Stuck On You
Disclaimer: Jesus. . .how many fucking times do I have to do this?! What ever is left of my ego is Going Down The Whole! I DO NOT own the wonderful anime Card Captor Sakura. Nor do I own the actual book "Stuck On You". CCS is owned by Clamp. . .the lucky bastards. . .And "Stuck On You" is written by Patti Berg. Now Leave Me Be!
Summary. A man who doesn't believe in love and a woman who doesn't trust it find out just how wrong they can be. . .
Warning. . .This Does Contain Lemon! Read At Your Own Risk. . .
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This was not the position she would have liked to be in. Handcuffed to the bed with an absolutely sexy man hovering over her.
But this is what she deserved for listening to her rumor crazed friends'. She just Had to go find out didn't she? She Had to break into his house to find out the truth. She Had to follow her heart instead of her brain didn't she?
He reached down into his pocket and took out a key.
"Trust can work both ways." he said, his voice husky.
"I wanna trust you, and you wanna trust me. Guess we'll start from here." he took her wrists that were currently locked together in handcuffs. He put the key into the hole and clicked the cuffs open.
This was her chance. This is what she was waiting for. She could throw him off her and she would be free. Even if it did mean hiding in the bathroom until morning. But he was right. Trust had to start somewhere and she found it hard to believe, but this is where she longed to be since the first time she laid eyes on him.
---Flash Back---
Twenty-one year old Kinomoto Sakura sat on a cushioned chair surrounded by her friends. Her married friends. The chairs sat in a circle, and her friends where talking animatedly about their happy lives. About their wonderful husbands, and how in love they were. Sakura stayed quiet and just listened in their conversation.
'Love' she thought bitterly.
'Love is for fools. It's not real. Men are just here to hurt you. To bring pain. Just pain' she thought sadly.
Her mother always warned her about men. About love in life. She always said not to trust men because they only bring you pain. And after having two failed marriages, Sakura had nothing else to go on but her mother's words. So Sakura went throughout life avoiding men, avoiding the pain they bring. Avoiding the unreal state of being in love.
"I'm gonna get some tea. Anyone want some?" Sakura asked politely.
Her friends looked up and smiled sweetly at her. They all shook there heads' 'no' and went back to discussing something about anniversaries.
Sakura shook her head and sighed. She stood up and walked to the counter of her book store.
Sakura might have been a petite girl, but she was gorgeous. Despite her short size, she was certainly filled out. She had the curves in all the right places, and her body was well formed. She had shining emerald eyes and long curly auburn hair that reached up to her mid-back. She had definite beauty and was wonderful both inside and out.
But her mother's words still haunted her, and to this day, no man could touch her. All of her friends' tried to set her up with a "nice" and "wonderful" guy, but they were all the same. Wanting her for her looks, and body.
Sakura was a closed door, no one could get in, or get out. Even though her mother warned her about all men, she still longed for someone to spend her life with. Even though all of the horrible things her mother has told her about men, she still dreams of the day when she will meet someone that isn't anything like any of the other guys she has been set up with.
But that was all a dream. Not real, just plain fantasy.
She put the tea cup on the kettle and poured some water into it. She turned on the stove and leaned against the counter, waiting for the water to boil.
She unconsciously fingered the ring on her belly button. She smiled remembering how shocked her friends' were when she came to school wearing a shirt that showed fully, her new belly button ring.
They all thought that she was joking when she said for her eighteenth birthday she was going to do something unpredictable. Well. . .she showed them all right. She had always wanted one, and finally, she got up the nerve to do it.
She smiled at the memory. Those were the days she liked to remember. The happy care-free moments of her child-hood. But now. . .those moments were gone. Her friends' have found someone to be with, and Sakura was still alone. A locked door just waiting to be opened by the right person holding the right key.
She was soo involved with her thoughts that she didn't notice her friends' get up and walk to stare out the opened window.
"Wow. I haven't seen him around here before. Have you?" asked a very curious voice.
"No. . .but I wish I did now." said another smiling.
Their laughter pushed Sakura out of her thoughts and she walked to her friends' crowding the window.
"What's going on guys?" Sakura asked.
"Ohh! Sakura! You have Got to see this guy. He's the very definition of hot!" a girl known as Tomoyo said, like a chatting school-girl.
"But. . .Tomoyo. . .aren't you married?" Sakura asked, sweat dropping.
"Yes. . .but. . .I'm looking for You my dearest Sakura." Tomoyo said.
Sakura stared unbelievably at her violet haired friend.
"Not again Tomoyo. I'm tired of this." Sakura said, slightly aggravated.
"Okay. . .you might be tired. . .but. . .just look at him. Please Sakura? For me?" pleaded a girl known as Rika.
Sakura sighed and finally agreed.
She moved between her friends' and looked to where her friend, Naoko, was helpfully pointing to.
There, standing on the sidewalk, was the current topic of discussion. She studied him, and like she did with everything in life, she looked at him with a keen eye for detail.
Broad shouldered and narrow hipped; she noticed that he towered over many of the other people on the street next to him. His hair was an amazing shade of chocolate brown and unruly, as if he just got up from bed.
"Well. . ." Sakura started.
"Well nothing. You can't deny it Sakura. Just look at his smile!" Tomoyo pushed.
Sakura squinted to see the new-comers smile, and she had to admit, that he had the type of Kodak moment smile that made women faint or to make her heart go pitter-patter if she was so willing to.
But not her. After all of the stories her mother has told her, she was left with heart-break to last a lifetime. She thought of herself as the women who's heart couldn't be stolen by some guy. Not even a tall, dark handsome man with a to-die-for smile.
But that didn't mean that she wasn't interested by this guy.
He wasn't from around here, that she knew for sure. Their town was soo small and had less than two-hundred people in it. Everybody knew everybody else, but this small town had a lot of big rumors.
He turned his back and looked at the store behind him. But Sakura was not complaining. Muscular legs, a nice ass, and powerful shoulders. But the way a man looked on the outside was not what counted. It was what was on the inside that mattered the most, and it helped that if the guy had a great personality And looked handsome was a complete plus as well.
He curiously gazed at the stores around him, before setting his gaze on Sakura's store, and on Sakura.
Sakura shivered. Electricity of excitement ran through her body and she stepped back and pulled the curtain at the side of the window.
She couldn't explain what shot through her body when she saw his intense amber eyes stare at her. And she didn't want to find out. She didn't like it one bit.
She turned to face her friends' only to find them grinning slyly at her.
"Well? What do you think 'Kura?" Rika asked.
"What do I think about what?" Sakura asked, too innocently.
Tomoyo glared at Sakura hard. "Don't play dumb my dear friend. We know that you were looking mighty intently at that guy."
Sakura flushed slightly, and before anyone of them could coax anything from her, the tea pot shrieked loudly throughout the store.
Smiling, and then sticking out her tongue like a small child, she walked over to the counter and poured the boiling water into a cup, then adding the tea to drink.
"Okay okay. . .we get it Sakura. . .you won't tell us Anything! God! Well. . .it's that time again, and sadly, I must leave." Rika said dramatically.
"Bye Sakura." Tomoyo said, following Rika out the door.
Naoko shook her head and laughed at her friends' antics. "Well. . .I better leave too. Until tomorrow Sakura." Naoko said, before following her friends' lead and left.
"Li Syaoran."
Sakura looked up from her cup and looked with confusion at the ruby eyed girl.
"That's his name. Li Syaoran." she repeated again.
"What are you talking about Meiling?" Sakura questioned, looking at her friend that had been silent.
"Stop this Sakura. Just stop it! My God, you are exactly like him. You know. . .you would make great friends." she said plainly.
"Listen, Meiling. Thanks for trying to set me up. You're sweet, wrong. But sweet." Sakura said, putting down her cup and walking to Meiling.
"Who said that I was trying to set you up? You brought that subject on all by yourself." Meiling said cunningly.
Sakura was at a loss for words. Meiling had caught her.
"Okay, fine, I give. I'll admit that he is pretty. . .handsome." Sakura said slowly.
"Mmhmm. That he is."
"But. . .how do you know him?" Sakura asked.
"Well. . .It's kinda hard not knowing who your own cousin is." Meiling replied sarcastically.
"Cousin? Wow." Sakura mumbled.
She looked out the corner of her eye and saw that Meiling was getting up.
"Well. . .I'll leave you to your new found thoughts." Meiling joked as Sakura glared.
"Ta-ta." Meiling said, and walked out of the store.
"Li Syaoran. Syaoran Li. . ." Sakura whispered.
'Little wolf in Chinese. Humph. . .he is Not a little wolf. More like the big wolf.' She thought to herself.
She looked down when she felt something rubbing against the side of her leg, only to find a small golden cat.
"Oh! Hello Kero." She said merrily, picking up Kero, stroking his head affectionately.
She head the door open and Kero flew off of Sakura's lap, and to the other side of the store.
She turned to look who came into the store, and who did she see standing in her doorway?
The Big Bad Wolf himself.
A gasp escaped from her mouth and she quickly shut it out.
'Be brave' she told herself.
She started walking towards him, smiling sweetly.
"Good morning." she said. Miraculously the words came out of her mouth without any stutter.
Syaoran looked at her. "Good morning." he replied.
'Should have known that he'd have a great voice' she thought.
"Mind if I browse?" he asked after her noticed that Sakura was still at his side.
"No, not at all." she finally got out, and walked behind the counter.
Sakura was in a complete state of shock. How could this happen? How could a Man leave her speech-less? She gathered enough courage to walk up to the very man who left her tongue-tied.
She mounted the ladder that was next to the bookshelf he was currently standing in front of. She stopped climbing when she was able to see him, eye to eye.
"Can I help you find something?" she asked, trying to sound professional.
"Just browsing. Thanks." he replied, looking at her.
He began to analyze her body. He started at her crimson nail polished toes, and traveled up her finely shaped legs to her hip hugging leather skirt. To her gold belly button ring and her midriff bearing pink-beaded tee-shirt. His eyes darted to her auburn hair. A mop of long curly cork screws flew every which way.
This was her curse. The plague of her very existence. It was like a plague of locusts and no matter how many times she would try to fix it, nothing would ever work.
She caught his stare and absently, or not so absently, patted her hair, hoping that it wouldn't fluff out.
"Could I interest you in something to drink?" she asked.
"No thanks. Just want something to read." he answered.
Before she could stop herself, Sakura found herself blabbering about scones and tea to a stranger. A very Intriguing stranger. For every question she asked, she got the same response. He really didn't want anything. . .but a book to read.
She should give up, he probably found her annoying by now.
"I have strawberry scones too. There very delicious. Would you like one? Two maybe?" she asked, smiling sweetly, like a love-sick school girl looking at a teen movie-star.
He didn't smile, he simply frowned. Staring at her as if she'd gone mad.
"And milk. They go good if you eat them with milk." dear God, she was rambling now, going on about plain milk and not chocolate milk.
He clung on to the ladder looking at her with his deep amber eyes.
"I prefer beer to milk, Dim Sum to scones, and coffee to tea. Black and extra sweet." he smiled at her at last.
"On the personal side, I'm twenty-two years old, never been married, don't smoke, I'm the boss of my own company in China, number one rank in China for my martial arts abilities, have all my own teeth, and the name's Syaoran Li. How 'bout you?"
"The name's Sakura Kinomoto. Twenty-one, single, healthy, love to read, as you can see and everything you see here belongs to me." she said, lifting her arms to express the store she owned.
His gaze traveled over her pink-beaded breasts over to her belly button.
"Nice ring." he said.
If navel's could blush, hers would be the same shade of red as her nail- polish.
"Cute." he said
"I try." she said with a shrug of her shoulders.
His eyes focused on her face. "I can see that."
His charm, definitely irresistible. He oozed sex appeal. A lady-killer in the least sense of words. She wasn't soo innocent anymore. In fact, she forced herself to be the complete opposite, because being naïve and innocent was what got her mother into trouble in the first place. But here she was, falling under this guy's spell. This was not a good thing. Time to get out the hole she was beginning to dig herself into, before she was in a little too deep.
Climbing one more step on the ladder, she grabbed a feather-duster that was on the top shelf, and began dusting some of the books.
"Soo. . .what about you Mr. Li?" she asked, trying to make friendly conversation with a costumer at her shop. It was nothing more. . .just friendly conversation.
"What are you doing in a place like this? I haven't seen you around here before."
He continued to stare at her.
"Well. . .my cousin, Meiling, said that I work too hard. So here I am, bored out of my mind. So I decided to come here to get something to read, so I could "relax"." he said in a bored tone, turning to look at some of the hard-covered books on the shelf.
"Well. . .if that's the case. I could show you some really great books that will make your vacation somewhat enjoyable."
He pulled out a dark covered book. It was black and the picture on the front showed a lone woman walking across the street. He flipped the book and stared at the summary in the back of the book.
"This one looks interesting. . ." he said.
"It's a bit boring and not that well written as far as a mystery novel goes. A bit of a. . .cozy mystery. But. . .if you would prefer that kind of reading—"
"I've never read those kind of books anyway." he cut her off.
"So. . .what kind of things do you read then?" she asked, trying to get a feel for the type of things this guy is into. Hopefully he wouldn't answer that he liked to read some of those trashy magazines.
"Stock market quotes, newspaper, statistics, and things that you probably don't even want to think about understanding, just because it's soo God Damm boring." he said, his voice even.
He went to put the book back into it's previous place, when his broad shoulders enclosed in a leather suite brushed slightly against her bare hip. She tried to ignore the pleasuring tingle that shook throughout her body. She didn't like that she was getting these kind of feeling over some man. The same type of people that her mother warned her never to get involved with.
"Maybe you could help me out in finding one? I apparently find books that are boring." he said jokingly, his eyes staring intently at her gold belly ring, before facing her once again.
"In order for that. . .I need to know ya before I could recommend you something to read."
He slowly gazed up her lithe form before looking at her. Amber eyes clashed onto emerald ones.
"What do you wanna know?"
'Why you're here. What you're trying to do. What kind of spell are you putting on me' were the answers reeling through Sakura's head.
"I could usually tell what a person likes or doesn't like as soon as they walk into my store." she said, but she knew that figuring out him would be more difficult.
"Could I have a moment or two to size you up?" she said, her voice sounding naturally sweet.
He stared blankly at her. One eyebrow raised in the air as he looked at her with an expression that clearly said are-you-out-of-your-mind?
"Do you. . .size up all of your customers?" he asked apprehensively.
"Customers, friends, random people that I find walking past, on the street, in restaurants. It's my life." she shrugged as if it was not a big deal.
He shook his head, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"All right. Lets see how good you are." he challenged.
He leaned against the bookcase and looked intensely at her studying him. A guilty pleasure ran through him.
Sakura climbed down a few steps on the ladder to get a better look at him. His hair was definitely a chestnut color, it looked like dark chocolate. It looked disheveled and un-kept. Usually this would be a turn-off for her, but on him, it looked strangely attractive. She couldn't imagine him with hair that was combed. It looked better that way she decided.
His face wasn't as perfect as she thought it was at a first glance. Upon further inspection, she noticed a scar on his jaw. A good inch and a half, shaped like a crescent moon. She suddenly felt herself feeling the pain he probably felt when he got it. She found herself wondering why he had gotten it, what was used to mar his handsome face, and who did it to him.
Not that she cared or anything. . .she just hated to see anyone in pain. Suffering.
"It only hurts when I nick it when I'm shaving." he said, yanking her out of her inner thoughts, and touched his fingers over the scar on his face.
"You read minds?" she asked, shocked at how he know what she was thinking about at that moment.
"Expressive faces. And yours is by far the easiest to read. It's like I could look into your soul when I look into your eyes." he said, his voice painfully soft.
Her heart fluttered and pounded hard in her ears.
"So. . .what am I thinking of right now then?" she asked, trying to keep the conversation going, even if she felt she would melt into a pile of mush at any moment.
"That you wish I couldn't read expressive faces." he said, half smiling, still looking into her eyes.
She smiled and reached the scar on his face lightly.
"I'm the one that's supposed to figure you out. Not the other way around." she said softly
'Okay. Stop this Sakura. You're here to help him pick out a book, not flirt with him' she thought sternly.
Every second that she took, she got a better picture of him. Underneath his charm was a man that knew what he wanted and took it. And even though he'd been through his share of fights, the scar on his jaw showed the proof that he almost always won.
"Still trying to figure me out?" he asked.
"All done!" she said triumphantly. She climbed down the ladder and went around him, noticing that she was a little past his shoulders, with the high heels on.
"Follow me and let's see how close I am."
She led him to a back room and showed him a black book.
"I think you've got me all wrong." he said reading over the book. He stood close to her, too close, he towered over her.
"I'll give it a try, but got anything funny to take the edge off the rough stuff? Maybe a wisecracking female who uses her brains instead of a gun?"
Okay. . .maybe he wasn't the underworld type of guy after all.
"What about a busty blonde detective?"
His mouth twitched to a small smirk.
"Sounds like someone I would like."
She lead him to the front of the store again. She walked up to a row of cherry wood bookshelves and tiptoes to get a light green covered book off of the shelf.
"Here." she said, handing the book to him.
"It's the first in the series. Started a multi-million-dollar success."
"Think I'll like this one?" he asked.
"It's got laughs, wisecracks, a smart-mouthed prostitute or two, a brainy, busty blonde protagonist, murder, intrigue, suspense, and sex. Everything a guy like you could possibly enjoy."
Syaoran chuckled. "Fifteen minutes together and you know me as well as I know myself."
"I'm sure I've just scratched the surface." Sakura said shrugging.
He leaned forward and whispered in her ear.
"That's further then any other woman has gotten."
His breathe tickled her skin and made her tingle all over. Sirens sounded in her head. Warning! Warning! Danger! Do Not Pass Go!
She quickly grabbed the books she picked up and walked away.
"Are you sure that I'll need all seven of the books?" she heard him ask from behind her.
She turned and looked at him through long eyelashes.
"Trust me, once you read one, you'll be begging to read the rest." she replied knowingly.
"What ever you say. You're the expert." he shrugged and followed her to the counter.
She wasn't surprised when he paid in cash, however, it did surprise her when he left with a simple, "See ya."
The door shut tightly behind him and the nervous karma atmosphere in the shop disappeared along with him.
Now if only the pitter patter of her heart would go away too. If only the fuzzy ditsy feeling she had would disappear. Then things would return to normal, before Syaoran Li ever came by her shop. Then she could lie to herself and say that she hadn't felt a small bit of lust, or maybe more for the man.
'Syaoran Li'
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A.N.: Soo. . .erm. . .Blah. And then she burst into flames. *otaku-chan burns in all the hate and flames she will and expects to get*
Disclaimer: Jesus. . .how many fucking times do I have to do this?! What ever is left of my ego is Going Down The Whole! I DO NOT own the wonderful anime Card Captor Sakura. Nor do I own the actual book "Stuck On You". CCS is owned by Clamp. . .the lucky bastards. . .And "Stuck On You" is written by Patti Berg. Now Leave Me Be!
Summary. A man who doesn't believe in love and a woman who doesn't trust it find out just how wrong they can be. . .
Warning. . .This Does Contain Lemon! Read At Your Own Risk. . .
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This was not the position she would have liked to be in. Handcuffed to the bed with an absolutely sexy man hovering over her.
But this is what she deserved for listening to her rumor crazed friends'. She just Had to go find out didn't she? She Had to break into his house to find out the truth. She Had to follow her heart instead of her brain didn't she?
He reached down into his pocket and took out a key.
"Trust can work both ways." he said, his voice husky.
"I wanna trust you, and you wanna trust me. Guess we'll start from here." he took her wrists that were currently locked together in handcuffs. He put the key into the hole and clicked the cuffs open.
This was her chance. This is what she was waiting for. She could throw him off her and she would be free. Even if it did mean hiding in the bathroom until morning. But he was right. Trust had to start somewhere and she found it hard to believe, but this is where she longed to be since the first time she laid eyes on him.
---Flash Back---
Twenty-one year old Kinomoto Sakura sat on a cushioned chair surrounded by her friends. Her married friends. The chairs sat in a circle, and her friends where talking animatedly about their happy lives. About their wonderful husbands, and how in love they were. Sakura stayed quiet and just listened in their conversation.
'Love' she thought bitterly.
'Love is for fools. It's not real. Men are just here to hurt you. To bring pain. Just pain' she thought sadly.
Her mother always warned her about men. About love in life. She always said not to trust men because they only bring you pain. And after having two failed marriages, Sakura had nothing else to go on but her mother's words. So Sakura went throughout life avoiding men, avoiding the pain they bring. Avoiding the unreal state of being in love.
"I'm gonna get some tea. Anyone want some?" Sakura asked politely.
Her friends looked up and smiled sweetly at her. They all shook there heads' 'no' and went back to discussing something about anniversaries.
Sakura shook her head and sighed. She stood up and walked to the counter of her book store.
Sakura might have been a petite girl, but she was gorgeous. Despite her short size, she was certainly filled out. She had the curves in all the right places, and her body was well formed. She had shining emerald eyes and long curly auburn hair that reached up to her mid-back. She had definite beauty and was wonderful both inside and out.
But her mother's words still haunted her, and to this day, no man could touch her. All of her friends' tried to set her up with a "nice" and "wonderful" guy, but they were all the same. Wanting her for her looks, and body.
Sakura was a closed door, no one could get in, or get out. Even though her mother warned her about all men, she still longed for someone to spend her life with. Even though all of the horrible things her mother has told her about men, she still dreams of the day when she will meet someone that isn't anything like any of the other guys she has been set up with.
But that was all a dream. Not real, just plain fantasy.
She put the tea cup on the kettle and poured some water into it. She turned on the stove and leaned against the counter, waiting for the water to boil.
She unconsciously fingered the ring on her belly button. She smiled remembering how shocked her friends' were when she came to school wearing a shirt that showed fully, her new belly button ring.
They all thought that she was joking when she said for her eighteenth birthday she was going to do something unpredictable. Well. . .she showed them all right. She had always wanted one, and finally, she got up the nerve to do it.
She smiled at the memory. Those were the days she liked to remember. The happy care-free moments of her child-hood. But now. . .those moments were gone. Her friends' have found someone to be with, and Sakura was still alone. A locked door just waiting to be opened by the right person holding the right key.
She was soo involved with her thoughts that she didn't notice her friends' get up and walk to stare out the opened window.
"Wow. I haven't seen him around here before. Have you?" asked a very curious voice.
"No. . .but I wish I did now." said another smiling.
Their laughter pushed Sakura out of her thoughts and she walked to her friends' crowding the window.
"What's going on guys?" Sakura asked.
"Ohh! Sakura! You have Got to see this guy. He's the very definition of hot!" a girl known as Tomoyo said, like a chatting school-girl.
"But. . .Tomoyo. . .aren't you married?" Sakura asked, sweat dropping.
"Yes. . .but. . .I'm looking for You my dearest Sakura." Tomoyo said.
Sakura stared unbelievably at her violet haired friend.
"Not again Tomoyo. I'm tired of this." Sakura said, slightly aggravated.
"Okay. . .you might be tired. . .but. . .just look at him. Please Sakura? For me?" pleaded a girl known as Rika.
Sakura sighed and finally agreed.
She moved between her friends' and looked to where her friend, Naoko, was helpfully pointing to.
There, standing on the sidewalk, was the current topic of discussion. She studied him, and like she did with everything in life, she looked at him with a keen eye for detail.
Broad shouldered and narrow hipped; she noticed that he towered over many of the other people on the street next to him. His hair was an amazing shade of chocolate brown and unruly, as if he just got up from bed.
"Well. . ." Sakura started.
"Well nothing. You can't deny it Sakura. Just look at his smile!" Tomoyo pushed.
Sakura squinted to see the new-comers smile, and she had to admit, that he had the type of Kodak moment smile that made women faint or to make her heart go pitter-patter if she was so willing to.
But not her. After all of the stories her mother has told her, she was left with heart-break to last a lifetime. She thought of herself as the women who's heart couldn't be stolen by some guy. Not even a tall, dark handsome man with a to-die-for smile.
But that didn't mean that she wasn't interested by this guy.
He wasn't from around here, that she knew for sure. Their town was soo small and had less than two-hundred people in it. Everybody knew everybody else, but this small town had a lot of big rumors.
He turned his back and looked at the store behind him. But Sakura was not complaining. Muscular legs, a nice ass, and powerful shoulders. But the way a man looked on the outside was not what counted. It was what was on the inside that mattered the most, and it helped that if the guy had a great personality And looked handsome was a complete plus as well.
He curiously gazed at the stores around him, before setting his gaze on Sakura's store, and on Sakura.
Sakura shivered. Electricity of excitement ran through her body and she stepped back and pulled the curtain at the side of the window.
She couldn't explain what shot through her body when she saw his intense amber eyes stare at her. And she didn't want to find out. She didn't like it one bit.
She turned to face her friends' only to find them grinning slyly at her.
"Well? What do you think 'Kura?" Rika asked.
"What do I think about what?" Sakura asked, too innocently.
Tomoyo glared at Sakura hard. "Don't play dumb my dear friend. We know that you were looking mighty intently at that guy."
Sakura flushed slightly, and before anyone of them could coax anything from her, the tea pot shrieked loudly throughout the store.
Smiling, and then sticking out her tongue like a small child, she walked over to the counter and poured the boiling water into a cup, then adding the tea to drink.
"Okay okay. . .we get it Sakura. . .you won't tell us Anything! God! Well. . .it's that time again, and sadly, I must leave." Rika said dramatically.
"Bye Sakura." Tomoyo said, following Rika out the door.
Naoko shook her head and laughed at her friends' antics. "Well. . .I better leave too. Until tomorrow Sakura." Naoko said, before following her friends' lead and left.
"Li Syaoran."
Sakura looked up from her cup and looked with confusion at the ruby eyed girl.
"That's his name. Li Syaoran." she repeated again.
"What are you talking about Meiling?" Sakura questioned, looking at her friend that had been silent.
"Stop this Sakura. Just stop it! My God, you are exactly like him. You know. . .you would make great friends." she said plainly.
"Listen, Meiling. Thanks for trying to set me up. You're sweet, wrong. But sweet." Sakura said, putting down her cup and walking to Meiling.
"Who said that I was trying to set you up? You brought that subject on all by yourself." Meiling said cunningly.
Sakura was at a loss for words. Meiling had caught her.
"Okay, fine, I give. I'll admit that he is pretty. . .handsome." Sakura said slowly.
"Mmhmm. That he is."
"But. . .how do you know him?" Sakura asked.
"Well. . .It's kinda hard not knowing who your own cousin is." Meiling replied sarcastically.
"Cousin? Wow." Sakura mumbled.
She looked out the corner of her eye and saw that Meiling was getting up.
"Well. . .I'll leave you to your new found thoughts." Meiling joked as Sakura glared.
"Ta-ta." Meiling said, and walked out of the store.
"Li Syaoran. Syaoran Li. . ." Sakura whispered.
'Little wolf in Chinese. Humph. . .he is Not a little wolf. More like the big wolf.' She thought to herself.
She looked down when she felt something rubbing against the side of her leg, only to find a small golden cat.
"Oh! Hello Kero." She said merrily, picking up Kero, stroking his head affectionately.
She head the door open and Kero flew off of Sakura's lap, and to the other side of the store.
She turned to look who came into the store, and who did she see standing in her doorway?
The Big Bad Wolf himself.
A gasp escaped from her mouth and she quickly shut it out.
'Be brave' she told herself.
She started walking towards him, smiling sweetly.
"Good morning." she said. Miraculously the words came out of her mouth without any stutter.
Syaoran looked at her. "Good morning." he replied.
'Should have known that he'd have a great voice' she thought.
"Mind if I browse?" he asked after her noticed that Sakura was still at his side.
"No, not at all." she finally got out, and walked behind the counter.
Sakura was in a complete state of shock. How could this happen? How could a Man leave her speech-less? She gathered enough courage to walk up to the very man who left her tongue-tied.
She mounted the ladder that was next to the bookshelf he was currently standing in front of. She stopped climbing when she was able to see him, eye to eye.
"Can I help you find something?" she asked, trying to sound professional.
"Just browsing. Thanks." he replied, looking at her.
He began to analyze her body. He started at her crimson nail polished toes, and traveled up her finely shaped legs to her hip hugging leather skirt. To her gold belly button ring and her midriff bearing pink-beaded tee-shirt. His eyes darted to her auburn hair. A mop of long curly cork screws flew every which way.
This was her curse. The plague of her very existence. It was like a plague of locusts and no matter how many times she would try to fix it, nothing would ever work.
She caught his stare and absently, or not so absently, patted her hair, hoping that it wouldn't fluff out.
"Could I interest you in something to drink?" she asked.
"No thanks. Just want something to read." he answered.
Before she could stop herself, Sakura found herself blabbering about scones and tea to a stranger. A very Intriguing stranger. For every question she asked, she got the same response. He really didn't want anything. . .but a book to read.
She should give up, he probably found her annoying by now.
"I have strawberry scones too. There very delicious. Would you like one? Two maybe?" she asked, smiling sweetly, like a love-sick school girl looking at a teen movie-star.
He didn't smile, he simply frowned. Staring at her as if she'd gone mad.
"And milk. They go good if you eat them with milk." dear God, she was rambling now, going on about plain milk and not chocolate milk.
He clung on to the ladder looking at her with his deep amber eyes.
"I prefer beer to milk, Dim Sum to scones, and coffee to tea. Black and extra sweet." he smiled at her at last.
"On the personal side, I'm twenty-two years old, never been married, don't smoke, I'm the boss of my own company in China, number one rank in China for my martial arts abilities, have all my own teeth, and the name's Syaoran Li. How 'bout you?"
"The name's Sakura Kinomoto. Twenty-one, single, healthy, love to read, as you can see and everything you see here belongs to me." she said, lifting her arms to express the store she owned.
His gaze traveled over her pink-beaded breasts over to her belly button.
"Nice ring." he said.
If navel's could blush, hers would be the same shade of red as her nail- polish.
"Cute." he said
"I try." she said with a shrug of her shoulders.
His eyes focused on her face. "I can see that."
His charm, definitely irresistible. He oozed sex appeal. A lady-killer in the least sense of words. She wasn't soo innocent anymore. In fact, she forced herself to be the complete opposite, because being naïve and innocent was what got her mother into trouble in the first place. But here she was, falling under this guy's spell. This was not a good thing. Time to get out the hole she was beginning to dig herself into, before she was in a little too deep.
Climbing one more step on the ladder, she grabbed a feather-duster that was on the top shelf, and began dusting some of the books.
"Soo. . .what about you Mr. Li?" she asked, trying to make friendly conversation with a costumer at her shop. It was nothing more. . .just friendly conversation.
"What are you doing in a place like this? I haven't seen you around here before."
He continued to stare at her.
"Well. . .my cousin, Meiling, said that I work too hard. So here I am, bored out of my mind. So I decided to come here to get something to read, so I could "relax"." he said in a bored tone, turning to look at some of the hard-covered books on the shelf.
"Well. . .if that's the case. I could show you some really great books that will make your vacation somewhat enjoyable."
He pulled out a dark covered book. It was black and the picture on the front showed a lone woman walking across the street. He flipped the book and stared at the summary in the back of the book.
"This one looks interesting. . ." he said.
"It's a bit boring and not that well written as far as a mystery novel goes. A bit of a. . .cozy mystery. But. . .if you would prefer that kind of reading—"
"I've never read those kind of books anyway." he cut her off.
"So. . .what kind of things do you read then?" she asked, trying to get a feel for the type of things this guy is into. Hopefully he wouldn't answer that he liked to read some of those trashy magazines.
"Stock market quotes, newspaper, statistics, and things that you probably don't even want to think about understanding, just because it's soo God Damm boring." he said, his voice even.
He went to put the book back into it's previous place, when his broad shoulders enclosed in a leather suite brushed slightly against her bare hip. She tried to ignore the pleasuring tingle that shook throughout her body. She didn't like that she was getting these kind of feeling over some man. The same type of people that her mother warned her never to get involved with.
"Maybe you could help me out in finding one? I apparently find books that are boring." he said jokingly, his eyes staring intently at her gold belly ring, before facing her once again.
"In order for that. . .I need to know ya before I could recommend you something to read."
He slowly gazed up her lithe form before looking at her. Amber eyes clashed onto emerald ones.
"What do you wanna know?"
'Why you're here. What you're trying to do. What kind of spell are you putting on me' were the answers reeling through Sakura's head.
"I could usually tell what a person likes or doesn't like as soon as they walk into my store." she said, but she knew that figuring out him would be more difficult.
"Could I have a moment or two to size you up?" she said, her voice sounding naturally sweet.
He stared blankly at her. One eyebrow raised in the air as he looked at her with an expression that clearly said are-you-out-of-your-mind?
"Do you. . .size up all of your customers?" he asked apprehensively.
"Customers, friends, random people that I find walking past, on the street, in restaurants. It's my life." she shrugged as if it was not a big deal.
He shook his head, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"All right. Lets see how good you are." he challenged.
He leaned against the bookcase and looked intensely at her studying him. A guilty pleasure ran through him.
Sakura climbed down a few steps on the ladder to get a better look at him. His hair was definitely a chestnut color, it looked like dark chocolate. It looked disheveled and un-kept. Usually this would be a turn-off for her, but on him, it looked strangely attractive. She couldn't imagine him with hair that was combed. It looked better that way she decided.
His face wasn't as perfect as she thought it was at a first glance. Upon further inspection, she noticed a scar on his jaw. A good inch and a half, shaped like a crescent moon. She suddenly felt herself feeling the pain he probably felt when he got it. She found herself wondering why he had gotten it, what was used to mar his handsome face, and who did it to him.
Not that she cared or anything. . .she just hated to see anyone in pain. Suffering.
"It only hurts when I nick it when I'm shaving." he said, yanking her out of her inner thoughts, and touched his fingers over the scar on his face.
"You read minds?" she asked, shocked at how he know what she was thinking about at that moment.
"Expressive faces. And yours is by far the easiest to read. It's like I could look into your soul when I look into your eyes." he said, his voice painfully soft.
Her heart fluttered and pounded hard in her ears.
"So. . .what am I thinking of right now then?" she asked, trying to keep the conversation going, even if she felt she would melt into a pile of mush at any moment.
"That you wish I couldn't read expressive faces." he said, half smiling, still looking into her eyes.
She smiled and reached the scar on his face lightly.
"I'm the one that's supposed to figure you out. Not the other way around." she said softly
'Okay. Stop this Sakura. You're here to help him pick out a book, not flirt with him' she thought sternly.
Every second that she took, she got a better picture of him. Underneath his charm was a man that knew what he wanted and took it. And even though he'd been through his share of fights, the scar on his jaw showed the proof that he almost always won.
"Still trying to figure me out?" he asked.
"All done!" she said triumphantly. She climbed down the ladder and went around him, noticing that she was a little past his shoulders, with the high heels on.
"Follow me and let's see how close I am."
She led him to a back room and showed him a black book.
"I think you've got me all wrong." he said reading over the book. He stood close to her, too close, he towered over her.
"I'll give it a try, but got anything funny to take the edge off the rough stuff? Maybe a wisecracking female who uses her brains instead of a gun?"
Okay. . .maybe he wasn't the underworld type of guy after all.
"What about a busty blonde detective?"
His mouth twitched to a small smirk.
"Sounds like someone I would like."
She lead him to the front of the store again. She walked up to a row of cherry wood bookshelves and tiptoes to get a light green covered book off of the shelf.
"Here." she said, handing the book to him.
"It's the first in the series. Started a multi-million-dollar success."
"Think I'll like this one?" he asked.
"It's got laughs, wisecracks, a smart-mouthed prostitute or two, a brainy, busty blonde protagonist, murder, intrigue, suspense, and sex. Everything a guy like you could possibly enjoy."
Syaoran chuckled. "Fifteen minutes together and you know me as well as I know myself."
"I'm sure I've just scratched the surface." Sakura said shrugging.
He leaned forward and whispered in her ear.
"That's further then any other woman has gotten."
His breathe tickled her skin and made her tingle all over. Sirens sounded in her head. Warning! Warning! Danger! Do Not Pass Go!
She quickly grabbed the books she picked up and walked away.
"Are you sure that I'll need all seven of the books?" she heard him ask from behind her.
She turned and looked at him through long eyelashes.
"Trust me, once you read one, you'll be begging to read the rest." she replied knowingly.
"What ever you say. You're the expert." he shrugged and followed her to the counter.
She wasn't surprised when he paid in cash, however, it did surprise her when he left with a simple, "See ya."
The door shut tightly behind him and the nervous karma atmosphere in the shop disappeared along with him.
Now if only the pitter patter of her heart would go away too. If only the fuzzy ditsy feeling she had would disappear. Then things would return to normal, before Syaoran Li ever came by her shop. Then she could lie to herself and say that she hadn't felt a small bit of lust, or maybe more for the man.
'Syaoran Li'
----------------------------------------------------
A.N.: Soo. . .erm. . .Blah. And then she burst into flames. *otaku-chan burns in all the hate and flames she will and expects to get*