The CEO and the Bookworm

by AngelStar89

Kaiba never imagined that the book clerk with the annoying sweats would become an infuriating constant in his life. Especially, after her first impression became more vexing the longer he was around her. Alisa is what people would consider a bit eccentric, a spirit that runs to her own beat. Until her and Kaiba constantly cross paths with each other.

10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

'So, what's got your panties in a bunch,' Risa asked as Alisa moped around the bookstore lazily stocking and rearranging the shelves.

'Nothing,' she dully answered as she began to restock the magazine shelves.

'Nothing, you've been moping around since last week. Is it because things with you and Handsome didn't go well? I mean you dressed all nicely just to be turned into a maid. I would be mad if the guy I was interested in rejected me and turned me into his housekeeper. I would be anything but depressed. Unless you really like him.'

'I don't,' Alisa answered nonchalant and sadden when she recalled his glare at the end of the night. Maybe he really did think that she was unsuitable for his brother, which could also translate into she was unacceptable for him.

'Hmm, really, now,' Risa studied the calm female. Something must have happened between them, because when she returned to work on Saturday her mood had been sober until Monday when she became either antsy, annoyed or unemotional. 'I would say that something happened besides that, so do you want to talk? It'll help with whatever this is,' she waved her hand to signify her unpleasant aura.

'I don't need to talk. I am just at a point in my story that really has me contemplating what to write next.'

'Oh, so you have writer's block, that's what has you unsettled.'

'Correct,' she lied as she finished stocking the magazines.

'So, you wouldn't mind seeing Handsome,' Risa asked as she caught sight of Kaiba as he walked in front of the store window as he headed for the door.

'I wouldn't care,' she lied and stiffened when she heard the chime of the front door opening.

'Welcome,' Risa greeted Kaiba as he entered and shifted her gaze to watch Alisa.

'Wel…come,' she automatically answered as the door opened and it came out awkwardly as she recognized who it was that entered.

Kaiba nodded at Risa in greeting, but his attention and focus was on the petit female by the magazine shelf. He walked over to her, but only briefly greeted her as he went to get his weekly magazines. She picked up her box off the floor and walked towards the backroom without another word. It fazed him that she ignored him and didn't have anything smart to say back. He grabbed his magazines and walked towards the counter. 'Seems like you're having a cold reception,' Risa commented as she took his magazines. 'Is this going to be all for today?'

'I don't know what you mean, we always interact this way.'

'Really, I thought it had to do with the fact that she was upset you had her do maid work on the day she dressed up to see you,' Risa rebuked.

'The contract didn't stipulate how she was supposed to spend the day with me,' he pointed out.

'Hmm,' she nodded, but still felt like something was off, she told him the amount that was due and when she looked up at him saw that he was staring at the backroom door. Where Alisa had disappeared too, 'Would you like to go back and see her?'

Kaiba paid for his magazines, 'Isn't it against store policy?'

'Yeah, but you're not an ordinary customer,' she gave him a sly smile. 'So, you're free to go and look for her.'

'I wouldn't feel comfortable,' Kaiba lied, he didn't want to seem anxious to see her.

'But she'd probably be thrilled to see you,' Risa egged him on. Her female intuition was telling her that there was something going on between them, whether they wanted to admit it or not.

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Alisa tried to slow her racing heart, ever since Friday night her emotions had been all over the place. Kaiba made her feel like she was on a rollercoaster ride with many drops and the occasional high. The high either being her getting angry at him or feeling like a complete idiotic schoolgirl crushing on the school prince. In this case, the prince was a jerk that was getting counseled for marriage. Mokuba had spilled the beans, during their dinner, that they were getting pressured into getting married, mainly Kaiba who was the oldest.

Therefore, even if a little part of her wanted him to look at her, he wouldn't. She didn't measure up to being with his brother, let alone him. That was why she needed to forget the almost kiss, because that was probably him trying to tease her and make her mad. Not anything else, never anything else, she realized and felt a tugging at her heart strings and rocks dropping in her stomach. 'Damnit,' she cursed as she noticed what her feeling were for the bastard.

She heard the back door open and called out to Risa, 'I'll be out soon,' she told her as she turned from the boxes that she was tying up for recycling.

'Risa said that it was fine if you took your fifteen-minute break,' Kaiba told her as he closed the door behind him.

'Oh,' was all she mumbled as he stood before her.

'Oh,' he quirked his eyebrows at her response. Where was her sarcastic remark, normally she would taunt him for coming to relay a message for Risa or anyone really. Especially, if Mr. All High and Mighty was being reduced to a messenger boy for someone below him. 'Is that all you have to say?'

She watched as he walked towards her, his wild musky scent filling the air about them and his masculinity sending her heart beating like crazy. What was he doing, her inner voice asked as he stopped before her only inches away. 'You're standing too close,' she tried backing away but bumped into the table behind her.

'Hn,' was his answer as he reached out his hand to cup her cheek. 'I just wanted to see if it as my imagination or not that you have such deep bags under your eyes.'

'I am fine,' she reached up her hand to grab his.

'Really,' his thumb caressed her soft plump cheek.

'Yes,' she answered.

'Hn,' he finished filling the gap between them and wrapping his free hand around her waist.

'What are you doing,' her heart was racing a mile a minute.

'What I've been wanting to do since last week,' he shifted his hold so that his hand was under her chin lifting it up. 'So, if you have anything to say about it, you should say it now.'

She should stop him. He just wanted to satisfy his curiosity about her, nothing more, right? He didn't find her suitable for his brother and found her a pain most of the time. In addition, he always got mad at her for some reason. Meaning their relation was unhealthy. She should stop him, but her desire for him to do it was stronger. 'Last chance,' he told her, his lips centimeters away for hers and they brushed against her with his every word.

She lifted up on her toes slightly so that she could fill the gap between them and kiss him. Her lips pressed against his cautiously before she closed her eyes and began to move her lips against his. Drawing out the slow and deep kiss that sent her heart soaring as he responded and slipped his tongue inside her. The hand on her chin slipped away and went down her side touching her sensually until it rested on her waist. She moaned at the feeling of his hand sliding down her side, pulling her closer to him. 'Seto,' she softly called his name.

He loved it, he realized as he reached further down to grasp her firm and plump bottom so that he could lift her up and set her on the table behind her. His lips mean while demanding hers to submit to him, to moan in pleasure as he ravished her. He right hand slipped between them and to her zipper so he could pull it down and reveal what lay beneath her jersey sweatshirt. He pulled back to see what she had hidden and found that she was wearing a form fitted top that accentuated her breasts and small waist. His greedy hand reached out to cup her right breast, so that he could knead her firm and bouncy pillow. Teasing the firm little nipple through the fabric of her shirt and bra.

She cried out as he pinched her nipple through her clothes and sent an electric shock of ecstasy through her body. He kissed her collarbone and traced along it up to her shoulder, to her neck and along her chin before reaching her lips and stopping her cries of pleasure as he pulled down her shirt and bra to expose her succulent breast and perky nipple so that he could feel her warm flesh against his firm grasp. When she felt the cool air against her uncovered breast and his thumb rub circles around her taut nipple, she snapped out of her trance. 'Wait,' she pushed him back and covered herself. 'We're at the store and we need to talk.'

'We should talk after, we still have ten minutes,' he told her.

'Um,' she didn't want him to think that she was easy and that she would give herself to him just like that. To top it off, she still didn't know where they stood. 'I think that we should talk first, and this is my place of employment, not somewhere we can fornicate in.'

Kaiba didn't lie he was frustrated, he wanted her, needed her, but admired the fact that she stood her ground against him and her desires. By her flushed expression and heavy panting, he knew that she desired him as much as he did her. 'Fine,' he nodded as he looked her over and slowly made an advance towards her so that he could once again hold in his arms. 'I won't do anything, just let me stay like this,' he wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him.

She buried her face in his chest, her heart still hammering but slowly calming and easing the desire he had kindled. 'Kaiba we should return, Risa will think that we are up to something. She's already suspicious as it is.'

'She an intelligent woman,' he commented as he continued to rest his chin on her head and take in her sweet subtle flowery scent.

'She's a busybody that has kin intuition,' she muttered.

'An admirable trait,' he whispered as he pulled away so that she could lift her head and look up at him.

'I see,' she softly smiled up at him.

They turned and looked at the door behind him when they heard a knock, 'I don't know what you two are doing in there, but it's too quiet and this is a place of business. Plus, her fifteen-minute break is over.'

'She's punctual about your work?'

'I've been playing hooky a lot lately, so she wants me to be on time.'

'So, is she the one that has the help wanted sign on the window?'

'Oh, that,' she remembered that at the beginning of the week they had debated about hiring someone new to help out in the afternoons. It seemed that she was developing a habit of leaving Risa hanging sometimes during peak hours. 'Yeah, she wants to have someone that's not going to disappear constantly or often enough that leaves her with too much work.'

'That would put a strain on anyone,' he agreed and pulled away when she light pushed him back. He released her so that she could fix her clothes. 'So, you want to talk?'

'Yes,' she nodded, 'if you'd like, you can stop by my place after work.'

'Alright,' he agreed as she jumped off the table and stood before him so that she could fix his suit.

'One more for the road,' he asked with a smile.

She lifted up on her tippy toes and gave him a light peck on the lips before pulling away and walking towards the door so that they could leave. 'Come on, we don't want her to become even more delusional,' she said it out loud so that Risa could hear her.

'I am not delusional,' Risa called back as Alisa opened the door to show Kaiba out and followed behind him.

'Hmph, I beg to differ,' Alisa stated.

'It's nice to see you back to your normal peppy self,' Risa told her with a smirk on her lips, signifying that she knew something was up.

'I was never any different,' she replied.

'Humph, but it's good to see you to getting along,' she air quoted getting along.

'We get along as two normal people should,' he told her as he took his magazines.

'If you say so,' Risa shrugged but watched them to see how they interacted with each other. It was uneventful, they said their farewells like two normal people not having an affair. 'Tsk,' she tsked after Kaiba left the store. 'I figured you two would be all over each other like two lovebirds in the peak of their honeymoon.'

'I told you that you really need to stop reading all those romance novels, they are making you crazy.'

'I would believe that if it's not for the hickey on you neck,' Risa pointed out.

'Hickey,' she lifted her hand up to were Kaiba had been kissing her.

'Ha, I knew it,' she revealed her trick, 'there is no hickey, but there is something between you two.'

'Shh,' Alisa hushed her and looked about the empty store for listening ears.

'I knew it, if you guys decide to get married let me know so that I can get my maid of honor gown ready.'

'Oh, my gosh, you're out of it! We haven't even decided what we are yet,' she cried. 'I don't even know if this will amount to anything. We are constantly at ends and if this is anything it might just be physical.'

'Physical, I can see that,' she nodded in agreement, 'but I am still rooting for you guys, since you two are my OTP.'

Alisa almost chocked on her own saliva as it went down the wrong windpipe. After she stopped choking, she glared at her as if she was really out of her mind, 'You really need to stop reading all your sappy fan fiction and romance novels.'

'I love it when the female protagonist is in denial,' she squealed. 'It makes for a better story.'

'Hmph, if this is a story it's poorly written. What am I supposed to do with Mokuba? You keep telling me he likes me and if that's true, what do I do when we have to tell him about us? If there is an us.'

'Oh, that's tough to answer. I am glad that it's you and not me in this love triangle mess,' she muttered with a frown as she recalled the adorable and handsome younger brother.

'Right,' she agreed, 'maybe I should just stop things with Kaiba before they get any further. I wouldn't want to come between two brothers who have only ever had each other.'

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Kaiba watched his brother and frowned when he continued to tell him about his idea to pursue Alisa once again. It wasn't that he jealous, but he felt sorry that his brother was up front with him about being in love with her. Whereas he had tried to keep them apart and somewhere down the line feelings of possessiveness had developed for her. Now he lusted after her physically and didn't want anyone to have her, touch her, be near her and fantasize about her. Any and all relationship would be messy between them unless they were both up front with each other and Mokuba.

He loved his little brother and wanted to see him happy, but he also didn't want to give up what he wanted because of fear of hurting him. 'Mokuba,' he stopped him as he began to explain what would happen after he got her to accept him as his partner.

'Yes,' his brother looked over at him happily.

He didn't have the heart to tell him how he felt about Alisa when he looked over at him over the moon happy with his renewed passion. This was not how he planned on establishing a relationship, 'I thought you had given up on her? Didn't you say she had friend zoned you?'

'I did, but you see that after seeing her at the house and thinking it over I decided to pursue her again. This time I'll ask her to go out with me formally.'

'But didn't you also say that she already liked someone else,' that one annoyed him, worse when he remembered the jerk that came to the house to deliver food for her. He would have to ask her about him.

'It could just be my imagination, I won't know anything until I ask her,' Mokuba told him.

It was going to be hard for him to tell Mokuba his feelings and he would also see it as betrayal. 'I…'

'You,' he was worried, his brother had stopped mid-sentence. 'Do you know something that I don't?'

He should tell him. It was the most honorable thing to do. Yet hurting him wasn't and even if he was heartless with others, his brother was different. 'Never mind, do you want to go and get lunch together?'

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Alisa was nervous, she didn't know what to expect from their conversation when he arrived. She also didn't know if she should make dinner or not, but that would make her seem like she was expecting something right. However, it was late, and he probably hadn't had dinner yet, so it would just be out of the kindness of her heart. She didn't have any ulterior motives. 'Maybe I should make something, us talking over dinner and a table between us would be safer.'

So, she went to the kitchen and began to search through her fridge and pantry for ingredients. She would make something simple but satisfying and would hold until he arrived. She opted for a fresh and crispy salad as a side dish and for the main course beef curry and white rice. It wasn't spectacular, but it was filling and delicious. As she cooked time passed by and she didn't realize how late it was until the doorbell rang and she looked up at the clock on the microwave. She turned the stove off and ran to go and answer the door. She unlocked the gate without checking who it was since she was trying to fix her hair and make sure everything was in place.

Suddenly she felt self-conscious of the fact that she had worn something nice and fixed her hair. She opened the door and was surprised to say the least when she found Mokuba at her doorstep with a banquet of roses. 'Mokuba,' she said his name flustered. 'What a surprise.'

'I am sorry to have come over unannounced, but I have been thinking and I needed to come over to see you.'

'Oh,' she swallowed as she saw his enthusiasm and flowers giving away his intentions. She had been clear with him about being his friend and seeing him as a little brother. Maybe during dinner, the other night, he might have decided to take his chances. 'Um,' her gaze shifted to the fence behind him hoping that Kaiba wouldn't suddenly appear. 'Please come in.'

He did as she asked and walked inside, where he smelled the delicious aroma of curry. 'Were you making dinner,' he asked and suddenly remembered the flowers in his hands. 'These are for you.'

Alisa took the banquet from him, 'Thank you, you didn't have to. They are beautiful, please come and have a seat,' she led him further into the apartment and to the living room. 'I'll go put these in water and get us something to drink.'

What was she supposed to do, she didn't have Kaiba's number and she couldn't send Mokuba away when he arrived since his brother would find out. 'Crap, crap, crap,' she cursed lightly at her luck and buried her face in the sweet-smelling roses. She shouldn't have bailed on Risa earlier and talked to Kaiba when he came over that afternoon.

After she placed the roses in a vase and placed them by the kitchen window so that they could get sunlight during the day. She quickly prepped their drinks and returned to Mokuba, who was exploring her bookcases. 'You have a lot of books on different genres, but also Dual Monsters.'

'They help inspire my writing and research,' she walked to him and gave him the glass of cold honey tea.

'You never told me what type of writing you do,' Mokuba knew that she was a writer, but not what kind.

'Fantasy, romance, adventure, all fiction novels,' she answered and walked over to show him her books.

'Ah, I've read these,' Mokuba told her as he walked over to inspect them. 'I always thought that the main male character in this book was based off my brother,' he held her first book up which showcased the Dual Monster Blue Eyes White Dragon and his knight.

'For you to think that you must really love your brother,' she said as she recalled her knight.

'But his description and the fact that he loves the Blue Eyes, really seemed like the character was based off him. I also noted that the knight was a reoccurring character that would appear at random times to help the female protagonist.' The female protagonist that would bicker and fight with him, just like Kaiba and her.

'What are you thinking,' she asked him as she saw him lost in thought as he stared at the book.

'Is the protagonist based off of you,' he asked her.

'It is said that authors tend to use themselves and life experiences in their writing, it could be that a little of me slipped into the main female's character.'

'I see,' he placed the book back on the shelf and followed her back to the couch to take a seat. Maybe he was thinking too much, but he always thought that the knight and her would somehow always end up together. They started the series together and he appeared in it as a hero to help her when she needed saving. Although, there was never any inclination that they would end up together, it was a given that maybe when she finished the series, they would somehow open up their feelings for each other. 'I am looking forward to read you next installment.'

'Thank you, knowing that you're a fan fills me with joy,' she smiled at him. 'I'll do my best to fulfill your expectations.'

He smiled at her and took another drink of his tea, to quench his parched throat. If a little of her life experience and desires went into her books, that left him out as a side character or a main character for just one of her stories. He frowned at his realization. 'You're not suited for me, are you?'

'Huh,' the sudden question came out of nowhere.

'I just realized if I asked you out, we would have fun, but you would never really accept me.'

Alisa was even more confused, 'What are you talking about?'

'I wanted to go out with you,' he confessed all of a sudden. 'I thought that we could make it work, but I was mistaken. I think that we would do better as just friends. However, I have one selfish request before you run to your knight. Give me some time to come to terms with my rejection.'

What rejection, she hadn't even formally rejected him because he hadn't asked. He was suddenly making his own conclusion and decisions about her life. If he asked her, she would have let him down easy, but what was this about finding her Knight and him needing time. 'Mokuba are you alright? I am confused and honored that you wanted to date me, but what was it about me finding a Knight and you needing time?'

'Because I know who you like, and I can't compete with him. Especially if he has already weaseled his way into your heart years ago.' He sighed in dejection. 'I just need a month or two, but I wish you the best when you finally decide to go out with him.'

'Mokuba,' she softly called out his name. 'I am sorry, I am sure that if we meet at a different time, maybe things between us would have worked.'

He offered her a weak smile, 'You know for a while I thought you liked Yugi.'

Alisa's eyes widen in shock, what had given her away, 'He's married, and his son has a little crush on me.'

'Yeah, I am not going to lie I was jealous when he kissed you.'

As soon as he said that she recalled the kiss in the storage room, and she blushed a light shade. 'I don't think you should be jealous of him.'

'I should be jealous of the person whose kiss made you blush, but I understand you can't have it all,' he grumbled.

'I…' she didn't even know what to say to him to make him feel better.

'Can I at least get one kiss,' he asked her.

'I can give you a hug,' she countered. A kiss and she was dead meat, if Kaiba ever found out he'd kill her and maybe his little brother.

'Okay,' he opened his arms and waited for her to walk over to him as he remained seated on the couch.

Alisa walked over to him, as he requested, and gave him a hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her stomach. 'I hope that you two find happiness and try not to kill each other in the process.'

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Kaiba waited patiently for his brother to leave, it would have been a catastrophe if he had caught them together before they could speak. Although, he didn't know why he had been in there for more than thirty minutes. She knew that he was coming, so then why wasn't she rushing his brother out. He would call her, but they hadn't exchanged numbers and he didn't want to go barging inside. Just as he was about to give up, he spotted his brother leaving from the alley, afterwards he disappeared down the street. Kaiba got out of his car, locked it and headed up to her apartment.

He rang the bell and waited for her to unlock the gate so that he could passed the first barrier. As he walked across the roof, the door to her apartment opened revealing her. 'Good evening,' she greeted him, 'please come inside.'

He wanted to reach out, grab her and just take her to the bedroom. Nevertheless, his brother's face of enthusiasm popped into his mind as he had talked about his renewed passion to pursue her. Why was finding a partner so complicated? 'Mokuba was just here,' she told him, not hiding the fact that she had been with another man.

'I know, I had to wait for him to leave,' Kaiba stated as he walked inside and took a seat on the sofa. 'What did he say?'

'That he wanted to ask me out and see where it would lead us, however then things took a turn. He said something about me already finding someone a long time ago and that I should be with that person. But to honor his selfish request and wait at least one month before I got together with him.'

'So, you're interested in someone?' He asked a little annoyed at the revelation.

She watched him, 'He thinks that I am in love with someone and that I have been for a long time, however the only person that I've every cared about is already happily married and just a friend.'

'Yugi,' he spat the name out like venom.

Alisa shifted uncomfortably beside him as she wondered if she really made it so obvious that she liked him. 'We are just friends now, I hold no feelings for him greater than friendship,' she told him.

'Then who,' he asked, almost demanded.

'You,' she said in an audio whisper.

A flood of warmth washed over him as he heard the soft whisper, 'You like me?'

'So, your brother says,' she answered as he drew closer to her and wrapped one arm around her.

'I want to know what you think,' he lifted his other hand to place it under her chin and turn her to face him.

'That we should fulfill your brother's last request and let our heat come to a simmer so that we can figure out what this is besides lust,' she said as she shifted her dark hues to look into his blue hues.

'That would be the most honorable thing to do, seeing that you just crushed his feelings. Nevertheless, I don't really want to hold back,' he rubbed his nose against hers.

'Kaiba,' she felt a shutter run down her spine as he pulled her closer to him, her body flushed against him.

'I know, I'll fulfill my little brother's request,' his lips brushed against hers, 'but I want one kiss and I promise, nothing more.'

'It all starts with just one honest little kiss,' she told him.

'Maybe,' he beamed and filled the gap between them, so that he could quench some of his pent-up desire.

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A/N: Hi, guys, sorry for the delay in updating. Last weekend was crazy busy, I had a whole bunch of cakes to do, and we had a wicked storm that brought a lot of trees and branches down. Don't worry we were all okay, expect for a lot of yard work. Anyways, I hope that you all are enjoying the story so far. I am happy to see the progression of Kaiba and Alisa's relationship, but also how much they care about Mokuba to consider his feelings. I know, I know, most people wouldn't listen to any outside voices telling them to not be together. But I want to show how much these two cared about Mokuba to consider his feelings as well. I am not going to lie though, as much as I love my main couple, my love for Risa's character hasn't changed. Well, before I continue and get off topic, I hope that you guys have an excellent weekend and stay safe! See you guys soon!