Chapter 9

Serenity stood there trying to let his last sentence sink in. He wouldn't honestly tie her up...would he?

"If you so much as lay one finger on me I swear I'll...I'll...," She couldn't think of anything awful enough to do to him. He smirked at her waiting to hear a response.

"I won't tell you what I'll do, I'll leave you guessing and then when I do it you'll be sorry." She stuck her chin up but knew how lame her threat sounded.

He sat back and chuckled. She was making life quite interesting for him. If he had to be running from a possible murderer he couldn't have chosen a better running mate. He enjoyed her spirit and intended to keep harassing her as sport.

"I bet it's all over the papers and the television too." She sighed as she fell, with great exasperation, on the bed.

"What?"

"Have you listened to a thing I said? I bet the fact that people believe I kidnapped you is all over the news. You know what they say about the media today, around the world in 60 seconds."

"This is really bothering you isn't it?" He asked with sarcasm.

"Of course it is. It's not bothering you at all? Being kidnapped by a girl?" She was going to remind him that she was also the sister of his most hated opponent but thought better of it. Bringing up Joey would just insure insults being hurled at her brother behind his back. She didn't need the stress.

He leaned his chair back and propped his feet up on the table, his chair now leaned in a precarious position against the wall. "I'm not one to worry about gossip or what the news has to say about me in general." He looked at her with a lazy gaze.

"Haven't you ever heard that the pen is mightier than the sword Kaiba?" She asked, not believing his apathy.

His eyes narrowed, flashing a deep blue, "I've always been quite good with a sword."

Her eyebrow shot up at his comment, "Newspapers and newscasts are far mightier..." She stopped her lamenting when she heard his chuckle. He was unreal! How easily he twisted her words and made everything she said sound like an innuendo. Damn he was hot...

"Oh Wheeler you're so easily baited and I'm quite an expert with swordplay. Care to challenge me?" He liked the way she was blushing and decided to add, "I only wish I had some rope."

"You're impossible!" She informed him

"You're arousing." He took his feet off the table and stood up.

"I'm not." She stammered.

"I disagree." He began to approach her.

"You're wrong." She backed up until she was against the headboard.

"I'm Seto Kaiba and that means I'm never wrong." He moved to the end of the bed.

"Everyone is wrong at one time or another even you." She was hoping he wouldn't come after her. She, naturally, was wrong.

In what seemed like a heartbeat he was leaning over her. She felt herself shrinking from him. Last night he had seemed so docile and harmless now he was like the dragon he loved so much. His mouth was inches from hers.

"That's a weakness," he whispered against her mouth.

"What is? Admitting you're wrong?" She asked, cursing at herself for sounding so meek.

"No, shying away from me when you started this last night, I'm only adding to your charting of unfamiliar territory."

His voice sounded husky, his eyes were smoldering. She began to feel light headed. His lips lingered over hers teasingly. Then he softly brushed against her mouth, but didn't settle. He wanted to tempt her, see if she would respond.

She knew if she gave in he would win, but if she didn't she would go insane. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her hands in his warm soft hair. Her fingers reveled in the feel of the silken threads. She pulled his mouth down to hers. Hungrily her lips claimed his. She delighted in the taste of him, but was eager to explore him further. She tugged on his hair and his lips parted. They were ravenous for each other. Tasting and stroking trying to get closer but coming up frustrated. Kaiba slid his hand from her knee down her thigh, she arched up at him wanting more contact.

He knew this was starting to get out of hand, what were they doing? He had to stop it or else he might do something they would later regret. It was too dangerous to get involved. He pulled his mouth away from hers, still lingering above her.

"I guess I proved my point." He announced as he moved away from her, leaving her flushed and hungry for him. She was stunned at his admonishment. She was more confused than she had ever been.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about." She sounded baffled.

"I am quite good with a sword."

"You're disgusting." She spat at him. "I would never have allowed that to happen."

"Then why did you kiss me last night? Is that all you want from me Wheeler? A simple kiss? It sure as hell didn't feel that way last night." His eyes were burning with intensity.

She stood up, suddenly lying on a bed before Kaiba felt like being sacrificed to the man.

"For your information Seto Kaiba I have kissed many men and you don't even come close to the top ten!" She was furious that he had been using her passion to prove a sick point.

"Then there is no need for you to ever kiss me again, is there?"

"I kissed you because I wanted to see what it felt like. I wasn't trying to seduce you and it wasn't going any further than that, if you thought otherwise you really are wrong. Besides, if seduction was what I had in mind, you wouldn't have stood a chance."

He grabbed her, crushing her up against his chest, "That sounds like a challenge Wheeler, oh, and for the record I'm never wrong," His low growl sent a shiver down her spine. Suddenly their mouths were hungrily joined, their tongues fighting for dominance. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her fingers in his soft hair. He pulled her up against his body, she left the floor, depending on him entirely for support. He buried his fingers in her hair, pulling her head back to give him access to her neck and throat. A soft cry escaped her lips as he rained hot kisses over her cool skin.

A loud knock at the door brought them back to their sense and her feet softly touched the floor.

Kaiba pulled out of her arms then smoothed his clothes. he walked over to the door then opened it. The woman who owned the place stood before him. He noticed the rain had stopped.

"The phone is working now, would you care to make a call?" She asked Kaiba. He nodded at her, almost dumbly. He might have been standing at the door, but his mind was still focused on the kiss that had been interrupted too soon.

"Thank you," he managed stiffly. "I'll be right over."

She smiled and waved at Serenity before he closed the door.

"What just happened...," he began.

"...Was a mistake." She finished, "Now we can use the phone and get back on the road. Am I wrong to think you can have all of this taken care of with speed?" She turned her back on him not wanting him to see how apprehensive she felt. She was also sad that soon she would no longer have his undivided attention. What would have happened if the phones didn't come back on? Would they have done something foolish? For her it would have been a costly mistake, for him it would have been another notch. Distance and silence would have to be exercised around him from this point forward.

Kaiba walked over to the office. When had it stopped raining? He hadn't noticed, it was her fault-she drove him to distraction. He should concentrate on something else, anything else. It might have been fun, but he didn't need ties that strangled. She was too soft and willing, it was obviously her fault that he reacted the way he did.

He placed a call to Roland, his most trusted employee, and a limo was dispatched to pick the two up then bring them to the cabin. He hung up the phone then looked across at the door to the room that he and Serenity shared. If they had stayed one more night what would have happened? If she hadn't turned away from him last night would he have regrets today? He wasn't sure if he would have objected.

He slowly walked back across the lot, hands shoved deep in his pockets, his thoughts troubled. He didn't need any annoying women in his life and she was annoying. She was beautiful and intoxicating, but she would turn his concentration away from what was important. He was a businessman and a lot was required of him, mostly his time. A woman demanded too much time. Look at the problems she had created so far and they weren't even dating! She blew in like a whirlwind and put everything into disarray. He would have to remedy the situation and get her the heck out of his life.

He walked back in the room and found her sleeping in the middle of the big bed, curled up like a child. He looked at her and sighed. He slowly shook his head, she could sleep during a nuclear attack, and hell she had slept on top of him last night and showed no signs of remembering. He had to admit he liked it, had reacted to it and was hoping to repeat it tonight. Damn the phones coming back on...

"Have you managed to find them? Or are you even more incompetent than I originally thought?" An angry voice shouted over a cell phone.

The man from the museum held the phone away from his ear in fear that he would go deaf if he didn't. Even with press involvement there was no trace of the two, it had been over 24 hours now.

"I'm doing everything I can." He tried to sound assuring and confident.

"Obviously you aren't or you would have better news for me, don't you think?"

"I've tapped phone lines, put tails on their family and business associates, something is going to turn up soon Boss." The man rechecked his gun. He had disposed of the one he used to kill his partner yesterday. It was too risky to retain a weapon that was used for a murder. If the cops had found it on him, or traced him to the corpse he could be fingered. The evidence was now well hidden within the museum where no one would find it.

"You better hope so or you'll be at the receiving end of the barrel this time moron!"

The connection was hastily cut. He stared at the phone and wondered how much time he had left. He decided to take matters into his own hands and headed out after the two. How far out of town could they have gotten? He knew they weren't at the Kaiba mansion, or at her home. The hotels in the area weren't aware of either of them and even though she would have stayed with a friend, Kaiba had no friends and wouldn't share hers.

He headed to his car and started driving towards the outskirts of town.

A/N: I know this chapter is a bit shorter than usual, but I had to get them out of the hotel and move the story along. Plus I'm exhausted so I decided to just post instead of draining what's left of my poor brain. It will be longer next time...please read and review...thanks!