Title: Someone like You:

Summary: If there is one thing Kagome Higurashi and Inuyasha Shiro can agree upon it's that they have nothing in common. Raised in the same household, they clashed as children, and nothing has changed since they last met. Kagome is as spoiled as ever, a flirtatious beauty who's left a trail of broken hearts behind her. She's still searching for excitement and a daring adventurer who will cater to her every whim. Inuyasha, now a widower with a child to raise does not fill the bill-nor does he wish to. Yet when Kagome moves in as temporary nanny, the sparks begin to fly. Only this time they're lighting the fires of passion that consumes them both, challenging all their ideas about love marriage…and making them embrace the irresistible attraction between opposites.

Prologue

Kagome Higurashi gazed across the wide expanse of land behind the stately Japanese mansion and frowned. "Inuyasha should have been here by now," she mumbled, nervously clutching the wild stems of her wedding bouquet.

A white lace veil, caught on the wings of a warm July breeze, fluttered across her face. Unaccustomed to wearing bridal attire-especially a piece of bothersome lace that tickled her nose and clouded her vision, Kagome flung the veil over her head and peered across the grounds once again.

To her left was a tiny cottage that served as the children's play house. A miniature version of Takashi House, Kagome's family home, the little building was a child's delight, a frequent setting for imaginary tea parties and games of pretend. But the small cottage was silent this afternoon. Kagome's gaze swiftly shifted to the spring house, then wandered beyond the smokehouse and barn to the groove of trees bordering the Takashi property.

But Inuyasha Shiro was nowhere in sight

Kagome heaved a frustrated sigh. The wedding guests would be arriving at any moment now, expecting to witness the most glorious wedding of the summer season in Kagura, Japan. But how could a wedding take place with out the groom?

"Inuyasha's probably down by the creek, fishing or reading one of those dumb old books of his," she muttered irritably. "I'd wager he doesn't even know what time it is."

Ripping the lace netting from her raven hair, Kagome dashed across the yard. After tossing her veil and bouquet on the porch of the small cottage, she picked up her skirts and headed for the creek.

A few moments later, she spotted Inuyasha. He was sitting on a smooth boulder beside the water, one clawed hand casually draped over a wooden pole. The tips of his bare toes were dangling over the gurgling stream, and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows. His silver hair wild and tangled like he just tumbled out of bed.

She crept closer to the boulder, Inuyasha was keeping very still, as still as a marble statue. His head was tilted forward, his chin was resting on his chest, and his eyes were closed…

The revelation hit Kagome like a thunderbolt. Fishing wasn't the reason for Inuyasha's tardiness. The scoundrel was sleeping! And how could he sleep so peacefully, knowing everyone was expecting him to marry her.

"What do you think your doing Inuyasha Shiro?" she demanded storming up to him.

His fluffy white dog ears flattened on top of his head and his head jerked up. "What the hell is going on here?" he asked, blinking in confusion.

"You know what's going on and don't you deny it!" Kagome yanked the fishing pole from Inuyasha's hand, tempted to smash it over his head and knock some sense into his brain. "You know what day it is!"

"It's my fishing day." He scowled, "and you're disturbing it."

"It's also Saturday the 27th day of July."

"And the year is 1872. What difference does it make?"

Exasperated Kagome rolled her eyes heavenward. "Doesn't that date mean anything to you?"

"Should it?"

"Of course it should!" she wailed. "It's our wedding day!"

Feigning regret Inuyasha slapped the heel of his palm against his head. "How could I have forgotten you have talked about nothing else for weeks."

"Well we can't waist anymore time talking about it now." Kagome tossed the fishing pole onto the creek bank. "If we don't hurry and get back to the house right now, all the guests will be wondering where we are, and-"

"You're gonna have to find someone else to marry today Kagome," Inuyasha snapped.

He bolted to his feet, retrieved the fishing pole from the mossy bank and stomped back to the creek. Plopping down on the boulder he cast the line back into the water. Then he leaned back and yawned, acting as if he hadn't a care in the world.

Kagome stared at him in stunned disbelief. "I can't believe you're doing this to me! I've been decorating the play house and getting everything ready all morning. Why I even got Aunt Yuka to bake a cake for us."

"Cake?" Inuyasha's head snapped up. "What kind of cake?"

"Your favorite." She licked her lips and grinned praying she'd finally stumbled across the bait that would lure him back to the play house with her.

"Applesauce raisin with vanilla icing?" he guessed.

Kagome nodded, her smile fading away "But you have to show up for the wedding if you want a piece."

"I'm not going to any wedding today, Kagome, not even for a piece of Aunt Yuka's cake." Inuyasha shrugged. "Besides I don't remember agreeing to be apart of this stupid plan of yours."

"But you never said you wouldn't marry me!" Distraught Kagome plopped down on the boulder beside him. "And if you didn't want to get married you should have said something before now."

'You wouldn't have listened even if I shouted to high heaven," Inuyasha argued. "You're always too caught up in your little plans to pay attention to anything I have to say!"

"That's not true!" she denied hotly. "If you didn't want to marry me today, I could've scheduled the wedding for another afternoon."

"It wouldn't have done any good. Inuyasha heaved a weary sigh. "I wouldn't have agreed to marry you, no matter what time or date or place."

Cringing back Kagome fluttered her lashes and blinked back the moisture swelling in her eyes. "I wasn't trying to make you do something you didn't want to do, Inuyasha. Honest, I wasn't." Her vice faltered and her lower lip trembled. "I th-th-thought we c-c-could have a g-g-good time, and-"

"Those tears of yours aren't gonna change my mind about marrying you and neither is that pout on your lips," he warned gruffly. "I know all of your tricks Kagome. And just because you know how to get your own way with every one in town doesn't mean you can get your way with me!"

Inuyasha never intended to snap at her so harshly but he couldn't seem to help himself. Everyone catered to Kagome Higurashi's whims, and he was determined not to fall prey to her charms.

It wasn't that he resented Kagome, nor the love that everyone bestowed so freely upon the girl. On the contrary, Inuyasha figured he would be grateful to Kagome and her family for the rest of his life. After all Kagome's older sister, Sango Hiraikotsu and her two elderly aunts Yuka and Korari Takashi, had opened their home-and their hearts-to him at a time when no one else would.

Still, Kagome had become something akin to a pesky little sister to him over the years. Pampered and spoiled she was accustomed to getting her way with everyone who knew her.

Except Inuyasha, of course. He took great delight in refusing to succumb to her wishes. And whether he was snatching ribbons from her hair or dangling worms in front of her nose, he was always looking for new ways to tease and torment her, if for no other reason then to make her squeal and squirm.

But Kagome's beguiling charm made it difficult for anyone-including Inuyasha-to deny her heart's desires. Inuyasha secretly adored the girl, though he could not bring himself to admit it to anyone.

At that instant, Kagome tugged in the sleeve of his shirt. "Quit being such an old fuddy - duddy, Inuyasha," she scolded. "Everyone knows were only pretending to get married today. It'll be like a fancy tea party, where everyone gets dressed up, says nice things to each other, and pretends to have a good time while they're trying not to spill anything on their Sunday clothes."

Inuyasha glowered at her in disbelief. "Haven't you heard one word I said? I'm not playing any more games with you, Kagome. Good grief, I'm fourteen years old! I'm a man well full grown hanyou now, and I'm too old to be playing games with little girls any longer."

"But I'm almost grown, too!"

"You're barely eleven. Almost a baby."

"I am not a baby!" Kagome's deep set brown eyes blazed with anger. "Why I'm even an aunt! And if I'm old enough to be an aunt, I'm too old to be a baby."

"But being an aunt doesn't make you old enough to marry anyone," Inuyasha pointed out solemnly. He turned away from her, staring into the murky waters of the creek once again.

"Go find another groom for your wedding Kagome. I'm sure Akitoki Hojo or Shippo Kitsune might marry you."

Kagome wrinkled her nose in disdain. "Hojo is nice, but I don't think I could marry him. And I can't possibly marry Shippo, either. I'm older then he is. Besides, I don't want to marry just anyone. And since you and I know each other so well, I figured-"

"I'm not going to marry you, Kagome." The line of Inuyasha's jaw hardened. "Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Because I could never marry someone like you." Inuyasha steadied himself, expecting her to lash out at him, maybe even pound her fists into his arm. Kagome usually retaliated when he refused to give in to her demands. But this time she remained silent, frozen, glaring at him in stunned disbelief.

A long moment passed, filled with awkward silence, before she pursed her lips together and tossed back her head.

"That's fine with me," she announced crisply. "I thought getting married would be something fun for us to do, since were always arguing and fighting. But getting married isn't nearly as much fun as I thought it would be."

"Getting married isn't supposed to be fun," Inuyasha muttered under his breath.

"Your just saying that because your and old stick-in-the-mud." She surged to her feet. "Your idea of fun is sitting around here, catching your stupid old fish and reading those stuffy old books of yours.

"I happen to like fishing." Inuyasha bristled defensively. "It gives me a chance to study in a quiet place. Besides I'm going to be a lawyer. And future lawyers need to read as many books as possible."

"Future lawyers need some friends too." Whirling, Kagome headed toward the creek bank. "But you're acting like you don't want any friends. You're the meanest person I've met in my whole, entire-"

"Then why do you want to marry me?"

The question stopped her cold. She turned her head, peering over her shoulder at him. "I just wanted us to be friends, Inuyasha, "she admitted wearily. "I've always tried to be your friend even when no one else would, and I thought you might like pretending to marry m-"

"You know I never liked games of pretend, Kagome." Inuyasha heaved a frustrated sigh. "Besides, when I decide to marry someone, I'll be the one who does the asking. After all, the man is supposed to bring up the subject of marriage."

A heated blush rose to her cheeks. In an obvious attempt to soothe her wounded pride, she threw back her shoulders and lifted her chin. "Well, you could ask me to marry you a million times, and I'd never consent to your proposal. I'll never marry someone like you Inuyasha Shiro!"

With that, she spun around and stomped up the creek bank, marching back to Takashi House in a rush of fury.

To be continued…