"Perfect."

Ikeda Takuya couldn't have picked a more appropriate piece. One could suppose that he was challenging her. A satisfied grin crossed his face as his gift was carefully wrapped. She wouldn't take too kindly to it but that was what he wanted. It would bring her to him, whether she liked it or not. Actions spoke louder than words, after all.

"Alright. Drop this off. I have to prepare."

"Yes sir."

Sakura was majorly pissed. She had encountered a lone youma in the park and took it on. As she went for the kill, she tried to reach for her sais and realized that she didn't have them. That son of a fucking bitch! She had briefly forgotten that he had confiscated them when she had her date. She loved those weapons! They were war spoils for god's sake! She took out the youma with her scythe instead. It was a clean decapitation but it still didn't make her feel any better.

"That motherfucker..." She muttered.

After dropping her transformation, the young woman stomped all the way back home and just about kicked a small box out of the way when she realized how well it was wrapped. She hurried inside, locked the door and sat down on the couch. There was no indication as to whom it was from. Gingerly, she pulled the silk ribbon off and opened a box. At first, she marveled at its beauty. It was made of crystal and it glittered under the moonlight. Then she frowned. It was a pawn from chess.

"You bastard." Sakura growled.

The conversation she had with Takuya came back to her. She was about to smash it into pieces when she saw a note.

Let's have another round, Come to the docks at 9:30 p.m.

"Of all the fucking nerve..."

She was going to ignore it but curiosity nagged at her. Why was he doing this? Why play games with her? What else did he get out of this besides twisted pleasure? Why her? Just why? Sakura sighed. No. She wasn't going to take him up on that. He wasn't for her. Standing up, she left everything on her coffee table in favor for a hot shower.

9:30 PM.

The young woman arrived at the docks at the appointed time and there he stood, waiting for her at a gangway to a yacht. The night air was balmy with the scent of the sea floating with it. She insisted to herself that it was mere curiosity and nothing more. It wasn't her attraction that drove her to meet him. She nearly froze when his hungry gray eyes stopped on her. Sakura felt her heart pound hard against her chest.

"Figured you'd come." Takuya said to her. "How'd you like my gift?"

Sakura's glare was met with a smirk. Cocky bastard. The man approached her with a slow confidence before taking her hand and kissing it like before. He appreciated the black cocktail dress that she selected. It was simple, yet elegant. It showed off plenty of her legs and cleavage without her coming across as slutty and it hugged her just right. Yet, in his mind, something lacked.

A necklace. He thought.

Yes, a necklace. Perhaps she neglected to put one on because it would draw too much attention to her breasts. His smirk widened. Of course she would think of that. He would fix that, though. A mild blush rose to Sakura's face as she caught his gaze down at her chest.

"Interesting gift," she responded sarcastically. "Makes me think you're playing more than just an ordinary game."

Oh, but he was and she was playing it with him. You couldn't convince him otherwise that she wasn't.

"What shall we play for this time?" He wondered aloud.

"I want my sais back." The young woman demanded.

Takuya grinned. He had been planning to propose just that. She had beaten him in their last game so why not up the ante a little bit? He agreed to the terms and then led her up the gangway to his private yacht. He escorted her to the dining area where there was, none to Sakura's surprise, a chess board all set up and waiting on a table for two.

"I spent nine million on a date with you, only to get cut off." Takuya reminded her.

"You want a do-over, I expect."

He nodded. Sakura sighed but she acquiesced. She wanted her sais back and she wasn't going to leave until she got them. She took her place at the table and took the glass of champagne offered her. She was skeptical at first, thinking he could have slipped her something, but then realized that he had had the opportunity last time and she didn't feel anything. That didn't mean he couldn't try other underhanded things, though.

Takuya understood her skepticism. Sure, he played dirty but he wasn't a lowlife like most other men he personally knew could be. His standards were higher than most.

"Ladies' first."

"Thank you."

Sakura made her first move, moving a pawn at the far edge of the board two spaces forward. The game had begun.

The young woman tried not to squirm at the situation at hand. It was only mid-match and she was losing horribly. The remaining pieces that she had were defending her king and queen. Takuya had lost only a few pieces. He had a lot of his stronger pieces on the board, Only his pawns, two knights, and a bishop had been captured by his opponent.

How could I have been so stupid? She lamented silently.

"Give up," Takuya said with a smirk. "No matter what move you make, I'll put you either in check or checkmate."

As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. He had her in such a position that one false move could end the entire game. Her pride refused to let her surrender but common sense said otherwise. She could not go anywhere. Rather than knocking the king over, however, she decided that it was better to go down fighting. Sakura captured a bishop with her queen. In doing so, it left her king open and vulnerable. Takuya, not one to waste an opportunity, ended the game.

"Checkmate."

Sakura frowned. She had made so many critical errors that defeat was inevitable. She took a long swallow of her champagne. Now what was she going to do? The game lasted less than an hour. How pathetic was that?

Ugh. Way to lose a chess game, Sakura.

"How about a sparring match?"

The young woman looked at him questionably as he removed his trench coat and tossed it onto a nearby chair. A sparring match? Takuya gave her a very wicked grin as he peeled off his blouse. He hadn't forgotten how she had examined him the night of their date.

Heh. Should have done this a long time ago.

Sakura could not utter a sound before diverting her eyes elsewhere, blushing madly like a little school girl. First, a sparring match challenge and then this? What the hell was he trying to do? Kill her? Secondly, how in the hell was she going to fight in a cocktail dress? Apparently she had voiced this concern out loud because she was given an answer.

"You Sailor girls fight in skirts much shorter than your dress, Sakura."

He had her there.