from skybluescramble:

hello folks.

I. (FINALLY). DECIDED. TO. CHANGE. THE. RATING.

there, i announced it.

I did this half-heartedly, though, because the story seems to find its own path and out of the blue I'm starting to feel as if I'm one of the readers instead of the writer, haha. however… thanks to you who are always being patient and waiting for my slow update, not to mention leaving reviews, too!

credit goes to Lemon Sherbet, my proofreader.

also the reviewers: Lightmoon-angel, MARYXULA, Shanaa12, chiharu-tanaka, EuroCuttie, and boredjm (I cannot tell you now! you must keep reading to find out, hehehe).

I hope this chapter is decent enough…

DISCLAIMER:

Card Captor Sakura/カードキャプターさくら

CLAMP©1997

:: : SCARLET : ::

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PIECE #9:

The Predator and His Prey

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NEVER could Tomoyo tell if Eriol's decision to let her meet Sonomi again and have a quick conversation together was considered as a kindness or a cruelty. He was standing by her side all the time, preventing Tomoyo from asking her mother anything personal, but honestly she didn't know what to talk about. The complicated situation successfully got her tongue. It shouldn't be a problem anyway, because Eriol had said beforehand that he would be the one who does the speaking. She might end up blurting out something he didn't want anybody to know, and the last thing Tomoyo wished for was dealing with his anger after they arrived home later. Tonight she would act like a good girl.

Nonetheless, Eriol did all that was necessary.

Only what was necessary.

Whenever Tomoyo began to shift uncomfortably feeling the disrespectful stares from some men in that hall, he always gave the public one or two simple gestures which said aloud that she was with him. Or more likely, that she was his. For instance: holding her hands, putting a hand on her shoulder, or snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her towards him. They were tolerable and he didn't take advantage of the situation. Although she was a little confused, Tomoyo began to feel less annoyed with the man.

It was true that Eriol had shattered her peaceful life into pieces.

But he wasn't an evil man.

Because he let her see her mother again, didn't he? Even though he didn't know if he did it intentionally or not, at least she could believe that Hiiragizawa Eriol was a man who always knew what he was doing.

"Daidouji, you okay?" That velvety, bass voice of him sent Tomoyo back to earth. Turning her head to where it came from, she saw him driving elegantly, eyes straight to the road over the windshield, but then they took a quick glance at her direction and their gaze met. Hint of concern was visible. "You are unusually quiet."

Tomoyo sighed. "I am usually quiet, Hiiragizawa. The only thing that can make us have a long conversation is arguing, if I may remind you."

His chuckle was deep and rich. "That seems to be true."

Sensing his major focus was on the road, Tomoyo took liberties in watching him drive. His tie was loose and his long sleeves were rolled up to his elbow. She couldn't stop herself from admiring the way his large hands grip the steering wheel, and the memories of them touching her skin filled her mind. Warm, rough, slightly calloused, yet gentle at the same time. Mortified with her own thoughts, Tomoyo shook them out of her head and with great determination tore her eyes from the sight of him.

"Sleep." He spoke with that typical commanding tone. "Lean against the seat back and sleep. It'll still take some while for us to reach the manor."

Tomoyo wanted to stay awake, but standing for hours on heels this high was quite a work for her feet muscles. She fell asleep in less than two minutes.

HIIRAGIZAWA Manor was silent when they got home. Akizuki-san and Spinel are must be sleeping, Tomoyo thought as she climbed up the stairs as soundless as possible, her heels producing a soft clicking noise every time they kissed the floor. She was walking along the corridor to her bedroom when the sound of her own footsteps started to give her an uneasiness. She squatted down immediately and began to undo the strap of her silver espadrilles, tugging and pulling the tiny buckle at her calf so many times in a futile attempt.

The shoes couldn't be taken off.

Tomoyo groaned in frustration. She had just remembered that Hiiragizawa Eriol had mentioned about charming her clothes.

Jerk, she fumed, swiftly changing her destination. She would make sure that insane reincarnation took a full responsibility for this. Her feet were tired, her toes were screaming in protest after being forced to hold her body weight for hours, her eyelids were heavy with sleep, and now she still had to walk away from her bed to his chamber.

He'd better lift off the spell immediately or else…

Well, he'd better just remove it from this outfit.

"Hiiragizawa?" Tomoyo knocked the door. The urge to just bang her fist against it was incredible, but she didn't have the intention to wake the whole manor. "You are still up, aren't you? It's me."

It cost her ten seconds of waiting before the door swung open. "What's wrong, Daidouji?"

Tomoyo froze on her spot. Hiiragizawa Eriol emerged topless, sculpted torso full on display, his hair damp and his pajama pants—the only piece of clothing he was wearing right now—hung loosely around his hips. It was obvious that he just finished taking a quick shower before bed.

"Ah… I-I can't change my clothes." Tomoyo answered after composing herself. She spotted the look of surprise that appeared on his face, but it was soon replaced with a small smile. He stepped aside in invitation.

"Get in. You don't want us to talk at the door like this."

"Hiiragizawa, you can just remove the spell and I'll be back to my—"

"Get. In."

Again, that authoritative tone. Cursing mentally, Tomoyo huffed in defeat and took a step over the threshold. Once she was in, she swept her eyes around the wide room, noting the marvelous luxury his massive bed offers, the dominance of dark brown in his personal furniture, the exotic smell of the room—musky, with a hint of sandalwood and juniper, definitely male and Eriol—and the tall man standing behind her back.

He had closed the door. The problem was she couldn't tell if he had also locked it or not. The feeling of getting permission to enter his most personal space in this manor got the best of her emotion.

Gods. Her palms were getting sweaty.

She was nervous.

"This is ridiculous, Hiiragizawa. How could you charm my clothes so that I cannot slip out of them?" Tomoyo began confronting him, for talking usually helped lessening her nervousness. A distraction. Exactly one thing she needed.

Eriol gave a lazy smile, dragging an expensive-looking chair to the front of his closet and then sliding its door to the left, revealing a full-length mirror hidden behind. He lightly patted the chair, giving her a sign to come. "I didn't charm your clothes in that way."

"Liar." Tomoyo retorted.

He pulled out a white silk handkerchief and splashed some water on its dry surface. "I am anything but a liar, Daidouji. A bit manipulative, though, in that case I must agree. Sit down here."

Eriol ordered her to sit on the chair he had just put in front of his closet's mirror. Half-heartedly, Tomoyo followed his instruction. It surprised her to no end when she found out that the chair was very soft, fluffy, and comfortable despite of its looks.

"My power has been weakened, Daidouji. As long as I cannot have a proper blood supply, there's no way it can be restored completely. That's also a part of my Curse."

Bending down, Eriol touched her left cheek with his handkerchief and created his way down her jaw. "Close your eyes," he whispered, "I'm going to remove your make up."

Tomoyo swallowed with difficulty. She was very aware of the heat emanating from his body. It felt like a magnet and she had to keep her own body from leaning towards his. Struggling to find her voice, she braved herself to speak, eyes still closed. "You changed the topic."

A small laughter rang into her ears. "Didn't you get it? My power isn't strong enough yet to put general spell like that. So far, I only manage to do some simple and specific magic. 'Making sure your clothes cannot be taken off' is quite difficult because it means I have to make it work against all forces that comes to strip the clothes off of you. Ah, you can open your eyes now."

Tomoyo blinked a few times, adjusting with the light. Having her make ups erased felt refreshing. "What are you trying to say, Hiiragizawa?"

A wider smirk appeared on his handsome visage. He noticed the wavering in her voice earlier, signaling that she was affected by his simple action just as much as he was by her sinful, delicious smell.

This is interesting.

Eriol put away his handkerchief and then suddenly got down on one knee. Grabbing Tomoyo's left foot, he put it on his thigh, causing her to let out a startled squeak. Her eyes dipped down to the floor, refused to meet his no matter what. He knew the reason, though, for he had encountered enough women in the last two years to study them.

"What I want to say," Eriol easily unbuckled the espadrilles strap around her calf and followed the action by freeing her foot with maddening slowness, "is that I didn't put a spell so that your clothes cannot be taken off, but for me to be the only one who can do the favor."

"Pardon me?"

"I'm not repeating myself, Daidouji." He stated in a final tone, not stopping from the task.

"Then what do you mean by… oh!"

He elicited a soft gasp from her the moment he was done with both shoes. His hands began slithering upwards; from her toes to her ankles, and then to her calves, moving up to her thighs, kneading her flesh softly, massaging her tense muscles, hitching up her dress skirt inch by inch as he slowly rose up.

Tomoyo went still.

Really still.

Suddenly, realization hit her like a tidal wave.

His warm touch burned her skin, but she couldn't deny the humming pleasure spread through her fibers from his massage. It felt good and they both knew it. Her frozen state relaxed gradually, only to go as still as a marble statue when his fingers reached her flimsy underwear and ripped it apart within two seconds. Tomoyo gasped, her heart rate shot up like a rocket. It was approaching winter, yet the room temperature seemed to grow hotter and hotter.

"H-Hiiragizawa…" She breathed.

Oh, I'm burning… I'm burning…

A dark, low chuckle was her answer. "Get up."

Eriol put her arms around his neck—she clung to him for dear life as he helped her stand up— kicked the hindering chair away and steadied her trembling form after unwrapping both arms that linked his body with hers. Tomoyo stumbled a little, still rejecting her own curiosity to find out what kind of emotions he had in those sapphire eyes. She imagined they were darkening, though, perhaps now only several shades lighter than black. His tall frame was hovering in front of her, and his long fingers were skillfully releasing pins which held her hair in place. Tomoyo came face to face with his sternum, unconsciously holding her breath. She could see very clearly those rippling muscles every time he shifted to remove another hairpin. It was embarrassing and a beautiful sight at the same moment.

Tomoyo knew she should put her eyes somewhere else, but she simply couldn't.

"I'm going to unbraid your hair."

She felt a great loss when Eriol moved behind her. However, that particular warmth was brought back in an instant as he took her single, thick French braid into his large hands. He combed that raven locks thoroughly till it was spilling freely all over her back like a waterfall, admiring its softness on his calloused palm.

"Don't look down," he spoke, almost pleading. A forefinger gently pulled her chin up until she was looking straight at her reflection on his mirror. "Watch."

The last command sent a powerful shiver along her body.

Gods, why can't I resist him…?

Their gaze met—not directly, though—and Tomoyo knew she was defeated.

His eyes. Nearly as dark as midnight sky and swirling with deep emotions she couldn't decode. She forgot how to blink, how to speak, how to move; it was a miracle that she was still standing upright, for her legs felt as though they were turning into jelly. All she could do was stare back at his reflection, and any thoughts were cleared from her mind.

When his hands, which were initially placed on her shoulders, slid aside and peeled off the dress straps underneath in the process, Tomoyo hyperventilated. Vaguely, she sensed her center twitch and her stomach plummeted in result.

"Keep your eyes open." Eriol breathed huskily, voice dropping an octave. "You'll do what I say if you have no wish to be in this dress forever."

She just nodded weakly as a feedback.

The dress was going lower. One inch followed by another. An abrupt hit of cool air attacking her nipples made Tomoyo realize that her breasts were now exposed, covered by only some strands of hair. Eriol ran his hands down her arms simultaneously, gently releasing her wrists from the lowered straps, letting the silky material pool around her waist before tugging it down again. He went painstakingly slow, making sure every single shift of cloth caressed her skin in the best way, creating a tingling sensation that tormented her.

He is merciless…

Tomoyo was now completely bare. Her reflection told her so. The beautiful dress she was wearing till a moment ago could be found in a green pile surrounding her feet. Self-consciousness came to her like a rushing wave. She shifted uncomfortably, trying to cover her most sacred area. It was a vain attempt, by the way, because in a swift motion Eriol had her wrist within his grasp.

"Don't." He growled, his disagreement clear. "Let me see."

A sharp intake of breath came out from her mouth. Oh, this is unfair… absolutely unfair…

"Daidouji."

She couldn't locate her voice to answer. Not when his free palm was roaming all over her body like this.

"There's one thing I forgot to tell you."

"W-what?" It took all of her effort just to mutter something simple and short. Her brains didn't seem to be working anymore, and the sight of them on the mirror surface didn't help gathering her coherent thoughts either. It was too much.

Too erotic.

Is that really me doing that? With Hiiragizawa?

A loud gasp escaped her lips as something hot and wet made contact with the ridge of her ear. His tongue. It moved downwards in the next second, attacking her jaw line, her throat, lapping teasingly on her bite marks, nibbling her collarbone before nuzzling at the crook of her neck. He rested there, breathing hard.

"Thank you."

Her heart skipped a beat. Tomoyo almost didn't believe what she just heard if it wasn't for her own skin feeling his mouth move, mumbling those two words against her shoulder. What was he thanking her for? Her lips parted to ask him a question but instead a long sigh was let out as his still hand decided to continue its journey. She shuddered in his arms.

No, no, no. Don't go there…

Please not there…

"For giving me your blood last night." He drawled, landing butterfly kisses along the side of her face. "That was close, Daidouji, but you saved me. Otherwise, I would have been totally ruined. I've reached my limit; holding back the urge to feed from you is four times more difficult since the first bite… not to mention I have you living under my roof… can you imagine how torturing that is?"

He pulled her closer, pressing the hard planes of his chest onto her back. Not wasting any time, one knee quickly nudged her legs apart in order to allow his right hand to invade her inner thighs, feeling the untouched smoothness there. Tomoyo whimpered at the contact. Her fists clenched and unclenched weakly at her sides, all energy was drained up. She had experienced some romance before, including kissing and touching, but they were never like this. Not even close.

"You've received your chance, Daidouji." Eriol strengthened his hold as if he wanted to meld his body with hers. "You could have just run away and I wouldn't have followed. You could have left this house despite of your difficult position in society, pretending you don't know anything. You could have chosen to be selfish. You could have let me suffer and have a slow, painful death from starving. But you fed me last night. And if I may have the pleasure to remind you, that action was absolutely on your own will."

"Ah, ah."

His fingers… oh, his fingers… that tickles…

Smirking with unwavering pride, he dragged his hand upwards, still locking his heated gaze on her dazed one through their reflection. "Your time's up."

Cheater, she noted grimly. Speaking this much while his opponent was incapable of thinking straight, let alone arguing back.

What a gentleman.

"From now on, do not expect me to let you escape." Eriol pressed his nose on the top of her head, inhaling her scent. "Cause I won't, Daidouji. Remember that. You can't back off now. Not even in your dreams."

His hand crept up. Higher. And higher.

This is bad. Shit, this is really bad…

Tomoyo panted harshly. Frankly speaking, she had a vague idea what his intention was. But he wouldn't do that, would he? She was sure she would collapse right away if he did so. Even now she wouldn't be standing up, had it not been for the support of his arm and hard torso.

Gods, is he seriously going to…?

"D-don't—!"

Too late.

Hiiragizawa Eriol cursed loudly as his large palm arrived at its destination. It stole away his composure, the way his rough skin came to direct contact with her silky, incredibly sensitive and sopping wet pussy, cupping it fully, consequently drenching his palm. He experimentally gave a light squeeze and emitted a hoarse, satisfied chuckle when he got Tomoyo crying out, her whole body jolted violently.

"Guess what, Daidouji?" He murmured, "I think I'll have my dinner."

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to be continued.