Insatiable

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does.


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Chapter 06: Ramen Mishap


Miroku honked at the black gates of the Takahashi mansion, which immediately opened when the guard recognized him. Giving the guard a mock salute, he drove straight towards the mansion's driveway. Myouga was there waiting for him. The door was already opened.

“Good morning, Miroku-sama.” Myouga greeted bowing his head.

“Morning, Myouga. And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Miroku?” Frowning, he adjusted his aviator shades. He grinned. “Honestly Myouga, I am not a man for honorifics. I don't deserve such an honor,” he said dabbing invisible tears from his eyes, earning a chuckle from the old butler.

“Inuyasha is at the back porch fronting the pool for breakfast.”

“Thanks old man.” Miroku smiled at him before he started walking towards the pool area. He took the garden path.

Inuyasha sipped his tea as he read the morning paper. Three days had passed since his and Kagome's conversation at the park. Since then, he opted to eat outside except for dinner. It relaxed him and cleared his mind. It gave him the time to think about what Kagome had revealed to him. Until now, he still couldn’t believe that she had met Shizuru. He still wondered who had introduced the two women. Was it Shun? He had not asked any of his friends what had happened when Kagome had met Shizuru, nor the circumstances that led Kagome to meeting her. But the look she had given him that day gave it all away; it had not been pleasant that was for sure.

He gave a startled gasp when Miroku took a bite of his bread roll.

“Delicious.” Miroku sat down.

Inuyasha put down the newspaper and gave Miroku a confused look.

“Morning Inu.” Miroku grinned.

“Morning, Roku,” Inuyasha greeted and peaked at his watch. He frowned.

Miroku who caught up uttered, “Oh… You're not dreaming. And you're definitely not imagining things. It is indeed too early in the morning.” He seemed so proud that he had caught Inuyasha in such an early hour.

That amused Inuyasha. “Glad you knew that, Roku. So… what the hell are you doing here?”

“I haven't talked to you properly since you've arrived.”

“And 7:30 in the morning before work is the best you can do for a chat?” Inuyasha asked once more, raising a brow.

“Yeah, I know. It's fucking lame timing, but I just have this feeling that something would terribly go wrong today, you know.” He tried to explain.

Chuckling, Inuyasha brought the tea cup to his lips. “Yeah, I know. Like when Sango beat you to the pulp for grabbing her ass in public!”

“No, Inu. You know what I'm talking about. My nerves are tingling, man,” Miroku exclaimed. He came from a long line of monks and he got a deep sense of self as well as awareness to his environment. Call it ESP or something else; he just had them since he was still a kid.

“And you know you're the only one I can talk to when this happens. If I go to Kouga, he'll just laugh at me. Hiten will totally ignore me, since he's still snoring at this hour and Shun doesn't believe in crap like this. And Sango has gone to work early,” he finished.

“Yeah, I know.” Inuyasha sighed. “Am I gonna be late for work because of this?”

Miroku gawked at him like it was stupid to even ask the question.

“I guess I am,” he said. He immediately called his secretary that he'd be late for work.

Miroku was looking at him expectantly, while munching his bread rolls.

When he finished his call, he crossed his arms across his chest. “This better be good.”

“I had a dream.”

“And?”

Miroku shrugged. “That was it. I couldn’t remember what it was.”

“Fuck!” Inuyasha looked indignant. “Don’t tell me I’ve just told my secretary that I’d be late for this.”

“It was a bad dream, Inu. My heart was racing when I woke up.”

Inuyasha swore in his thoughts. “Do I look like someone you should run to when you have a bad dream? I swear, Roku. You’re killing me with the randomness. Has Sango refused to sleep with you?”

“Of course not! Sango was wild in bed last night.”

Inuyasha should have slapped his forehead. Why had he even asked?

“So, Inuyasha, what do you think about Kagome?” Miroku asked unexpectedly.

Inuyasha almost choked at his tea. “What?”

“What do you think about her?”

Inuyasha averted his eyes to gaze at the pool. “I think she's distinctive.” He had said it so abruptly that Miroku almost missed it.

Miroku looked at him with protest in his eyes. “Distinctive? What kind of a word is that? That's no way to describe a woman!”

How had the conversation switched from bad dreams to Kagome? Inuyasha exhaled deeply. He did not want to talk about Kagome because his interest in her might be too obvious. He was pretty transparent when it came to his feelings, especially in front of Miroku. Miroku knew him. Out of all his friends, Miroku would know what he thought of Kagome.

“Okay, I think she's special.” No, he thought of her more than that. After spending time with her in the park, he thought she was extraordinary.

“You do? I think that of her, too.”

“Yeah.”

That earned him a grin from Miroku. “You know, I met Kagome during junior year at the University. Sango introduced us. Kagome was still a freshman then, but she was highly admired by the students, even those older than her.”

Inuyasha listened, already enjoying this little chitchat with Miroku. He'd not mind being late if they'd talk about Kagome all morning. He had been captivated by her. To him, she was an open book. And yet, she held a sense of mystery.

“We became friends right away. She was such a joy to be with even if she kicked my ass from time to time. Did you know that I once grabbed Kagome's ass?” Miroku playfully continued. “Damn, she packed a hell of a punch. I thought it was even killer than Sango's. I had the black eye for weeks!” He laughed at the memory.

Inuyasha was laughing with him. After seeing Kagome fight, it was not hard to imagine what Miroku was talking about.

“It's good to see you laugh like that again, Inu,” Miroku said.

Inuyasha looked at him incredulously. “What? It's not as if I’ve stopped laughing. And you’ve seen me laugh even harder than this when Kouga makes a fool of himself.”

“I know… It's just good to see the 5 of us back,” he grinned.

“Yeah.” It is good. Inuyasha thought.

During the six years he had been gone, he had missed their friendship. It was a great feeling knowing the five of them were still tight like before. That what Shizuru had caused them in the past was now buried and forgotten. However, there were still times when he still contemplated about the years he had lost. Oftentimes, he wondered if he would ever get those lost years back. A thought came to him suddenly.

“Hey Roku.”

“Yeah?” Miroku had taken his last bread roll and was munching it.

“Does Kagome know Shizuru?”

The question caused Miroku to stop in mid-swallow. Choking, he struggled to drink some water. When he could finally breathe, he turned sober.

“Yeah, she does,” he answered with a frown. “Actually, she met Shizuru more than a year ago. Shun introduced them.”

A far away, sad and… angry look dulled Miroku’s bright expression a while ago. “Why'd you ask?”

Hearing Miroku's inquiry, Inuyasha shrugged. “Nothing… just curious.”

“Kagome did not like Shizuru. She thought the woman was a stuck-up. I could not quite remember what she said; but to sum it up, she said Shizuru was a bitch.” Miroku rubbed his upper cheek with his index finger when he added, “Kagome has a good sense of character. She knows a bitch when she sees one.”

Inuyasha chuckled at that. But his curiosity was far from being satisfied. The questions that had aroused from his conversation with Kagome were urging him prod some more.

“How much does she know?”

“How much does she know about what?” Miroku closely listened. He knew the conversation just turned very serious.

Inuyasha stared at him, “About the past.”

“Only a little. She only knows that Shun has been with Shizuru before and nothing more – other than the side comments from Kouga and the others have told her. She knows nothing about your involvement. Kagome doesn’t really ask us anything related to what has happened six years ago. She just doesn’t care much.”

He chuckled lightly, hoping to lighten up the mood. He didn't like where the conversation was going. “Look, Inu. I really believe we shouldn't be talking about this. I think the best person to ask would be Shun or better yet Kagome about this.”

Inuyasha nodded. He wouldn't push it. Besides, Miroku already answered his questions. That was enough.


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Kagome stared at her hand as she absently twirled her engagement ring around her finger. She sat on her chair, her legs inclined up the desk. She had been 30 minutes earlier to work today because she had been frantic. Today would prove to be most eventful for her, because today they might or might not receive a call from the Takahashi Corporation regarding their high-rise design. And today was also her and Shun's 2 month anniversary as an engaged couple.

She sighed at the thought. She had accepted Shun’s proposal 2 months ago just 6 months after they had gotten back together. After less than a day, she suddenly felt unsure of her decision. There had been a point when she thought she had been crazy for saying “yes.” She guessed she was her father's daughter. And just like him, she was an impulsive decision-maker – a risk taker. She was willing to explore how those risky decisions would affect her in the future. For her, nothing in the world stayed permanent. Everything would change. This thought caused her musing this very morning.

Her feelings for Shun had always been fickle. There were moments that she liked him. There were also moments that she hated him. She understood this to be normal in a relationship. Sango had shared most of her Miroku-related problems with her. So she pretty much knew that in a relationship, there was a continuum with opposite poles. However, Sango also reminded her that even though she felt like killing Miroku at one time, then kissing him on another. The bottom line was that her love for him remained the same. That between killing and kissing him, she still wanted to have nasty, dirty and sweet sex with the perverted Miroku. This had been Kagome’s dilemma because she was not sure if she had that bottom line with Shun.

What was worse, she had other things to worry.

Inuyasha.

She suddenly felt all tingly and hot. Damn. What was happening to her? Just the thought of that man made her feel like melting inside. She had only known him for seven days. They were not friends. And yet, he could do this to her. He could make her think of red satin sheets, naked bodies sliding against each other, preferably Inuyasha’s hard body pressed close to her body.

Stop! She should not think of this.

This was what Inuyasha Takahashi had reduced her.

In a week, she had gotten to know him. Not thoroughly, but still, the time she had spent with him was enough for her to know that he was a good guy. And he was fun to be around. They had kissed, insulted and hurt each other. They had argued and laughed together. They had eaten cheese dogs together. They had bruised and tended each other. They had fought and almost made up. He made it easy for her to hate him. However, at the same time, he made it easy for her to desire him. That thought had brought her mind into overdrive this past week. Moreover, it made her see that something was lacking in her life’s picture; that there was something missing with her relationship with Shun.

She stopped the decline of her thoughts. How could she think that she did not desire Shun? He was her fiancé. He might not have affected her libido like Inuyasha had, but she was engaged to him. Of course, she desired him. Did she?

She was brought out of her thoughts when a grinning Mitsui entered her office. His grin couldn’t have grown wider as he gave her two thumbs up.

“We got it?” She couldn’t believe it. They won the bid!

As soon as she stood up, the door burst open as Shirako, Hojo and Ray came in cheering.

“Oh my God! We did get it!” Kagome exalted joining them in celebration. Now, there was something in her life that felt exactly right.

Or so she thought.

“Stupid rain,” Kagome grumbled as she went inside the grocery store.

Today was supposed to be a great day for her. Yes, it had started wonderfully. The company won the bid for the Takahashi Corporation's new high-rise project. They only had to do a presentation in front of the corporation's executives. Once they were done and the plans had been approved, they were good to go.

Next, she was supposed to have dinner with Shun to celebrate their second monthsary as an engaged couple. It was not her idea, since she did not believe in monthly anniversaries. Anniversaries were supposed to be annual, not monthly. But Shun had insisted. He was supposed to pick her up for dinner, so she came to the office on a cab. There was one problem though. Shun had not picked her up. The guy was held up in a very important meeting and he had opted to postpone their dinner. She was fine with it at first. But that was before she realized she had no food at home. Having been busy several days ago, she had not checked her stocks at home. Her refrigerator and cupboards had run empty. She was without food. She could just eat out; that would solve her problem. But the thought of eating alone was depressing.

Kagome wiped the excess water from her hair. “This is such a shitty day.”

Pushing the cart along the isle, she grumbled about the sudden rain earning puzzled looks from the other shoppers. She meekly smiled at them.

Oh, she would give almost anything just to have instant ramen right now. Hot, steaming, and delicious ramen. She sighed imagining the inviting taste and aroma of newly cooked ramen. As she turned the corner where the noodles were lined up, her excitement grew. There was just one problem.

The ramen section was empty.

“No!” she whimpered.

 How could this be? What had the world gotten into? Had there been a ramen shortage? But this was Japan! There could never be a ramen shortage in Japan. Damn it all to hell! This was not happening. No ramen!

She had her cart almost full and the only thing missing was ramen! She was in the verge of stomping her feet. Frantic, she looked for a sales representative when she spotted something. She pushed her cart towards it and almost drooled. There it stood a cart half-filled with ramen. In the cart, there were two cases of beer and cola, a few party hats and trumpets, and a lot more. Oh, a lot, lot more.

She stared at all those ramen. Surely, the owner would not mind if she took one… just one. Her hand inched toward the cup. Then stopped. Turning to look at her sides, she sighed. No one was watching. She prayed and prayed that no one would catch her taking someone else's ramen. Taking a deep breath, she quickly took one and turned her cart around when…

“Hey, give me back my ramen!”

Oh shit! She was found out!


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Smiling, Inuyasha reached for the tartar sauce from the topmost cubicle.

“Thank you, young man,” the old woman told him and quickly scampered away from he handed her the bottle of tartar sauce.

He nodded and smiled at her. Then continued his own business taking as many potato chips he could carry. He had left his cart on the other side of the isle.

Inuyasha had arrived at the office around nine in the morning after his conversation with Miroku. As soon as he arrived, he had called for the board to deliberate on what design to pick for their new high-rise project. It had been pleasant taking the helm for his family's corporation here in Japan. He was welcomed. Of course, some were doubtful of a 26 year-old's capabilities in leading a gigantic corporation. But he took it as a challenge. He was out to prove his skeptics wrong. They had reached a decision only a few hours after lunch. The company who won was fairly new and did not have a prominent name among the big business circle, but it had good reputation. And their design was exceptional.

He walked towards his cart on the other side of the isle. He was hungry. Working for his family's corporation made him hungry. So he decided to do some groceries. Myouga had made sure the mansion was packed, but it still lacked the essentials. Like ramen, beer, chips, soda... jellybeans. He had a niece, and she made him addicted to jellybeans.

Turning around the corner, he headed straight to his cart when he saw some woman took one of his ramen. He sauntered briskly towards the culprit and shouted, “Hey! Give me back my ramen!”
 
But the woman only made a quick glance at him and scampered off with her cart hurriedly. Almost tripping, she disappeared to the counters.

He ran towards his cart and dumped the potato chips non-too-gently. He recognized the ramen thief. He could recognize that wild black tresses anywhere. And even though it was quick, she saw the wild glint in her blue eyes.

With a silly grin on his face, he pushed his cart and zoomed after the ramen thief. His nerves tingled in excitement. He had not seen Kagome for more than half the week. He missed her. He knew he had no right to miss her, but he could not stop himself. It was her fault; he told himself. She had stolen his ramen. And he took that seriously. So he'd get her. And when he would, there'd be a hell of ramen to pay. He chuckled evilly.


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Oh God... Oh God...

She got caught. This was so embarrassing. How and why had see allowed her stomach rule her very intelligent mind? She had to scold herself. What if the man caught her and surrendered her to the police? Or to the grocery store’s manager? That would be humiliating. Bad move Kagome. Really bad move.

She contemplated on what her next move would be. Duck and hide. Yes, that was her next move. So she did just that, which caused a lot of shoppers to watch her like she had gone crazy. Perhaps, she had. Finally reaching the counter, she dumped all her items. She still held the ramen close to her heart. She anxiously waited for the cashier to cash in all her things while she tilted her head and surveyed for the guy whom caught her stealing his ramen. She did not see him anywhere. The sigh she released was of relief. But the guy looked fairly familiar.

“Ma'am?” the cashier called her.

Startled, she blinked. “Huh. What?”

“May I please have the ramen?” The cashier looked irritated.

Kagome looked at the ramen she still held close to her heart. “Oh, yes. Sure,” she said giving the ramen to the cashier.

Beep.

Sighing, Kagome grinned inwardly. The ramen is mine. Was she hearing herself laugh deviously? Damn, she was no longer innocent. She was a thief.

“That would be 6,783.95 yen, Ma'am,” the cashier said smiling at her.

Kagome handed her credit card.

The cashier looked at her quizzically. “Ma'am, this is a cash only register.”

Kagome kept on staring at her. “What?”

“A cash only register.” The cashier rolled her eyes.

“Oh… ah. Shit. Uh… sorry, please give me a minute.” She had been in a panic run a while ago that she did not notice she lined up in a cash-only register. This was so embarrassing. This was what she got for thinking with her stomach. She would surely punish her stomach and give it an ulcer. Summing up her cash, she almost cursed out loud. She only had 5,000 yen in her purse. It was her habit to not bring cash with her.

She smiled at the cashier sheepishly. “Um… Miss, could you just give my card a swipe?” She almost begged pointing at the credit card machine on top of the counter. “There's that card thingy on the counter just in front of you, if you could just… I only have 5,000 yen.” She lowered her head wishing she could just shrink and disappear.
 
“I am sorry, Miss. But this is a cash only register and such transactions are not authorized.”

Kagome could tell the cashier was annoyed with her. She shrunk some more totally humiliated and embarrassed. Chiding herself once again, she threatened that she would not only give her stomach an ulcer, but instead, she’d go on a hunger strike. That would teach her body part a lesson.

She was deeply engrossed with her thoughts that she did not notice Inuyasha standing beside her.

“Excuse me, Miss… Ah… Higurashi. Do you need any help?” Arms across his chest, he had a smirk on his face.
 
Her eyes widened as she caught her breath. She fought not to flee at the moment. This was just pure torture. The ass was here to witness her most embarrassing moment. She cursed but a thought stopped her. Oh damn all to hell! He was the guy whom she had stolen the ramen from. Argghh... 

She scrunched her face and absently bit her lower lip, as Inuyasha tried his hardest not to laugh. She looked adorable looking all meek and small. He paid for both their purchases and thanked the cashier. All the time, he watched her. Her left eye was twitching now. She was annoyed; he knew that.

“Here.” He shoved her grocery bag to her chest. Her mouth opened to retort but he was faster than her. “Let's have a walk, shall we? Just like old friends,” he said pushing her out the door and moved towards the parking lot.

“I don't want to walk. And we're not friends, Takahashi!”

He grinned. She was so cute.

“Not friends? How come? I’ve just helped you in there. Is this how you repay a friend's good deed?” he asked smirking at her. He deposited his grocery bags at the backseat of his car. He motioned for her to do the same but she just stood there. So he snatched her grocery bag and placed it beside his.

“Come here.” He did not wait for her to comply. Taking her hand, he walked towards the ramen stall just a block away from the parking lot.

“Where are we going?” she gruffly asked, but she let him lead her.

“There… to eat ramen.” He grinned at her knowingly.

“I don't wanna eat ramen,” she lied.

“Oh really?” He challenged. “So why did you steal my ramen awhile ago?”

“I did not steal your ramen! Besides you haven't purchased it yet. Technically, it was still everyone's ramen.” Tilting her chin up and with her free hand propped her hips, she faced him.

Raising a brow, Inuyasha did not lose his smirk. “But you took my ramen from my cart and you knew that I intended to purchase it. And despite that, you still proceeded with your unlawful and vile act and stole my precious ramen.”

“But still, it wasn't your ramen,” she insisted with a frown.

Reaching the ramen shop, he sat her down. She was unusually willing, despite her protests that she was not hungry for the ramen. The owner smiled at them. Inuyasha ordered them the largest bowl and some sake. Kagome's mouth watered, but she still sulked as they started to eat.

Several bottles of sake and 2 rounds of ramen later…

“Mwahahahahahahahahahahahaha,” Kagome laughed loudly, tears leaked through her eyes as she banged the tabletop with her hand. “You should have seen the look on Miroku's face, it was priceless! And he shrieked like a girl!”

 Inuyasha laughed with her. She was an animated storyteller. Or perhaps, it was the alcohol talking. He was a bit tipsy; but Kagome, well, she was a different story. She was drunk – a cute one at that. A minute later, she stopped laughing wiping the lone tear from her left eye. He watched her carefully, reigning in his growing desire to bring her close and devour her mouth. He kept an amused smile on his face in time when she turned to look at him. Her eyes danced with mirth. And there was something more that flashed in her eyes that he failed to catch. Was that a flicker of lust?

“You've got a nice smile, Takahashi.” She had her face propped against her right hand, as she stared at him intently. Her voice was soft and sweet. It made him want to kiss her more.

Instead, he grinned cockily. He nudged her shoulders with his. “I do?”

Giggling, she playfully slapped his shoulder. “Yes.” She took her sake and gulped another cup. That small cup started her words spree for the night.

“Have I ever told you that when you smile, your eyes follow a split second after?” she asked staring at his mouth to his eyes, then back again.

Damn, she was looking at him like she wanted him. She was making it difficult for him to not kiss her. He was still smiling.

“No,” he simply replied.

“Well, they say that when a person's smile reaches their eyes. That smile is genuine. You have a genuine smile, Takahashi,” she told him, her gaze never leaving his handsome face.

Inuyasha chuckled. That was the first time someone told him that. He really had not paid attention to his smile before. He played along, a smirk gracing his features. “Everyone tells that.”

She snorted in response and took another sip of her sake.

“How about you? Do you have a genuine smile?” he asked playfully. He just knew that would tick her off.

“The hell!” she cursed and brought the cup down hard on the tabletop. “Of course I do. Look!” She sported a smile of her own.

She was too cute. Chuckling, Inuyasha sipped at his sake. “That's a drunken smile, wench.”

She glared at him. “No, it's not! And stop calling me wench!” With arms across her chest, she pouted.

“What should I call you then?” he challenged.

“Kagome… Just Kagome.” Her voice had that firm tone. Like she expected to have her way.

“But I thought we're not friends.”

“Well, now we are,” she insisted, as she had her way with some sake.

He grinned. “So that means you get to call me Inuyasha then.”

“Fine,” she said and pointed a finger at him. “But I do have a genuine smile.”

“Okay. So you do.” He raised his hands in surrender.

She smiled at him, drunken yet genuine.
 
He sighed in his thoughts, his heart skipping a beat as they stared at each other. What he did not expect was for her to move closer.

She locked her gaze with his and moved closer. “Do you know what the color of your eyes is?”

He swallowed the lump on his throat. She was too close. Her nearness made his voice crack. “Yeah, they're amber.”

His eyes focused on her tongue as it slid out to wet her lips. Her dainty fingers reached for his bangs, gently tracing his brow. Her fingertips lightly caressed the side of his eye. “You’ve got the most breathtaking eyes I’ve ever seen. Have I ever told you that?”

“No. But now you did.” His voice was breathy. Closing his eyes, he relished her touch.
Damn, what was she doing to him? She was making him want. And that was not a good idea right now. 

She broke her hold on him. “I just did, didn't I?” Now, she was looking shy all of a sudden. She bit her lip as she stared at her lap.

What was she thinking? He asked himself.

Smiling, he watched her finished her sake. He took his in one gulp and helped her up. They walked together towards Inuyasha's car. His arm was draped around her shoulders. She was tiny against him. He pulled her closer to feel her body against him. Leaning against him, her arms snaked around his waist.

She groaned against him. “I think I’m a bit drunk.”

He chuckled in response. “You are drunk.”

“Ugh. My head is spinning.”

They stopped in front of his car. He unlocked the door to the passenger seat and let her slide inside. He was staring straight at her as he fixed her seatbelt. “You've got beautiful eyes too, you know,” he said all of a sudden.

She snorted at the compliment.

He cradled her face in his hands. She had no choice but to look at him. “As a matter of fact, you've got the most amazing shade of blue eyes I've ever seen,” he whispered moving closer to clearly see her eyes in the shadows inside the car. He recognized the lust that was swirling in the depths of her gaze, because he knew his eyes reflected them as well.

It looked like he wanted to kiss her. Her heart was hammering against her chest at the thought. She smiled. “You know how to flatter a woman, Takahashi.”

Grinning back at her, he reminded himself it was a bad idea to kiss her. This was getting hard on him. Pun intended. He straightened up.
 
“Do you want me to thank you for that?” she said before he had the door closed.

Thank him for flattering her? She had to be kidding. “No thanks. Hearing you say that I flatter you is enough.” He got inside the car and buckled up.
 
She laughed. “Have I ever told you that you're so full of yourself?”

“Maybe once,” he replied turning the ignition. He smirked at her when he revved the engine.

”Show off,” she muttered in mock irritation.

He laughed. “Admit it. You like the sound, too.”

Of course, she did. She watched formula one. Her dream car was a Ferrari. Damn him. How had he guessed she liked the sound of a perfectly good engine?

Sighing deeply, she leaned her head against the bucket seat. She turned her head to watch him. “When I was growing up, my dream guy was Enzo Ferrari. I wanted to be involved with him so that I could have exclusive access to all Ferrari cars,” she told him.

“You like fast cars?”

“Yeah, fast cars are my thing.” Her voice was soft – a little bit sleepy.

Minding the road, Inuyasha took a quick peek at her. She had her eyes closed. She appeared to be sleeping. But she wasn’t.

“Takahashi?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I tell you something?” She was now peeking at him.

He watched her from the corner of his eye – curious of what she was going to share.

Her lips quirked. “I cheated. When we sparred in the park, I cheated.”

She knew that he already knew that but the urge to tell him was great. The reason for that, she did not know. Perhaps, she just didn’t like the silence that encased them inside the car. It made her more aware of him – more than she was supposed to. She did not like the silence because it was too intimate. It made her want to touch him. It made her want him to touch her. Closing her eyes, she chided herself for even thinking about that. She was an engaged woman. She should never entertain such thoughts especially with a man who was not her betrothed.

So she kept talking in hopes that their playful jabs with each other would dissolve the intimate air between them. “I did that on purpose though. You were so cocky about winning that I had to do it.”

He looked indignant but the glow of mischief in his eyes told Kagome that he found her confession amusing. Yet, he still whined. “That’s was so unfair. I was celebrating my win. How could you say I was cocky about it? How could you?”

He was making fun of her. Her senses told her that.

She found herself smiling at him. No. He had not looked cocky winning. He had looked tempting with his chest bare and his six packs glistening with sweat. When he took his shirt off, it had taken everything inside her that day to stop herself from gawking and drooling over him. His half-naked body had been a distraction. Sparring with a shirtless Inuyasha was way too much for her. But she enjoyed the view. He had the sexiest abs she had ever laid eyes on.

Kagome caught the knowing smirk on Inuyasha’s face. Now, what was he smirking about?

“Sexiest abs, huh?”

She heard him say from her drunken haze. Oh no! Had she said her thoughts aloud again? Had he heard them? Stupid Kagome. Of course, he had. Groaning, she hit the seat with her head. This was all the sake’s fault. She reminded herself to avoid drinking alcohol when he was near.

Alcohol was a gift and a curse. That was the last thought in her mind before she realized she had dozed off.

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It had been five minutes since they arrived in front of her house. But Inuyasha did not wake Kagome. Instead, he watched her sleep. His hands itched to touch her, but he reigned the desire. She was gorgeous up close. Wild jet black hair framed her beautiful face. Her pale skin glowed despite the shadows inside the car. He knew they were as soft and smooth as a baby’s. Her lashes were long curving against her cheeks as she slept. She sighed making her lips part just the slightest. His eyes were immediately drawn on her kissable lips. He had kissed those lips, knew her taste, and he craved to taste once more. But he shouldn’t.

So he woke her up.

"Kagome?” He shook her shoulder. “Hey Kagome.” His voice was louder this time.

“Hmm… What? What's the matter?” She opened her eyes groggily.

“We're here in your house,” he said softly. She had slept on their way to her flat murmuring nothings that didn't make any sense. Inuyasha just shook his head chuckling while he drove.

“Okay,” she slurred opening the car door.

One foot stepped out followed by the rest of her. she took a deep breath before she walked.

No... TRIPPED!

“Oomph!” She fell, face first. A breathless squeak left her on impact.

Good thing there was a shrub that caught her fall. Whew! Inuyasha sighed in relief. Shaking his head, he held her arm and brought her standing.

“I’m a lousy drunk.” She managed to whisper as she leaned against him.
 
Taking hold of her waist, he steadied her.

She giggled. “That tickles, Takahashi.”

Keeping his arm around her, he used the other to carry her grocery bag. He guided her towards the entrance of the building and up the lift to her flat. Reaching her door, he waited for her as she fumbled for her keys. He could not keep the smile off his face as she brought the keys really close to her face.

“Where is that damned key?” Squinting her eyes, she tried to insert the key into the lock. When she couldn’t put it in, she grumbled a “Fucking doors” and “Fucking locks.”

Still hugging her waist, Inuyasha chuckled lightly, as she banged her head against the door uttering a frustrated “Fucking keys.”

“My hand-eye coordination is fuck.”
 
He heard her say as he dropped her grocery bag gently on the floor. He stopped her from banging her head against the door. She complied sighing as he let her head rest on his shoulder. Taking hold of her key, he inserted it in the lock. He was about to open the door when she hiccupped. He turned to look down at her only to see her staring at him. Her deep blue pools flickered with a play of emotions. Staring back, he discovered he would never tire just doing that, getting lost in her gaze.

“Have I forgiven you yet Takahashi?” she said softly. Amazingly, she didn't slur.

“No, you haven't.” His voice has turned deep, dark and husky.

Closing her eyes, Kagome felt the shiver racing up her spine. His breath hit her face. He was drugging her. She knew she was drunk but she could clearly distinguish which effects were alcohol-induced from those caused by him. It seemed that he was affecting her more than the alcohol. And he was definitely affected as well. She could feel him against her stomach. Hot and hard.

She lifted her gaze to him. “Had I ever told you that Kouga wasn't lying when he said you were the best looking guy he'd ever seen?” Her voice was a whisper in the darkened hallway.

“No.” His lips quirked as he moved his face close to hers, never leaving her gaze. His voice was a breathless rasp. He felt his control shattering. If they went on, he might not be able to stop himself from touching her. This was dangerous.

His voice did things to her, messing her already muddled mind. Her body quivered when she felt him hugged her closer. She was turning to mush in his arms. “It’s true. You're the best looking guy I've ever seen. To be honest, you’ve taken my breath away that night you've kissed me.”
 
He shifted her so that she'd faced him. She let him; resting both her hands on his chest as he hugged her waist with both arms. He gently nudged her forehead with his. With his head against hers, he stared through her oceans of blue. He let her talk. It seemed that she was most talkative when drunk.

“You were such a good kisser. Had I told you that?” she whispered to him. Her lips almost brushed his.

“No. But you told me I was welcomed. Remember?” He breathlessly held her close, lightly caressing her lips as his breath fanned her smooth face. He watched her bob her head. Yes, that first kiss they had shared, he had been welcomed. There had been no protest in her. Would that change now that they both knew who they were to each other?

God, he wanted to kiss her. He craved to taste her.

She was breathing faster now. Her blue eyes had gone darker with lust. She fisted his shirt in her hands. “This time… I'll say something else. When you kiss me this time, I’ll say something more.”

She found herself trapped. Trapped against his body. Trapped around his warmth. Trapped with his mouth and tongue as he kissed her deeply. He did not coax her. He just took. There were no languid moving of lips, there was a claiming. She felt his kiss was claiming her. And she let him. She parted her lips for his tongue and tasted all man. Hot, sexy, hard man.

She was drowning. “Ah,” she moaned as he stroked her, tasted her and explored every inch of her sweet delicious mouth. He spun her world in circles. Clasping her arms around his neck, she brought him closer deepening the kiss. Her world faded and all she sensed was him. His touch, his smell, his tongue, his lips, his body hugging her body. All Inuyasha. He had plagued her mind ever since that kiss at the bar and she secretly craved for him – a secret even to her.

Gasping for air, they released each other’s mouths. Dazed from his kisses, she stared at him. She shuddered at the desire she saw in his eyes. The amber had darkened with lust making his eyes more breathtaking to see. He did have the most amazing eyes she had ever gazed upon.

“Inuyasha,” she sighed breathlessly.

Inuyasha… Her voice echoed in his mind through the haze. Sighing deeply, he buried his head against her neck. God, she smelled good. She tasted sweet. Everything about her was tempting. But hearing his name coming from her lips shattered his control.

“Kagome.” Moaning her name, he dove in tilting her face as he captured her lips for a sensual kiss. He felt her shiver as he inserted his tongue into her mouth drawing a low and sexy moan from her. The sounds coming from her lips made him want to back her against the wall and just take her against it. He needed to reign in his thoughts. He should not be thinking about such deprave things such as taking her in the hallway.

“Inuyasha...” But all those thoughts flew out of his mind when he heard the desperate plea in her voice. Her moans were seducing him. Her legs buckled. But he held her tightly. Backing her against the wall, he pinned her body non-too-gently with his, undermining any thoughts that they weren't supposed to be doing this. That they were still in the hallway as they both fuelled each other's sinful desires.


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R & R!