My Boyfriend's Brother

I just to thank all all of you who rated my fanfict and those of you who offered reviews. I am overwhelmed by your response and your kind words. I hope my interpretation of Inuyasha's character remain as faithful to the original and that my writing continue to hold your interest...

It was a clear night and the full moon seemed so huge and close to the earth. Its light burned though the darkness of the trees, illuminating everything in her path. Kagome had been unable to sleep. She walked alone in the general direction of the hot spring she had soaked in earlier that day, thinking that another bath might relax her enough to sleep. She was surprised that Inuyasha had not woken as she moved through the camp. He was such a light sleeper. The steaming water was in sight.

Her soak was particularly satisfying, confident that she was away from the prying eyes of Miroku. It was a running joke at this stage that she and Sango should be disturbed while bathing and that Inuyasha and Miroku should run to their rescue. Miroku enjoyed it entirely too much. Inuyasha had the grace to be embarrassed at least. She suspected that breasts frightened him.

She made the dash from the spring to her clothes. Shivering in the coolness of the night air, she quickly towelled herself dry. He came in a whoosh of air and landed lightly on the bank. Her brown eyes met golden eyes. The white kimono looked ethereal in the moonlight. The sheen on his silver hair made it appear translucent.

“Sesshomaru-sama!”, Kagome cried.

She was surprised to see him so far from his territory. Had he followed her group? Sesshomaru’s eyes bored into hers. His gaze moved downwards, and then back to her face again. She glanced down and was reminded she was naked. The towel was clutched in her lap covering her groin and her upper thighs.

“Eeep!”

She pulled the towel up to cover the rest of her body. Sesshomaru raised an elegant eyebrow. She could have sworn she saw the corner of his mouth twitch. It was hard to tell at this distance. She found her voice.

“Sesshomaru-sama, why are you here?”, she said.

Her voice was a little strangled in her throat. Usually she was not so formal when she addressed anyone but Sesshomaru demanded respect. He simultaneously titillated and unnerved her. Earlier that day she had been thinking of him while she masturbated. Now that she was in his presence she wanted to be as far away from him as possible.

His absence had seemed like eternity when in reality it had only been a few days. In that sojourn she had time to think, and thought had made her nervous of him, not so much for her physical safely but for the safety of her heart as well. The sound of her own heart breaking had keenly resounded through her world not so long ago. Yet she had stayed by Inuyasha’s side. She did not want to hear the loudness of those funeral bells anytime soon....

Sesshomaru made no reply to her question. She watched him advance towards her. He stopped on a few feet away. She stared up at him. The little voice in the back of her head screamed at her to run away but her body would not comply. She watched as a small frown line formed across the smoothness of his brow and the corners of his eyes narrowed slightly. He finally spoke.

“Why do you call me Sesshomaru-sama, wench?”, he said, “Do you not consider yourself my equal?”

His voice was warm and deep but there was an edge to it. It cut her as if it had physical force. She swallowed.

“Yes, I do”, she said, “But you told me I was to call you Sesshomaru-sama…”

Her expression was one of confusion. Her throat was suddenly parched. Her voice had come out as a croak. He disregarded the last part of her answer.

“Stand in my presence and face me as an equal, human”, he said.

His voice was commanding. It made even the small hairs on the back of her neck stand to attention. It too a few moments to make her limbs work, but Kagome stood shakily, trying to cover herself as she did so. She trembled, partly in cold, partly in trepidation but she could still meet his eyes. She was tall for a girl but the demon lord was taller. He towered head and shoulders above her.

“Why are you here?”, she said again.

Mercifully her voice sounded normal to her ears. Something moved behind his eyes. Then the usual bored expression returned.

“I wished to bathe”, he said.

Sesshomaru turned and walked towards the lip of the pool, leaving her staring in surprise at the spot he had vacated. The danger had passed, at least temporarily, but Kagome’s knees were shaky. She lowered herself on to the bank.

Something hit the bank with a soft thud. She looked in the direction of the sound. One of Sesshomaru’s boots was lying on the bank by his feet. She watched as he balanced easily on one leg and removed the other boot. He removed his sword and laid it carefully on the bank. The obi belt that held it in place fluttered to join it. The soft pelt he carried did likewise.

Fascinated, she watched as he detached the paudlin from the main part of his armour. The fixtures that held the breastplate and back plate together became apparent as if by magic. Then it occurred to her that it was magic that concealed them. His progress had been slow, courtesy of his missing arm, hacked off by Inuyasha the first time he had come to claim Tetsusaiga as his own. Yet, Kagome would never think of Sesshomaru as handicapped. He was a still formidable foe.

A crosswind tore the breath from her body and rippled Sesshomaru’s kimono and hakama. The absence of the sword and armour made him seem smaller and less threatening, but it was an illusion. She knew he could tear her limb from limb with just his bare hand. He half-turned towards her. Panic rose in her chest. Her face flushed, yet she could not look away. He loosened the tie holding the waist of his hakama taut. His golden eyes remained fixed on hers, his face impassive as he drew his kimono out of the waistband of the hakama.

He moved it off his shoulders one side at a time. The kimono slipped to the ground. He still wore a plain white, shorter kimono underneath it. Underneath the under kimono and hakama there were probably more layers. She doubted if it was anything to do with feeling the cold. Kagome was learning that the layers of clothing one wore in the past were an indication of status, not a fashion statement.

He drew the under kimono out of the waistband of his hakama. He moved it off one shoulder. She caught a glimpse of nicely defined pectoral and a flash of pale, pink nipple before she tore her gaze away with a soft cry. There was an amused light in Sesshomaru’s eyes as he turned back towards the pool.

Her eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets, in something of a delayed reaction. Just what the hell is going on here? Since he had learned Kagome was attracted to him, Sesshomaru had become something of a menace. Usually Inuyasha was the target of his attacks but lately he would literally pounce on her, remind her none too gently that he was in charge of the situation, caress her, then leave. He hurt her, yet she found him irresistible. She was convinced he cared about her in his own sick little way.

He stood not ten feet away, undressing. Was his plan to befuddle and confound her, then kill her and eat her corpse? Perhaps he was he planning to screw her until her brains fell out, then disappear, never to be seen again… Okay! Maybe that last part was only wishful thinking… Kagome sighed. Was there a plan at all? Maybe he just stank to high hell and desperately needed a bath? Sesshomaru was something of a mystery.

She looked back to the demon again. He was now naked and wading into the pool. His long silver hair trailed down his back past his buttocks, hiding much of his body from her view. Shadow took care of the rest. She could see the outer contours of the muscle in his upper arms, shoulders, thighs and calves but little else. His left arm stopped abruptly above the elbow. It was shocking to behold.

He waded in until the water reached his waist. The water had not seemed that deep when Kagome had been in the spring. There had to be a deeper pool in the centre where he stood. She realised that this had to be one of his usual spots to bathe if he was so familiar with the pool.

She passed through this area so often with her friends. He had a talent for silence. Could Sesshomaru have been here before when she bathing alone or with Sango? Had he been nearby earlier when she had masturbated? These thoughts simultaneous chilled and excited her. Kagome shivered.

Sesshomaru half-turned his head towards her. He looked at her out of the corner of one wide golden eye. She felt the heat rise in her face again.

“You are still here, human”, he said.

“Yes…”

Her voice sounded a little strangled.

“I cannot hear you”, he said.

Why lie? He must know she knew dog demons are gifted with super sensitive hearing? Kagome decided he was just trying to intimidate her. She cleared her throat.

“Yes”, she said.

Her voice was a little clearer this time.

“So join me, instead of shivering on the bank”, he said.

Her eyes widened. Had she heard right? She stared at him.

“What?”, she said.

He turned his upper body towards her, so she could see his face. Muscle moved under the smooth skin of his torso.

“I do not repeat myself”, he said.

“I already had a bath.”

“I care not. Get in.”

“What if I refuse?”

Sesshomaru smiled. Fear made her chest tight. For a moment Kagome could not breathe. Her breath returned in gasps.

“Okay”, she rasped, “I’m getting up. See?”

He was watching her with his usual bored mask. He turned away from her again. Necessity willed her legs to work. She was reluctant to leave the towel on the bank but it was the only towel she had with her. She hated the idea of putting on dry clothes over wet skin. She was amazed that her brain was working at all, she was so harried.

She waded in and took up a spot as far away from him as she could be. She sat down in the water and turned her back to him. Then she thought better of it and turned towards him. The water covered her almost to her collarbone but it was a wasted exercise.

He was not looking at her. He seemed to be engaged by the moon. She half-expected him to throw back his head and howl at it. Then she realised his eyes were closed. She watched him in silence. He looked so serene. His hand rested on the middle of his chest. He could have just any other buff, good-looking guy with unusual colouring, if you overlooked the markings on his face and the long, curved claws on the ends of his fingers. She tried not to stare at his left arm.

He chose that moment to immerse his entire body in the water. Kagome started. She waited for him to re-emerge. Then she saw a dark shape in the water coming towards her. Abruptly, Sesshomaru surfaced a foot or so away, flinging his wet hair back behind him.
She was too surprised to shriek. The sound died in her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for him attack. Seconds ticked by and nothing happened. She opened her eyes. They fell on his bare knees. The water level reached to the centre of his kneecaps.

“Kagome, look at me”, he said.

His voice was soft. Kagome shivered. Her eyes widened, surprised to be addressed by name. Her gaze travelled upwards. Clothed and wearing his armour, it created the illusion that he was very thin. Naked, the illusion was shattered. His was not the body of a rangy teenager, but that of a mature adult male. Broad, muscular shoulders tapered down to narrow hips. Magenta stripes on his hips curled upwards towards his narrow waist like bloody slashes in the moonlight. Water-darkened, silver hair clung wetly to his face and body. Water dripped off it and rolled down his skin in tiny rivulets.

There was not an inch of flab on his hard body. His thighs, abdomen, chest, and arms rippled with muscle. In her initial examination Kagome had almost prudishly given his groin the most fleeting of glimpses. Now her gaze was drawn downward towards his erect penis. It seemed huge and white in the moonlight; angling towards her from a patch of curling, silver pubic hair. She felt her cheeks flush.

“Kagome…”, Sesshomaru said.

She raised her eyes to look at his face. The broad-shouldered, narrow-hipped, warrior body did not match those delicate features. The angle of his cheekbones, the straightness of his nose, the lines of his jaw were too perfect. His eyes were shaded by a longer, curling, wet fringe. An eerie light burned in the depths of those shadowed sockets. With a toss of his head Sesshomaru shook his fringe out of those wide golden eyes. It was then Kagome noticed that his irises were tinged with red. She felt a stab of fear.

“Do you like what you see?”, he said.

He was beautiful she could not deny that. It was hard to think of him as an enemy when he had removed his armour, weapon and silks and exposed his vulnerable, naked body to her. The single undeniable fact remained; they were enemies.

“Yes...”, she whispered.

“Stand.”

She stared at him.

“You will comply with my request”, he said.

His expression did not change but his tone was commanding. She folded one arm in front of her breasts to shield her nipples from his gaze. She stood, shakily. She attempted to keep the patch of unruly, dark hair between her legs covered with her other hand as she did so.

He moved towards her. When he drew near, he changed direction and brushed past her, his arm rubbing along the edge of her shoulder. She trembled, but not out of fear. Her eyes widened.

“Why do you shield your parts from my gaze?”, he said, “You are quite tolerable to look at for a naked, human female.”

Was that what they called a backhanded compliment? Kagome could not see Sesshomaru’s face because he was standing behind her. The weight of his gaze made the skin on the back of her body prickle. She made no answer.

“Are you ashamed of your nakedness?”, he said.

“No!”

“Ah! You are being modest.”

She could hear the amusement in his voice. Her face flushed.

“What’s wrong with that?”, she said.

She turned her head and looked at him. His face was blank. If his irises were not floating in a sea of red she would have said he was bored. He stared at her.

“Nothing at all”, he said, “It is just unexpected...”

She looked away. She could not look at his eyes. They made her think of blood. He trailed long, elegant, clawed fingers up her upper arm and across her collarbone. She forced herself to remain absolutely still, fearful of the damage those sharp claws could inflict on her skin, tender as it from the heat of the spring. He picked up a handful of her wet, dark hair and moved it aside.

Abruptly he grabbed her chin and turned her head to the side, exposing the side of her throat. His muscular upper body pressed against her back. She made a small sound. An overwhelming sense of dread filled her but she knew there was no escape. He was too strong. Her mind was surprisingly clear. The myriad of nagging little voices had gone still leaving behind a ringing, emptiness their wake. She closed her eyes and awaited the inevitable.

He bit down on the flesh between her neck and shoulder, breaking the skin. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut. A soft cry escaped her lips. Then his fangs released her. She smelled the metallic tang of blood on the night air and felt it run in warm rivulets down her back. Huh! She opened her eyes. Why am I still alive? Then she felt something firm, warm and wet touch her skin. She realised it was his tongue, lapping up the blood. He licked the wound clean.
-
He released her chin. Sesshomaru’s arm went around her waist, pressing the back of her naked body against the front of his. The hand covering her pubic area became displaced. She felt the press of his erection against her lower back and ripple of excitement coursed through her body.

Kagome knew she should have been alarmed but the fear was gone. That was the most surprising part. His tongue pressing on the wound, stemming the flow of blood was beginning to feel more like pleasure than pain. It tore a moan from her throat.

His hand followed the curve of her hip. It moved across the flat of her belly. It moved upwards over the curve of her ribs until it touched the arm covering her breasts. Her brushed her arm away from her breasts. He cupped one naked breast and held in his hand as if he was measuring the fullness and weight of it.

He began to massage the breast, concentrating his attention on the upper part of it and the nipple. He took the utmost care not to nick her skin with his claws as he did so. The nipple was painfully hard, the pressure of his fingers somewhere between torture and pleasure. Her breath came in gasps between soft moans. Her neck arched, pressing her upper back against his chest, as waves of pleasure overtook her. She could feel the blood rush to her lower body.

Her other breast received similar treatment to the first. She was literally putty in his hands. He licked away a rivulet of blood, that had run down her back and she trembled. His caresses were gentle. So were the flicks of his tongue as he licked away fresh dribbles of blood from the wound. The bite had frightened her. The continuing pain told her it was a not so recent nightmare.

Was he planning to have sex with her? The day he kissed her he said he did not rape to fulfil his sexual needs. Biting her had been pretty forceful. Her body craved attention but if he was going to be violent she did not want him. If he wanted he could push her down into the water and take her right now and there would be nothing she could do to stop him. Tears were her only weapon.

Sesshomaru moved around her, his hand trailing across her skin as he did so. He cupped one side of her face in his hand.

“Do you still fear me?”, he said.

She stared at him. Her eyes widened as the realisation hit her.

“No”, she said.

There was no surprise in his eyes. They were almost completely red. Some gold still lingered around the pupil. She realised his eyes had changed colour because he was aroused, not because he was angered. Now that, was an interesting piece of trivia...

“You should”, he said.

“Why? You’re not going to kill me.”

“I still could.”

“Not now. You want something else from me...”

He raised an eyebrow. He leaned towards her. She was expecting him to kiss her but instead he licked her bottom lip. She jerked her head backwards. Sesshomaru looked slightly disconcerted. He leaned towards her again. He kissed her. She kissed him back. He trailed his tongue along her bottom lip. He pressed the tip of it against her lips seeking a way inside. She let her lips part. He slipped his tongue inside. Gently he probed the inside of her mouth, tongue caressing her tongue, urging her to do the same.

She reciprocated, nicking her tongue on one of his fangs in her eagerness. He growled softly. Damn it! Not again! I’m going to have to work on that. She reached out a hand and touched the side of his face. For a moment Sesshomaru was still. She pulled her hand back, thinking she had made a mistake. She met his eyes.

“I’m sorry”, she said automatically.

That small furrow appeared between his eyebrows.

“Touch me if you wish”, he said, “You let me touch you... It is only fair.”

The use of the word “let” surprised her. If she tried to bolt, would he have let her escape? She touched her neck in the site of the injury. She winced in pain as blind fingers explored the damaged, tender flesh. The arm jerked away as if it had been electrocuted. She examined her fingers, looking for blood, but finding only a coating of Sesshomaru’s healing saliva. She frowned at him.

“Why did you bite me?”, she said.

Sesshomaru was silent.

“Sesshomaru-san?”

The corner of his mouth twitched.

“I had visions of you calling me Sesshomaru-sama while I copulated with you”, he said, “Sesshomaru-san is an improvement.”

“Huh?”

He picked her up and held her against his body with his right arm while he carried her out of the water.

“Eeep!”

She wound her arms around his neck, fearful that he would drop her. Kagome worried in vain. Sesshomaru carried her easily as a doll. She felt the motion in his chest and shoulders as he strode towards the bank. Pressed against him, she was conscious of the innate difference in their bodies. His body seemed to be all lines and angles, hard, muscular, unyielding, bony in places. She cold feel the softness of her breasts, hips and thighs against him. Even the parts of her where the bone came close to the skin, like her shoulders and her knees seemed soft and rounded. She felt a thrill in her chest.

He knelt on the bank and laid her down on something soft and yielding. She grasped a handful of it and lifted held it up to view. It was pelt he carried. It was warm under her, but not as warm as Sesshomaru’s skin as she traced the stripes on his cheek. He leaned into the caress.

She sat up slightly. She put her other hand on his opposite cheek, holding his face in her hands. She kissed his mouth. Then she met his eyes and saw puzzlement in them. She kissed him again. She slipped her tongue into his mouth and probed gently, touching, tasting him. She managed not to cut herself this time when she negotiated around his fangs.

“Are you trying to teach me a lesson, woman?”, he said.

It was an improvement on human. He growled softly. The sensation ran down her arms to the elbow.

“No, I…”

The corners of his mouth twitched. She was beginning to learn that it was his version of a smile.

“I am not too proud to take instruction from a willing teacher”, he said.

Her eyes widened. How did years of following Inuyasha around, taking what little scraps affection he was willing to offer, make her a teacher? Even masturbation was pretty unfulfilling. She was something of a frustrated virgin. He did not give her much more time to be surprised. He kissed her mouth. He put his hand on her shoulder and pressed her back down on to the pelt. He eased a muscular thigh between hers so that he hovering over her.

Kagome stared up at him. Light and shadow played on his face and body, defining his cheekbones, his shoulders, the planes of his chest, the ridges of muscle on his torso, the shaft of his half-erect penis, the bulges of muscle in his thighs. Her breath caught in her throat.

“God, you’re gorgeous…”

“God has very little to do with it”, he said matter-of-factly.

“Still…”

She smiled. She held out her arms to him. An errant emotion flitted across his face, too fast to see. He leaned downwards and put his arm around her, gathering her to him. She put her arms around him, resting small hands on the smooth skin of his back. He made a slight sound. His damp, silver hair slid around them. Kagome picked up handfuls of it and let the smooth layers trail through her fingers. Even wet, it was so soft to touch.

He kissed her mouth, softly at first. Then his kisses became more intense and demanding. She could feel his erection grow again, against her stomach. His kisses trailed across her chin, then down her neck. He licked the hollow of her throat. He licked the tops of breasts with short, firm strokes. His licked the parting between her breasts. His face nuzzled her chest. Nose and lips brushed over the inner curve of her breast.

His lips closed around the nipple. He pulled gently on it. It hardened between his lips. Somebody was making soft moaning noises. Kagome realised it was her. Sesshomaru opened his teeth, drawing the aureole and as much of the breast into his mouth as he could. He sucked the tender flesh, eliciting louder moans from Kagome. Then he bit down gently. She gasped. She met his eyes. They were red save for the pupil, which had become a dark slit.

“Sesshomaru-san…”

Her voice sounded breathless. Her eyes were wide. He released her, leaving impressions of his teeth behind on her flesh. The pad of a long elegant finger brushed her skin with the lightest of touches.

“I did not break the skin”, he assured her.

He leaned his head towards her breast again, watching her eyes. Then he turned his eyes towards his prize. She watched his long, pink tongue slip out of his mouth and flick the nipple. Kagome made a small sound. His face tilted downwards so she could no longer look into his eyes or see his tongue.

His strokes became more persistent, bearing down on the nipple, causing it to harden again. He continued his ministrations. His hand cupped the other breast, massaging it with soft strokes. The sensations seemed to snake down the nerves of her body to her groin. Inside her, muscles were tightening, her vagina moistening. Her moans became soft cries. Her spine arched, pressing her hips against his hips and her breasts into his face. He nuzzled her chest again, growling softly. The vibration danced over her skin, making her shiver.

His kisses trailed across her breast, traversed the valley between her breasts and across the other breast. Again he focussed the attention of his lips and tongue on the nipple while his hand massaged the other breast. Her body was writhing under him, rubbing against him in all the right places; anxious for the moment he would bring her closer to release. His thigh deliberately rubbed against the soft mound between her legs.

His head moved lower. His mouth kissed a line down to her navel. His tongue made a circle around her navel. He pressed his tongue into the navel and she squirmed and giggled. His kisses moved down the curve of her belly. There he seemed to hesitate. She caressed his shoulders and upper arms. Aside from his head it was the only part of him she could reach.

His kisses moved over the dark hair between her legs. Her eyes were a little wide. He gripped her thigh in his hand. He parted her legs slightly. He kissed her along the inside of her thigh where it joined the rest of her body. Kagome moaned. His kisses moved over her thigh. Sesshomaru’s tongue found the sensitive spot behind her knee, making her writhe and gasp. His mouth continued down her leg. He even kissed the soles of her feet. He sucked her toes in turn. She moaned, surprised by the pleasure the act produced. He repeated the process on the other foot. Then he kissed his way up he leg until his face brushed her groin.

He knelt back on his heels. He trailed his hand down her body, claws brushing her skin. It came to rest on the curve of her thigh. She watched his face. Now that Sesshomaru’s body was not covering her any longer, she was beginning to feel the cold of the night, despite the warmth of his pelt beneath her. She could feel the night air on the tender area between her legs. It seemed to pulse as if all the blood in her body had rushed to the region. She knew she was wet and ready for him. She shivered. He met her eyes.

“When I was but a whelp, this is not how I imagined my life would be…”, he said.

“I think I can understand…”

He cocked his head slightly, reminding her that he was indeed an Inuyoukai.

“Can you?”, he said.

His tone was so condescending she wanted to slap him. Her eyes flashed with white-hot anger.

“Yes!”, she cried.

The corners of his mouth twitched.

“I knew there was a reason I chose you, Kagome.”

There was an intensity to his gaze. She went from angry to confused.

“Chose me for what exactly?”, she said slowly.

Sesshomaru made no answer. He just watched her in the same maddening way. He put his hand between her legs. She made a small sound. An exploratory finger found the entrance to her vagina. It was half-covered by a veil of hymen. His eyebrow lifted.
He moved her legs further apart.

He could see the moisture on her pubic hair and the lips of her vulva but he pushed a finger into her vagina nonetheless, stretching the hymen. The sensation was strange. She felt his long, cool finger move slowly in and out of her hot, slick opening. She gasped. She tried not to move, conscious of what the clawed end of his finger could do. He pulled his finger out, deliberately rubbing her clitoris with his knuckle as he did so. This elicited another gasp from Kagome as it sprang to life again.

He gently adjusted the position of her buttocks and lower back so that the opening was at the right angle for entry. She felt exposed, vulnerable, though she was giving herself to him willingly. It showed in her eyes. He lay across her, pinning her body to the ground. He kissed her mouth. Then he met her eyes. She put her arms around him. He leaned towards her and as though he was going to kiss her neck. Instead his teeth bit down on the sensitive flesh of her earlobe.

“Hey! That…”

He moved and she felt the pressure on her lower body ease. Then he plunged into her.

“HURTS!”

Kagome screamed. Her nails dug into his back and upper arm, drawing blood. The pain between her legs was sharp but it was over in seconds. He let go of her earlobe. The thrusting motion continued for some moments. She stared at the moon over his shoulder. Is this really what all the fuss is about? Then the rhythm changed to a slower, far more sensual one. He moved so she could see his face. He kissed her. She kissed him back.

Beneath him, her hips began to buck. He gripped her hip, forcing a stop. The tips of two of his claws pierced her skin. She just knew there was going to be an ugly bruise there in the morning. Sesshomaru’s buttocks were poised in mid-air. Kagome wanted to laugh but she sensed it would be inappropriate. The look on his face was too intense. She looked down their bodies and she could see the head his penis between them. Most of it was still sheathed inside her. He drew himself up drawing most of his penis out of her. Only the tip remained inside her.

His abdominal muscles contracted. He thrust downwards. He pushed her lower body upward until the shaft of his penis was sheathed deep inside her again. His pubic bone rubbed against her clitoris. He withdrew the length of his penis until only the tip of him remained inside her once more. He let go of her hip and they thrust upwards to meet him of their own accord as Sesshomaru thrust downwards again. She met his eyes. He was watching her face.

“I have a willing teacher”, she said between gasps.

He growled and buried his face in the side of her neck. His mouth worked the sensitive flesh. She closed her eyes. She moaned softly. He smoothed away the damp tendrils of hair that were clinging to her cheeks and forehead. She met his eyes. He kissed her. Beneath him, her hips were still moving in time with his. She was already breathing hard and her skin was clammy with sweat. Yet Sesshomaru seemed strangely fresh.

She touched his chest. His heart thudded at a normal pace. She appreciated that he was being gentle because it was her first time but this was not the Sesshomaru she cavorted with in her dreams. That Sesshomaru could be tender, but he could be rough and demanding. As she ran her hands freely over his shoulders, arms, chest and abdominals she could feel the potential in his hard muscled body. He was holding back. She could tell.

“Go faster”, she said.

Surprise registered in his eyes for a moment before he frowned.

“Did you say go faster?”, he said.

“Yes, faster!”

“You do not know what you ask…”

“Faster, Sesshomaru! Harder!”

“I would tear you apart!”

His voice was a growl. She regarded him with cool eyes. It was a near imitation of his usual expression.

“Try me”, she said.
His eyes widened.

“As my lady wishes…”

Gradually the tempo built. His thrusts came faster and harder. Kagome became wetter and wetter. She stared up into his eyes, hearing the physical slap and squelch of flesh as his hardened shaft rammed into and pulled out of the slick, hungry mouth of her vagina. Sesshomaru had no fear that he would be swallowed up. The look on his face told her that he might even welcome it. It was the face of drowning man. Correction. Demon. If demon lords can drown… She watched the sweat bead on his skin, listened to his breathing deepen. Growls issued from forth from a throat that looked too delicate to hold such sounds.

He was bruising her tender flesh but she did not care. If he was bloodying her she did not care. He was beautiful and he was hers, even if it was just for a little while. She wrapped her legs around his waist and rode the motion with him for as long as it might last. She was conscious of a sensation building in her lower body. Her cries mingled with his growls. The sensation reached its climax and for a moment she was blind, bathed in a shining white light. She stiffened. Her whole body shuddered and twitched. Then she went still. She heard him call her name.

When she could see again, he slumped over her. He was so heavy. His face was buried in her neck. His breath was hot on her skin. Between her legs she was tender. Her skin was wet with sweat, not all of it her own. Her thigh muscles ached unaccustomed to being held in one position for so long.

She tried to lift her arm but it would not comply. It was held in place over her head by his hand on her bicep. She lifted her other hand and touched the tangle of his silver hair. If his hair had gotten so tangled, and he was on top of her, what was hers going to be like to brush out afterwards?

“Sesshomaru…”, Kagome said.

He groaned.

“Just a little longer…”, he said.

She lay there, pinned by his weight for what seemed like a long time. Then unexpectedly the pressure eased. He rolled on to his back, taking her with him. She was surprised to find herself laying on top him, her face only inches away from his. His arm went around her, holding her against him.

The corners of his lips twitched. He looked like the cat that got the cream. Wrong metaphor. Should that be the dog that got the sausages? If she said the word cat aloud he would probably growl at her. The whimsical part of her brain was sorely tempted. Not that she would mind. After the initial shock the growling had became really hot.

His eyes were half closed, long silver lashes almost touching his cheek. Dreamlike, she touched the magenta stripe on one of his eyelids. The eyelid twitched and she took her hand away. A sense of disbelief was beginning to set in. A small furrow appeared between his eyebrows.

“I see something in your eyes…”, he said.

She met his gaze.

“That might be because I’m trying to figure out what the hell is going on!”, she said, “One minute I’m taking a bath, congratulating myself that I managed to get away from the prying eyes of a certain immoral monk… The next minute I’m skinny dipping with a hot, naked Sesshomaru, who by the way is supposed to be my enemy! Then… Well, you know what happened!”

Sesshomaru lifted an eyebrow.

“When you say hot, you mean beautiful, yes?”, he said.

Kagome’s jaw dropped. She stared at him. It was then she noticed that his eyes were their usual gorgeous, golden colour once more. There was a certain kind of light in them.

“Yes, gorgeous, sexy etc… Are you making fun of me?”, she said.

The corners of his mouth twitched. He sighed and his chest moved under her.

“Perhaps… Perhaps not…”

He smoothed her hair behind her ear. She stared into his eyes.

“Can you tell me what we’re doing, where we’re going with this?”, she said softly, “I need you to tell me because frankly, I’m a little confused…”

He was silent.

“Sesshomaru?”, she said.

He sighed again and once more his chest shifted under her. He touched the wound between her neck and shoulder. She flinched and rasped with pain. The wound burned like hell.

“It all so very simple”, he said, “I marked you as my own. Then I mated with you. You are mine.”

Kagome’s eyes went wide. She jerked backwards away from him and almost fell over. She came up on her knees, intending to scramble away from him. Sesshomaru sat up. Even sitting down he was taller than her. His hand closed around her wrist. It was like being held by a warm, organic vice.

“You cannot leave”, he said.

“What? Why not? Have you put some kind of spell on me to compel me to stay with you?”

The corners of his mouth twitched. Then he threw back his head and laughed. Kagome stared at him in shocked silence. The sound was so unexpected and saturated with joy. He met her eyes again.

“Oh, Kagome…”, he said, “You flatter me. Powerful as I am, even I could not compel you stay if you did not want to be near me.”

“Huh?”

That was the most intelligent comeback she could muster at this moment in time.

“I may be built for battle”, he said, “But I have lived a long time and the one thing I have learned is that you cannot choose those who anger you, those who move you, nor those who arouse you…”

The words seemed to hang in the air. For once emotion was naked on his face. He looked almost… Sad. It was then that Kagome had a near perfect moment of insight. Could he possibly be thinking of Kagura? He was with her when she died… He was so angry when Mouryoumaru said she died in vain… Could that possibly mean he loved her? Kagome’s eyes went wide. Oh, wow!

Sesshomaru used her wrist to jerk her towards him, abruptly pulling her out of her reverie. She cried out in alarm. She could feel herself falling but he caught her and held her against him.

“I despise puny, mortal humans”, he said, “I could never have imagined that when I finally picked a mate, she would be a human female. My heirs will be half-breed pups... The irony burns me.”

His eyes narrowed and the lines of his mouth were harsh. Kagome was reminded that she should be very afraid of him. A small sound escaped her lips. He treated it like a question.

“You will almost certainly conceive in the next few days”, he said.

His expression softened. She stared at him, remembering the warm, wet sensation when he had released his semen inside her. Automatically she glanced at his penis, half shadowed, nestling between his legs. Even flaccid, he was still impressive. A muscle between her legs convulsed, as if it was remembering what it felt like to hold him inside her. A small sound escaped her lips.

She was suddenly righteously, furiously angry. It showed on her face. She punched him in the chest, bruising her knuckles. It was like punching a wall.

“How dare you!”, she cried.

His usual mask was back in place, but his eyes were wider than usual. She poked him in the chest. He grabbed her hand. His brow furrowed.

“Woman, that is starting to get annoying…”, he said.
Her voice rose.

“I’m annoying?!”, she exploded, “What about you? You’re a vain, egotistical, self-absorbed, irritating jerk! You can’t just decide to make me your mate and set out to get me pregnant without consulting me!”

“Why not? I am a demon lord. I take what I want.”
His expression was cool. He looked almost bored. It made her angrier. If that were possible…

“No, you can’t!”, she cried, “Not when it comes to me! You may be stuck in the dark ages but I’m a twenty-first century woman! I decide what I’m going to do, when I’m going to do it and who with! I have a life, goddamnit! You can’t just…”

“I care not.”

Kagome rapidly ran out of steam. She stared at him.

“You don’t care?”, she said.

Her voice was quiet.

“No”, he said.

Sesshomaru met her gaze. There was something in his eyes, something tender that had not been there before. He cupped one side of her face in his hand.

“I care for you, Kagome”, he said, “I do not care for the life you had before, nor the life I had either. Tonight, your new life as my mate begins…”

“But…”

He silenced any more objections she may have hand with a kiss. A breeze swept across them and Kagome shivered.

“You are cold?”, he said.

He put his arm around her and cradled her to the warmth of his chest.

“I’m naked and I’m outside!”, she said, “Of course I’m cold… Don’t you ever feel the cold?”

“Of course, but tonight it barely touches me…”

The corners of his lips turned up. His hand caressed her back. She could feel the brush of his claws. Kagome’s soft fingers caressed his chest. He growled softly. She shivered but not from cold.

“Come”, he said, “Let us warm you up. You may be on top this time. Your hips will do most of the work…”

She met his gaze. His eyes were turning red. She watched the gold fade away. She smiled.

“That’s… Big of you”, she said.

The corners of his mouth turned up.

“No, I am bigger down there…”

A thought occurred to her.

“Did you pay the raccoon dog to tell us there were shikon shards in your territory?”, she said.

Sesshomaru watched her face. His eyes gave away nothing. That was the clue.

“Maybe…”, he said, “Though if I were to engage his services there would be no currency exchanged; I would merely threaten his life...”

“So you did lead us on that wild goose chase! What for?!”

The corners of his mouth turned up. He watched the realisation grow in her eyes.

“Come here”, he said softly, “You are wasting valuable copulation time…”

Gently, he caressed her. His fingers instinctively sought and lingered on the most sensitive parts of her body using her cries and the heaviness of her breathing as an indicator. His lips and tongue soon followed. She straddled his hips and allowed him to manipulate her legs and lower body into position.

She lowered her body onto the shaft of his erect penis and felt it fill her. Then she began to move her hips rhythmically. His hips bucked under hers but he soon found the rhythm and moved in time with her. She could feel the sensation in his waist under her hands. She gasped, then moaned as her clitoris began to feel the full benefit of the position.

She looked down at him staring up at her. She ran her hands upwards over his abdomen and chest. She her fingers fanned outwards, towards his nipples. With the tip of her index finger she rubbed the nipple with small, circular motions. She felt it harden in response. Her eyebrows lifted. Does he touch me where he would like me to touch him? She caressed his upper chest. A small sound escaped his lips. Kagome smiled. She could not quite reach his face with her hand.

Sesshomaru took her hand. He lifted his head and kissed the palm of her hand. He performed a kind of sit-up motion so that he was sitting up facing her with Kagome across his lap, his length still inside her. In this position they were almost the same height. Sesshomaru’s head was just a little higher. His sudden movement made her gasp in surprise. For a moment she lost the rhythm. His eyes danced in amusement.

“Keep going”, he said softly.

Her hips began to move and found the rhythm again. He moved with her. The corners of his mouth turned up.

“Yes, good”, he said, “Very good…”

He put his arm around her and kissed her lips. Kagome put her arms around him. She caressed his back and felt him tremble under her touch. I do affect him the way he affects me! He trailed soft kisses down her neck and across her collarbone. It was Kagome’s turn to tremble. His kisses move across her chest, then lower. He kissed her breasts.

Again the sensation was building between her legs. She ached for release. She bit down on her lip, then let it out slowly.

“Faster”, she said.

He caressed her face.

“You control the rhythm of our bodies, Kagome”, he said, “When we reach our end is up to you…”

Her eyes widened.

“Oh!”

The corners of his lips twitched. He kissed her. Then he lay back on the pelt again, his hair spreading out beneath him like liquid silk. Kagome stared at him. His beauty was too unreal.

She put her hands on his waist as if she was bracing herself. Then she began to move faster. Her neck arched. The cries coming from her throat became soft screams. Beneath her, Sesshomaru moved with her. She heard his soft growls but her eyes lost focus as one orgasm hit, followed soon by another. Feeling a little weak Kagome slumped putting her hands on his chest to hold her body up. Inside her, Sesshomaru was still hard. She felt him sit up. He touched her face. She focused on his eyes.

“You didn’t come”, she said.

He looked slightly disconcerted. Then he lifted an eyebrow as he discerned the meaning of her words.

“No”, he said, “I did not come as you put it but that can be easily remedied.”

He gently lifted up her thighs. The walls of her vagina had gone slack and she felt a curious pulling sensation as he reclaimed his erect member.

Sesshomaru pressed Kagome down on to her back. Gently he traced the shape of her lips with his tongue. Then he slipped his tongue into her mouth. Gently he explored the soft inside of her mouth. He pulled back and they both drew breath. He smoothed her hair away from her forehead. Then he moved lower. He flicked his tongue along her neck.
He took hold of her upper arm, lifting one side of her torso. Her hair fell behind her. He licked the bite wound in the space between her neck and shoulder, bearing down where the fang marks were deepest. Kagome gasped in pain, then in pleasure as he hit the sweet spot, where pain became pleasure.

He let her shoulder relax against the pelt again. He kissed her upper chest. His lips deliberately brushed the curve of the breast, making her shiver. He licked the aureole, making a tight circle around the nipple. Then he began to tease the nipple into a hard peak using only his tongue. He continued his ministrations causing her to gasp and moan. The other nipple suffered a similar fate.

Her hips began to undulate beneath him. She could feel Sesshomaru’s erection brush her stomach and she ached to hold him inside her again. What’s wrong with me? Who is this Kagome, this nymphomaniac? Abruptly he rolled her over on to her stomach, interrupting her musings. Kagome gave a small scream of surprise.

He leaned over her. He moved her hair away from her face and the back of her neck so that it fell forward over one shoulder. He licked a path to the back of her ear. The sensitivity of the area made her gasp. His tongue traced the shapes within shapes of her ear. Gently he nipped the back of her neck and shoulders. The sensation was just this side of pleasurable. He traced the shape of her shoulder blade. His fingers trailed down her spine, making her shiver. He licked the puncture wound his claws had inflicted on her hip clean, tongue bearing down where the wounds were deepest, making her gasp.

He caressed a sensitive buttock, then the other. His caresses moved down the backs of her thighs. He lingered awhile on the backs of her knees, tongue bearing down on the sensitive spots. He rubbed the tension out of her calves, heels and feet. He moved her legs apart. Kagome was suddenly panicked. She turned her head to look at him.

“Sesshomaru-san?”, she said.

“Do you trust me not to hurt you?”

She stared into his eyes. They were red with a dark slit for a pupil.

“Yes”, she said softly.

“Do as I tell you…”

She came up on all fours, feeling awkward. Sesshomaru knelt behind her. Gently, he angled her bottom upwards. He leaned over her. She could feel his erection against the crack of her buttocks. He spread the cheeks. Then he moved and slid the tip of his penis into her vagina from behind. He eyes went a little wide. She grunted softly.

He eased himself into her a little at a time, until he was deep inside her, deeper that he had been before. Then he began to move, slowly at first, letting her adjust to the motion, the feeling of his hips bumping her buttocks instead of her hips. He withdrew himself almost fully, letting just the tip of him rest inside the entrance to her vagina. Then he thrust back in again, until he was bumping against something deep inside her. Was it the neck of her womb? The sensation was strange.

Sesshomaru picked up the pace. Kagome’s breathing quickened. Soft moans spilled from her lips, mingling with the growls he emitted. His erect member had found the a sweet spot on the wall of her vagina and each thrust intensified the feeling of pleasure, making her wetter, enabling him to move faster, slide more easily in and out of her. His thrusts came fast and hard. Kagome’s cries were becoming soft screams. When the most intense moment of pleasure came however, hers was a silent scream. Her mouth made a perfect o but no sound came out.

Behind her, Sesshomaru howled as he climaxed. For a moment her blood ran cold. Her body went still, frightened that he would loose control and transform. She turned her head to look over her shoulder at him as he collapsed on top of her. Soft, silver hair fell around her. He was in human form. Her heart remembered to beat. It sprang to life with a thump. On her hands and knees she had enough leverage to turn them sideways. He hit the ground with a grunt, cushioning her fall, his flaccid penis still inside her.

After a few moments he drew his arm out from under her and reclaimed his penis. She lay still and let him do it, feeling a little ashamed. Three times in row she had taken him into her with the moon and stars as witnesses. What would her mother think? Sesshomaru had made her promises but now that she had sated him, what was that promises worth?

He gathered her to him with a soft whine. The front of his body pressed along the back of her body and she realised just how well their bodies fit together. He moved her hair aside and bestowed soft kisses to the back of her neck and shoulder. She made a soft moan. He whimpered, like a pup trying to get her attention. Her eyes widened slightly.
She turned in his embrace.

She reached out and touched the markings on his cheek. Sesshomaru made a small sound. He closed his eyes and leaned his face into the caress. Are the stripes that sensitive? She reached out and touched his lips. He pushed his mouth against those fingers. Then his lips parted and he sucked those soft digits.

His fingers closed on her wrist. He slid her fingers slowly out of his mouth. Then he leaned towards her and kissed her softly on the lips. She kissed him back. He let her hand rest on his chest so he could put his arm around her and draw her close to him. His tongue lazily traced her lower lip. She let her lips part and their tongues touched.

Kagome’s eyelids were heavy, her body tired. She just wanted to sleep. Her body was relaxing in his embrace. Her eyes were closing. Her forehead pressed against the solid mass of his chest. Sesshomaru brushed his lips against the top of her head.

“Sleep, my tiny, delicate, exquisite human wench”, he whispered into her hair, “This Sesshomaru will guard you, keep you safe as you slumber…”

Kagome decided that she was dreaming though she had not remembered falling asleep. She opened her eyes and she was alone, lying on a large four-poster bed with something warm and soft wrapped around her body. Beneath her was a mound of pillows. She touched the wrapping and realised it was the white fur pelt that Sesshomaru carried. A quick inspection told her that she was naked underneath it. If this was Sesshomaru’s pelt, was this also Sesshomaru’s bed she was lying on? Was this the place he called home?

She got off the bed, leaving the pelt behind. A fire burned low in the fireplace. The room was not cold but goose bumps rose on her bare skin. The room was sparsely furnished. Besides the bed there was a large wardrobe, a trunk and a low table. Floor cushions were stacked against the wall. There was a yukata was on the end of the bed. She picked it up and slipped it on over naked skin. The champagne-coloured silk was patterned with autumn leaves. She tied the sash. The yukata fitted perfectly. She padded towards the fireplace and knelt on the tatami mat. She added more fuel to the fire. She combed her fingers through her hair in an attempt to tidy it.

She went to the window and opened the shutter. When she looked out she saw extensive grounds. Beyond them was forest. Where was she? Her stomach rumbled. Where was Sesshomaru? If this was his home, he was not being a very gracious host. No sooner had she, had the thought than she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Her eyes widened. She closed the shutter and ran towards the safety of the bed in a fit of cowardice.

The door opened. She secured the pelt around her and closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. She heard the sound of an object being place on the table. Then the owner of the footsteps approached the bed. She felt the bed move as the person climbed aboard and moved towards her. A hand touched her messy hair. She squeezed her eyes shut.

“Kagome.”

It was Sesshomaru’s voice. He smoothed her hair away from her face.

“Kagome, I know you are awake. I can tell by the sound of your breathing.”

She opened her eyes. She turned towards him and met his gaze. She felt awkward, not knowing what to say. He was dressed in a white kimono with a lavender block and flower pattern on the hem, sleeves and shoulders. Did he have one in every colour? His hair was tied back from his face, giving the illusion that it was very short, until you saw the ends falling over his shoulder. He reinforced the notion that she was dreaming.

“I really thought you were going to sleep all day”, he said.

His voice however, she could not have conjured alone. It was too deep, too sensual.

“Why, how late is it?”, she said.

“It is gone noon.”

Her eyes widened slightly.

“Really?!”, she said, “Oh, wow!”

On cue, her stomach rumbled again. Her face flushed. The corners of Sesshomaru’s mouth turned up. He slipped off the bed.

“I had some human food prepared for you”, he said.

She watched in amazement as he carried a tray towards the bed. His kimono flapped around his legs as he walked. He was barefoot. Magenta stripes similar to those on his face, wrists and hips began below the ankle and curved around his shins. He set the tray down on the bed beside her. There was enough food for a number of people. There were rice and noodle dishes, sliced meat and fish, soup, tea and fruit.

“I’ll never eat all this!”, she cried.

She picked up a bowl and chopsticks and started to help herself. Sesshomaru sat down on the end of the bed.

“Try, my delicate flower”, he said, “You will need your strength… Later.”

She looked at him.

“Why, what’s happening later?”, she said innocently.

He smiled wickedly.

“I shall be ravishing you”, he said.

Her face flushed.

“Again?”, she said softly.

“Yes, again. I must ensure that you are pregnant as soon as possible.”

“Oh…”

She turned back to her food, suddenly feeling less hungry than she did moments before. She put down her bowl and poured some tea into a beaker. She sipped it slowly.

“Is the food not to your liking?”, he said, “I shall have the servants whipped, if it is not.”

She stared at him in a kind of shock.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?”, she said.

“Perfectly.”

Sesshomaru’s voice was even, his expression neutral. Kagome was silent, staring at him.

“The food is great... I’m just not feeling that hungry all of a sudden.”

Her stomach made noises. Sesshomaru frowned.

“Your body demands food”, he said.

Kagome shook her head.

“You must eat or you will die”, he said, “It is that simple…”

“I know that. Just… Leave me alone.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“It is a little soon for you to presume to give me orders”, he said.

“Sesshomaru-sama, please…”

“Sesshomaru.”

“What?”

“When you address me, you may dispense with my title. Call me by name only. You are my mate now… I will even tolerate a shorter version of my name if you wish, so long as you do not call me by it outside the confines of our bedroom.”
She stared at him.

“Like a nickname?”, she said.

“Yes.”

Shippo’s moniker came to mind: Fluffy-sama. Kagome giggled. She could not help it. She put her hand to her mouth to stem the flow of her giggles. Her face turned red with the effort.

Sesshomaru frowned.

“Did I say something to amuse you?”, he said.

She shook her head.

“No”, she said, “It was a private joke.”

His frown became a little deeper. She became sober again and picked up her beaker. She sipped her tea. He moved towards her. She was surprised to see him lean over the tray and pick up a plum. Was he going to eat it? He had referred to the contents of the tray as human food. She did not like to think about what constituted demon food for Sesshomaru. Perhaps she would ask one day, but not now, not today…

“Will you not eat?”, he said.

He offered her the plum. She met his gaze. She was surprised to note the concern in his golden eyes. She took the plum from his hand. She held it to her nose and sniffed it.

“It is fragrant, is it not?”, he said.

She nodded and bit into the flesh of the soft fruit. Juice ran down her chin and she wiped it away. The plum was perfectly ripe. Its flesh was sweet, fresh and delicious.

“They grow wild in the grounds”, he said, “Rin likes to gather them and eat them. She says they taste like heaven. Such an absurd turn of phrase...”

Her eyes widened slightly at the mention of the small girl. Was she in the mansion? She had only met Rin once before. What would she make of Kagome being Sesshomaru’s new mate?

Kagome finished the plum and put the stone down on the tray. Sesshomaru handed her another. She watched his face. The look in his eyes was beguiling but the rest of his face never moved. That’s a good trick. Perhaps I should ask him to teach me how to do it someday? Nah! He’d probably get mad and try to kill me…

She took the plum from him. He watched her eat it. Her appetite had returned. She picked up her bowl and chopsticks. She studiously ignored Sesshomaru as she ate but she was aware of him sitting there, watching her the whole time. Sated at last, she put down her bowl and chopsticks. She poured herself another beaker of tea.

“Did you have enough to eat?”, he said.

She nodded. He picked up the tray and carried it over to the table on the other side of the room. She watched him, wide-eyed. Does he want to have sex again? Will he not wait for my food to go down? He looked so fresh in his clean white kimono, his hair tied back.

She ached for a bath and a toothbrush. She would think about a hairbrush and clean clothes afterwards. Sesshomaru came back to the bed. Kagome pretended to ignore him as he climbed on to the bed. He took her beaker from her hands and set in down on the floor by the bed.

“I was enjoying that”, she said, flatly refusing to meet his gaze.

He put two careful, clawed fingers under her chin and gently raised her head. She met his eyes.

“You know what sort of demon I am”, he said, “I make no apologies for it. Living with me is going to be an adjustment, I know, but you must remember that this is new arrangement is not easy for me either...”

Kagome nodded, doing her utmost to hide her surprise that he felt the need to explain himself to her.

“I have been alone for a long time”, he continued, “I am set in my ways. You must forgive me if I am abrupt with you at times and I do not express my feelings adequately. It is not because I do not care. Your delicate beauty moves me, steals my breath… You are Mistress of my Heart… Always.”

Kagome nodded again, her eyes growing wide. Wait a minute! Sesshomaru thinks I’m delicate and beautiful?! And is that his way of telling me he loves me?! Does he expect me to say it back?

“Sesshomaru…”, Kagome said.

“Yes, Kagome?”

He was looking at her with those beautiful, wide, watchful golden eyes, waiting patiently for her to speak. She swallowed. She said the first thing that came into her head.

“Just how old are you?”, she said.

Sesshomaru smiled. His eyes even crinkled around the edges. He laughed softly. The deep sound made Kagome shiver.

“Sesshomaru?”, she said.

“Maybe one day… When I am in an exceptionally good mood… I shall tell you.”

Sesshomaru pulled her into his lap so unexpectedly, she shrieked in surprise. His mouth came down on hers. She kissed him back. She slipped her hand inside the neckline of his kimono and to touch his warm skin. He loosened the belt of her yukata. He moved the cloth away from her breasts, baring them.

His kisses moved down her neck and across her chest. He kissed her breasts. He took the nipple in his mouth and sucked it gently. She moaned softly. Her hips jerked as something in her lower body tightened. She touched his hair, wishing she could free it from its restraint so it would fall around them. Sesshomaru sighed. He lifted his head and met her gaze.

“Why did you stop?”, she said in surprise.

“You have to get up.”

“I do?”

“Yes. You must get dressed.”

“Why?”

“I promised Rin you would come down to meet her.”

“Oh! You did?”

“Yes. Rin is very excited to meet her new mother. She looks forward to showing you around the mansion and grounds...”

Kagome’s surprise showed on her face.

“Really?”, she said.

“Yes.”

Sesshomaru closed her yukata again. He slipped off the bed. He held out his hand to her.

“Come”, he said, “I shall show you where the bathroom is. Then I shall find you something suitable to wear.”

“Am I not going to get my own clothes back, then?”

He frowned slightly.

“Do you really need them anymore? They hardly befit your new status.”

She stared at him.

“Am I confined to the mansion?”, she said, hating how meek her voice sounded.

“No, you are free to move around the grounds.”

“Can I leave the grounds?”

“If you must…”

“What about my friends and family?”

“What about them?”

“Will you allow me to visit them? I can’t just forget about them now that I’m with you.”

Sesshomaru looked slightly disconcerted.

“No”, he said, “I would not expect you to… Can we talk more on this later? Rin waits for us.”

He was still holding out his hand to her. Kagome put her small hand on top of his. His strong, elegant fingers closed around hers. She met his eyes and realised she was smiling.

“Okay”, she said softly, “Lead the way.”