Chapter 5

Getting to Know You

His mouth was a wicked, wicked thing, Hinata decided. Even as that thought skittered through her mind, she tipped her head back and allowed him to deepen the kiss as her body went limp and her brain oozed itself into a puddle. She'd never been kissed by anyone with quite the same—finesse—as Sasuke. He didn't simply kiss her; he possessed her.

His lips, warm and firm, stole over hers—coaxing and commanding—teasing her to play with him. The temptation was intentional and deliberate—honed, she was sure, by years of practice—but she couldn't even begin to care. All she could do was feel.

And he felt so good. Strong and solid, he held her pressed flush against him. She made a soft sound when she felt his teeth tug at her bottom lip. Okay, okay, she thought, she was in so far over her head.

It wasn't until her back was pressed to the wall and she felt Sasuke, hard and thick against her thigh, that she forced logic through the haze in her mind. She needed to stop, to take a moment and collect herself before she got too carried away.

Breathless, she pushed him back reluctantly—oh, so reluctantly. But she just couldn't justify something physical without something emotional. That wasn't who she was, and as attractive as she found Sasuke—with his subtle charisma and dark, intelligent eyes—she didn't really know him. She caught glimpses, flitting beneath the surface like silver fish—alluring and elusive—and she wanted to know more, but she wouldn't intrude. "S-Sasuke."

He made a soft sound and his lips arched in a gentle smirk as he lowered his head again. "Hinata." Her name whispered across her lips.

Years of self-discipline had taught her how to push down her own wants, and she used that ability now, and managed to step away, leaving him kissing the air. "Uhm..." She pressed her lips together as she tried to form coherent thought while blood buzzed and hummed in her ears. "I..uhm...we really shouldn't be doing this."

Behind her, Sasuke scowled and wiped a hand down his face. "Oh?" She couldn't have brought that up before he had a raging hard-on? "And why not?" Cock-tease. This was a game he'd seen before; tease and retreat. If she was hoping to catch him on a lure, then she was sadly mistaken.

Of course, there was always the chance she was suffering a guilty conscience...perhaps she did have a significant other in her life. He hadn't really bothered to ask. For some reason that thought set his teeth together and his fists clenching.

"W-well," Hinata slanted him a look over her shoulder, seeming to weigh her words. "It's not that I don't find you h-handsome," she said, "because...because you are. It's just...well, I don't...that is, I don't really..."

"What?" he asked, exasperated. "You have a boyfriend? Want me to ease your mind about a little play on the side?"

"Know you," she finished lamely. Then she blinked at him, his words registering. Hinata shook her head, her eyes narrowing a bit. "I wouldn't do that," she murmured, not bothering to elaborate.

Not that she needed to, Sasuke thought, realizing his mistake. No one could feign a look of hurt disgust that well. Shit.

"I-I'm sorry that you would think that of me. Please excuse me." She hastened towards the doors, her long hair veiling her face.

Feeling like a complete ass, Sasuke found himself moving towards her. "Wait."

She paused, but didn't turn, and the set of her shoulders told him that she was feeling defensive.

Sighing, he shoveled his hand into his hair. This was awkward. He wasn't used to being so off balance when it came to people—especially women—but Hinata did something to him...without even realizing it, apparently. She removed his crappy veneer and left him feeling exposed with nothing more than a wide-eyed glance.

If he was smart, he'd let her walk right out the door and wash his hands of the whole weirdo situation. Instead, he found himself offering: "Then get to know me."

She turned partially, her expression wary. "Excuse me?"

"Get to know me," he repeated. Sasuke didn't know why it mattered to him—because, hell, it really shouldn't—but he did want to know more about her. Was she as genuine as she appeared to be? He decided to just go with it, so he shrugged and attempted a smile. "And, let me get to know you," he continued. "That way I won't make such an ass out of myself again."

Hinata found herself—not for the first time—at a loss for words. A smart woman, a sane woman, would thank him for his offer and walk away gracefully, leaving the whole jumble of emotions and sexual tension behind.

Sasuke was too much for her. She knew this and she couldn't understand why he would even want to be around her. She wasn't beautiful or elegant or talented like the women he probably associated with all the time. If anything, she was a passing amusement for a man like him. A man like him... Hinata frowned, shame washing over her as she realized that she was judging him without doing exactly what he offered—knowing him.

"All right," she agreed, lifting her eyes to meet his. "I'd like that."

Sasuke gave a soft breath and his lips curved. As smiles went, it was small, but it did strange things to Hinata's already fluttering stomach.

"So," he said, making his way to one of the reading chairs dotting the spacious room, "what would you like to know?"

"Oh, uhm..." Hinata moved away from the door after a moment, following. "Naruto once told me that you traveled for work. What is it that you do?"

Sasuke leaned back in his seat, his eyes sparkling. "I'm a covert ninja assassin."

Hinata blinked.

His lips quirked. "I'm a photographer."

"Is it terrible that the other is just as believable?" she asked him with her own teasing smile. She recalled his father's earlier jibe about his hobby and wondered how Sasuke viewed his profession. "Do you like it?"

He nodded. "I wouldn't be very good at it if I didn't. Photography takes a certain amount of knowledge and dedication, but there has to be passion there as well."

The sincerity of his answer surprised her a bit. He was taking her questions—her—seriously and not being elusive or vague in response. She remembered monosyllabic answers and grunts as Sasuke's favored method of communication when they were younger. His voice, even and smooth, was oddly soothing to listen to, and she found herself drawn to him. "Tell me about it," she encouraged, taking the seat adjacent to his.

One dark brow arched."You really want to hear about it?"

Hinata nodded. "Yes, please."

He studied her face for a moment longer. "All right."

Sasuke spoke with an enthusiasm that was infectious and Hinata soon found herself grinning, soaking it in—soaking him in. He told her of his travels and the things he'd seen. He didn't brag or boast of awards, but told her about his work and what made him feel the most accomplished, revealing to her a Sasuke that she would never have imagined beneath the surface.

It was only when he stopped speaking, his eyes darkening slightly, that she realized she'd leaned forward in her attentiveness, giving him a rather unobstructed view of her cleavage. Blushing, she sat back, fingers threading her hair forward over her shoulders.

Sasuke cleared his throat, but the devilish glint in his eyes didn't vanish. "What about you?" he asked. "You mentioned that you teach."

"Oh, y-yes, I do. Only a few days a week, but I-"

"Hinata? Are you in here?" Temari peeked around the door, pushing it open completely when she spotted Hinata. "There you are. I thought maybe you'd gotten lost, you've been gone so long. Everything okay?" She eyed Sasuke.

He responded with a dark scowl.

Hinata smiled reassuringly as she pushed to her feet. "I'm sorry. I lost track of the time."

"Oh. Well, did you find a book?"

Hinata's cheeks pinkened and she shook her head. "No. Actually, Sasuke and I were talking, and I never got around to looking for one."

"Uh-huh. Talking." Temari's gaze shifted between the two. "You. And Sasuke. Talking."

"That is what she said," Sasuke commented, his voice dry and without inflection. So different from when he'd been speaking of his work that Hinata slanted him a questioning look.

"Well, if you've finished talking, I'm going to steal you away." Temari turned to Hinata with a wide smile. "The dresses have arrived." Her expression was giddy.

"That's my cue to find Itachi," Sasuke said, rising.

"He's in the gym," Temari informed him.

At the door, Sasuke paused, his eyes locking onto Hinata. "I look forward to getting to know you better, Hinata."

Blushing, she inclined her head, a small smile tilting her lips. "Me too. But for you...I mean."

His own lips curving, he nodded once and was gone leaving Hinata facing a very inquisitive looking Temari.

AN: My sincerest, sincerest apologies for the shortness of this chapter, but my hectic life (at the moment) has made updating near impossible, and I didn't want to let the story get too cold. So I hope you enjoyed it-even if it was a bit short-and I'll be back with something more substantial soon! Thank you soooooooo much for reading, and for those that take the time to review! I try to reply to everyone, but if I didn't get a chance to personally, please. please know I appreciate everyone that does. Thank you!