Disclaimer: There is a lemon in this chapter. You have been warned.

Chapter Three

Elegant.

There wasn't a better word to describe Yukishiro Tomoe. She personified the word from birth. Her mother was poised and proud, yet every inch the proper Japanese wife and mother. She raised her daughter to be demure and to lead a man as every woman should: so skillfully that he never knows there is a ring through his nose just as sure as there is one on her finger.

Tomoe's father was the epitome of masculinity. His presence demanded respect. He taught his daughter how to command that same respect with grace and dignity. Her stunning beauty and cool allure made the lesson an easy one. She was tall and slender, yet curved where a woman should be. Her clothing was always stylish and sophisticated. From her Chanel suits to her embroidered silk chamber robes, she always looked her absolute best.

Her oval face, seemingly never without the perfect amount of make-up, held a pair of violet eyes that changed dramatically with her moods, even if her demeanor did not. Her hair, the color of a raven's wing, fell about her shoulders in soft curls. Her full lips were often pressed together in a serious expression and very rarely turned up into a smile.

She did not need to smile. Tomoe had two of the most important things in this world in excess: money and power.

Of course, there were those that wanted to seize that power for their own. The reasons varied; from the families of former Yakuza heads, or oyabun, seeking to regain past glory, to those that still could not and would not tolerate taking orders from a mere woman. Women did not belong in the higher ranks, if they were to be members at all. Tomoe found their attitudes predictable and amusing, since very few had the guts or the resources to prove a real threat to her.

For those that did pose a serious threat, the boss had a team of bodyguards led by her younger brother, Enishi. Under normal circumstances, Enishi would have been heir to their father's empire simply because he was male. Sadly, while intelligent, engaging and charming; Enishi was also insane.

Determined to find some purpose for his life, Enishi's father discovered his son's skill for combat and weaponry. It was one of the few things the younger Yukishiro was able to focus on, and he excelled. Soon thereafter, it was decided that the cunning and collected Tomoe would be heir and Enishi would protect her. The siblings agreed to this and Enishi had never tried to usurp his sister's position.

And, why would he when he found killing so much fun. If he were to lead, he would have to leave that task to others. What was the fun in that? No, it was much better to stay right where he was, protecting his dearest sister with his life.

"What are you thinking about," Tomoe asked her brother. He was gazing out of the window of her armored car, a bemused look on his face.

Enishi looked at his sister through his tinted glasses, and said, "Murder."

Tomoe did not respond. Sometimes her brother could be a little too blunt.

"Well, I was thinking about protecting you," Enishi amended. "That just so happens to usually involve murder."

Tomoe could not help but to chuckle as she shook a manicured finger. "You are impossible, Brother."

With a strong arm, Enishi pulled his sister towards him and held her in a loving, yet playful embrace.

"And you are adorable."

"Adorable?!" was the outraged response. "The oyabun cannot be 'adorable'. Sexy, strong, stunning; yes. But adorable? Never!"

A rosy blush colored Tomoe's beautiful face, her ire making her even lovelier.

"An oyabun should be more composed," Enishi teased.

Tomoe bit back a retort. Her little brother always knew how to annoy her. After all these years, he could push her buttons even when she knew he was doing it for the sole purpose of getting a response. But the young woman decided today she would not fall prey.

"Tell the driver I want to eat at Toufuya-Ukaim," Tomoe demanded airily.

Enishi held back his urge to laugh. "You heard her," he said, leaning towards the driver's side of the car.

It did not take very long for the pair to reach their destination. Tomoe was well within her own territory, so there was no need for anyone other than her brother for protection. Besides, he guarded her more fiercely than ten of her regular men.

Seeing the car pull up, the owner of the popular establishment met her infamous patron at the door. A portly woman in her middle years, her face was yet attractive and her smile warm. Bowing first, the woman led the pair to a private dining area towards the rear of the restaurant. The curtain separating Tomoe from the rest of the diners was left open, for she preferred to be seen as much as possible.

Tomoe nodded to Asuka, the owner, and the older woman went to the kitchens to let the crew know the boss was there and she would want her usual meal.

"She's a little too presumptuous," Enishi said ominously. "She acts as if she knows you."

His sister shook her head wearily. "She does know me. Since I was a child she has been preparing my food. That she now owns this establishment is a perk."

"One has to wonder how someone like her climbed to the position she has now," Enishi said slyly.

Tomoe only smiled warm sake was served by a young waitress. The slender girl bowed politely to the siblings. Enishi eyed her speculatively. She was an attractive girl, no older than twenty, he wagered. Her dark hair reminded him of his sister's, but that was about it. While Tomoe's face was a study of beautiful angles, this girl's still held the roundness of youth. Her gardenia skin was blemish free, her rosebud lips painted a soft pink.

The girl noted Enishi's admiring gaze and Tomoe's annoyed one. She bowed politely again and backed away from the table, her eyes appropriately downcast as she returned to the kitchens.

"Could you have stared any harder?" Tomoe seethed.

"It is obvious that adorable sweet was dangled before me. I intend on having a taste before the night is out," Enishi said meaningfully. "You know how Asuka strives to keep me happy. I guess she knows me too well, also."

Tomoe sipped her sake, thinking Asuka tried a little too hard to please Enishi. It would be nice if someone would dangle a sweet in front of her to taste. But, she knew that was impossible. She rarely got involved with a man. It was too hard to determine if he was only interested in her power or trying to undermine her power. There was only one man she knew for certain cared for her, and that man was murdered. Another intrigued her, tempted her, but Tomoe could not have that man.

Memories of the past flooded her mind. How, she as a young and inexperienced girl, found herself engaged to a young man from a good family. The young man's family was not as wealthy as hers, nor as dangerous. Her father did not approve and the young man was disposed of.

The act tested the bond of father and daughter. She wanted to lash out at him, but could not, for the family was more important than any man. Angry and heartbroken, Tomoe used all her cunning and skill to track down the hired assassin.

It took many months, but she finally cornered him in Kyoto. He was a young star in the underworld. He was devilish, handsome and charming. She wanted him dead and tried to kill him.

Instead, she fell in love with him.

Though excellent in quality and expertly prepared, the food tasted like sawdust in Tomoe's mouth. She was suddenly lonely. The young woman paying such close attention to Enishi didn't help matters much. She watched as the girl flirted demurely. She was never too forward, and that intrigued her brother, she knew. The girl really was quite beautiful, Tomoe thought to herself.

"So, what is your name," Enishi asked the girl.

"Tsukino Kaori," was the polite reply.

"Your family resides in the Juuban district, correct?" he asked.

"Hai," the girl responded.

"Are you willing?" Enishi inquired in a voice so quiet, the serving girl wasn't sure she heard him. With a blush, she nodded in the affirmative. Enishi then said, "There will be a car to pick you up in ten minutes. Be discrete."

Knowing she was dismissed, the serving girl bowed again and left the diners alone. Their meal was done, but Tomoe felt empty. Enishi took his sister's hand and gazed into her sad violet eyes.

"Are you ill?" he asked. Tomoe shook her head in the negative.

"No. I just need some air. I think I would like to walk home," she replied.

"Walk? Are you serious? You do not walk anywhere without me," Enishi raged. His grip became painful and Tomoe snatched her hand back.

"Calm yourself. You will listen to me. I want to walk the two blocks home. And I just might stop somewhere on the way. Have Suki and Kimora post guards along the route if you think I may be accosted in my own territory, but I will have a few minutes to myself, Dear Brother!"

Tomoe's chest heaved up and down, her cheeks rosy with her anger and frustration. She just wanted to walk for goodness sakes! Enishi was about to occupy his evening, why couldn't she?

"I will manage the details," Enishi said quietly. He did not mean to upset his sister.

But he did. The argument seemed to take all of the joy out of the short walk she had managed. The evening was fair, the sky clear. Yet, Tomoe felt heaviness about her. It was as if she was being watched or something to that nature. With a sigh, she entered her home; a sprawling Edo-style house. Walking past a guard, she made her way to the rear of the complex, where her quarters were. A servant opened the screen for her mistress and closed it quickly. The lights were dim, but not so much that she could not see a shock of red in the corner of her eye.

Tomoe turned her head and she met the gaze of a man she never thought to see again in this life. Her surprised features softened into a smile.

"Kenshin," she said softly.

The man nodded and stepped into the dim moonlight coming from the window. His red hair was pulled away from his face, revealing his scar. The scar she had given him many years ago.

"Are you here to kill me?" she asked calmly. She did not bother to ask how he got into her room undetected. It was his job to do such things.

"No," he said.

"Why are you here?" she asked, approaching him slowly.

"To protect you," the spy said. He stepped closer to Tomoe until finally, they were face to face.

"Protect me? That is not in your job description, the last I checked...protecting people," she said with a hint of humor.

"If you die, there will be chaos. The powers that be do not want to see that happen," Kenshin said, moving a stray tendril away from the beautiful woman's face. Her violet eyes were bright and shone with unshed tears.

"Oh, I see," she said, trembling at the sensation of his touch. "It's not so much to protect me as it is to protect your boss' interests."

"Hai," was the reply. "I could not refuse the assignment. I thought never to see you again. At least, not like this."

Tomoe kissed him. Pressing her lush body against his lean one, she felt as his body tensed. Deepening the kiss, she put her arms around him, compelling her partner to do the same. He did, breaking the kiss to suck upon her neck. The woman moaned, and the sound set Kenshin on fire.

"Has there been another?" he asked as he placed hot kisses behind her ear.

Tomoe was almost furious. He had no right to ask that of her. Surely he had not been celibate. Her anger was warring with the lust she was feeling. His artfully placed kisses and seductive caresses did not help.

"I thought I forgave you. I know my father had my fiancé killed. I know you killed him. And when I tried to kill you, you let me live. You became my friend, my lover. How did it happen? What am I doing?"

Tomoe whimpered as the pleasure he offered mingled with the pain of the memories. She felt her blouse slip off her arms, the silk hissing against her bare skin. Kenshin trailed kisses across her collarbone.

"Who is trying to kill me that you would have to intervene?" Tomoe managed to ask as she felt lips on the swell of her breasts.

"You know I cannot say," he murmured against her skin before taking a nipple between his teeth, teasing the sensitive nub.

Tomoe's head rolled back. She was quickly losing control, something she was loathing to give up.

"Give yourself to me," Kenshin demanded as his lips trailed down her torso. He made quick work of her pencil skirt and admired her lacy underpinnings before ripping them from her body. Tomoe gasped as her lover cupped her smooth mons. She felt herself being laid down on her bed, a skilled finger stroking her cleft.

"No…" she cried softly. She had given herself to him before. To what end? Did this spy love her? Of course not. But she loved him, after all the pain. After all these years.

"Let me love your body," Kenshin said as he hovered over her. He was now nude and he struggled to contain his own lusts as he sweetly tortured his lover's body. It was a beautiful body. Her large, cone-shaped breasts were particularly inviting, with their rose-colored nipples. Her slender waist flared into wide hips, which extended down to long, shapely legs. Tomoe's graceful back arched as she felt the tip of Kenshin's manhood slide over her wet entrance.

"Please..." she whimpered. Kenshin continued to slide between her cleft.

"Say it," he demanded. Tomoe cried and shook her head. Kenshin lowered his head and began tracing circles on her hot flesh with his tongue. The woman could endure no more.

"I have had none since you. I need you inside of me."

The words slipped from her lips as her lover slipped into her willing body. It was as it had been before. She was infatuated with the red-headed spy; a man she should hate, but instead loved with a complete lack of logic. It was so unlike her. It excited her.

In the morning, Tomoe found herself alone in the well-used bed. The spot where Kenshin slept was cold, meaning he had left her quite a while ago. On the pillow was a tiny origami box. Tomoe sat up in the bed and undid the intricate folding. There was a note that read:

Though you may not see me, I will never be far

HK

Tomoe scanned the letter a few moments more before placing the paper above the candle beside her bed. The thin paper quickly caught fire and disintegrated almost instantly.

With a sigh, Tomoe rose from her bed and began her morning routine. The day had to proceed as normal, though she instinctively knew nothing would be the same ever again.