InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Corporate Deception: Fate of Her Land ❯ Her Own Good ( Chapter 7 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Corporate Deception: Fate of Her Land
Chapter 7: Her Own Good
By: TruSuprise

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all affiliated characters belong to Takahashi Rumiko. The views expressed herein are solely those of TruSuprise.
Additional Disclaimer: This story is rated R and is intended for mature audiences. This chapter contains lemon content. If you disapprove of such materials, please stop reading.


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The sound of birds chirping woke Inuyasha from his deep sleep. Realizing he hadn’t slept so soundly since he had moved to Tokyo more than a month ago, he snuggled deeper into the bed, pulling the comforter up to his neck. Why had he left the window open last night? It was freezing, and since when did his bed feel so small and cramped? Come to think of it, the last time his comforter had smelled this good was when Kagome fell asleep at his place that one time… Kagome?

Opening his eyes and seeing the woman in question snuggled soundly next to him, the memories of the night before flooded back to him. A smile teasing his lips, he gazed down at the black haired angel sleeping soundly next to him. Her eyes gently shut, her mouth slightly open, her chest rising and falling in measured, even breaths. Had he been able to freeze time, he would have. He would have stayed in her bed with her forever.

Unable to get the excitement from the night before off his mind, Inuyasha ached to rouse her with a special morning wake up call, but firmly resisted. He doubted that he would be able to restrain himself to simple foreplay, as enjoyable as it was, as he had last night. Now that Inuyasha had tasted a small morsel of Kagome, he wanted the full course, desiring to have all of her and officially take her for his own.

He shook his head. There was no way his schmuck of a brother was right about Kagome being his chosen... was he? Inuyasha had always kept a tight reign on his emotions, and yet three long years ago, he thought himself in love with Kikyou enough to marry her, despite his knowledge that she could not have been his mate. After all, a youkai could no more pick their own chosen than they could come back from the dead. After Kikyou had broken his heart, Inuyasha had promised himself that he would never love again, let alone allow himself to mate, and in do doing, permanently bond his soul to another.

Even if he would break his promise to himself, knowing that Kagome was inexperienced not only in the ways of physical pleasure, but of youkai customs, he reasoned that she probably would not like the idea of being taken by one, let alone a hanyou. Inuyasha tried to dismiss a thought his mind suddenly brought to his attention, remembering that her aura had been telling him otherwise as they climaxed together the night before. He forced himself to disregard it, telling his mind to stop betraying him, that Kagome had simply been unable to resist her own sexual needs, and that her aura was simply confused.

Either way, nothing changed the fact that he’d had a good time last night, and he was pretty sure Kagome had too. He was definitely attracted to her, both physically and mentally. But still, he refused to admit that it was merely just his own stubborn will and emotional walls that prevented him from acting on his feelings for her, from telling her how he felt.

Inuyasha balled his fist underneath the comforter, willing himself to stop thinking about Kagome. It was tiring for him to constantly feel like his heart and mind were at war with each other. For as adamantly as he would deny any feelings for Kagome one moment, the next, he was unsure of himself and ready to jump all over her and swear himself to her in both mind and body.

Knowing that if he didn’t get out of her bed soon, he’d end up waking her the way he wanted, he planted a light kiss on her forehead before he slowly unwrapped her arms from around his torso. He decided he would let her make the next move if their physical relationship was to continue.

Stealthily, he crept out of her bed and pulled the covers up to her neck. Smoothing out his badly wrinkled shirt, he checked his watch. It was only eight in the morning. Plenty of time to stop by the local coffee shop and get some breakfast before going back to his apartment to clean up and meet Sango and Miroku to come right back to the shrine. He smiled at the thought of seeing Kagome again so soon.

Creeping over to the window, he almost tripped over a large, leather jacket that lay on the floor. He recognized it as the one Kagome had draped over her shoulders the night before, but something about it looked familiar, even smelled familiar. His nose scrunched up. Kagome’s scent and even a little of his own had already overpowered the room and he couldn’t single it out. Shrugging, he crept over to the window and shut it as quietly as possible, making sure not to wake her. Chuckling slightly, he saw her white stuffed dog lying on the floor, no doubt having been knocked off the bed in their excitement last night. He picked it up and set it down next to her before slipping noiselessly out of room and then out of the house.


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His grande, skim, caramel macchiato with extra whip in his hand, Inuyasha took his favorite chair in the rear corner of the Starbuck’s coffee shop. Kicking his feet up on a coffee table, he sat the cup in between his legs and made a show of opening his newspaper. Flipping through the pages, he found the comics and started reading, absently taking bites from a lemon scone that rested on a paper bag on a coffee table near him.

His mind not being even able to pay attention to something as simple as the comics, his gaze wandered to the door of the coffee shop. He watched as the business professionals came rushing in and out of the packed barista, briefcases in hand as they straightened their ties and checked their reflections in the window’s glare. It would have been the image of him not more than a month ago, when work was the only thing in his life.

Popping another bite of scone into his mouth, Inuyasha turned his head to look outside the window, the peaceful view of the park on the other side of the street suiting him much better. The sakura trees had lost their pink blooms, and in their place, green leaves had become completely unfurled. The first of the oaks and maples had begun showing their bright green, fuzzy buds, standing in a stark contrast to the year round evergreen shade of the pines. As the sun glinted off the skyrises, it held the promise of a warm afternoon full of possibilities.

Yes, the morning couldn’t have been any better. ‘Well, if couldn’t be better unless I was still in Kagome’s bed, of course.’ He amended, a smile teasing his lips.

He suddenly froze behind his paper, his twitching thigh muscles almost causing the top of his coffee to explode in his lap. He smelled her, here in the coffee shop. Kikyou.

Obviously, Inuyasha wasn’t the only one with the foresight to move close to the Higurashi Shrine. It was apparent that Naraku had also moved closer, towing Kikyou along with him as he continued to pursue his would-be client. Inuyasha had to fight back a growl from forming in his throat at the thought of Naraku taking what was rightfully his. In a business sense of course, Inuyasha reminded himself.

Tentatively peering around the newspaper, he spotted Kikyou standing in line and pointing at a pastry. He was struck by the familiar sensation of an intricately blended mix of hate and desire as he laid his eyes on her. Taking a deep breath, he stopped and thought for a moment. He knew his hate for Kikyou had been stronger than his remaining desire to have her back for years now, but what shocked him was the realization that even the remaining amount of desire he still felt for the corrupted miko was not nearly as strong as what he now felt for Kagome.

Looking at Kikyou from afar, Inuyasha could barely believe he had once mistaken Kagome for the woman who had betrayed him. Sure, they were both beautiful, but Kikyou’s cold eyes, lifeless skin, and flat hair couldn’t hold a flame to Kagome’s cheerful expressions, glowing complexion, and wavy, luxurious locks. He felt a shockwave spread throughout his body as he realized that the lust he had felt with Kikyou was nothing like the somewhat awkward, yet fulfilling passion he had shared with Kagome last night.

Fearing she’d see him, Inuyasha pulled his head back behind the newspaper, trying to sink deeper in the easy chair to avoid being seen. As her scent got closer, Inuyasha began to sweat, hoping she was planning to exit through the rear door. When someone sat in the chair next to him, he had to resist the urge to see who it was. He prayed it wasn’t Kikyou. The last thing he needed was an argument with the woman who had wrongly accused him of being unfaithful to ruin his day.

“You can quit pretending you don’t see me, Inuyasha. I could see your ears over the newspaper, fool.” Kikyou said bitterly.

The hanyou lowered his newspaper slowly, setting it and his cup of coffee onto the coffee table next to him. “What do you want, Kikyou?” He spat. The amount of venom in his voice surprised even Kikyou.

“Oh, its not what I want, it’s who Kagome wants.” Kikyou responded.

“The fuck are you talking about?” Inuyasha asked irritably, how dare she speak about Kagome?

Kikyou registered his interest, his ears giving him away as they pointed towards her like radar. “I heard about what happened with Kouga.”

Inuyasha crossed his arms moodily. “Keh! Of course you have, your boss tricked the Neko-“

“No, Inuyasha. I mean what happened last night between Kouga and Kagome.” Kikyou interrupted, a smug smile on her face. Inuyasha’s knitted brows and marked frown spurred her forward. “Oh, you haven’t heard, have you?” She asked in a lilting, almost pitiful voice.

“Explain yourself now, woman.” Inuyasha said, his voice hoarse and quiet, deadly serious.

“Oh, its just something I overheard from passerby’s on the street. You mean you haven’t heard everyone talking about the shrine girl and the Ookami-Youkai who got caught by police in the park in the throes of passion last night?”

Inuyasha’s claws sunk into the easy chair, his eyes unfocused as two painful memories felt like they were kicking him in the gut. An old, bitter memory of betrayal linked to the woman sitting across from him and a new memory of Kagome smelling like Kouga before his own scent had washed over her. Suddenly, the image of the jacket he had seen Kagome wearing the night before hit home. It had been Kouga’s jacket.

“Oh, I guess you hadn’t heard, huh? She obviously wouldn’t tell you that she and Kouga had sex after all.” Kikyou chuckled slightly.

‘No.’ Inuyasha said to himself. He knew the words Kikyou spoke were untrue to Kagome’s character. ‘I will not let my issue with trust doubt my confidence in Kagome. She’s not Kikyou. She has no commitment to me just because we made out last night, but she’s given me no reason to think she would ever do such a thing with Kouga or anyone else.’

Inuyasha growled at the chuckling woman sitting across from him. It took everything he had not to allow his rage to spill forth and start a scene in the small coffee shop. “What’s so funny?”

Kikyou’s laughter stopped abruptly and she stared the hanyou down coldly. “That it only serves you right, you bastard.”

Inuyasha forced himself to concentrate, for as much as he wanted to call Kikyou out and knock her off her pedestal, he realized he first had to defend Kagome. He steeled himself not to let his darker side grab hold of him as he returned Kikyou’s stare. Inuyasha had been working on rebuilding his life from the ashes that Kikyou had left him with, and he wouldn’t allow her meddling ways continue to undermine his efforts any longer.

“I don’t care what you say, Kikyou.” Inuyasha said coolly, straining to reign in his emotions as he continued. “I would no more believe a word out of your mouth than I would a stranger on the street. You should know, since she is your cousin, Kagome’s not the type to have sex with someone she’s just met.”

Kikyou smirked bitterly. “Unless it’s you?” When Inuyasha growled menacingly at her, she shot him a confident smile. “Don’t think I can’t tell, your aura is practically broadcasting that you slept with her.”

Inuyasha faltered momentarily. Damn her miko senses picking that up. He switched tactics, trying to direct her hate back at him instead of Kagome. “You don’t have to be so jealous about it, Kikyou.”

Kikyou took the bait. “Jealous? Of you? Please, Inuyasha. I’m only happy to see you get your just deserts, knowing the woman you slept with fucked Kouga right before she was with you. How does it feel to be the one to receive sloppy seconds?”

Inuyasha disregarded Kikyou’s thinly veiled accusation. He had long since given up arguing his wrongly accused betrayal. He focused instead on another thought, the thought that Kagome might bed another. It made Inuyasha cringe. “You’re wrong.” He insisted. “Wolves mate for life, and Kouga didn’t mark her, Kikyou.”

“So he didn’t mark her, big deal. I’ll bet he was just using her, not even wanting to mate her, and the little whore was just looking for a quick fuck.” Kikyou shot back.

Inuyasha shook his head, disgusted that Kikyou would sink so low. Kikyou had always been cool and calm, but under Naraku’s hand, she had become a very cynical and manipulative woman. She had learned a lot from the Southern Lord. Inuyasha’s claws had sunk deep enough into the easy chair to bore into its wooden frame as he hardened his resolve. He would not allow himself to be swayed by this angst filled woman. That was what she wanted.

Kikyou watched as her lover of old seethed in anger. “The truth hurts, doesn’t it?”

Something deep inside Inuyasha snapped and he held Kikyou captive in a penetrating gaze. For three years he had cowered in Kikyou’s shadow of hate and loathing. No longer would he allow this woman who had never really loved him, never really trusted him, to influence him any longer. It was time to call Kikyou out on her short comings and stop allowing her to walk all over him, something that Kagome had unconsciously given him the strength and the confidence to accomplish.

“Truth?” Inuyasha asked bitterly. “What do you know about truth?” He spat. “I trust her, Kikyou, and you don’t know the first thing about trust.” Kikyou’s shocked expression pleased the hanyou and he stood to confidently stare down at her. “I’m not taking your crap anymore when all you’ve ever done is hurt me.”

Inuyasha felt a rush shoot through him, having essentially shut Kikyou down as she continued to sit there in stunned silence. He was tired of being insulted, slandered and wrongly accused. He was tired of wasting his hate on Kikyou when he could love Kagome instead.

Yes, he suddenly determined that he did, on at least some level, love Kagome. There was no more doubting it, especially after the mere thought that Kagome might bed another had caused him to want her for his own before another might try to lay claim to her. He shook his head, summing it up to his bothersome youkai instincts, forcing himself to dismiss it. He refused to allow his mind consider the implications of his realization any further. Instead, Inuyasha turned and walked confidently out of the barista.

Just like that, Kikyou, his ex-love, the woman he had pined for, the woman who had destroyed the past six years of his life was out of his system.

Once on the street, Inuyasha broke into a run. After this great accomplishment, his very soul urged him to find Kagome.


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Naraku leaned back in his chair in the makeshift office he had created in his Tokyo apartment, his cell phone glued to his ear. He didn’t have to time to return to his headquarters in the Southern Lands of Hiroshima as he balanced both his business and his private plots. Spread before him lay schematics for a skyrise building that housed both offices and apartments. It was the first time he had bought a schematic that had already been purchased by another firm before him.

At this rate, things were moving quickly, and it wouldn’t be long now before the fireworks began. Momentarily, he hoped that Kikyou had heeded his subtle suggestion to irritate Inuyasha further, a cruel smile spreading across his face at the thought. Certainly the bitter woman wouldn’t pass up the chance to do so. He had corrupted her well.

Momentarily forgetting he was making a call, Naraku snapped back to attention as the youkai on the other end of the line greeted him. “I’ve received your architectural drawings for the proposed buildings. How many signatures have you collected?” Naraku asked.

“Between all of us, we’ve acquired the signatures of about one quarter of the population of the county in her jurisdiction of Tokyo who would agree to the petition.” The voice answered.

“Excellent. How long until you’ve completed your rounds and collected what I require to accomplish my task?” Naraku asked.

The person on the other end considered his question before responding. “Give me two weeks, Naraku-sama. That will be adequate time to finish collecting the signatures and drafting the plans.”

“And how long for the proposed building permits?” The Southern Lord asked.

The youkai snorted casually. “That will be only a matter of days after the zoning decision has been established.”

All together, more than two weeks was longer than he wanted to wait, but Naraku accepted the youkai’s terms. This plan would not fail. He grunted into the phone. “I’ll be awaiting your progress reports.”

Before the voice on the other end could say goodbye, Naraku had already hung up.


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Kagome slowly stirred and rolled over, “Inuyasha…” She murmured, cuddling up to something soft and white.

‘Why am I thinking about Inuyasha?’ she asked herself as she slowly shook off the remnants of sleep. The memories of the night before suddenly rushed back to her and she snapped her eyes open, hoping to see the Inu-Hanyou she’d grown to know so well. She frowned when her gaze met her stuffed dog, Kiba instead of Inuyasha. She smiled at the toy for a moment, it had been a birthday present given to her by her grandfather years ago.

Kagome sat up, looking for the hanyou and was disappointed that he wasn’t there. Noticing that her perpetually open window was shut, she came to the conclusion that Inuyasha had already left. She sighed and lay back down, pulling the covers up to her neck and cuddling Kiba to her chest.

A blush rose to her cheeks as Kagome recalled what she had shared with Inuyasha the night before. All things considered, they hadn’t done much, but he had been right, he had taught her, and she had been an eager student. A little too eager, perhaps, because it had ended so quickly thanks to her inexperience. Still, it wasn’t often that she wasn’t in the teacher position, and she smiled at the irony of it all. Her lips rose in an eager smile, perhaps she would get another lesson from him some time, soon, and perhaps he’d teach her more.

Kagome could smell Inuyasha’s unique, musky scent everywhere. It was on the comforter, on the sheets and even on herself. His scent made her feel strangely comfortable and protected, and she reveled in the sensations it evoked. Suddenly, a strong, and somewhat dizzying sensation struck her. After last night, there was no more doubting that her feelings for the hanyou had grown into love. For a moment, she didn’t know whether to cry over falling for the rude, obnoxious jerk, or rejoice that she had fallen for his carefully hidden strong points such as his gentleness and complexity. She had to chuckle at her own indecisive nature. She figured she’d come to no conclusion any time soon, so she tried not to think about it too hard.

Still, one nagging thought continued to bother her. Why had Inuyasha left without at least saying goodbye? Did he regret what they had done last night? Was she that bad at foreplay? Kagome shook her head, hugging Kiba even closer to her. It was senseless to worry about it. Inuyasha was blunt and tactless. If he had a problem with what they’d done, she’d have known about it.

She was pretty sure that whatever they had shared last night would stay between just them, and frankly, she’d prefer it that way. Though the idea of a committed relationship with the hanyou was more than a little tempting, she realized she was just too busy for the commitment. ‘Right?’ She asked herself as though she was trying to force her heart to agree with her mind. Besides, Inuyasha certainly didn’t seem like the type to want to broadcast personal information. In fact, she was sure he was probably currently on his way to meet up with Sango and Miroku, as though he had slept in his own apartment last night, no different than what she had done after leaving his apartment the morning after having had fallen asleep on his couch.

“Yes.” She said out loud to herself as she hoisted herself out of her bed.

A hot bath and cup of coffee did wonders for Kagome and soon after, she sat at the kitchen table. A piece of toast in her mouth, she read the paper, or more specifically the comics. She had long since come to the conclusion that she wouldn’t worry about what was going on between her and Inuyasha until she absolutely had to, which she expected certainly wouldn’t be any time in the near future.

“Kagome!” Inuyasha barked as he suddenly burst through the front door and stomped down the hallway, huffing and puffing as though he’d been running for miles.

Kagome’s toast fell out of her mouth and into her coffee with a splash. “Inuyasha, what happened?” She asked worriedly.

The hanyou didn’t answer her. Instead, he marched right up to her, pulled her out of her chair and crushed her to his body in a tight embrace.

‘Or, maybe I’ll have to deal with it right now.’ Kagome realized.


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Miroku knocked on Sango’s door loudly, cursing Inuyasha for the umpteenth time that they had gotten separate apartments instead of just renting a house together. He had argued with the stubborn hanyou for hours, pointing out how economical it would be to share one place instead of having to pay for three separate ones. It would cut down on company costs, he had argued.

But, alas, Inuyasha had persisted, claiming that not only was money not an issue, but he refused to be woken up every morning by Sango’s screams after catching Miroku peeping on her or copping a feel over breakfast. After the first time they had tried that tactic, Sango had sworn she would never live in the same house with Miroku again. She had claimed she wanted to keep a deadbolt and a wall between herself and Miroku at all costs.

The houshi sighed. His perversion and need to touch was as ingrained in him as Inuyasha’s inherent grumpiness and bitter remarks. It was even as difficult to suppress as Sango’s tendency to attack physically when offended. True, when it came to Miroku’s dealings with Sango, his actions triggered hers, but it was still very much the same thing. Try as he might, and contrary to Sango’s beliefs, he had tried, he had never been able to suppress his lecherous tendencies.

Sango opened her door and eyed Miroku suspiciously. The houshi smiled brightly at the taiji-ya. He never officially smiled until he had seen his goddess. Even the weary woman couldn’t help but return his contagious smile.

“You ready to go?” He asked her.

Sango threw her backpack containing her taiji-ya clothing over her shoulder and stepped into the hallway before locking her door. “Let’s get Inuyasha and we’re off. He’s driving us today, right?”

Miroku nodded. Though the shrine was but a fifteen minute walk away, Inuyasha often times would drive them just to get behind the wheel of his new car, as he had since traded in his high price tag Mercedes for the same car that he bought Kagome, the VW R32, only instead of the deep blue, his was a brilliant shade of red. Needless to say, his friends had been surprised that he had traded in his luxury sports car for a manual transmission hatchback, but it made their boss happy and anything that kept Inuyasha in good spirit kept them in good spirits.

Miroku led the way as they walked to Inuyasha’s apartment, easily identified as the only one in the hallway without a welcome mat. He knocked lightly and then waited a moment. Not hearing even the sounds of the hanyou rustling around or just jumping out of bed, which had happened on more than one occasion, he knocked louder, still to no avail.

Minutes later, it was clear that Inuyasha wasn’t in the apartment. “Uh oh.” Sango said darkly.

“What?” Miroku asked.

Sango turned to catch Miroku’s concerned gaze. “What if he caved in and went back to Kagome’s to tell her about what really happened?”

“You don’t think that he… didn’t come home last night, do you?” The houshi asked suggestively.

Sango tilted her head, thinking. “Why, just because Naraku was controlling the Neko-Youkai?”

The houshi sighed. Did he have to spell it out? “What I meant was-“

Sango gasped, sucking in air. “You don’t think that… he and Kagome…”

Miroku nodded. Had the suggestion come from his mouth, he would probably be feeling the effects of Sango’s attack by now. The two looked at each other, questioning looks on their faces as they pondered the possibilities.

“No way.” They each said at the same time, neither one of them able to imagine either Kagome or Inuyasha giving in to the other enough to have any kind of a physical relationship short of a wrestling match. Sango and Miroku’s crisp laughter echoed in the hallway.

“In any case, I guess we’re walking. Inuyasha will catch up eventually.” Miroku said, blowing a breath from his mouth loudly as he hefted his own backpack. “Your hand, milady?” He asked in a corny manner, extending his own to Sango.

Sango looked in his bright eyes and smiled. What could it hurt? She reached her hand out towards Miroku and twined his fingers in between her own as they walked side by side to the stairs.


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Kagome and Inuyasha sat across from each other at the kitchen table, Inuyasha holding a cup of coffee that went untouched as he relayed the details of his run in with Kikyou.

“I can’t believe she said that about me.” She said quietly, examining the scratches in the table. For a woman with such a pure and kind soul, she couldn’t imagine anyone, let alone a family member being so cruel.

“Keh, don’t take it personally. I’m sure she only said it to piss me off.” Inuyasha grumbled.

Kagome nodded, though she was still offended. She stole a glance at Inuyasha’s eyes, gauging his emotions as he spoke about Kikyou. She saw the anger and sadness she had associated with him speaking of her before, but now there was something else in his golden eyes that she couldn’t place. “So how did you leave it with her?” She asked.

Inuyasha sighed and paused, unable to meet her questioning gaze as he gave her a much abbreviated version of what he told Kikyou. “I uh, told her that I didn’t believe her. That you weren’t that kind of person, and that…”

“That what?” Kagome prodded him.

“That I trusted you wouldn’t do something like that.” Inuyasha blurted out, finally meeting her eyes.

The young woman looked into the hanyou’s golden eyes, a surprised expression on her face. She knew that for Inuyasha to trust her, he had overcome a great personal barrier. In fact, she was happier that he had learned to trust than she was that it was her that he trusted in. Finally, she placed the nameless emotion that Inuyasha poorly hid behind his eyes. Freedom and pride. He had freed himself from the anchor that was Kikyou, and he was proud that he had stood up for Kagome’s honor.

Kikyou’s rumor hitting home, Kagome abruptly realized there was something that she had to clarify and get off her chest, something she had wanted to tell Inuyasha the night before when they had gotten distracted with each other. She took a deep breath to collect her thoughts. “You know, Kouga and I…” She began.

“He stuck around last night.” Inuyasha completed for her. “I know, I smelled him on you.”

“Oh.” Kagome responded, remembering his Inu-Hanyou abilities. “Yeah, and he lent me his jacket too, he made me put it on because it was so cold outside.”

“Outside?” Inuyasha asked, biting back Kikyou’s rumor.

She felt Inuyasha’s questioning gaze on her. “Well, he stayed for a little while after you guys left, and we went outside for a walk.”

“Alone?” Inuyasha barked.

“I thought you said you trusted me.” Kagome said testily.

Inuyasha raised his hands in defense. “I do, I do.” He muttered. “I’m sorry.”

Although he wouldn’t have admitted as much, it was obvious that the hanyou was only being so inquisitive because he was jealous and tense, not because he was accusing her. Kagome understood how hard it must have been for Inuyasha not to get sucked into Kikyou’s lie, especially with all the evidence piled against her. Kagome easily forgave him, though she looked at him crossly before she continued. “We were talking about you, and he… well, he kinda made a move on me.”

“What the hell did he do? Did he touch you?” Inuyasha asked as he stood, pounding the kitchen table with his fist. “I’ll rip his arms off!”

“Inuyasha, sit!” Kagome commanded.

Inuyasha’s ears flattened against his skull as he sat, fuming.

“He put his arm around me, and… he kissed me.”

“He what?!” Inuyasha barked loudly, his voice bouncing off the appliances in the kitchen.

“Would you let me finish?” Kagome asked, raising her voice. Waiting for him to regain his composure, she continued. “I think the kiss was just symbolic of him giving up on pursuing me. Afterwards, he told me that he knew that I… I cared for you, Inuyasha. He said he’d honor that, and that he’d be there… for either of us if we needed him.”

“Oh…” Inuyasha said, trailing off. He really had believed in Kagome, even before she had explained the situation to him, but he felt much better knowing why she had smelled like Kouga the night before.

The fact that Kagome had told him that Kouga knew that she liked Inuyasha had just sunk in for the Inu-Hanyou and he realized that Kagome had, in a round about manner admitted that she liked him. That Kouga would back off and honor them without being forced into it shocked him. Although he would not have expected the Northern Lord to back off unless he had physically marked and mated Kagome, which was a youkai thing to do, he acknowledged that Kouga was honoring Kagome’s feelings in the very least, and for that, he was appreciative.

“Inuyasha?” Kagome asked, getting his attention. “I want you to know it means a lot to me that you really trust me… and thanks for standing up for me to Kikyou.”

The hanyou nodded, forcing all other thoughts from his head. “I told her that I was through with her.”

Kagome was shocked that he had said something so major so nonchalantly. “You what?” She exclaimed.

Inuyasha shrugged. “I took your advice.” He said plainly. “I told her that I wasn’t going to take her crap anymore, that I’d spent too long already being controlled by her hate.”

“My advice was to leave her in the past, not to tell her you aren’t going to take her crap anymore.” Kagome said dryly.

“Keh, same difference.” Inuyasha mumbled.

Kagome smiled at the moody hanyou. If he wasn’t making a big deal out of the situation, she wouldn’t either. “I’m glad you’ve gotten over Kikyou.”

Her infectious smile spread to Inuyasha, and he gave her a lopsided grin. In all honesty, he felt like a new man. He no longer had the dark cloud that was Kikyou hanging over his head and it seemed he had some kind of relationship budding with Kagome. Yes, for a change, everything was going right.

Realizing that his cup was full of cold coffee, Kagome stood, walking around to Inuyasha’s side of the table. “Let me get you a fresh cup.” She said, reaching for his mug.

When he grabbed her by the wrist before she could reach the cup’s handle, she looked at him questioningly, tilting her head slightly as his grin spread, one sharp fang poking over his lip. Kikyou was history in his mind, and right now, the only one that existed in his world was the amazing woman standing in front of him.

Inuyasha suddenly pulled Kagome towards him by her small wrist and twisted her so that she landed in his lap with a small squeak of surprise. Easily supporting her weight on his legs, he stared into her eyes as her free hand rested on his shoulder.

The constant pull his soul felt from Kagome’s own strengthened and Inuyasha could no longer ignore it as he pulled her towards him roughly and kissed her passionately. As the hanyou and the woman looked into each other’s eyes, it was obvious that they both had feelings for each other but neither one of them were willing to speak their minds in fear that it would ruin what ever it was that they had begun. And so, instead of speaking, they reverted to actions instead, relying on body language to convey their emotions.

Getting over her initial surprise, Kagome swiftly responded, returning his kisses roughly. It was such a change from the slower pace of the night before, but it was that much more intense and exciting. She realized detachedly that she wanted more, her hands fisting in his red shirt.

Kagome had made the move Inuyasha had been waiting for. She wanted him as much as he wanted her and he knew it. Inuyasha pulled gently, yet firmly on her lower lip with his canines as she began to rub her hands across his chest. Snaking his hands through her wavy hair, he held her head as he tilted his own, thrusting his tongue into her mouth. Inuyasha had to fight the urge to whimper when Kagome began to caress his ears.

Kagome suddenly pushed herself off of Inuyasha, standing in front of him. For a moment, he was upset that she had left him, but when she tentatively straddled his hips, her short skirt riding up around her waist as she sat down on him, he let loose a moan of pleasure, his sharp claws raking along her smooth thighs.

She had to admit, she felt powerful on top of him as she purposely ground her hips on top of his, loving the way he whimpered with her movements. Gaining pleasure from her gyrations, Kagome dropped her head to Inuyasha’s shoulder as she continued to grind into him.

A powerful urge prompted Inuyasha to open his eyes and when he did, he realized it was his youkai blood alerting him to Kagome’s head resting on his shoulder, bearing her neck to him submissively. Before he knew what was happening, he had flared his lips and bared his teeth, opening his mouth menacingly. Placing his canines along Kagome’s throat, he felt the grippingly familiar feeling of his inner youkai throb, only this time, it wasn’t reacting to battle, it was compelling him to mark her.

His eyes bled red as he struggled to contain his youkai. He had promised himself, and he had his reasons that no matter how he felt for her, he would not mate this woman, and damnit if he wasn’t going to stick to his word. He felt his teeth make contact with her neck regardless of his efforts as she began to thrust against his hardness quicker, small moans of pleasure escaping her throat making it obvious that she was nearing climax. She was making this too difficult for him to resist… she was driving him crazy.

“Kagome, we’re here!” Two voices called in unison, cutting through the din of hushed moans and grunts.

He would have never thought he’d ever say it, but the voices of Miroku and Sango as they walked through the front door interrupting them was music to his ears as Kagome scrambled off of him and ran to the other side of the table, sitting down noisily. The temptation gone, Inuyasha’s youkai transformation ceased, much to his relief, and Kagome hadn’t even noticed. He scooted farther underneath the table to conceal his painfully obvious erection from his friends.

“What was all that noise? Sounded like you guys were playing musical chairs in here.” Miroku commented as he and Sango entered the kitchen.

“Kagome, are you okay? You look flushed.” Sango commented, looking at her friend worriedly.

“Ah… I’m fine, really. Just a little… hot.” Kagome replied, cursing her inability to lie.

‘More like hot and bothered.’ Miroku said to himself, noticing the faint, yet noticeable hickeys on Kagome’s neck.

He looked over at Inuyasha, just itching to slap his friend on the shoulders and say ‘You go, dawg!’ No pun intended, of course… But he knew the hanyou wouldn’t appreciate either the dog reference or calling out whatever was going on between he and Kagome. The angry frown that Inuyasha cast at him that practically screamed, “Don’t you dare!” only affirmed Miroku’s suspicions.


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Kagome sat in the passenger seat of the car, enjoying the scenery that passed by in a blur as they sped down the highway enroute to Kyoto. Sesshomaru had demanded that Inuyasha come back to see his adopted son and niece for a family dinner. Sango and Miroku, being part of the extended family, were required to return as well. Besides, it was a good opportunity for them to get away from work for a little while and go home to their own families for a visit.

What had surprised Kagome the most though, was that Sesshomaru had insisted that she come with his brother, or, as Inuyasha so adamantly insisted, half brother. Memories of Sango hoping she could become a part of the Taisho pack when they had first met, and Inuyasha trusting her with the knowledge of his human night when he had stated that only his pack knew about his secret came to Kagome’s mind as part of her wondered if this was just another step in the natural process of growing even closer to Inuyasha and his loyal circle.

Her seat pushed all the way up to accommodate Miroku’s long leg’s behind her, Sango uncomfortably crammed in next to him, she realized the cars that both she and Inuyasha drove were rather inefficient in holding four adults. Despite the ‘five passenger’ label the car boasted, in reality, the leather racing seats took up most of the room in the cabin. She had offered to sit in the back with Sango so Miroku would have more space, but Inuyasha had been adamantly against it.

Thankfully, Souta was back at the shrine with Kaede, the two of them teaming up to give her the afternoon break. Souta had passed his high school finals with flying colors a week ago and was enjoying a month’s break from school before his college classes started and Kagome tried her hardest not to think about the bills that were soon to be coming her way. There was a simple solution to that problem, that although it would not cover the cost completely, it would certainly help. She had yet to accept the proposal from Inu Properties and Preservation despite telling Naraku she was decided, which she was. She was just waiting for the right time to tell Inuyasha. When she stopped and thought about it, she had known Inuyasha for a month and a half now. She had gotten to know his friends, and was now getting to know his family. She had felt comfortable with his company, and more importantly, their intentions for some time now. Besides, she thought, there might be something more between her and Inuyasha than purely a work relationship, and that alone greatly interested her.

It had already been two weeks since she and the Inu-Hanyou had become romantically involved. It was still a private matter, as they had not even discussed it with each other, let alone their friends. They tended instead to only act on their feelings when in private, which wasn’t very often, though admittedly, the two had made good use of what time they had. In fact, she had to give him credit for not pushing her into having sex. They hadn’t quite pushed the envelope of actual intercourse, though Kagome knew that they both wanted it. Sometimes, the guy could actually be thoughtful.

Kagome was a patient, forgiving woman, but ever since they had become romantically involved, she wanted to know where she stood with Inuyasha. Even though they were fooling around, they still argued with each other incessantly. He continued to confuse her, each day he seemed to get more protective and possessive over her, yet for no apparent reason, he would randomly blow her off or insult her. Not that Kagome was much nicer to him, really.

Reading the highway signs as he sped by them, Inuyasha realized they were getting close to their destination. He stole a glance at Kagome as she peered out the windows, her hair blowing around her face from the cool air that filtered in through the slightly cracked widows and sunroof as trance music thumped in the background. He wondered what she was thinking about as he forced his eyes back on the road.

The nervous energy that was steadily growing within Inuyasha put him on edge. It had been two weeks since he had begun to realize that he was in love with the girl. However, his mental walls were still too high to tell her how he felt for her, and she was still afraid of getting hurt. Besides, he was still spending an enormous amount of his time trying to convince himself that the love he felt for Kagome was not as strong as his heart told him it was.

Inuyasha had already retracted his initial decision that he had made upon waking in Kagome’s bed two weeks ago. He had worried that since he’d sampled her, he’d want to have all of her, but he had soon realized that it was even harder on himself to keep himself from her attentions. To his annoyance, it was getting more and more difficult to suppress his inner youkai during their make out sessions. In fact, the more time he spent with her, the stronger his love for her grew. He had felt himself steadily growing more possessive of Kagome by the day, and it was a constant struggle to force himself to back off. Even now he had to fight the urge to keep his hand on the shift knob and off her bare thighs that teased him from underneath her short skirt. She did all the right things that would drive a youkai wild, and she didn’t even know that she was doing it. He had tried his hardest not to allow himself to make love to her, although it was difficult with her aura practically begging him to do so. He had since had a new fear grip him, a fear that should he actually be allowed to have all of her, he would never let her go again. It all but consumed him.

In fact, it was that youkai side of him that only added another intricate layer to his feelings for Kagome. His youkai demanded he claim her as his mate, it knew she was his chosen. Yet Inuyasha’s human side feared for her. She was human, and fragile. She could be easily hurt by his youkai half, and even if she did still want him for some strange reason, would he really want her to suffer with having a hanyou as a mate? She might be shunned. As desperately as he wanted her, he used his concern for her own welfare as another wall to hide behind, another reason for him not to tell her how he felt.

He forced such thoughts from his head as he turned off on an exit just before the Kyoto city limits, driving down a road that eventually became a small, one-way street that wound high into the foothills of the mountains. No trespassing signs adorned the trunks of the trees above the dense undergrowth of the thick forest that belonged to his brother. His own forest had long since been developed on top of, a forest that had been passed down to him by his ancestors that had lived five hundred years ago. He realized it was probably no coincidence that a small piece of the land where his forest once stood now legally belonged to the Higurashi family.

Coming to a set of closed wrought iron gates, Inuyasha pressed a remote control and the heavy gates slowly swung open. Kagome’s mouth hung slightly open as she took in the expansive lands of his Inu-Youkai lineage.

The tree-lined driveway eventually gave way to an ancient stone mansion, its architecture a strange mix of Japanese and Western design, surrounded by slightly overgrown, yet expansive gardens. The canopy of the forest around the large house closed in near its roof, surrounding the mansion in shaded protection. Coming to a stop underneath the covered portico, Kagome looked quizzically as a small, wide-eyed green youkai who, after some squinting and imagination, she determined was of the toad species, came running from the house, hobbling along with a gnarled, creepy looking staff.

“Inuyasha-sama, you’re late.” The sickly green creature said in an annoyed tone as he narrowed his beady eyes.

Suddenly, the rumbling of footsteps was heard and the dual front doors of the mansion swung open, slamming back into the stone walls as two young children stormed outside. Running right over the little youkai, they practically flattened him to the ground as Inuyasha got out of the car.

The children threw their arms around the Inu-Hanyou and cried his name, chattering rapidly as they each tried to win his attention. Kagome watched fondly as she got out of the car to help Miroku and Sango out of the tight back seat. Inuyasha was obviously trying to mask the biggest, boldest smile she had ever seen from the grumpy hanyou as the children vied for his affections.

Seeing the flattened, squirming youkai trying to get up, Kagome kneeled down and helped the little creature up as he dusted himself off, grumbling. “Really, that Inuyasha. He’s been a thorn in my side ever since the day he was born!” Kagome couldn’t help but chuckle at the poor toad’s plight.

One of the children, a small, red-haired fox youkai that Kagome instantly recognized as the one who must be Shippou, detached himself from his adopted father and shyly approached her, looking at her quizzically. Suddenly, a broad grin lit up his face, almost as though he had approved of her right then and there. “You must be the Kagome that Inuyasha dreamed about before he left for Tokyo!”

“Shippou!” Inuyasha barked, marching over to the kit and bopping him on the head.

“But it’s true, Inuyasha-ojichan!” The little girl who Kagome supposed was Rin said, still hanging happily on the hanyou’s strong arm.

Kagome didn’t know what to be more amused about, that Inuyasha had actually dreamed of her more than a month ago, or the grumpy hanyou being called an ojichan. From the corner of her eye, she observed Sango and Miroku trying to hold back their laughter as Inuyasha chased the children around in circles.

Sesshomaru exited the house and silently approached the miko. If his blockheaded brother wouldn’t tell his future mate to make herself comfortable in his pack’s den, he supposed he’d just have to do it for him. “Sometimes I don’t know which of the three of them are more mature.” He said as jovially as the Western Lord could, noticing the girl’s smile. “Kagome-san, It’s a pleasure to see you. Our home is yours. Make yourself comfortable.”

Awe struck by the expansive entrance with its circular stairway to the floor above, the open foyer and marble floors, Kagome was speechless as she followed Sesshomaru inside. A particular granite statue caught her eye of a handsome Inu-Youkai in feudal armor, his long hair gathered back into a ponytail.

“That is our ancestor. His name has been long lost to history, but he is the one who died at the hands of Naraku’s ancestor along side his Higurashi miko, your ancestor.” The Western Lord told her.

Kagome could only nod dumbly, looking at a centuries old piece of their shared history.

Sesshomaru’s lips curled slightly, though to him, the action was a smile. “I’m sure you’ll find much of the Western Mansion to your liking. We have many artifacts and pieces of ancient history that might interest you. Perhaps Inuyasha can show you around after dinner.”

Kagome and Sesshomaru turned to the hanyou as the rest of the stragglers trailed inside. Trapped in their expecting gazes, he reluctantly released Shippou from his grasp, the kitsune landing on all fours before scampering to hide behind Rin.

“Keh.” He finally barked in response, looking away from Kagome.

The woman rolled her eyes as she followed Sesshomaru inside the house, Shippou and Rin at her heels, fighting for the new woman’s attention.

It was a short walk to the dining room, which was decorated in dark woods and earth tones. The dining table was long and wide and even with the china place settings laid out for seven diners and food piled high in the middle of the table, the table still looked empty, barely half of it in use.

Kagome was instructed to sit to Inuyasha’s right and Sango and Miroku sat across from them. Sesshomaru of course occupied the head of the table with Shippou to the left, in between him and Inuyasha and Rin to his right.

Kagome was pleasantly surprised that dinner, while being formal in appearance and location, they were in a mansion of a youkai Lord after all, was a rather casual event. As always, Sesshomaru seemed rather reserved, certainly the most stoic of the bunch. Utensils flew to grab the tastiest morsels, plates had been passed, and at one point, a bottle of soy sauce had even been tossed across the table as they shared the simple, yet delicious meal of fresh fish, rice and vegetables.

Rin and Shippou’s chatter filled the air, making small talk as they wanted to get to know Kagome. They had asked question after question about her hobbies, her likes, and her dislikes. She was surprised to find that they hung on every word she said. They really were two likeable children, and she felt herself becoming attached to them quickly.

Most of the food had disappeared by the time Shippou had crawled into Kagome’s lap, much to Inuyasha’s chagrin as his adopted son crawled over top of him to get to her. Kagome gave Inuyasha a cross face after seeing his grumpy expression.

“So, Shippou-chan, what’s it like living in such a huge house?” She asked. Though she hadn’t seen too much of the place yet, she figured that with such a large mansion and only four people living in it, plus perhaps some staff for upkeep, it really must be pretty empty for its size.

The little Kitsune-Youkai shrugged. “It’s not that big, really.” He said mater-of-factly, pleased that he had gotten Kagome to chuckle. He took a moment to listen to her comforting heartbeat so close to his ear.

Miroku leaned back in his seat. “I have lots of fond memories of this place. I remember spending the night here plenty of times once I befriended Inuyasha. You think the house is neat? You should see the garage where Inuyasha-sama and Sesshomaru-sama keep all their cars. I’d bet you’d like Inuyasha’s collection, even if they are all automatic.”

“Keh! That’s only because I hadn’t met Kagome to show me anything better yet.” The hanyou grunted in agreement.

Kagome blushed at the round about compliment Inuyasha hadn’t even realized he’d made.

“I used to spend hours in the weapons room, Kagome-chan.” Sango said enthusiastically. “You’d probably like that room too, the Taisho family has an ancient bow in there I think you’d like.”

“Bow? You mean to tell me you can use a weapon?” Inuyasha asked Kagome.

“Does that surprise you?” Kagome asked, irritated. Inuyasha had been in a surprisingly foul mood even before they’d arrived. She wondered what his problem was.

“Keh.” Inuyasha spat.

Rin brightly ignored her grumpy uncle by joining the conversation. “It’s a pretty neat place to live, I’ve had some awesome sleepovers here.”

Kagome regarded the young girl kindly. “Hmm, at fourteen years old? That must be a lot of middle schoolers that can fit in this place, Rin-chan.”

Rin nodded. “Hell yeah, it is.” Suddenly, her head spun around to look at her adopted father, her hand flying to her mouth, covering it as her eyes widened.

Her adopted father looked at her crossly but then cleared his throat, calling all attention to him as he let his daughter’s foul language pass. “A long time ago, this place was full of our kinsman. It was our father’s father’s house first, dating back some thousand years ago. Of course, the building has undergone many renovations and a demolition or two since then. At the height of the Inu-Youkai rule in the Western Lands, there were likely some thirty to forty clansmen residing here.”

Kagome nodded in awe, knowing she had so much to learn and was eager to know all that she could.

Miroku stretched and stood. “Thank you for dinner, Sesshomaru-sama. As for the rest of you, I hate to rain on your parades, but Sango and I were planning on going to see our own families tonight, so we are going to take our leave. Inuyasha, mind if I take out your M3?”

The hanyou smirked. “Sure, but warm her up well and don’t put her away wet, she hasn’t been driven in at least two months.” Miroku nodded, trying his hardest not to misconstrue his instructions.

Sango eyed the houshi wearily. She was sure she’d hear something later about warming her up and putting away wet. ‘I’ll be ready for him…’ She thought, cracking her knuckles. Finally, she stood, nodding to Inuyasha and Kagome. “We’ll see you back at the shrine tomorrow around noon.”

Their pack members and Kagome walked Sango and Miroku to the foyer to say their goodbyes. In the emptiness they left in their wake, Sesshomaru elbowed his younger brother in the ribs. “Inuyasha, I thought you were going to take Kagome on a tour.”

Inuyasha sighed, his breath echoing in the expansive foyer. “Right. Let’s go.”

Kagome looked grumpily at the cross hanyou and fell into step along side him as he silently led her down the hall. She passed countless historical treasures and took in sights of age-old pottery, armor, paintings, and relics, more than enough to fill a museum. She guessed that since there were so fewer generations of youkai due to their long life spans, it was easier to keep precious heirlooms in the family.

Inuyasha spent little time pointing out the ageless and priceless artifacts that the hallway and some of the expansive rooms hosted, and when he did speak, it was curt and to the point. They had passed an ornate office, an expansive library, and an enormous workout room alone that was the size of all the buildings at Kagome’ shrine put together.

“Weapons.” He grunted, opening a door to the right and shutting it before Kagome could really get a chance to see anything.

Finally fed up with the hanyou’s excessive grumpiness, she stopped in the middle of the hallway her arms crossed over her chest. “Enough with the attitude, Inuyasha. What’s your problem? You’ve been a total jerk ever since we got here!” She paused, worrying her lower lip with her teeth. “I’m beginning to think its me.”

To her surprise, the hanyou turned quickly, his brows wrinkling as he glared at her. “Damnit, Kagome, it is you!” He shouted. “I can’t get you out of my head! That’s my fucking problem!”

The hanyou suddenly froze, and from the look on his face, Kagome could tell his words had been completely honest and he had regretted laying out the truth. It wasn’t exactly a confession of love, but at least it was something. “Yeah? Well you’re not the only one with that problem! So would ya loosen up a little?” She barked back.

In the heat of the moment and relieved to know that they were on the same page, Inuyasha lost his control to suppress his emotions. As he suddenly darted to her, he backed her up into the wall roughly. Now that he knew that she thought of him often too, he knew it would only make it that much more difficult for him to keep his distance from her.

Initially, he had caught her off guard, but in no time, Kagome had eagerly responded to his passionate kisses. Feeling his hands slide down to her thighs, she obliged his wishes when his fingers squeezed her hamstrings. She hopped, trusting Inuyasha to catch her weight. He didn’t miss a beat as he lifted her up by the underside of her legs, holding her trapped between the wall and his body as she hooked her legs around his waist.

Kagome trailed kisses down Inuyasha’s throat, biting his skin softly as Inuyasha choked back a groan that threatened to escape his throat. She released her warm breath over her trail of kisses, causing goosebumps to break out across the hanyou’s skin.

It wasn’t long before Kagome could feel his hardness though his jeans and she unconsciously rocked against it, Inuyasha trapping her head against the wall as he trailed his tongue across her collarbone.

“Inuyasha…” Kagome said huskily in a voice somewhere between a moan and a sigh.

The hanyou paused, worried that she would ask him to stop… or ask him to tell her how he felt about her… or ask her something he wasn’t ready or was afraid to answer…

“Shouldn’t we take this… somewhere else?” She finally asked.

Inuyasha smirked. He had guessed wrong, but he needn’t be told twice. He tried to remember what the closest room was. Realizing it was the office, he carried her down the hallway, Kagome still clinging to his torso as she gasped at his amazing strength. Still kissing her passionately, he fumbled for the door, swinging it open and clumsily shutting it with his foot.

“We don’t have too much time. Your family will be looking for us.” Kagome whispered in his ear.

Inuyasha shuddered at the sensation of her hot breath on his sensitive skin. “We know how to be quick.”

Setting her down on a large desk in the center of the dimly lit room, he shoved aside the items in their way, a cup of expensive pens and pencils, a wooden holder full of business cards that went sprawling across the floor, a framed picture, a name plate. None of it mattered as he sat Kagome down on the edge of the desk and pushed her torso to it. Hopping onto the desk himself, he crawled on all fours, hovering above her on his knees and elbows.

Kagome smiled wanly at the primal seduction in his eyes as she ran her hands across his chest. Inuyasha responded by running a hand under her breast, down to her waist and over her hip before resting it between her legs. Knowing they were pressed for time, Kagome moaned and lifted her hips up to meet his hand as his fingers slowly caressed her through her skirt. She instantly snaked her hand between their bodies, homing in on his hardness as she stroked his considerable length through his jeans.

Kagome’s ministrations felt good, but he wanted more. He wanted to please her and be pleased in return. He kissed her lips once more before sitting back on his knees between her legs, smiling at Kagome’s pouty face for having left her mouth. He ran his hands up her legs and under her skirt, hooking his claws around her panties. She obliged by lifting her hips as Inuyasha slid them off her body, tossing them on the floor with the rest of the debris.

Finding a lone rubber band on the desk, he quickly picked it up and tied his hair back into a loose ponytail a quick motion. He slid off the desk and pulled Kagome’s hips to the edge, tailing his claws against her inner thighs and causing her to gasp. He then lowered his head to her sex, already wet and waiting for him. Tentatively licking her core, he began lapping gently with his tongue as he allowed his claws to roam over her body.

Kagome moaned and bucked her hips, trying her hardest not to suffocate the hanyou between her legs as he assaulted her core, but once he inserted a finger after retracting his claws, she began to lose control. As he slipped another finger alongside of the first, Kagome couldn’t resist the need to move with him and she bucked her hips with his motions, loosing control as her climax began spooling within her.

Drawing circles with his tongue, Inuyasha knew how close she was. If he couldn’t have felt it in her aura, begging him to release her, he could sense it from her body. When Kagome’s fingers wound into his hair, reaching for his ears, he thrust his fingers into her even deeper as she began to rub the white appendages.

“Inuyasha!” She exclaimed, biting her lip to stifle her shout. Bucking her hips one last time, they froze in the air, pressing against Inuyasha’s face as she moaned his name quietly and her climax took her.

Letting her hips fall back to the desk, she breathed heavily, coming down from her high as Inuyasha licked her clean. Oral sex had been rather embarrassing to her at first, wondering why anyone would want to put their mouth down there, especially with his acute sense of smell, but the hanyou had assured her that he enjoyed it, and hey, so did she.

Finally gaining her energy back, she sat up, the hanyou looking at her, a smug grin on his face. “Your turn.” She whispered.

Inuyasha stood straight and unbuttoned his jeans as Kagome crawled off the desk. Helping him to slide down his jeans and boxers to his thighs, Kagome then walked him backwards to the edge of the desk, standing on her tippietoes to be able to kiss him. His bare rear end coming into contact with the cool wood of the desk, Kagome pushed him back, causing him to sit, his feet barely dangling above the floor. She trailed her nails down Inuyasha’s chest through his shirt and bent over to tentatively lick the head of his hard member.

Still surprised at how easy it came to her when she had only tried it for the first time days ago, Kagome went down on Inuyasha. Her mouth conformed around his member and her lips squeezed around him as she raised and lowered her head in smooth, controlled motions.

Inuyasha snaked his fingers into her thick hair, following the motions of her head. Kagome felt the veins spasming wildly in his erection and teased him by releasing his hardness. Hearing Inuyasha groan at the loss, she ran her tongue up and down it’s length briefly before taking all the she could back into her mouth. Jerking her head in unpredictable movements, she caused Inuyasha to growl quietly deep in his throat.

Her mouth felt too good and he snaked out his hands to twine in her hair, his arms moving with her motions as he watched the back of her head bob up and down while she went down on him. It wasn’t long before Inuyasha began to loose control, feeling the tenseness build in his stomach. Suddenly realizing they hadn’t prepared for this, Inuyasha grunted. “Kagome, I’m going to…”

Kagome pulled her lips from his shaft, looking around for something, anything she could use. The only fabric within arm’s reach was her panties. Swiping them off the floor, she covered Inuyasha’s member with it as he came.

Inuyasha shuddered as the aftershocks of his orgasm faded while Kagome cleaned him off. Pulling the woman up to him, he kissed her gently, her body pressed against his as he fought the urge to tell her how he felt for her.

Kagome kissed him once more lightly on the lips. “Lets get going, before we get caught. As it is, I’m going to have to walk out of here without panties.” She said.

Inuyasha smirked. “I don’t see where that’s a problem.”

Kagome rolled her eyes and bent, careful not to let her skirt ride too high as she began to pick up the mess they had made of the desk. Some kind of nameplate in her hand, she turned it around to look at it. As she read the placard, a shocked expression crossed her face as her skin burned brightly. “Taisho Sesshomaru?! We just made out in your brother’s office!”

Inuyasha shrugged. “And?”

Kagome looked at him crossly, but couldn’t help but laugh as they exited the room after making sure it was properly put back in order.

Shippou and Rin came running down the hallway as Inuyasha and Kagome approached the entryway. Shippou looked at his adopted father oddly. “Inuyasha, why is your hair tied back?” He asked, obviously not used to seeing him like that.

“Keh!” Inuyasha exclaimed, his hands flying to his head as he yanked the rubber band from his thick hair, pulling out a handful of strands of his sliver mane with it, stifling his scream. ”It just is. And didn’t I tell you to stop calling me by my first name, you little runt?”

Sesshomaru calmly approached the four, eying Kagome and Inuyasha. They stunk, and he knew what they stunk of. He had to bite back a grin. At least one of the Taisho brothers was getting a little something-something. “I take it you two are leaving? It’s almost ten already.” He said gruffly, belying his amusement.

“Yeah, we’ve got a two hour trip ahead of us.” Inuyasha responded just as coolly.

“Thank you for inviting us, Sesshomaru-sama.” Kagome said, bowing to the youkai Lord.

“Sesshomaru is fine.” The Lord replied.

Inuyasha eyed him cautiously as Kagome nodded her understanding. His brother didn’t easily let someone drop a title of honor like that. He realized that Sesshomaru was probably doing it to either purposely annoy him or to get him to admit his feelings for the girl by showing him that his older brother approved of his selection. He settled on a little bit of both.

“Bye, Kagome, We’ll see you again soon, right?” Shippou cried, launching his small body into her arms where the woman caught him and gave him a hug.

“Of course!” Kagome soothed the child. “I’m sure I’ll see you two again soon. Maybe you can come visit us in Tokyo!” She suggested.

“You promise?” He asked shyly. When Kagome nodded and extended her pinky finger to lock hers with Shippou’s, the little kitsune released his death grip and smiled at Kagome, pacified by her offer.

“We’re glad to finally meet Inuyasha-ojichan’s girlfriend.” Rin said smartly.

“Rin, she’s not my girlfriend!” Inuyasha barked. After the words escaped his mouth, he immediately bit his own tongue as he saw the poorly veiled hurt look in Kagome’s eyes.

“See you later, we’ve gotta go.” He said hurriedly, storming to the car underneath the portico, slamming the door shut behind him as he got in.

Sesshomaru sighed to himself, realizing Inuyasha was going to pay for his comment, and hopefully, Kagome would really let him have what he deserved. The Western Lord then chuckled slightly as he watched Kagome climb into the car. ‘No panties.’ He said to himself.

The drive was a silent one between them, Inuyasha’s denial of their involvement wedged between them as though it were a physical object that kept them from knowing the other was there. Finally, Kagome could no longer take the tension. She had promised herself she wouldn’t stoop so low, but she was tired of feeling like she was being eaten from the inside out. She needed an answer, even if it was one she didn’t want to hear.

Her voice cracked as she spoke. “Inuyasha, I want to know where we stand.”

Inuyasha sighed. He knew this was going to come up sooner or later. He hadn’t meant to say what he had. He knew that he loved Kagome and he knew that he wanted to be in a relationship with her, despite his promise to himself to never be hurt again. But the fact of the matter was that he had to think of her welfare too. If he got into a relationship with her, he knew it would only be a matter of time before he marked her, and that wasn’t safe for her between the increased threat of Naraku, and his own inner youkai.

He sighed heavily. “Kagome, I…”

“Don’t sugarcoat it, just tell me like it is.” Kagome insisted. “Do you want to be in a relationship with me, or don’t you? I need to know now, Inuyasha, before I get too involved.”

Her pleading eyes implored the hanyou and he did his best to focus on the road in front of him, knowing he would cave under the pressure of her gaze. How could he say no to what he was fairly sure she wanted?

Focusing on a street sign in the distance, he finally spoke. His words were so quiet that Kagome could barely hear him, and when she did hear him, she wished she hadn’t.

“No. I don’t want a relationship with you.” He finally whispered in response.

Kagome nodded numbly. She wasn’t surprised, but it still hurt. She had thought he had at least felt something for her, and maybe he still did. She could tell he was still hiding behind some kind of emotional wall. He may have told Kikyou that he was through with her, but the bitter woman was still a scar left on Inuyasha’s mind. Kagome understood, and she could accept it. If he didn’t want a relationship, she wouldn’t push him into one. She would try her hardest not to let it affect their business relationship.

If it wasn’t bad enough to see the pain her had caused her etched so clearly into her face, Inuyasha knew he was feeling the same pain he was putting her through. He wanted to take his words back, he wanted to apologize and pull her into his arms, and he wanted to tell her he did want to be with her. But he knew he couldn’t. “Kagome, I-” He began.

“No, Inuyasha. Its okay.” Kagome hushed him. She knew that anything else he had to say would only make the situation worse. “Its okay.” She repeated.

Inuyasha’s sensitive nose picked up the scent of salt. She was crying. His very soul ached that he had caused her this pain, but he continued to tell himself that it was for her own good.

‘Her own good.’ He repeated to himself in the silence of the cabin.


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Author’s Notes: Don’t kill me!
I’m currently ironing out the ending to Corporate Deception. I’m expecting it to cap out at about 15 or 16 chapters, 12 of which are mostly completed. So hang in there! I’m doing my best to get chapters up.

I hope you readers are enjoying the story so far. I can’t really tell, as I haven’t gotten too many reviews, but if you like what you’ve read so far, please let me know! It helps the updates come quicker, you know.

Also, I’d like to say thank you to my beta reader, who can be found on mediaminer, scherezade. It’s nice to have someone out there to help me out and spur me on. Thanks so much!