InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Silver Dove and the Raven ❯ Chapter 15

Chapter 15

RATED R

New York City 12:38am

Inuyasha peeked inside his father's study, waiting for him to get off the phone to speak with him. His father had called him near midnight telling him to come over as soon as possible. He hailed a cab and headed for the manor right away. Having his own car would have helped make the situation easier. Trying to get a cab near midnight was a gamble. The drunks and late night jobholders beat him to it. He just couldn't stand driving in the city.

He stood by the doorway and looked impatiently at his father. His father frowned as he listened on the phone.

"Don't listen to that woman, she is completely mad. I don't care if she threatens me, she will not come near them."

Them? Inuyasha thought. Was he talking about Kagome and Sesshomaru? He assumed this had something to do with Saya and sighed.

"You send who you can to Rome and you make sure the Jade Order or whatever fatuous appellation she's given this group, doesn't get near them. I'm not entirely worried about Sesshomaru but make sure you watch Kagome. She can't protect herself from the Tamashi if Saya decides to sic them on her. I will meet with her tomorrow so just do what I say until further notice." He said and hung up the phone.

"What's going on?" Inuyasha came in and walked toward his desk. "What's the emergency?"

Inutaisho sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Oh, that woman."

"What did Saya do now?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes and plopped down on the chair.

"She continues to throw threats at me and she's sent the Tamashi to Italy

"Why would she send the dark ones to Italy?" The Tamashi were often referred to as the dark ones because of their dark appearances. They wore long black hooded capes and black masks. They usually

worked for wealthy people doing their 'dirty' work. Sometimes people needed convincing and the Tamashi were good at that. They worked as assassins or bodyguards, sometimes as servants.

"I gather she wants them to spy and notify her if their relationship has exceeded toward something more serious."

"You mean, marking her, right?"

"Yes."

"Come on, dad." Inuyasha scoffed. "Sesshomaru would not mark her. Why am I the only one that sees that? Maybe he has some infatuation with her but to mark her is something serious, he's gone out with demon girls before and never marked them. Why now? And a human?"

"Did you see him before he left? He couldn't control himself. That was exactly how I felt when I met your mother."

"Oh, please, not this story again." Inuyasha mumbled under his breath. It wasn't like he didn't want to hear about his mother but he knew the story inside out. He barely remembered her but he had a pretty good idea who she was by his father's stories about her,

"When I first saw your mother at one of my press conferences, she was representing the governor at the time when we were trying to push for integration; I felt such a strong attraction to her. I remember at first I was in denial, especially since I was with Saya but when I continued to see her at other conferences, it became stronger. I was jealous all of the time when other men were around her. My eyes would shift and the frustration of not being with her caused me to lose my temper easily."

"Dad, I know the story…" Inuyasha groaned but his father continued.

"Your mother made me realize I was not happy. Saya and I were forced into marriage, we were just living the way our parents wanted us. No one could understand when I had to leave Saya. I couldn't be unfaithful to her. My heart belonged to a human and I had to pursue my heart's wishes."

"Dad…"

"Saya just doesn't understand, Once we fall in love, we never fall out. I was never in love with her to begin with. It's been almost two decades and she still bares a grudge over this and now she is trying to get back at me through Sesshomaru."

"Dad?"

"Yes?"

Inuyasha yawned and rubbed his eye."What is the emergency that you had me drive all the way here in the midnight hour?"

"We need to go to Italy."

"Now?"

"Now would be great, but realistically, we need our belongings I gather, so let's say, in a couple of hours?"

"Are you out of your mind?"

"Not in the least but I have this feeling that I must go there."

"So go. Why do you need me?"

"Come now, don't be so sour. Rin can come along and we can make it a family trip."

"Sesshomaru know about this?"

"He doesn't have to know."

"You're going to have us spy on him, aren't you?"

"I wouldn't call it spying… I see it as observing the situation from afar without the person knowing." He pouted at his poor rephrasing of the term and shook his head.

"No, he'll know we're watching him. Do you remember when you had the Tamashi watch him because he refused a bodyguard? He beat the crap out of one, what was his name…Dosuka. You know how he is."

"How he was. Don't underestimate the power of love, Inuyasha."

"Don't make me gag."

"Inuyasha, son, listen. Your brother is going through something new for the first time in his life. This is the one thing he will not be perfect at, he will not have the answers. This isn't something he can just

pick out of a book and study. You can't imagine how crazy this will make him. I assume he is probably trying to deny his feelings and push away but soon he will give in to the attraction. No demon has enough strength to resist the attraction to their mate, even if it is a human."

"How do you know for sure Kagome is his mate?"

"Just the little things I noticed about him when she came around. He is subtle, you have to pay attention to catch it."

"This is ridiculous. I can't believe we are talking about Sesshomaru here. He can handle his own problems. Besides, if he and Kagome are even, you know, whatever, which I don't think they are, why does it matter?"

"You really are in denial." Inutaisho sighed.

"Ok, let's just say this is all true and whatnot, why do you need Rin and me to come? What's our reason to be there?"

Inutaisho's jaw tightened as he turned his head away. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed and tried to observe his father's face. There was a look of concern. "Those threats…they're about me and Rin, isn't it?"

"Inuyasha…"

"Aw, man. I am tired of this crap. I am not afraid of her. She can come if she wants; I have no problem showing her how I feel."

"That is enough, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha paused in his words and scoffed. His father stood up from his chair and walked over to him. "There is something ominous in the air. It clouds around my being and all I can think about is you, Rin and Sesshomaru. At the moment, he is unable to leave Italy so I must go to him but I cannot leave you and Rin alone."

"Feh, I can take care of myself."

"I'm sure you can…" Inutaisho agreed for the sake of his obstinate son. "but I cannot take that chance."

Inuyasha's face softened and he looked at him understandingly. "Fine. I'll get my stuff and get Rin ready."

"Already there!" she squealed as she stood in the doorway holding two suitcases. "Did you know Koga is going to be in Italy? Yah! He's doing a concert. Are we going to see Sesshomaru and Kagome? I can't wait. It is about time they got together. Can we get pasta when we're there? I need to buy an outfit. Do you know Koga's favorite color? What are you both waiting for? Let's go!"

Inuyasha and InuTaisho stared blankly at her.

"Yeah, Dad. This is going to be one heck of a family trip." He got up from his chair and stretched.

Inutaisho gazed down at a family portrait on his desk. He only hoped that he was just being paranoid but something told him he wasn't.

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Rome, Italy 6;30a.m

"Jesus Christ, these two are giving me such a headache!"Marla cursed as she slammed the newspaper on the desk. She glared toward Marques and shot up from her chair. "You can't imagine the trouble I've gotten them out of and yet they continue to make headlines every- other- day! 'Demon treads sacred grounds; the Vatican prays absolution for him.' 'The lovers are alcoholics and love the Scottish!' 'Angel falls into lake to rescue duck bullied by seagull!' What is wrong with these two?"

"Relax, Cherie." Marques exhaled a huge cloud of smoke and grinned.

"Why can't they make positive headlines that benefit their status as lovers? How about 'Lovers can't keep their hands off each other'? 'Lovers talk marriage' I admit, their pictures have come out better but a lot of people are still questioning. Especially with the leakage in the staff and crew, they'll leak anything to the press for a couple of hundred. They know they are not together! This is a disaster. Perhaps we rushed this project!" She cried. "Valentino hands this privilege unto me and what happens? I ruin it! He's going to regret the day he retired and handed me the position."

Marques put his cigar on the ashtray and stood up from his chair. He walked over to his distressed colleague and patted her back. "They get better, I promise. A' least he kissed her at the party."

"After a month of hassle! And he only did that after the rumor was announced to the public that they might not be a couple after all. We are screwed. I have to pull the plug on this project before we embarrass ourselves!" she huffed as she stormed out of their office/room.

"Where are you going?" Marques stammered as he followed her.

"To tell them to go home." She sighed. "We are wasting their time and they are wasting ours. These two don't want to model; they have no interest in it."

"No, no, you cannot." Marques cried. "I have good…eh feeling about them."

"Oh stop, Marques. I've heard enough of these 'good' feelings. I thought I saw something in them too. You think it is easy for me to admit I am wrong? How do you think I will feel when I have to address the press about stopping the lover's project?" she took a deep breath. She really didn't want to do this but she had no choice. Their reputation was in jeopardy. "This was supposed to help the discrimination between interspecies relationships. People follow trend, if these two succeed in what they are supposed to then we can put an end to this segregation."

"Give them time, these two are young, and they are stubborn." He whispered tersely as they got into the elevator.

"I've given them enough time! Benito is the best photographer in Italy and he is about to give up as well. If Sesshomaru were not such a smart- aleck, Benito probably would be more patient. "

"You are being international!" he scoffed.

"What?"

"Eh, you are not seeing things..eh..clear" he paused with his finger on his lip. He muttered something in French and frowned.

"I think you mean 'irrational' and no, I am not. You will thank me. They will thank us." They got out of the elevator and walked down the hall to Sesshomaru and Kagome's suite.

"Please, don't do this!" Marques lowered his voice by the door, looking at the knob nervously.

Marla took another deep breath and opened the door. She paraded over to the bed where she'd usually find them sleeping as far from each other as possible. There weren't words that existed to describe what she was feeling when she saw Kagome and Sesshomaru sleeping. This time was very different. This time, they seemed to have been naked under the covers and in each other's arms; in what looked like the spooning position.

She and Marques stood frozen by the foot of the bed, their mouths moving but no words coming out. She looked perplexedly at him and he raised his brows with a shrug. Normally, she'd yell for them to wake up but this was awkward. Their eyes widened when Sesshomaru's eyes opened in tiny slits that quickly formed into a scowl.

They stood there for about a minute feeling like the hugest perverts in the world and snapped out of it. She immediately frowned and tapped her watch.

"You have ten minutes!" she whispered and turned to leave.

Marques smirked and followed behind her.

He caught up to her by the elevator and got in. They didn't speak on the way down and after the long silence, she felt him boring a hole into her skull with his derisive smirk. She turned to him and shook

her finger. "Alright, I give them one more week! Let us hope there are not any more crazy headlines. Let's not jump to conclusions here, they could have been drunk."

"Yeah…sure." He chortled through his thick accent.

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He traced her lips with his fingers and brushed it against her cheek. She slept peacefully in his arms, her breathing shallow. He peered at her lips in deep thought and recalled last night instantly. Her naked body against his felt warm and soft. Her long hair almost covered her face, it smelled of tropical fruit and musk. He removed a strand from her face and she woke up. Her eyes focused through the bright light of the room and saw two amber orbs staring right at her. She averted her gaze and looked down. Oh how embarrassing, was he watching her sleep?

"Hi…"she muttered awkwardly.

He didn't say anything and his silence caused her to look back at him. He observed her face, his gaze fixing mainly on her eyes. Her beautiful light brown eyes with specks of green, or that's what it looked like in the sunlight that shone in the room. Her skin seemed smooth and devoid of any blemish. His eyes darted down toward her lips. What was he thinking about with his face so serious? He was studying every inch of her. He noticed the bruises on her shoulders and bite marks. He had to control himself not to do that anymore. She wouldn't heal as quickly as a demon would.

"Can you say something?" she giggled, still feeling awkward. "You are just staring. It's creepy."

He felt his hand twitch, wanting to touch her face and stopped himself immediately. "We…should be leaving." He sat up and grabbed his blackberry from the nightstand. "Marla is waiting."

"Aw, crap. I forgot we were still modeling." She groaned as sat up. They did not say another word to each other and got dressed.

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When they met Marla and Marques at the lobby, Kagome studied their expressions. Marques had an odd grin plastered on his face and Marla avoided their eyes as if she had done something wrong but it quickly changed to impatience.

"Alright, now that you two are finally here." she cleared her throat and looked at her PDA. "We have a lot of work to do today so listen up. I pushed your commercial for next week. You guys are not ready to display a product yet."

Kagome scoffed, as if she wanted to be the emblem of a perfume called Affair.

Marla glowered and continued to read the agenda. "Alright, first things first, we are meeting with Benito for brunch. We're going to look over the shots and discuss them. Expect to see the press waiting outside of the studio; try not to answer any of their questions."

Kagome blinked her eyes back and sighed. Every so often, Sesshomaru met her eyes.

It all still felt new to her but being with him felt natural. When she really thought about it, it was weird. She never thought he had it in him to make her feel the way he did. There were so many questions she had. Were he and Shurran dating? Why had he gotten upset when Marcela mentioned his mother? Why was he always quiet? How did he get his hair to stay in place all of the time?

"KAGOME!" she heard.

"Yes?" she fell out of her daze and looked at Marla.

"Were you listening to what I was saying?"

"Um…"she shot a quick look between Sesshomaru and Marques. " Yes?"

"Really, and what did I just say?"

"Um…something about modeling and taking pictures."

"Very cute," Marla grumbled and got into the limo.

Sesshomaru shook his head at her and looked at Kagome. He extended his hand and helped her get into the limo. He felt uneasy, like he was being watched. He scanned around before he got in and noticed something from his peripherals. His eyes slowly moved up toward the building across from their hotel. Around the last few floors on the top, stood four dark figures at the ledge, watching him. His eyes glowed in anger and they moved so fast, it was a wonder if anything was there in the first place. Someone else would probably question his or her sanity but he knew very well, that something was there. Damn the Tamashi. They really needed to back down or he would have to make them. So they were probably under his mother's orders, he didn't care. They were defying his when he told them to stand down. He scowled toward the top of the building and got into the limo.

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Benito rubbed his temples and groaned. Another day of dealing with the two most stubborn people he's ever met in his career of photography. This was a waste of his time. His assistant searched for parking while he adjusted his camera lens. He did notice something different about the two earlier at lunch. They seemed to have been in their own little world. They would not stop looking at each other. Lunch wasn't the least bit satisfying with Marla arguing over his shoulder about the shots taken last week. He wanted to retake all of the shots because he felt they weren't convincing enough.

"There is too much space between them." He had said.

"What space? Any closer to each other and they'd become one person!" she had yelled.

But he saw it and he was pretty sure the public would too. Today, he felt optimistic. After observing them at lunch, there was something there. In the beginning, they seemed repulsed and uncomfortable by each other but now they stood next to each other with ease and he could have sworn they shared a moment as if they harbored a secret between them.

After they found parking by the studio, he pulled out a cigarette while his assistant set up his tripod and the rest of his equipment. He ran his fingers through his wavy hair and scratched the stubble on his chin as he started picturing his shots.

The limo parked behind Benito's van and Sesshomaru got out first. He held his hand out and Kagome grabbed it as she got out. Not a minute later did the press surround them as they walked toward the building. Sesshomaru lit a cigarette and started pulling Kagome through the crowd.

"Kagome! Lord Sesshomaru! How is your relationship going? Is anything getting serious."

"Lord Sesshomaru, what makes her different than the models you've dated before?"

Kagome turned her head toward the reporter, surprised and curious to that question and looked at Sesshomaru. He didn't acknowledge him and continued to smoke his cigarette in peace.

"Lord Sesshomaru, is Kagome marked?"

He almost snapped his neck at how fast he turned his head and glared at the reporter. The reporter's eyes opened wider and he could tell he struck a nerve.

Now that he had his attention, he decided to ask further questions while he had the chance."If she is marked, do your parents know? Are you actually planning to take a human as your mate?"

Another reporter interrupted and stuck her microphone out. "Lord Sesshomaru, Is Lady Saya aware of your courtship and if so, does she accept?"

"No comment." He said through clenched teeth and flicked his cigarette away. He pulled Kagome faster through the front doors of the studio not waiting for Marla and Marques to catch up. The security guards stopped the press from coming in and they headed toward the elevator.

"Wow…"Kagome let out a deep exhale. "What was that about? Who's Lady Saya?"

Sesshomaru stared at the numbers on the screen anticipating for the elevator to come. He looked to his side and registered her questionable stare. "My mother…" he said. The elevator came and they got in. She had more questions but he didn't seem in the mood to answer them. He stood beside her, resting his hands on the rail behind him. He was feeling great until now, with those questions thrown at him. It was reality checking in. He'd been so enwrapped with her that he hadn't thought clearly on the consequences.

He hadn't expected them to make love again and they did. It was becoming harder to stay away and it was becoming harder to resist her. Her lips felt so right on his. He couldn't really say he didn't try. When they returned home last night, he tried to be as cold as he could be. He didn't utter a word and he stayed as far from her as he could but it all turned out to be some sort of sexual tease. She went into the shower after him and he started to check his investments through the internet. The heat he felt was so strong that he couldn't bare it any longer. He found himself going into the bathroom and getting into the shower with her. He was as shocked as she was. It pretty much turned into a long night of repetitive lovemaking with ten-minute breaks in between. His body had never felt exhaustion and he was forcing himself to look wide-awake. She seemed to be doing the same thing. When they arrived at the studio, they were led to their dressing rooms.

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Benito looked out the window and flicked his cigarette bud out. He looked at his pack of cigarettes and realized he went through most of the pack. They had been in their dressing rooms for a while.

"Supido." He said. "What's taking them so long?" He marched toward one of the dressing rooms and knocked rapidly on the door.

"One minute." Said a voice inside.

"Anya, I am eh… on a schedule here. Where are my models?"

A petite girl opened the door and frowned. "We haves a little problem." She slurred, making her Russian accent sound more prominent.

He scoffed as he pushed opened the door. "How bad could it- '' he paused, taking a long look at Kagome who simply blushed at him. She crossed her arms over her bare chest and turned her back to him. He couldn't grasp what he saw; her skin was covered in bruises and tiny scratches.

Anya folded her hands behind her back and pursed her lips. "I tried coverzing it with thzee concealer but it is going to take more time to coverz it up."

A short pudgy woman with thick framed glasses entered the room. She hung a few shirts on a rack and scoffed. "That's nothing. You should see him." She winked at Kagome with a teasing grin and left.

Kagome looked to her side trying to hide what felt like a red face and bit her lip.

Benito tightened his lips and sighed. Marques paraded in holding one of his dresses on a hanger with a smug look that quickly turned into a shocked expression when he saw his battered looking model.

"Sacrebleu! What happened to your skin?" He cried.

Kagome frowned. Was it her fault she bruised easily? It wasn't as bad as it looked. Her immaculate porcelain skin made it look worse.

Isabella squeezed through Marques as she made her way inside the room holding a duffel bag. She darted her gaze at everyone and took off her shades. "What's going on?" she said and looked at Kagome. "Oh…" She quickly turned her head to hide her smile.

Benito glared between Anya and Isabella. "You both take care of this!" He fumed as he walked away. Marques paced around whispering prayers and cross gestures. He pulled out his emergency flask, guzzled the warm whiskey as he handed the dress to Kagome, and left the room.

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"Good, good!" Benito chuckled as he danced around them snapping away. "Kagome, put your eh… finger on his lip, yes, like that, good!"

Sesshomaru grabbed the rim of his hat and wrapped his arm around her back. She grabbed the collar of his pin striped blazer and tilted her head back. They both gazed at the camera with a smirk. Benito caught it and preened.

"Ok, that's good. Thank you both, go change now." He detached the lens to the camera and set it into a protective leather case. Anya passed him holding her makeup case. "Alright, let's eh… take one hour break, Anya, great work on the makeup. You eh…hid it well."

Anya grumbled something under her breath and waved.

Marques discussed something work related to his assistant as he tugged on Kagome's dress. He traced the hem and muttered something in French, Kagome had no idea what he was talking about. She saw Sesshomaru go inside a room and contemplated what was wrong with him. After their encounter with the press, he seemed to be in a bitter mood.

Marla followed behind Benito and clasped her hands. "Well? Did you catch your great shots today?"

Benito shot a smug look as he lit a cigarette. "I believe so. They did great today, something about the way they look at each other. They're coming around."

"Oh, they definitely are." Marla sighed, recalling her awkward encounter in the morning.

"What do you have planned for them today?"

"Well, they tell me fashion week in London is coming up, I'm trying to get a spot for them on the runway."

"Hmm, that will be tough. Kagome's not that tall."

"I know…but I'm hoping that because they're becoming big and you know, the first demon and human together, maybe they'll open a slot for us."

"Don't push your luck, bellisima."

"Well, I'm going to try. They have three more weeks here. Their contract is almost up; I want to use them as much as I can. I can probably convince Kagome to stay but Sesshomaru only agreed for the two months. It will be a one-year contract. They would go to London, Paris, Moscow, Tokyo and so much more places. They will be international."

Benito pursed his lips and nodded. Poor Marla, he thought. She was trying so hard with these two. What a waste of time they were going to be. He could not imagine them doing this for a year.

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Kagome looked inside the room Sesshomaru went in and saw him laying on the couch with his arm over his face. He didn't even change out of his suit. She walked over toward the couch and he raised his arm and looked at her.

"Hey…"she said.

He didn't say anything but he forced a half grin and placed his arm over his eyes again. She sat on the edge of the couch and stared at him.

"You owe me answers."

"Do I?" he said, amused.

"Yes."

"and what If I refuse to oblige?"

She frowned and started to get up. He removed his arm from his face again and grabbed her wrist, his eyes ajar. "I said…what if?"

"That isn't an option." She said, her voice wavering. This was it. She couldn't stand being left in the dark. He was hiding something and she was going to find out.

His face tightened and his eyes opened wider. He looked away from her gaze and nodded.

"Truth only." She said.

"Naturally." He scowled. Such accusation of mendacity insulted him. He had no reason to lie.

"I would think that by now, especially after last night, that you'd have answers. It's not that I'm quick to want to label things but I hate not knowing and I can't help feel you are hiding something from me."

He bit the inside of his lip as he pondered his words and prepared for what she might ask.

"Were you or are you dating Shurran?"

He quickly cocked a brow, surprised by the stupid question that he could not contain a chuckle. "Absolutely not."

"Ever?"

"Never."

"You guys seemed pretty close back in New York."

"We're not."

"Ok." She said. "Next question."

He sighed, and here he thought he had it easy.

"Do you see us as…well, a fling?"

"…No."

She hadn't expected him to answer so quickly. She stared at him, waiting for him to change his answer but his face didn't move a muscle and he returned her gaze with seriousness.

"Do you wish I was a demon?"

"Sometimes…"

She felt her lip tremble and tried to swallow the hurtful pain. He grabbed her face and turned it toward him.

"It would make it easier." He said. He could have said no but that would be lying. He didn't want to lie her, even if his answers would be painful to accept.

"make what easier?"

"Everything."

She nodded and remembered the reporter asking him about his mother. "Why don't you talk about your mother?"

"There is nothing to talk about."

"It seems everyone has a lot to say about her. Marcela seemed to know a lot, the press, why do you get annoyed or angry when they mention her?"

"She and I…"he started. He paused for a moment, carefully choosing his words, irritated that he had to answer. "It's complicated."

She leaned her head to the side and waited for him to elaborate. Seeing her face, he knew he wasn't going to get out of this question so easily.

He sighed and stared at the ceiling. "She disappeared for a while after my father remarried Inuyasha's mother.."

"Keep going." She smiled when he thought he had answered her question.

He blinked his eyes back and shook his head. "She can be a little intrusive and controlling."

"Like any mother."

"Not exactly." He scoffed. "Behind every mother's action, there is some feeling of concern for her child's well-being. This isn't the case."

"You're beating around the bush…what is she controlling and intrusive about?"

He exhaled deeply and patted his pocket for a cigarette. The topic was already upsetting him. "My life or the life she wishes me to lead."

"Ok, now you're being vague."

He closed his eyes in frustration. "She hopes that I take over my father's status as a leader, gain all of his wealth and find a mate by the end of this year." For crying out loud, he never heard himself speak for a long period of time.

She pouted in deep thought. "Why by the end of this year?"

"I turn twenty-one."

"Oh…"she said. For some reason she thought he was a lot older. He acted older. Her eyes watered as she yawned.. "So I'm guessing when you say she is hoping you find a mate in two months, she means a demon mate."

"There is no other in her definition."

"How about in yours?"

He tensed at her question and shifted uncomfortably. She didn't intend to put him in the spotlight. They stood silent for a few minutes and she hoped he'd have answered her questions without having to ask them.

. "Well, let me know if I'm set up for another heart break." She laughed, half-joking and half-serious. "I mean, if you are just going to say we're a fling later on, I rather just…you know, back out now."

"Don't burden yourself with these inane thoughts."He shut his eyes for a moment trying to fight the sleep.

"Are they?"

He opened his eyes and pulled her toward him. She lay on top of him and placed her hands under his back. He wrapped his arms around her back and tried to fight the heaviness of his lids. Not only did she tire him physically but now his mind was exhausted. He ran his fingers through her hair and she started feeling sleepier.

"Yes…"he said in a whisper and closed his eyes, unable to keep them open any longer.

"Ok…"she murmured through his shirt and shut her eyes.

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Marla groaned when no one could find Sesshomaru and Kagome.

"Where did these two go off to now?" she ran her fingers through her hair and pulled it. Benito smiled as he changed the settings on his digital camera.

"Perhaps they eh…made a lovers' getaway."

"Oh, this is funny to you? We're pressed for time here. I wanted them to go to the Orphanage in Naples. What better publicity is that? Imagine, you get a shot of Sesshomaru feeding one or Kagome holding one and reading to them."

"Yes, how eh…exotic would that be." He faked excitement.

"I'm too old for this; I can't go looking for them."

"You won't need to," Isabella sneered as she came into the room holding a comb. "We found them." She glanced at Anya who peeked from behind her shoulder. She nodded with a frown.

"Where are they? Wait, don't tell me!" Marla closed her eyes with frustration as she raised a finger. "On the back of a Hell's angel's Chopper, covered in tattoos and a bandana?"

"Eh…no." Isabella raised a brow and looked at Anya.

"No? Let's see. They broke into the Zoo to let all of the animals out, was Kagome seen riding an elephant out in triumph?"

"No, they are-"

"Please tell me they are at least in the country."

"Eh, yes madam, actually they are right here in the building."

"Really?"

"Yes, they are sleeping."

"Sleeping?" Marla peered at Benito and back at her in disbelief. "Sleeping where?"

"In the employee lounge, on the sofa."

"What?" Marla jumped from her chair, Benito following behind, getting his camera ready.

"I guess you should have had them eh… check the building before you sent the eh… search party out in Rome." Benito cackled.

Marla ignored him as she followed Anya and Isabella to the room. They opened the door quietly and looked inside. Benito pushed through them with his camera and tiptoed toward the sofa. Sesshomaru lay on the couch with Kagome on top of him, his arms around her, his face buried into her hair.

"This is beautiful…"Benito said in a whisper.

"Careful, he is a light sleeper." Marla warned in a terse whisper that she assumed would wake him up. He must have been deeply exhausted; his face didn't move an inch.

Benito took a few more shots and walked back toward Marla.

"Someone needs to wake them up." She said.

Isabella raised her hands and left. "I'm not doing it."

"Me neither." Anya crossed her arms.

Marla looked at Benito. He shook his head and leaned against the door. "Let's give them another hour. They are tired. Trust me, eh… two things don't work in this business, eh…tired and eh… hungry models."

"Fine, one more hour, and then I'll wake them up myself!"

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Kagome smiled as she watched Sesshomaru sleep. His face was still, his breathing heavy but he seemed at peace. His chin stuck out, his lips pouted and she fought the urge to kiss it, she didn't want to wake him. She brushed her finger against his cheek and he opened his eyes. He closed them halfway and

stared at her through his lashes. He glanced at the watch on his wrist and saw the time. They'd been asleep for almost two hours. No one woke them up, that was weird. He pulled her up and she buried her face in his neck.

"Knock, knock." Isabella said as she came in. "Well, the sleepy lovebirds are awake. Good, Marla is just about to have a heart attack." She handed an envelope to Kagome.

"What's this?" she mumbled as she sat up on his lap.

"I don't know." She said. "It has your name on it. Hurry will you, we have two hours left of studio time and I need to do your hair." She left and closed the door behind her.

Sesshomaru sat up, watching the envelope cautiously as she opened it. Was it someone from his clan? At this moment, with the Tamashi lurking around, he expected anything from his mother.

"Oh it's from Koga!" she jumped on his lap. Oh, how he wished she wouldn't do that.

He felt at ease and lay back down to close his eyes.

She smiled as she started to read, "Hey, kids. We're in your neck of the woods, well, kinda. We are in Europe though. Right now, we are in Paris, from here we will go to London. Oh, and by 'we', I mean Sango, Ayame, Miroku and the bandmates of course. Dude, these European girls are crazy! See you soon, P.S …"she stopped reading and looked at Sesshomaru.

She lifted her dress up and leaned back down. She wrapped her arms around his neck and bit his top lip softly. He opened his eyes, slightly stunned. His lips followed hers and he brought her closer to him. His mouth opened, letting her tongue meet his. A light moan escaped his lips as she massaged his groin. His hand went up her dress and rubbed her thigh as she grinded her hips against his. She kissed him harder and broke from their kiss. She panted with a smile and sat up. He looked at her, breathless as well and confused.

"What was that about?" He licked and gnawed on his bottom lip, his eyes glowed with arousal.

"Oh," she shrugged. "Koga said to give you a kiss." She mounted herself off him and he grabbed her wrist.

Did it mention anything about finishing what she started? He thought. "Is that so?" he said, staring at her lustfully with a devilish grin.

She was aware how much she had teased him and decided to have fun with it. "Mmhm, we should go. Marla will be looking for us." She winked and walked away.

That was cruel, he thought as she left the room. Leaving him hanging like that, oh she would pay. His breathing became steady as he tried to focus out of the aroused state he was in. After ten minutes, he finally collected himself and left the room. He met eyes with Kagome on the set, they were reshooting the Jacuzzi shot. This shot was different. The Jacuzzi was smaller and the walls were black, making the water look eerie and dark. There were five-foot statues of Anubis, the black headed jackal with gold eyes. Kagome wore a short silk gold dress with slits on the sides. Her entire body was covered in gold glitter and her hair was wet and loose. She wore an Egyptian style necklace with gold snake armbands.

He felt someone pull him and looked down at the small girl. Anya brought him into the room and started removing his clothes. Marques walked in holding a pair of golden briefs.

You have to be kidding, he thought.

"Oui, I know." Marques rolled his eyes. "Not your style but this isn't mine, this is Valentino's. They want to do Egyptian theme. Don't worry, lucky you, this won't be seen in shot."

Sesshomaru sighed as he changed into the embarrassing garment. Marques brought over a gold chest plate and armor. Anya helped him put it on. She started painting his skin gold.

"Thzee gold matches thzee eyes." She smiled and looked at Marques, who smirked as he observed Sesshomaru in the briefs.

"Not bad…"he winked. "They fit very well."

After ten minutes of feeling violated and sexually undressed by Marques's eyes, he met with Kagome by the pool. He got into the warm pool. The water was pretty high, it rose to his chest. Kagome stood on a step that they planted inside so that she'd be above the water by a few inches.

"Okay, Kagome, turn to me. Sesshomaru, go behind her. Place your left hand on her hip. Kagome, wrap your arm behind his neck, good." He said.

Kagome felt Sesshomaru's lips by her ear and tried to focus on the camera. His breath caused her to shiver. His lips curled into a devilish grin as he rested his lips on her shoulder and looked into the camera.

"Wonderful!" Benito gleamed.

Kagome tilted her head and gasped when she felt Sesshomaru's right hand between her thighs. She looked back at him and a grin remained on his face but he looked into the camera. She wondered if anyone could see but it was pretty dark. His hand seemed still in the water.

"Kagome, look at me." Benito scolded.

She cleared her throat and looked back at him, trying to ignore Sesshomaru's roaming hand. She felt his hand go up her thigh and rub against her core.

She bit her lip and smiled for the camera. "What are you doing?" she clenched her teeth.

"Nothing…"he smirked. Oh, this was evil, he thought. He poked his finger into her underwear and lifted it, letting his other fingers come in easily.

"Stop it!" she spat in a whisper.

"It isn't nice, is it?" he whispered into her ear. He took his index and middle finger and started rubbing inside her, his middle finger going further.

She felt her face hot trying to suppress her moan, the steam of the Jacuzzi making it hotter.

"Great, Kagome, love the look of lust, give me more."

"Do you want more?" he muttered into her ear, his lip brushing against it. She felt the vibration of his voice in her skin.

"No," she said in a very low wavering moan and turned to him. "Stop."

"You should apologize." He started to rub harder, his fingers going in circles.

Benito looked into his camera lens and frowned. "Anya, did you put blush on her face? She looks red!"

"Niet, I did not use thzee blush!" Anya argued. She and Benito exchanged a few combative comments on Kagome's hue.

"Ok, ok, ok…I'm sorry." She gritted frustratingly, her eyes narrowing into slits.

He stopped and removed his hand. She felt her body shaking and her core tingling from being close to climax. She looked to her side and glowered at him. He wrapped his arms around her stomach and turned her around. He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"That was taking it too far." She tried to look angry but all she wanted was for everyone to disappear so she could get back at him. Didn't seem like she had to do anything, she could feel his arousal.

He cursed under his breath feeling his member harden. It truly sucked being a guy sometimes. It turned him on as much as it did her and now, the both were completely horny in a Jacuzzi surrounded by people staring at them, one with a camera.

A few more shots and Benito looked at his watch, it was close to nine, and they started to wrap things up. He couldn't ignore the sexual tension emanating from the lovers. He hoped his shots captured it.

"That was perfecto!" he clapped.

Marques leaned in and fanned himself with a cardboard. "Is it me or is it hot in here?"

"No…I feel it too." Marla said. "There is no way your shots missed that, Benito."

"Hmph!" he shrugged smugly.

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They barely got to the door before she jumped on him and started kissing him. He skillfully opened the door with his key while holding her with one arm, not breaking from their kiss. He carried her through the threshold and set her on top of the desk. She pressed her lips on his roughly as she unbuttoned his pants. She felt his hardened staff and got off the desk; she knelt down and brought his member into her mouth. His head fell back feeling the warmth and wetness of her mouth around him. Her hands went up his shirt as she jerked her head back and forth. He couldn't grasp what was going on with him. His behavior with her was unrecognizable to him. He didn't know who he was anymore. Feeling frustrated, he stopped her and pulled her up. He carried her to the bed and fell onto it with her. He lifted her dress up to her stomach and pulled off her underwear.

Her muscles tensed feeling his breath between her thighs. She grew frustrated waiting for the suspense of his tongue. He grabbed her thighs and pulled her close to his mouth. She felt the tip of his tongue at

her opening and shivered. His tongue pressed firmly against her and he almost growled at her taste. He felt himself hunger for more. He ached to be inside her but not yet. He wanted to taste her more. His tongue ventured in circles and suckled. She held her moans in as she gripped the bed sheets. He knew he had found her spot. She breathed heavily, crying intensely with pleasurable moans.

He couldn't wait any longer. He took off his shirt and leaned into her. He opened her legs and pushed himself inside her. He pulled away and thrust forth repeatedly.

She couldn't stop moaning over and over as he pounded into her. It didn't take long for her to reach her climax. She tingled all over, the feeling of ecstasy overwhelming her. She pushed him off of her and got on top of him. She thrust her hips onto him hard and began riding him. He gripped onto her hips helping her thrust and bit his lip when he came close to his peak. His body jerked when he released himself, the feeling so strong, he lightly grunted. They stood in that position for a couple of minutes as they caught their breaths. They had to stop doing this, she thought. They had been screwing like rabbits for the past two days. Marla would have a seizure if they fell asleep on the job again. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder. His lips brushed against her naked shoulder and he sucked on her neck. She closed her eyes and winced but smiled shortly after. It sort of hurt when he bit her but at the same time, felt good. Were all demons biters? She never got to ask him about what the press meant by her being marked. Did it have something to do when he bit her?

She was the first to sleep. He tried, even as tired as he was, but sleep didn't come to him so easily. He ran his fingers through her hair as he pondered about what was going on. Time was running out, his mother would find out soon. The Tamashi had been spying on him, they would soon report to her about his sexcapades with her. The sex…he couldn't believe how amazing the sex was. He couldn't stop thirsting for more. There was no more self-control. She so much as touched him and he was ready to jump her. As the days went by, his feelings grew stronger. He cringed at the thought of them being a fling. There was no way it could be. Flings eventually ended and he didn't want this to end. But there was no way his clan would accept him taking a human as his mate. He didn't want to lose the respect like his father did but now, leading the clan seemed trivial. His interest was diminishing every single time he held this girl in his arms. He never expected to date a human, never expected to kiss one, or make love to one or…fall in love with one. He didn't know what to do and the only person that probably knew what to do was on the other side of the world. His father had the answers but he never asked his father for anything. He's never needed his help. He never thought he'd see the day when he actually needed his father's advice. He couldn't. As much as he wanted to, he refused to get on the phone and ask his father for help.

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