabbed herself a bowl while in the kitchen earlier that morning; the hunger had slipped her mind while she had been feeding the baby. It had woken her early with its screaming and figuring it was probably hungry she had brought it down to the kitchen where the special bottle the robot required to register it had been fed was kept. So relieved that it had finally quieted, Tea had completely forgotten to eat.

She ate the cereal quickly and ran to the bathroom across the hall to brush her teeth, hoping the baby wouldn't wake again while she was gone. She had barely closed her door upon returning when there was another knock, more erratic this time. When she answered Mokuba was grinning at her, his smile wide, wearing nothing but swimming trunks, his hands hidden behind his back.

"Mokuba," she greeted warmly, "Good morning. How did you sleep?"

"Fine thanks," he answered rocking on his feet while glancing around her room. His eyes stopped on the baby and his smile widened, "Good it's asleep. I was wondering, Tea would you go swimming with me while you're not busy?"

Tea laughed lightly at his eagerness. "But it's too cold to go swimming," she argued.

"We have an indoor pool." He countered.

"I have no swim suit," she shot back, the smile in her eyes giving away the fact that she wasn't truly against the idea of swimming. "I didn't think to bring one with me."

"Not a problem," Mokuba grinned wider and brought out the object he had been hiding. Tea blinked a moment then laughed.

"Where on earth did you get that?" she stepped back to let the bouncing preteen into her room.

Mokuba threw the bathing suit he had brought onto her bed then situated himself in one of her armchairs. "I have a picture of you and Yugi and everyone from your duelling days and had one of our maids guess your size and buy it," he said in a rush.

"How clever of you," Tea murmured looking at the bathing suit. I don't think I've ever worn anything that revealing before… She gulped. "Um, I dunno if swimming is such a good idea Mokuba. I am here for a project after all and playing around doesn't exactly fit into parenting. Plus she could wake up while I'm gone."

He dismissed her worries casually with a wave of his hand. "Don't worry about it Tea. The project is supposed to reflect how you and Seto would raise the baby as if it were actually yours right?"

Tea didn't like where this was going. He had a cheeky grin on his face that could amount to no good. "In a sense…"

"Well if Seto were to actually have a child with you, you guys would leave its care to the nanny when you wanted to go out and play. I had a nanny growing up. It wasn't all bad."

She started to protest again but Mokuba cut her off quickly.

"Look Tea, if you want this project to run as smoothly and realistically as possible then you would leave the child in the care of a nanny for some of the time. We have enough money to afford it so it's not a problem okay?" he smiled cheerfully and got up to pick up the bathing suit and throw it at her. "So let's go swimming okay? I'll take the baby to the nanny and you change. We'll meet at the pool in ten."

With that he grabbed the sleeping baby in its carrier and sped out the door before she could protest again.

Tea let out a tired sigh and glanced at the material he had thrown her again. Jeez, what a kid, demanding everything and anything and just expecting to get his way…actually he probably has always gotten anything he's ever asked for. She shook her head and muttered curses and something about rich people as she went to close the door as Mokuba had not in his rush to leave. I guess its okay to wear this thing as long as it's only Mokuba. My parents would have a fit if they ever saw me in this…

Mokuba grinned quietly to himself as he headed to Seto's office after dropping off the baby in the nursery room with Roberta.

When Seto sees Tea in that bathing suit blood is going to flow. He chuckled at the possibility of his brother getting a nose bleed. With my help I will have a new sister by the end of this week, he though smugly. Seto won't know what hit him.

Seto lounged casually on one of the many beach chairs that ran around the outer perimeter of his indoor pool. He had somehow allowed Mokuba to drag him from his office, making excuses about him being to wound up and needing to relax once in awhile. The ebony-haired boy was currently splashing about like a two year old in their olympic sized pool and Seto watched on cautiously. Mokuba rarely ever invited him to go swimming knowing that his older brother had no interest in the activity. Every time Mokuba had ever tried to get his brother to come to the pool with him the older boy sat on the edge of the pool, barely putting his feet in. Naturally he was suspicious. Whatever that monkey's got planned couldn't be too bad. He's just a kid after all… Seto reached over to grab the papers he had brought from his office on the glass side table next to his seat. Just as he was about to immerse himself in proposals for some software upgrading the sound of the glass door to the pool opening reached his ears. Thinking it was a maid bringing the lemonade he had asked for earlier he looked up.

That's not lemonade… His mind promptly went blank as the Gardner girl stepped into the room timidly. She had a towel wrapped around her slim form and Seto could see the straps of her bathing suit wrapping up and around her neck. She nervously walked over to the nearest beach chair and shimmied out of the flip flop shoes she wore. Her ultramarine eyes caught sight of Mokuba in the pool and she smiled.

Mokuba, by then, had seen her as well and laughed happily. "Come on in Tea, the water's great!" Seto didn't see the way the boy chanced a quick glance in his direction with cheeky grin on his face as Gardner was now slipping the towel away from her form. He felt a rush of heat flood into his face…and other regions.

The bathing suit was nothing special by any means, but rather simple. Small orange and pink leopard print covered the material and the top came into a halter around her swan like neck. She'd left her brown locks down, and they grazed the top of her pale shoulders. Her skin was ivory pale and her legs long and lean; strong from years of dancing. Seto found himself unnervingly attracted to the slight dip in her toned stomach that was her belly button and wondered what it would be like to taste her.

Seto turned to glare at his brother who had chosen that moment to dip beneath the surface of the water to avoid his brother's gaze. When the dark haired youth came up for air his grey eyes locked with his brothers and the boy gulped.

You are so dead Mokuba Kaiba! Seto screamed silently.

Tea adjusted the straps of her new bathing suit self consciously. Normally she would wear a one piece when she went swimming. The only time she ever visited Domino's public pool was with her boys and wearing anything other than a one piece was just asking for unwanted attention. Anytime anyone would show the slightest interest, Joey and Tristan would chase them down and bludgeon them with the nearest makeshift weapon. No one could steal their precious 'sister' away. The brunette shook her head at the thought of her testosterone filled friends. It was no wonder she never found anyone decent to start a relationship with.

She started for the edge of the pool where a row of steps submerged themselves into the water. Grasping the hand rail alongside them, she dipped a toe into the clear water, testing the temperature. It was warm. Glancing up to see Mokuba splashing and beckoning her further she took another step deeper into the water. That was when she saw him. He had swung his arm to the side of his body putting the papers he had been holding on the table next to him and the movement had caught her attention.

Her whole body froze and she felt her heart skip a beat as fear and shock slammed into her body like a tidal wave. Fear quickly turned to embarrassment as she took in the heated look in his eyes. Her face flushed and she covered her chest with her arms in a vain attempt at minimizing the large amount of uncovered skin she displayed. Jeez, I didn't expect Kaiba to be here as well…

"What are you waiting for Tea? Come on in," Mokuba beckoned to her once more.

She turned back to look at the youth splashing before her. What am I supposed to do!? All she wanted was to turn around and run for the hills. That, or have the ground swallow her whole. Anything would be better than having Kaiba see her like this. Or maybe… Looking back over to the tall brunette she took in his appearance carefully.

His hair was messy and unkempt, like he had been running his hands through it all morning. The fringe of his bangs hung in his eyes which were still raking over her unabashedly. She blushed at the expression of complete hunger that clouded his features. It was then she noticed he was wearing nothing but swimming trunks and she couldn't help but give him an appreciative once over. It's gotta be illegal somewhere to look that fine, she thought, resisting the urge to fan herself. His torso was perfectly toned and the slight ripple of his muscles as he moved to stand made her mouth water.

Her gaze locked with his steel blue one and she smirked as an idea struck her. Lowering her arms from her chest she ran her hands down her tummy and then the sides of her hips, delighting in how his eyes followed the movement eagerly.

Yes, this could definitely work to her advantage.

She had a lot of ground to cover, after all, considering she had lost their challenge the day before. Just the memory of their interaction in the bathroom made her skin hot and gave her motivation to win. This could be fun, she thought as she continued her slow pace into the water, subtly swinging her hips as she went. She would need to be cautious so that Mokuba wouldn't catch on to anything. A small smile graced her lips as she continued her endeavours.

Seto's eyes were transfixed on the girl before him. Did she even know how alluring she was? He was exercising all his self control just to keep from going to her. As she made her way deeper into the pool she suddenly ducked beneath the water. Seto found himself holding his breath with Gardner, waiting for her to re-emerge. When she did he let his air out through his teeth in a hiss. Her long arms came up and her eyes fixed on his as she smoothed down her wet hair. The ultramarine colour of them seemed to glow as her darkened hair made them more pronounced. Rivulets of water ran down her face, arms and stomach, but it was her face that held his sole attention. The sultry grin she gave him made his knees weak and outrage flooded his entire being as he caught onto her game.

She's doing this on purpose!

Well, fine. Two could play at this game. Masking his momentary shock with a look of amusement he moved towards the pool's edge and sat down on the side so that his legs dangled into the water below. He'd made his gate long and leisurely knowing that always caught his female coworkers' attention at the office, and smirked as Gardner took a step back from him, uncertainty crossing her features.

"Hey Mokuba," he called, addressing his younger brother who had been playing with a pool noodle, naively unaware to the battle beginning between the two older teens, "why don't we play that game you're always whining about?"

To his amusement he saw Gardner's shoulders tense.

Mokuba's eyes shone with excitement as he looked at his brother, "You mean you're coming in this time!?" he asked enthusiastically.

"May as well enjoy the convenience of an indoor pool since we have one," he said while slipping into the pool.

Gardner moved back, putting even more space between them. She regarded him cautiously while she talked to the now whooping Mokuba. "What game is it?" she asked warily.

"Do you know how to play Marco Polo?" the boy asked mischievously.

Seto congratulated himself internally as he saw her throw a glare in his direction. He shrugged and smirked innocently, "Are you really going to deny him this Gardner? He's been wanted to play it for some time now." He began to circle her leisurely, a reminder that he was the predator, not her. He would ultimately arise as champion in this game. Seto always came out on top. In everything. "In fact," he drawled slowing his movements until she was caught between the two Kaiba brothers, "why don't you be it Mokuba, since it's your game." His smile was almost feral as he raked his gaze once more down the girl's profile. She scowled at him in response.

Mokuba's shout of glee echoed in background, both Seto and the brunette girl deaf to his excitement as they were solely focused on each other.

Play with fire and you'll get burned. Run little Gardner, run. This is one game you're not going to arise from unscathed.

"Okay, I'm closing my eyes now!" Mokuba chirped behind her. Tea turned to smile weakly at the boy. As soon as his eyes slid shut, the game was on. Turning to her opponent she couldn't help but feel a wave of thrill combined with fear course through her. She'd never seduced anyone in her life and everything she had done until now had been imitations of things she'd seen Mai do on occasion, only more subtly than the busty blond. Biting her lip in determination she moved around him so that she could stand in the shallow end.

She let instinct guide her as she trailed her fingers up the side of her hips and stomach. Feeling a bit daring she traced the outline of her breast slowly, all the while keeping her gaze locked with Kaiba's. The haze in his eyes gave her courage to continue. From there she tangled her hands into her hair imitating some of the girls she always saw on the cover of Joey's magazines.

"Marco!"

Lowering herself in the water to hide her body from his view she looked up at him again from beneath her lashes. "Polo" she said her lip twitching upwards as she fought not to smirk.

"Polo" he answered after her. His low voice gave her shivers which cascaded over her arms.

Mokuba's splashing started in Tea's direction and she moved to escape his path…and directly towards Kaiba. He smirked at her new predicament. Tea fought the urge to gulp. She had played her cards and now it was his turn.

She turned from him, determined to swim away and put a safe amount of distance between them. He caught her before she got very far. Cornering her against one of the pool walls he caged her in with his arms, not unlike the move he had pulled in the bathroom the night before. Tea marginally relaxed. Oh, if he thinks he can get me with that silly breathing on my ear thing again he's got ano-

Kaiba's hand caressed her shoulder then made its way slowly down the outside of her arm. Tea's mind shut off completely as her whole body erupted in shivers despite the warm temperature of the pool. Her face heated as she looked up into his steely eyes. What she saw there startled her out of the sudden tingles her body had broken out in. There was an…uncertainty there. As subtle as it was, Tea saw it and realized that he had crossed a line in this game. Never before had either of them touched each other. Kaiba was silently asking whether this was alright or not, even if he wasn't completely aware of it. Tea lowered her gaze to watch the water rippling around them, her blush creeping stealthily back onto her cheeks. Did she want to take this next step in their game? She supposed it was inevitable that it would happen sooner or later. But once they crossed this line, how far would things escalate after?

"Marco!"

Mokuba's shout startled her out of her thoughts and she realized Kaiba had moved away from her, now crossing to the other side of the pool as he called out in response to his brother. A smirk clung to his lips. Tea wasn't sure what to make of this. All uncertainty seemed to have left him now. He was completely unaware of the change of nature this game had just taken. Well I guess I have no choice in the matter anymore…she thought sullenly. "Polo!"

Mokuba's splashing once again turned towards her, and she began to follow Kaiba to the other side of the pool. She couldn't help but let a small smile grace her features as she eyed Kaiba who had let his previous amusement slip into a mask of impassiveness. He had been so gentle when touching her; this change might not be that bad.

Their game continued unawares to Mokuba each delivering tentative touches to the other that would hardly have gained the notice of anyone in public. However, to the two teens, this was new territory, and each were unsure of just how far to push each other. Each touch to the arm or shoulders made the receiver tingle. Kaiba was the one to eventually raise the stakes. Coming up behind the brunette, instead of the soft touch to her arm she had received previously, his fingers caressed the smooth skin of her hip. Tea gasped in surprise and tried to turn around, but Kaiba prevented her by sliding his had around her so that it splayed over her belly. He pushed her back into his chest and she nearly moaned as she felt the lean muscle there. Leaning close he whispered, "I win." His teeth nipped the outer shell of her ear and Tea dissolved into putty as heat surged through her. She tried to lean further into his delicious heat, uncaring of the outcome of their battle as long as he kept holding her like this when all too soon he was gone. The sudden absence of his presence behind her startled her back to reality. Letting her loss sink in she fumed and turned to glare at the offending man only to find him climbing the pool steps and crossing the deck over to where a towel laid on his chair.

The splashing of his leaving caught Mokuba's attention and the boy opened his eyes to pout at his brother. "You're leaving already?" he whined.

"Yes," Kaiba answered, slipping back into business mode. "I still have work to do before dinner. It's not like I can spend my valuable time playing silly children's games," he said coolly. Wrapping the towel around himself, he picked up the papers he had left on the side table, and strode towards the exit. As he passed through the door he threw a casual smirk back at Tea who stood totally dumbfounded in the shallow end of the pool. "Gardner, I trust someone of your status is enough to keep my brother entertained…?" without waiting for a reply he slid out the door, not bothering to look back.

Tea couldn't believe it. Where did the sexy Kaiba go from two minutes ago? What the hell!? It was then the insults he'd thrown her way registered and her face mottled in anger. "How dare he!" she screeched.

Mokuba swam over to her, touching her lightly on her arm to get her attention. "It's okay Tea," he smiled weakly up at her, "I'm surprised he even played at all."

Tea calmed herself as she looked down into Mokuba's grey eyes. Sighing softly she patted his head. "It's almost time for lunch. Want to eat it together?"

Mokuba lit up happily and nodded. As the two exited the pool the younger Kaiba chatted away to her. Tea half-listened to the boys ramblings as her thoughts turned to his moody, older brother. How am I supposed to get him back…she wondered and began devising plans for a comeback.

"-and you guys were so good! How did you get to be so good at Marco Polo Tea? You and Seto were so quiet. I had no idea where you guys were the whole time!"

Tea blushed to her roots as she caught his last jumbled sentences. "Um, practice," she mumbled feeling guilty that their attention hadn't been solely on Mokuba's game.

"Wow. I need to practice harder in the future then," Mokuba announced with childlike enthusiasm.

Tea sighed wearily as she allowed Mokuba to lead her out of the swimming room and up some stairs back towards her own room to change. "Why don't you wait till you're about five years older okay?" she said as they came to her room.

Mokuba watched with confusion as she let herself into her room and promised to meet up with him for lunch later shutting the door behind her.

It was getting late and Kaiba's turn to look after the baby had started more than an hour ago. Tea ambled down the hallway to where she guessed Kaiba's office was, baby and baby bags in tow. She had already tried his private rooms but only came across the night maid who came in to pull down the bed covers. The woman had said to try his office when Tea asked. So here she was, trying to remember where exactly his damn office was. I swear there must be some Perry Hotter shit going down. The rooms all change when I'm not looking 'cause I could have sworn that last door was the one to his office…

The day before the two of them had worked out a time schedule so that they didn't need to constantly be together for the entire project. Kaiba had a company to run and Tea, well, Tea quite frankly just didn't want to spend her free time around an egotistical butt-munch.

Much to her relief the next door she opened seemed to be the right one. The lights were low and Tea couldn't help but gape at the lavish furnishings of the room. The rich coloured wall drapes and leather chairs screamed money. Glancing around for a place to set down her load, she noticed her partner draped in a chair at his desk, feet on the table and completely 'zonked out' as Joey would say. She had to stifle a laugh at the sight so as not to wake him.

Setting down the baby and bags next to his desk, she quietly zipped open the latter and slipped out the journal they were keeping for the project. She had meant to silently haul ass out of there when she glanced down quickly at his sleeping form. Ooh baby, he is one fine specimen, she thought appreciatively as she raked her eyes over him. He looked delicious in his form fitting faded jeans and plain grey t-shirt. His sculpted arms crossed gently over his chest, and his breath came out slow and even. She had never seen him in such casual attire before, and she couldn't help but wish he wore clothes like that more often – hello Abercrombie god, come to mama! Placing the journal on his desk, Tea bent over him to get a closer look. All those frown lines he usually carried with him like the hump on Quasimodo were gone leaving behind a serene expression. So this is what Kaiba would look like if he didn't have an enormous stick up is ass, she thought. Her focus narrowed in on those full lips of his and she found herself leaning even closer. She could feel the breath coming from those parted lips tickle her face and she decided she liked it. If I just get a little closer I could-

Tea pressed her lips to his. They're soft. The thought flitted through her brain as she pulled back to gaze at him once more. His job must be really stressful if he just passes out in his chair like this. A part of her wanted to spook him awake to get back at him for winning in the pool. The nicer part of her won out and she crossed the room to grab one of the blankets draped over the guest chairs. Bringing it over she covered him, making sure to bring the edge right up to his neck so he wouldn't catch a cold sitting in this drafty room. Having done her part, she made to grab the journal again then thought better of it. Instead she took one of the post-it notes off his desk, scribbled something down and stuck the paper to the journal. With that she swept out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her and feeling quite pleased with herself, a smile gracing her features.

A/N

I've rewritten this chapter, I think, about ten times! That pool scene was driving me crazy and I couldn't seem to ever get it just right.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I am truly sorry for how long it took me to get this out. Summer has finally started and I'm hoping to get the next chapters of this fic out more quickly than this chapter.

~LithiumFlower

Preview for Chapter 5: Monday: Escalation

One can get into all sorts of mischief in the darkness of a movie theatre …

…and Tea attempts to bribe the stone cold Seto