A/N: I don't own Yu-gi-oh or any of its characters

Chapter 3

Tea and Serenity were brought food, though Tea believed that had more to do with Kaiba's staff than Kaiba. The two girls sat in the living room waiting for the illustrious CEO to make another grand appearance, but it didn't happen. Hours passed and Serenity finally went into one of the bedrooms and nodded off to sleep. Tea tried to sleep as well, but could only nap here and there. The rising sun found her wandering the upper deck.

The sudden cut of the engine and the eerie silence that followed jerked her from her trance. She had been going over and over the events of the day trying to figure out where she went wrong. Boarding the ship was a mistake, not getting off was bigger, and dragging Serenity was the biggest. What had she done?

"Well, well, well have you decided to get some air?" Kaiba's voice forced her to turn and face him. He towered over her, his cold blue eyes savaging her. The confrontation between her and this man now seemed unavoidable and its inevitability restored some of Tea's failing courage. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of cowering before him. Defiantly she lifted her small, pale face so that she could meet his frigid gaze squarely. The harsh tone of his voice almost made her lose her resolve.

"What the hell are you actually doing on my boat? Did that dried up old snoop of an editor put you up to this?"

To keep her lips from trembling she constricted her mouth. Kaiba reached out and grabbed her arm. The steel grip began to tighten as he waited for her response until her arm finally went numb.

"I'm warning you, this little game of yours is very foolish. I want some answers and I want them now. Who put you up to this? Do they know where you are? There is no one out here in the middle of the ocean to enforce rules and I'm a very angry and impatient man."

She began to realize how right he was. Defying him was useless. Telling him why she was here wouldn't be giving away anything that he didn't already know. He had put two and two together quite easily.

"I've come here on my own, I wanted to break this story and boost my credibility at the paper. No one knows where we are." Though she was determined not to show weakness her eyes darted away. "I figured you wouldn't stay around to be formally arrested and that air and car were the most noticeable way to go. I remember Mokuba talking about a boat and figured you would use that mode of transportation. I didn't know the name, but knew about the Seahorse and dragon connection."

The information did nothing to cool Kaiba's temper. "I'm surprised you didn't go to your boss and give him all of your information. Then he could have sent in someone who knew what they were doing. A woman can't do this kind of dirty work and get away with it."

"I'm perfectly capable of doing undercover work! Don't insult my sex by claiming a woman can't do this job just as well, if not better, than a man." She shot back. This was just bad luck and bad timing. Who knew he wasn't on the ship when they boarded? Who knew he would arrive by helicopter? Who did that?

"You're doing a great job," he showed his teeth, but wasn't smiling. "If I was the ruthless criminal the papers have been painting me you would be in a heap of trouble. What's to keep me from tossing you overboard with your little partner in crime?" He jerked her arm for emphasis.

She flinched, but her temper reemerged quickly. "You are a lot of things Seto Kaiba, but a murderer isn't one of them."

"That's right," he snarled at her. "I'm a real sweetheart of a guy. So much so that I'm taking you and your friend on vacation." He released her arm. She resisted the urge to rub feeling back into it.

"What do you mean 'vacation'? I was told we would be let out at the first port." She demanded as she watched him, distrustfully, as he circled her. If only she could push him overboard, but what good would that do? His staff would surely pull him back onboard and then he'd be madder than ever. She sighed and rolled her eyes heavenward, how had she gotten in so deep?

"I meant exactly what I said," he told her with a taunting grin. "I intend to disappear for a couple of weeks."

"To avoid interrogation from the DA?" She supplied with a keen suspicion.

He was unmoved by her accusing tone. "Exactly. I don't intend to talk until I'm good and ready. I'll go on my own terms. I 'd expected to be alone on this retreat." He purred with male satisfaction, "But now it seems I'll have company."

Tea's eyes slitted to points of fizzing blue fury. It was too much. He had her trapped on this boat, probably ruined her career and now he was taunting her about this kidnapping. Anger gathered like a tight knot in her chest and then surged upwards so that her ears burned.

"We're not going anywhere with you! Just who the hell do you think you are?"

He smirked, "From here on out you will do exactly what I say."

She took a step backwards, "Criminal!"

"Sticks and stones…"

"Kidnapper!" She took another step back so that the back of her legs hit the bench at the back of the ship.

He shot back coolly, "As to the first count you're playing judge and jury. As for the second you're a stowaway remember?"

He was clearly unbalanced. Tea told herself as she gripped onto one of the cushions adorning the bench. He was obviously on some sick power trip and he actually thought he could take her and Serenity to God knows where. Heaven only knew what he had in mind once they got there.

He took an insolent step forward and reached a hand out to grab her shoulder. Unthinking, Tea reacted. With a quick snap of the wrist she hurled the cushion at him with all the fury she could muster. At that point there was nothing on her mind but rising panic mixed with outrage, but as soon as her fingers released the cushion, she knew she had made a mistake. Though Kaiba fielded the missile the look on his face was pure fury.

"You little fool! You deserve exactly what you're about to get!"

And what was that? Tea's panic took over completely. Turning blindly, she jumped up on the bench and stumbled forward. Her calf abruptly collided with a wire shroud. The unforeseen impact knocked her off balance.

"Oh no!" She managed to shout as her arms flailed wildly. There was no hope of preventing the ensuing fall. She was in midair for what seemed like forever and then hit the water with a painful splat that knocked the wind out of her lungs. She became, painfully, aware of the presence around her. It was just her luck to fall into a swarm of jellyfish, the wriggling, stinging nettles assaulted her immediately.

Once upon a time, when she was younger. She'd encountered the monsters on an innocent swim. She'd been badly stung on that occasion and that experience gave her an unreasoning fear of the creatures. That terror was magnified now.

She began to struggle with her arms and legs and shriek hysterically as she felt the needlelike assaults. Her brain, paralyzed with hysteria, caused her to forget how to swim and she sank, again, beneath the surface.

At first Kaiba watched the performance with a gleam of satisfaction. But his amusement switched to concern when he noticed the jellyfish and her reaction to them. She deserved a good dunking, but she didn't deserve to be seriously hurt. As she went down for the second time he stripped off his trench coat and dove over the side. In three efficient strokes he reached her just as she bobbed up, spitting and choking.

Tea felt a strong arm slide around her, beneath her breasts and gave another watery scream.

"Stop struggling and relax," he commanded impatiently. With one swift motion he stretched her out so that she was floating on top of him. He then began to move back to the boat. One arm sliced backwards through the water while the other pinned her back against his chest. It was a standard lifesaving procedure, some part of her brain dimly registered, but his arm in intimate contact with her breasts did nothing to encourage relaxation. She was stung, badly frightened, and her teeth were chattering with shock.

When they reached the boat his crew were there to assist the two back on board. Once they were safely back onboard he towered over her once again. A worried look crossed his features momentarily.

"Are you hurt?" The tone of his voice showed his concern along with impatience.

"The nettles," she muttered weakly, turning her head away.

"I know what to do about those," He started to lead her away.

Too weak to protest she stumbled behind him through the men who had gathered and watched her humiliation. She coughed up another mouthful a brine as the door shut behind them.

"First you have to get out of your clothes," Kaiba told her as he tossed a large fluffy towel in her direction.

She froze, "I'm not undressing for you."

"I'm not about to ravish you at the moment. You're hardly a bathing beauty." He added callously. Tea knew what she must look like at the moment and that knowledge didn't improve her humor.

Kaiba turned away from her and stripped off his own sopping shirt and dropped it on the table in a wet heap. He then ran a hand through his dark hair to push it out of his eyes. The lean expanse of muscular torso he'd revealed only increased Tea's disquiet.

He disappeared into another room. She took that opportunity to strip out of her own clothes. He returned a few minutes later with a small bowl. She raised an eyebrow in question.

"Meat tenderizer. The nettles emit a protein poison, the tenderizer breaks it down. Mokuba seems to attract jellyfish stings quite often."

He applied the soothing paste over her sensitive skin. Kaiba's eyes traced the ugly red welts marring her ivory skin.

"This will work better if you lie down." He suggested dryly.

She skeptically climbed onto the couch carefully so as to not disturb the precariousness of the towel.

"That's right, with your hands folded so primly. I feel like I'm giving you last rites." He mumbled as he moved to her side.

"A few minutes ago you acted like you would appreciate seeing me dead, she pointed out in a strangled voice as she tried to avert her eyes from his bare chest.

You have some lessons to learn Gardner, but I woud like to teach them to you when you're alive and not under a towel."

Tea tried to absorb the meaning of his statement while her cheeks burned with embarassment. What he had said made her even more conscious of his touch. His touch was quite gentle as the pain was driven from her wounds, but wherever he touched her new trails of a very different fire began to lick along her nerve paths. She also realized that he wasn't entirely indifferent to her. He had insulted her earlier, but the way his hands touched her told a very different story. The expression in his midnight blue eyes underlined that appeal.

A/N: Ok, now read and review guys! You're equally divided on who should get Seto so I guess I'll have to decide… You won't know for a while so keep reading and reviewing. Thanks!