Chapter Nine

Upping the Ante

Kakashi watched her covertly. Sure, everyone knew that a shinobi's moves were as graceful as that of a dancer but could that really have been Sakura last night? The woman had almost literally brought him to his heel. He wanted her. Sure, he wanted her before but not to the intensity he was now faced with. He couldn't get her body out of his mind.

Pure unadulterated lust.

It couldn't have been Sakura. She just didn't seem like the type of girl to flaunt her body in front of men. But if he thought about it she didn't really flaunt it in front of anyone but him and since their little war had started he had been waiting for her to break and admit that she wanted him. It would be just like Sakura to not admit defeat and take the game to another level.

Hmm.

He'd have to find out for sure if his little kunoichi was the infamous Winter Snow. He saw the person with a wealth of information coming his way just then. He took a glance at Sakura as she made her way to the hospital then dipped into the shadows waiting for his victim to arrive.

"Eep!" Ino screeched when Kakashi grabbed her and dragged her into the shadows. She hadn't sensed any abnormal presences so when Kakashi grabbed her she was more than a little frightened.

At seeing the copy ninja's face she balled up her fist and hit him in the arm. "Don't scare me like that." She frowned and him while his eye crinkled sheepishly.

"Sorry about that. I just wanted to talk to you for a minute."

Ino looked at him suspiciously. "About what?"

"I wanted to know if you have heard of a dancer named Winter Snow."

Ino blinked at him. "What kind of a dancer?"

Had Kakashi's face not been covered Ino would have seen the blush that crept up his face. "Of the exotic persuasion."

"Why would I know anything about an exotic dancer?"

"Because I think she maybe someone you know." Kakashi said looking for any outward side of a reaction.

"Who?"

Kakashi looked at her guileless face for a moment and knew she was hiding something. Ino and guileless just didn't go together.

"Sakura."

Ino laughed. "Well, Kakashi if you think Sakura is an exotic dancer maybe you should just go ask instead of skulking around in the shadows frightening people."

"That could probably work but this seemed more interesting."

Ino shook her head and walked away from him. Her laughter trailed behind her.

OOOO OO

He was waiting outside the hospital when she got off work. She gave him a polite smile but was inwardly cheering.

"Good evening Sakura."

"Hello Kakashi."

"Mind if I walk you home?" Sakura linked her arm in his bringing herself closer to him.

"Let's go."

"So I saw this dancer last night."

"Oh. Was she any good?"

"Mmm. She was okay. They said she was the best but she fell flat on her face during her performance." Kakashi watched as the vein in her head began to throb. "I could hardly call that the best."

Sakura let go of his arm and picked up her pace. Kakashi chuckled. This was his Winter Snow alright. They reached her home and she walked inside not allowing him to enter and slamming the door in his face.

OOOO OOOO

Stupid Kakashi. It was his fault she fell in the first place. How dare he look at her as if he were a starving man and she was a delectable morsel? What woman could think straight when faced with that?

Sakura stormed around her apartment strewing her clothes everywhere muttering under her breath. She froze in her bra and panties when she heard the voice.

"I was almost certain before know for sure you're Winter Snow."

"How so?" She asked curiously not at all embarrassed to be caught in her unmentionables.

"Because no two people could remove clothes with such raw sexuality and intensity."

Sakura looked at Kakashi who was giving her the same hungry look as the night before. It left her breathless.

"Tell me you want me to leave and I will go." He stayed where he was on her sofa not moving. Sakura said nothing. She just looked at him. The silence was charged and full of tension. Each wanting the other to make the first move.

"If I let you stay" Sakura asked. "what do you plan to do?"

"Everything you want me to." A small smile began to form on her lips.

"Everything covers a lot of territory."

"I like to be thorough."

"Then by all means stay."

"Are you sure? Because once I touch you I have no intention of stopping."

"Once you touch me I have no intention of letting you stop. I do however have one request of you."

"Anything." He said suddenly advancing upon her.

"Remove your mask." He paused mid-stride and looked at her blankly. "Come on. I showed you mine. Now you can show me yours." Sakura grinned mischievously.

"If I didn't know better I would think this was all a ruse to get me to remove it." He stated still hesitating.

"Oh it's a ruse all right." Sakura assured him. "My deception is to not allow you in my bed without seeing you in all your glory. So what's it going to be Kakashi?" She asked running her hands over her body. "You're not the only one who likes to be thorough."

At that Kakashi took the last few steps and pulled her against his hard frame. Sakura looked up into his eyes expectantly. Kakashi raised his hand and lowered his infernal covering allowing Sakura's eyes to drink him in. His lips were full and begging to be kissed. He and high cheekbones and even a perfect nose. He was beautiful. Somewhere along the line she had to tell herself to breathe again because she had surely stopped.

Kakashi normally didn't care for the way women ogled him but he like the expression on Sakura's face. It's what prompted him to claim her lips with his own.

With that he swept her into his arms and carried her to her bedroom.