A/N: I don't own the Yu-Gi-Oh characters...they'd all be in romance novels if I did...
SetoLover: I'm so glad you're enjoying this...I'm trying to create tension...hope I'm successful...yeah, being Iolite would be totally wild...just wait til later chapters...I have some interesting ideas...thanks for making me realize the mistake about Mokuba it won't happen again, didn't mean for it to happen in the first place
Whitejello: I'll try to make the kissing less random...any suggestions?
MukyuuTenshi: I'm typing as fast as I can...lol...
Chapter 8
She woke with a start. The book had fallen to the floor and the noise startled her awake. She sat up quickly, her heart pounding. She had been having a nightmare of some sort, probably about her brother, and couldn't remember it. Her eyes searched the dimly lit room looking for a clock. A grandfather clock in the corner told her it was 3am. She fell asleep? She never did that. Her guard had been down for several hours.
She started to stand up when she saw something move in the corner of her eye. She turned quickly, lost her balance and fell backwards over her shoes. She landed with a thud, cursing out loud at her own stupidity. A hand was stretched down to her, she took it gladly and pulled herself up.
"Are you alright?" Kaiba asked, as he looked her over. A smile played about his lips.
"Fine, just a bruised ego."
"Probably a bruised backside too," he mocked her. "You really should take better care of your things. If you didn't just flip your shoes off everywhere you wouldn't have tripped over them." Then again, with bare feet and her hair tangled all around her she looked like an angel, he wasn't complaining.
"I hate shoes," she said as she pulled her hand away from his grip. "How long were you skulking in the dark watching me?" She rubbed her hip where she knew a bruise was starting.
"An hour or so," he answered as if it didn't matter. "I finally finished my work and so I wanted to see what the 'Scooby-gang' was up to."
"Are you always so insulting," she laughed, despite herself.
He liked her laugh, and liked that he had caused it. "When I can be, what can I say, it's a hobby."
"Where is everyone?" She whispered, suddenly aware of the time and their being completely alone. She tried to increase the distance between them, "are they still in the screening room? Are they asleep?"
He could tell she was nervous. He had made her nervous. This fact intrigued him.
"They're all asleep, I carried Mokuba to bed, but the rest of them are where they fell asleep. When I discovered you weren't there I went looking for you. So, was the book interesting?"
"Hmmmm," she had dazed off, distracted by his presence, another thing that wasn't like her.
"The book you were reading, was it interesting?" He hated repeating himself.
"Oh, I've read that book before. It's one of my favorites, I like ghost stories."
"Maybe you should lay off ghost stories so you won't be so...jumpy." He pried the hair off the fingers she had been twisting it around.
"Nervous habit of mine," she turned away from him. There was tension in the air, but at least they weren't quarrelling. "My Dad thinks someday I'll be bald because of my hair twisting, I never pull it out, though, just knot it up."
He looked at her evenly; she really had no clue how beguiling she was. "I seriously doubt with all of your hair that baldness is a concern." His fingers worked dexterously at the knot she had created. He wondered how it would feel draped over...he shook the thought out of his head. He softly placed the curl on her shoulder.
Her heart hammered, did he know how he was affecting her? She had to keep reminding herself that he was an enemy, and that he would gladly use her. She closed her eyes and tried to still her ragged breath.
He took a few steps closer to her.
She felt him closing in on her, she didn't like it. She turned quickly so her back wasn't to him and promptly tripped over her shoes again. This time he caught her. She gasped as he prevented her fall. His arms around her were intoxicating; she looked at him through lowered lashes.
"Highness..." he whispered questioningly, his mouth so close to her lips.
"Y-Yes," she stammered.
"You really need to keep track of your things..."
Her eyes snapped open; he was making fun of her! The audacity! She was furious!
"Let me go," she struggled in his arms, "Release me now!"
"As you wish," he let her go and she tumbled over the shoes. He started laughing. It sounded so foreign coming from him that she found herself openly staring at him. His face was relaxed and his smile actually touched his cold eyes. He was a heartbreaker, she thought to herself. Heaven help the poor girl who seriously falls for him. Then she realized she had fallen, over her shoes, and was sprawled on the floor in front of him. She started laughing with him. Where were the calculating intellects?
Kaiba came to his senses first. She was still giggling, a sound he hated from most girls, but hers was different. He wanted to kiss her again, but stopped himself. He had a question for her first.
"I want to ask you something, and I want a truthful answer," he said seriously. Damn she was beautiful, a light pink blush tinged her cheeks, her eyes were soft from laughter and her hair was again being knotted around her fingers.
"If I give you a truthful answer you have to do something for me," she countered.
"How will I know if you're telling the truth?"
"You'll have to trust my word Kaiba, I'm honest to a fault."
"Very well," he said eyeing her mouth hungrily, "what do you want from me?"
"I want to use your computer again, but this time I want privacy for whatever I read. That means you can't snoop and read it, it has to remain my own business."
"You have my word," he said.
"Ask away Kaiba," she went from the floor to the couch. The man was too close for her comfort on the floor. She needed some distance.
"Why do you want to buy up so much of Mortimer's company?"
She knew she couldn't lie, he'd know if she lied. She just had to figure out how to tell the truth without revealing too much.
"I think he's a letch and that his company is better off dissolved than being run by that maniac. I'm not alone in this, my comp...er...my boss agrees with me."
"So," Kaiba started, "You're buying up pieces of his company for your boss to take it over? Does he know how to run a company like Mortimer's?"
"He doesn't want to run it, he wants to raid it."
"A corporate raid huh? Mortimer still holds 33 and you only established 27, how can you raid without majority?"
She eyed him, "I only need 7 more. The raid will happen once majority is with Cathway."
"You still need 51 to raid a corporation Highness." His reminder was scolding.
"Not necessarily if one has backers who see dollar signs in the dissolve. Don't forget Mortimer is an evil man," she shook slightly, and wound her hair around her finger, "he has managed to cross so many people no one on his board would hesitate to turn coat on him. I have an inside track."
She looked, to him, like a cat watching a bowl of cream.
"How do you know him?"
"Mortimer?"
"Yes, you seem as if you have 'intimate' knowledge of the man," he watched her expression to see if he struck a nerve.
She sighed deeply, "You're asking a lot of questions Kaiba, I think if I answer more you should have to give me more than access to a computer terminal and privacy."
"What do you want," he was thankful of her ignorance, if she had only known she would have been given anything if she asked...
"Spend a day with Mokuba, no office, no phone calls and no computer." Her statement was simple. Naturally, he thought, it was for someone else. Now he was sure she didn't have a stingy bone, damn her wanted to kiss her...
"Done, now continue." He commanded.
"When?"
"Tomorrow. Now tell me about your relationship with 'the letch'."
"Fine. You know I have two brothers," he shook his head, but his eyes never left her face. "Aron and Simon have formed an alliance with...him. They destroyed my Father's company, the one he tried to start for a support means after his abdication. Mortimer has been a thorn in my side for as long as I can remember. Even as a child he use to stalk me, my Dad sent me to America in part to keep him away from me." She shivered and closed her eyes against the awful memories.
"So, Robert Mortimer has his eyes on you?" Kaiba scoffed. He now had a problem with Mortimer, he had disliked the man before, now he was seething. He hated Joey touching her innocently, Mortimer would die at his hands before he was allowed to breathe the same air as her.
"He sees me as a challenge." She smiled at that fact. "I don't think anyone has given him more bruises or rejected him as much as I have. I think you can call it brutal rejection. I've insulted his 'masculinity' more times than I can remember. I suppose it started with my brothers betting that..." She noticed his anger and stopped. "Are you angry with me, again?"
"What did your brothers bet?" He bit out the words.
"The three of them have a long running bet. Basically, I think, they all have gambled on which day of the week he would finally...aaaa," she had no idea why she was being so open with him. Yugi had told her of the hard life Kaiba had led, maybe that was it, or because he listened intently. "Have me."
"He'll never 'have' you Highness...it's no longer your fight." Kaiba stated simply and she, for some reason, believed him.
He had no idea what he was going to do, but with the shares he acquired today and Kiaba Corp. being so immense, he had more power. If anyone were going to touch her it would be...who? Him? Did he want her? Hell yes, he finally admitted to himself he did, urgently.
She rose to her feet and stretched. A small yawn escaped her. She looked at him, a man she no longer understood. It was so much easier when he was someone to loathe. He stood and walked towards her. She looked at him, not sure what to make of him.
"I feel like you know all of my secrets, I don't know any of yours," she folded her arms across her chest and tried not to shrink away from him.
"I know you have more secrets than that Highness," he smiled, "and I intend to learn them all." He used his finger to tilt up her chin, "would you like to take a ride with me?"
It wasn't what she was expecting, but she smiled. "Where are you taking me?"
"To Kaiba Corp. You said you wanted to use a computer with privacy, at 3am there is nothing but privacy there."
"What about Raine? If he finds out I left here without him he'll kill me."
"He's asleep in the screening room too, I think too much food and exercise did in the whole lot. I'm keeping up my end of the bargain Princess." He gave her his arm to take.
She knew this would be a mistake, but she also knew he wouldn't let anything happen to her. She wrapped her arm around his and he led her to the garage. They got into a BMW convertible and sped off to Kaiba Corp.
They were a few minutes away when she realized she was alone with him for the first time. Every other time they had been together there were people there, or at least in earshot. It wasn't a date with him, but the butterflies were back.
They arrived a short time later and he took her in through his private entrance. Everything was quiet and a bit surreal. "I guess no one comes in at 3:30am huh?" She asked.
He looked down at her coldly, "I'm not that much of a slave driver."
"I guess they're expected in at 4am?" She smiled at her own jest.
"7am Highness," he explained as they reached the elevator. He pushed the 30th floor and immediately the doors closed. She felt the car rush up to the floor and the doors opened. It wasn't what she had expected, there were lots of terminals here, she thought he was taking her to his office.
He took her hand, which caught her by surprise, and led her out onto the floor.
He turned to face her, "Pick a terminal, they all have a unique sign in code." He handed her a piece of paper with the unique code on it. "I know you know how to destroy paths, now you can be sure I won't trace your key strokes."
"Where are you going?" She held his hand tight as he tried to break his grip on her.
"I'll be in my office on the 50th floor, use this elevator to come to me."
They locked eyes for a moment, "You'll have to release my hand if you want to log on."
"Oh," she gasped, not even realizing she was still holding his hand. She let go and immediately missed his warmth. She shivered again, he noticed. Something was bothering her and once he had her alone in his office he'd find out what. He didn't intend on taking her back to where he had to share her.
She watched him disappear into the elevator and the doors shut. He was a man of his word. She wandered down the first row of computers and sat down at a desk, which had flowers on it. She smiled, someone's birthday probably. She quickly logged on and checked her e-mail.
Princess I have news for you, nothing good unfortunately. You have to run, our plan didn't work. The shares we thought we had are gone! I have no idea who grabbed them, but they are gone. Even worse I found out Aron's plans for you. He is now trying to track you down. Once he finds you you will be forced to return home, he'll destroy your travel papers. Mortimer is here, as well, waiting for your return. Your brother is delivering you into the hands of the devil himself. Hide yourself, tell Raine to get you somewhere safe, never come back, defy this new monarchy. To hell with Aron, your Father wants you safe, so do I, do what you must...I beg you to run. Yours-Ryan
She sat there in silence. She read the note again and again. Her hands were shaking, her stomach was ready to heave. It couldn't be true. Her heart ached, even they couldn't be THAT evil. Then again, she knew they could. What should she do now? She stood up, panic lacing her blood.
Without another thought she ran to the elevator and hit the basement button. She had to run, but to where? She felt the car rush to the bottom, her mind was still on the 30th floor. Breathing was difficult and was slowly becoming impossible. This was a fate worse than death, delivered into the hands of her nemesis.
The doors opened and she stumbled out. It had started to rain. She tried to walk, but her legs seemed to fail her, she managed a few steps before she fell to her knees. Lightning flashed above her, the thunder was deafening. Her control was lost. After all this time, all the bottling and holding back, her reserve was abandoned. Her body was raked by sobs, everything was gone now. She didn't save anything. Her Father gave up everything, for nothing. She failed at the last shot she had. The loss was total and complete. She would know real pain now, Mortimer would savor her agony. All the running and dodging she did was for nothing, she would now be broken, and she'd be forced to pay back all the times she fought him. A pound of her flesh.
The world seemed to spin, as if she were drunk, she collapsed onto the still warm pavement as the storm raged over her limp body. Her mind couldn't grasp her fate, her loss was complete.