AN-I'm so sorry for the lack of updates on this story! I've been working hard on my other ones and this one got away from me a little. Anyway, I hope there are still some followers who will read this.. So will Yori turn up for her date with the Outlaw or will he be stood up? Enjoy this new chapter!

Chapter Seven

Zero the 'Outlaw's' POV

I was leaning casually against the wooden fence, Lily's reigns tied loosely around it despite the fact the wood was flimsy. I knew she wouldn't wander off, it was more so I didn't need to keep a close eye on her. I checked my pocket watch, ignoring the large crack in the glass encasing the face. The hands informed me that young Sayori was late; however I was not flustered in anyway by this. In fact I'd been expecting her delay as I had the previous night. So, how long would I wait here before deciding she wasn't going to appear? I'd entertained the idea that she may reconsider our arrangement and leave me here all night. If my impressions of her were correct, she'd probably informed her jittery friend of our new status as lovers…and if my impressions of her friend were correct….she'd probably tried to talk her out of it.

I smirked to myself. Her friend intrigued me. There was something so naïve about her. She was like a frightened little child that wished to shy away from danger…however…at the same time she was perhaps the least naïve of all the girls I'd met…she was the first thus far to flee from me…perhaps she did realise how 'dangerous' I really was. This thought excited me. Made me want to tease the young girl and see what would happen. Yes…if Sayori became boring perhaps I would see how far I could push her friend. I had no interest in her sexually. She was a toy that would break too easily for my liking. She wasn't sexy or attractive as such. Her face had been pretty; perhaps beautiful to a man of higher class than I…but beauty was not what I wanted. I didn't prey on these women for their pretty faces…She was too well groomed for my liking, and though I'd seen a spark of something within her…what I wanted was the fire I'd seen in Sayori's eyes….the willingness to break the rules despite the troubles that would come with it.

My attention was redirected, away from thoughts of Sayori's friend as the sound of a horse's hooves nearby caused me to tense. The danger of fraternizing with the Sheriff's daughter was of course the risk that the Sheriff would discover our relationship….I was aware that I could be coming face to face with the Sheriff instead of Sayori during our rendezvous'. However, on this night I was fortunate, as the flustered face of Sayori came into view. I smiled winningly at her as she drew closer, and she smiled a small timid smile in return. I removed my hat from my head, tilting it as a gesture of respect towards the young woman who blushed in response.

"My lady." I addressed her playfully, bowing down low as she approached. Replacing my hat, I took her hand in my own, kissing it gently as I had the previous evening. I strode swiftly back to Lily, unravelling her reigns from the wooden fence and leading her towards Sayori. I'd planned on taking the young woman somewhere nice…no point in trying to get her into bed just yet. No, Sayori was classier than that, I would have to work to get what I wanted from her, at least that's what I was hoping.

"You look beautiful this evening Sayori…so allow me to show off your beauty, I want to take you out." I informed her, turning on the charm and flashing her a seductive glance. The perpetual blush that adorned her cheeks darkened to a crimson color as I complimented her. Compliments were one of my best techniques, women seemed to love them. I flung one leg over Lily, hoisting myself upon her back, now able to face Sayori at eye level. I took her hand, using my other hand to steer Lily's reigns in the right direction.

"Well, that is of course unless you've changed your mind? You're awfully quiet." I continued mocking sounding hurt by her lack of replies to my compliments. Perhaps I was coming on too strong. She was a modest young woman, probably not used to being showered with an onslaught of compliments. I released her hand, moving my fingers to her flushed cheek and caressing her porcelain skin. The heat radiating from her crimson cheeks enticed me. I wanted to make her mine.

"No! I-I do want to be with you…I'm just….a little nervous….I've never done anything like this before." She explained, stumbling over her words a little, her anxiousness reflected clearly through her trembling tone. I smiled warmly at her, beckoning for her to follow me out of the dark town. She looked uneasy; still she didn't question me and followed silently on her own horse. I was surprised she didn't ask me where we were going as I coaxed her into moving at a steady pace so as not to be glimpsed by someone in the silent town who may tattle to the Sheriff.

I'd spent the day out of town in another nearby area, doing some hard labour in order to obtain a fair amount of money to take the young woman out somewhere. I grinned mischievously to myself….I wondered if she'd ever been to a saloon before…and if she had I bet she'd never seen one this time of night. I knew it wasn't the classiest place to take her…however I didn't have a great deal of money on my person, and wasn't sure how else to entertain her. I shook my head. Perhaps this wouldn't make the best first date, and instead I concluded to avoid the saloons for the night and instead take her on a romantic walk as I had with many of the other women I'd been with.

I lead the Sheriff's daughter far out of town, not wishing to be seen courting her by anyone who may know her, and instead travelled to another area. It was a far distance away from her home town, and I could tell she was becoming less sure of herself with every step forward. Perhaps now was the time to strike up a conversation with her. Tugging lightly on Lily's reigns, I coaxed the horse into slowing down so that we paced beside Sayori and her own chestnut colored horse. The girl was stroking the horse soothingly, more to reassure herself than the mare, as the animal didn't look at all flustered by the change of scenery.

"Let's just walk tonight….get to know each other, what do you say?" I questioned, hoping to appeal to the shy side of her that would rather stay away from the eyes of the public. She looked up at me, slightly startled apparently not having realised I'd slowed my pace to trot casually beside her. She smiled coyly, nodding hastily. I could see the relief wash over her, and her face was as open to read as a book. I was heading towards a large plantation that belonged to a wealthy man. The grounds were vast and beautiful, and I doubted we'd be caught trespassing there, not only due to the sheer size, but due to the fact I'd done it a handful of times before this occasion.

"So Sayori…I don't think I've ever had the chance to ask you…how old are you? If you don't mind my asking." I questioned casually. What I really wanted to ask her about was her friend out of pure interest, and for future reference. However, to launch straight into the conversation in such a way would've seemed rude, so it would be more tactful to ask trivial questions first. Besides, I was interested about her age. I'd pegged her at seventeen, eighteen. I was fairly accurate at guessing ages. I often preferred to go for older women, however of late younger women had also become more appealing as well. Their naivety was enticing; however I would never try anything with a woman under sixteen or seventeen.

"O-Oh…I'm seventeen…eighteen in a few months." She responded, unable to maintain eye contact with me as her face flushed. I cocked my head grinning to myself. So I'd been right. We drew near to the plantation, and I casually changed direction slightly, guiding her towards a secret entrance. I had no intention of informing her we were trespassing, otherwise she would surely decline.

"So young yet very much the lady…so, did you have much trouble getting out this evening? You seem a little on edge if I may say so…" I continued, hoping to lead her on to the subject of her friend…if I could trick her into bringing the girl up herself then it wouldn't seem so strange me asking questions. Tugging some leaves from a giant weeping willow out of the way, I exposed a hidden trail, gesturing for her to trot ahead a few steps. She did so, stopping a few meters down the path, waiting eagerly for me. Passing through the hidden entryway and dropping the leaves once more I trotted forward to stand beside her.

"Well…not as such….I mean, my father retired to bed fairly early…no sneaking out wasn't really the issue…" She replied slowly, seeming to mull her thoughts over in her head before uttering them to me. I nodded, staying silent and waiting eagerly for her to continue. She fiddled uneasily with the reigns of her horse, perhaps not wanting to continue.

"Someone…was against the idea of me meeting with you tonight…I was late because…she begged me not to come, and I felt guilty at betraying her trust….P-Please don't misunderstand me! I wanted to come! Why else would I be here? Only…I don't want to worry her….is all…." She confessed, avoiding eye contact with me as she spoke. We didn't travel very far in before I held a hand out, beckoning her to stop. She did as I commanded, and I could see her fingers trembling, her grip tightening around the reigns as if I was keeping her in suspense by prolonging my response. I paused, listening for any sound of human life other than ours. Satisfied that we were alone I swung my legs around to one side, dropping from the horses back, allowing my feet to collide softly with the grassy ground below me.

"Oh? Someone knows about us then…" I replied with a knowing smirk, striding confidently towards the young woman who was still perched upon her sandy coloured horse. Her amber eyes widened and a soft almost familiar blush colored her cheeks as she attempted to explain herself, stumbling hastily over apologize and half formed sentences. I chuckled softly, easing my arms around her waist as I came into contact with her. She winced as if frightened I would physically harm her as a punishment. Gently, I lowered her on to the ground, relishing in this brief contact with her, longing for so much more but also excited by the realization that I would have to wait at least a little longer for what I wanted. She opened her eyes, blinking curiously up at me with her caramel colored eyes. I licked my lips despite myself, suddenly aware of how intense the longing had become. I raised a finger to her lips shaking my head with a grin.

"I was merely joking, there's no need for you to apologize…so who is it that tried to deter you then my beautiful Sayori?" I questioned eager to pry into the relationship between my new lover and her friend. She blinked a few times before staring down at her feet, a sheepish expression adorning her lovely face. I kept my eyes locked on her as I moved away to tie the reigns of our horses to a nearby tree. She remained silent, gaze fixated on the soft grass beneath us as if it were an alien plant to her. I patted both Lily and the young woman's horse affectionately before sauntering towards her once more. Slipping my hand into hers I guided her away, ignoring the fact she still hadn't answered, hoping I could loosen her tongue in some other way.

"I didn't mean to startle you Sayori, I'm just curious about the life my beautiful lover leads." I continued, leading her slowly towards a large and picturesque lake that was nearby. I felt her grip tighten slightly on my hand as if trying to reassure herself that I wasn't about to desert her in this unfamiliar place.

"My best friend….the one you met previously…she seems to be…frightened of you…she doesn't want me to see you…she's worried my reputation will be destroyed if I do…" She said softly, as if wary her words would harm me. Of course these things I was already aware of, of course I'd known it was her dark haired friend, the one I was intrigued by. However I feigned mild surprise as if it hadn't crossed my mind, yet it wasn't a total shock either. I nodded slowly, eyes fixated on the clearing at the edge of the lake. A bench stood beside it, the perfect place for the two of us to converse further.

"Your friend…she seems rather…wary…I hope you won't think me rude but does she lead a rather…sheltered home life?" I pried further, attempting to sound nonchalant as if I were merely making idle chit-chat with the girl. She looked thoughtfully at me as we walked as if she wasn't sure what to make of me just yet. She stared thoughtfully until we came to the clearing and her eyes settled upon the grand lake that stood before us. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement as her eyes passed over her surroundings, the beauty of the clear water that ran through the lake, the Moon's reflection in the cool water reflecting off the blossoming trees aligned carefully around the edges of the lake.

"What a beautiful place this is!" She exclaimed. I felt her petite hand slip from my grasp and fly to her mouth as if to conceal a squeal of joy. I smiled softly, intent on wooing her ever more. I lead her in the direction of the bench, signalling for her to sit upon its wooden surface. She lowered herself carefully as if frightened of peeling her eyes away from the scene before her. I'd felt the same way upon discovering the place. I was unsure who the magnificent place belonged to, but I didn't care. Not once had I actually seen the owner or his servants wandering the place, though it was clear that the grounds were well tended to, and that the area had been prepared for such romantic meetings. I sighed, how would I turn the subject back in the direction of her friend without seeming rude? I leant back against the bench, wrapping and arm around Sayori's waist and pulling her body close to mine. I felt the rapidity of her heartbeat increase at this contact; pound even harder as my fingers explored her waist playfully.

"You don't need to be frightened of me Sayori…I appreciate your friend obviously cares a great deal about you…but I care about you too…" I told her, leaning in closer as I spoke, kissing the top of her head and whispering into her hair. I pushed the curled strands away bringing my lips close to her ear and allowing them to caress her ear, purposely breathing heavily against her skin. She shivered beside me; her body tensed but didn't shy away despite her racing heart. I nipped her earlobe playfully, gently, before moving to the nape of her neck, kissing her softly as if she were an item to be cherished. Her body trembled in my grasp, and her breathing became shallow and a little fragmented as I seduced her. Her body seemed to sink into mine as I moved my hand to her leg, softly caressing it through the fabric of her dress. My lips found their way to hers and I relished in the taste of her mouth against mine, the mouth that only I had kissed before. My hands wandered up her back, and the hunger within me drove me to try and take things further. I felt her body tense a little as one of my hands found their way up her stomach, gentle brushing over her chest. She allowed my fingers to remain here for a moment before hesitantly pushing me away, though not forcefully enough for me to believe I'd angered her.

"I-I don't want you to think I have no feelings for you…but…I want to respect my friend's wishes…and take things slowly with you…I think we should wait before we…" She trailed off, her gaze had settled on the unmoving water of the lake. I nodded slowly as if I agreed, a little disappointed but also somewhat excited by her rejection. Perhaps she would lead me on, make me wait for her…

"I understand Sayori, I apologize….I understand your friend means a lot to you…" I told her, removing my arm from her waist and instead slipping it around her shoulders, kissing her head once more before staring out at the lake as if I no longer hungered for the closeness we'd shared mere moments before. For a while we sat silently, simply taking in the beauty of the place; however it didn't take long for conversation to begin once more. We sat for a long time simply talking, well I set it up so that she did more of the talking, not being one to share much about my own life I convinced her to tell me about herself, about her family and her life…inevitably it was when I ceased trying to learn more about her friend that the young woman's name was brought to the conversation.

"History is my favourite, Yuki is the one more intrigued by those romantic novels…" She proclaimed halfway through our conversation on our favourite genre of books. A cheerful smile has graced her lips when she'd spoken of the girl, as if the memory of this person made her want to laugh for some secret reason. I stared at her for a moment waiting for her to continue.

"Yuki?" I questioned, the name unfamiliar to me. She turned to look at me; blinking for a moment before realizing I was unaware of whom this name belonged to. I suspected it was probably the name of her companion, the nervous and untrusting one. It occurred to me that I wasn't actually aware of her name…

"Oh, I apologize I didn't realise I hadn't mentioned her name before, how rude of me…Yuki, she is the young lady who…who was with me at the market the other day, my closest friend." She informed me, beaming as she spoke of her friend. I couldn't help but smile a little. The two girls were clearly very close friends…it has occurred to me that her friend obviously didn't want Sayori to get into trouble because of me. Perhaps if I had actually had a friend like that I wouldn't have ended up a thieving womanizer…not that I actually hated the title. I mentally scolded myself, what was wrong with me feeling some kind of compassion for the friendship between the two. That didn't matter; it only came in useful as a device for me to gain more information about the elusive girl.

"You light up when you speak of her…and she seems to have great influence on you…how long have you known one another?" I questioned further, no longer bothering to add 'I apologize for prying' to the sentences as it seemed the two of us were actually conversing comfortably with one another now. She giggled to herself, her smile widening and her body language clearly relaxing as she leaned back against the bench. It seemed the thought of her companion made her feel safe, perhaps more open.

"Yuki and I have been friends for as long as I can remember, one might say we were like sisters! Our fathers work closely with one another so we saw a lot of one another when we were children and things never really changed!" She replied with a chuckle. I nodded slowly. It seemed Sayori was closer to the girl than I had first realized…I bit my lip. If Sayori could be so heavily influenced by the girl it was possible she could convince her to stay away from me…I'd been lucky so far, but what if this 'Yuki' hadn't even tried yet? She was a threat to my plan…she was frightened of me, called me a criminal…what if she intended to tell Sayori's father, the Sherriff, simply to spare her friend heartbreak.

"Oh I see, you're very close, it must be nice since you said you had no real siblings…her father is the deputy then? Probably one of the men I find myself running from…" I replied with a chuckle, a little nervous at the prospect of her father being one of the people trying to land me in a prison cell…it would mean she had even greater influence…could simply tell her father in that case…what if she tried to threaten me? If that was the case did the young Yuki realise what power she had over me? I highly doubted it considering her naivety…still…

"Yuki? No, surely you know of her father mister Outlaw?" Sayori continued, eyes widening in surprise at my lack of knowledge on the town. I shook my head simply waiting for her to enlighten me.

"Yuki's father is the Mayor."