A/N 2007: Took out some small errors and changed the names to match the previous changes.

A/N: Yeah I know I'm very VERY late with the update and I know my excuse is lame but school is my priority. Anyway not much to say except that I need to update faster. THANK THE PEOPLE WHO REVIEWED THIS STORY!!!! Without them I wouldn't have gotten so far. But I won't keep you busy with my blabbing anymore so enjoy

Chapter 7

Eriol appeared at the door when Mei Lin and Sakura just finished breakfast. Mei Lin offered him a cup of coffee but he declined.

"I just came here to ask you something, Mei Lin.," he said, "Could you do something for me?"

"If I can I would love to help you." Mei Lin answered.

"Oncoming Saturday is Tomoyo's birthday. I want to throw her a surprise- party."

"So how can I help?" Mei Lin asked.

"Well, I'd like to start with bringing some appetizers over on Friday night. Could you keep them in the fridge until Saturday?"

"Of course. There's enough space left. Anything else?"

"Could you keep Tomoyo busy, an hour before the party starts? You can go take a walk or something like that. That'll give me the time to pick up the appetizers and decorate the place. Could you help me with that, Sakura?" Sakura didn't know what to say. Everyone assumed she would be here again next week, while she promised herself she would stay away as long as Syaoran Li was here. The courage to say no disappeared when she saw the glowing face of Mei Lin. She cleared her throat.

"Er... of course, why not? Do the children know?"

"No, I can't take the risk of the children accidentally telling Tomoyo. Even Syaoran doesn't know."

"But what if Syaoran has plans for the weekend?" Mei Lin asked.

"Last night he asked if I could help him. He ordered some wood for the boathouse so that's no problem" Sakura smiled an uneasy smile and pretended to be happy, though she'd rather stay in Tomoeda, watching a good movie...

"Something nice to look forward to." Mei Lin said laughing. "Well I'm going to buy some groceries before it gets too hot to do anything." As soon as the door closed Eriol's smile disappeared. He looked alarmed at Sakura.

"Eriol," she began hastily, "I don't want to talk about-"

"Me neither, but we have to clear up a couple of things. I've been through hell after what happened between me and-" Sakura didn't let him finish.

"How could you cheat on Tomoyo! If she knew about this, it would break her heart!" Sakura yelled at him

"She knows. I told her myself when Mamoru was a few months old. I did break her heart but she forgave me. God knows I didn't deserve it but she gave it to me. Everything that happened that night... it was all my fault. But I'm going to tell Syaoran the truth."

"No! You can't!" Sakura said, panicked at the thought that he would find out the secret she's been keeping.

"Why not?" Eriol asked confused.

"Because... Let's just forget the whole thing okay? We can't change the past. Just drop it."

Eriol frowned and opened his mouth t say something but he thought it over and decided not to. He nodded and something dawned on him.

"He always had a soft spot for you," he said, "and you were in love with him, weren't you? Oh, Sakura..." He took her in his arms trying to comfort her and Sakura let herself be comforted. Of course she loved him, she still does. But Syaoran would always see her as a girl who did it with a married man, a woman who couldn't be trusted.

"Oh, Eriol," she sniffed, "Love is like hell!" From the corner of her eye she spotted some movement at the door and caught a glimpse of a man standing at the door. Through her tears she saw the tall posture of Syaoran, his face livid with anger. What was he doing here? Before she could come up with the answer he closed the door with a bang. Eriol turned around, with Sakura still in his arms.

"Syaoran, what the-"

"Your WIFE send me to get you for breakfast." he sneered, emphasizing the word wife. "You do remember you have a wife don't you?" his eyes sparkled evilly. Tomoyo's voice from outside penetrated the tense silence in the cottage.

"Syaoran, your breakfast is ready! Have you found Eriol yet?"

Syaoran looked at Eriol and said: "Beat it."

Eriol squeezed Sakura's arm reassuringly, pushed Syaoran rather roughly aside with his shoulder and went outside, leaving Syaoran and Sakura alone. Involuntary she stepped a few steps back.

"Too bad that you've been already invited for breakfast," she said sweetly, "otherwise I would've invited you for coffee" and with that she quickly fled to her bedroom, knowing he wouldn't dare to follow her, since Mei Lin could still be in the neighbourhood. In her room she heard Miyuki's voice outside.

"Come quick mister Li. We're eating pancakes today!" Shaking because of her nerves she plopped down on her bed. Why did Syaoran have to show up when she was in Eriol's arms? Not that it mattered anyway, because her already thought that she was a slut...

After breakfast and washing the dishes Sakura ran to the beach and jumped into the water. She swam for about 15 minutes before setting course to the raft drifting a few 100 meters away from the shore. After pulling herself up, she wrung out the water in her hair and lay down on her stomach. The rocking of the raft and the warm rays of the sun shining down on her made her sleepy. Right now Syaoran seemed to be miles away... Suddenly the raft was pushed down on one side, a dark mop of hair came out of the water: Syaoran's hair. Damn it! Couldn't that guy leave her alone? She heard him rummaging around. What was he doing? Tensely she waited wondering what he was going to do. Minutes passed by and when he did nothing she grew impatient. She peered over her arm at him. He was lying on the raft, his arms folded behind his head, sleeping! His dark lashes rested on his cheeks, she heard him snoring softly. She yearned to touch him. To let her hands slide over his o so fine chest, down his stomach to...

"Go ahead."

Sakura held her breath with a smothered sound and looked away hastily from the wet swimming trunks. She looked up at Syaoran and met his knowing gaze. Her heart was thumping so loudly that it seemed it would break her chest.

"I don't mind," his amber eyes twinkled.

"You don't mind what?"

"You touching me. That's what you want isn't it?"

"Why would I want to?" her voice suddenly sounded hoarse.

A smile played around the corners of his mouth. "You tell me." When he smiled she felt her blood boiling like hot water. What was he up to? Why wasn't he raging over her and Eriol?

'I've got to get out of here!' she thought panicking but Syaoran grabbed her hand.

"Let me lead you," he murmured huskily. A hazy look appeared in his eyes. Helplessly she let him put her hand on his chest. The contact with his skin made her hand tingle all over.

"Are you crazy?" she hissed, her cheeks glowing pink, "People can see us from the beach!"

"What's there to see? We're just lying next to each other with your hand on my chest. So?"

"A lot!" she almost yelled. "The hand, for instance, isn't lying there voluntarily!"

"Really?" He pulled her hand down to his stomach. "Weren't you trailing this path with your eyes?"

"The cat can look at the king but that doesn't mean the cat wants to eat the king!" she bit out at him

"You have a point there." Syaoran seemed to amuse himself. "Still, you wanted to touch me. Don't deny it. You're not the first woman to look at me that way. Since I want you in my bed before the summer is over, it's kind of convenient that you're attracted to me. I'm not some guy who gets kicks out of an unwilling woman in my bed. No, give me a warm and willing type, someone like you."

Sakura gasped when he plunged her hand down his stomach. She tried to pull free but his grip was like iron. When she felt herself overwhelmed with a warm feeling that was slowly turning into desire, he let go of her hand. Sakura laid beside him, paralyzed, with her fingers still spread over his wet swimming trunks. When reality struck her she jerked her hand back and stood up. Syaoran looked up at her.

"Good old Eriol knows how things are now." he said with a smug grin. "Didn't you see him going to the boathouse? He's already gone, but he know now to keep his hands to himself." Gasping with rage, Sakura looked down at him, tempted to kick him. It was all a game and she fell for it.

"Don't even think about that." He said closing his eyes. "You know I'm stronger than you."

"I can't believe I ever liked you!" she yelled. "How stupid I was." and she stomped to the side of the raft, diving into the water. The water was cool, but it wasn't enough to cool her rage...or her desire.

While she swam to the surface she realized that she had to get away from Syaoran. She would leave this afternoon instead of tonight, because the situation was getting unbearable. Though she knew she had to come back next week for Tomoyo's surprise-party, but maybe she could manage to keep some distance between them. With a bit of luck that guy would return back to China at the end of the summer-for good. If not there was nothing left for her but to tell Mei Lin that she didn't want to keep the cottage.

"According to Eriol he talked to you this morning."

Sakura was leaning comfortably in a chair, but when Tomoyo spoke she sat straight up.

"Yeah," she said. "I'm glad we sorted things out."

"For me and Eriol, yeah, but for you? When you were 14 you loved Syaoran very much and you were heartbroken when he chose Misha. Don't get me wrong, Syaoran and I are still good friends, but men can be so dense when it comes to women. I know I should've gone to you sooner but Eriol wanted to work this out with you first."

"Please Tomoyo. I don't want to talk about it."

"I understand, but if you ever need help, please don't hesitate and come to us."

"Thanks, Tomoyo, but nobody can help me in this situation anymore. You're friendship meant the world to me when we wee growing up, it still does, but I'm an adult now. I need to learn to stand on my own two feet." Sakura looked at her watch. "I need to go."

""Well, bon voyage, as they say. I'll say hi to Eriol and the kids for you." Tomoyo bit her lip. "Does Syaoran know you're leaving? He's in the boathouse."

"Syaoran and I have nothing to say to each other."

"Oh, Sakura, I know how painful it was for you to be treated like this by Syaoran, but try to understand. We were such good friends and he thinks you've betrayed our trust. You were so sweet and innocent. Think of the shock he had when he thought hat you had sex with a married man. Give him a chance Sakura. Say bye to him. I mean what's there to lose"

"To...lose... Tomoyo..." Sakura's voice broke. "He still thinks that there's something going on between me and Eriol."

"Why don't you give him some time, let him figure out the truth." Tomoyo walked Sakura to the door. " I think that Syaoran is very confused. This morning, when I was looking out the window, I saw Syaoran looking at you, swimming. I've never seen a guy looking so miserable." She gave Sakura a playful nudge out the door. "Just go to him." she said.

Sakura walked on slowly. Behind her she heard Tomoyo close the door and there wasn't a single person in sight. Her bag was in the car and she'd said goodbye to Mei Lin. As if they had a will of their own, her feet carried her to the boathouse.

The boathouse was stationed at the end of the bay, where the three cottages stood. The door was open, the sound of her footsteps were lost in the sound of the sea crashing the waves against the shores. Syaoran's boat, named True Love rocked softly on the dark water, but Syaoran himself was nowhere in sight.

Relief and disappointment washed over her. She wanted to leave when she heard some noise above her head. Syaoran was in the attic of the boathouse. Hesitating she looked at her jeans and her white blouse. The attic was probably dusty and covered in spider-webs. It would be a waste of her clean clothes and freshly washed hair... oh well.

She climbed the stairs that lead her to the attic, which had one big window looking over the sea, and as expected it was really dusty. Syaoran was standing with is back facing her, looking out the window, lost in his own thoughts. Sakura opened her mouth to announce herself when she noticed a yellowish paper lying on the ground. It seemed familiar to her so she picked it up. It turned out to be a sketch she made, when she was 13 or 14, on a rainy day. Syaoran's father had given her free access to the boathouse and the attic had always been he favourite refuge. Back then she imagined how it would be to spend her honeymoon here and in her own childish way she drew a picture of the room, turning it into some kind of palace. While she was working on it, Syaoran came upstairs and asked her what she was doing and she answered dreamily: "Wouldn't it be great to spend the honeymoon here? With the bed under the window so you can see the stars at night..."

Syaoran grinned at her. "Is that what people on her honeymoon, according to you, do?"

She smiled; yeah she thought that that was what people did. How foolish of her. Sakura let the paper fall out of her hands. It rustled softly as it hit the ground, but Syaoran heard it.

"Ah," his voice sent shivers up her spine. "Look who's here..."

"I just came to say bye." she mumbled.

"Right." Ever so slowly he approached her and leaned against the wall close to her. "So you're off again?" the hostility in his eyes almost made her run...almost.

"Do you have work to do here?" she asked

"Yeah, did Eriol tell you?"

"Well I-"

"It has to be him. He was the only one I told."

Why was she so nervous? "Yeah, Eriol told me." she echoed.

"Why have you come?" he demanded

"Tomoyo said I should say bye to you."

"Why? Nobody's pointing a gun at your back." Now she knew. She could give him a 1000 chances but he would never grab the chance.

"Apparently it was a mistake!" she bit out and walked to the stairs. Syaoran's hand shot out and pulled her roughly towards him. Her face was close to his chest. She could smell his body scent... 'Leave,' she thought. 'I need to leave as soon as possible.'

"Well it's not your first, but it is your biggest mistake." he whispered in her ear. "Your timing couldn't be worse- from your point of view, but from mine, it couldn't have been better. You see I was just thinking of you..." with a thumping heart she looked up at him. "Of kissing..." he resumed his voice hoarse. Sakura licked her dry lips and Syaoran followed the movement of her tongue with his eyes. Moaning softly he took possession of her mouth. His tongue caressed hers. "Sweet..." Syaoran's voice trembled with pleasure. He stroked her hair with a trembling hand. "You smell delicious." His lips caressed her neck to her collarbone. "You taste delicious..." he whispered, "So delicious"

"Syaoran..." Sakura's voice sounded weird, even to her own ears. It was like she was floating, her common sense seemed to have dissolved into a dark fog of desire... It didn't last long. When Syaoran unbuttoned her blouse and she felt his warm breath between her breasts she returned to reality. An unidentifiable sound escaped her lips when she pulled herself away from him. Syaoran didn't try to take her back in his arms. Breathing heavily and irregular he leaned against the wall. With his hand he stroked his chest absentmindedly- as if trying to calm his racing heart.

With trembling hands she buttoned up her blouse.

"You were right." her voice was low and muffled. "I shouldn't have come here" She didn't look at him when she passed him by, trying to get to the stairs and he didn't do anything to stop her this time.

When she was halfway down the stairs she thought she heard him call her. But of course it was just her imagination. Syaoran just wanted to sleep with her. Loving her, no. He didn't even like her. The voice she thought that called her name sounded muffled with emotion, an emotion that could've been love. But that was just her imagination, because Syaoran may have feelings for her, but none of them were love...

TBC
And thus ends another chapter! Review and tell me what ya think kay? Love you all and may the friggin' silver fork be with you!