Controlling his nature was becoming near to impossible in her presence.
He knew he should leave, he had to leave, but - his eyes lingered on her still form - he found himself addicted.
And everyone knew how dangerous addictions were to an assassin.
He had tried to be good. He had tried to leave.
But she came after him.
It seemed that she was just as addicted to him as he was to her.
That would be her downfall.
Of all the women to get attached to, it was this one his dark nature chose. It had stirred to life when she had attacked him in the streets and he had been so shocked that he had been unable to control his urges. He had raced after her.
To kill her?
But when he had seen that brute slash at her, his leash had slipped.
Kill!
How dare he hurt what was his! She was his to kill. His prey.
She had survived.
He had gotten his baser urges under control.
He had wanted to leave.
He was going to leave.
But then he had noticed that she was alone. When she had asked him to stay, Battousai had latched onto the loneliness in her voice.
She was his.
So, he stayed.
And he watched.
His primal side told him to take her. That she wanted to be taken.
His rurouni nature told him to back off. That he might very well end up killing her.
She shifted in her sleep and he froze.
He didn't care if she woke up and saw him, but he didn't want to wake her up.
She still hadn't healed from her injuries.
Ever since Enishi had taken her, he had started guarding his most precious treasure, like a dragon.
No one would take her from him again!
Her eyes fluttered open. That blue gaze blurry with sleep.
She watched the pair of lethal golden eyes watch her.
"You should sleep."
Her words were tired.
His voice was rough, low, with a silken quality that could make a woman moan just from hearing it.
"I do not need to sleep."
She became quiet.
Then, she started sitting up. He just watched her. She was very careful not to jostle her wounds. Dragging her comforter, she crawled, crawled, to him.
He widened his legs to make space for her and she settled against him, her weight a warm assurance for him. He wrapped his arms around her and she let her head loll against his shoulder.
She had come to him.
"I should be afraid," She mumbled. She shifted her position to become more comfortable, and he moved her till she was settle against his most private part. "But I'm not."
"I am an assassin."
Her words were a sleepy mumble, "Were."
"Putting me in a pretty cage will not change who I am."
She was silent and then rubbed her hand over the rough arm holding her to him, "Then you're my assassin."
He growled softly, his mouth against her neck.
She turned her head to give him better access.
Her body was his playground.
His instrument.
He knew how to touch her to wield the best result.
One hand slipped in her robe, to settle on her womb and the other settled around her neck, a deceptively gently hand. It's position belayed power, the power he had over her.
The same hand that had taken so many lives, that wielded a dangerous sword, was now telling her that she belonged to him. A moan slipped from between her lips as the hand within her robe slipped lower and started working.
His words were a murmur and it took a while for them to infiltrate through the pleasure induced haze around her mind.
"Yahiko is in the other room. Do you really want to wake him up?"
She tried her best to glare at him, but his hand did something that she couldn't see and she arched against him.
He just smiled, "Careful Kaoru."
She tried to cover her mouth, but he wouldn't let her.
Golden eyes glinting, the Battousai wanted her to scream for him.
So, he played with her body, encouraging her to cry out and yet warning her that she would be overheard.
His mouth was on her neck and he bit down, hard enough to draw blood. She gasped and her hands grasped at air, wanting to latch onto something.
He was teasing her and -"You're a sadistic bastard."
She cursed when he would do this to her. He found he liked her like this, wild, hanging onto the edge. Only he could let her fall. The decision was in his hands alone.
Just as he was sure she was in control, she attacked him. Her hand slipped around her and his face tensed as he realized what she was doing. But he had trapped himself by trapping her.
So she used her weapon against him, now driving him wild.
Finally, he snarled, picking her up by her waist and backing her up against the wall. Playtime was over.
"I can't walk."
He chuckled and didn't move fast enough to dodge the slipper she threw at him.
He let his guard down around her. He wondered if it was a good thing.
He lost control around her. He hoped that it wouldn't destroy her.
Slipping his hands down her legs, he picked her up, bridal style and carried her out.
"Yahiko will see!" Her whisper was frantic.
"Yahiko is helping out Megumi at the shop."
She stilled, and then slapped him on the head, growling, "I can't believe you."
He tightened his hold on her, making her cry out, startled.
Those eyes flashed golden, "Did you think I'd let anyone hear your screams? Or see that look when you lose yourself?"
He lowered his face to hers, "You're mine, Kaoru. Only mine."
She stared at him, her heart beating faster. Then taking a deep breath, she pointed towards the kitchen, "Do you plan on holding me here all day or are you actually going to feed me?"
He just chuckled and kissed her.
A dark, deep, possessive kiss.
He was obsessed with her. And that scared her at times. But the fact was, that she was just as obsessed with him. If not more.
"I love you, Kenshin."
He heard her mumble, and tightened his hold on her, "You belong to me."
For the love of an assassin was a dangerous thing.