After a whole week of waiting I give you guys this chapter.
It is long to keep you readers satisfied.

I had a few questions on the reviews from last chapter but I do feel like I need to answer this question.

Question: Were you inspired in anyway by Christian Grey?

Answer: Yes. In fact, this story is similar to 50 Shades Of Grey. It's not going to be the same as the book/movie but it's somewhat similar. I'm adding my sasusaku style in this!

This story is rated M.

I do not own Naruto, if I did Sasuke would still have both arms lol.

If I Were You
Chapter 14.

"Wake up, Sakura. We're almost there."

I blink and feel Sasuke's gentle hand on my arm. "Where?"

"The hotel."

"I barely remember closing my eyes," I admit. "How long did I sleep?"

He smirks. "Half an hour, out cold."

I sigh and sit up, aware of the hollow moan of my stomach as I stretch and bring the scenery into view. I gape at the miles and miles of beautiful green mountain and countryside. "It's gorgeous. Absolutely spectacular."

"The Mayacamas Mountains. And, yes, they are."

"I'm surprised they haven't shown up in your artwork."

"Hn, I'm not a landscape kind of guy. You know that. I can't believe you've never been here. You've lived in San Francisco since college, right?"

I nod. "Yes. I just... it's the out-of-sight, out-of-mind thing." And a teacher's pay, I add silently, as my eyes light on a gorgeous hotel property and the name on the sign. Auberge du Nuit, the hotel for the rich and famous, like Sasuke. I remember reading about it in a magazine I'd tossed in the trash because it was torturing me with all I couldn't do or see.

"Hn, I'm going to put an end to that out-of-sight, out-of-mind thing, baby. Just you wait and see." He whips the vehicle onto the long driveway, and I shove aside the tension his words create. I'm not going to think about adjusting to his being gone, and he will be gone. For once, I'm living for the moment, and for the dream I am chasing.

The instant the Porsche is under the awning at the front door, a bellman in a sharp black suit opens my door. I step out of the car, and Sasuke does the same on his side.

"Good to see you, Mr. Uchiha." the bellman says in greeting.

Sasuke rounds the hood and tosses the keys at him. "Don't go on any joy rides, Idate."

"No, sir," Idate agrees, grinning, and Sasuke slides him a tip I'm pretty sure is a hundred-dollar bill. One-sixth of my weekly pay for parking the car.

"Luggage is in the trunk."

"I'll have it up right away, sir," Idate assures him. "Are you doing an event at the gallery I haven't heard about?"

"Hn, not this time," Sasuke replies. "For once, it's all pleasure."

Sasuke laces his fingers with mine and waves at Idate.

We head toward the check-in desk. "A show?" I ask, unable to douse my curiosity.

"They have a gallery on the property."

My eyes light up. "It seems wine and art go hand in hand."

"A little too much for my taste," he mumbles under his breath, and its not for the first time I've gotten a negative vibe from him about the situation.

We are treated like royalty at the front desk, or rather Sasuke is. I am warmed by the way he keeps me close to his side, always touching me, as if he can't stand not to be with me.

By the time we step into the elevator, headed toward the penthouse suite, and he leans against the wall, pulling me against him, my hips to his, I am all melted butter, and dripping chocolate. Yes, it's a silly saying Ino had used when she'd first met her doctor, but it's fitting. Ino. I miss her, and I wish I'd hear from her, but Sasuke strokes a hand down my back, molding me closer, and my mind is pretty much mush.

He nuzzles my neck. "I cannot wait to get you alone."

My hands settle on the hard wall of his chest, and I peer up at him. "I thought we had reservations."

"We do." He pulls my ear to his lips again, and I know there must be cameras and recording devices. Of course there are. "Which is why I'm going to fuck you hard and fast. We'll go slow later."

I gasp at the wicked words and my sex clenches, wetness clinging to my panties. Hard and fast. Oh yes. Please.

The doors ding a warning and open. Sasuke takes my hand and all but drags me down the hallway. The walk is eternal, the Alice-in-Wonderland tunnel of forever, before he slides a card through the door lock and we are inside. Before I can blink, I'm against the wall, with Sasuke pressed deliciously against me, his thick erection nuzzling my belly, his mouth devouring mine.

I moan into his mouth, the taste of him with rich desire, hungry for me. Me. That's what makes me hottest of all, beyond his hands stroking my body, palming my breasts and nipples. How much I taste his desire for me. How much I feel his need.

"No one has ever made me lose control the way you do, Sakura." The confession is sealed with another scalding kiss, and oh yes, I am melting.

A knock sounds on the door. "Bellman."

"Fuck," Sasuke hisses, pressing a hand to the wall, and I sense him reaching for control, and I have this sudden, desperate need to keep him from finding it. This sudden certainty that the only way I will ever know this man as I want to is to take his control.

"Come back later," I call out, and press my lips to Sasuke's, my hand sliding down his hip and around to cup his shaft, stroking the thick ridge through his jeans.

He growls low is his throat and pulls his mouth from mine, and his eyes are dark pools of turbulent passion. He's mad. Holy shit. He's furious. "Losing control and you taking it from me are two different things, Sakura. You won't ever take it from me." He shoves off the walk and stalks to the door and opens it, whistling to get the bellman's attention.

Frozen to the wall, I feel shell-shocked. The dark Sasuke, the dangerous damaged Sasuke I keep forgetting exists, is back. What just happened to set him off? And damn it to hell, why does it turn me on when it shouldn't?

The bellman is in the door with our bags and I haven't moved. I feel his eyes on me, and I know I must look a disheveled mess. Somehow, I focus on the room, bringing the amazing details into focus. A valuated ceiling encases me and to my right is a living area and full kitchen. A California king-size bed is to my left, a stucco fireplace in the corner in front of it, and beyond that a private patio overlooking the mountains.

The hotel door shuts and Sasuke locks it. My heart is thundering in my chest. I can't look at him. I don't think he wants me to look at him. I don't know why. It's just a feeling.

He rolls my suitcase to the center of the room and unzips it, pulling out a pair of cream-colored strappy high heels he drops the on the floor, and a pale yellow chiffon dress he lays on top of the case when he closes it. "Put them on."

I force my eyes to his. "You want me-"

"Yes."

I wet my lips. Okay. He wants me to dress up. Sounds like a good excuse to escape and regroup and boy, does regrouping sound appealing. I walk to grab the dress, intending to head to the bathroom, wherever it is.

"Right here," Sasuke says. "Where I can see you."

I gape and try to clarify again. "You want me-"

"Yes. I want."

He sits on the bed, and I realize he intends to watch me undress and dress again. This is about control, about him demonstrating what he has and I do not. He needs it. He needs it on some deep level, and I am not going to deny him. For reasons I've yet to understand, giving Sasuke control doesn't bother me, but I know in my heart, it keeps me at a distance. This is his wall, his barrier, his great divide; I am beginning to wonder if I can ever conquer his barriers. Right now, though, I'm happy to let him conquer.

I swallow hard, my throat like sandpaper, my body wet and wanting. I am aroused by this and everything Sasuke does. I reach for the dress.

"No," he orders. "Undress first."

I nod and lean against the wall to unlace my boots, and pull them and my socks off. He stares at my pink-painted toes and, good Lord, he makes even that hot. I reach for my pants and unlace the strings holding them closed before sliding them down over my hips and down my legs, leaving the expensive, gold-jeweled cream-colored panties in place.

My shirt comes next, and I pull it over my head and toss it to the floor, standing before Sasuke in only my bra and panties. His gaze sweeps over me, hot and heavy, his eyes dark, hooded. "Everything."

I blanch. "But-"

"Everything. I want to be able to get to you when I want you. And we'll both know I can anytime, anywhere."

Heat rushes over my skin at the implication. He means to have me in public. I should be appalled. I should say no. Instead, I am weak in the knees with desire. I slide my fingers into the thin strings of my thong and slide it to the floor.

Sasuke gaze follows the path they take, his stare traveling my skin, touching me with such heat that it might as well be his hand. I step out of the panties and have no intention to stand there and wait for his next command.

I unhook my bra and toss it at him. "Happy now?" I challenge.

He arches a brow, and I think I might see a hint of a smile on his lips, maybe. Perhaps not. "Tch, don't tease me, Sakura, You won't like the results."

"Or maybe I will." Maybe I'll push his control. Maybe I'll get inside him and tear down a wall.

"You won't." His words are hard and too certain to be comfortable for me.

He pushes to his feet. though, and I silently cry out with joy. Touch me. I don't care how you do it, just do it. He saunters over to me and stops out of reach. He scoops up the dress, his eyes raking over my body. My nipples pucker under his scrutiny, tight balls of aching need and I pray for his mouth on me sooner, not later.

He hands me the dress. "Put it on."

Put it on? Without him touching me? He can't be serious. "Right now?"

"Right now."

You know I have to punish you. Hinata's words come back to me. He's punishing me, absolutely torturing me. Making me pay a price for daring to take control. But deep down, I came to a conclusion. I came close to breaking through his wall or he wouldn't be doing this. It's this information that makes the torture bearable.

I take the dress, and I notice he is careful not to touch me. I pull the chiffon material over my head and the silk rasps over my nipples and skin. I am ultrasensitized I think I could come with one touch of his mouth in the right place. And I believe there would be many right places at this juncture in time.

The dress falls into place, and Sasuke's eyes never leave mine. "The shoes."

I slip them on and he walks around me, giving me a careful penetrating inspection before stopping before me. "Beautiful. You look stunning."

My chin lifts. "But not stunning enough to fuck right now."

"Hn, more than enough to fuck, just not yet." He leans in, his lips by my ear, but he is careful not to touch me anywhere else. "Because when I do, you'll be so hot and wet, you'll be mine to do with what I want. And believe me, Sa-ku-ra-I want plenty."

"You're punishing me."

He looks at me and his eyes soften as he brushes his knuckles over my shoulder. Goose bumps lift all over my skin. "Does this feel like punishment?"

More like pure bliss. "No."

"Then you have your answer."

We step into the hallway and Sasuke takes my hand, his dark eyes meeting mine, and I know he can see the sweet relief washing over me at his touch. His onyx eyes dance with dark amber heat, and he leads me down the hallway, all masculine sensuality and raw power. I am insanely into this man. He pushes every button I own, in all the right ways. Every second I am with him, I feel more alive.

Another couple waits by the elevator, and we step inside behind them. Sasuke leans against the wall and pulls my back against his front. I soften against all his hardness, and his fingers curl around my waist, where they begin a slow caress. My nipples pucker against the thin material and I become ultra-aware of how naked I am under the dress.

The man across from me glances down, stroking my chest with a stare that makes me want to smack him for the woman he is with. I turn in Sasuke's arms, giving the man my back.

"Where are we headed?"

"In light of recent events, I thought food before wine seemed a good idea."

"Yes. Please."

The elevator dings and we let the other couple exit first. Sasuke takes my hand, and I hit the elevator button to hold the door. "I need to go upstairs." I glance down at my dress, my nipples puckering too obviously.

His lips quirk. "I already planned to have the hotel bring you a shawl and a coat to match the dress in case the evening gets chilly."

Relief washes over me. "Thank you."

"Let me take care of everything tonight Sakura." He pulls me under his arm and I let go of the elevator button as we step into the lobby. Le Sasuke take care of everything. It is a thrilling, dangerous idea, I cannot help but crave.

We are escorted to a circular private dinning room. Sasuke holds the chair for me as I settle next to an oval window overlooking green mountains and a glorious blue skyline. I slide my purse onto the chair and I am in awe of the view. "It's spectacular."

Sasuke claims the window seat across from me and slips out of his leather jacket he'd put on as we'd left the room. "So is the food, but since I'm taking you to a special winery that will serve their vintages along with fruit and cheese, I suggest we eat fairly light. I thought we'd visit the restaurant for brunch tomorrow before we leave, if you'd like?"

"Yes. Very much. Sounds perfect." I am warmed by the romance of this place and his actions, but I tell myself not to get carried away. This isn't romance. It's a sexy adventure. After all, I'm not wearing panties or a bra.

"Anything look good?" Sasuke asks after I've studied the menu a moment.

"Everything. I'm starving." It's nearly three and we haven't eaten since early morning.

A waiter appears and Sasuke arches a brow at me. "Ready?"

"I am. Cobb salad for me."

Sasuke hands both of our menus to the waiter. "Burger for me. Well done, with extra tomatoes. And bring us a bottle of the recommended wine selection-the Robert Craig zinfandel."

The waiter gives a small bow. "Coming right up, Mr. Uchiha."

"No beer for you?" I ask when the waiter departs.

"It's never good to mix alcohol, and I have a few friends around these corners of the world who would have my hide for drinking beer over wine."

It hits me how well Sasuke is known here, how the waiter and the doorman knew him by name. A sick feeling hits me. I never bring women to my home. Is this where he brings them? Where he wines and dines them into pantyless submission. "How often do you come here?"

"A couple times a year." He gives me a shrewd, narrow look, and I'm pretty certain he's reading me like a book. I hate that I am transparent, that I have knots in my gut, and that I am reacting this way at all. I worry I'm getting emotionally attached to Sasuke and I don't want to be hurt.

Sasuke slides a brochure of some sort from the edge of the table in front of me. "This is why I visit."

I blink down at what happens to be an advertisement for the art gallery on-site and swallow hard at the list of featured artists, including Sasuke. I've jumped to conclusions and made it obvious.

"And to be clear, Sakura, until now, I've never brought a woman here."

My gaze jerks to his. "Never?"

"Never."

"Then why am I here?"

"You tell me. Why did you come?"

"Because you asked me."

"I'm sure there are plenty of men who've hungered to give you an escape, even take care of you, whom you've rejected."

It's true. I've barely dated since college, and the few dates I've had were disasters. "And I'm sure there are plenty of women who've hungered for more with you."

He studies me for a long moment. "Why five years, Sakura?"

The unexpected probe sets my pulse to racing. "I thought you didn't ask personal questions?"

"I've done a lot of things differently with you."

"Why?"

"Because you are you."

"I don't know what that means."

"Neither do I, but I'm hoping to find out."

There is an odd tightening in my chest. Emotion. I don't want to feel any emotion but he pulls it from me anyway. "Can you tell me when you do?"

He smiles, and it's a gorgeous smile that chips away at the tension prickling at my nerve endings. "You will be the first to know." He turns serious quickly. "Who was he, Sakura?"

"He who?" I ask, but I know where this is going.

The waiter settles two glasses in front of us and the pulls a bottle of chilled wine from a silver ice bucket. The waiter works the cork from the bottle, but Sasuke ignore him. He leans back and watches me, his eyes intense with scrutiny.

The wine is uncorked and a sample is poured for Sasuke. He smells the wine and tastes it. "Excellent selection," he says to the waiter. "Give your wine experts my regards."

The waiter fills our glasses, gives a small bow, and departs. "Yes, Mr. Uchiha. I absolutely will."

"The man who fucked with your head enough to make you celibate for five years."

The waiter appears and saves me from answering. I don't want to talk about Sai. I don't want to remember him. He's the past. I sip from my glass, and my taste buds explode with tangy fruit flavor with a hint of oak I quite enjoy. Sasuke stares at me.

"Who was he?" His voice is low, taut.

I inhale sharply and set my wine back down. "The past. Leave it at that."

"No."

"Sasuke-"

"Who was he, Sakura?"

"My father's prodigy, the son he never had." The confession slides from my mouth without a conscious decision to allow it to.

"How long were you with him?"

"Six months."

"How serious?"

"An engagement ring."

Surprise flashes his eyes. "That's pretty serious."

I run my hand over my tense forehead, and for once, words escape me.

"Did you love him?"

"No," I say immediately, dropping my hand. "I was infuated. He was five years older-successful and confident. He was... everything my father wanted from me."

"What about your mother?"

"She wanted whatever my father wanted. I barely know the person who would do anything to please... him." I cannot bring myself to say Sai's name, and not because I have any emotional connection. I simply dislike remembering who he made me, or rather, who I let him make me.

"Anything?"

I nod stiffy. "Even when I hated him for it."

"Are we talking sex, Sakura?"

I let my eyes shut, trying to make my suddenly thick breath leave my lungs. "Everything."

"So the answer is yes. He made you do things you didn't want to do." It's not a question.

My lashes snap open. "Because it was him and he treated me like I was his property put on this earth for his personal satisfaction."

He studies me, his expression impassive, his features carved in stone. "How do I make you feel?"

"Alive," I whisper without hesitation. "You make me feel alive."

A warm blanket of awareness wraps around us. "As you do me, Sakura."

Sasuke's unexpected confession does funny things to my stomach. I make him feel alive?

"Your food has arrived," the waiter announces in a far too efficient display of good, poorly timed, service.

My salad, which is gigantic, is placed in front of me, and then the waiter sets down Sasuke's burger. I sip my wine, and the chill helps calm the heat burning through my body.

"They have an impassive wine list here at the hotel," Sasuke comments. "And they have a wine educator on staff. If you want, I can arrange for her to spend some time with you in the morning."

"I'd like that," I say,aware of how hard he os trying to show support for my job. It matters, I think again. Sasuke keeps doing things that matter.

We dig into our food and he launches into some interesting wine facts about the region, and I am far more interested in wine than I was when I was simply learning names and wineries.

"Part of understanding wine is understanding regions where it's produced. Italian wine is revered because of the soil and the climate. Napa is one of the few places that cam compete in those arenas, at least in my opinion. The climate here is classified as 'Mediterranean.' Only two percent of the earth's surface is Mediterranean. Add summers and mild winters, and grapes grow all year long."

"It allows the grapes to grow but does it change the flavor?"

"Absolutely. Ten million years ago, the collision of the tectonic plates create the mountains and terrain here, along with a multitude of volcanic eruptions. The result is more than one hundred varieties of soil, and each lends a different flavor and texture to the product produced."

Impressed with knowledge, I ask a lot of questions as we eat. "How do you know so much about wine?"

There is a slight crackle in the air, a subtle tension. "My father was a connoisseur of wine to an extreme, and as you've noticed, despite my preferences otherwise, wine and art meld together quite frequently."

His father. I sense tension in him when his father is brought up, and I'm fairly certain he is also why Sasuke prefers beer over wine.

"Your car has arrived, Mr. Uchiha," the waiter announces, appearing by our table.

"We'll be right out," Sasuke replies. "Charge the room for the tab."

I'm surprised by this news. "You aren't driving?"

"Hn, it's easier to enjoy the wine with a sober driver to drive us back to the room." Sasuke pushes to his feet and walks over to me, pulling my chair out and helping me to my feet. Suddenly, I am pressed against him, his hand molding me to his body, and he adds softly, "Easier to enjoy you."

We step outside and I am reminded of how two hours of travel can drastically impact the weather. Where San Francisco has the chilly late-August wind of the ocean, Calistoga, which is the Napa region we are in, does not.

A limo is parked in front of the doorway, and it doesn't surprise me to learn it's for us. While I've never attended a wine tour, I'm aware the limo ride between wineries is fairly common. What isn't common is the bellman handing me a neatly folded and delicately beaded cream-colored shawl.

"In case you get cold, ma'am. I understand you need a coat for your trip back to the city as well. We'll have that waiting for you in your room. The city does get quite chilly. "

"Thank you." Relief washes over me at the sight of the garment, despite what I guess to be the eighty-degree temperature. Inside the winery, I fear there will be air-conditioning, and my braless state will draw unwanted attention.

Sasuke smirks at the look on my face, and I lift my chin defiantly and slide the shawl around my shoulders before climbing into a car with strangers.

"Ready?" he asks when I'm well bundled.

"Ready."

The bellman opens the car door, and I slide to the far window seat to find I am alone until Sasuke joins me. He settles in next to me and the door shuts behind him. "Will there be other joining us?" I ask.

"Just us," Sasuke informs me, and I wonder why I imagined he would have it any other way. He has money and self-proclaimed desire for privacy.

The window between us and the driver slowly lowers but I am behind the driver and cannot see what he looks like unless I twist and look back. I suck in a breath as Sasuke's hand slides under my dress ans settles on my bare thigh, his fingers splaying intimately around my leg.

"I'm Katsu, Mr. Uchiha," the driver announces. "I'll be your guide today. Are we still touring the vineyard, sir?"

"We are," Sasuke replies. "I'm eager to show Ms. Haruno how Chateau Cellar produces a wine to rival the best in Paris."

He glances down at me, his dark obsidian eyes dancing with enough heat to scorch the seat, while his reply is somehow matter-of-fact. "Chateau established Napa Valley as the wine industry it is today. In a blind test in Paris in 1976, the judges, based on their own wineries, chose one of the Chateau's wines."

A tray lowers in front of us, but all I think about is Sasuke's fingers caressing lazily beneath my skirt. A bottle of wine and two glasses appear, and Katsu quickly explains, "It's a 2002 Chateau Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon, one of our flagship wines, and a gift from our owners to you and Ms. Haruno, Mr. Uchiha, for your long-term support of out operation."

Sasuke leans forward and fills two glasses, never taking his hand from my leg. "I'll be sure to extend them heartfelt thanks."

He lifts his glass and sips the wine, before holding it to my mouth. "Try it." He gently urges my leg a bit farther apart, and I do not have wine on my mind.

The limo engine rumbles and we begin to move. My heart is thundering in my ears. "Sasuke," I plead, I am not sure if I'm asking him to touch me or asking him to stop. Both I think.

"Drink, Sakura," he orders softly, no give in his voice. He is in control, still teaching me that lesson. The driver is close, so very close, and he fully intends to take this further than I want. He's pushing me out of my comfort zone, testing me again, I think. Testing me. He is always testing me and I am not sure what the scorecard is or even what I'm trying to achieve.

I drink from the same spot Sasuke has drunk from and taste the sweet plum flavor. Sasuke's fingers brush my sex, and I barely manage to swallow the wine.

"How is it?" he asks.

"Good," I whisper.

"Just good?" he challenges, and his fingers stroke my sensitive flesh. "Try another swallow."

There is an edge of danger in the air; the risk of the driver catching us is all to obvious. I have never done anything like this in public and it frightens me, but what is most shocking is how it excites me.

I sip the blood-red liquid, and Sasuke's finger slides inside me. My gaze goes to the seat in front of me, but I cannot see the driver and he cannot see me. Though I feel as if he can.

Sasuke drinks from the glass again and then holds it to my lips. "Another," he commands softly, tersely.

He isn't going to alow me to escape this car without having his way with me. Of this, I am certain. I don't want to stop. I don't want to be the girl who never lived in the moment. Alive, I told him, about what he makes me feel, and he does. I take the glass from him and down it.

He chuckles low in his throat. "A little liquid courage?"

"Yes," I confess.

"Is the wine satisfactory?" Katsu calls out.

Sasuke sets the wine down, still teasing me mercilessly. "Is the wine satisfactory, Ms. Haruno?"

I glower at him through the thralls of near orgasm, my voice throaty and and effected. "It's... exceptional."

"Excellent," Katsu approves jovially. "We're approaching the entry to the vineyards now." He begins telling us about the history of the territory, but I do not comprehend his words.

It is all I can do not to moan as Sasuke's thumb teases my clit and he slides a second finger inside me. The ache inside me expands and blossoms. I am going to have an orgasm in a limo with the driver practically watching. This can't be happening.

"If you look to your right, you'll see an important piece of the Chateau's history, Ms. Haruno," Katsu says. "Do you see the pond?"

"Yes," I manage in a choked voice without looking. My body clenches around Sasuke's fingers ans spasms.

My teeth sink into my lip and I turn to the window to hide my face, for fear Katsu might glance at me in his rearview mirror. He's still speaking, telling me a story. I am oblivious to anything but the shattering of my body.

"Isn't it a wonderful story?" Katsu asks, wrapping up whatever he'd been saying.

"Yes," I manage again, capable if speech but barely. "It's delightful."

"Isn't it?" Sasuke asks, dark, heated mischief dancing in his dark eyes as he strokes the slick folds of my sensitive flesh and slowly pulls out his fingers.

His eyes meet mine and hold my stare, and he brings his fingers to his mouth and sucks them dry. "Delicious," he murmurs, and my body clenches one last time at the brazenly sensual act.

"I'm so glad you're enjoying the wine," Katsu proclaims.

Sasuke and I blink at each other, and we erupt into laughter. I do not know how I have gone from dark forbidden passion to this lighter shared moment with Sasuke, but I do know one thing for sure. I have never felt more alive.

After a forty-five minute tour of the vineyards, I have had a glass of wine and I'm feeling a bit loose-limbed and warm all over for reasons aside from Sasuke's wicked ways. I've enjoyed the tour and learned far more about wine on the drive than in all my studies on my own.

The limo arrives at the Chateau and it is truly a nineteenth-century castle, with green vines traveling the stone walls and massive arched wooden doors almost as high as the structure.

"It was remodeled in the seventies," Katsu tells us, "and the entire two hundred and fifty-six-acre property was converted to a modern wine-making facility."

I follow Sasuke as he slides across the seat and pause as Katsu turns to me, and I see him clearly for the first time. He is in his midfifties with graying hair and sharp blue eyes that miss nothing.

"Thank you for such a wonderful tour, Katsu."

He inclines his head. "My pleasure." I cringle at the choice of words, because though his well-schooled features give nothing away, this man is too sharp not to know bout the pleasure in the backseat. "Enjoy the Chateau, Ms. Haruno."

Sasuke has long ago shed his jacket, and he tosses it onto a backseat before exiting the car. I follow him out and understand why the jacket is staying behind. It's still a warm day despite the five o'clock sun creeping lower in the sky, a complete turnaround from the chilly city on the ocean I've come to love.

I slide into Sasuke's to allow him to help me out of the car, and I am amazed at the zip of electricity up my arm from such simple contact. My eyes meet his and I know he feels what I do, and I'm most certain he, too, is surprised by how readily we impact each other. But the two lost souls searching for an escape should connect, I reason.

With a cautious tug of my dress, I stand up and Sasuke's lips quirk in a way that tells me he is thinking of what we've done in the back of the car. I am, too.

His hand slides to my elbow, and we head through a massive wooden door that seems more movie fantasy than real life. We step inside the chilled foyer with its high ceiling and stoned walls.

An employee greets us, a pretty woman in her twenties, with long blond hair and a curvy petite figure shown off in a pale pink suit. Her gaze lingers on Sasuke with admiration. I have a thing about blondes. I always have. Well, since my beloved Ino, who is of Swedish ancestry, caught every guy's eye with her long, natural white-blond hair and curves in all the right places. I was cute, and she was beautiful. This guide makes me feel cute.

"I'm Ally, Mr. Uchiha," she announces, offering him her hand, which he accepts. "Such an honor to have you here. I'll be taking you on a tour of the Chateau." She flicks me a look but doesn't extend her hand. "Welcome to our establishment."

Sasuke slides an arm around my waist, almost as if he senses my sudden insecurity. "Thank you, Ally. This is Sakura, and she's the reason I'm here today. I want her to learn why this place is special."

His hand resting on my waist is possessive, protective. My throat thickens with his actions. I feel as if no one else exists when I am with Sasuke, and no one has ever made me feel this way. My fear of cute verses beautiful fades away.

We begin the tour and we stop in various tasting rooms made of stucco and stone walls, and rich culture everywhere. We end the tour in a wine cellar that is chilly, and I am suddenly aware of my barely there dress and lack of undergarments.

Ally leads us toward the stairs and before we follow, Sasuke pulls me close, blocking her view with his back. "Cold?" he asks, molding me close, and his hand glides up my rib cage, under the shawl, to caress my breast, and tease my already puckered nipple.

"Not anymore," I confess breathlessly.

"You look beautiful tonight, Sa-ku-ra. I can't stop thinking about all the things I'm going to do to you when the opportunity presents itself."

When the opportunity presents itself, not when we get back to the room. Control. This is all about control, and I'd almost taken his earlier tonight. He didn't like it, and he's making damn sure I know I'm at his mercy. While I sense how much he needs this control, and I am aroused by this side of him, there is a deep part of me that screams in protest, that will not let go of what I've spent five years fighting for-my own control.

"Maybe you should think about what I'm going to do to you," I challenge.

His eyes darken, even more if possible, heat, and he surprises me by smirking and leaning down near my ear, whispering, "Hn, I've been thinking about it since the day I met you."

I expected some power play, and maybe it is that and more, because my reaction is white-hot arousal. My heart races wildly and heat rushes through my blood. When he pulls back and draws my hand into his, leading me towards the stairs, I am aware of the raw masculine power radiating off him, of my absolute burn for this man. Yes. He has control and I cannot wait to give him more. This is a power play and he's won.

We reach the top of the stairs to be greeted by an older couple who look as if they're in their mid fifties. The woman is dressed in a simple blue sheath and the man in black slacks and a white button-down collar shirt.

"Sasuke! It's so good to see you, son," the woman says. "It's been too long since I've seen my godchild." She hugs Sasuke like she is a mother seeing her child for the first time in years, and without questions, there are deep ties here.

The man hugs Sasuke next. "We don't see you enough, boy."

Sasuke pats him on the back and releases him. "I know. I'll work on that." He wraps an arm around my waist. "Obito and Rin Uchiha, I'd like you to meet Sakura Haruno."

"It's lovely to meet you, Sakura." Rin beams, offering me her hand. She is pretty, with dark brown hair and a friendly smile.

"Thank you," I say, sliding my palm against hers. It is warm and so id she. I like her. "I'm excited to be here."

"Welcome, Sakura," Obito chimes eagerly. "About time he brings a woman around."

I blush and shake his hand, but he pulls me close and hugs me. He leans back to inspect me. "Let me look at you. No. No, you don't look like a wine virgin to me."

My cheeks heat further, and I laugh. "I guess the excellent Cabernet I had in the limo saved me."

"Broke your cherry, aye?"

I laugh and so does Sasuke, who pulls me under his arm and leans near my ear. "I thought I did that."

"Obito!" Rin chides. "She doesn't know you well enough to get your sense of humor." She motions us forward. "I have a special tasting room set up for us, but we won't be allowing Obito a taste of the festivities."

We fall into step behind Rin and Obito. "They like you." Sasuke whispers.

"Godchild?"

"They were close to my parents and they never had a kid of their own. As you also noticed, They're Uchiha. Well Obito is. He's my uncle, my father's brother."

I inhale at this announcement, stunned to realize Sasuke has done more than bring me some place he doesn't bring other women. This is a piece of his past that I didn't think he would allow me to see, but he's let me inside his world, at least this tiny part.

My steps are a little more anxious as we enter a room with a huge wooden table spanning several feet, with a dozen or so chairs on each side. Fruit and cheese trays are displayed in the center of one end of the table.

Sasuke and I sit side by side, and Rin and Obito sit down across from us. Rin is studying me with interest, and I tie the shawl around my shoulders, afraid I'll ruin the virginal image I've been granted with too much nipple action.

"Sasuke tells us you've recently went to work at a gallery in the city?" Rin asks.

"Yes. The Allure Art Gallery downtown, where Sasuke has a collection for sale. That's how I met him."

"I know it well," Rin comments. "And you were a schoolteacher before this?"

I'm surprised by how much Sasuke has shared with her. "I was. I am. My degree is in art, and it's my true love. We'll see how the rest of the summer works out. My boss says he has high hopes but seems to think I need to know about wine to truly navigate the art world."

Obito knocks on the table. "Right he is. Everyone needs to know about wine."

"Sasuke doesn't think so," I dare to remark.

"Rin's gaze falls on her godson. "Then why does the local gallery serve wine?"

"Because this is Napa Valley."

"Exactly," she concurs. "Sounds like the cue to start the sampling. It'll loosen you up." He winks at me. "That's when you really get to know someone."

Sasuke looks amused. "Good thing I don't loosen up easily."

He nudges me. "You do, though. Are you going to tell us all your secrets over Cabernet?"

"Hold out for a whole year, honey," Rin whispers conspiratorially. "Make him pay for your confessions."

I glance at Sasuke, and he smirks. "Hn, name the year, and I'll gladly pay the price."

"I'm not the one who's lacking in a confessional," I remind him. "Maybe we need to get you a case of beer."

"Not in the chateau you won't," Rin assures us.

Sasuke leans close. "It's going to take a whole lot more than a case of beer."

Yes, I think. It will. I've opened up to him, but he hasn't to me, yet I am here, with what amounts to his only family, and again I think-it matters. I don't allow myself to think about how I've gone from an escape to looking for things of consequence or where that may be leading me.

Time becomes inconsequential as I taste wine after wine, nibble cheese, and listen to Obito and Rin tell me stories about how they got started.

"Sasuke's parents traveled with us for moral support," Rin explains. "Mikoto-Sasuke's mother-she was like a guardian angel. I swear that woman had a way of making a person smile, even the Paris locals who didn't want us Americans in the competition couldn't resist her charm."

It's hard to gauge Sasuke's response to Rin's memories of his mother with him beside me, but I wish I could. Too soon, more wine samples arrive and the conversation shifts. My window into Sasuke's family life has, at least for the time being, closed.

With each wine we taste, I listen to stories about how Rin and Obito crafted the flavors down to the soil, the climate, and processing. They sprinkle stories of the rich and famous who visited the Chateau and acquired each variety.

"Sasuke is always our number one star, though," Rin declares.

Sasuke snorts and sips from his glass. "I'm just-"

"A famous artist," I finish for him and kiss his cheek.

He runs his hand down my hair and kisses my forehead. "Me," he says, staring down at me. "I'm just me."

I smile, feeling the effects of quite a lot of wine. "Hmmm. Yes. Just you."

He arches a brow. "What does that mean?"

A waiter approaches, and Rin and Obito chat with him.

I lower my voice. "I like 'just you.'"

Sasuke's eyes darken. "Do you now?"

My lips curve. "Yes."

"He's just like his mother," Rin comments, drawing us back into the conversation and we turn to acknowledge her as she adds, "Humble pie, that woman. You'd never know she was an heiress to an empire any more than you'd know Sasuke is an acclaimed artist."

"And his father was an arrogant ass," Obito grumbles, "but I loved my brother." He pushes to his feet. "Son, that reminds me. I want to give you something before I forget."

I glance up at Sasuke, searching his face for a reaction to the comment about his father. He responds to my unspoken question. "He was an arrogant ass, baby." He strokes my cheek. "Behave. I'll be back."

"Of course," I assure him. "I'll only be asking Rin to share all your deep, dark secrets."

His expression tightens. "And she won't have the answers."

"Oh, I might have a few tidbits to share," Rin pipes in playfully.

Sasuke does not look pleased, but he pushes to his feet anyway and slides into a good-natured grumble to match Obito's "women" comment before he saunters away with his godfather.

Rin rests her elbow on the table, chin on her palm. "You're good for him."

"I... am?"

"Yes. You are. The boy is so damn guarded that it's worried me, but he's different with you. Relaxed. It does my heart good to see someone finally breaking through to him. He had a hard time growing up, but I'm sure you know that."

The little jewel of information has me eager for more. I open my mouth to ask more detail, but Ally rushes forward and whispers into Rin's ear. "Oh dear. Sakura, I have a problem I need to attend. I'll be back soon."

Disappointment fills me. Rin is the only person I may ever know who can share Sasuke's secrets, besides Obito, and I don't see that happening. Suddenly, I am alone with a tray of cheese and fruit and several glasses of wine. Fifteen minutes later, I've emptied the glasses and I know it was a mistake. My head is spinning, and I quickly nibble cheese because, apparently drinking makes me want to eat and calories are of no consequence. In fact, I'm pretty sure wine cancels out calories right about now.

I feel Sasuke's return before I see him, a tingling of awareness the hum of too much wine on my blood cannot diminish. My gaze lifts to the doorways as he enters, followed by Obito, who looks confused. "Where's Rin?"

"She had an emergency with a guest, I think."

Obito scowls. "How long has she been gone?"

"Right after you two left."

"Oh crap," he grumbles. "I better go check on her."

Sasuke hasn't spoken, and I really can't read him. My head is too fuzzy. He saunters over me and squats down in front of me, moving my chair to face him.

His hand settle on my leg. "You need to get some air?"

"Air would be good," I confirm, and he helps me to my feet and I study his face, cursing the wine I've drank. His happy mood has faded, and there is an edge to him I haven't seen tonight. Whatever he and Obito talked about, it's stolen my lighthearted artist.

I touch his cheek. "What's wrong?"

He pulls me close, and his hand slides behind my neck, and sets off alarms. His dark side is back in full force. "You see to much, Sakura."

"And you, Sasuke, don't let me see enough."

He doesn't reply, doesn't move. We are frozen in place, and I am lost in his stormy stare, his turbulent mood radiating off me. When he takes my hand to lead me toward the room's back door, my footing is unsteady. Wine and Sasuke do not mix well, I think, and it is the one thought I cling to as we exit into a garden. Wine and Sasuke do not mix. Why? I intend to find out.

Thank you guys so much for supporting me on this story, I have to say that you guys inspire me. I hope you guys have been liking this fiction so far, I have to admit it hasn't been easy for me.
The part where Sasuke introduces Sakura to his godparents, was actually a written memory from me. Where my fiancé Corey introduced me to his brother Michael and his brother's wife, Katie. I had met them this past New Year. And I have to say Katie attacked me with questions just like Rin attacked Sakura. Anyway, my life isn't so important lol.

I do have to announce that I will be taking this story to another whole new level, things will start getting serious with Sasuke and Sakura. There will be a lot more of Naruto too and Ava and the rest of the characters. You guys will also see more of the dark side of Sasuke and why he is the way he is. ;)

Are you guys ready for the Naruto the last movie?
I AM! I'm trying to find a website where I can pay to watch it or something! lol

Thank you for your time, please review and make a happy Taylin happy q:

Until next week! ;)