On a Moonswept Moor
By Lady M Harris
Editor: Sun Princess

 

 

Part Two

 

 "Good evening, Chiba-sensei," Usagi greeted Mamoru as she sailed into his office, unannounced.
 A slight grunt answered her and she noticed Chiba-sensei's nose buried in his notes. As usual, open
 books and papers littered his already cluttered desk, a steaming cup of coffee placed comfortably
 within his reach. "I hope you had a good weekend," Usagi began, knowing that Chiba-sensei's
 thoughts were elsewhere. This was her usual greeting at the start of every shift. It was also her
 unofficial check-in with Chiba-sensei. 

She took a deep breath and blew the dust off of some his books that were, miraculously enough, still
 shelved on the bookshelf, next to the closed curtains. "I know, I did. My parents took me to dinner
 Saturday night for my birthday," He really did need to dust his office, Usagi thought to herself. She
 made a mental note to take the duster from Naru-chan's desk and to make sure that she dusted
 Chiba-sensei's office by the end of the week.  While I'm at it, I might as well straighten up this
 mess of books over here, she thought to herself as she headed to another shelf by the filing cabinet.
 "The funny thing was I had about two hours to kill after dinner.  And you know, there's this cool
 place next to my apartment, called the Tattoo House," she said, sliding her glance nervously toward
 Mamoru's bent head, and continued. "Well, they've never offered metallic colors before . . . it's
 not really metallic, they just call it that," she picked up a fallen plague and straightened it, smiling
 slightly in the process. "And there was this really wicked, cool design of the moon and earth; it was
 the moon that captured my attention first.  I don't know why I'm so fascinated with the moon," she
 said out loud to herself, as her fingers skimmed over more plagues of his, brushing off more dust.
 Her other hand still held the patients' charts that Chiba-sensei normally asked for at the beginning
 of her shift.

Mamoru glanced up from his papers, Usagi's words not quite registering in his mind, but reluctantly
 enjoying the sound of her tinkling voice. Another sentence jumped out of the papers that he had
 been previously reading and pulled his attention back into the file. Running his fingers through his
 dark hair, he returned his thoughts to the article before him.

"Well, I couldn't resist. I know it's taboo here, in Japan, but the American's do it all the time! 
 Especially, the teenagers. And I'm an adult, so . . . I did it," Usagi sighed, loudly. There, she had
 said it. It was all out in the open now.

"How old are you, Usagi-san?" Mamoru asked suddenly, looking up from his papers. Now, why did
 he ask that, he thought to himself? He looked up from his pen that he had been idly rolling between
 his index finger and thumb. He ignored his patient charts for the moment that lay around him in
 scattered disarray, hiding the fact that he had a polished, mahogany desk underneath that mess. A
 couple of documents and a patient file lay before him, now only capturing some of his coherent
 thoughts.

Usagi stopped her nervous chatter before him, completely lost at the sudden start of a conversation.
 A slight flush erupted across her animated features. "Chiba-sensei?" she asked hesitantly,
 wondering why he would suddenly ask about her age. She looked down her crisp, striped uniform,
 suddenly at a loss for words.

Mamoru shook his head, smiling slightly and said, "Never mind that." Usagi stood before him, with
 the charts still clasped to her chest, as if she was using them to shield herself from him. He smiled,
 dryly. She obviously was nervous about something and she had come to him, out of all people who
 knew her so well. Determined not to waste any more time, he stated, "You may put the charts in
 my in-box, Usagi-san," nodding his dark head toward the overflowing brass tray.  He then returned
 his concentration to the patient's summary before him, effectively dismissing her.  She did as she
 was told and after a moment of silence, Mamoru realized that she still stood nervously before him.
 As expected, she cleared her throat.

"May I-I ask you something, Chiba-sensei?" she began, hands nervously fidgeting with her skirt.
 Mamoru looked up at her, a slightly bored look playing across his handsome features. He was the
 last person at the hospital, she would have come to. The problem was that, she was on a first name
 basis with practically everyone that worked at the hospital, except for Chiba-sensei. Also, his
 reputation as a professional physician was impeccable and she knew her stupid secret would be kept
 safe with him.

"What is it, Usagi-san?" Mamoru asked, arching one dark brow, slightly intrigued by her
 nervousness.

"I-I can't go to anyone else about-about this medical problem," she stammered, blushing profusely
 as she looked away from his probing, hard gaze.

"Are you pregnant?" Mamoru bit out, suddenly. The instant he said the words, he regretted them. 
 Christ, he thought to himself, just because she was popular with all the guys here, didn't mean she'd
 been to bed with all of them. "I'm sorry, I just assumed---"

"No-no! That's okay," she laughed, shakily, releasing some of the tension she was feeling. "I mean,
 that's not . . . no, I'm not pregnant," she chuckled, quietly again.  Fat chance, she thought to herself,
 bemused about what he had thought of her. She had no social life where men were concerned. 
 Compared to the rumors she had heard about Chiba-sensei's glamorous night life. She shook those
 disturbing thoughts off. She didn't believe in rumors, even if they were true. "It-It's . . . I did
 something stupid on my birthday last weekend. And I think I'm going to regret it for the rest of my
 life. IgotatatooonmybuttandIthinkit'sgotteninfected,butIcan'tseeitandIwouldjustdieof

embarrassementifIhadtogotoDr.KouAmi!" she rushed through her problem all in one breath, flushing
 like ripe tomatoes. She turned her delicate profile away from him and then stared down at the floor
 as if she was waiting for it to open up and swallow her at any moment.

Mamoru was tempted to laugh, but refrained from doing so when he realized that she was serious
 and that the whole situation did embarrass her, thoroughly.  Instead, his lips twitched for a fraction
 of a second before he got control of his emotions.  He put down his pen that he was still holding,
 and stated, "You realize, that this is highly irregular."

"I . . . I . . ." she began, swinging her clear, bright blue eyes back in his direction.

"I couldn't examine you without another female in the room. It goes beyond my sense of
 professionalism, not to mention the ethics of the situation," he sighed, watching her through his
 slitted gaze.

"Then-then, that's okay. I'll just find a way to get it cleaned, somehow. Just forget I even mentioned
 it," she said hastily.  Now she was thoroughly humiliated; she had just shared this with a stranger,
 well not a stranger, but almost.  And he had refused to help her.  Yet, she definitely understood how
 he must feel. He was a through and through professional. "Thank you for your time, Chiba-sensei,"
 she said, wondering why her voice was wavering, and turned toward his office door to escape his
 now confining office. Oh God, I'm not going to cry! This is stupid, she thought to herself.

"Wait!" he said sharply, capturing her wrist in his strong grip.

"No--no, really, it's okay.  I understand," Usagi said, as her blurry eyes shot down to where his hand
 had captured hers, and then stared back up into his hard face.

Mamoru felt his breath catch for a moment as he gazed into those large, lovely blue orbs of hers,
 shining with large, unshed tears.  For a moment, he felt his heart melt at the sight of her tears.  No
 wonder all the techs and male doctors flocked to her like birds. He wondered for a brief moment,
 if she looked at all the guys like that. Then, the softness disappeared, and he let the wall of hardness
 close over his features again. Of course she did, he thought to himself. "Why don't you show me
 that tattoo, and I'll be the judge of whether or not you really need some medical attention, humph?"
 he said, suddenly turning away and facing his desk. His voice was back to its normal professional
 and eloquent monotone.

"Twenty-six." He heard her say, suddenly and softly.

"What?" he asked, totally forgetting that he had asked about her age a few minutes ago.  He reached
 over to the front of his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out a pair of latex gloves.

"You asked me what my age was.  I turned twenty-six, last weekend," she said as he turned around
 to look at her, pulling on a glove at the same time.  Her features were serene, the watery eyes now
 gone.

Sweet, innocent, and twenty-six, he thought bemused, for the moment. Then sighing again, he
 thought, but old enough to know . . . Old enough to know what, Mamoru thought to himself? He
 was doing it again, putting her in the same category as Beryl and Melissa. She doesn't deserve that,
 especially from a cynical guy like myself, he thought, suddenly.  Had she been like Beryl or
 Melissa, he would have known exactly what she was trying to get at. When he turned around to
 finish his thoughts, he was momentarily dumbfounded to find that Usagi facing away from him, 
 her skirt already unzipped, ready for him to examine her.

She looked very provocative, with her creamy skin peeking through her striped, volunteer skirt. Had
 she been Beryl, he would know that the thrust of her shapely buttocks would be intentional.  But
 she was not, as he noted the slight trembling in her limbs.  The laughter from earlier was
 completely gone, and he wanted her to be comfortable in his presence.

"Perhaps, Usagi-san," Mamoru began, his voice uncharacteristically soft. He reached over and gently
 pulled her arm, leading her over to his desk. She looked up at him, blushing profusely, her blue eyes
 wide as they questioned him. "you should lean up against my desk, like this---" He maneuvered her
 body against the front of his desk, and had her place her hands in front of her, her body now
 supported by her hands against his desk. He snapped on his desk light and directed it toward her
 buttocks.  Mamoru then unzipped and pulled part of her skirt back. He immediately saw the
 problem.

Her skin was obviously very sensitive. The tattoo design was expertly done and exquisite, even
 though he wasn't much into tattoos. A silver metallic-looking crescent moon interlocking with
 another metallic-looking larger, blue-green earth tattoo design. Mamoru reached over on his desk
 to pick up the antiseptic and gauze that he placed there after retrieving his latex gloves. "Have you
 ever heard the story of the Moon Princess?" Mamoru asked, feeling Usagi's body stiffen as he
 began swabbing the tattoo. He knew that conversation was a good way to soothe patients who were
 nervous.

"Yes, " Usagi replied, her voice somewhat muffled because she was facing Mamorus's desk and 
 the golden curtain of her hair acted like a barrier. "My mother used to tell me that fairy tale ever
 since I was a little girl. I know the story like the back of my hand." 

Mamoru smiled at the comment. He continued swabbing her tender skin, cleaning away any excess
 ink that was bleeding through her tender skin. "How long ago did you say you got this?" he asked, 
frowning slightly as he gaze touched on her the lacy top part of her panties that was only partially
 visible by her skirt. He pointedly ignored her smooth, creamy skin and the fact that his senses were
 filled with her subtle and delicate perfume that reminded him pleasantly of spring flowers.

"It's been about four days. Is it infected?" She asked, hesitantly.

"No, but your skin is very tender at the moment and you need to keep a loose bandage on it, until
 it heals a bit more," he replied, dabbing up some of the excess antiseptic. He leaned over his desk
 to reach for a bandage, which was next to the gauze. He smiled reassuringly to Usagi as her gaze
 caught his underneath the waterfall of her golden mane. Usagi reached over to push the bandage
 toward him as it was just out of his reach, when suddenly his office door opened and in strolled
 Nurse Junko and Nurse Yumi, both of them in a deep conversation.

"Chiba-sensei, Nurse Yumi wanted to know---oh! Oh, my God! Excuse us!" Nurse Junko exclaimed
 as her eyes took in the scenery before her. Nurse Yumi immediately flushed, the same meaning
 crossing her face. They both backed up, bumping into each other at the same time as they
 scrambled to leave Chiba-sensei's office as quickly as they had entered it.

"Hold up, Usagi-san," Mamoru said sternly, pushing her back down as Usagi tried to jump up from
 her position. Mamoru quickly bandaged up Usagi's tattoo, and zipped up her skirt efficiently.

"Chiba-sensei, thank you, but---" Usagi began, her face now as red as beets. Oh my God, Usagi
 thought with dismay. What they must be thinking!

"Don't worry about those two," Mamoru cut in, frowning as his gaze went toward the closed door. 
 "We did nothing inappropriate, Usagi-san. Except for no other female being present. If something
 should come up because of this, tell me.  I'll be the one to handle it, okay?" he asked, his hard gaze 
boring into hers, silencing any protest.

Usagi wanted to groan in frustration. Of course, Chiba-sensei wouldn't think anything of it. He
 never listened to rumors around the hospital. Nurse Junko was the biggest gossip and Nurse Yumi
 was jealous of the fact that Usagi was Chiba-sensei's assistant and not to mention that she was also
 in love with Shin. Shin didn't want to have anything to with her and had bated Usagi as competition
 for his affections, which at the time, had only caused some annoyance to Usagi. She only
 considered Shin as a friend, and nothing more.

"Usagi-san?" Mamoru prodded, seeing the uncertainty and worry in her face.

"Yes, and thank you, Chiba-sensei. I'll keep what you said in mind," Usagi nodded her head as she
 headed toward his door and left him leaning against his desk, staring after her.

 

 

 

 

Three days later . . . 

 

Mamoru looked up at his closed office door, a slight frown marring his brow. He glanced at his
 watch again. It was almost eight p.m. and there still was no sight of Usagi-san. He knew that she
 was periodically late, but an hour?  He didn't have any patients checked into the hospital at the
 moment, but he did want to pick up a couple of patient charts that needed to be closed out. Mamoru
 was just reaching for his jacket, when Kou Ami burst into his office, anger staining her features.
 Usagi reluctantly trailed in behind her, her usually bright eyes, downcast.

"Kou-sensei?" Mamoru acknowledged her, still reaching for his jacket. "Usagi-san?" It was on the
 tip of his tongue to ask her where she had been, when Kou-sensei interrupted his thoughts.

"I demand an explanation of exactly what is going on between you and Usagi-chan!" Ami demanded
 with barely contained anger.

"What is going on between Usagi---?" Mamoru asked, slightly confused by what she meant. He
 looked over at Usagi, who smiled apologetically.

"I tried to tell her that nothing's---" Usagi began, blushing, but Ami cut her off.

"That is no explanation, Usagi-chan and you know it!  I won't have your reputation ripped to shreds
 by this man!" Ami replied as she frowned at Mamoru. "Let me tell you exactly what has happened.
 Usagi-chan's reputation is on the line here."

"What are you talking about, Kou-sensei?" Mamoru asked, harshly.

"Don't you ever listen to the rumors, Chiba-sensei?" Ami asked, frustrated at Mamoru's nonchalant
 attitude. And Usagi was no better, acting almost as if she was protecting him from the rumors that
 were spreading like wildfires. Rumors of Usagi and Chiba-sensei in his office, doing
 unmentionables and in an unmentionable position!

"No, I don't.  Why should I, Kou-sesnsei?" Mamoru asked, dryly. He smirked at the thought that
 here was a professional such as Kou-sensei asking he such a thing.

"Because, Usagi-chan's date for the Christmas party has just dumped her without so much as to an
 explanation. The doctors are snubbing her and the nurses' tongues are being malicious," Ami
 finished, her face fierce with anger.

Mamoru's hard, blue gaze narrowed toward Usagi. "I thought I asked you to come to me if
 something like---" He was cut off again by the sound of Mr. Yokota's sharp voice interrupting them
 on the intercom.

"Chiba-sensei, I would like to see you and Usagi, when you find her, in my office right now," Mr.
 Yokota demanded.

"We'll be there, Yokota-sama," Mamoru replied, turning toward Ami and Usagi. "I'm afraid that
 we'll have to cut this conversation short, for the moment, Kou-sesnsei," Then turning toward Usagi,
 he said, "We've been summoned to Yokota-sama's office, Usagi-san. Shall we?"  He motioned the
 women toward the door.

"You still have me to contend with, Chiba-sensei," Ami replied sharply, still staring daggers at him.
 Usagi pointedly ignored the two of them, preferring to hide her emotions.

"As you please, Kou-sensei," Mamoru politely inclined his head toward her as they left his office.

 

 

"Chiba-sensei, as you know, you are very well respected in this hospital," Mr. Yokota began as he
 angrily addressed Mamoru. Usagi stood next to Mamoru, nervously bunching up her hands, gazing
 at everything within Mr. Yokota's office, except for Mr. Yokota himself.

Mamoru sighed with impatience. He was becoming very annoyed about these rumors already.
 "Would you and Usagi-san care to explain, why the two of you were caught in comprising positions
 within your own office, Chiba-sensei?" Mr. Yokota asked, then before Mamoru had a chance to
 speak, Mr. Yokota continued, "I don't care what you do with your social life, Chiba-sensei, but this
 hospital has an impeccable reputation to maintain. And I will not have it tarnished by the thought
 of one of my most respected doctors--not to mention that you have a seat on the board here
 Chiba-sesnsei--conducting clandestine affairs in my hospital!" Mr. Yokota huffed. He turned his
 back on the two silent figures before him, preferring to gaze out into the evening, awaiting the
 explanations for their behavior.

Usagi peeked up underneath her lashes at Mamoru and thought she caught the telltale beginnings
 of a smile before it was gone. The smile however, never seemed to reach his eyes, for they
 remained as hard as granite. She wondered for a moment, what Chiba-sensei could be thinking.

"Would you care to elaborate, Chiba-sensei? And what about you, Usagi-san? I haven't even heard
 a peep out of you, yet," Mr. Yokota asked, anger still tinting his voice.

"I . . . I . . . " Usagi nervously stammered and then stopped, when she suddenly felt a heavy arm
 reach across her shoulders, to squeeze her arm tightly.

"It is as you think, Yokota-sama," Mamoru began loudly over Usagi's shocked protest. She felt
 Mamoru squeeze her arm tightly, pinching a nerve, until she had to suppress a grimace of pain. 
"Unfortunately, I let my passionate affections for my fiancée, Usako, carry me away. It won't
 happen again, Yokota-sama," Mamoru finished, with an almost sardonic tone to his voice. 

Usagi could only stand there, her eyes wide and staring at Mamoru as if he had grown another head,
 mouth gaping open like a fish, stunned by the turn of events.  What in the name of . . . oh God, what
 is he thinking, she thought with panic and growing alarm?

"Fiancée, you say?" Mr. Yokota asked, also stunned by the news. Then he chuckled.  "Well . . . now,
 that makes complete sense. But, it still doesn't excuse your behavior, Chiba-sensei," Mr. Yokota
 replied.

Mamoru inclined his head, acknowledging his mistake. 

Usagi's eyes had grown wide with apprehension, wondering what was next. Open your mouth,
 thought the stunned Usagi. Say something, now!  But despite her mind's commands, her vocal
 chords remained inactive, numb with shock, and nothing escaped her suddenly dry throat.

"You realize now, that Usagi-san will not be able to volunteer here. Seeing as it goes against ethics
 for romantic partners to be working within the same organization," Mr. Yokota continued . . . 

 

It was almost one o'clock in the morning when Mamoru and Usagi finally left Mr. Yokota's office. 
 Usagi walked silently toward the front of the hospital's entrance, still in a daze.   She ignored the
 hospital staff's looks and whispering as they noted Mamoru and Usagi's exit from the hospital.
 Seeing them together only confirmed the rumors that were still circulating like a brush fire, burning
 out of control.

Mamoru watched her slumped shoulders and bowed head; even her odangos seemed to be drooping.
 "Usagi-chan, let me take you home. The bus has already quit running for the evening," Mamoru
 offered as she continued to walk slowly toward the bus shelter.

Usagi rounded on Mamoru, anger flushing her becoming face as she found her voice. "Your fiancée?
 Chiba-sensei, are you mad?!  What were you thinking?!" she cried out. "I could have handled it just
 fine."

"Usagi-chan, your reputation was getting ripped to pieces.  It didn't look like you were doing a very
 good job of 'handling' it," Mamoru replied, sarcastically.

"But your fiancée, Chiba-sensei?" she asked, still astonished. "Why?"

"Usagi-chan, I don't go around giving out little favors," he said, harshly.

"What do you mean, by that?" Usagi asked tentatively.  There was a certain feeling of dawning
 horror by his statement. 

"It means that, everything I do, has a meaning to serve my end, Usagi-chan," Mamoru replied, his
 gaze narrowing like cold marble in the cool, early morning.

What kind of man is he, Usagi thought suddenly as she continued to stare at him in the moonlight.
 "Why do I get the feeling that you want something from me?  And that-that this whole charade with
 me being your fiancée is part of it?" Usagi stammered, worry apparent in her voice.

"Your cooperation will entitle the funds for the community recreation center to be built, and exactly
 where you've been lobbying for it, right next to Juuban Elementary School," Mamoru finished as
 they started walking toward the hospital parking lot.

Usagi uttered a startled smother of expletives. "How-how do you know about that?" she gasped out,
 staring at him with new eyes.

Mamoru gave her a lopsided grin. "Have you ever heard of Chiba Financial Corporation?" He
 watched her eyes widen again, this time in understanding as she connected his surname with the
 large corporation that held the funds for the recreation center to be built. "When my parents died,
 they left me a large fortune," he continued.  That was understatement, Mamoru thought, but he
 didn't elaborate. "Currently, my grandfather controls everything.  He will give up the rights gladly,
 as stated in the will, but not without me fulfilling the stipulations enclosed the will by my parents,"
 he sighed. 

Usagi stared at Mamoru, almost in awe.  He was the heir to the Chiba Financial Corporation.  It
 boggled one's mind just thinking about it. His family was stated to have millions, mostly in
 overseas investments and computer technology.  She had heard of his grandfather, and who hadn't?
 He was one of the most powerful figures within the circle of bankers and the government.  Not only
 did Chiba-sensei have good looks, and a brain, but money too. "You're doing this for money?" she 
asked, it seemed kind of lame to her.

"The money is just icing on the cake, Usagi-chan," Mamoru chuckled as they stopped in front of a 
luxurious, red sports car. "Currently, 'jii-san has made good, honest decisions in controlling the 
money. A lot of the money goes into charity organizations, with the stipulation that the charities 
invest within the corporation to fund their ventures."

"I read about that in the papers," Usagi stated, fascinated by the idea and momentarily forgetting her 
current situation.  It was one of the reasons why the Juuban district was so financially well off. It 
was a win-win situation all around, for the corporation and the charity. No wonder so many charities 
solicited the Chiba Financial Corporation. It was a trend that was catching on among the wealthy 
families of Japan as well as other financially well off companies. "But what does this have to do 
with me or what has happened, Chiba-sensei?" she asked, still overwhelmed by everything she was 
fast learning about the private Chiba Mamoru.

Mamoru gazed at her for long moments, before unlocking her side of the door, "The stipulation in 
the will states that I should have a fiancée." At her moan of dismay, he continued, "And that it must 
be convincing that I'm marrying for love. At least, to 'jii-san," he laughed dryly.

"But why me?" Usagi cried out, shuddering a little in renewed horror. "I mean, what-what about 
Beryl or this Melissa?" she lamented still standing outside of his car door.

"Get in, Usagi-chan," Mamoru stated, quietly and authoritatively.

She got into the car quickly, still staring forward in amazement. She wondered briefly why she 
seemed to be going along with his ordering about, as if he was addressing a child.  This can't be 
happening to me, she thought. I wish . . . I wish I never met Chiba Mamoru, she thought vehemently, 
as her mouth suddenly seemed parched and dry.

"Let's just say, that they wouldn't work for the part I have in mind for you," Mamoru stated 
diversely, as he drove out of the hospital parking lot and onto Juuban's streets. The 911 Porsche 
purred like a contented cat, hugging the road with its sleek design.

"You're blackmailing me, Chiba-sensei!" Usagi accused him.

"No, I'll be insuring that the funds get used toward your recreation center, by influencing 'jii-san," 
Mamoru finished, smiling slightly as they pulled up to Usagi's apartment building.  He knew 
Usagi's address and had memorized it, when he came across her personal information at the 
hospital, some time ago.

"I . . . Chiba-sensei---" She said, almost in defeat. Oh God, but she wanted that recreation center bad 
for those kids. She couldn't let that dream die in her hands, not when she could do something about 
it.

"Mamoru, Usagi-chan," Mamoru sighed, a little impatient.  His gaze turned toward her in the dark 
car. She looked up at him again, with those incredibly huge eyes of hers. He couldn't tell the color 
in the darkness of his car, but he certainly could feel the blueness of them and the emotional roller 
coaster taking place within her. "There's another reason why I choose you  . . . Usagi-chan," he said 
quietly, almost to himself.

"Another reason?  What other . . . ugh . . . I give up!" She almost cried, feeling slightly desperate. 
Then, as his gaze changed subtly, her heart began hammering away with enough force to silence a 
thunderstorm. There was a certain feeling of overwhelming heaviness, and a kind of charge apparent 
in the environment of his car, as they continued to gaze at one another.

"I don't know . . ." he said to himself out loud, his voice suddenly low and husky. His large hand 
reached out to trace the curve of her delicate jaw line. 

Usagi froze, shocked and unable to believe that Chiba--no Mamoru-san--was touching her face, 
intimately, the way a lover would.

"There's something about you . . . Usako. . . ." Mamoru ground out slowly, liking the sound of her 
name on his lips. A certain pull . . . attraction about you, Usako. . . . I want to . . . to touch you. . . 
 "I want to kiss you . . . Usako," he murmured, the sound of his voice trailing off into the darkness, 
his hand now gently gripping the back of her head and pulling her face slowly toward him.

I'm going to kiss Chiba--no, Mamoru-san, Usagi's hazy voice said to herself.  Dazedly, she wondered 
if she was still in the same dimension or that if she had entered the Twilight Zone. This isn't real, 
Usagi's mind screamed at her as her eyes continued to gaze at Mamoru's lips hovering dangerously 
close to her own and getting closer with each rapid breath she took. This isn't happening, this--and 
then after that, all that mattered was the feel of his lips against hers. She sighed softly underneath 
the sensual pressure of his kiss. 

Expertly, his lips explored her honeyed lips, savoring the sweet and lingering taste of her nectar. 
Liking the taste of her, he coaxed her lips apart and his tongue delved into her sweet mouth, eliciting 
a helpless moan of fusing desire from her.

"Usako . . ." Mamoru pulled back suddenly, staring at her swollen lips. He wondered why he had 
let himself get so out of control.

"Mamoru-san . . . " Usagi whispered back, still caught up in the fire, her heavy lids slowly opening.

Mamoru felt his body respond swiftly to Usagi's passion-glazed gaze.  Her deep gaze smoldered with 
an unquenched fire.  He ignored his body, but unable to resist, kissed her one last time, hard and 
swiftly.  "You should get in, Usagi-chan. Before I do something that we'll both regret," he said, his 
voice sounding a bit harsh, but steady.  Usagi's eyes snapped open with clarity.  Her lips still tingled 
and felt swollen from the touch of his lips on hers. She touched them, with trembling fingers, still a 
little dazed about what had just happened. When she gazed back at Mamoru, she realized that it 
wasn't just some fantasy that she had been daydreaming about.  His hard, lapis-blue eyes, still 
smoldered with some unknown emotion as they continued to gaze at one another. She could practically
feel the heat rising from herself and him. To have tasted his lips, oh it was short of sheer 
bliss, Usagi thought desperately as her eyes once more dipped to his lips, unknowingly caressing 
them.

"Don't do that, Usako . . . or as God is my witness, I'll take you right here and now." Mamoru gritted 
out, almost painfully, his body now clamoring for the feel, the touch of hers against him. That 
should scare her, he laughed ironically to himself.

"I . . . Oh . . . I'll go," Usagi squeaked, her hands fumbling to grip the door handle. She quickly got 
out of the car, grateful for the darkness of the night.  It shielded her now flushed face as the cool, 
morning air touched her heated cheeks. She ran up the small steps to the glass doors or her 
apartment, her hands shaking from the emotional turmoil within her. She looked over her shoulder, 
toward his receding car, still wondering if she was going to waken to reality and the insistent beeping 
of her alarm clock any moment now.

 

 

 

Please stay tuned for Part Three . . . Lady M. Harris