A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews...SetoLover I'm glad you think I'm doing a good job with the characters, just let me know if I stray. I love the reviews, please keep R&R...thanks! As per usual...I do not own any of the Yu-Gi-Oh characters...I only wish I did...I do, however, own my own characters
Chapter 6
Iolite stood in the bathroom and tried to calm herself down. She struggled, with shaking hands, to put on Mai's bathing suit. She wondered what Ryan had meant. What did Aron have in store for her? He was cruel and she had no doubt whatever he was going to attempt would be awful. Once she finished she looked at herself in the mirror. The suit was a bikini, a small one. She toyed with the idea of keeping her shirt on. She didn't want to wear this dental floss around Kaiba. She was still mad at herself for not having a snide come back for any of his remarks. The truth was, she might need his help again, seeing as access to his computer could be vital. She would have to be nice to him, or die trying.
She yanked her shirt over her head and smiled. She would simply wear it over the bathing suit in the pool. It looked stupid, but at least she would feel adequately covered. She left the bathroom and headed out to the pool.
Kaiba watched for her from his office window. Once he saw her walking to the pool outside he sat down behind his computer and started to trace her course. She had destroyed the pathways she used, he sort of expected that move, but he was able to use her keystrokes to track her. He signed on to her account and read her one piece of mail...
He frowned and his eyes hardened when he saw that she was acquiring company interests from Mortimer's. He knew the company, he also knew the owner, and he had a firm dislike for the man and his business practices. Why would she play around with someone who was that dangerous? Was it for Cathway? Was she doing something behind Cathway's back? Was she getting herself into some trouble? Maybe she was doing some type of insider trading.
His eyes read and reread the note. Her brother was out to hurt her, he wondered how, and who exactly was this man-Ryan. He had no idea why it bothered him so much that he called her "Love," or that he signed the note "Yours." Tracking down a man with only a first name was near to impossible.
Another thought occurred to him, this girl could be dangerous if she knew how to acquire companies. He would have to watch her carefully from this point forward.
Another thought occurred to him, if she could get her hands on Mortimer's company interests maybe he could use it to his own advantage, after all, they did have a hologram division, and he knew things she didn't about it.
He stood up and looked out the window. She was sitting on a chair near the pool; everyone else was swimming and splashing. Why was she on the sideline? She was an enigma. He had things to do, so why did he so badly want to go down there and see her again?
"Are you going to go swimming, or are you just going to sit here and watch?" Raine smiled as he sat beside her. She was in the shade and wearing her shirt.
"I think I'll sit this pool thing out," she said decidedly.
"You know," he said as he eyed her, waiting for a reaction, "I think you're here because you're afraid to join in. I know how much you hate to have fun."
She sat back on the chaise lounge chair and closed her eyes. She knew him, and baiting her wouldn't work today.
"I guess Mai's bathing suit is too small for you...or too big" he smirked. He was trying to get her aggravated enough to prove him wrong and go enjoy herself.
"It fits fine, thank you."
"Apparently not if you're sitting over here hiding from everyone."
"I'm not hiding, just relaxing. Could you please leave me alone?!" She was getting very annoyed.
"Sitting by a gorgeous pool, in a shirt, in the shade while all of your new friends enjoy themselves? Princess this isn't like you." He studied her for a moment, "Is it Kaiba?"
He knew he struck a nerve with that remark, she almost winced at the name.
"I could care less what Kaiba thinks of me," she growled, "Why would I?"
"Maybe because he's coming over here even as you argue with me about him?" Raine smiled as Kaiba started approaching. He quickly got up and walked over to another part of the pool area. She suddenly missed Raine more than life.
"What do you want?" She asked as he stopped in front of her.
"I wanted to see that the geek squad wasn't destroying everything. I can't be sure they're all housebroken," he scowled as he looked down at her. "Why aren't you joining the juvenile delinquent games?"
She turned to look at him, noting that she hated that he was standing and she was lying down. It seemed like this put her at a disadvantage and she didn't want him to think he was dominating her. She turned on the lounge so she could put her feet on the floor and at least sit up.
"I was relaxing and taking in some sun, if you must know."
"Funny how you picked the shadiest part of the patio to 'sunbathe,' I think that would require sun." He smirked, and she wanted to slap him. Be nice...
"I don't like the direct sun."
"There is no sun at all here, and besides, with that shirt on and the towel over your legs, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think 'sunbathing' isn't going to be that productive Highness." Kaiba liked looking down at her, he also liked how she was tripping over herself for justifications.
She stood up, he was still quite a bit taller than her, but she did feel less intimidated.
"I know how to sunbathe, I was relaxing."
"Then why did you say you were sunbathing?"
"I don't know, probably because that's what you do why you go to a pool, but I just wanted to relax." She was finding it hard not to smack him. Please be nice...
"So," he smiled at her, coldly "what were you doing on my computer?"
All bets on being nice are off..."Is that why you came out here Kaiba?" she hissed at him, "for an explanation? What I did on your computer was my business. I didn't plant a virus or poke into your files...I just read e-mail. Personal e-mail."
"I know exactly what you did Highness." He regarded her expression, not wanting to tip his hand, but feeling compelled to, "I know where you went and what you saw there."
She was enraged! He traced her?! "How did you figure out where I went and what I did?! I destroyed the pathways...how..." It dawned on her then, she forgot he was clever with computers, probably more than she was.
"Your key strokes Highness...would you care to discuss Mortimer with me?"
She, for the first time ever, was speechless.
"Well," he asked after waiting for an explanation that wasn't coming.
"I...I...I hate when you call me that," she stammered, in a quick attempt to change the subject. He was watching her and she could swear he was raking her purposely.
"You have an HRH title, so calling you Highness is fitting. Now, tell me why you're attempting to provoke Mortimer."
"Why should I?!" She spat at him, who the hell did he think he was? She owed him nothing.
"He's very dangerous and someone who knows so little about corporate business, such as yourself, shouldn't play with a tiger." Kaiba stated simply. He watched her deep blue eyes flash purple. He was intrigued by her anger, he wanted to provoke her more. Usually men quaked before him, but this slip of a girl was actually defying him, loudly.
"You should keep your nose out of things you have no clue about. Nothing I do concerns you, I can handle my own affairs. I've never conceded a fight in the corporate world or in the battle of wills. You'd best learn that Kaiba!"
He folded his arms across his chest and eyed her up and down. "You'd be shredded in a ring with Mortimer, even your bodyguard couldn't save you. I don't even think your 'boyfriend' is capable of watching your back in this matter. If you continue with pursuing the devil you will get caught and you will loose."
Iolite was practically shaking in rage at him, her eyes smoldered and her pulse was racing in her ears. "I've taken down bigger names than him, without the help of Raine! Furthermore Ryan is hardly my 'boyfriend' and even without him I could still do what I need to to get under that parasite's skin. I've danced with the devil before Kaiba and I've never lost, I don't intend to start now."
His mind raced with all of the information she was giving him. So, she was hardly a second rate intern at Cathway, she was much more. How far up the food chain was she? Was this Princess as cut throat as it seemed? There was a whole lot more here and he was hell bent on finding out exactly who she was.
"Why does your brother want to hurt you?" His question was fairly whispered, his eyes were still cold and his face was hard.
"Why do you care?" she questioned him.
"I don't," he looked over at the pool. They were all still playing, but quieter than before. He wished they would all disappear.
A sudden splash turned his head, she was now in the pool. He was so side tracked that he took no notice of her stripping off the shirt and diving into the pool. She was swimming towards her friends and he was left to wonder what had happened. It took all his will power not to call out to her. He sat in the shade and watched them all play. He wanted more time with her, for some reason the challenge she presented was too great to resist.
"So what did Kaiba want," Joey asked when she approached them.
"He's just trying to annoy me, but I guess you're use to him being annoying huh?" She smiled at Joey and gave him a friendly splash. She hoped he bought he act, feeling exposed to Kaiba was more than unnerving and she didn't like it at all.
"We should all play volleyball," Mokuba suggested.
They played for quite some time. Iolite was ever mindful of Kaiba's stares, he just sat there silently brooding and watching her. It was not going to deter her good time and if he even sensed that he was bothering her he'd be too happy with himself.
Raine sat and watched Kaiba's expression. He observed the way he shifted when someone touched Iolite, and how he nearly came out of his chair when Joey threw her. It seemed that the boy didn't like to see her touched. He wondered if Kaiba noticed how she, too, watched him. He knew how Iolite's mind worked and even though she could be inconspicuous she never got a thing past him. Something was brewing here and he was the only one who would admit it.